WCMS Jr. Beta Club

Sponsor:  Patti Sebastian

National Jr. Beta Club Pledge
I hereby declare that I shall always strive
To be honest and truthful at all times;
To maintain a creditable scholastic record;
To be of service to my teachers and fellowmen;
To conduct myself in a manner to reflect credit
Upon my school and community.

The WCMS Junior Beta Club began during the 2002-2003 school year.  The scholastic requirement for membership is a cumulative grade point average of 3.800 and is based on 6th grade grades and the first 9-week grading period of 7th grade.  Invitations are given after the 1^st 9-weeks grading period, with the induction ceremony occurring in December.  The membership fee of $20 includes $13 to join the National Beta Club and $7 to join the WCMS Beta Club.  Our service projects include:

• Pennies for Patients - Leukemia (February)

• Canned food drive - Food Pantry (November)

Bylaws and Guidelines for WCMS Junior Beta Club:

1. The WCMS Junior Beta Club will meet once a month before/after school or during the Academic Leadership class, depending on planned activities.

2. The grades from which members shall be drawn are 7th and 8th.

3. The scholastic requirements for membership will be a cumulative GPA of 3.800 (GPA must be exactly 3.8 with no rounding).

4. The officers to be elected for this club will be president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

5. A member must participate in school-sponsored community service project(s) each year to remain in the club.

6. A member must complete 6 hours of community service each school year to remain in the club.

7. A student may be dropped from membership for the following reasons:
   a.    Absence without justifiable reason from two regular meetings per semester
   b.    Scholastic record falls below a 3.50 average.  However, no member will be dropped for scholastic deficiency without being accorded a probationary period of one semester.
   c.    Failure to serve 6 hours of community service and one service project each year.
   d.    For moral or disciplinary reasons.

For additional information, please check the following:

History of The National Junior Beta Club

The National Beta Club Senate authorized the institution of the Junior Division of the National Beta Club on July 22, 1961.

This new organization was officially named the "National Junior Beta Club" and was established to function organizationally as a separate division of the National Beta Club Program.

The membership of the National Junior Beta Club is composed of students from the fifth grade to ninth grade. In the summer of 1988, the Board of Directors approved the addition of the fifth grade.

The National Beta Club Senate approved the organization of the Junior Beta division to provide an incentive program of scholastic and character excellence for students in their formative years.

On August 17, 1961, the first Junior Beta Club chapter was chartered at Millsap Junior High School, Millsap, Texas. The objective of the National Junior Beta Club is to reward scholastic, leadership, and service achievements among the members of a school's student body.

There are more than 400, 000 active members in both Junior and Senior divisions and more that 4, 500, 000 former members. Beta membership has increased to more than 7, 200 clubs in 41 states, Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Guam and Bahrain.

Some of our more famous former Betas include: President Bill Clinton, Miss America 2000 Heather French, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, NSYNC Member Justin Timberlake, Miss America 1996 Shawntel Smith, anchorwoman Diane Sawyer, football great Herschel Walker and country music star Trisha Yearwood.