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only reinforces the positive impact of honor societies, because dual memberships enhance students' networks, strengthen their ties to their schools, and offer them yet another framework for ethical behavior. With all the benefits that honor societies offer, why do some academics regard them with disfavor? Their cynical attitudes might spring from the fact that there has been a proliferation of for-profit organizations that are "honor societies" in name only. They accept anyone, regardless of credentials, and they ask for pay- ment with no value in return. Well-meaning students are deceived into thinking they're joining a prestigious organization as they look for any advantage in the looming chase for meaningful employment. What these students find is that "membership" gives them nothing more than a worthless piece of paper, and they end up believing all honor societies are dishonor- able. I've seen countless Facebook postings, tweets, and blogs in which students ask if there is any value to join- ing a specific society identified by letters from the Greek alphabet. Invariably, there will be numerous responses along the lines of "Don't join any of them" and "All these things are rip-offs." These students may be refer- ring to pseudo-honor societies, but such comments damage the reputations of legitimate organizations. These lesser societies also damage the reputation of the school, because some students will blame the administration for allowing such organizations to contact them. I believe it's our responsibility as educa- tors to help students understand not only the value of honor societies, but also the difference between the ones that can help them in their careers, and the ones that might actually hurt them. In effect, we must show them the difference between societies that promote eth- ics and societies that have none whatsoever. But how do we differentiate between the two? Administrators and faculty who are unsure about whether or not an honor society is legitimate should first visit www.achsnatl.org, the Web site of the Associ- ation of College Honor Societies, which certifies honor societies. If an organization is not included on ACHS's certified list, administrators should scrutinize it more closely before encouraging their students to join. The best honor societies—and of course I include BGS in that group—will not only offer real value to their members, they will also endure. On February 19, 2013, BGS reaches its 100th anniversary, which it is marking through events under the umbrella of "Celebrate a Cen- tury of Excellence." Among its many special programs will be "BGS Gives Back," an initiative that tracks how much time its 680,000 members spend volunteering and the many ways they do it. BGS will also celebrate at academic conferences and AACSB-accredited schools throughout 2012–2013. The organization will host sev- eral "Meet the Leaders of Business" events where colle- giate and alumni chapters will be invited to participate. Like BGS, other legitimate honor societies provide business schools a tremendous opportunity to connect with their best students while providing role models for all students. As schools search for ways to integrate eth- ics into their classrooms, they should remember that, through honor societies, they have a way to integrate ethics into the very lives of their students—through graduation and throughout their professional careers. Robert Reid is president, member of the board of governors, and lifetime member of Beta Gamma Sigma, based in St. Louis, Missouri. The former dean of James Madison Universi- ty's College of Business in Harrisonburg, Virginia, he has been named future Chief Accreditation Officer for AACSB Interna- tional in Tampa, Florida, to begin in October. More information about the celebrations for the BGS anniversary can be found at www.betagammasigma.org/centennial. BizEd May/June 2012 75 IMAGEZOO/GLOW IMAGES