Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association, Inc. September 2003 Newsletter

In this Issue... President's letter - Mary Hanel Upcoming Events - Steve Kaufhold Asilomar - Jean James Scholarship Awards - Muriel Bell Call for Teaching Excllence Award Nominees - Leon Fisher Award to PBKNCA, Triennial Report - Jean James and Mary Hanel

From The President

Dear Fellow Phi Betes: A greeting to all as our Association begins its new fiscal year. Much to my delight, all the members of last year's hardworking, congenial and dedicated Board have returned to support me and to serve you. I am pleased to report on the successes of the year just completed. We experienced a slight growth in membership. We published a membership directory. We sent a PBK NCA representative to most of the PBK initiation ceremonies held on Northern California campuses with PBK chapters. Thanks to arrangements made by Chapter Liaison Julie Antoniades I had the pleasure of attending both the UC Berkeley and Santa Clara University initiation ceremonies. We offered a dozen social events, including ten enjoyable and educational tours, our fabulous Asilomar Conference, and our Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. At the Awards Banquet, thanks to you -- through your membership dues, monetary contributions and participation in our fundraising events -- we were able to award eight scholarships and five teaching excellence awards. The scholarships, $4000 each, went to Jorge Jose Bravo III, Arianne J. Chernock, Hsuan Lin Hsu, Elaine K. Musgrave, Eric Schnell, Shelby Wynn Schwartz, Kevin Chun-Kai Wang, and Boris Yanislav Wolfson. See more information under Scholarship. In the November issue of this newsletter watch for brief profiles on each of these students. These students are exceptional. They are also very grateful for the scholarships they have received from us. Burt and Maria Norall provided the funds for the scholarship that went to Elaine Musgrave. She wrote them a lovely thank you letter. Quoting from her letter: "Right now, this award represents to me direct assistance and real encouragement for my research. But the scholarship also connects me to a tradition of generous commitment to education and community involvement that I want to continue". Scholarship Chair Muriel Bell recently received a letter from Vikram Jaswal, a 2001 PBK NCA scholarship awardee. Quoting from his letter: "I will shortly graduate from Stanford with my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, and will be moving to take up an assistant professorship at the University of Virginia. Before leaving, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and the other members of PBK again for the generous award". The Teaching Excellence honorariums, $500 each, went to Alexander Aiken, Margaret Conkey, Scott Gronert, Caroline M. Kane, and Eve Sweetser. Look for more information on these professors in the November newsletter. The awards meant a great deal to the professors. Teaching Excellence Committee Chairman Leon Fisher received grateful messages from both Professor Conkey and Professor Sweetser. UC Berkeley Professor Conkey had received a PBK NCA Teaching Excellence Award several years ago. Quoting from her letter of appreciation: "I just wanted.to again say thank you to you and the committee for selecting me as a recipient for the Phi Beta Kappa, Northern California Teaching Excellence Award.I am doubly honored and humbled. Thank you again for your thoughtful attention to this important award.". From August 6-10, Jean James and I attended the 40th Phi Beta Kappa Triennial Council in Seattle, Washington. See our report on page 5. Finally, we hope you will consider participating in Asilomar and some of the other special activities that you will find described in this newsletter. We greatly appreciate your support and participation in our events.  President Top

Upcoming Events Person making a reservation MUST BE a Phi Beta Kappa Member, but need not be a member of the Northern California Association.

Thank you to all the members who signed up for one or more of last year's PBK NCA sponsored activities. We hope all those who participated found the events both enjoyable and stimulating. Steve Kaufhold is returning as First Vice President Programs. He managed to book two programs before getting married and leaving for his honeymoon. To help him out at this busy time, Jean James and Mary Hanel are each hosting a program as well. Be sure to sort your coupons and note to whom each coupon is to be mailed. Those of you who have participated in our outings are aware of our enrollment, refund and cancellation policies. However, I will summarize for "first-timers" and new members. Most events can accommodate you and any friends or family you would like to bring. Occasionally an event will have a limited enrollment, in which case we can only accommodate one member and one guest per enrollment. As for refunds, if you call in advance they are usually available unless PBKNCA will lose scholarship money, i.e., if we are financially committed to an organization at which the event will be held, based on your enrollment, and we cannot find someone to fill your space. No one who is a "no-show" will receive a refund and the PBKNCA Board is most grateful to those who prefer to donate the program fee to the scholarship fund in lieu of a refund. The descriptions of events follow. No confirmations or additional details will be sent; be sure to save your newsletter or reference to this web site.  Second Vice-President, Programs Top Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Art lovers agree that the treasures of the Asian Art Museum now have a fitting home in The City's former Main Library which has been handsomely renovated.  The Museum's collection spans over 6,000 years of history and is comprised of nearly 15,000 treasures. Please join us for a private guided tour of the Museum's permanent collection on October 11, 2003 at 11:00 a.m.  After our tour, you will be free to explore the Museum in greater depth on your own.  The cost for the Asian Art adventure is $16.00 per person. We must receive your reservations by October 4, 2003. Date: Saturday, October 11, 2003 Deadline: October 4, 2003 Time: 11:00 am Price: $16.00 per person Directions: The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is located at 200 Larkin Street (between Fulton and McAllister) From the East Bay: Take exit 9th Street/Civic Center, stay on 9th Street which turns into Larkin Street. Go two blocks and the Museum will be on your right. From the Peninsula: Take 101 and exit at 9th Street/Civic Center. Follow 9th Street which turns into Larkin Street. Go two blocks and the Museum will be on your right. From the North Bay: From Golden Gate Bridge, take Doyle Drive to Lombard Street. Follow Lombard to Van Ness Avenue. Turn left at McAllister and go two blocks to Larkin. Map to Asian Art Museum San Mateo County History Museum The San Mateo County Historical Association houses its unique collections in the Old County Courthouse in Redwood City. The building boasts beautiful interiors with a mosaic tile floor, a grand stairway, rotunda, and a jewel-like, stained glass dome. This stained glass dome is the largest of its kind in a public building on the West Coast. Our group will enjoy a private 60-minute tour of the building and its collections. Following are examples of the exhibits we will tour. "Nature's Bounty" tells the story of the Ohlone Indians and how subsequent settlers have used natural resources. "Journey to Work" exhibits the vehicles and modes of transportation used on the peninsula and in travel to San Francisco. "Ships of the World" showcases about 20 model ships, from California's Spanish era through World War II, all painstakingly handcrafted from the actual historic plans of the ships by Charles Parsons, who now lives in San Carlos. In historic "Courtroom A", we will learn about early judges and famous cases that made headlines on the peninsula and in San Francisco. Date: Saturday, November 1, 2003 Deadline: October 27, 2003 Time: 11:00 am Price: $ 8.00 per person Directions: San Mateo County History Museum, Old County Courthouse, 777 Hamilton Street, Redwood City. From San Francisco: Take 101 South, exit Whipple Ave. Go forward, the street will change its name to Veterans Blvd. Turn right on Middlefield Road. Turn right on Marshall St. Turn left on Hamilton St. From San Jose: Take 101 North, exit Whipple Ave. Turn left on Whipple Ave. Turn left on Veterans Blvd. Turn right on Middlefield Rd. Turn right on to Marshall St. Turn left on Hamilton St. Map to San Mateo County History Museum COPIA In 1988, legendary vintner Robert Mondavi, with his wife Margrit Biever Mondavi and other leaders in the wine community, began to explore the idea of creating a small institution to celebrate American achievements in the culinary and winemaking arts. The idea attracted others, including key institutions involved in wine and food excellence, and soon the University of California at Davis, the Cornell University School of Restaurant and Hotel Administration and The American Institute of Wine & Food were lending their vision and resources as partners. The result is COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts. Located on 12 beautiful acres along the Napa River, COPIA is a major non-profit cultural institution devoted to exploring the interrelationships of food, wine and the arts. Please join us on November 8, 2003 at 11:00 for a private guided tour of COPIA.  The cost of this tour (which includes general admission to COPIA) is $20.00 per person and the deadline for reservations is November 1, 2003. Date: Saturday, November 8, 2003 Time: 11:00 am Deadline: November 1, 2003 Price: $20.00 per person Directions: COPIA, 500 First St, Napa. From the Golden Gate Bridge: Take Hwy 101 North. Take Hwy 37 east toward Napa. Take Hwy 121/12 toward Sonoma. Veer right at stoplight to remain on 121/12. Take Hwy 29 north. Exit First St and turn right. Veer right then turn left on Second St. Follow Second to the end and turn left on Main St. Turn right on First St. Go four blocks to 500 First, Napa. From the Bay Bridge: Take I-80 east. Take Hwy 37 west toward Napa. Take Hwy 29 north. Exit right at Lake Berryessa/Downtown Napa (this becomes Soscol Ave). Turn right on First St and go 2 blocks to 500 First. From Sacramento: Take I-80 west. Take Hwy 12 toward Napa/Sonoma. Turn right on Hwy 29. Exit right at Lake Berryessa/Downtown Napa (this becomes Soscol Ave). Turn right on First St - go 2 blocks to 500 First. Map to COPIA San Francisco Christmas Walk Do you think of Christmas decorations in San Francisco as Macy's windows and Union Square? Are you suburban types longing for an adventure? Then you are in for a treat. Please plan to join us for a guided tour of the San Francisco holiday scene you have probably never before experienced. Tom Filcich, who regularly leads walking tours of San Francisco for the College of Marin, will be our guide to places most of us never see - at least not during the holidays. We plan to meet under the clock tower at the Ferry Building at 10 a.m. During our three-hour walking tour, we will explore the new Ferry Building, visit hotel lobbies, and see business decorations that you never dreamed existed. We will end our tour with lunch, at your own expense, at the San Francisco center, which offers a variety of choices and prices - not to mention shopping opportunities. After that, you are on your own to shop or return home at your leisure. The cost is $18 per person and our group is limited to 30 people. Dust off your comfortable walking shoes and plan to join us on Friday, December 5, 2003 for a holiday experience you will not soon forget. Date: Friday, December 5, 2003 Time: 10:00 am Deadline: November 3, 2003 (limited to 30 participants) Price: $18.00 per person Directions: Ferry Building Clock Tower, Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street, San Francisco. The Ferry Building is best reached using public transportation. Marinites can take the 9:15 Larkspur Ferry. Those with access to BART or MUNI can take either to the Embarcadero Station. The historic trolley cars (Line F Market) stop directly in front of the Ferry Building. If you must drive, there are parking lots at the north end of the Ferry Building at Pier ½ and the Pier 3 Washington at Embarcadero Lot. There is limited metered parking on area surface streets. There is also a reasonably priced parking lot at Bay and Embarcadero near Pier 33 but you will have a bit of a hike to the Ferry Building. Take public transportation - information here Map to Ferry Building Top

Asilomar 2004

About the Asilomar Conference Center Asilomar was designed by Julia Morgan, who also designed Hearst Castle Read more about Julia Morgan Note that our Asilomar Conference now has a special URL www.asilomar.pbknca.org Mark your calendars now and plan to spend Presidents' Day Weekend with Phi Beta Kappa at lovely Asilomar in Pacific Grove. We start our retreat on Friday, February 13, and end on Monday, February 16. If you've never heard of Asilomar, or have never been there before, Asilomar is a state conference center in Pacific Grove, a small enclave between Monterey and Carmel. This year's Presidents' Day weekend will be PBK NCA's eighteenth consecutive Asilomar experience. Our retreat / conference always begins with dinner Friday evening and ends with lunch on Monday. During the long weekend, we provide a mix of interesting, thought-provoking speakers and activities, as well as ample free time to enjoy the lovely seaside atmosphere. People who work sometimes come late and leave early. It is even possible to "skip" some programs, as no one takes attendance or gives exams. And because some of you wanted to know: Dress is very casual. The main goal of our conference is for us to enjoy ourselves in a beautiful setting, but our secondary goal is to raise money for scholarships. We use the $100 per person registration fee to cover conference costs (speakers' expenses, a.v. equipment rental, wine with Sunday dinner, postage, duplicating, office supplies, etc.). This past year's profits enabled us to fund almost three graduate scholarships. (And for those of you who attended in 2003 and missed this information in the March newsletter, $85.42 of the $100 registration fee is fully tax deductible.) How much does Asilomar cost? Unlike in the past when Asilomar did not have their February conference rates before our September newsletter deadline, this year we know the cost. It is $322.77 per adult, double occupancy; single occupancy, $525.09; youth (ages 3-17), $188.28. This includes three nights' lodging, and all meals, beginning with dinner on Friday and ending with lunch on Monday. Asilomar handles all room reservations. We have already lined up a remarkably strong program for Asilomar 2004. Those of you who attended Asilomar 2003 will remember Leonard Shlain, author of The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict between Word and Image, who spoke to us this past February. This year he has agreed to return and talk about his new book: Sex, Time & Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution. His wife, the Honorable Ina Gyemant, a juvenile court judge in San Francisco, will speak to us on the topic "Kid's Turn: A Program for Children of Divorce." The Geigers, who attended last year, suggested having Bob Hornback speak to us about Luther Burbank, his history and contributions to plant breeding. He has agreed to come. In addition, Ranger Roxann will once again inform and entertain us with not one, but two programs (Ranger emergencies permitting). Furthermore, the Fishers recommended Kurt Gravenhorst, a scholar who does a one-man show on Eugene O'Neill who will perform for us. Finally, John Churchill, the Executive Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society who joined us last year as the moderator for the discussion about the value of a liberal arts education, was delighted to be asked again and will not only come, but also plans to bring his wife. In addition to all these interesting speakers, I plan to incorporate one free session, so that those of you who want to shop, hike, visit the Monarch butterfly sanctuary or the Monterey Bay Aquarium will have the opportunity to do so. We hope you find the program for 2004 interesting, but as those of you know who have attended Asilomar in the past, it really does not matter who the speakers are. The lovely setting and the extremely interesting attendees are what make our retreat truly special Now that you know about Asilomar in general and this year in particular, we hope you will mark your calendars and join us for next year's conference, which will begin on Friday, February 13. If you attended Asilomar 2003 and enjoyed yourself, please let your fellow Phi Betes know and encourage them to join us in 2004. (Guests are also welcome.) Final payment is due December 13, so contact me now for registration information... , Asilomar Chair Top Get a map, personalized directions and travel time Additional directions To Asilomar from the California parks *** We had a wonderful time in 2003. Read more about the event...

The 2003 Scholarship Awards

This year, thanks to the generosity and hard work of our members, the Scholarship Committee awarded eight $4,000 scholarships to eight talented young scholars and scientists.  The 2003 recipients are: Jorge Jose Bravo, ancient history and archaeology and classics, University of California, Berkeley. B.A. Princeton University. Arianne Jessica Chernock, history, University of California, Berkeley.  B.A. Brown University. Hsuan Lin Hsu, English, University of California, Berkeley. B.A. Harvard University. Elaine Kathleen Musgrave, English, (Norall Family Scholarship) University of California, Davis.  B.A. Scripps College.                Eric Schnell, M.D.-PhD.,  neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco. B.A. Harvard University. Shelby Wynn Schwartz, comparative literature, University of California, Berkeley.  B.A. University of California, Berkeley. Kevin Chun-Kai Wang, medicine, University of California,San Francisco. B.A. Stanford University. Boris Yanislav Wolfson, Slavic languages and literatures, (Elizabeth Reed Award) University of California, Berkeley.  B.A., University of Chicago.  , Second Vice-President, Scholarships

Call for Teaching Excellence Nominees

Call for Nominees Scholarship and teaching go hand in hand. Nearly everyone who cares about the life of the mind can remember at least one teacher, and perhaps many more, who made a special contribution to his or her development. And experts are never quite sure of their expertise until they have tried teaching what they know to others. For these reasons, among others, PBKNCA vigorously encourages excellence in teaching. In pursuit of this principle, PBKNCA has for many years made annual Excellence in Teaching Awards. Each award consists of a handsome certificate and a $500 honorarium. Any member of PBK may make nominations. Eligible nominees are faculty members of the seven universities and colleges in Northern California that harbor PBK Chapters. Please make a nomination for a 2004 Teaching Award. The application form is available here, and is printed on page 2 of your newsletter, or it may be obtained by contacting me. Applications are due late fall, but please make them now while memory is fresh. To nominate a teacher, fill out the form including an account of why you think a nominee deserves recognition as an outstanding teacher. , Teaching Excellence Chair

Phi Beta Kappa Society 40th Triennial Council

Mary Hanel and Jean James, along with our Association Past President and outgoing Western District Chair Mel Shattuck, recently returned from four days of meetings and discussions in Seattle with Phi Beta Kappa chapter and association delegates from all over the United States. Mel Shattuck presided over a Western District meeting at which Mary Hanel served as Secretary. John Churchill, Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, made a special point to compliment Mel on his hard work for the Society and hopes to find ways to use Mel's myriad talents. (So do we!) Jean James was a panelist for a workshop on fundraising ideas for associations. This gathering occurs every three years and is an opportunity to experience the politics and personalities affecting the Society's management, to vote for PBK Senators and to ratify Committee recommendations as to which additional colleges should be given the right to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. These newly approved chapters are Alfred University, Eckerd College, SUNY Geneseo, Roanoke College, St. Michael's College, University of San Diego, Texas A & M at College Station, and Valparaiso University. Delegates constantly reminded us about how special our Association is, as we repeatedly encountered delegates who remarked: "Oh, your Society is so active. How do you do it?" We don't do it; it is our dedicated Board and our generous members who make us such an outstanding organization. Click the image to enlarge Our Association received a significant honor at the concluding banquet of the Triennial in Seattle Aug. 6-10, 2003. The award included a check for $1000 that we may use for either our endowment or scholarship fund. We also received the certificate pictured at the left. Click on the image to see an enlarged view. The wording on the Certificate of Recognition is:   "The Senate of the Phi Beta Kappa Society on the recommendation of the Committee on Associations honors the Northern California Association for excellence in representing the ideals and commitments of Phi Beta Kappa during the 2000 -2003 triennium. Presented at the 40th Triennial Council meeting August 6-10, 2003". (Signed by Joseph W. Gordon, President and John Churchill, Secretary) Representing PBK NCA as delegates to the Triennial Council was an honor to us both. Mary Hanel & Jean James, Triennial Council Delegates