What is "Tapping"?

Tapping is a long standing tradition within Mortar Board. It is how you are notified that you have been chosen to receive the honor of invitation to join the society. Tapping is a chapter tradition and will vary from campus to campus and year to year. This year, the Laurels plan to follow the traditional Mortar Board tapping ceremony.

A small representative group of current chapter members, will don their graduation gowns and mortar board caps. They will march through campus with honor and pride, seeking out those individuals who exemplify the ideals of Mortar Board in their classrooms. With the permission of the professor, the following or similar statement will be read to the class...

We are Mortar Board. Mortar Board is a national organization with more than 200 chapters and over 200,000 members. We recognize college seniors for their achievements in

• Scholarship
• Leadership
• Service

While emphasizing ethics and integrity in leadership and academics, Mortar Board is known for its volunteer services to their local campuses, for the respect it engenders within institutions of higher education, and for its national and regional visibility.

The Laurel’s Chapter of Mortar Board is well known for cost-effective programs such as the Leaf Raking for the elderly, The Giving Tree that benefits the disadvantaged youth of the King Kennedy Center and our Annual Faculty Brunch, that honors outstanding faculty members. These efforts embody the core values of Mortar Board.

Congratulations, J. Doe, based on your achievements and dedication to the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service, you are being tapped for membership into Mortar Board.

Tapping as described above is an honor and is meant to be an enjoyable experience. If you have any concerns regarding tapping, please contact Nancy Mitchell, our Senior Advisor.

Thank you to our National Mortar Board, Inc. for the information they graciously provided for this page.