The Aurora chapter of the National Mortar Board Society at Ohio Northern University was honored for excellence at the 2012 Mortar Board National Conference, held this past July in Chicago.

The Aurora chapter received the Silver Torch Award, an honor presented to chapters executing timeliness and dedication while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. Silver Torch Award recipients are selected based on a review of national records, requiring that the chapter meet all of the national minimum standards and deadlines.

Zachary Crawford, chapter president and a fifth-year pharmacy student from Ada, Ohio, was present to accept the chapter’s award.

Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Since its founding in 1918, the society has grown from four to 229 chartered collegiate chapters with more than 250,000 members across the nation. The Aurora chapter at Ohio Northern University was chartered in 1975 and currently has 52 members.

Mortar Board provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities, and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Some notable Mortar Board members include pioneering engineer Lillian Gilbreth, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Emmy-winning actor Rue McClanahan, astronauts Judith Resnik and Janice Voss, adventurer Aron Ralston, and lifestyle expert Bruce Littlefield. Learn more about Mortar Board at www.mortarboard.org