The Blue Knights Chapter of NRHH: History in the Making
1964: Jim Tschechtelin, incumbent NACURH Chair, investigates possibilities for potential revenue sources and grants to keep NACURH afloat. One of the requirements for these grants is to render more services to member schools. Hence, the National Residence Hall Honorary is born to fulfill this requirement (www.nrhh.org).
1993-1994: Geneseo’s Inter-Residence Council (IRC) establishes a local chapter of NRHH, known as the Blue Knights chapter. According to documents written in 1998, 1993-1994 is the first year of “active” status of their NRHH. For the next four years, despite attempts to promote the organization and foster growth, the Blue Knights remains active only by sending OTMs to the regional level and inducting new members every spring.
1996-1997: NRHH at Geneseo begins to create its own identity as a distinct organization from IRC. The two student organizations continue to communicate but are run independently and have separate budgets.
1997-1998: A newly inducted member, Joseph Smith, becomes president and decides that he will “make a difference.” Under the leadership of his executive board, NRHH explodes on the Geneseo campus. This monumental year marks the Blue Knights chapter’s first attempts at programming recognition and community service events, as well as NRHH’s first appearance at regional and national conferences. The Blue Knights chapter also receives NEACURH’s NRHH Building Block Chapter of the Year award for their efforts throughout the year.
1999-2000: NRHH takes on a brand-new, large-scale community service effort: co-running the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk in Geneseo, NY. Andrea Castellitto, the incumbent Vice-President, takes the reigns and helps the chapter and community raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. A bid is submitted for NEACURH NRHH Outstanding Chapter of the Year, which wins at the regional level.
2000-2001: The Blue Knights Chapter is named NEACURH NRHH Outstanding Chapter of the Year at Mini No-Frills 2001.
2001-2002: NRHH continues and expands various activities such as encouraging recognition coordinators on hall councils, publishing a local NRHH newsletter, and dividing NRHH into four committees (Networking, Recognition, Helping Hands, and Having Fun). Additionally, now in its third year as an NRHH event, the Alzheimer’s Walk raises over $3,000, a huge jump from the previous year’s $900. The Blue Knights chapter submits a bid for NRHH Outstanding Chapter of the Year at Mini No Frills 2002.
2003-2004: NRHH updates their OTM evaluation process by posting OTMs in an online folder for members to read prior to attending meetings to make meetings more efficient. The annual Memory Walk raises over $8,000, while NRHH explores new community service and appreciation efforts such as a Penny Carnival with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and recognition “survival kits” for the IRC representatives. The chapter makes huge strides throughout the year and is awarded NRHH Outstanding Chapter of the Year both regionally and nationally.
2004-2005: “Pay it Forward,” a week-long event recognizing campus and community offices, services, and organizations, takes the campus by storm in April 2005. NRHH goes apparel shopping and creates new NRHH jackets and fleeces. Additionally, the reward for the hall whose residents write the most OTMs in a semester is increased; in addition to the cash prize, NRHH pledges to donate an equal amount to the charity of the hall’s choice.
2005-2006: NRHH revamps their website, under the direction of Allison Keddie (NRHH Publicist/Historian) and John O’Hara (Residence Director of Genesee Hall). “Out of the Blue awards,” an alternate form of recognition, are developed and distributed for the first time at SUNY Geneseo. NRHH dives into new community service events such as an eyeglass drive and hosting a Halloween Party for children from the Sojourner House, while remaining true to their roots by helping raise over $7,500 for the Alzheimer’s Association via the Memory Walk.
2010-2011: NRHH continues many traditions and makes a lot of new ones! Kicking off the year with the annual Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk, NRHH members helped set up and walked along side college and community members. New services initiatives also took place-- The Paperbacks and Pajamas Program at Wadsworth Library on Center St., Geneseo as well as volunteer opportunities at Morgan Estates, an assisted living community in Geneseo. The recognition committee kept up the traditional No Day But Today program, which encouraged people to reach out and write letters to people that they cared about. The committee also developed a new program titled "Chai Love You" to recognize awesome people all over campus.