Requirement for honor society contradictory with its stated goals

I am surprised and disappointed that the supposed "National Leadership Honor Society" Omicron Delta Kappa, (ODK) would have a GPA requirement for entrance. Some of this nation's, and surely this world's, greatest leaders either never graduated from college or had mediocre GPAs while in college. I will not list those I am referring to; I challenge you, as alleged leaders, to research the top ten leaders in your minds and see if they had 3.45 GPAs, if they went to or finished college at all.

I would refer you to Gardner's famous and well regarded book, On Leadership, and see if GPA is any measure listed in his attributes of leaders. If one feels that a GPA should be included, at least while in college, I would point to the inverse relationship to high GPAs and high levels of responsibility and leadership both in government and in the corporate world.

While I understand the need to have a GPA requirement arises out of the ability to timely reduce the number of applications, this arbitrary assessment of "leadership" abilities is both empirically unsubstantiated and only a tool that allows those evaluating applications to spend less time because of less applications. Shame on you for sacrificing potentially important leaders because it would take more time than evaluating the increased number of applicants! If you are true leaders, you ought not shy away from finding extraordinary leaders in extraordinary places.

If this an elitist club that only wants "book smart" leaders, say so. If you think "street smart" leaders should be replaced by "book smart" leaders, say so. If, however, you have unknowingly entered into this error and only now realize it because of outside opinion, what kind of "leaders" are you? I am not in the Society and yet are leading you? Interesting.

Are double standards a new mark of leadership I am not aware of? The GPA cutoff for the Georgia Tech Chapter is 3.0 in some areas of study (http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/odk/GPACutoff.htm). Are you telling students to attend a different school and earn a less reputable GPA to become a leader?

You state that if one is accepted, people, "[w]ill have the opportunity to improve [their] own leadership skills, attend leadership conferences on the national level, meet and work with other campus leaders from many different areas and make connections with distinguished faculty and alumnae, amongst ODK, as the Society currently stands, will only improve leadership skills as the group sees fit against the advice of prominent scholars in the area including Gardner, Kouzes, Posner and Kotter. These leaders will attend leadership conferences with members only like themselves academically and will not be challenged by leaders from other walks of life that are equally, if not more potent, than the leaders in the Society.

I know that true leaders would quickly address and rectify these fundamental problems. Lead the way!

As The Society correctly points out, but fails to follow, "It is not enough to be merely a 'scholar;' other indispensable qualities must also be cultivated." (http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/sag13/odkapp.doc)

Don't take my word for it. Here is the indisputable proof for the skeptical reader: Kouzes and Posner: What Constituents Expect of Leaders: Knowing the Other Half of the Story. 1995. Page 21. The eight most important characteristics of admired leaders, as polled from people in predominantly the United States but also Asia, Europe, and Australia: 1. honest; 2. forward-looking; 3. inspiring; 4. competent; 5. fair-minded; 6. supportive; 7. broad-minded; 8. intelligent.

Notice what comes at the bottom of the list. Knowing this, if ODK does not amend its requirement, are you assuming you know better than the people you supposedly lead and require the support of?

I look forward to applying to your program in the near future.