About the General Convention
One of the Fraternity’s most cherished traditions, the General Convention is nearly as old as Beta Theta Pi itself and serves five purposes:
Relationship Cultivation
Business of the Fraternity
Education
Inspiration
Recognition & Celebration
As the saying goes, “There’s nothing quite like a Beta Convention.”
The Pioneering Fraternity in the Gateway City
For the fourth time ever, Beta Theta Pi hosted its annual reunion in St. Louis! Beta Spirit flowed through the Gateway to the West during the 186th General Convention in August 2025. Across the campus of Washington in St. Louis, home of the Alpha Iota Chapter, it was a joyful reunion as more than 500 Betas and friends gathered once again in the name of brotherhood.
There, legislative delegates granted charters to Beta’s two newest chapters, Theta Kappa at LSU and Theta Lambda at Boise State, and approved the return of charters to Samford (Alpha Mu) and Illinois (Sigma Rho). Throughout the weekend, more than 150 awards were received by 80 chapters and individuals, including the Francis W. Shepardson Award to Paul Swartz, Kansas State ’64, and 23 chapters received the coveted John Reily Knox Award.
General Convention Sponsors
Legislation
Board of Trustees Candidates
- John H. Stebbins, Emory ’92, as General Secretary
- J. Nicholas Gilson, Utah ’03
- Rodreyous K. Kelley, Florida State ’14
- J. William Romero Jr., UNLV ’95
Charter Petitions
- Boise State University
- University of Illinois
- Louisiana State University
- Samford University
Legislative Proposals
- Proposal 1 – Standardization of Chapter Officer Elections
- Proposal 2 – Chapter Reporting Requirements
- Proposal 3 – Scholastic Requirements for Initiation
Looking Ahead to the 187th Convention
DATES
July 30 to August 2, 2026
LOCATION
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
ATTENDEES
Beta Brothers, Sweethearts, Friends and Guests
REGISTRATION
Registration will open in spring 2026.
QUESTIONS
Contact the Administrative Office at 800.800.BETA or convention@beta.org.
