Preceptor Beta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi International Woman's Sorority recently celebrated their Beginning Day for the 2012-2013 year at its President's  home, Dottie Liberty, in Owls Head.  Other officers for the coming year are, Mary Stone, Vice President, Arlene Woodman and Beth Guiseley, Co-Treasurers, and Sue Look, Secretary with Nancy Cox as substitute..  A light dinner brought by the members was enjoyed by all.  We felt the new theme for the year very fitting, "You're Among Friends".  We took a look at the year ahead, while also looking back and remembering the past year's theme, "Building Our Future on Traditions".  Traditions help us in continuing our Beta Sigma Phi credo, - Life, Learning, and Friendship.   One tradition is meeting in each others homes for our meetings, a warm and welcoming tribute to our sisterhood.  Another is to research and present  a cultural program of the members choice.  The past year a few of the programs presented were on Autism, Dyslexia, reading from favorite authors, word origins and colloquialisms, and a critique of the new biography, "Becoming Teddy Roosevelt".  We held pot luck socials, an auction, and even created a Beta Sigma Phi Calendar while enjoying a picnic at Peggy Collins lakeside home.  Two new members joined our chapter, Brenda Harrington and Janet Zanichkowsky. Another tradition is choosing a Valentine Queen.  Our Queen, Alice Knight, won a spot in the sorority's Torch Magazine and will henceforth and forever more be hailed as Empress Alice!  Brittany Rubenstein was chosen for the Beryl Borgerson nursing scholarship, another tradition each year.  Our traditional yellow rose, a lovely symbol of our sorority is present at all our important occasions, those of joy and celebration, and those of sadness and loss- such as the memorial service for Ruth Farrell, our departed sister.  Our charitable endeavors continue to be an important tradition to us each year.  What will the new sorority year bring?  One thing we know for sure, "You are Among Friends".  A thank you to Sue Look for writing most of this history on our past year.