After months of preparation, plans are coming together for Golden Key National Honor Society’s regional conference.

About 160 people from 27 universities will crowd the Memorial Union and the Starlite Village Best Western Motel this weekend for “Harvest of the Minds: A Central Celebration.”

The Central Regional Conference invites universities from seven neighboring states — Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa, to participate in the conference.

San Wong, the ISU chapter’s adviser, said the conference will consist of corporate leadership, developmental and chapter activity workshops.

These workshops will give the members a chance to “share ideas” on how to handle situations and how to be effective leaders within the organization and in the real world, Wong said.

Laurie Lukes, the president of the ISU chapter and a coordinator for the regional conference, said the workshops also “share tips” on how to “resurrect” the chapters that are facing attendance problems.

Lukes also said there are themes for each activity that relate to the theme of the conference. The conference will begin on Friday with the “Breaking of the Ground” welcoming ceremonies, and ISU President Jischke will give a welcome speech at the “Planting the Seeds of Knowledge” on Saturday.

The workshop section of the conference will be known as “Let the Seeds of Knowledge Grow,” the awards luncheon will be called “Enrichment of the Mind,” and the recognition dinner will take the name of “Let the Harvest Begin.” The closing ceremony will be called “Reaping the Benefits.”

This year is the first time scholarships will be awarded. Two members will each receive $400 to reward them for their participation in the community and for their academic achievements.

Other awards will be given to recognize advisers and outstanding students.

The awards are sponsored by seven corporate sponsors including Motorola, Ford and General Mills.

The conference will also have a dance, with a ’70s and ’80s theme, called the “Heartland Celebration.” The ’70s and ’80s theme was chosen to celebrate Golden Key’s 20th anniversary and represent the two decades of its existence.

The International Conference in August, in Atlanta, Georgia, will also celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary. Nine ISU members will attend the conference, “Bringing Home the Gold.”

The ISU chapter of Golden Key has about 1,000 members and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Golden Key accepts students in their junior years from all fields of study.

The students must have a 3.33 GPA. Golden Key is not only an academic organization, but it also concentrates on community activities, organizers said.

Wong said the organization is “activity oriented,” and the conference is “a great opportunity for students, who are academically successful, to give back to the community.”

Lukes said Golden Key is “a community organization” and she encourages students to get involved in organizations around campus.

“Anyone that can get involved in organizations and other activities in college can help [themselves] gain knowledge,” she said. “They can never replace experiences they gain here at college.”