The Phi Beta Kappa Society
DELAWARE VALLEY ASSOCIATION
PHI BETA KAPPA DELAWARE VALLEY ASSOCIATION
Upcoming Events
Book Club - "Portrait of a Thief" - Thu. June 12, 7:00 pm; virtual; no charge.
4th Annual "Dinner with PBK Friends", White Dog Cafe, Haverford, PA. Tue. June 17, 6:30 pm; pay-for-your-own.
Walking Tour of Outdoor Sculptures Surrounding the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA. Sat. June 28, 10:00 am - 12 noon; in-person; fee.
Trenton Thunder baseball game with pre- and post-game special events, Trenton, NJ. Sat. July 19; gates open 4:30 pm for stadium Happy Hour; 6:00 pm game start; fireworks to follow game. In-person; ticket fee. Registration requested by June 27 to pre-order tickets.
The Board & Brew - board game lunch, University City, Philadelphia, PA. Sat. Aug. 9, 12:00 pm; in-person; fee.
Movie Club - "Ainda Estou Aqui" ("I'm Still Here") - Thu. Sept. 11, 7:00 pm; virtual; no charge.
News Briefs
Outstanding Tour at the Hagley Museum
On May 31, 2025, PBK's and friends had a 2-hour private guided tour of the Hagley Museum outside of Wilmington, DE. The large, indoor-outdoor museum with hundreds of years of history includes the buildings and grounds of the sprawling 19th-century gunpowder factory powered by the Brandywine River where the du Pont chemical empire began, early industry demonstrations, buildings from the workers' village, the first du Pont family home and gardens in America, the new "Nation of Inventors" exhibit celebrating diverse stories of American innovation, as well as the natural beauty throughout the museum grounds. After the tour many of the group enjoyed lively conversation over lunch at nearby Buckley's Tavern.
Bird Walk & Lunch Enjoyed by PBK's and Friends
On May 3, 2025, PBK's and friends enjoyed a 2 hr. bird walk at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, Philadelphia, organized by Catherine Anderson and led by expert birders, Chuck Root and Emily Dodge. The group saw and/or heard close to 40 distinct bird species, training their binoculars on all levels of the leafy canopy, across the muddy wetlands, and into the sky. After the walk, the group enjoyed lunch at Stinger's Waterfront restaurant, with a wide-ranging conversation to cap a wonderful morning.
PBK's Meet for Dinner and a Chamber Music Concert
On March 14, 2025, Steve Tillery led a group to hear a concert by the Elias String Quartet from Great Britain, who performed the final string quartets of three masters of the genre. Haydn’s unfinished D Minor Quartet, Op. 103, Britten’s distinctive Quartet No. 3, Op. 94, and Mendelssohn’s F Minor Quartet, Op. 80, at the Perelman Theater in the Kimmel Center. Many of the group had earlier enjoyed dinner together for good conversation before the concert at nearby Jasmine Rice Rittenhouse Thai restaurant.
PBK's Tour Permanent Collection at the Woodmere Art Museum
On February 22, 2025, President Bill Howard led a group of PBK's and guests for a very informative 90 minute private guided tour of the permanent collection of the Woodmere Museum in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia. Woodmere is regional "treasure", dedicated to "telling the story of Philadelphia's art and artists", including regional artists, and is housed in a National Register of Historic Places 19th century estate mansion, with a sculpture garden as well. Many participants then additionally enjoyed an optional post-tour group lunch for more good conversation at historic (1743) Brittingham's restaurant in nearby Lafayette Hills.
PBK's Enjoy Tour of University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Africa Galleries.
On November 9, 2024, PBK's enjoyed a private guided tour of the Penn Museum's reimagined Africa galleries, led by Penn archaeology graduate student, Chris Lamack. The galleries celebrate the richness and diversity of Africa, from art and language, to spiritual practices and family systems, tracing the journey from maker to museum to consider why, where, and how objects were made, as well as how they were used in daily life, on special occasions, or in religious ceremonies, and why they were meaningful to the cultures that produced them. Following the tour, PBK's enjoyed a group lunch in the Penn Museum Cafe for more good conversation.
