Historian Thomas Bender at the 2009 Triennial Council
On October 3, 2009 Historian and Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Thomas Bender presented "American History in a Global Perspective" to the delegates of the 42nd Triennial Council.
The legislative body of the Phi Beta Kappa Society is the Council, which convenes every three years to transact business for the Society as a whole. The Council alone has the authority to charter new chapters. Delegates to the Council are the representatives of the Phi Beta Kappa chapters and associations. They are elected for a term of three years, with each chapter electing up to three delegates and each association (with 25 or more members) electing one delegate. Associations of 200 or more members may elect two delegates.