May, 2018 Vol. 60, No. 3 Inside This Issue: President’s Letter . . . . . . . . 2 Area Meeting Highlights . . . 3-6 Education Foundation Donations..7 Dates to Remember . . . . . . 9 April Has Been a Busy Month! Area 2 Area 4 Area 3 With four successful area meetings concluded, Kappa State prepares for the Ella Reese Leadership Seminar in June and the DKG International Conference in Austin during July. Above, Area Leader Heather Dunn tells members about the breakout session sched- ule during the April 14th Area 4 meeting in Sheridan. Left, members are gathered for the Area 3 meeting held in Wynne at the Trinity Bap- tist Church on April 7th. Area Leader Paula Williams was in charge of this meeting. Right, Area 2 members are as- sembled at the First Baptist Church in Benton on April 21st as Area Leader Darlene Emmons starts the day’s pro- gram. Below, Area 1’s meeting was the last of the meetings. Beverly Cox leads this meeting held at Oakland Heights Ele- mentary School in Russellville on April 28th. Area 1
Transcript
May, 2018 Vol. 60, No. 3
Inside This Issue:President’s Letter. . . . . . . . 2 Area Meeting Highlights . . . 3-6 Education Foundation Donations..7Dates to Remember. . . . . . 9
April Has Been a Busy Month!
Area 2
Area 4
Area 3
With four successful area meetings concluded, Kappa State prepares for the Ella Reese Leadership Seminar in June and the DKG International Conference in Austin during July.
Above, Area Leader Heather Dunn tells members about the breakout session sched-ule during the April 14th Area 4 meeting in Sheridan.
Left, members are gathered for the Area 3 meeting held in Wynne at the Trinity Bap-tist Church on April 7th. Area Leader Paula Williams was in charge of this meeting.
Right, Area 2 members are as-sembled at the First Baptist Church in Benton on April 21st as Area Leader Darlene Emmons starts the day’s pro-gram.
Below, Area 1’s meeting was the last of the meetings. Beverly Cox leads this meeting held at Oakland Heights Ele-mentary School in Russellville on April 28th.
Area 1
May, 2018
2
Shown at the National Legislative Semi-nar are Joy Graham, Kappa State President with Susan Scanlan, President Emerita of Women’s Research and Education Insti-tute, and Carolyn Pittman, DKG Interna-tional President. Susan gave the closing remarks on the Next Steps for Action.
Spring has sprung in Arkansas! Sunshine and rain in the same day along with cool mornings and hot afternoons describes the current weather in Arkansas.
As I write this article, it is the last week of April and I am looking forward to attending the Area 1 meeting in Russellville this coming Saturday. I am thinking back to the first Saturday in April when I attended the Area 3 meeting in Wynne and there were snow and ice predictions in the forecast! But, thankfully, we only had wind and rain. Then the next Saturday, at Area 4’s meeting in Sheridan, there were predictions of possible tornados! Again we were blessed with only rain and wind. This past Saturday had good weather, but yours truly isn’t used to the Little Rock-freeway traffic, and I know I looked quite frazzled when I entered the build-ing for Area 2’s meeting in Benton. Such is the life of a traveling President – and I would not change a thing. Each area meeting was unique and different, and each had exceptional professional development for the participants. A BIG thank you goes out to our area leaders and their committees who coordinated these events.
Let me encourage you again, if you have not done so already, to send someone from your chapter to the Ella Reese Leadership Seminar that will be held on June 19-20, at the Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville. I cannot emphasis enough how beneficial this seminar will be for each participant’s professional and personal growth. As a chapter, you are investing in your membership by paying half the seminar’s registration fee of $75.00. Also as a member, as you pay the other half of the registration, you are showing commitment to your chapter and to Delta Kappa Gamma by allowing yourself to receive leadership training. This year’s theme is “Finding the Leader Within.” All of us have leadership potential, but if we do not nurture that attribute it will shrink. Don’t short-change yourself – attend the Leadership Seminar and step up to be the leader you were meant to be.
I also want to say thank you to all of the chapters and individuals who have donated toward the reception that will be held in Austin, Texas this July for our International President Carolyn Pittman. As Arkansans, we are so blessed that one of our own is the International President of Delta Kappa Gamma. The recep-tion that we are giving for her is just a token of our gratitude for the excellent job that she has done for Delta Kappa Gamma these past two years. Won’t you register for the International Convention and be with us at the reception honoring our president? Give it some thought – the convention will be well worth your time and effort.
Lastly, I want to let all of you know that I will be retiring from school at the end of June. As I begin to clean my files for the coming school year, I realize that this will most probably be the last time for me to do this. Yes, I am leaving the school arena after nearly 30 years in the field of education. I am saying so long. I will still be an advocate for women and children through DKG, and I will gladly continue the journey with you.
“Continuing the Journey” from the President:
Marilyn Thomas, of Alpha Sigma; KS President Joy Graham and KS First Vice President Cathy Toney are shown at a joint meeting of Theta and Alpha Sigma Chap-ters.
Above center right, KS Secretary Dee Ann Daniel, KS President Joy Graham and KS Past President Candi Martin were in Washington D.C. for the National Legisla-tive Seminar in March.
Left, members of Alpha Sigma are shown with KS President Joy Graham at the joint meeting with Theta Chapter.
May, 2018
3
The April 3rd Area 3 meeting held in Wynne at Trinity Baptist Church went well. The theme for the meeting was “Heartbeats of Your Life” (Friendships, Faith, Family, DKG, and Careers are the heartbeats). The key speaker, Morgan Ben-efield, is the granddaughter of Martha Milam, longtime DKG member. Morgan presented on the National Stop the Bleeding Campaign where first responders are being trained in how to stop certain types of bleeding in situations where other trained personnel cannot be present immediately. The group she is associated with has trained law enforcement officers and teachers. Morgan graduates in May with her Doctor of Medicine degree.
Other breakout sessions included: Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention, Mary Kay Meacham; New President Training: Making the Most of Your Leadership Skills, Joy Graham; Simplifying Parliamentary Procedure, Can-dace Martin; Into Space and Beyond, Quanta Wyatt, (she shared a lot of fun, interesting things she’s learned as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA); Lead-ership Through Team Building, Sue Cook; and India: An Assault on the Senses, Jane Jamison. Since retirement, Jane has taken a number of photography tours all over the world and shared photos from her trip to India.
Members in attendance did a little coloring therapy during registration where green and red colored pencils and cards of roses were provided. During lunch the members watched Dianne Letsch’s presentation, Up and Up and Away-the DKG Way.
The new Area 3 Leader elected is Janie Hickman from Beta Omega Chapter. The KS Nominations Committee Area 3 Representative elected is Maria Good-man from Zeta Chapter. Area 3 also elected a KS Personnel Committee Repre-sentative. She is Adele Barnett from Gamma Rho.
Area 3
4
May, 2018
It was really great to see everyone! Members got to the meeting In Sheridan on April 14th safely despite the storms the night before. The Area 4 theme was “a common thread”. Teaching, family, and faith are the com-mon threads between each DKG member.
As part of the welcoming, it was quite interesting to hear from Betty Robinette and Norma Daniel, who founded the Beta Epsilon Chapter and have been members for over 50 years. They spoke about the way the chapter was started and how things in the organization have changed over the years.
The main speaker during the opening session was Lindsey Bohler. Ms. Bohler is the principal of Sheridan Elementary School. She shared the strategies her staff has implemented to encourage improvements in read-ing. Sheridan is a Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) Dis-trict. Arkansas ADE encourages a culture of reading by coordinating a statewide reading campaign with community partners, parents, and teach-ers establishing the importance of reading in homes, schools and commu-nities. Ms. Bohler shared many details of their inventive program.
The breakout sessions went smoothly and offered insights on a variety of topics.
Congratulations to Carolyn McGough, Alpha Delta, for being elected the Area 4 Leader for the 2018-2020 biennium. Peggy West, Beta Epsilon, was elected to serve as Area 4 Representative on the KS Nominations Committee.
Area 4
5
May, 2018
Area 2The Area 2 meeting on April 21st in Benton turned out to be a successful and fun day for
those attending. The theme for the meeting was “Soaring into Leadership and Fellowship.” As members arrived they could greet friends from other chapters and also have a look at a display of the art work of their fellow members. Also on display were some project boards sharing information about the various ways that some of the Area 2 chapters support their communities and fellow members.
Area 2 Leader Darlene Emmons and Mu Chapter President Diana McWilliams wel-comed everyone to the meeting. After the reading of the Collect it was time for the first set of 3 breakout sessions of the day. There were 12 choices offered to address interests of members. The sessions included president’s training conducted by Kappa State Presi-dent Joy Graham; treasurer, membership chairmen, as well as other officer training was given by KS Treasurer Linda Vailes and 1st Vice President Cathy Toney; and parliamen-tary procedure was explained by KS Past President Candi Martin. Other sessions offered were “Going On A Bear Hunt”, a session by LaTonya Richardson about authorship and ideas; P.A.T.H. Training given by Casonia Vinson; early childhood brain training presented by Pam Toler; “The Bird Friendly Yard” presented by Audubon Society representatives; information about retirement presented by Candace Stanley from Genwealth Financial; “Farm to School Program” given by Emily English; and Emily Baker from Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park, talked about the site and some of the weapons and tools used by the ancient people living in the area.
The guest speaker during lunch was “ the ghost of Mrs. Garvan” from Garvan Wood-land Gardens. “Mrs. Garvan” told those present all about her life, adventures, mishaps, and how the gardens came to be. The business portion of the day followed this presenta-tion. During the business session, Betty Kelley of Beta Beta was elected as Area 2 KS Nomination Committee Member and Jennifer Pennington from Beta Xi was elected the Area 2 Leader for 2018-2020.
During the closing session several door prizes were awarded and the meeting conclud-ed with the singing of the Delta Kappa Gamma Song. The involvement of chapters helped the activities flow smoothly. Thanks to all who came and shared the DKG fellowship.
6
May, 2018
Area 1The April 28th meeting of Area 1 was held in Russellville at the Oakland
Heights Elementary School. The theme for the meeting was “Shower Me With DKG.” Members attending were showered with a fabulous breakfast prepared by the host chapter. The welcome was given by Area 1 Leader Beverly Cox. Mem-bers present recited the Collect and sang the Response led by Leisa Phillips, Chi Chapter. Kappa State President Joy Graham followed with a few remarks.
There were 3 different breakout sessions offered during the day with 9 different subject choices including officer training and parliamentary procedure conducted by Kappa State President Joy Graham and Past President Candi Martin. Other choices included: “How to Write and Publish a Book” by Bridget Smith; “What about Dyslexia” by Liz Mullins and Karla Jacobs; “NOAA Program” by Karen Gra-dy; “What’s New in DKG” by Dianne Letsch, Gamma Iota; “The Leader in Me” by Leisa Phillips, Chi; and “Retirement/Insurance” by Mary Alice Hughes.
The guest speakers during lunch were Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bill Gossage, Colleen Nick and Genevie Strickland. After the main presentation about learning to spot and report suspected sex trafficking there was a brief question and answer period.
The closing session included the business portion of the meeting. Linda Childers, Beta Tau was elected Area 1 representative to the KS Nominations committee. Leigh Ann Forehand, Beta Nu was elected to a 4 year term on the KS Personnel Committee. The newly elected Area 1 Leader for 2018-2020 is Dianne Letsch.
Several door prizes were given out and the meeting was concluded.
May, 2018
7
Contributions to the Kappa State Education
Foundation Alpha Mu Chapter
sent a monetary gift to the Education Foundation
of Kappa State.(No reason given)
Dollye Smith Shoemakerof Epsilon Chapterby Epsilon Chapter
(No immediate family was listed.)
Johnnie L. Whitman, Alpha Theta
Daughter: Jana McCain, Daughter-in-law Stephanie Whitman
Given by Alpha Theta Chapter
Johnnie Lou Whitman of Alpha Theta
mother of Janna McCain mother-in-law of Stephanie Whitman
(both are members of Alpha Theta)
by Cissie Pendergrass of Alpha Theta.
Memorials
Dr. Judi Jenkins is a member of Lambda Chapter and an assistant professor in the Educational Leadership Program for Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. She served 28 years as an educator, counselor, and administrator in the De Queen Public School District in southwest Arkansas.
Dr. Jenkins has had 2 articles selected to appear in Delta Kappa Gamma Publications. Her article “Engagement: Not Just Hands-On but Minds-On” is published in in Volume 84-2 (2017), Delta Kappa Gamma Collegial Exchange. The second article is “Leadership-A Critical Bridge to Accountability,” which appears in the Volume 84-3 (2018) issue of The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators.
Dr Judi JenkinsHas Two Articles
Published
Marietta Johns of Alpha Theta Chapter has received a Cornetet Individual Professional Development Award in the amount of $1500. She plans to use her award to attend the Wilson Reading System (WRS) Advanced Strategies for Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) Group Instruction Workshop.
Marietta is the Dyslexia Practitioner for the County Line School District in Branch, Arkansas. It is a school district located along the Franklin and Logan County border. Marietta pulls students for small group instruction. There are different numbers of students in each group. She works with 25 students throughout the school day.
Marietta JohnsWins Cornetet
Individual Professional Development
Award
Check out all the added information available on the
Kappa State Website!!dkgarkansas.weebly.com
A link is available to register for the International Conference in Austin, find the changes to the US Forum Guide-
lines and lots of other information!
May, 2018
8
What is a great way to spend Wednesday night, July 18th, during the Austin International Convention? Join the fun at THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF AUSTIN right in the JW Marriott Lone Star Ballroom when the DKG Educational Foundation hosts its second annual fundrais-ing event. Tickets for the event may be ordered on the conven-tion registration form and are $155 per person.
(Additional information is available at www.dkgef.org)
With over 120 proposed amendments to the Constitution, the Guidelines Books for Chapter Leaders will need updating after the international convention in July. Thus, we ask that state organizations use the books from last biennium until we can update them and provide a new version.
For your training sessions, you have several options:• Each chapter president, treasurer and membership chair could share their
books from 2016-2018 with respective incoming officers. Not only will that pro-vide a book for the new officer, but incoming and outgoing officers would enjoy an opportunity to share in a productive conversation.
• If a new copy is needed – the Guidelines Books are available for free down-load at www.dkg.org. Under the Tools tab, see “Chapter Tools.”
• The books may also be ordered through the Society Store for the price of printing and shipping.
We appreciate your assistance in furthering our efforts to simplify our process-es and maintain efficient procedures. We also believe that a later revision date will provide members with a better product and the most current information.
Information Concerning Guideline Books
Are you a wordsmith-poetic or prosaic?A musician-vocal or instrumental?An entertainer-comedic or dramatic?If so, this may be your chance to shine!There are brief opportunities during meetings at the International
Convention in Austin when entertainment is needed and you might be given the chance to perform for your sisters. But only if you contact Virginia McChesney, Talent Coordinator, at [email protected]
Attention Music Makers!Coming to the International Convention? If so, share your gifts with
us! Chorus participants will have readable arrangements, fun rehears-als, practice video links and print selections provided in the spring for individual rehearsal. Contact Sandra Yerby, Choral Director, at [email protected]
From International Music Representative Virginia M. McChesney:
New Area Leaders 2018-2020
Dianne Letsch,
Gamma Iota
Area 1
Area 2Jennifer
Pennington, Beta Xi
Area 3Janie
Hickman, Beta Omega
Area 4Carolyn
McGough, Alpha Delta
May, 2018
Dates to Remember and Deadlines:* June 19-20, 2018 Ella Reese Leadership Seminar, Lake Point Conference Center, Russellville, AR (Deadline to apply extended to May 15th)* June 30, December 1, Annual deadlines for submitting applications for the Kappa State Scholarship* July 16-20, 2018 International Convention, Austin, Texas* September 1, February 1, May 1 Applications for Cornetet Professional Development Awards deadlines. (dkgef.org)
Kappa State News is published online the first of each odd numbered month atdkgarkansas.weebly.comSend articles, pictures, comments, and questions to: Linda Davidson [email protected] or 618 LaSalle DriveLittle Rock, AR 72211
A reception to honor International President Carolyn Pittman will be held during the International Convention in Austin
at the Cedar Door on Thursday, July 19, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm
All Kappa State sisters are invited.The Cedar Door is on the corner of
Willie Nelson Blvd. (2nd) and Brazos Street,across from the JW Marriott.
It is advertised as the best bar and grill in Austin.
International Convention in Austin
Registration Deadlines:
Early Registration Ends - June 16th Registration Price Increases -
June 17thMeal Tickets Sold Until - June 30th Tour Registration Ends - June 30th
2019 Leading Effective Meetings Seminar
Interested in effective meeting management?A parliamentary seminar, Leading Effective Meetings, will include:
pre-seminar independent study;20+ hours of training on site;topics such as fairness to each member, protection of the minority, decisions based on the majority; andinstruction by Gwen Simmons, Ed.D., PRP, international parliamentarian, and others.
The seminar will be in the Crowne Plaza Hotel/Resort in Asheville, NC.Friday evening June 21 thru Monday a.m. June 24
(The weekend before SE Regional Conference, June 27-29, 2019.)Seminar will be limited to 35-40 participants; some spaces already filled.If interested, contact Simmons ASAP, but no later than 08/01/2018 via
Join the International Presi-dent in a webinar to explore the proposed amendments to the Constitution and International Standing Rules. Members must register to attend a webinar and will view the presentation via computer access. Webinars will be presented at the following times:
• Tuesday, May 8 at 5:00 PM Central Daylight Time
• Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 AM Central Daylight Time
Please share this information with your chapter presidents and interested members.
To register or for more infor-mation visit www.dkg.org.
