The Delta Kappa Gamma Society Internationalfor Key Women Educators

Chapter Chat
September 2013 Volume 6, Number 1 Eta State North Carolina
Region X, Alpha Nu Chapter Burke and Caldwell Counties

From the President

Greetings Alpha Nu Sisters! At lasta bit of cool air this week offers us a hint and a promise that fall is just around the corner. I hope your summer was wonderful and that you did not suffer any harsh effects of the excessive rainfall we experienced. I am truly happy to share that I have officially un-retired for a time. In August I began a temporary interim as principal at an elementary school in Hickory after its principal took a position elsewhere. I was beginning to feel like a fish out of water not to be engaged in beginning school preparations for the first time in 54 years. But this old fish is excited to be back in the school pond again for a short while! Our next meeting is scheduled for September 28th. It will be a very special meeting for several reasons: we are initiating two new membersDonna Wells and Kathy Oliver; we will have two visitorsGayle Reed, our Regional Director will be visiting with us again and Dr. Elaine Jenkins, president of Delta Sigma Chapter and the chair of Eta States Educational Law and Policy Committee; and, best of all, we get to reconnect with each other again after not having seen each other for several months. Mary Lou Furr, chair of our Membership Committee has planned a very lively, informative and extremely timely program for us. Dr. Elaine Jenkins, our guest speaker, minces no words when it comes to talking about the need for educators to be more politically aware of what is happening in our state. Her highly professional style and motivational delivery of information will captivate you. She is truly inspiring. Dont miss it! Some of you may have heard that Norma Rains recently retired to move and teach in South Carolina. The good news is that Norma is retaining her membership with us; the other good news is that Kelli Weathers will become our new treasurer. We are so grateful to Kelli for serving in this position. Please extend your thanks when you see her. A friendly reminder: If you have not yet paid your DKG dues, please do so immediately. Kelli will be completing an important report very soon and needs to have all dues collected. Please check elsewhere in the newsletter for a detailed breakdown of how your dues are used. I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks. Come prepared to welcome our new members, our special visitors, and old friends to Alpha Nu! Smiles! Sherry R. Willis, President

Alpha Nu Meeting Info

Saturday 28, 2013 Grace Ridge-Morganton, NC 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Lunch$10.00 Reservations must be made by September 21, 2013 Checks payable to: Delta Kappa Gamma Numbers to Call: Burke 1 AL: Janice McMahon-828-437-6918 Burke 2M--Z:
Joyce Kendall-828-437-8287

Caldwell:
Gerry Bair-828-758-4465

Please tell reservationist if you need transportation. Leave message on answering machine if no one answers. Please remember: Everyone must calleither to make your reservation OR to let the reservationist know that you will be unable to attend. If you make a reservation but are not able to attend, you are responsible for paying for the meal and should send your check payable to Delta Kappa Gamma to:

Margaret Church P.O. Box 1248 Drexel, NC 28619

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Eta State News: From Pat Taylor, Eta State President (pictured at right)
This biennium, the theme is Together, We Are Stronger Committing, Collaborating, Celebrating! and the vision statement adopted at the 2013 April Eta State Convention is Voices of Influences Empowering NC Women Educators (VIEW). As we work together to commit to promoting membership growth as well as recommitting ourselves to our Delta Kappa Gamma membership, collaborate together and within our communities to promote present and future leaders, and celebrate each other as well as the 80th birthday of Eta State, we want to remember the reasons that we joined this wonderful Society. Our founders paved the way for positive change in education. We want to continue moving Eta State forward to continue to make a positive impact on education and let others know the good news of this Society as well as celebrate the diversity of each other within our chapters. We want to continue our voices of influence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two Surveys Coming Your Way: 1. Eta State Preference Survey: I will be giving you a survey to complete at our September meeting. Feedback is desired about the frequency and structure of the state meetings/convention. 2. Opinion Survey from Educational Law and Policy Committee coming soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Work Progresses on State Educational Foundation By: Dr. Judith B. Carlson, Co-chair Eta State Educational Foundation Ad Hoc Committee With a sense of accomplishment, it is satisfying to update Eta State members on the progress of the ad hoc committee. We worked throughout the summer in an effort to move forward in the process of establishment. We met with the newly elected officers in a collaboration that will benefit our organization, and reviewed and edited the documents that will be submitted to both state and federal agencies for approval. We also received invitations from several chapters to visit and present pertinent points relevant to the process and respond to questions. We are grateful for these invitations. If your chapter desires such a visit, please contact Dr. Judith B. Carlson (judithb125@gmail.com) or Maxine McCall (djmcm60@hci.net). We are engaged in good work. A most positive 'esprit de corp' and sense of passion prevail as we are actively pursuing the goal: to proceed with the process of establishing an educational foundation that will enhance the work of Eta State. Together we can do it! (Re-printed with permission from Eta Data, September 15, 2013. Volume 3, No. 5)

Mark Your Calendars!!

Local Events (Alpha Nu Meetings): September 28, 2013: 10 a.m. to noonat Grace Ridge, Morganton, NC November 16, 2013: 10 a.m. to noon at Caldwell Education Center, Lenoir, NC March 1, 2014: 10 a.m. to noonat First Baptist Church, Hudson, NC May 2, 2014: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Morganton Community House, Morganton, NC State Events: April 27-27, 2014: Eta State Convention at Greenville, NC-celebrating Eta States 80th Birthday!!! Regional/National/International Events: July 28-August 1, 2014: International Convention, Indianapolis, IN LOOKING AHEAD !!! July 15-18, 2015 Southeast Regional Conference: SAVANAH, GEORGIA (LETS PLAN A ROAD TRIP!)

Where Oh Where Do Our DKG Dues Go? Active Member

DKG International Eta State
Alpha Nu

Reserve Member
$20 $ 2 $12*
* $2 go to Eta State Headquarters Fund * $3 go to Beginning Teacher Support Fund

$40 $15 $24*

* $2 go to Eta State Headquarters Fund * $3 go to Beginning Teacher Support Fund

International/State Scholarship Fund

$ 1
40% to International; 60% to Eta State

$ 1
40% to International; 60% to Eta State

Total

$80

$35

Thanks to those of you who have returned the green Publication Release form. Please pop yours in the mail immediately if you have not yet done so. We need to keep these on file in order for our website to be certified by DKG Society International. Check out the website for photos of our Teawww.alphanunc.weebly.com
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Contact Information: DKG International Website: www.dkg.org Eta State Website: www.deltakappagamma.org/NC Alpha Nu President/Newspaper Editor: Dr. Sherry R. Willis

6313 Rhoney Rd, Connellys Springs, NC 28612 Email: sherryalphanu@gmail.com Phone: (home) 828-433-0797 ; (cell) 828-432-1711

Please note: We will continue to keep you updated about important events that are occurring in the personal/professional lives of our members. However, in keeping with the need to honor/maintain the confidentiality of our members, the Chapter Chat will no longer publish personal/email addresses or phone numbers of our members unless there is a specific request/need to do so. This information is available in our directory or will be sent to you via a personal email.

Information about Members

Patricia Clark attended the DKG Southeastern Regional Conference in Orlando, Florida, July 10-14. She and a colleague from another chapter presented a session related to building the strength of a chapter. The session was entitled It Doesnt Take Barbells to Strengthen Your Chapter! Read below Patricias reflections on her experience:
Southeast Regional Conference By: Patricia Clark In odd numbered years Delta Kappa Gamma members around the world enjoy participating in their regional conferences. There are 5 regions: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Europe. The regional conference differs from the International Convention, held in even numbered years, as there is no business. The conferences, all having the same theme, focus on personal and professional growth, and gaining a better understanding of the society. This is a great opportunity to develop friendships within our state and region, to learn on a variety of topics, to meet in person DKG leaders and International staff, to be inspired, and to experience the culture of the area. The theme was Sharing Our Vision -- Strengthening Our Society. Dynamic keynote speakers were: Sandra Ford Walston, author of several books on courage and awakening women to find their own courage; Kate Campbell Stevenson who travels nationally with her one-woman musical production, and Carolyn M. Fennell, Director of Public Affairs for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and the 2010 Orlando Business Woman of the Year, inspired and challenged us with her life story of determination to succeed. Workshops which I enjoyed were: "Getting Girls Interested in Math, All Shook Up Therapy, The Impact of Generational Differences on Organizational Leadership, Understanding People: Working with Diverse Personalities, Creating Bravo Presentations. An honor for me was being selected along with my good friend, Joyce Newton of Beta Tau chapter, to represent Eta State at pre-conference training on Strengthening Chapters. Joyce and I will have duties during this biennium. In 2015 the SER conference will be held in Savannah, GA, within driving distance. Plan to attend!

Members attending the Executive Board meeting at Elon on September 14 got to hear a report and see part of Patricias presentationand yes, Patricia did a mighty fine job working those barbells! Thank you Patricia for sharing your voice of support for making Delta Kappa Gamma chapters effectively stronger.
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