When You Read the Proposed Amendments ... .

When you read the proposed amendments, read them with this thought in mind: What is important about this proposal? Why would anybody think this proposed change is worthy? Should we keep the old or adopt the new?

For example, let’s consider the proposal to change the name of this organization. I have heard some say that changing our name will diminish our history, and that, I, Annie Webb Blanton, named this organization for a reason. That’s right; I did. The reason was that, to get the Society for women educators established, we were compelled to conform to the times. Women were suspect if they convened for reasons that were not primarily social. We HAD to have a Greek name so that we could actually meet and not have our jobs threatened. I say cultural attitudes have advanced, and so should we. Sentimentality is not a good reason to impede a name change; nor is the attitude that the past must be preserved.

Another example is the consideration of proposals that will affect how we are perceived both within and outside of our membership. We HAD to appear to be sorority-like with a song, pin, invitation, and initiation to protect our potential members from ill-intended scrutiny. We HAD to have the trappings of a social sorority even though we wanted primarily to foster the personal and professional—especially professional—growth of women educators. We don’t need all those social club trappings now because we are no longer criticized and threatened for belonging to a women’s professional organization.

There is nothing wrong with a college sorority that fulfills needs of young women at that stage of their lives. There’s nothing wrong with a unifying song or emblem or voting for members—but there is something wrong when we hang on to something that does not advance the cause of women educators. Social needs are not the same as professional needs, and professional needs are not the same as social needs. I encourage you to accept and to make changes that continue the evolution of this professional organization for women educators.
As you approach the convention and the voting on proposed amendments, I urge you to consider WHY a proposal has been made and HOW your vote will affect the sustainability of the Society. Voting on proposed amendments is somewhat like cleaning out your closet; if something no longer fits, is outdated, or is no longer needed, dispose of it and replace it with something that serves you better.

Leaders’ Calendar: A Best Kept Secret

If you are in any leadership position in your chapter, you know it is sometimes hard to remember deadlines… and you need reminders. Did you know there is a Leaders’ Calendar available?

There are several ways to access these calendars. Yes, there are several. The main ones are:  Chapter Leaders, Chapter Membership Chairs, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Treasurers.

The easiest way, is to go to the International website. Click on TOOLS and then on Chapter Leaders Calendar. Notice that you can get it as a PDF document. See Figure 1 below.

FIGURE 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those of you who have a Google (Gmail) account, a Google calendar is easy and may be more user friendly. It is larger and you can include your personal calendar as well as that of your chapter/state organization. You can also set notifications for any of the individual calendars. Nice! See Figures 2 & 3.

FIGURE 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIGURE 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t have a Gmail (Google) account, it is well worth your consideration. This LINK will take you to another blog entry that explains the advantages and how to set one up.

Don’t wait. Check it out today. A calendar with notifications will save you a lot of headaches.

 

 

 

Thank You. It is so simple.

 

Communication can take a lot of different paths. However, when you interact with your DKG colleagues, there is one way that is guaranteed to brighten everyone’s day.

Every single day, someone does something that is special. That is the time to say, “Thank you!”

Your chapter/state organization meetings are a great time to seek out moments to say, “Thank you.”  Your president conducts an effective meeting. The minutes are beautifully done. A helping hand got your items into the meeting. Tasty treats were shared. A card was circulated to send to a member who is under the weather. A sister shared a huge smile. Your editor produced a wonderful newsletter. A committee did an outstanding job.

Did you thank each of them? It would make their day brighter, and you will feel wonderful.

Make it a goal to seek out nice things going on in your chapter/state organization and follow up with a huge “Thank you.” Do it in person, on the phone, via email, a card, or on Facebook.

Just do it. Make it a habit.

Facebook?!# How to adjust privacy settings

Many chapters, state organizations, and International have Facebook accounts that you like to follow. But maintaining personal privacy on Facebook is a constant battle. You don’t want to delete your account, but you have to be smart when you use it.

 Below are a few tips for adjusting privacy settings.

Keep Apps in check Apps? 
Yes, apps. Over the years you have probably given various apps permission to tap into this data trove. You did this by logging into an app using your Facebook account. The following short video (less than 10 minutes) will explain, in simple terms, how to fix this problem fairly simply. It is well worth your time to watch (and pass along). https://youtu.be/nqkVjhCr79o?t=1s

 

Bad Ads 
After you watch the video above, stay with it and head back to Settings. This time click on the Ads (right below the APPS). Say NO to the Ads on apps and websites from Facebook. Then head down to the Ads with your social actions. Turn it off.

These suggestions do not cover all of the privacy areas but will give you a little more peace of mind. Take a few minutes and implement these ideas today.