Bang #27 Art Gallery

Are you creative and would like to share your original work with other DKG members? Then the Art Gallery is for you! The DKG Gallery of Fine Arts is an online publication and display of DKG members’ creative works.

Creative works are submitted in one of four categories: Visual- photography, painting/pastel, drawing, crafts, mixed media, sculpture, Video- dramatics, film making, oratory, dance, Writing- poems, essays, short stories, and Music- original composition. This spring 223 pieces of work were submitted by 126 artists. 184 works were accepted and displayed on the DKG website.

On the Art Gallery site, you will find an artist interview blog, rubrics for each category, and several helpful documents to assist you in successfully submitting your creation.

Pieces of work are accepted two times a year; January 15 - February 15 and August 15 – September 15. The Arts and Humanities Jury is accepting original works soon. Will your creative work be chosen to be displayed this fall? Get more Bang for Your Buck$ and share your talent on the Art Gallery!

Spotlight on DKG Arts Gallery Blog Artist – Jane Tanner, Chi, New York

For this Art Gallery blog, we are delving into the realm of needlecraft with spotlighting Jane Tanner, from New York, and her piece of art intitled ‘Divisions.’

1. Tell us about yourself as an educator and an artist.

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in kindergarten. My fifth grade math teacher walked on water in my eyes and I wanted to be just like her. In the late 1970s, math teachers were a dime a dozen. Permanent substitute positions for three years in middle school mathematics as well as a year teaching computer science and low-level mathematics at the high school level gave me teaching experience.

Onondaga Community College, part of the State University of New York, asked me to apply for an open position in their Business Administration Department. I would be teaching data processing. I was hired the same day I interviewed and thus began a 36-year career teaching computer information systems and mathematics.

Many people have influenced me on my needle arts journey. My mother taught me how to knit when I was five. A college roommate was latch-hooking a rug. A math teacher was cross-stitching in the faculty dining room during lunch. I needed to experiment with all of these!

Stamped cross stitch was my stepping stone into the world of needle arts. When my family went on summer vacations, I would be able to choose something to keep me occupied. This is one of the pieces I stitched when I was around 8.

This was the beginning of my nearly 60-year obsession of creating art using a needle. For the past 20 plus years, I have belonged to the Embroiderer's Guild of America (EGA) and the American Needlepoint Guild (ANG). These two guilds have allowed me to meet like-minded stitchers as well as experiment with many different types of needle art.

2. How did you decide on this form of art to work with?

My love of mathematics carries over from my professional life into my personal life. Counted canvas work such as ‘Divisions’ is full of geometry including circles, lines, and symmetry.

Twenty years ago, my world consisted pretty much of counted cross stitch. Joining the two guilds has opened up a world of different types of stitching such as blackwork, hardanger, pulled and drawn thread, counted canvas, beading, the list goes on.

If a project involves using a needle, I am interested!

3. What was your inspiration in picking this project and how did you go about doing it?

 

‘Divisions’ was offered at the 2017 ANG Seminar; it immediately appealed to me because of the blues and purples in it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the seminar as I was still working at the time. The designer Debbie Rowley offered this again as an online class this summer and I jumped at the opportunity to take it.

It is satisfying to watch a blank piece of canvas or other fabric take on a new appearance as the stitching progresses.

4. What is the best piece of advice given you as an artist or that you can give to someone else?

Don't be afraid of making your project your own. Ted Sorensen said, "You will never experience personal growth if you fear taking chances." Normally, I am a rule follower in life and in stitching I try to follow the instructions I am given. In the past few years, I have relaxed the need to follow the rules in stitching and have tried experimenting with changing colors or the actual design. This is encouraging me to design my own pieces.

5. In your view, what is the value of the creative arts in education?

Having taught mathematics for 40 years, I was very aware of the relationship among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). According to the U.S. Department of Education website, “In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions." Now our students are encouraged to think creatively and thus STEAM emerged with the ‘A’ representing the arts.

In the liberal arts mathematics courses taught at my college, students are required to submit a project of their choosing for a major portion of their final grade. The goal of this project is to incorporate mathematical thinking into a real-world activity. Projects have included knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, model building, quilting, to name a few. As a result, students connect mathematics with something that they are interested in. They may then dislike mathematics a little less when the realization hits them that math is everywhere and is not to be feared.

6. Do you have anything else that you would like to share?

One thing that I have learned is to not be discouraged when a "mistake" has been made. As long as the mistake has taught you something, it isn't a mistake but a learning experience. With a project, it is sometimes necessary to rip out your work so you can get it correct. But sometimes mistakes may lead to something beautiful or an idea for another project. Designers have long realized this and, in fact, there is a "mistake stitch" in knitting and counted canvas needlepoint.

Having said that, I love mathematics because solutions are either right or wrong - not exactly creative. But there can be creativity in mathematics when one examines the elegance in getting to the solution.

Having a Voice by Voting at Convention

 

Carol Herzog

As a member of the Society, I not only belong to DKG but DKG also belongs to me. I make the Society what I want it to be. I am responsible for making changes to the governing documents so that they reflect how I would like to see the Society function.

I can propose amendments to the Society documents by completing the Proposed Amendments Form when it becomes available each biennium. After it is reviewed by the International Constitution Committee and the Administrative Board, my amendment is then published in the DKG NEWS for other members to consider. When it is presented for a vote to the convention, I have the right to speak to my amendment. Making my voice heard is one-way DKG belongs to me.

Not only do I have the right to speak to an amendment that I propose, but I can speak to any amendment that is presented to the convention. I can speak for or against any amendment. It is important for me to step to the microphone and share my opinion. I might have a perspective of which no one else has thought. Then I, as a member, get to cast my vote. I have a voice in what we do as a Society.

The Constitution and International Standing Rules are available on the DKG website for each member to review and consider where and what she feels should be amended to reflect how we function as a Society of the members and for the members. All proposed amendments are published in the March/April issue of the DKG NEWS. Please read through them, be prepared to discuss them, and vote on them to let your voice be heard as a member of DKG.

Gifts of DKG

At this time of year many of us are thinking of the gifts we can give to others and the gifts we are hoping to receive 😊. While most gifts bear a financial cost there are so many that don’t.

Which of these gifts have you given to DKG?

●     Served in a leadership role in your chapter, state organization, and/or international

●     Introduced other educators to DKG and brought them into the Society

●     Mentored others as they stepped up to leadership roles in DKG

●     Supported the DKG International Educators Foundation

Which of these gifts have you received from DKG?

●     An opportunity to further develop your leadership skills in a friendly environment

●     A group of women who support you in your professional and personal life

●     The opportunity to meet and interact with other educators from 17 countries from around the world

●     The opportunity for professional development via conventions/conferences and DKG publications

●     An opportunity to receive scholarships and grants

What do you see as the top gift you have received or given to DKG? Please add a comment below.

Membership Basics Series #1 Who Qualifies for Membership in DKG

 

Our DKG International Constitution gives us some guidelines about membership:

Article III Membership 

Section A. Membership

1. Membership in The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International shall be by invitation. A member inducted into the Society becomes a member of the international Society in addition to a state organization and/or a chapter.
2. An individual becomes a member of the Society when she pays her dues.

Section B. Classification

1. An active member shall be a woman who is or has been employed as a professional educator at the time of her election. An active member shall participate in the activities of the Society.

So, what does that mean? A member should be a woman who is a professional who is or has been an educator at the time of her election. Educators can be found in traditional as well as in non-traditional places. You might ask yourself, “is this person’s primary focus on being an educator”? For example, a firefighter’s primary focus would be putting out fires and saving lives. However, there may be a woman who is a firefighter, and her job is to do fire safety programs for children. She could be a prospective DKG member. Another example is a doctor. If she is teaching students, then she could be a prospective DKG member. If the doctor is seeing patients only, then diagnosing and making them well is her focus. School administrators and counselors can easily be overlooked for membership as they might not be teaching now. Check to see if they were an educator at some point as many begin in the classroom. Remember that being a member of DKG is an honor for a woman who is or has been employed as a professional educator at the time of her election.

Perhaps the chapter membership committee might like to present a program on possible places to look for members and if they qualify. Brainstorm and create a list of possible educators. Then ask, do these ladies qualify for membership? What do you think? What would your chapter think? Is their primary focus on being an educator?

2. Reserve membership shall be granted only to a member who is unable to participate fully in the activities of the chapter because of physical disability and/or geographic location.

a. Reserve status shall be granted by a majority vote of the chapter.

b. A reserve member, so requesting, shall be restored to active membership.

3. An honorary member shall be a woman not eligible for active membership who has rendered notable service to education or to women and is elected to honorary membership in recognition of such service.

4. Collegiate members shall be undergraduate or graduate students who meet the following criteria:

a. Undergraduate student collegiate members shall

(1) be enrolled in an institution offering an education degree and have the intent to continue academically and professionally in the field of education; and

(2) be enrolled within the last two years of their undergraduate education degree.

b. Graduate student collegiate members shall have graduate standing in an institution offering an education degree and have the intent to continue academically and professionally in the field of education. When a collegiate member starts her career as a paid educator, she will pay active member dues and become an active member. If a collegiate member does not pursue a career as an educator, her membership will expire upon graduation or withdrawal from the education degree program.

One of the main considerations is for your chapter to be open to different possibilities of educators. This is a chapter decision. Each chapter has the right to their own viewpoint of who they invite to membership based on our governing documents. When your chapter begins venturing out of your comfort zone, it is important that all members welcome the new member and embrace her as an educator. If you are in a very traditional chapter begin with the discussion of what areas of education your members might be willing to invite for membership. Remember we are not limited by our Constitution but by our members.

EEC/DKG@UN: A Cornucopia of Resources for Our Educators

 

All of you are already doing and completing such outstanding work which brings me to another topic, “The Excellence In Education Award.” As chair of the awards committee of CTAUN, I have heard through discussion with my EEC colleagues many, many, many examples of excellence in teaching that have been demonstrated by our own members. In light of the lockdown and the lack of information as to when UN headquarters might reopen again to NGO’s, I would like to at some point during a future CTAUN webinar set in place a time frame for an outstanding lesson or project that occurred during the course of this unending pandemic. I know they are out there, I have heard some of them and you know who you are…

So, give it some thought. I have heard some of the many ways you have improvised to get lessons done and they should be heard by others. You can send to my personal email your thoughts, lessons and projects, along with photos of yourself and students as you worked your way through almost two years of the impossible - Eileen Venezia (evap114@aol.com). What I have seen during this pandemic were educators working the hardest to continue to teach while they themselves were accommodating to the shock. Many children have been endangered by the loss of school buildings as a place of refuge. Teachers are overworked, and along with the economy, education must be listed as one of the domains in need of post-pandemic aid.

 

In closing, take a look at (google) “Teachers Are Not Alright: How The Covid-19 Pandemic has taken a toll on its Nation of Teachers.”

 

Eileen Venezia
International EEC Member
UN/NGO

 

World Fellowship Student Receives Help from Canada

Beta Chapter, Calgary (Alberta State Organization) invited World Fellowship recipient Isbel Gonzales, a PhD student at the University of Calgary, to present her research on November 20, 2021. Her research focuses on an in-depth understanding of the role of hormone prolactin in the growth of breast cancer cells in the bones, stimulating the process known as bone metastasis. This understanding is extremely critical because approximately 70% of breast cancer patients in advanced stages of the illness develop this type of metastasis, which frequently stimulates fracture and bone pain affecting the wellness of patients.

Isbel’s parents and grandmother live in Cuba. Her family is unable to access common medications used to improve their health and wellbeing. To support this World Fellowship student, Beta Chapter is preparing a care package of “over-the-counter medications” that Isbel can send home to her family in Cuba. Specifically, the members are collecting pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin); cough suppressants such as dextromethorphan-(Robitussin); antihistamines such as Claritin and Reactine; and vitamins such as Jamieson products and others.

Art Gallery Submission Tips!

The DKG Gallery of Fine Arts submission will open next on January 15, 2022.  You are encouraged to enter and review tips for submitting, and do’s and don’ts to help you understand common errors members make. 

Tips and Reminders for Submitting to the DKG Gallery of Fine Arts 

Do’s and Don’ts for Submission

Keep the conversation going, please use the comment section below to suggest new topics, ask questions, or give us your input. 

 

Bang #24 Subscriptions, #25 Vendors/Exhibitors, Bang #26 Sponsorship

Another non-dues revenue source of income for DKG happens when outside organizations subscribe to the Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin International Journal for Professional Educators and the DKG Bulletin: Collegial Exchange.  The Society receives a portion of the fee paid for the subscription. 

A DKG affiliate vendor or vendor and a DKG affiliate exhibitor or exhibitor, who participate in the Marketplace at conferences and conventions, provide non-dues revenue for the Society and help offset costs of the event. 

A vendor, exhibitor, or outside business can:

• Sponsor an international conference or convention
• Advertise in the Collegial Exchange
• Have a banner ad on the DKG website
• Place an ad in the Convention Program 

There are many levels of sponsorship from $1,000 to $15,000. Depending on the level of sponsorship, opportunities may include: 

• Title sponsor for the convention—convention naming possibility
• Inclusion of the company name in pre-convention publication
• Advertisement in the convention program book
• Sponsorship of a conference activity i.e. main stage speaker, pre-convention meeting, professional seminar
• Recognition in convention signage and announcements
• Meal and honor seating at the celebration luncheon
• Vendor/Exhibit tables in the Marketplace
• Formal introduction to conference attendees
• Electronic communication to event registrants through the DKG App
• Advertising on social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Society website as appropriate

Special sponsorship options also include:

• Lanyard sponsor
• Gift sponsor
• Cyber Center sponsor
• Event Sponsor
• Customize your own 

For more information about these opportunities visit the DKG home page.  In the banner select About Us and then click on Sponsor Us.  As you can tell there are many ways that DKG can be supported with non-dues revenue from subscriptions, vendors/exhibitors, and sponsorships.  That truly is a “More Bang for Your Buck$” opportunity.

2022 DKG International Convention Marketplace

The 2022 International Convention at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel will provide a Marketplace for attendees. DKG members enjoy shopping and like to take home treasures. 

What a great opportunity for state organizations and chapters to fund scholarships, projects, leadership training, and special events! Items should include products of high quality and may be advertised in state or chapter newsletters or brochures. Examples of products from some of the state organization and chapter vendors are notecards, name badges, handmade jewelry, scarves, luggage tags, books, and DKG branded items.  As an affiliate, the state organizations and chapters receive a discount for their marketplace table.

The Marketplace will be open during the convention on Thursday, July 14 and Friday, July 15 with security provided. Applications for being a state organization, chapter, or commercial vendor or exhibitor are available on the dkg.org website. Those who plan to demonstrate or display without selling items should select exhibitor on the application form. 

        The deadline for submitting the application is April 15, 2022. All vendor and exhibitor applications must be approved by the Administrative Board. There will be a limited number of vendors, so don’t delay applying if you are interested.

Update on World Fellowship

The International World Fellowship (WF) Committee has selected and published a list of recipients on the dkg.org website. Chapters, please educate your members about WF! There is a wealth of information on the website. Look under Resources for (1) Flyers. Share the information that is on the WF flyer; (2) Videos. There are 4 videos that were made by recipients and illustrate what the award means to them. (3) Publications. Look at previous DKG publications for articles about WF. Your chapter can brainstorm ways to support these women while they are away from their families and home country and ways to supplement your contributions in order to offer these awards to such deserving women.

Where might you find a member?

Delta Kappa Gamma offers women educators an amazing opportunity to belong to an organization that promotes professional and personal growth among its members as well as excellence in education.  However, far too often our definition and vision of educator doesn’t extend beyond the traditional school environment.

The Expansion Committee would like to hear from you, the members of Delta Kappa Gamma, about members in your chapter that don’t fit this conventional mold.  It’s time to think outside the box and extend the invitation of membership to educators in all fields and areas!

Are you unsure of what this might look like or who we might be thinking of as we begin this new way of thinking?  Here are a few examples to jumpstart the discussion:

Counselor

Physical Therapist

Corporate Trainer

Personal Trainer

Financial Counselor

Bank Trainer

Christian Education Director

Camp Instructor or Director

Preschool Teacher

Librarian

Human Resources Trainer

Facilitator

Trades Teacher

University Staff

Food Service Instructor

IT Trainer

Paraprofessional

Yoga Instructor

Museum Curator

CPR Instructor

Please share additional ideas in your response.  Truly anyone who educates others and receives a payment for her services would be a candidate to consider.  As stated on the Society website, a candidate for membership must be or have been employed as a professional educator at the time of her election. We need to continue to expand our membership base to ensure that Delta Kappa Gamma enjoys a long-life far into the future.

Spotlight on Gallery Artist – Claire Rettenmund, Alpha Omega, Michigan

For this November blog, we are spotlighting DKG artist, Claire Rettenmund of Michigan, and her beautiful silk scarf paintings of ‘Flamingo’ and ‘Water Lilies’.

Claire is a retired elementary classroom teacher. Her entire career she taught in the Flint, Michigan public school system. Her original degree was a B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in the Arts.  She continued with Masters in both Elementary Education and Educational Leadership. Assignments included all grades K-6 but most of her time was in Kindergarten and First grades. Art was always part of her curriculum when allowed.

Claire states: “A professor early in my education suggested I major in art but I preferred the idea of teaching children to read.”  Since childhood she has always dabbled in many different media. Her parents were both very creative and they encouraged her endeavors.

How did you decide on this form of art to work with?

After retirement I was painting miniature watercolor bird pendants for sale at the summer arts and crafts shows my husband and I worked. I needed to expand. I experimented and really liked this medium.

My scarves are on Habatoi silk and painted with a free-flowing concentrated fabric paint. It handles a little like watercolor so I immediately liked it.

What was your inspiration for these scarves and how did you go about doing them?

The scarves I submitted seemed to showcase some of the possibilities of silk painting. I first sketched the images on the silk. Using a washable gutta, which dries to create a barrier to contain a color in a designated area, I was able to form the flamingo, water lilies and leaves. Since you can't paint white, those areas are left paint free. Backgrounds are created using the flowing movement of paint on fabric to your advantage. When dry, the silk is heat set, washed, and pressed. The scarves remain hand washable thereafter.

 What is the best piece of advice that you can give someone, as an artist, or that was given to you? 

Art can be very relaxing, especially when painting. I get so involved in the piece that any nervous tension just disappears. My mind is absorbed in the process. I recommend art as an outlet to everyone. Do not worry about how your project turns out. One of my elementary education instructors advised that “it is all about the process, not the finished product.” 

In your view, what is the value of the creative arts in education?

Creative arts are important in education at all levels. Sadly, the arts in all forms have traditionally been the first programs cut from the school budget. My own son became a talented thespian due, in part, to an excellent high school program which was later removed from the curriculum. Everyone needs outlets from their stress filled lives and all art forms help balance right and left brained experiences.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share?

My husband and I stopped working arts and crafts shows after the pandemic started. I still make a few scarves and have a finished supply with images and designs which I hope to sell online.

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The Arts & Humanities Jury looks forward to you returning often to view exciting new content and to share in the joy of creativity.   

We invite you to view the Art Gallery, click here. 

Keep the conversation going, please use the comment section below to suggest new topics, ask questions, or give us your input. 

EEC/DKG@UN

A Cornucopia of Resources for Our Educators

Educational crises often occur during times of rapid transformations. The broadest social functions of education are renewal and regeneration. It is here, that I have observed and witnessed daily, the regeneration of instruction during this time of a global pandemic. I’ve seen a capacity for good and change among my colleagues and sisters, along with the work and effort demonstrated by the members of our EEC committees to share this information. As this global public health crisis cascaded into a Global Educational Crisis, it also deepens an already profound childhood and adolescent mental health crisis among the various demographics of where we find ourselves. CTAUN (Committee on Teaching About the United Nations), DKG’s one of many branches with representation at the EEC, addresses Global Education through UN representation. It is here I encourage all our members to look and review for teacher use and interest, the many resources made available on CTAUN’S website: www.teachun.org, covering all topics and grade levels ranging from primary resources to the university level. Here, you will find not only the history of the United Nations, but topics that range from Peace, Security, Human Rights to our most important issue to the Secretary General “Climate Change” as this affects everything else we can speak of. In addition, you’ll find lesson plans for all age groups and topics including at home help for parents. To help promote all of this, CTAUN has just completed, through its recently formed ad hoc committee, a newsletter with possible UN updates on webinars to come, information on educational programs as part of other entities of the UN, and informative briefings made available in the future. This will be shared with our EEC International and local EEC chairs to be filtered down to membership, along with those members who are on the Constant Contact List from CTAUN.

Eileen Venezia

International EEC Member

UN/NGO

Giving Thanks to Our International, State Organization, and Chapter Leaders

At this time of year members from the United States are looking forward to the national holiday of Thanksgiving. The celebration originated as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessings of the harvest and the preceding year. Other member countries might not celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but many celebrate a day of thanks sometime during the year. Canada has a Thanksgiving Day held in October; Germany has Erntedankfest, a Harvest Thanksgiving Festival; and Japanese members celebrate a Labor Thanksgiving Day or 勤労感謝の日, an occasion to commemorate labor and production and give each other thanks. In the United Kingdom, a Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving is celebrated.

The International Leadership Development Committee would like to take this time to give thanks to all leaders, both past and present, at all levels of our Society.

• To Dr. Blanton and the Founders of our Society, for their foresight in recognizing a need for an organization to support personal and professional growth of women educators, and for their courage in founding the Society despite the challenges they faced in 1929.
• To international leaders in the intervening years for building upon the vision of our Founders, being change agents to keep the Society “forward moving ever,” and making the necessary changes to remain relevant.
• To current international leaders for understanding that our current headquarters building no longer met the needs of our Society and working diligently to find appropriate facilities to address future needs.
• To state organization leaders for guiding chapters and mentoring others in developing leaders.
• To chapter leaders for their willingness to serve and offer leadership development to ensure the future of our Society.

What benefits do YOU give thanks for in DKG? Please add a comment below.

Don’t Mess with the Logo (the rose)!

The DKG Society International has a copyrighted brand. As members we can use the DKG brand for our chapter and state organization marketing and communications. On the International website there are logos and graphics that we can use. We can use the graphics and logos to advertise our events, recognize members, enhance our newsletters and websites, communicate to members and non-members, encourage members to be involved with projects and programs, award scholarships and grants, and many other uses.

In order to capitalize on the DKG brand, there are a few important things to remember about the logos.

The logos can be used:

• in color or black and white
• with the words Delta Kappa Gamma or DKG with the K extended
• with the words “International Society For Key Women Educators” or “Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide”
• with or without your state organization geographic name.

The logos can never be:

• altered in size or shape
• used in a different font
• placed on top of another graphic that interferes with the legibility
• be displayed in duplicate or multiple times.

The DKG website has guidelines for the use of the logos and graphics. You can access the guidelines through the resources tab on the main menu of the member page. The important things to remember about using the branded and copyrighted DKG logos and graphics are:

• always use the graphics as they are presented on the website
• other images on the website are copyrighted and used by permission or purchased and that permission does not extend to state organizations or chapters
• always consult the guidelines if you have questions.

 

Bang #23 - Go Ahead Tours

If the worldwide pandemic of 2020 and 2021 has taught us anything, it is to value the ability to visit with family, friends, and colleagues.  As we did our best to quarantine in our homes, many of us discovered a desire to travel more and see sites that may have been on our bucket lists for quite some time.  One of the benefits of membership in Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is the Go Ahead Tours program.  Each year, a DKG member is appointed as an ambassador to work alongside an agency which plans and executes trips to various locations. 

In years past, DKG members have taken the opportunity to travel to many places such as Costa Rica, Spain, England and Iceland.  An Alaskan Cruise has also been enjoyed by members, as well as a trip to view New England Fall Foliage.  Each of these trips is planned with precision to maximize a traveler’s experience in the sights, sounds, and culture of each destination.  Group travel enables friends to explore new destinations together and, in the process, provides non-dues revenue to the DKG International Educators Foundation. 

The next Go Ahead Tour is scheduled to take place immediately following the 2022 International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.  This trip will take you and your cohorts on a tour of The American South from New Orleans, Louisiana to Memphis, Tennessee over a period of 6 days and 5 nights.  More information about this opportunity can be found at www.dkg.org.  After signing in, look for the black banner and click on “Events.”  You will find “Go Ahead Tours” listed and can explore all the details of this amazing trip to view several historic sites in the South. 

As we search for a new normal in our lives, let this be your mantra: “Eat the dessert – buy the shoes – take the trip!”  You will not regret your choice. 

DKGIEF: Educational Projects Award

Do you know how your contribution to DKGIEF serves educators? Your contribution is a rich investment in education. Your giving makes a large difference, impacting lives of educators, students, and communities. One powerful use is the funding of Educational Projects.

Members and non-members may apply for a project grant. Even though the patterns of our lives were altered during the Covid-19 pandemic, the projects funded in 2020-2021 continued with adjustments in delivery.

Would you like to know how YOUR contribution made a difference in Texas, Nuevo Leone, Louisiana, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Washington D.C., and Illinois?

Your contribution helped fund the purchase of reading manipulatives for 130 K-3 students who read below grade level. At the project’s end, all third graders in this program were reading at or above grade level, half of the second graders were reading at grade level and the other half were reading at the end of first grade level.

Your contribution helped fund a $100 scholarship stipend for 10 university women students to encourage them to continue their studies during the Covid crisis. Now, all are near graduation with a collective GPA of 95.2.

Your contribution helped fund virtual reality headsets and software applications for upper elementary and high school students. Examples of the use of the equipment are an application for virtual frog dissections that can be used many times (no smell, no fainting, no bad lab specimens, no purchase of dead frogs); virtual space travel where students “went” to the international space station; virtual earth travel (“Think of Google maps, but instead of viewing a screen, you’re standing there”) to the Grand Canyon, Alcatraz, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower; and the Anne Frank experience where students “hide” from danger in a small attic.

Your contribution helped fund advanced statistical studies, opportunities for students to learn and play heritage music, teacher training in strategies for trauma-informed classrooms in a large middle school with a diverse population where more than 500 behavior referrals occurred in the first quarter of school, and a many-faceted overview of woman’s suffrage that included film, music, art, drama, dance, and writing.

The vision of DKGIEF is “Giving to Educate the World.” That is the long reach of YOUR contribution to DKGIEF! In fact, YOUR contribution is like a pebble tossed in water: the ripples run long and farther than you can know.

DKG – An International Society With Many Opportunities For International Exchange

Learn about how two of our members met and how their friendship developed.

Patricia Pemberton, North Carolina

It is with elevated excitement that I received an invitation from Marianne Skardeus in Sweden to join her in writing and sharing a blog of “International Exchange” for the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. This will be my first attempt at writing a blog.

It was at the 2016 DKG International Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, that I connected with Marianne, Europe’s Regional Director. Prior to the convention I had read with interest her article titled, “Europe builds bridges across borders,” which was published in the 2016 May/June issue of DKG News. In her opening paragraph she wrote “The possibilities of international contacts and exchanges are a rewarding aspect of Society membership.” As a chapter president I reached out to Marianne because I wanted to build a bridge of communication connecting Delta Rho chapter in Sanford, North Carolina with her chapter in Skövde, Sweden. It is with this reflection that I open our international blog. I look forward to writing many entries which reveal our cultural exchanges.

Across our five years of communication there have been many exchanges of letters, photos, and emails. Our connection from my home in North Carolina and Marianne’s home in Sweden has been of some magnitude. There are many thoughts to share. Exchanges about holiday traditions, like placing feathers on an Easter tree, have been especially interesting. I attached the feathers Marianne sent to a tree among some of my décor.

I sent Marianne a garland of holly and berries to hang among her Christmas decorations. Among the other items I received was a special soft marshmallow candy in a JuleSkum wrapper as a holiday treat.

Sweden’s Midsummer May Pole festivities brought back childhood memories of dancing around a May Pole in elementary school. In one picture, which I received, I saw a miniature May Pole on the Skardeus dining table.

There are many other holiday traditions to share, but for now, I would like to close my entry with talk of the Crawdad Festival in Sweden during which friends and family gather at a long table where crawdads are served on large trays and eaten while laughter and singing make for celebration under party hats with glasses raised. I received pictures as proof of the frolic. Marianne sent me napkins, bibs, and other crawfish party décor so as to encourage me to boil my own crawdads. Next year the DKG International Convention will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Marianne and I will most likely get to eat crawdads while donning colored beads, which are an integral part of the Mardi Gras Festival.

A DKG International Blog is super way for members and friends to make cultural connections. I find this way of communicating exciting.

Marianne Skardéus, Sweden

Every time I am congratulating a friend with a birthday card I go to the box where I nowadays keep my cards. It is a box with the inscription Merry Christmas and reminds me every time of my friend Patricia in North Carolina and her generous Christmas gifts:

an elegant table runner with delicate embroidery, a wonderful Christmas garland, and other Christmas items. And thus, Patricia is often on my mind, not just at Christmas.

It was with great joy that I met Patricia Pemberton at our Convention in Nashville between a general session and a workshop. After one hour it was as if we had known each other for ever. We talked about what I had started at the Local Red Cross division, when I was vice chair: We also discussed using biking and swimming for women with a migrant background as a part of their integration. Patricia gave me stationery which had pictures from her hometown. It turned out that she is a very talented photographer. And throughout the years she has sent me many pictures from her wonderful garden and from her kitchen where she makes jam and bakes pies. 

Patricia has shared her work in her chapter, her love for her grandchildren, and her involvement in her church. Lately a new pastor was installed, and she sent me the program from this event. We have also been exchanging reading recommendations and this is so gratifying.

It has been very rewarding to have these email exchanges with Patricia. I have learned so much about how she is living her life in North Carolina and how she has been coping with life during the covid-19 period. She was very happy when she had her second vaccination shot.

DKG is an international society, and we should take advantage of our huge network! It has been such a joy to get to know Patricia!

 

 

Note from the International Educational Excellence Committee: We would love to hear from other DKG members about how you have connected with DKG members in other states and/or countries. Please consider sharing your experiences! Please let us know if we can help with the process.

 

Connecting with World Fellowship Recipients

         Now that the list of our World Fellowship recipients is available to all members, what can YOU do to connect with these women? You can send them a note via email or regular mail. Share about yourself, your background, interests, and hobbies. Share about your chapter and/or state/province/country. You could ask them if they would like to Zoom with you: putting a name and a face together helps in getting to know someone. Once you make a connection, you may want to send a gift card or something small. The important piece is making that connection and continuing to connect with them throughout the year. Please consider reaching out to one or more of the recipients!

Responsibility for Developing Future Leaders

Who is responsible for developing future leaders in DKG? YOU!

Every member of DKG is responsible for cultivating future leaders for the Society.

Consider the following to determine if YOU are doing your part to nurture future leaders for DKG.

• Have you nominated an outstanding educator for membership in the last two years?  
• Have you searched out members who have a specific interest or skill in an area and encouraged them to share it with the members?
• Have you involved other members in the work of your chapter/state committee, so they become familiar with the work of that committee and feel comfortable in becoming a future leader of that committee?
• Have you encouraged others to step into leadership roles, assuring that you will mentor them when they had questions or concerns?

Remember, YOU were invited to membership because someone recognized your leadership potential. Now is the time to “pay it forward” and help cultivate future leaders for our Society.

 

DKG Arts Gallery Blog: Artist’s Spotlight

Rachael Walker, Louisiana State Organization, Rho Chapter

Walking into the art classroom of our Spotlight artist, Rachael Walker, of the Louisiana State Organization, you are surrounded by student work, historical artists, and their expressions and most importantly, constant reminders on the walls to inspire her students.  One such inspirational phrase is a favorite one that has been a constant in her classroom since year one of now ten… “Use your mistakes.”  She is affirming to her students that they can be free and secure in this space to express themselves, and that there are no mistakes, just possible opportunities to take another direction.  The Arts and Humanities Jury Blog interviewed Rachael Walker from our Spring Gallery for her quirky, detailed “Birds with Wigs” watercolor series.  Intrigued, we wanted to know a little more about her evolving interest as an art teacher and conversely, a commercial artist.  Take a moment to enjoy as we delved deeper into Rachael’s art philosophy and her joy in watercolor.

You primarily work in watercolor.  How did you decide upon this medium of art?

After graduating from college with a Fine Arts degree, I began working at an art supply store. I was struggling with figuring out my path as an artist. There was a large professional grade set of watercolors that was damaged and discounted. I purchased that set and began to build on my knowledge of this medium. I still use colors from that set today. There is a forgiving nature to painting with watercolor. Watercolor can be easily manipulated even after it is dry. I love the process of layering, defining, and developing value through this act of editing. I find comfort in knowing what is painted on the page isn’t always permanent as it parallels how we choose to live our lives.

What was your inspiration to paint your “Birds with Wigs” series?

I did most of my undergraduate work on how the life cycle of birds mirrored myself as a woman at that time. Later in life, I was thinking about representing this parallel idea of birds as women in relation to my previous work. I wanted this series to be less of a serious study and more of a joyful characterization of powerful women. From there, “Birds with Wigs” was born.  

 

In your view, what is the value of the creative arts in education?

When students learn to create and appreciate art, they develop skills that support healthy mental wellness. I find that with teaching art to my students, I am also teaching empathy, social awareness, confidence, and accountability.

What would you say was the best piece of advice given to you as an artist?

I read a quote by the artist, Hunt Slonem, that I think of often. He said, “I decided repetition was not a dirty word.” As educators, there is sometimes a push to start over, reinvent, and try new ways of teaching core concepts. There is a parallel to this idea in the art world. I feel comfort in reminding myself to teach the knowledge that feels right and to paint the subjects that bring me joy. That act doesn’t always have to be reinvented as time passes.

And one more thing we thought you should know….

Inspired by the words of Henri Matisse, “Creativity takes courage,” Rachael admittedly was a shy child who found art as a comforting respite.  Crediting teachers who nurtured her talents, she blossomed and continued her love of art through her career path as an art teacher.  Today, Rachael shares her artwork at local charity auctions supporting non-profit efforts within the community.  She has been featured on the Avid Pen blog site as a budding and “someone to watch” artist for her unique watercolors and designs. Rachael was chosen to participate within the New Orleans art market community and has been asked to exhibit her work locally, most recently in the spring of 2021 at the Slidell Cultural Arts Center in Slidell, Louisiana.  In addition to being an active DKG (a recent LA Southeast Rosebud Awardee), wife and mother of a precocious, four-year old, this junior high art teacher recently held a ribbon-cutting for her new art studio, Rachael Roxanne by Hand.  She has taken a passionate dream, mixed it with her own courage, to become a reality. All inspired by her pure joy of art. 

 

Let’s keep the conversation going, if you would like to comment or suggest a topic for a future blog post, please let us know in the comment section.  We look forward to posting our fall Art Gallery in the upcoming month.