Visit the DKG Fine Arts Gallery!

View the Fine Arts Gallery to catch a glimpse into the world of our talented artists who chose to share their gifts with our membership.  Visit the DKG Fine Arts Gallery located at dkg.org and click on the Art Gallery Icon.  Prepare to be amazed while you view, read, listen, and watch our artists in action. Still need more inspiration? Check out the archive tab!

The Arts and Humanities Jury has created a variety of categories specially designed to showcase your vast talents.

• Writing – essay, short story, playwriting, poetry.
• Performance Art – dance, dramatics, filmmaking, music, original composition, oratory.
• Visual Arts: 2D – acrylic, charcoal, colored pencil, graphite, mixed media, pastel, pen & ink, printmaking, watercolor, photography (black and white or color).
• Visual Arts: 3D – basketry, ceramics, jewelry, quilts, sculpture, textiles, woodcarvings.
• Multimedia – Blend one or more categories! Illuminate your poetry or short story with photography or 2D Art.  Combine playwriting or a musical composition with a performance video. Let your creativity soar!

Click on the submissions tab for the updated submission procedures, rubrics, and videos to guide you successfully through the submission process. Exciting changes to the submission procedures encourage members to submit cultural art and to submit writing in languages other than English with an English translation. The next opportunity to submit to the jury opens August 15^th - September 15^th, so start creating and share your vision!  

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

Bang #8 Golden Gift Fund

In 1974 members of the Society were planning for the Golden Anniversary celebration. An idea emerged to celebrate the occasion by establishing a special fund, the Golden Gift Fund.  Each member was encouraged to contribute one dollar per year for the five years preceding the celebration. The fund was officially launched with a generous donation by the late Dr. Eula Lee Carter (Texas) and formally established in 1979 to commemorate the Society’s 50^th anniversary.

The Golden Gift Fund offers professional life-changing leadership management seminars.  Up until 2019, it was called the Leadership Management Seminar.  Today it is called the DKG: Ignite: Leaders Empowering Leaders Program.  It is held in coordination with staff and faculty at the renowned McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.  Currently the program is offered every even numbered year, usually in July, to DKG members throughout our Society (last year’s program has been postponed due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Twenty (20) participants and one director, from five of our member countries, have been selected for the upcoming training.  Attendees will participate in an intensive week of leadership/management development trainings.  

Application forms for upcoming DKG: Ignite: Leaders Empowering Leaders Program trainings will be posted and become available on the www.dkg.org website under the Apply/Submit tab once the new application time frame is established.  Watch the home page for a notice when the application will be available.

What a great way to get “More Bang for Your Bucks” through leadership development!

Projects to Use in a Virtual Setting

Members of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International are known for their generosity to projects sponsored throughout the Society as well as in their own communities.  The past year has altered the manner is which chapters and state organizations meet, but it has not altered the altruism of DKG members.  The following list of projects are suggestions of what can be accomplished in a virtual setting if in-person meetings are not occurring yet.  The virtual setting will be the choice of the chapters (Zoom, GoToMeetings, etc.) In some instances, the beneficiary of the funds is notated.  In others, chapters are encouraged to choose beneficiaries of their choice based on the needs of their communities.  

1. Supporting Early-career Educators (SEE) has a local flair when chapters include new teachers in a discussion of common struggles and possible problem-solving solutions.  Veteran teachers offer advice and mentoring as appropriate.  SEE teachers who participate are sent gift cards to provide support in purchasing necessary teaching supplies. 

2. Determine which social services in your area are in need of assistance. Some examples could be: homeless shelters in need of clothing; women’s shelters in need of personal hygiene items; foster children in need of bags to carry their belongings.  A chapter sends out a list to its members and at the following virtual meeting, members show what they have collected either through purchase or donations.  One member gathers these contributions and delivers the much-needed items to the organization/recipient. 

3. Auctions are a great way to involve members and gather monetary donations.  Members can determine the best way to exchange items.   

-   Purse auctions – Each member chooses a purse they no longer want.  In the virtual setting, these purses are displayed and the bidding begins.

-   Book auction – Book covers are shared virtually with members giving a short summary.  Members bid on their desired titles. 

-   Gift card auction – We all have at least one gift card we know we won’t use.  Why not put it up for auction? 

-   Jewelry auction – Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings for each finger would be available in a jewelry auction.  

4. “Change” for Schools for Africa would be an on-going project to last the year.  At each virtual meeting, members would have 3 minutes to gather all the change they can find in their home.  They would save that change from meeting to meeting.  At the end of the year, the change is collected and a total is announced with a donation to the SFA.  At the kick-off meeting, members could watch a SFA video together to set the stage. 

Arts & Humanities Jury Debut

“Creativity takes courage” - Henri Matisse

For many of us, stepping out of our comfort zone through the arts is an expression of courage.  The reward is the feeling of gratification in the work, whether it be in the visual arts, musical or written word.  The key lies within each of us to find our true passion and to have the courage to express it.

The DKG International Arts & Humanities Jury has developed a mission to support and encourage our membership in the various fields of the creative arts. The committee is excited to expand our DKG platform into a new digital space and is offering to connect with membership through a monthly creative arts’ blog site, Arts & Humanities Jury.

The interactive visual arts, literary and musical composition blog will provide interesting content and informational links/resources for our readers.  Topics will include Artists Spotlight featured within the DKG Gallery, tips and tricks-of-the-trade resources, insights into the motivations of an artist, and Q&A moments to gain insight and knowledge from seasoned artists, writers, and craftsmen.

Join us in our art world exploration, where you, the avid artist, is front and center and forever courageous.  We look forward to you returning often to view new exciting content offerings!

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.

 

Reinvigorating Your Chapter/Reflecting on DKG Purposes

 

Invigorate your members from the day they join and create excitement and energy! Something they saw or heard made them curious enough to join. Have you found out what that is? What did she find so important that she chose to be a member of your chapter? There are so many activities to choose from, but membership in Delta Kappa Gamma became a priority. Maybe she is working to further her education and became interested in the scholarships available for advanced degrees. Could it be that she has been looking for a group that she could join to grow personally as well as professionally? What did someone see in her that set her apart from other educators and they wanted to honor her with membership?

Uniting members in a genuine spiritual fellowship can be a lifelong connection. Connecting with other members and feeling a part of it all is so important and so invigorating! Members can receive energy from each other when they make connections. Whether you are a new member, or you’ve been one for a while, you still need that connection with other DKG chapter members.

 

Reach outside of your chapter to other educators and the community. Stay current with what is happening around you. Get involved in something special and worthwhile to make you feel connected to your chapter members as you are working together with purpose.

 

Delta Kappa Gamma uses the seven purposes to keep us focused on the value of being a part of it all! Renew your excitement and reinvigorate your chapter from this day forward!

Have You Checked Out Some Member Benefits?

Benefits, benefits, benefits! Yes, Delta Kappa Gamma offers benefits to YOU. Sign in to www.dkg.org; under “About Us,” select “How to Become a Member” and then choose benefits, discounts, or insurance benefits to find a list of many opportunities offered through Delta Kappa Gamma.

Here are a few member benefits under insurance:

    ➢ Cancer plans

    ➢ Travel Insurance

    ➢ Accident Insurance

    ➢ Long-Term Care

    ➢ Pet Insurance

    ➢ Professional Liability Insurance

    ➢ Officers & Directors Insurance

    ➢ Liability Insurance

    ➢ Dental Insurance

Partnerships with Boon-Chapman, Dick Carr and Associates, and AIM Insurance make these insurance benefits possible for you.

What about discounts? Discounts of 30-60% off on hearing aids are available through TruHearing. Capella University offers 10% tuition discount and a waiver on the application fee.

When you and your family and friends shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the DKG International Educators Foundation will receive .5% of the purchase price. This supports such funds as world fellowship and scholarship and other work of the Foundation.

Discounted travel through Go Ahead Tours is also an opportunity for you, your family, or your friends. Watch for upcoming news on a trip that will follow the 2022 International Convention in New Orleans.

The Non-dues Revenue Committee explores new opportunities all the time. If you have suggestions for other benefits, please respond to this blog.