Search This Blog

Friday, April 29, 2022

Let the Good Times Roll!!


That is what will be happening on July 12-16 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the 2022 DKG International Convention.  Come join us at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel on Canal Street just steps away from the New Orleans’ French Quarter.  Come to the convention for good times, wonderful fellowship, great workshops, amazing speakers, and much, much more as we connect and collaborate with members from all over the world.  What an exciting time! Looking so forward to seeing everyone. Hint: a 2nd line performance may happen and a trip to the Mardi Gras World and Grand Oaks Mansion (limited to 400 members) is planned. 

After the meetings, ride a trolley down Canal Street and/or eat some beignets at CafĂ© DuMonde. Spend some of your free time at the National World War II Museum on Magazine Street. Walk around the French Quarter and shop at the French Market.  Please don’t forget to visit the Audubon Aquarium of Americas located adjacent to the French Quarter. There are just so many things to do in New Orleans. Hope there is time to visit all of these places while we are there! 
 
Start now talking to your members about coming to New Orleans in July.  Bring a big group from your chapter to the convention. Meet sisters from all over the world.  Connections made here will last forever. Check the DKG website (www.dkg.org) for information about registration. 
 
Also, there is a Go Ahead Tour planned after the convention –The American South:  New Orleans to Memphis.   
 
So Remember,  Laissez les bon temps rouler !! 

 

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Writing for Advocacy


When she heard her state legislature was considering drastically cutting funding for her local elementary school, Annie, a longtime member of Delta Kappa Gamma, was upset. She knew how much good work was being done for the high-needs students at the school, and knew sufficient funding was desperately needed to help those students flourish. She wanted to advocate for more sufficient funding for the school, but she was unsure about her writing skills and trying to do an opinion piece for the newspaper.  

 

Not hopeless, Annie. Here are some quick tips and a simple framework for communicating effectively in writing about an important topic. 

 

Learning to write for advocacy is an important tool for members who wish to share their thoughts and opinions on educational issues. Some might argue that opportunities to publish opinion pieces in today’s world are limited, so why bother? However, these publishing opportunities may actually be wider in today’s “connected” world when considering blogs, websites, newsletters, newspapers, and DKG publications. Your work may be welcome among many sites and publishers, so try. 

 

Here is a simple frame for writing an opinion piece: 

 

1. Start with a hook. This is a quick, effective to bring in your reader. Try a startling statistic, a description, a rhetorical question, or a short anecdote. 

 

2. State your main point (thesis). 

 

3. Make a concession, which is briefly mentioning the strongest point your opponent (or opposing view) might make. Then, using the word “However,” restate your thesis. 

 

4. Make three succinct points that support your argument. You may have more points, but choose your three strongest. Use facts whenever possible to support your points. 

 

5. Conclude your piece by suggesting a course of action and restating your thesis. If possible, “circle” your writing back to your hook to pull the piece together. 

 

Follow these other tips to be successful with your advocacy writing: 

  • Write on a topic about which you are passionate. 
  • Do research and gather accurate facts to support your ideas and opinion. 
  • Be brief and concise.  
  • Follow publication and website word limits and deadlines. 
  • Ask a few others to proofread your copy before submission. 
  • Appreciate edits.  
  • Once your piece is published, spread the word and the links through social media, DKG friends, and others. 

Hopefully, this piece will encourage you to consider writing your own advocacy piece. Your voice and perspective MATTER, and this simple framework can help you effectively communicate on behalf of educators and our students.  


Annie followed these simple suggestions, as well as the framework above, and wrote a powerful piece supporting the elementary school that was published by her town newspaper. Her local legislator contacted her and asked for more information to support the school. Good work! 


* If you look carefully, this piece was written using the basic framework described above, with a few modifications on the number of points presented. 


(Remember:  Whether the advocacy efforts are written or spoken, they should be done as an individual and not as a representative of DKG.  No mention of the DKG organization or chapter affiliation should be included in the writing or speeches.) 


Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Combine or Not


A proposed amendment submitted by JĂłna BenediktsdĂłttir, chair of the Golden Gift Fund (GGF) Committee, would allow the work of the Golden Gift Fund Committee to be merged with the work of the Leadership Development Committee. The proposal is available at  https://www.dkg.org/DKGMember/Resources/2022_proposed_amendments.aspx.

The tasks of the GGF Committee have been very well defined in three main areas: 
  • to encourage members to apply for the leadership seminar, DKG Ignite; 
  • to choose participants from the applications;  
  • to develop and oversee the schedule of the seminar in collaboration with Mc Combs University in Austin. 
The Leadership Development Committee (LDC) can easily do these tasks, but combining the committees has both pros and cons. The main benefit might be that all of the Society’s leadership training would be in the hands of one committee that could create more continuity. Also, if given the task of organizing the DGK Ignite: Leaders Empowering Leaders seminar, the LDC could develop more insight into the newest trends in leadership training in general and can take advantage of this knowledge in organizing all leadership training for the Society. 

The proposed amendment would also save money as fewer committees would work for the Society. 

The main disadvantage of the merger is that fewer women will then participate in international committee work for the Society, which could increase the likelihood of more centralization and fewer views being expressed. 

The women on the GGF committee shared many points of view both for and against the proposed merger. Ultimately, the right forum for this debate will be the international convention, where all members attending can discuss the proposal and take a stand.  

Popular Posts