REGISTERED YET?

Have you registered yet for convention?  Nashville, TN, will be the site of the 2016 International Convention, July 5 - 9.  In addition to great speakers, informative breakout sessions, fellowship, fun and networking, you can find out about all the new resources available to chapters and state organizations.

Check out the Cyber Center and the Hot Topics sessions for new technology and tips on exploring the DKG website.  Learn how to navigate the members-only area (My DKG) and the DKG communities.

For information about the new Membership Recruitment Plan, strategies for growing your membership and keeping current members engaged, join the International Membership Committee on Wednesday, July 6, at the 2:00 p.m. session.

And State Organization Membership Chairs:  join the committee in a Q & A session to follow up on last summer's training and  catch up on the past year.  That session will be held on Friday, July 9, at 10:45 a.m.

So, make your plans now and join us in Nashville!

The Spotlight is on: MEMBERS!

Do you know a member who has received an award or been honored for an accomplishment?  Has your chapter achieved a goal or developed a strategy for success?  Are members really excited or energized by a new project or activity?

Share it with Nita Scott (nitas@dkg.org) at Society Headquarters and it could be the next story for the new "Member Spotlight" on the DKG website.  Email information, pictures if appropriate, and permission to use the story (and pictures)  on the DKG website and/or in DKG
publications.

And if you have not visited the DKG website to see the latest Member Spotlight, go to www.dkg.org and click on the Member Spotlight icon on the home page.

CTAUN: Reaching for a Sustainable World

International Educational Excellence Committee responsibilities include the promotion of the DGK and United Nations relationship and, therefore, the Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN). 

Several committee members were able to attend the 2016 conference held at the UN Headquarters in New York in January. In addition to “hosting” the second worst snowstorm the city has seen, the conference provided information and resources for members and educators to develop global awareness in schools and communities around the world.

The focus of the conference was: Stewardship for a Sustainable World: 

Education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).  With 17 SDGs, they are amazingly interwoven and include No Poverty, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.  From the panels about ending hunger and to those on taking care of the earth, topics lent themselves to every level of education.  A spotlight moment was given to Christine Leronimo, the author of A Thirst for Home:  A Story of Water Across the World, which would be a great read-aloud in any elementary classroom.

Sustainable Development Goals can only be reached if we all work together: these are values we share as educators and as human beings. For more information and the date of future conferences, visit www.ctaun.org. 

Share the Secret with Someone

Does your chapter find it difficult to find new members?  Do you struggle to initiate even one or two new members each year?

Consider using the Membership Recruitment Plan.  If your chapter is or will be using the plan, now is the time to request members to complete a Prospect Card (sample is available at www.dkg.org). So, what tips can you give your members about finding the names of prospects?

Here are a few:

• Consider new teachers hired this year by the local district or community. 
• Volunteer to provide refreshments or the program at a district meeting or new teacher orientation.
• Set up an exhibit at a community meeting.
• Ask children and grandchildren for the names of their best teachers.
• Invite principals and administrators to provide the names of women teachers on staff they would like to honor with membership.
• Watch the newsletters and newspapers for the names of educators awarded for accomplishments, such as teacher of the year or national board certification awardee.

Take Steps to Re-Member

Because surveys show that members who drop membership often reconsider membership at a later time, take steps to ask them to reinstate and to assist members who move.  Here are a few ideas:

• Encourage members who are moving to call Society Headquarters to find a new chapter.
• Have a “homecoming” or “reunion” and invite anyone who was ever a member.
• Offer support to former members during difficult life circumstances.
• Continue to send chapter newsletters to former members (unless requested to stop).
• Invite former members to a Holiday Social or other informal meeting—bring them back to see what they are missing.
• No vote or extra fees are required for reinstatement or transfer— simply pay dues for the current year and complete the   reinstatement or transfer form.