Keeping in Touch

My husband and I travelled a little last week to places we had not visited in a
while. It felt good to reconnect with old friends and make new ones in the process.

As we survey dropped members, we are finding that approximately two-thirds found the DKG membership experience to be satisfactory and would consider reinstatement in the future.  So, take some time during the holidays to reach out to former members in your chapter.  Ask them to join you at the holiday social event or even at a meeting.  Or just chat on the phone or enjoy a cup of coffee together.  Reconnecting can lead to reinstating!

For more ideas, check out the blog on the membership committee page at www.dkg.org or look for more in the Making Members Matter column in each issue of the DKG News.

(For the full dropped member survey report, contact me at nitas@dkg.org) 

Coming up: The Future!

A group of young members met recently at DKG Headquarters in Austin, TX, to focus on DKG and the future.  Out of that group grew DKGnext! Even the name makes me stop to think about what may be next for DKG.

I was honored to be included in some of the discussions that took place during that meeting. How inspiring, challenging, exciting, energizing and magnetizing it was to hear them talk about their hopes and concerns for our great Society. As one member wrote in a follow up to the meeting,

We want to create a group of forward thinking members to explore and analyze the best ways we as a Society can recruit, retain, and support our membership. We want to find ways to merge our traditions with new innovative ideas and diverse opinions to create a culture that attracts key women educators.

You can read her thoughtful words at www.dkg.org by clicking on the Rotator item "DKGnext!" (https://www.dkg.org/content/dkgnext-0#node-7749)  I encourage you to check it out - I think you will be inspired, too.  And, after you think about it, post a comment here and tell me what you would hope to be next for DKG!

The Difference One Member Makes

I was honored to visit Iota Upsilon Chapter in Priddy TX yesterday.  I was invited to share with them about the DKG Girl Scout Patch Project. They invited two Girl Scout troop leaders to join us and by the end of the evening, we were all excited about the possibilities.

I am particularly excited about the DKG Girl Scout Patch for two reasons.  One is because a relationship between DKG and the Girl Scouts is so natural... both organizations focus on growing leadership in women and girls. However, it also so exciting for another reason that has nothing to do with the mission of either organization! It is a project that began as one member's vision and has gained momentum with chapters throughout the country.  It truly shows the difference one member can make within an organization.

What will be your contribution to DKG?  How will you make a difference as one member?  Share your vision for DKG and the impact we can have on education, for women, in the world, in your community.

It IS what YOU make it.

 My late mother always said "you get out of something what you put into it." I believe she was right. I just expanded my exercise routine to add a little interest and step up the intensity.  I spent quite a bit of time researching the wide variety of programs available on CD, TV, DVD, at the Gym, in my home or even live streamed from somewhere else I may never go.  If I had spent this much time
exercising, I would be fit again by now!

However, I realized suddenly that the most important factor is ME! I am, quite simply, going to get out of any program about what I put into it.  It is not really as much about the program itself as it is about my commitment to it.

And so, I think, it is with DKG. Are you committed to the Purposes and mission of DKG?  Would you count the women in your chapter as professional peers and friends?  Do you want to impact education worldwide in a positive way?  Do you work alongside dedicated educators who care about the success of their students, whether young or adult?  Then, what are you waiting for?  Ask a fellow educator to join DKG.  Get engaged in whatever way suits you best.  Volunteer for the next project, step up to a leadership role, or  log in to the communities through the DKG website or APP and network globally.

DKG is what you make it - so make it count for you today!

Moving Forward - Together!

If we are not moving forward on our journey in DKG, we will either stay where we are or go backward.  So, perhaps the basic laws of motion will lead us all to agree that we want to move forward in our journey. The question, however, is how?

As a member of DKG, you have a voice - use it as effectively as possible.  Talk to the leaders in your state organization about what you envision for the DKG of tomorrow.  If you are an officer or chair in your state organization, bring those ideas to the international boards. The conversation has already begun, so take part - have a chapter discussion, participate in a poll, or Tweet about it!

Remember, however, your voice speaks loudest when you vote as a member at international conventions. At the 2016 International Convention in Nashville TN,  your state organization president's votes on behalf of the members will elect the next International Administrative Board.  Candidate nominations are due to the International Nominations Committee by October 15, 2015, and can be submitted by any member, even yourself! Recommend a member you feel is qualified to lead DKG forward. Inform your president how you would like her to vote when the slate is published.

And your most effective voice?  The vote you cast when you attend convention in July where the International Standing Rules will be amended. Amendment proposals are due by October 1 and come from any committee, chapter, state organization or member - that's You!  And then be present to vote again in 2018 (in Austin TX ) when the Constitution is amended.

Make your plans to be in Nashville and be heard!

A Tool for All Seasons (And Many Reasons!)

Have you downloaded the new DKG App yet?  If you attended a regional conference this summer, you may have downloaded it for use during the conference.  It provided easy access to the event schedule, session information, maps and more.

However, the DKG App is so much more than just an event app.  It provides you easy access to news, website features, blogs, DKG social media sites, the DKG Store, meeting schedules and many other items of interest.  For fun, use the "postcard" feature and take a selfie or a chapter photo.  Access information about Society projects and view videos.  Use the "My DKG" icon to access your personal profile and information in the DKG database and social communities.

Download the DKG App through the Google Play Store (android smartphones) and the Apple App Store (iPhones, iPads can use the iPhone app).  After all, even though there is so much to see and do now, we will all be heading to Nashville for the 2016 International Convention before we know it!

Sign in to "My DKG" and make it YOURS!

 I hope you are attending at least one of the 5 DKG regional conferences this summer! What a wonderful opportunity to explore great ideas, learn new things, visit with old friends and make new ones, network with the best educators in the world and celebrate what it means to be a woman and a professional. Attendance at a conference can enrich your membership experience in so many ways!

This summer, attendees will get a sneak preview of the member portal that will be part of the remodeled DKG website when it launches soon.  For now, however, members can enter the portal through a back door available in the Member Center on the Home Page at www.dkg.org.  By clicking on the gray banner titled "My DKG", members can access the Member Portal and sign in using the same information that was necessary for registration.  Use your member ID as your username and the default password shared with your chapter president in the Presidents' Page. The password was shared this way because this publication is the only one securely mailed in a sealed envelope, thus keeping our member portal secure to members only. Email or call me if you need assistance.

In the "My Account" area, members can create a personal profile for other DKG members to view, join communities,and network with other members from around the world.  But, be careful! The member data entered will be saved in the Society database as member contact data.  Thus, any changes will affect mailings and other Society communications in the future.

Check out "My DKG" soon and make it yours!

Paying it Forward

I recently enjoyed a rare opportunity to return to my beginnings and say thank you.  My mentor and sponsor in DKG was installed last weekend as Tennessee State Organization President.  I surprised her at the convention and was thus given the opportunity to honor her and say thank you.  You see, she not only invited me to join this great association, but she continued to stand beside me and guide me along as I grew in DKG as a member, an educator, a women and a leader.

I almost did not go.  This is not a good time to take vacation - we are all busy preparing for regional conferences.  Money is tight right now for my family.  I could think of many reasons why I should stay in Austin. But my heart said go and I went. I am so very glad I did! What a wonderful privilege to have the opportunity to honor the woman who helped me become what I am today.

Do you have someone like that in your life?  If so, take the time to honor her or him.  But, for me now, the bigger question is:  for whom am I a mentor?  And to whom have I handed a rose at initiation and then never called again?  Reach forward to say thank you to the mentor who brought you to where you are and, then, return the kindness:
Reach back and bring someone else along.

Questions, Questions, Questions...

When I was young, I was that child who would drive everyone crazy with the "Why?" question.  I suppose I still do at some times!  So, when members drop, I always want to know why.  And if you have answers, let me know what you have found.

So, when members drop, we send a survey to those for whom we have an email address.  The responses have been enlightening, soul-stirring and, in some cases, shocking.  I hope you have registered to attend a regional conference this summer.  This information and more will be the topic of conversation and who knows where our conversations may lead? As we explore the road ahead, let's arm ourselves with the kind of knowledge that empowers us to think about all the possibilities.

What is your dream for this great organization?  Add a comment, send me an email or text, or find me on Facebook or Twitter.  I want to know your vision for DKG!

Do You have Reservations?

Anticipation.  It is one of my favorite feelings.  Watching each scoop of ice cream make its way to the top of the cone that will soon be in my hands.  Waiting for that loaf of bread to come out of the oven.  Sitting on the edge of my seat as the movie begins. Looking forward to that next chapter meeting. And I am already making plans to attend my state organization convention - what about you?

So, it's almost time:  regional conferences are right around the corner!  Look for information in the DKG News and on the website soon.  Make your plans to attend the conference in your region. Or travel to a new region where you can make new friends and enjoy a new experience!

Remember, you will need your Member ID to register online, so find your membership card, ask your chapter treasurer or call us here at Society Headquarters.  You should use your member ID number as your Username.  The default password will be shared by your chapter or state organization president who received it through her mailed copy of the President's Page or President to President. Or call or email Headquarters.

So, Get Ready, Get Set, and Go!

Please Tell Me About It!

Communication is key to marketing any new or great idea.  We all agree that membership in DKG changes lives, develops women as professionals, and promotes richer learning at all levels.  So, spread the word! Find a way to communicate that works best for your chapter and state organization.

California State Organization did.  I recently subscribed to the email distribution list the state organization has developed.  They are sending to all the subscribers on the list a weekly email that is informative, positive and inspiring.   The one I received this week recounted the story of a young educator who received a Cornetet Grant from the DKG Educational Foundation and was so inspired by the experience that she has since joined DKG! Not only will this amazing story inspire members to share the benefits of membership with other women educators, it will also perhaps remind us all about the membership benefits we forget to enjoy ourselves!

Think about the ways that you can best communicate to your community, state organization, members and potential members about DKG.  Explore the options.  Then, Spread the Word!

PLAN for Membership Growth

One of the best parts of my job is meeting members!  The International President and I were privileged to join members of three chapters in the Orange, TX, area recently.  After 

Historic Stark House - Orange, TX

a wonderful meal at a local restaurant, we shared with them the new membership plan promoted by both the International and the Texas State Organization Presidents.  With the plan, we also discussed ways to maintain membership by keeping members active and engaged at all three levels of the Society. Members in Orange are excited about the possibilities - what a wonderful evening it was!

Have you considered new ways to recruit and keep members?  The plan recommends a change in the order of recruiting and suggests developing a strategy for being sure new members are welcomed and involved in activities.  If you are interested in more details, email me at nitas@dkg.org.  I would love to share!