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 I recently enjoyed a wonderful Saturday morning with my chapter here in Texas as we initiated four new members.  How exciting it was to welcome them into our fold! We had our meeting here at Society Headquarters  (as many Austin area chapters do) and enjoyed the beauty of the building, festive with holiday decoration and  rich in DKG heritage.  Along with the four new members, we also welcomed the international president when she dropped in to visit . We hope to initiate more in April with a second ceremony this year. I hope your chapter is planning an initiation or two this year - consider using the new Contemporary Initiation Ceremony when you do.

I posted our picture on the DKG facebook page Saturday morning and was amazed to find that over 350 others had viewed the picture by Sunday! How wonderful to read all of your comments wishing these ladies well and welcoming them to DKG!  If you have not found us already, watch for updates on the DKG facebook page - and post your chapter meeting pictures so we can all welcome your chapter's new initiates, too!

'Tis the Season...

What a wonderful time of year this is!  Though the holidays we celebrate may vary around the globe, I think the spirit of the season is the same.  It is a time of year when we focus a little more on family and friends. I am certainly thankful for mine!

I am also thankful and proud to be a member of  The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.  Have you thought about taking time this season to share the wonder of DKG with other key women educators in your community?  Invite them to join you at a meeting or event.  Plan a special orientation event where several potential members can learn about DKG. Remember, orientation of new members is easy when you use the Pride in the Big Picture presentation.  And the Contemporary Initiation Ceremony available in the new Ceremonies book makes a nice addition to any meeting! You do not have to wait for a special meeting to initiate new members - initiate them when they are ready to join.

Membership in DKG is an honor and an opportunity for growth, personally and professionally. During this season of giving, share with other key women the gift of membership - in doing so, you are leading women educators impacting education worldwide.

WOW!

The International Educational Excellence Committee (EEC) met in Austin last month and created a new acronym describing not only the committee members themselves but also the Society members they represent:  W.O.W. (Wonderful Outstanding Women)!

These wonderful women have developed three primary goals which encompass the work of the EEC and I think you will find them exciting:

• To advance excellence in education
• To empower women
• To increase global awareness

Within these goals, the work of the committee remains the same.  The two international projects will fall under these goals in addition to the continuing relationship DKG has with the UN.  In addition, our projects, programs and activities to empower women and impact legislation will continue to be developed. 

Look for more information to come from the International Educational Excellence Committee!

A Fall Filled with Excitement

By the calendar, it is the fall season.  The weather in Austin still feels like summer.  Regardless of the season, excitement is in the air!

 

Welcome to the ladies of Japan! Japan State Organization was officially installed on October 14 as the Society's eighteenth country and 80th state organization.  We welcome the sixty key women educators in Japan who join DKG as we continue Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide! 

The International Membership Committee met in September and developed some exciting goals for the biennium.  The committee will focus on strengthening chapters and promoting the value of membership. They are excited to share with members about the membership resources available to chapters, where to find them and new ways to use them!  Remember materials are being revised to include recent changes - from additional countries to revisions in the standing rules - so be sure to download the new Pride in the Big Picture presentation when you are ready to orient those new member candidates!  You can find it online on the DKG website in the Library or on the Membership Committee page.

 

I look forward to meeting with the Educational Excellence Committee at the end of October and then with the Administrative Board in Austin the following week.  Society Headquarters will be busy preparing for these meetings, but I always look forward to greeting old friends and making new ones as the meetings convene.  How exciting it is to join such amazing women in furthering the goals of this great Society!  Follow us on Twitter (#dkgcon) and on the DKG page on Facebook:  we will be sharing throughout the meetings and will look for your posts, as well!

"Sharing Our Vision" to "Strengthen Our Society"

The Administrative Board members and International Committee Chairs of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International met this month in Spokane at the Davenport Hotel to plan for the new biennium.  What a lovely place to meet and what a delightful group of ladies!

The theme of the biennium, presented by Dr. Beverly Helms at the international convention in New York City, is Sharing Our Vision - Strengthening Our Society.  This truly dynamic group of amazing women have set their sights on doing just that!  After participating in the week filled with the design and development of strategic plans for growing our Society, I am re-energized and ready for the new biennium!  I hope you are ready, too, because you won't want to miss the excitement!

I am looking forward to meeting with the International Membership Committee this weekend in Austin, Texas.  Send us your thoughts on ways to strengthen our chapters and provide you with the membership experiences you want.  We will be available by phone, mail, email, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn and any other way you want to communicate.  No matter how you want to Share Our Vision, just be sure to share it! 

Treasured Times

Presented to me at the Kappa State Workshop in Arkansas

What a month August was for me! Birthday, wedding anniversary, one-year anniversary here at DKG Headquarters - this month has been quite the time for celebration. How fortunate I am to enjoy such treasured times! With an awesome international convention behind me, I traveled to Arkansas to enjoy a weekend with the Kappa State members attending the 2012 State Workshop. The workshop included an amazing selection of breakout sessions, general sessions involving Society business and a delicious luncheon where we celebrated the accomplishments and goals of the incredible women who are Arkansas DKG. I returned with lovely memories, beautiful souvenirs and a framed certificate charging me with my new responsibilities as an Arkansas Traveler!

 

As a member of this great Society, we are so fortunate to enjoy friendships with other members from around the world! With opportunities to gather at conventions, conferences and even meetings, we can also enjoy a personal visit from time to time in addition to all the electronic communications across the distance. What a joy it is to see each other and reconnect each year! DKG Administrative Board members and international committee chairs will have treasured time to connect and plan when we all meet together in Spokane next week for the biennial planning meeting. I look forward to the greetings, hugs and excitement - but I also look forward to the journey as these progressive women guide the Society into yet another biennium filled with great accomplishments. So, make your plans to get involved:  I think you will be glad you did!

 

Share the Excitement! Let's All Catch Convention Fever!

View from Sheraton NY Hotel
and Towers: Times Square

Home after an outstanding international convention experience in New York City, I hope to hear from all of you who attended as you plan ways to share your experiences with your chapter.  Plan a program about what you learned during a breakout or general session or while visiting with members from other chapters around the world.  Tell your chapter members about the constitutional changes made during the business meetings and about the new international project, Support for Early-career Educators, adopted during the convention. Create a slide show of your pictures and share them with your chapter! And in addition to all of the excitement you share, do not forget to invite them to join you when you attend your regional conference next summer! 

If you have never attended an international convention or regional conference, I encourage you to think about joining us next summer in your region or in 2014 in Indianapolis.  Although the chapter experience is amazing and inspiring, you can only truly realize the wonder of our Society when you see us all together at a convention. 

Just ask representatives from NBC in New York City and KXAN in Austin who accepted media awards for the Education Nation series and investigative reporting in the Austin area, or the State of Education reporter accepting the local award for YNN!  The sight of almost 2000 key women educators gathered to celebrate the impact of their accomplishments over the past two years can be quite impressive and even more inspiring. So think about attending the next conference or convention - in your state, in your region, or at international in Indianapolis in 2014.

Remember the new Ceremonies book is now available in the Society Store, as well as the Orientation materials and the Go-To Guide. If you did not pick up a copy in the marketplace at convention, be sure to order yours today! 

And if I do not see you along the way, I hope to see you again at your regional conference next summer!

Summertime is Here!

I would find it hard to believe it is June, but the Austin temperatures have reminded me it is summer after all.  The warmth and sunshine have brought tassels to the corn and blooms to the wildflowers.  We are busy here in Austin preparing for the excitement of convention in New York next month.

In June, I spent a wonderful weekend in South Dakota visiting with members who attended the state organization convention in Huron.  What an amazing group of women!  From South Dakota to South Sudan, these ladies are committed to promoting and supporting education worldwide.  I again was awed by our Society and its wonder at every level.

Mustangs of Las Colinas at Night

I also attended the Texas State Organization convention in June.  This was a great time for me to rejuvenate and re-energize with all of the great events and sessions available to us while visiting Las Colinas Convention Center in Irving, TX.  I feel that I can truly call Texas home now since I even received my “official” Texas passport!

Follow us on Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook as you prepare to visit New York at the International Convention in July.  Remember to download the DKG mobile APP and keep all the details handy on your smart phone.  If you cannot join us in New York this year, follow the excitement of convention while it is happening – we will all post regularly so that you can follow the big events of the week.

Remember:  if I do not see you along the way, I look forward to seeing you in New York very soon!

Unbelievable!

I cannot believe it is June! How time has flown by. We are preparing for convention and looking forward to all the excitement waiting for us in New York City this summer. Have you registered for convention yet?


The Seminar for professional development "How to Teach Students Who Don't Look Like You: Culturally Relevant Teaching Strategies" with Dr. Bonnie Davis still has a few spots available. It is taking place in the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on the Monday (July 23) before convention and is open to all educators. Members will receive a discount on the registration fee. Share the news! Encourage educators in your area to register (especially if you live within a train ride of New York City). You will not want to miss this exciting event.


I have been working out the schedule and the details for our presenters at breakout sessions during convention. I have one word: WOW! With over one hundred sessions, you will definitely find some of interest and the quality of our content is certainly worthy of professional development hours for those of you who might need to acquire hours this summer. I encourage you to join us in New York City for an unbelievable convention – professional and personal growth, networking, celebration, a bit of business, and a whole lot of fun.

Moving Along in May

Wow! I am amazed it is already May! With the warm temperatures and a little rain, Central Texas has been green this spring with a splash of color here and there.


I visited Ohio in April and was warmly welcomed at the DKG Ohio State Organization Convention in Columbus. What a wonderful visit and what a delightful group of ladies. In addition to an exciting agenda of convention events, a great array of workshops and speakers, and all the gracious gifts and goodies, I now have an official "buckeye" necklace! I hope to see the Ohio DKG members again soon in New York City for international convention or in Missouri for the regional conference next summer.


It is amazing how busy the days here at Society Headquarters in Austin can be. As we prepare for convention in July, we are not only handling the day to day affairs of the Society but also the details of convention planning. I hope you have registered and reserved your room! We look forward to an exciting week filled with awesome speakers and breakout sessions, time to reconnect with members you have not seen since last convention, and some fun time out on the town. If you need professional development hours, or know teachers in the New York area who do, you might consider registering you and your guest for the Bonnie Davis seminar on the Monday before the convention begins.  I believe you will enjoy Bonnie and learn from her seminar "How To Teach Students Who Don't Look Like You." Join us in New York and experience the expanse of this great Society and the vibrancy of our membership. And as always - if I don't see you along the way, then I hope to see you there!

Boxes, Bags, and Blossoms

Reflecting on the month of March, I can certainly say I have enjoyed a busy time filled with activities as varied as the blossoms of spring! In addition to the daily routines, I have been unpacking boxes, packing my bags, and enjoying the blossoms of Texas in springtime.

My husband and I are finally moving into our new home in the Austin area.  So, we are boxing and unboxing and moving the furniture from place to place. We love our new home and look forward to all being together again under one roof.  Of course, I am amazed at how much we have accumulated since our last move!

I traveled to my first state convention as an international representative this month:  Kansas state organization members welcomed me with open arms and warm hearts as I shared with them during a wonderful weekend in Great Bend, Kansas.  What an awesome group of ladies!  I look forward to hearing more about the exciting events and activities going on in Kansas since I trust we will all keep in touch.  I do hope all of our members realize the fantastic opportunities we have to visit new places, experience different cultures, and grow from relationships with other key women educators around the world.

From Kansas, I travelled to Colorado where I joined the rest of the administrative team at the Great Ideas! conference sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives.  As members, we were privy to special pricing for our travel and the conference. Non-profit leaders from associations around the world attended the conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  The learning experiences were awesome – so many new ideas and exciting ways to grow membership and better serve our members. Even though we met as a team each evening to share with each other what we learned that day, I expect that we will continue to connect and expand these thoughts and ideas for months to come.

I look forward to visiting with the members of the Ohio state organization later in April.  Just as my  experience in Kansas was so fulfilling, I am confident that similar seeds of friendship will be planted in Columbus as we celebrate together the wonder and richness of DKG.

As you know, I am looking forward to meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones in New York in July.  I hope you are planning to join us there for International Convention; and so, if I do not see you along the way, I will see you in New York City!

MARCHing Forward

We are moving closer and closer to time for convention and it is so exciting! I look forward to meeting new friends and re-connecting with old ones while in New York City in July. I have been working with the schedule for breakout sessions, and I am once again amazed by the talent and professionalism of our members. We will have over 100 breakout sessions with some amazing topics! I hope you have registered for the 2012 International Convention, because you won't want to miss it this year.

I am looking forward to visiting in Kansas and Ohio as a Society representative to their state conventions. After visits to Kansas in March and Ohio in April, I will be excited to share pictures and news with you in the coming months!

I am looking forward to finally gathering my family together again. We have found a home in the Austin area and so my husband will finally move here in the coming month. How nice it will be to visit our barn each evening and have our dogs at my feet once again. My excitement, however, also brings to mind those members who faced the recent tornados here in the United States. How difficult it must be for those who lost homes and suffered damage or injuries in these last rounds of storms. Remember, your membership in DKG brings so many benefits - including the refuge of deep friendships and even some financial relief from the storms of life through our Emergency Fund. My heart and thoughts are with those who are facing the difficulties of cleaning up after the storms – If you live near an area touched by disaster, consider reaching out to those members in your state organization and chapter who have suffered losses.

As a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, you are a part of an extraordinary Society of women who are making a difference in the world.  I am proud to be a member and proud to work for you.  You should be proud of your membership, too. Of course, as my dear mother always said about anything in which I was involved, “you get out of it what you put into it.” So, get involved!  Attend meetings when you can.  Volunteer for a committee or a project.  Take a leadership position.  Go to state and international conventions. Enjoy the friendships you will build all the while.

So if I do not see you along the way, I really do hope to see you in New York City in July!

February: A Time to Tweet!

We are looking forward to seeing you all in New York City in July at International Convention! As we prepare for convention, it is so exciting to watch as the different events take shape.  As we work on convention preparations, we will be tweeting on Twitter (@nitarscott) and posting on Facebook (look for The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International page on Facebook), so be sure to keep up with us as we plan for a wonderful week in New York! 

Buy your custom-designed, silk scarf and get ready to join us on the Plaza for the Today Show! But there is so much more: Tours, Broadway plays, webmaster training, Dr. Bonnie Davis  in a pre-event seminar, break out sessions, great speakers, Dr. Murray Fisher and the Harbor School, Appreciation Luncheon and Presidents Banquet - not to mention old friends, new friends, great food, fun, fellowship, Society business - it is a convention you do not want to miss!

I know New York City can be an expensive destination, but the convention will be worth saving for.  Several sponsors and partners have joined our efforts to minimize the costs.  Make your travel arrangements early to take advantage of the best deals, and bring another member to share your expenses.  So, come on and make your plans to attend.  I think you will be glad you did!

If I do not see you along the way, I will look forward to seeing you in July in New York City!

LET'S MAKE 2012 GREAT!

Around the world, the eve of the New Year always seems to bring fireworks and celebrations.  As the light of the fireworks fades and the sun rises on New Year’s Day, we awaken with excitement and enthusiasm about the coming year.  As we look forward to our hopes and dreams for 2012, it is time to let the fireworks fire us up about the work we face.

I believe this year will be an exciting one for me.  My husband and I hope to find a permanent home in the Austin area.  I returned this month from the holiday break with promise and determination. James has made tentative plans to move to the family ranch in Abilene if necessary until we find a place for us.  At least he will be in the same state!

I believe this year will also be an exciting one for DKG. While membership figures are still lagging, the Society is moving in a positive direction in so many ways. However, we must continue to move forward into this still new century with a presence that is both malleable and magnetic.

The fireworks are over, but let us not lose the fire. We still have much work ahead of us as we shape 2012 into the greatest year of all.  Make your plans to be a part of it and join us in New York City at International Convention in July.