Thirty-three AZS members attended the Northeast Re-

gional Conference held in Portland, Maine this past July

and participated in the many opportunities for learning

and sharing. Dr. Judy Merz and Claire Swanson present-

ed workshops; Immediate Past State President Roxanne

Adinolfi shared her vocal talents and introduced the

flags; Carmela DeMarco and Doris Lambert participated

in the chorus; Carol Schwartz organized an enjoyable

Jersey Girls dinner; Rebecca Schwartz designed gifts to

exchange with state presidents; Saula Cutter, Gamma

President, was recognized for her commitment to Shar-

ing Our Vision and Strengthening Our Society; Carmela

DeMarco was elected Northeast representative to the US

Forum; Harriet DiLeonardo was honored for her 50 plus

years of membership; Charlotte Orfe and Irene Maskaly

represented NJ at Dr. Lyn Schmid’s “Barbells” training;

and Dr. Beth Ann Richey brought joy as she and her pet

lobster presented gifts to lucky "block" winners. All par-

ticipants enjoyed attending the informative sessions and

workshops and the opportunities to commit, connect,

and celebrate!

AZ State Represented at Northeast Regional

October 2013 Volume 61, Issue 1

Inside this issue:

President’s Message 2

Membership Survey 2

Convention 2014 3

NE Regional Confer-

ence Reflections

4

Visiting Holocaust

Sites

6

US Forum 8

DKG Election Process 8

Honorary Members 9

Educational Excel-

lence Opportunities

10

SAPs—Getting

Started

10

Scholarships and

Stipends

15

Chapter News 12

In Memoriam 15

Seek Commitment, Embrace Connections and Celebrate Achievement

As We Share Our Vision, Strengthen Our Society

The New Jersey State Organization of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

The

Delta Kappa

Gamma

Society

International

promotes

professional

growth of

women

educators

and

excellence

in education.

GAIN, RETAIN, RECLAIM

The membership theme for 2013-2015 may be familiar from past bienniums, but the defi-

nition, focus, and relevance of these three simple words has evolved, and they are as appro-

priate or more appropriate to membership than ever before. Indeed, it is critical in this

time of declining membership to gain, retain, and reclaim members.

We must gain membership by inviting outstanding women educators into our Society.

The good news is that in 2010 international extended the parameters for gaining member-

ship to include early career educators, retired educators, and educators from non-traditional

educational settings. Chapters are now allowed to invite all exemplary educators into our

Society.

Retaining members is as important as initiating new members. We must purposefully

design and implement plans for helping initiates to commit to the purposes and activities of

DKG. Each chapter must address how to best connect members within their chapter and to

involve members in the life of the Society. Members who feel connected to DKG will become

lifelong members.

Then, too, we must actively seek to reclaim members. Research reveals that the majority

of members who resign would reinstate if only asked! International has provided a simple

process for reinstatement and wonderful reorientation materials in Sustaining Pride in the

Big Picture. The doors are open to reclaim “lost” members!

In 2013-2015 we will work to invigorate, expand, and strengthen our membership as ad-

dressed in our AZS Strategic Action Plan. Hopefully, specific strategies for addressing chapter

membership will be addressed in chapter action plans. By sharing ideas, successes, and near

successes as we design and implement specific plans, we will gain, retain, and reclaim mem-

bers and strengthen Alpha Zeta State.

2

“Seek

Commitment,

Embrace

Connections,

and Celebrate

Achievements

as We Share

Our Vision *

Strengthen

Our Society”

Alpha Zeta State

News

Official publication of

the

Alpha Zeta State

Organization

of The Delta Kappa

Gamma

Society International

published three times

a year

2013-2015

Mary Conover,

President

Barbara Smith, First

Vice-President

Sharon Long, Second

Vice-President

Dr. Pamela Albert-

Devine,

Corresponding

Secretary

Carol Schwartz,

Recording Secretary

Ellen Hahn, Treasurer

Newsletter

Dr. Margaret Niemiec,

Editor

Jane Tallmadge,

Circulation

From the desk of Mary Conover, AZS President …

It is with great excitement that I start the 2013-2015 biennium as your state organiza-

tion president! What a humbling experience to be president of a group that includes

so many outstanding women educators. Since my initiation into DKG in 1987, I have

met and been encouraged by many, many remarkable women from many chapters.

As the executive committee considered DKG women of accomplishment, we recog-

nized three common traits: the ability to commit, connect, and celebrate. Consequent-

ly, we chose as the theme for the 2013-2015 biennium Seek Commitment, Embrace

Connections, and Celebrate Achievement as We Share Our Vision* Strengthen Our So-

ciety.

We see our theme for the biennium, coupled with International President Beverly

Helms’ theme, as related to four distinct goals.

(1) We are committed to implementing and reviewing carefully and completely our

newly revised state bylaws, standing rules, and strategic action plan. These revised

documents are new to us all and, as individuals and chapters, we must connect to im-

plement, review, and continue to update these state documents. We certainly cele-

brate our 2011-2013 leadership for developing these documents, and we will cele-

brate as we implement, review, and refine each document, whether by amendment or

reaffirmation.

(2) In addition to reviewing state documents, we are committed to encouraging chap-

ters to develop chapter rules and action plans. To ensure that chapter, state, and in-

ternational documents are in alignment, we must connect chapters with each other

and with the state organization. Hopefully, we will celebrate the completion of chapter

rules and action plans of all 19 chapters at the 2015 convention!

(3) Similarly, we hope to strengthen membership throughout the state by supporting

and connecting members who have varied levels of professional, personal, and DKG

experience. Each of us has talents and knowledge to share regardless of age, degrees,

or years of membership! We must commit to exploring the needs and interests of our

Generation X and Y members—as well as our experienced members—and to identify-

ing and encouraging connections between and among all members of AZS, including

our past, present, and future leaders. Likewise, we need to encourage and celebrate

achievements of all members on the chapter, state, and international levels at every

available opportunity.

(4) Furthermore, we need to strive to use technology effectively throughout Alpha Zeta

State. Technology is the present and the future! Regardless of our personal prefer-

ences, we must commit to using technology, including electronic newsletters, survey

instruments, and software that can facilitate meetings in order to effectively connect

with members within our chapters, throughout our state, and throughout our Society.

We deserve to celebrate our growth as individuals and chapters as we advance our

understanding and use of technology. As educators we are learners; technology has

presented many of us the perfect opportunity to prove. . . we are learners!

Seek Commitment, Embrace Connections and Celebrate Achievement as We Share Our

Vision * Strengthen Our Society! Yes we will!

Membership Survey. . . As Easy as 1,2,3,4

In an effort to address membership concerns, international is conducting a survey which is

as easy as 1,2,3,4!

Step 1: Members complete Form 50 on-line or as a hard copy and return the completed form

to the chapter membership chair.

Step 2: The chapter membership chair tallies the information onto Form 80.

Step 3: The chapter membership chair shares Form 80 with international via the Chapter Pro-

file Survey (for Membership Chairs) available on the international website and with

Sharon Long, state membership chair, electronically or via hard copy, by December

15th

.

Step 4: International shares survey results with AZS.

3

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE

2014 AZS CONVENTION!

Barbara Smith, First Vice-President

Plans for the 2014 AZS Convention to be held at

the Doubletree Hotel, Somerset, NJ, are underway.

The luncheon speaker is acclaimed motivational

lecturer, Rosemarie Poverman, MSW, LMFT, LCSW.

Using her brand of humor, Rosemarie promises

her message will leave us “smiling and thriving.” In

addition, Rosemarie will start our day as one of

our morning workshop presenters.

Workshops will be held in both the morning and

the afternoon. The Program Planning Committee

has chosen to have six workshops and two book

discussions for the day. There will be one book

discussion and three workshops during each

scheduled time. We continue to seek an instructor

for a group Zumba class. If you can help us find

an instructor, please contact Barbara Smith

(barbsmith40@comcast.net).

The titles of the workshops will be posted in the

next newsletter along with the book discussion

titles, which will be selected by our membership.

Each chapter will have the opportunity to vote on

books of their choice at the first chapter meeting

of the year. All votes must be given to Barbara

Smith by November 15th

.

Here is the latest news about hotel facilities! You

asked for it and Sue Davis got it for you – break-

fast! Yes, the hotel raised room rates to $125.35

per night for two people in the room, but your

room now includes breakfast in the Tuscany res-

taurant/TK’s Pub for up to 2 people. If more than

2 people are staying in the room, the rate will be

$136.85 for a triple and $148.35 for a quad.

Room reservations will be made by an individual

call (hopefully, also online…) before midnight

March 13, 2014. When calling in for reservations,

guests must call 1-800-222-TREE and ask for res-

ervations in the Delta Kappa Gamma 2014 room

block to ensure attaining the group rate. If you do

not register as DKG you may get a cheaper rate,

but we will not get credit for you, and you will not

get the breakfast! If we do not make our room

guarantee, we’ll pay a huge penalty! You will be

advised as to how to make the registrations on-

line.

There are no menus yet. We are continuing to do

everything we can to keep the costs down while

still providing a quality dining experience. Since

breakfast is included in the room charge, we will

not offer complimentary Coffee & Bagels after the

Celebration of Life.

More information will be provided as it becomes

available. Watch the state website at http://

dkgalphazetastate-nj.weebly.com/ for the most

recent information.

Chapter Rules …Rule!

Babette Wise and Faith Steinfort

Rules/Bylaws Co-chairs

Have you really thought about your chapter rules lately? Are

you passionate about them? You must be thinking, “Are they

kidding?” No we are not! Chapter rules are among the most

important documents your chapter will create. They set a

framework for and reflect the practices and operations of the

chapter. They are very specific to each chapter and do not need

to repeat what has already been established in the Constitution,

International Standing Rules, and Alpha Zeta State Bylaws. With

this in mind, many of us may want to dispense with many of our

current Chapter Rules and go from there.

The AZ State Rules/Bylaws Committee kick-started the process

at the state meeting on September 7, 2013. Many handouts

were distributed and discussed, particularly an example of Pro-

posed Chapter Rules submitted by Omicron. As the committee

went through Omicron’s Rules, it became apparent just how

specific chapter rules can be. Below are some ideas to keep in

mind as chapter rules are developed.

1. When developing chapter rules, use the Appendix B.

Chapter Rules Checklist as a guide. (Distributed to all

chapters at the state meeting in September) It aligns

article by article with the Constitution and covers all the

information that needs to be included in the chapter rules.

2. Chapter Rules should not be not repetitive. Instead of

repeating information from the Constitution, International

Standing Rules, and AZ State Bylaws, a caveat can be stated,

such as, “All membership is in accordance with Article III of

the Constitution.” It is only necessary to include information

that is specific to the chapter or information from other

documents that the chapter wants readily available, i.e.,

information on officers, responsibilities of committees, etc.

3. Chapter Rules should be consistent in format and con-

tent with the Constitution, Standing Rules, and AZ State

Bylaws. Example: Article I of the Constitution and AZ State

Bylaws refers to Name and Emblem, Article II – Objectives,

Article III – Membership, etc. The same should be true for

Chapter Rules.

4. Chapter Rules should be very specific to the chapter as

to the organization, practices, and operations of each

individual chapter and include all the items on the Ap-

pendix B. Chapter Rules Checklist. This is the really excit-

ing part. Once thoughtfully constructed, the chapter rules

become the “go to guide” for how the chapter functions.

When questions arise about chapter special funds, officers’

or committee chair responsibilities, activities, or initiates’

pins, chapter members can go to the chapter rules for the

answers. Omicron also included an appendix which de-

tailed where important chapter documents and memorabilia

are housed, making it no longer necessary to remember or

guess who has what.

The Chapter Rules revision process provides a wonderful oppor-

tunity for chapters to think carefully about, discuss, and decide

what is really important to the chapter and how they want the

chapter to operate. The end result will be a living document

which truly reflects the workings and priorities of the chapter

and provides a guide for all chapter members.

Now’s the time to make our Chapter Rules really rule!

4

What was it like to attend The DKG

NE Regional Conference this past

summer? Several of our sisters

were willing to share their thoughts

and learning experiences. Perhaps

their words will inspire you to at-

tend the next regional conference

or international convention. FYI,

the 2014 International Convention

will be held on July 28 through Au-

gust 1 in Indianapolis, IN.

Carol Friedrich, Pi Chapter, found

it hard to select only a few activi-

ties to talk about. I loved the Jersey

Girls Dinner. It gave me the oppor-

tunity to connect with people I'd not

been up close and personal with

before. I also loved the keynote

speaker, Sherene McHenry, who

was inspiring. Her message of

choosing your life and working to-

ward what you want seemed very

relevant to me. I was so touched

by her message that I attended one

of her small group sessions and

bought her book. I think her mes-

sage could translate into what we

want for our chapters and how to

get there. It's all about mak-

ing choices.

Jean Jaeger, Alpha Chapter,

shared her thoughts on the Confer-

ence in general. I have always

found attending DKG Conferences

and Conventions the best way to

truly understand the workings of

this great organization we belong

to. Meeting sisters from so many

different backgrounds is truly a

rewarding experience. At this con-

ference I was focused on learning

more about scholarship/stipends

and memberships since these are

two areas I am involved with on the

chapter and state levels. The work-

shops I attended were very in-

formative and helped me to better

understand the nature of the tasks

I have been asked to perform. But I

guess the best part of any confer-

ence is the new friends one makes

and the fellowship with those we

already know. My New Jersey sis-

ters are truly an inspiration to me

and I had a wonderful time inter-

acting with them.

Doris Lambert, Iota Chapter, fo-

cused her thoughts regarding the

connections one makes. I love at-

tending Regional Conferences and

International Conventions as they

give me an opportunity to connect

with those sisters who served with

me as their own State Presidents.

First, there is Beverly Helms, Inter-

national President, who served as

the State President of Florida. If

you watched the stage as the cho-

rus was singing "Celebration", you

might have caught Beverly and me

dancing. Second, our NE Regional

Director, Mary Lee Makinen, was

the State President of Maryland. By

singing in the choruses for a num-

ber of years I have made friends

who will last a life time as well as

being part of the group known as

the ‘trouble makers’ in the back

row of the alto section. Most of all,

however, I love to look around the

room after the banquet and see the

joined hands of our sisters as we

sing the Delta Kappa Song. This

makes me proud to be a part of

DKG as well as Alpha Zeta State.

Mary Lou LeCompte, Lambda

Chapter, attended the US Forum

for the first time at this regional

conference. I was unaware that

DKG initiated and supported legis-

lation on women’s issues and wom-

en in education. It was also exciting

to have our own Carmela DeMarco

elected as the Northeast Regional

Representative to the US Forum

Steering Committee. Those interest-

ed in the US Forum Connection can

subscribe to its newsletter by e-

mailing Dr. Angela Bendenbaugh at

bendenbough.angela@gmail.com.

Mary Lou took the opportunity to

hear an interesting workshop given

by Tom Caverly about the Allagash

River, its trails and scenic views.

She remarked, The river, rich in

history, is a part of Maine few rare-

ly hear about and probably will

never visit.

The Regional Conference hosted a

variety of workshops. What were

they like? A number of our sisters

share their new knowledge with

you.

Harriet DiLeonardo and Faith

Steinfort, Eta Chapter, attended

the program, “EXIT: The Endings

That Set Us Free” presented by San-

dra Petrocelli Carbone. What a

feast of information this workshop

provided for those of us who not

only love to read but get a thrill out

REFLECTIONS ON THIS SUMMER’S DKG NE REGIONAL CONFERENCE

5

of “chewing” over ideas that au-

thors present. The workshop was

all the more incredible in that the

scheduled presenter, Sara Law-

rence-Lightfoot, winner of the 2013

Educators Book Award for her book

EXIT: The Endings That Set Us Free

was unable to be there leaving the

responsibility in the very capable

hands of Ms. Petrocelli Carbone

and another member of the Inter-

national Educators Award Commit-

tee. The presenters not only gave

us biographical information on the

winner but staged an interview

that was taken from an interview

Ms. Lawrence-Lightfoot had actual-

ly given. With one presenter being

the interviewer and the other being

the author we got a real feel for

what the author was like and her

motivation for the book. After

making us familiar with the con-

cept of exits in our lives and their

purpose, the audience was asked to

recall and share exits in our own

lives…very powerful. The attendees

were then treated to summaries of

the Educators Award “Must Read’”

Selections: Born to Rise: A Story of

Children and Teachers Reaching

Their Highest Potential by Deborah

Kenny. An unexpected treat was

the giving of copies of the award

winning books to members of the

audience.

Faith Steinfort and Harriet DiLeo-

nardo also participated in, “What’s

in Your Membership Toolbox?” pre-

sented by Claire LaBonte, Interna-

tional Membership Committee

Member. Membership is an issue

that is of concern to most chapters,

including ours. In this workshop

Ms. LaBonte took us on a tour of

resources available to chapters

through the DKG International web-

site. These included both chapter

and member profile forms (#50,

#80) which allow chapters to col-

lect and keep detailed information

on members which can then be

used to create a chapter profile.

The data in the chapter profile can

give insight to the diversity, exper-

tise, and interests of the members.

This information could be particu-

larly helpful in planning meaning-

ful programs and determining why

DKG has been important to mem-

bers. The member file can also be

useful in maintaining up-to-date-

information on chapter members

as well as being a source of infor-

mation on members. Additional

resources included materials for

analyzing data collected, infor-

mation for potential chapter goal

setting (SWOT), a Blueprint for

Chapter Leadership Legacy, A

Cross Generational Survey, and

Successful Chapter Practices. A

comment that particularly resonat-

ed with me in regard to why DKG is

important to members is that DKG

provides “Spiritual Fellowship …

Teachers Know Teachers!” – so

true. For these resources go to

w w w . d k g . o r g , c l i c k o n

“Committees,” then click on

“Membership,” and scroll down to

“Chapter Resources.”

Michele Contala, Lambda Chap-

ter, found a wealth of information

at Eileen McNally’s “Healthy Living

Through Technology” workshop.

Navigat ing through E i l een

McNal ly ’s webs i te (ht tp ://

DKGWorkshop.weebly.com) was

easy and each page was catego-

rized according to diet, exercise,

stress, sleep, joy, or learning. Ei-

leen also shared internet tips. For

example, one should create differ-

ent e-mails for each financial insti-

tution. If you do begin to receive

spam, you’ll know that it was com-

promised! Eileen encouraged ques-

tions and can be contacted at web-

master2535@windstream.net. Be

sure to check out her Ohio Alpha

Delta State site at http://

alphadeltastate.weebly.com/tech-

tips.html.

Charlotte Orfe, Sigma Chapter,

thought that “It Doesn't Take Bar-

bells to Strengthen a Chapter", pre-

sented by Dr. Lyn Schmid was quite

informative and enlightening. As a

chapter, we need to be diverse to

meet the needs of all of our mem-

bers. We need to keep the present

members engaged while being able

to attract new and younger mem-

bers. Even though we live in a

technological world, we need to re-

member the personal touch and

one-on-one contact. We cannot al-

ways depend on volunteers. We

need to personally ask our mem-

bers to share their talents to help

strengthen our chapters. A simple

written survey could identify the

strengths of our individual mem-

bers. We need to go the extra de-

gree ourselves and motivate others

in our chapters to do the same. All

of our members may not think they

are leaders, but as members of

DKG, we are all leaders in some

way, shape, or form.

6

This past summer, three AZ members—Pam Watkinson and Cindy Pope of Rho and Toni Hopcraft of Tau—were part

of a group of NJ educators who journeyed with Maud Dahme to “The Infamous Sites of the Holocaust” which included

places in The Netherlands where Maud and her family hid during the war. Many members will remember the Alpha Zeta

State Convention in 2009 when Maud Dahme delivered a most moving keynote address about her experiences as a child

survivor of the Holocaust and her experiences as an adult working in Holocaust education. Maud currently serves on the

NJ State Commission on Holocaust Education and has been a member of the NJ State Board of Education. The invitation

to participate in the tour was extended to New Jersey educators by NJEA and was supported with their generous grant.

The tour itinerary included cultural and historical sites and seven concentration camps in Germany, the Czech Republic,

Poland and Holland. Our sisters highlight their experiences.

Visiting Berlin and Prague—Toni Hopcraft

With passports in hand, our tour participants left Newark to meet Maud in Germany. Our Holocaust Seminar began in

Berlin. After our eight-hour flight we started off with a bus tour of the city. It seemed all of Berlin was under construc-

tion and renovations, and the architecture blended old with new. We drove past the bricks in the road marking the Ber-

lin Wall’s former path and many historic sites, including the Brandenburg Gate, the US Embassy, Tiergarten, Unter den

Linden, Friedrichstrasse train station, and the Potsdamer Platz.

We continued on foot to walk through more amazing places. On the cobblestones I noticed squares with inscriptions

of names and dates. These stumbling stones identify the Jewish people taken away to death camps, lost to their neigh-

borhoods forever. Large posters of Holocaust victims line some of the main roads with faces and stories from the past.

Statues and stone collages remind us of the torment and sorrow endured by the Jewish citizens. Our walk through the

Tiergarten park of 630 acres took us past the Simi and Roma Memorial. Around this tranquil pool of water were stones

inscribed with the names of the concentration camps.

The next morning we headed to Wannsee Villa. On the way we stopped at Grunewald train station where Jewish peo-

ple were transported each night as documented on plaques that line those hidden tracks just behind the real station. A

memorial wall leads the way with hollowed out figures carved in cement, like the remaining souls of those who were

sent to their deaths. Here we said the Kaddish prayers, Maud read a poem, and thoughts were shared. Our hearts were

saddened to think of all the people behind the statistics sent away to different concentration camps. The father of a

woman in our tour group had been in Auschwitz and others lost their grandparents and relatives. Emotions were always

at the forefront of our experience and comforting one another was important.

Sachsenhausen was our first camp. “Arbeit Macht Frei” was the sign on the front gate, which means “work will set

you free”—the infamous slogan posted at most camps. The buildings gave a frightening glimpse of what life was like.

The conditions were much worse than any history book could convey. Here terrible medical experiments were conduct-

ed. You could actually feel the evil at the camps. Stories of torture, shootings, starvation and cruelty were too much to

bear. How anyone could deny that this mass extermination happened is beyond my comprehension. Just seeing the

smokestacks of the crematorium, let alone the gas chambers and ovens, was horrific.

As we left Germany and rode on the bus to Prague, we watched In Darkness and Schindler’s List, movies based on true

events about those who helped save some of the Jewish people. Prague was not bombed and has an Old World charm.

The next morning, we met our local guide to begin our walking tour of the city. Then we traveled to our second camp,

Terezin. Again the cynical motto “Arbeit Macht Frei” hovers above the main courtyard. Terezin was used as a showcase

for Red Cross inspectors, who apparently did not even notice that the pipes and plumbing were missing in the sink area

of the bathrooms. In the early years of the war, children imprisoned here had art lessons for display purposes. There is

a cherished exhibit of their artwork. The most memorable is of flowers and a butterfly and is the cover of a children’s

book, The Last Butterfly. It breaks your heart to think of how the children suffered, what they saw and the lives these

precious children never lived. Terezin has remained much the same and still recalls the horrors of the Holocaust for the

Czech people.

Visiting Poland—Pam Watkinson

Our bus put beautiful Prague and the Czech Republic behind us. Just after sundown on Sunday, July 28, we arrived

in the city of Krakow. As much as our group enjoyed the beauty of Prague, Krakow became the new favorite city of

many of us. Krakow also has an old world feel, with many of its buildings remaining largely intact, being spared the

widespread destruction of other cities, such as Warsaw.

We paid a brief visit to what was once the Plaszow Concentration Camp and now is a suburb of Krakow. When the

Krakow Ghetto was liquidated in March 1943, many Jews were sent to the Plaszow forced labor camp. It was from here

that Oscar Schindler obtained permission to employ workers for his nearby enamel factory. When the Soviets were ap-

proaching in July 1944, they ordered special prisoner units to exhume and burn the many bodies buried here. Today

the area consists of sparsely wooded hills and empty fields with one large memorial to all the victims. A version of the

camp is featured in the movie Schindler’s List.

On Monday morning, our bus delivered us to one of the most fear-inspiring concentration camps: the Auschwitz-

Birkenau State Museum. We were most fortunate to have Pawel, who works in the media relations department at Ausch-

witz and generally doesn't do tours, as our guide. Since one of our group members knew him personally, we had a spe-

cial VIP tour, gaining access to areas that were not generally open to the public. It was chilling to walk through the gate

and under the sign, “Arbeit Macht Frei.” We saw the empty barracks, crossed the open areas where prisoners were sub-

ject to hours of standing at attention in all kinds of weather for roll call, and saw piles of shoes, human hair, and photo-

Visiting Sites of the Holocaust with Maud Dahme

7

graphs of normal family life before the war, when no one dreamed these atrocities would be inflicted by one group of

human beings on another. As we did at several notorious sites, a service of remembrance of the dead was held on the

railroad tracks near the gate of Birkenau. Tears flowed freely as several of our group members recited the Kaddish. After

spending three nights in the city of Krakow, we continued on our travels toward Warsaw. We made a brief stop at Lublin

Castle which was once a major Jewish center in Poland. Following the capture of the town in September 1939, the Nazis

set about confining and eventually murdering the nearly 40,000 Lublin Jews, mainly in the nearby Majdanek death camp.

This camp was very disturbing, as it was more intact than others we had visited, and left less to the imagination. The

Nazis felt no need to hide Majanek away, as they did with some of the other camps, and many prisoners were used to

work in the munitions factories inside the town. It was chilling to realize that the local population claimed ignorance of

the brutal fact that over 300,000 people were murdered there from October 1941 until July 1944. On November 3,

1943, the most notorious wave of executions occurred when more than 18,000 Jews were killed on a single day. At the

end of the main path through the site, we came upon a large domed mausoleum containing a huge pile of ashes from

many of the victims. The eerie feeling was accentuated by the flocks of ravens that seemed to follow us throughout the

death camp.

After a full day of touring Warsaw and Treblinka, that evening we enjoyed a beautiful Chopin piano recital by college

professor Anna Kubicz at the Myslewicki Palace. On the afternoon of August 2, we traveled in our tour bus to the War-

saw airport for our connecting flights to Amsterdaam. We looked forward to seeing Maud Dahme’s homeland and learn-

ing more about her experiences as the “hidden child.”

Visiting Amsterdam—Cindy Pope

After spending the night in a hotel in Amsterdam, on August 3 we traveled to the countryside of Holland and visited

the woods near Vierhouten which was the site of the “Hidden Village”. This was where nearly one hundred people, in-

cluding Jewish men, women, children and allied airman lived in nine underground huts between the years 1943-1944. It

was amazing to visit this park and to see the effort that these people went through to create this underground world of

survival for their families. Next we visited Olderboek where Maud Dahme was first hidden with her sister and saved as a

“Hidden Child.” We were able to see firsthand the Dutch farm home with its bright painted details that reminded me of a

chateau alongside the country street. I had only imagined it in my mind from her stories, but there I was walking

through the rooms that she once walked through. Later we visited Elburg, which was Maud’s second hiding place during

the war. We viewed Maud’s hiding house which was in a three story structure. I walked down the cobblestone streets

that she walked. All the while I imagined what the sound must have been like as Canadian tanks entered the city and

Maud knew that she would soon be free from hiding. Throughout our time in Elburg, a film crew, who joined us in

Oldebroek, had been filming to create a story about Maud’s life. She was a major reason why I went on the trip, to see

what she experienced and to witness the courageousness that she faced as a child. It is no wonder that another film was

being made about her life.

On Sunday, August 4, we started our day with a morning canal tour and a visit to Anne Frank’s House, where she hid

from the Nazis, on the actual anniversary of when she was arrested and later transported to Auschwitz. We were fortu-

nate to have the tour conducted by a local university professor, and were able to see exclusive areas of the house.

The next morning’s visit to the Vught concentration camp was probably one of the most difficult experiences of the

trip. I still have burning images of the crematoria, which is still very much intact. One of the small rooms that still haunt

me is where numerous women prisoners were stuffed in and forced to stay until several perished and others left mad

from the experience. Later, I saw a metal memorial to the children of the camp who survived the experience. We said

Kaddish as we did at many of the sites, this time praying for the children who perished in the camp. It seemed fitting

that our trip ended this way, as we were all brought together. We are all teachers of children, and for our group it

seemed very difficult to mourn the children who were victims of this atrocity. They were all victims. I was so grateful that

Maud survived and took the experience that she had and became for me the voice of the children of the Holocaust.

We later traveled back to Amsterdam for dinner at a restaurant where I had once eaten with my family years ago, and

I felt that I had found my new family on the trip. We are all connected with this experience as a family. We bring our

understanding of what we have learned about the Holocaust to our classrooms and our lives.

On Tuesday August 6, on the fifteenth day of our tour, we transferred to the Amsterdam airport for our flight home

and we arrived safely at Newark airport. I, for one, have been changed forever by this trip. I am grateful for this oppor-

tunity.

IN APPRECIATION

On September 20, 2013 Maud, Toni, Cindy, and Pam, other trip par-

ticipants, and Dr. Paul Winkler, executive director of the New Jersey

Commission on Holocaust Education, traveled to the NJEA Executive

Committee meeting in Trenton to thank the executive officers for the

generous stipend that allowed NJEA members to be a part of this experi-

ence. Maud, Dr. Winkler, Cindy and two other trip participants addressed

the committee to express how meaningful the trip was to them and the

impact the experience will have on their students. Toni presented NJEA

President Wendell Steinhauer with a beautiful book of photographs from

the trip. This event was stopped in 2008 due to increased costs and

declining enrollment. However, NJEA’s grant funding in 2012 and 2013

significantly reduced costs so that NJEA members could take advantage

of this wonderful opportunity. Maud hopes to conduct future trips. For

more information, you may contact her at m.dahme@comcast.net.

Alpha Zeta sisters, Maud Dahme, Dr. Winkler, and

NJEA members

8

ELECTION PROCESS TO BE CONSIDERED AT 2014 INTERNATIONAL

CONVENTION Claire Swanson, Nominations Chair

Members voting at the 2014 International Convention will

consider proposed amendments that determine whether to

continue with our current process of delegate voting or to

institute a general election that allows every member to vote

in the election of Administrative Board and elected commit-

tee members.

All members in attendance at the convention vote on pro-

posed amendments to the Constitution and the International

Standing Rules. Officers and elected committee members

are currently elected by state organization presidents who

have one vote for every five active and reserve members.

The state organization president may cast all her states’

votes for a particular nominee or she may split her vote if

there is more than one nominee.

If the convention votes to allow every member to vote, all

members will be able to vote for the members of the Admin-

istrative Board. All members would vote for president, the

vice presidents, the member-at-large, and Finance Commit-

tee members while only members within a region will vote

for their regional director and regional representatives to the

Nominations Committee. Only Latin American and Canadian

members would vote for their own area representative. Mem-

bers would vote electronically or by requested paper ballot.

The Ad Hoc Elections Process Committee (EPC), approved by

the 2012 Executive Board and appointed by President Dr.

Beverly Helms, has researched costs, consulted the Finance

Committee, studied the nominations process, communicated

with members, and solicited member input via Survey Mon-

key and at regional conferences.

It is estimated the cost of an electronic election would range

between $15,000 and $25,000. If the change is approved,

the 2014-2016 Finance Committee will have the task of

budgeting for the new voting process.

The ad hoc committee submitted to the Constitution Com-

mittee proposed amendments that would make a general

election possible. The convention has the final authority

whether to approve or disapprove proposed amendments.

The decision rests with the vote of the 2014 convention.

Go to http://www.dkg.org for more information about gen-

eral election and the full results of surveys taken in 2013 on

the Ad Hoc DKG Election Process Committee page.

US FORUM

Carmela S. De Marco,

Northeast Representative -US Forum

Steering Committee

The US FORUM serves members’ interests and concerns

which reflect purposes four and seven of the Society.

The goals of the US FORUM focus on identifying and

selecting issues affecting women, children and educa-

tion. The US FORUM is an advocate for these issues. All

United States Society members are members of the US

FORUM.

At the Northeast Regional Conference in July, over 230

members attended the Thursday morning meeting. Dr.

Elizabeth Tarner, the 1996-1998 US Forum Steering

Committee Chair presided over the meeting. Dr. Tarner

gave a brief overview and history of the US FORUM,

which is 25 years old this year. She recognized past US

Forum Steering Committee members from the Northeast

and then conducted an election of the 2013-2014

Northeast Regional Representative.

Louann Schrader, Pennsylvania, introduced our speaker,

Susan Scanlan of Virginia. Ms. Scanlan is President of

the Women’s Research and Education Institute and Chair

of the National Council of Women’s Organizations as

well as a newly initiated Honorary Member of Delta Kap-

pa Gamma – Pennsylvania State Organization. Ms. Scan-

lan’s talk was entitled “Fighting for a Place at the Table”.

She discussed the importance of women, issues and

policy makers. She encouraged women to take an active

role whether giving testimony on a particular issue or

running for office. Specifically, Ms. Scanlan said, “In

Washington, women are at the table or on the menu”.

She spoke about the National Women’s History Museum

project, which for sixteen years has been trying to find a

place on the National Mall to memorialize and preserve

the contributions that American women have made to

our country. Delta Kappa Gamma has signed on in sup-

port of a National Women’s Museum.

Beverly Johns, Illinois, gave a brief focus on state issues

such as GPO-WEP Laws in 15 states, pension funding,

right to work issue, human trafficking, teacher evalua-

tions, healthcare for women, school safety and other

issues. We then completed a survey to determine which

issues are the most important to our Northeast mem-

bers. Issue #1: Teacher licensure – testing- evaluations,

issue #2: WEP/GPO (Windfall Elimination and Govern-

ment Pension) laws, issue #3: Gun Violence/mental

health issues and issue #4 (a tie): Violence against Wom-

en and Healthcare for women and children.

An issues survey was taken at each of the Regional Con-

ferences which the US Forum Steering Committee re-

viewed at our meeting in Washington, DC. We discussed

possible issues to explore and present for the upcoming

National Legislative Seminar March 16 – 19, 2014 in

Washington, DC. I would like you to join me in Washing-

ton. Join me and be an advocate, a voice for women,

children and education. Our founders had a strong ad-

vocacy voice. So, let’s carry on in the spirit of Delta

Kappa Gamma and raise our voices at both the state and

federal levels. Together, we can make a difference

And…Then…Some…

Carmela DeMarco was

elected as Northeast

Representative on the

U.S. Forum Steering

Committee at the

Northeast Regional

Conference.

9

Honorary Members

Two women recently became honorary members of Alpha Zeta Chapters: Marilyn Wiesen was initiated into

Sigma Chapter by Roxanne Adinolfi and Linda Dix on October 2, 2013 while Ella Haver was initiated into Rho

Chapter by Roxanne Adinolfi and Pam Watkinson on June 26, 2013.

Marilyn Weisen is the first honorary member of Sigma. She was selected because

of her sustained commitment to Sigma’s local nursing home project annual visita-

tion in December. Marilyn has worked with Sigma since the holiday project com-

menced in 1998 during Roxanne’s biennium as chapter president.

Miss Ella Haver, educator and civic leader, was born in Franklin Township on Febru-

ary 21, 1913. Her family before her settled in Hunterdon County dating back to

1776, farming its land. But this is not what makes Ella Haver an institution in these

parts. Since graduating from Montclair State Teachers’ College in 1934, and later

from Columbia University in 1945, she has dedicated her life to educating others.

She was a NJ Science Teacher from 1936 to 1975. Ella then became President of

the Jennie M. Haver Scholarship Fund in 1971 and continues to serve today as its

President Emerita. She followed in the footsteps of her Aunt Jennie*, a pioneer in

rural education at the turn of the century, and in

whose name the Scholarship Fund was created in

1956. Ella’s life-long civic contributions are too many to list, ranging from

teaching Sunday school, to serving seniors, volunteer tax assistance, pre-

serving local history, and arranging award winning mums. She attributes

her longevity to her passion for serving others, and her abiding desire to

nurture further the Jennie Haver Scholarship Fund. As the JMHS fund motto

says, “education is the key to success,” but in her own words, “my primary

purpose is to honor and glorify God” always. Rho Chapter is proud to have

Ella Haver as a sister educator and was pleased to have her present at its

June meeting. For more information on the Jennie M. Haver Scholarship

Fund, please go to http://www.jenniehaverscholarship.org/about.asp.

* Jennie M. Haver was one of the founders of Alpha Zeta State.

Share Your Creative Talents!

International is providing all mem-

bers an opportunity to showcase

their talents in an online gallery

beginning November, 2013! Cate-

gories include literary efforts, per-

formance art, two and three dimen-

sional art, photography, and crafts.

The first submission deadline was

September 1 and the second sub-

mission period will be January 1 to

February 1, 2014.

Submissions must be accompanied

by Form A-92 available on the inter-

national website. Up to three entries

can be submitted by a member and

the work will be judged on various

criteria using a 1-5 scale. Proce-

dures for submission and other de-

tails are posted on international’s

website.

If you have questions, please contact Sandra Smith Bull, Arts

and Humanit ies Jury Chair , at sandresmith-

bull1972@gamil.com. What a wonderful opportunity to share

your talents and view the talents of DKG sisters!

L to R: Honorary member

Marilyn Wisen, Roxanne

Adinolfi

Miss Ella Haver, seated. L to R– Pam

Watkinson, Roxanne Adinolfi, Margaret

Niemiec, and Bette Scandrol.

Sigma sister Vickie Mathas

shows one of her beautiful quilt-

ed art pieces. If you’ve ever

been at the AZ Convention

Basket Auction, you’d want to

put all of your tickets in Sigma’s

basket .

Start Packing Your Bags!

Plan now to celebrate with your friends at the

2014 International Convention in Indianapolis.

Opening session will be on Monday evening July

28, with the banquet on Friday evening August

1.

Many aspects of the fine arts will be shared.

Instrumentalists, vocalists, chime players and

actresses should contact Nancy Davis at 941da-

vis@emgarqmail.com to participate!

Submit your proposal today! The deadline for

workshop proposals for the convention is Janu-

ary 3, 2014.

Members are encouraged to share chapter

strengthening efforts. Ideas should be sent to

mem@dkg.org by February 1, 2014. Your regis-

tration fee to the 2014 International Convention

could be free if your name is selected from a

random drawing of sisters submitting ideas!

Indianapolis. . . here we come!

10

Educational Excellence: Opportunities To Make a Difference

Irene Maskaly, Educational Excellence Chair

Currently, DKG’s International Educational Excellence

Committee supports programs of action that promote

excellence in education, that empower women, and in-

crease global awareness. These goals are embodied in

the international initiatives of SEE: Supporting Early Ca-

reer Educators, DKG @ the UN / CTAUN, and Schools For

Africa. At the state level, we are encouraged to embrace

these initiatives as opportunities to make a difference.

As working and/or retired educators, we know that re-

taining quality teachers is vital. SEE encourages mem-

bers and chapters to reach out to new educators to sup-

port them through a variety of means. This can include

communication by personal visit, telephone, or e-mail,

assistance with lesson plans, suggestions for classroom

management and parent-teacher relationships and other

creative and practical strategies. We are asked to keep

records of the time and ways our members support early

-career educators. You will find report forms linked to

the Educational Excellence tab on the dkgal-

phazetastate@weebly.com web page.

Since 1995, DKG has been proud to maintain Non-

Governmental Organization (NGO) status with the United

Nations Department of Public Information. A variety of

NGOs with an interest in education are part of an organi-

zation named The Committee on Teaching About the

United Nations or “CTAUN”. CTAUN provides educators

with opportunities to learn about the United Nations and

its work through events and resources available on its

website as a means to incorporate global awareness into

classroom curricula and activities. The next CTAUN Con-

ference is scheduled for Friday, January 31, 2014 with

the theme: PROMOTING PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION.

For information, please visit http://www.teachun.org.

DKG supports Schools for Africa, a partnership between

UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Ham-

burg Society. This project works with 11 countries in sub

-Saharan Africa to provide access to quality basic educa-

tion for children, focusing on girls, orphans and other

vulnerable youngsters. The latest UNICEF Annual Report

for this project records gains in the areas of early child-

hood development, access and retention to quality pri-

mary basic education, non-formal education, HIV preven-

tion in schools, and education in emergencies. More

in fo rmat ion can be found a t ht tp ://

www.schoolsforafrica.com. Our support is accomplished

through financial donations to: The U.S. Fund for

UNICEF, c/o NGO Department, 125 Maiden Lane, New

York, NY 10038, and indicating the name of your chap-

ter on the memo line. You can also make donations us-

ing the Schools for Africa flyer/ contribution form locat-

ed on the EE link on the DKG website.

Remember, the power of one act by each individual can

make a difference. As AZ sisters, we ask you to form an

Educational Excellence committee within your chapters

to help in collaborating and disseminating information

within all levels of DKG and to be creative catalysts with-

in our communities.

Chapter SAP’s - Getting Started

Roxanne Adinolfi, AZS-SAP Chair

A SAP, that is a Strategic Action Plan, is a tool for or-

ganizing the present on the basis of the projections of

the desired future. The plan is individualized for each

chapter and may be simple or elaborate. Some chap-

ters have already begun the process. Chapter SAP rep-

resentatives should start by conducting a survey of

their members to determine the areas of need or con-

cern. What two things, in addition to membership,

might make a difference in your chapter? These will

become your chapter areas of focus. A chapter SAP

template is available if you opt to use the format of the

state SAP. Specific guidelines and more information

will be electronically sent to all SAP chapter representa-

tives in mid-November.

Have you visited our new state website?

Check out the features that have been added

and the new format at :

http://dkgalphazetastate-nj.weebly.com/

For questions or suggestions, please

contact JAN at: alphazetastate@gmail.com

AZS Hospitality

In August Barbara Henderson, Epsilon, represented

AZS as she met with Fusa Nakagama, chapter and

state president of Japan. They met for lunch and

spent most of the afternoon discussing DKG. After

lunch, Barbara hosted a tour of her brother-in-law’s

turkey farm! Fusa and Barbara both expressed de-

light in having the opportunity to participate in DKG

East meeting West.

Need Non-Dues Revenue??

Here are some suggestions for increasing your chap-

ter’s non-dues revenue:

Raffle of One Item at Chapter Meeting: The winner

brings an item for raffle to the next meeting.

Sell Pre-Worn Jewelry: Collect pre-worn jewelry

from members, bag items, and sell for $1, $3, or

$5.

Bake-less Bake Sale: Send out a poem and ask

members to send amount they would spend if ac-

tually baking an item. Members not attending the

meeting have the opportunity to participate.

Yankee Candle Company: Investigate taking can-

dle orders for up to 40% profit.

A Pound Auction: Auction a pound of a surprise

item wrapped in a brown bag. A poem hinting at

the identity of the contents may be included.

11

APPLY NOW FOR

The Elizabeth M. Bozearth State Scholarship

Joanne Applegate,

State Scholarship Chair of the Scholarship/Stipend Committee

The Elizabeth M. Bozearth Scholarship is offered by Alpha

Zeta State to members in good standing who have been

accepted in a graduate degree program in an approved in-

stitution of higher learning. All applications and support-

ing information are due by December 15, 2013. The schol-

arship will be presented at the State Convention in April,

2014.

Additional criteria, information and application forms are

available on the Alpha Zeta State website: http://

dkgalphazetastate-nj.weebly.com, on the home page, click

on “Scholarships & Stipends” and then click on “Elizabeth

M. Bozearth State Scholarship”.

Did you know…

that there are as many as 30 scholarships available

to be awarded to members pursuing advanced

degrees from the DKG International Scholarship

fund? Scholarships for those seeking master’s de-

grees are $6,000 and for those seeking doctorate

degrees, $10,000. For information and applica-

tions go to www.dkg.org and click on Committees

and then on Scholarship from the pull down menu.

State and International Stipends

Available

Jean Jaeger, Stipend Chair of Scholarship/Stipend Committee

State Professional Growth Stipends

Stipends will be granted to members of Delta Kappa Gam-

ma, Alpha Zeta State, working individually or as a team

member in the amount of up to $1000 per selected applica-

tion for professional growth, personal development, re-

search, travel related to one’s work, educational and/or

community service projects or conference attendance relat-

ed to one’s field. The deadline for submission for awards

to be made in January is December 15, 2013. For complete

information and an application go to http://

dkgalphazetastate-nj.weebly.com and click on Scholarships

and Stipends.

International Stipends

Educational Foundation Fiftieth Anniversary Awards

In honor of its Fiftieth Anniversary, The Delta Kappa Gam-

ma Educational Foundation is offering fifty $1000 awards

to fund individual classroom, school, and community pro-

jects involving learners in an educational environment. Ap-

plications must be received no later than midnight, No-

vember 15, 2013. For complete information and an appli-

cation form go to www.dkgef.org and on the bottom of the

Home Page click on the blue “here.”

Lucile Cornetet Award for Professional Development

This award is an individual award granted to educators to

participate in professional seminars, workshops, lecture

series, national certification, on-line courses, and other non

-degree program opportunities that relate specifically to an

applicant’s professional aspirations and/or educational as-

signment. Deadlines for applications are February 1, May

1 and September 1 of each year. For more information

and an application form go to www.dkgef.org and click on

Professional Development.

The Margaret Able Scholarship Award

Dr. Carol N. Scelza, The Margaret Abel

Scholarship Award Committee Chair

The Margaret Abel Scholarship Award is

planned to be awarded at the Alpha Zeta State

Convention in April of 2014. This scholarship

award is presented to an undergraduate or

graduate student matriculated in a program

preparing her to enter into the profession of

teaching.

An explanatory letter and the brochure, which

includes the application and criteria for the

Margaret Abel Scholarship Award, was sent to

Schools/Department of Education in all Colleg-

es and Universities of the state during the first

week of October 2013. Applications, with all

transcripts and letters of recommendation, are

due back to the chair on December 15, 2013.

The materials will then be scanned or copied

and sent to each chapter’s scholarship commit-

tee chair. A scoring sheet will be attached

along with an explanation of the criteria for the

award. Chairs will rate each application and

determine the top applicants. The committee,

with me, will then meet either in person, or

vote electronically if they cannot attend the

meeting, and determine the finalist. The recipi-

ent will be determined by March 1. The final

award recipient will be notified and will be pre-

pared to come to the Alpha State Convention to

receive her award of $1000.00. Applicants who

are not selected will receive written letters of

notification informing them that they did not

receive the award.

Elizabeth M. Bozearth was the

first president of Alpha Zeta

State. She was the Dean of

Women at Glassboro State

College.

12

BETA CHAPTER:

Luella Vengenock, president

In May, Luella Vengenock attended a "Voices from

the Land" conference in Italy. This Comenius Project

was a week-long visit with teachers and their stu-

dents from Turkey, Spain, Italy, Poland, Latvia, and

Romania. The week was spent visiting the school,

touring Rome, and exploring ideas to use in the

classroom. The environmental project took place in a

local park outside of Rome. Student groups worked

together to create art from gathered materials found

on site, wrote poetry to describe their artwork, and

then performed their poetry on stage for the audi-

ence of students and teachers from the other coun-

tries.

"Voices From The Land" is an environmental project

developed by Erik Mollenhauer at the Education Infor-

mation and Resource Center in Mullica Hill, NJ. Luella

and others work on this project with Erik here in the

US. The Comenius Project is funded through a grant

from the European government encouraging coun-

tries to learn about each other, culturally and educa-

tionally. The common thread binding these students

together is caring for the environment and learning

to speak English. In October, Luella will travel to Po-

land to continue her participation.

GAMMA CHAPTER:

Saula Cutter, president

Gamma congratulates Carol Schwarz, AZS Recording

Secretary and Carmela DeMarco, US Forum Northeast

Region Director on their positions. We are honored to

have them as members.

Gamma has recently instituted a new program,

SPARKS, Special Programs and Rejuvenation Opportu-

nities for Kindred Sisters. These informal activities

are designed by sisters who have any type of activity

to share. Our initial activity was a discussion group

that featured the documentary, Cave of Forgotten

Dreams, an extraordinary look into the Chauvet Cave

in southern France that contains painted images;

some as old as 32,000 years. We are currently plan-

ning a cooking class led by a certified personal chef.

We look forward to many other educational and/or

recreational activities generated by our members.

Gamma Chapter began the year at an event honoring

their Gamma Founders. Membership milestone pins

were distributed. This event also kicked off Gamma’s

year of service by creating educational crafts and

games for children that will fill homemade patient

pouches. These pouches, the brainchild of the T&B

Foundation, are given to children when they come for

treatment to Wills Eye Hospital to fight their neuro-

blastoma cancer. Other membership service events

and celebrations this year will support our Books for

Babies Project and the needs of women and children

supported through Womanspace.

DELTA CHAPTER:

Anne Colin, president

Delta Chapter works with Habitat for Humanity as its

service project. Sisters Clare O’Dea, Megan Bramble,

Heather Chew and Jane Stone attended a house dedi-

cation on July 31st

. The Wakefield family whose mem-

bers are Zack aged 16, Elessa aged 14, Zamar aged

7, and their mother Sharay are the happy new resi-

dents. The next house dedication is tentatively

scheduled for November.

Delta Chapter held its 11th

Annual Beat the Clock

Against Breast Cancer 5K run/2-mile fun walk. This

event supports the fight against breast cancer and

also funds our scholarship. We were lucky enough to

have a beautiful day again this year, filled with the

spirit of cancer survivors and their loved ones cap-

tured in the 150 participants. Treasurer Chris

McMullen reports that, with this year’s donations, the

event will have donated over $82,000 to the fight.

For more on our event see https://sites.google.com/

site/beattheclock5k/home.

EPSILON CHAPTER:

Barbara Henderson, president

Epsilon Chapter has been busy looking for new mem-

bers as well as continuing our chapter projects. At

the September meeting, we collected 54 backpacks

along with boxes and boxes of school supplies, dia-

pers and wipes, and about 12 Mom bags for the

women at the shelters in Warren and Sussex coun-

ties. Their supplies have become depleted and they

were anxious to receive these more than ever this

year.

We are proud to continue our support of a free math

tutoring center in Hackettstown this year. Sister

Kathy Turrisi, a math professor at Centenary College,

AZ STATE CHAPTER NEWS

Gamma Sisters make patient pouches.

13

saw the need and began the program last year. Sev-

eral Epsilon sisters, Kathy’s math students and other

volunteers work together two days a week after

school to help students in need from grades 2-6.

Parents were thrilled with the results and wish to re-

turn this year, bringing along siblings and friends.

We all send a big hello to Janice Sund, our Epsilon

sister who recently moved to NC, but is keeping up

her membership. We hope she is reading this and

feels the love we send her way. We are so proud of

Sue Davis, the recipient of the Linda M. Dix Women

of Distinction Award from Sigma Chapter and Linda

Adams who was named Hamburg Senior Citizen of

the Year.

ETA CHAPTER:

Mary Zaccardi, president

After finishing her term at the NJ Department of Edu-

cation, where she was the creator of both The Bridge

newsletter and the NJ Teacher Advisory Panels,

Jeanne DelColle hit the road to learn more about ed-

ucation. Jeanne, a NEA/Pearson Global Learning Fel-

low, spent two weeks in Brazil with educators from

around the country learning more about the evolu-

tion of an education system that had only been es-

tablished by their constitution in 1988. Then she was

off to Louisville, KY for a National Hope Street Group

conference where she taught the Kentucky State Fel-

lows about teacher engagement and leadership. Af-

ter that, Jeanne helped to run the National Network

of State Teachers of the Year Conference in Minneso-

ta which had attendees including Secretary Arne

Duncan and Charlotte Danielson. Next year's confer-

ence, which DelColle has been named to chair, will

take place in Philadelphia and is open to the public.

Finally, her travels led her to Washington DC for a

week long professional development program about

creating social change and using primary sources.

The fall has not slowed down at all, and a change of

job has meant a change of residence to Ocean City,

NJ. Jeanne is now a part of the administrative staff in

the School of Education at Richard Stockton College

of NJ where she is the Instructional Development and

Strategic Partnerships specialist. She is back in the

classroom teaching future teachers and as part of

her duties as a field placement coordinator, Jeanne is

spearheading a new incentive program for cooperat-

ing teachers to accept a student teacher in the

spring.

Joanne Smith and fellow Burlington Township School

District teacher Ilisa Mosley established a fundraiser

for Melissa, the daughter of former colleague, Mike

Gollnick, who passed away from breast cancer at age

35. On February 14, the entire staff of the Burling-

ton Township School District was encouraged to par-

ticipate in a “Dress Down” day and wear pink in

memory of Melissa. Thanks to overwhelming support

and many generous donations, $2,000.00 was col-

lected. The funds were divided into four $500 schol-

arships for deserving seniors which were presented

in June, 2013.

The Grant in Aid Committee will award a project

enhancement grant up to $1,000 to a woman educa-

tor in Burlington County public schools for a class-

room project which benefits her students and pro-

vides for student participation. Completed applica-

tions are due on or before December 6, 2013. Fur-

ther information may be obtained from Kay Reising

@Honda4me@comcast.net or Mary Zaccardi @ me-

mary927@aol.com.

LAMDA CHAPTER:

Kimberly Falcone, president

Dr. Nora Pollard and one of her ETS colleagues have

been accepted to present at two conferences. The

first presentation, Autism Spectrum Disorder and

Reading Comprehension: Finding the Balance for Ac-

commodations in High Stakes Testing, will be given

at the International Dyslexia Association's Annual

Conference in New Orleans in November 2013. In

February 2014, they will be traveling to Anaheim, CA

to present at the Learning Disabilities Association of

America's Annual Conference. The title of this

presentation is Disability Documentation Dilemmas

in Higher Education: What to do about Autism Spec-

trum Disorder (ASD).

NU CHAPTER:

Jane Talmadge, president

For the fourth year, Nu Chapter is working at the

Seneca High School Food Pantry for those who are in

need of a quick pick-me-up or a wholesome din-

ner. Dine for Dollars and Boscov's Day are always a

big hit for Nu Chapter as the money we collect from

these events goes into our Scholarship Fund. Every

spring, we elect to give a scholarship to one student

planning to become (Continued on next page.)

Epsilon sisters filling backpacks.

14

an educator from one of the four high schools in the

Lenape District.

Vicki Shoemaker, Nu Chapter's Dine for Dollars Chair,

is currently the Corresponding Secretary for the Bur-

lington County Retired Teachers' Association. She is

also running for a three year term as a member of the

Tabernacle District Board of Education. We wish Vicki

well.

Ingrid Williams, a retired math teacher, and Amy Gers-

bach, a current math teacher, both from Seneca High

School of the Lenape Regional High School District,

had their proposal accepted for a presentation at the

NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)

Conference. They will be presenting "Tactile Trig - A

Hands-on and Technology Focused Approach" at the

NCTM conference in New Orleans April 10-12, 2014.

This is the seventh NCTM conference at which Amy

and Ingrid have had the privilege to do a presenta-

tion. Ingrid had Amy as a student and now they are

collaborating on projects and presentations.

XI CHAPTER:

Shared leadership

Xi Chapter is committed to community outreach and

one way is through volunteering at Gilda’s Club of

South Jersey, a nonprofit organization that offers free

support to those who have been touched by cancer in

some way. They provide activities and programs to all

ages. At our October meeting, Adria Light, the volun-

teer coordinator for Gilda’s Club, provided training

for the members of Xi Chapter. By participating in the

training, we are now able to volunteer in many ways

at Gilda’s and throughout community events spon-

sored by Gilda’s Club. Our chapter has been involved

with the children of Gilda’s, also known as Noogie-

land, for about 1 ½ years. These children have family

members or relatives touched by cancer, or even bat-

tling cancer themselves. Every other month, some of

the sisters go to Gilda’s to play games with the chil-

dren, make crafts, read stories, and sing songs. We

have also helped with Gilda’s summer camp. It is tru-

ly a rewarding experience not only for the children

but for us as well.

PI CHAPTER:

Carol Friedrich, president

In June, we celebrated the 30th

birthday of Pi Chapter.

The book club met in July to discuss our latest “read”

and to enjoy socializing with our sisters. The retired

members of Pi Chapter gathered in August to prepare

gifts of goodies for our working members. This is

always enjoyable for those who prepare the gifts and

for those who receive them on the first day of school.

In October, we hold our fall dinner meeting and look

forward to meeting prospective members who attend

as guests. At this meeting we will also present an

overview of planned activities and the projects we

have selected to support for the coming year. Sever-

al sisters will be participating in the Making Strides

Against Breast Cancer walk on October 27th

. We look

forward to a productive year!

RHO CHAPTER:

Dr. Margaret Niemiec, president

Ella Haver, a noted Hunterdon County educator who is

100 years young, was inducted as an Honorary Mem-

ber of Rho Chapter, during its June 26, 2013 meeting.

(See accompanying article on page 9.)

Cynthia Pope and Pamela Watkinson and Tau sister

Toni Hopcraft participated in “The Infamous Sites of

the Holocaust” tour led by Maude Dahme this past

summer. (See featured article on page 6.)

Rho’s newest chapter project is with The Center for

Great Expectations whose mission is to provide home-

less pregnant women with “a safe place, a safe pres-

ence, and a safe path” to complete a healthy pregnan-

cy and develop the skills to make healthy, informed

choices for themselves and their children. Director

Peg Wright attended our October meeting to share the

history and programs of the center, and answer ques-

tions about how we can help. Donations of materials,

money, and services, as well as opportunities for vol-

unteering are some of the ways Rho sisters can help.

SIGMA CHAPTER:

Elizabeth Procopio, president

AZS-DKG Immediate Past President Roxanne Adinolfi,

Sigma President Betty Procopio, Charlotte Orfe, and

Sky McClain attended the Northeast Regional Confer-

ence in Portland, Maine. Roxanne prepared and offici-

ated at the opening conference ceremony for the

presentation of the flags. She sang a beautiful rendi-

tion of “A Change in Me” from Beauty and the Beast

during the third general session. Charlotte represent-

ed AZS at a workshop with Dr. Lyn Schmid to address

membership initiatives.

Marilyn Weisen was initiated by Roxanne Adinolfi and

Linda Dix on October 2nd

as the first honorary mem-

ber of Sigma Chapter. (See accompanying article on

page 9.)

Our Fall Meeting program highlighted an outstanding

woman of Burlington County NJ- the dedicated and

significant suffragist Alice Paul. We had the oppor-

tunity to tour her home and learn much about this

CHAPTER NEWS— Continued from previous page.

15

amazing woman. Our tour guide at the Alice Paul In-

stitute was our own Sigma sister, Nancy Ireland, who

has been a strong supporter of this historic site for

many years. Her participation has included tour guid-

ing, teaching the fourth grade program, and being a

member of the Advisory Board. Nancy reminded us of

Alice’s courageous work, her successful battle for

voting rights for women, which included several

stints In prison where she was painfully force fed

during hunger strikes, and enlightened us regarding

Alice’s belief in comprehensive equality. Alice wrote

the Equal Rights amendment which ended up just

three states short of the necessary amount for pas-

sage in 1982 and has recently been reintroduced in

Congress. Alice’s home, Paulsdale, was designated as

a National Historic Landmark in 1995 and is on the

NJ Women’s Heritage Trail, the only one of 100 wom-

en’s historic sites in NJ accessible to the public and

offering inspirational programs for young people.

Currently, efforts are being made to grant Alice Paul

the Congressional Medal of Honor. Visiting her

home, seeing and getting a feel for what her life was

like, and appreciating all that she was able to accom-

plish is something we would encourage all our sisters

in NJ to experience, if not in person, then on the offi-

cial website, www.alicepaul.org. Maybe, if you’re

lucky, Nancy Ireland will be your guide!

TAU CHAPTER:

Margaret Anzul, president

During this past year Toni Hopcraft has volunteered

to raise funds for Family Promise of Morris County,

an agency that arranges for shelter for the homeless.

At our May meeting, Toni displayed and offered

items donated by Vera Bradley as a “gift” to those

who chose to contribute to Family Promise. In addi-

tion, this summer Toni joined two members from

Rho Chapter for a tour of Holocaust sites led by AZS

Honorary Member Maud Dahme. (See featured article

on page 6).

One of our newest members, Susan Vigilante, recent-

ly retired after 44 years as a public school teacher,

and has since been active in the Morris County Re-

tired Educator Association. She is currently serving

as Assistant Co-chair for NJREA Government Relations

representing New Jersey’s northern counties. She

states that she is “passionate about public education

and advocating for students and association mem-

bers.”

Roni Tobia served as a substitute tutor at Literacy

Volunteers of Morris County (Tau’s social outreach

project) for five weeks this summer. Her students

were seven women from different countries in South

America who have lived in the U.S. for as little as

three months to as many as seven years, yet all were

considered beginners. Roni commented that this ex-

perience made it very clear to her that the longer a

“newcomer” lived here before deciding to learn Eng-

lish, the more difficult the learning process became.

Overshadowing everything else in Tau Chapter this

fall was the sudden and unanticipated passing of our

chapter president, Kathleen Ginocchio. We would

like to take this opportunity to express our apprecia-

tion to all of the chapters and individual members

who have expressed their condolences to us and to

those who made donations to various Delta Kappa

Gamma funds and causes, either at the chapter or

international level, in Kathy’s memory. (See article

on back page).

Sigma sisters touring the Alice Paul home.

IN MEMORIAM

ETA CHAPTER

Doris G. Bryant

Initiated April 1977

Deceased February 22, 2013

DELTA CHAPTER

Jane Eldredge Vance

Initiated April 1978

Deceased May 1, 2013

ETA CHAPTER

Carol Sue Hickman

Initiated May 1982

Deceased May 27, 2013

PI CHAPTER

Gail Eisenlohr

Initiated April 1984

Deceased April 15, 2013

Carol A. Gleeson

Initiated April 1996

Deceased October 13, 2013

RHO CHAPTER

Mary Elizabeth Young

Initiated April 1969

Deceased February 3, 2013

TAU CHAPTER

Kathleen E. Ginocchio

Initiated April 1989

Deceased September 4, 2013

16

Dates and Deadlines

We’re on the web at:

http://

dkgalphazetastate-

nj.weebly.com

November 2013:

1 – Education Foundation

Professional Development

Seminar application due

1 - CTAUN Best Practices

Award application due

15 - Educational Foundation

applications for $1000

stipend due

15 - Chapter votes for conven-

tion book discussion due

December 2013:

1 - Golden Gift Leadership

Management seminar

application due

15 - Applications for AZS Eliza-

beth Bozearth Scholar-

ship, AZS Professional

Growth Stipend and

Margaret Abel Scholarship

Award due

15 - Chapter membership

chairs submit form 80 to

International and Sharon

Long

January 2014:

4 - State meeting

4 - Description of chapter

items to sell at convention

due

23 - AZS News due

31 - CTAUN conference

April 2014:

4, 5, 6 - AZS State Convention

30 - AZS News due

June 2014:

7 - AZS Chapter Officers’

Training

July 2014:

28 – August 1 - International

Convention, Indianapolis

A White Rose for Sister Kathy Ginoccchio

Kathy Ginocchio, Tau chapter president 2011-

2013, passed away September 3, 2013. Kathy

received her MA in education from Montclair

State and taught as a basic skills teacher in

Madison for many years. She is remembered

for her love of teaching, love of her family, pa-

tience, and sense of humor. She was not only

chapter president of Tau, but an exemplary

Delta Kappa Gamma woman. Kathy held a spe-

cial place in her heart for her daughter Julie,

grandchildren Brooke and Christopher, her stu-

dents, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

She began her DKG journey in 1989 as an Al-

pha initiate. In 2003 she served as a charter

member of Tau and assumed the role of presi-

dent of Tau in 2004-2006. In addition to serv-

ing in key roles of chapter leadership, she at-

tended international conventions and regional

conferences, usually accompanied by Tau sis-

ter Margaret Anzul. Kathy’s warm smile, lead-

ership, and encouraging attitude will be

missed throughout Alpha Zeta State.

Alpha Zeta State News

Official Publication of The

Alpha Zeta State Organization

of The Delta Kappa Gamma

Society International

Jane Tallmadge, Circulation

11 Meadowside Court

Medford, NJ 08055