(Formerly Kappa State News)March, 2020 Vol. 62, No. 2

Inside This Issue:President’s Letter. . . . . . . . 2 Education Foundation Donations . . 9Dates to Remember. . . . . . . 9

April 4, 2020, Area 3 MeetingMcCrory High School

515 N. Jackson Street McCrory, AR

(see page 3 and 4 for more information)

April 18, 2020, Area 1 MeetingChurch of Latter-Day Saints6738 Lynch’s Prairie Court

Springdale, AR(see page 3 for more information)

April 25, 2020, Area 4 MeetingFirst Baptist Church

Fellowship HallHope, AR

(see page 4 for more information)

May 2, 2020, Area 2 Meeting Arkansas State University-Heber Springs

101 River Crest Drive,Heber Springs, AR

(see page 3 for more information)

Coming Soon!!! ASO Area Meetings April-May 2020

July 7-11, 2020DKG International

Convention, Philadelphia, PAEarly Bird Rates

End March 6, 2020!

Make your plans now!Register online at

www.dkg.org(see more information on page 5)

Information, fellowship and a good time can be had by all at the upcoming area meetings. This is a photo from the Area 2 meeting on April 21, 2018, in Benton.

2020 Ella Reese Leadership Seminar“Lean In to Leadership”

Would you like to enhance your leadership skills while making lifelong friendships within DKG? If so, now is the time to apply for the Ella Reese Leadership Seminar!

The 2020 seminar will be held Tuesday, June 30, through Wednesday, July 1, at the Red Apple Inn in Heber Springs. The two-day itinerary will offer classes, workshops, and creative activities designed to help partici-pants improve their leadership skills and engage more confidently in every area of their personal and professional lives.

Each upcoming area meeting will have a seminar graduate to highlight her experience, answer questions, and provide save-the-date cards as well as hard copy applications. Can’t wait? The application is available to download on the Arkansas State Organization’s website home page at dkgarkansas.weebly.com.

The application fee is $75 provided by the applicant and a matching amount of $75 is provided by her chapter for a total of $150 which in-cludes meals, snacks, lodging, parking, seminar materials, and a wealth of knowledge from passionate teachers sharing their leadership skills. The deadline to apply for the 2020 Ella Reese Leadership Seminar is May 15.

This seminar experience is presented only once every two years, so don’t wait! Apply now for a life-changing experience in a beautiful, relax-ing setting.

Leadership Development Committee members include Karen Roe (chair), Heather Dunn, Joy Graham, Candi Martin, Ella Reese, Anice Tedford, Cathy Toney, and Linda Vailes.

Karen Roe, Leadership Development Chair

March, 2020

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from the President continued...“Doing, Knowing, Growing with DKG” From the President:

The ASO “Heart to Heart” membership project started on Wednesday, February 5. This was just a starting point in our effort to recruit members, not just a one-day event. If your chapter invited individuals but they haven’t been able to attend yet, please keep trying and invite them to your next meeting. If you have former members who are no longer active, invite them back. Our project is an ongoing project. If we continue to get the word out about DKG and the wonderful things that are going on in local chapters, women will want to be a part of the Society. As I have trav-eled around the state visiting chapters, I have seen the great community projects, the fund-raisers for scholarships, and fellowship with members. Please continue the “Heart to Heart” project.

I have been so blessed to visit 17 chapters since September. As I have said before, visiting chapters has been my favorite thing to do. If I have not been to your chapter yet and you have not scheduled me, please contact me and we can set up a time. I hope to visit all our chapters in the state during my biennium.

Each chapter should be working on revising it’s chapter rules. Each chapter should have rules to follow that go along with the International constitution and Arkansas State Organization’s bylaws and standing rules. Chapter rules are updated after the state convention. Copies of the ASO bylaws and standing rules are online. Each member should have a copy of her chapter’s rules in her yearbook. After you have your rules updated and voted on by your members, send a copy to Jane Adair, Chairman of the ASO Rules Committee.

All chapters should have their officers for 2020-2022 elected and ready to attend your area meeting. There will be training for presidents, mem-bership chairs, and treasurers. For members who are not officers, there will also be great breakout sessions and speakers. There will be a short business meeting at each area meeting to elect a new area leader and

nomination committee members. Some areas will also vote on a new representative to the personnel committee. The registration form for each area meeting is online under events. Plan to attend and bring a big group. If you have any questions, contact your chapter president for more information.

Members remember you are the heart of DKG. We are “Doing, Knowing, and Growing with DKG!”

President Cathy Toney

Gamma Iota Chapter

Chi ChapterASO President Cathy Toney visited Gamma Iota Chapter in Fayetteville in Feb-ruary.

Cathy Toney and Chi Chapter President Leisa Phillips are shown at the Chi Chapter meeting on February 20th.

March, 2020

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The Area I meeting theme will be “Rise and Shine!” With spring in full swing on April 18th, we all need to finish shedding our winter attitudes and aspirations, and put on our spring mindsets of renew-ing, renovating and rising as female educators. Planners want this day to be a wonderful relaxing experience full of collaboration and fun times. There will be training by Cathy Toney for all presidents and training for all treasurers by Linda Vailes. Leadership training (for anyone) will be offered by Joy Graham, Google technology will be presented by Christine Hogg, and laughing yoga will be done by Candice Martin. Other choices will be make-and-take crafts as well as organizing and time management classes.

Now if this isn’t enough revamping for our souls, we have the delightful keynote speaker Sondra Torchier taking us back to teach-ing in historical long-ago days with humor and grace. Sondra is a retired educator with a flair for drama and acting. You will love her presentation.

Watch for the registration form coming out soon and plan to at-tend April 18, 2020, with a continental breakfast at 8:30-9:00 am and ending with door prizes at 2:45 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6738 Lynch’s Prairie Court, Springdale, AR. (Har-Ber Meadows Area off I-49; take Hwy 412W Exit toward Tontitown)

Area 1 Leader Dianne Letsch Thompson

“Rise and Shine” for the April 18th Area 1 Meeting!

The Area 2 DKG meeting is set for Saturday, May 2, 2020, at ASU-Heber Springs, 101 River Crest Drive, Heber Springs, AR. Registration and breakfast snacks will begin at 8:30 am. Training/updating sessions for chapter presidents and treasur-ers, as well as, vice presidential responsibilities will be presented. Chapter officers are strongly encouraged to attend. Other breakout sessions will include “Current Trends in Education,” “Lipstick and Your Personality,” and “Crafts/Artwork,” to name just a few.

Election of a new Area 2 Lead-er is on the business agenda, so please be thinking of possibilities for that position.

Also if possible, each Area 2 chapter needs to bring a door prize for a drawing at the conclu-sion of the meeting. Registration forms and additional information will be coming soon.

It is hoped that chapters will plan to travel to the beautiful Greer’s Ferry Lake Area with a large delegation to participate in the fellowship and sharing of important DKG information.

Mary Catherine Propes, Area 2 Leader

The Area 2 Meeting will be

May 2, 2020

All DKG ASO members are invited to attend 20/ONE VISION, the Area 4 Meeting on Saturday, April 25, 2020, at the First Baptist Church, Hope, AR from 9 am - 2 pm.

Officer training, fun activities, and share time will be on the schedule, as well as good food and door prizes. The meeting will feature a highlighted whole group experience and the speaker/leader is our own Candace Martin!

Registration may be sent to Area 4 Registrar Diana Keith at 504 Co-lumbia Circle, Hope, AR 71801 Please indicate chapter name, chapter and state leadership positions, and any food allergies. Registration forms may be found online at the state website or from any Area 4 president. We would like registrations to be turned in by April 15 for food preparation and other planning purposes. On-site registration will be available.

Remember, the minimum goal for attendance at the Area 4 meeting is your chapter’s president-elect, treasurer, at least one first timer, current president, and one other member from your chapter!!!. Chapters, don’t forget to ask for a door prize or two! Presidents, please read your last letter about the business meeting part of our Area 4 meeting. I can’t wait to see you at the meeting! Any other questions about the meeting can be addressed to Carolyn McGough, Area 4 Leader, at cmcgough14@gmail.com or text 903-826-3532.

The Area 4 Meeting will be in Hope, AR, April 25th, 2020

(A tentative schedule for Area 4 is featured

on page 4)

News from Areas

March, 2020

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Tentative Schedule for: AREA 4 Meeting 20/One Vision APRIL 25, 2020

First Baptist Church, Hope, Arkansas9:00-9:30 – Registration, Visiting, Continental Breakfast (Fellowship Hall)9:30-9:45 – Collect and Response Welcome, Recognition of State Officers, Introduction to the Theme, Church

Hostess Comments9:45- Introduction of Speaker/Whole Group Leader9:50-10:35-Whole Group Experience…Candace Martin, ASO Parliamentarian,

DKG International Nominee for Southeast Regional Director10:35-10:45 Break and Travel to Breakout /Training Sessions10:45-11-40 Breakout/Training SessionsPresidents’ Training … Cathy Toney, ASO President Treasurers’ Training … Linda Vailles, ASO TreasurerSupport Officers and Members Breakout…DeeAnn Daniel, ASO 2nd Vice

President and Sue Cook, ASO First Vice President 11:40- 11:50 – Break and Travel back to Fellowship Hall11:50-12:00 –Thank you to Morning Leaders, Blessing12:00-12:40 Luncheon and a word from our State President12:40-12:50 Set up for Afternoon Activities and Break12:50-1:00 Area Business and Elections1: 00-1:45 Afternoon Activities (Three 15 minute activities highlighting relationship building within the local chapters)1:45 -2:00-Wrap up and Door Prizes, DKG Song

GROWING WITH DKG AREA 3 Meeting APRIL 4, 2020

McCrory High School, McCrory, Arkansas9:00 - 9:30 – Registration, Visiting, Continental Breakfast 9:30 - 9:45 – Welcome, Recognition of the State Officers, Collect and

Response, Introduction to the Theme, Hostess Comments9:45 - Introduction of Breakout Sessions and Room Assignments9:50 - 10:50 - Breakout/Training Sessions Presidents’ Training - Cathy Toney, ASO President Treasurers’ Training - Linda Vailes, ASO Treasurer Lipstick Personalities; and Schools for Africa- (for 1st Vice Presidents and other members - Sue Cook, ASO First Vice President Support Officers and other Members - Dee Ann Daniel, ASO 2nd

Vice President10:50-11:05 - Break and Travel to Whole Group Meeting11:05-11:45 - Keynote Speaker - Candace Martin, ASO Parliamentarian,

DKG International Nominee for Southeast Regional Director11:45 - 11:55 – Break 11:55 - 12:00 - Thank you to Morning Leaders, Blessing12:00 - 12:40 - Luncheon and a word from our State President12:40 - 12:50 - Set up for Afternoon Activities and Break12:50 - 1:15 - Area Business and Elections: Area Leader – 2 year term and Nominations Committee Representative – 2 year term Presentation by Karen Roe for the Ella Reese Seminar1: 15 - 1:45 - Panel Discussion/Question and Answer Session with State Officers1:45 - 2:00 - Wrap up and Door Prizes, DKG Song

Time is drawing near for our Area 3 meeting. Mark your calendars for April 4, 2020, at McCrory High School. The schedule for the meet-ing is posted to the lower left.

Please notice that this is the training meeting for all incoming officers of your chapter led by our state officers.

There will be sessions for those who don’t need officer training.

We will also be electing a new Area 3 Leader and a representative for the Nominations Committee. Be thinking of someone in your chapter that could fill one of these positions to nominate.

The registration link is provided below. Please forward this to your fellow members and encourage them to attend. Registration and payment should be submitted no later than March 27th in order to prepare enough food and handouts. You may register at the door as a last resort.

As I met with each president in the area this past fall, one of the concerns was lack of training for officers. This is your opportunity to receive training from the best! Please stress the importance to your incoming officers, even if they have held the office previously. Many changes have occurred in DKG and we all need to be updated.

I am asking each chapter in Area 3 to bring something for a door prize.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone April 4th!

Janie Hickman, Area 3 Leader

link for registration https://forms.gle/sgbrB1RwXaUh3FwK9

Please send your check for $25 to Janie Hickman, 1203 Vail St., Stuttgart, AR 72160

Area 3 Meeting will be April 4, 2020

News from Areas continued

March, 2020

5

The International Convention will be this summer in Philadelphia, PA, July 7-11, 2020. Anyone interested should register on line. The registration form and more information can be

found on the DKG International website. Below is a draft of the convention schedule at a glance. Early bird registration ends March 6th; regular registration runs from March 7- June 8; and late registration is after June 8th. No meal tickets will be sold after June 23rd.

From ASO Educational Excellence Committee:One of my goals this year is to inform ASO members about “Schools

for Africa.” This project was DKG’s first international project. It was voted in as a project at the 2010 International Convention. ASO members and chapters can support “Schools for Africa” by using a UNICEF form that can be downloaded on the DKG International website. This form is under the Educational Excellence Committee link. Chapters should only send monetary donations for this project. The funds are distributed for materials as needed.

I will have more information about “Schools for Africa” at each of the area meetings in April and May and will have ideas about ways your chap-ters can contribute.

ASO First Vice President Sue Cook, Chairman (suecook428@gmail.com)

From ASO Scholarship Committee:

One item of news that members need to be aware of is about state scholarships. Since we gave out all three $1,000 state scholarships this spring, we will not be taking applications for the fall award. Our next state scholarship deadline will be December 1, for the 2021 spring awards.

Chairman Carolyn McGough

March, 2020

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News from Chapters

When this ASO Sigma Chapter member was a fourth and fifth grade teacher in the small, rural town of Des Arc, Arkansas, she noticed that not all the students were provided the same opportunity to develop a love for books and to enjoy reading time at home because of the lack of resources available to them. Know-ing through research and from 20 years of teaching experience that children who had books in their homes did better academically than those who did not, Ms. Williams brought the idea to implement a Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) for the Prairie and Woodruff Counties to her Delta Kappa Gamma chapter in 2004. DPIL is a non-profit organization that promotes early literacy by gifting children age-appropriate books of high-quality free of charge each month from birth to age five regardless of the family’s income. These books are mailed to children in not only the United States, but all over the world. Through MaryAnne’s passion and desire to want every child to have the opportunity to establish a love for books as well as have family reading time, she hoped to impact every child in Prairie and Woodruff Counties with this long-term gift to the community. Not only was she able to get books for every child in those two counties, but this amazing retired teacher has been involved in the effort to get every county in the state of Arkansas involved in DPIL. Additionally, she learned the kindergarten readiness scores in Des Arc went from 50% being “not developed” to 0% being “not developed” in 2009 and remained at this percentage until 2015 when the scoring method used was changed. Since then she found that even though the method was different, the results have remained the same.

MaryAnne continues to work with superintendents and community members all over the state of Arkansas to bring awareness of this marvelous program to their districts so that all children in the state can have their own personal library.

Ms. Williams will be presenting a session on DPIL at the DKG International Convention in July. She is currently contacting chapter presidents to survey how or if ASO chapters are participating with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Sigma Chapter

How Is Your Chapter Involved with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?

MaryAnne Williams is a member of Sigma Chapter. She has been working with literacy and the Dolly Parton Imag-ination Library since 2004.

Alpha Delta Chapter

The Alpha Delta Chapter met on Monday, February 3, in Hope and welcomed Arkansas State Organization President Cathy Toney as their guest speaker. Cathy shared updates on ASO and International events coming up and encouraged members to invite prospective new members to become a member of DKG.

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March, 2020

Gamma Sigma Chapter

News from Chapters Continued...

Gamma Rho’s last meeting was held on February 10. The chapter met at the HUB (Helping Underserved Belong) in downtown Jonesboro. There were 19 members, 3 poten-tial members, and 1 guest speaker in attendance. The group picture of chapter members and guests was taken in the Hospitality Room of the HUB.

HUB Director Gwendolyn Zugarek gave a moving, but factual overview of the homeless people the agency serves. She spoke about their physical and mental needs and how the community can help. Jena Williams, HUB volunteer, gave our group a tour of the facilities. The HUB hopes to receive a grant in April that will provide funding for the program to con-tinue. Gwendolyn estimated that we have at least 800 homeless people in our city.

Gamma Rho Chapter

HUB Director Gwendolyn Zugarek and Gamma Rho President Amy Simpson, are shown together following the meeting.

Gamma Sigma Chapter in Ashdown had an induction ceremony on Sunday, January 12, 2020. ASO President Cathy Toney attended their meeting. This photo shows the members and inductees present at the meeting, along with ASO Presi-dent Cathy Toney.

Gamma Sigma has 10 new member candidates; six were inducted at the Sun-day meeting and are pictured. Four additional members will be inducted at the next meeting.

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March, 2020News from Chapters Continued...

Mu Chapter

Delta ChapterDelta Chapter filled 24 goody sur-

vival bags for first-year teachers in the Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton School Districts in January.

Delta Chapter Member Lynn Strong re-ceived big smiles from two Lake Hamilton first-year teachers when they received their goody bag.

Far right, Ms. Ross, a new teacher in the Hot Springs School District, was so thankful for her DKG surprise teacher bag.

Mu Chapter met on February 11th for an annual soup supper. The event is held to raise money for local grants and scholar-ships.

Members enjoy a mixer based on bingo which helps members get to know more about each other.

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March, 2020

* April 4, 2020 Area 3 Meeting, McCrory High School, 515 N Jackson Street, McCrory, AR * April 18, 2020 Area 1 Meeting, Church of Latter-Day Saints, 6738 Lynch’s Prairie Court, Springdale, AR* April 25, 2020 Area 4 Meeting, First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, Hope, AR* May 1, September 1, February 1 Applications for Cornetet Professional Development Awards deadlines. (dkgef.org)* May 2, 2020 Area 2 Meeting, Arkansas State University, Heber Springs, AR* May 15, 2020 Deadline for submitting applications for the Ella Reese Leadership Seminar * June 30-July 1, 2020 Ella Reese Leadership Seminar, Red Apple Inn, Heber Springs, AR* July 7-11, 2020 International Convention, Philadelphia, PA

Arkansas State Organization News is published online the first of each odd numbered month atdkgarkansas.weebly.comSend articles, pictures, comments, and questions to: Linda Davidson at

lindavidson@comcast.net or 618 LaSalle DriveLittle Rock, AR 72211

or text to (501) 580-4309

Dates to Remember and Deadlines:

Contributions to the Kappa State Education Foundation

Memorials:

Honorarium:Ella Reese of Theta Chapter

by an ASO Member

Milton E. Qualls, brother of Martha Hankins of Alpha Chapter, Louisiana

by Earlene Hankins

Winnifred Penn, Wife of Dr. Lavern Penn by Earlene Hankins

Mary Purselley of Chi Chapter by Jane Adair, Chi Chapter

Mary Purselley, of Chi Chapter by Elizabeth Waldrip, Mu Chapter

Dixie Smith, of Mu Chapter by Elizabeth Waldrip, Mu Chapter

Diana McWilliams, of Mu Chapter by Elizabeth Waldrip, Mu Chapter

Diana McWilliams and Dixie Smith of Mu Chapter by Susan Jessup, Mu Chapter

Diana McWilliams, of Mu Chapter by Mu Chapter

Dixie Smith, of Mu Chapter by Mu Chapter

Puzzled or perplexed by Parliamentary Procedures?

Your ASO Parliamentarian is happy to help you figure it out.

Questions are welcome by email:

(going2bigflat@yahoo.com) or text message/calls

(870-365-6343).

Candi Martin, Parliamentarian

Don’t forgetto invite

prospective new and former members to

your chapter meetings!!!

Happy Birthday Chi Chapterby Chi Chapter