Chapter Presidents' Information
The next P2P meeting is scheduled for July 21, 2024 at 2:30 P.M Central Time, 3:30 P.M. Eastern Time. New chapter presidents are encouraged to join.
From Dr. Elaine Vaughan, Chapter Strengthening Chair 2023-2025:
Chapter Presidents/Treasurers, please join us in the continuation of the “Reinstatement Campaign.” In a nutshell – we are reviewing all dropped members from the chapter, completing a Form 18A for members who have died (instead of a Form 6 which is for current members who pass away), then sending a letter encouraging members to consider reinstatement. If you would like to volunteer your chapter, please contact Elaine Vaughan (mevaughan@ortn.edu ) for more information.
State Presidents' histories are now available on the TNDKG website under About Us - History.
Orlean Ophelia Bauman Literary Grant
Several members and chapters have reached out to Alpha Rho requesting information and suggestions on how best to honor TNSO First Vice President Orlean Bauman due to her recent passing. Alpha Rho Chapter will be accepting donations to the Tennessee State Organization Vision Foundation to establish a Vision Foundation Literacy Grant in Orlean’s name.
Contributions or bequests from chapters or individuals to the Vision Foundation are deductible as charitable contributions for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Donations to the Orlean Ophelia Bauman Literacy Grant (payable to the Xi State Vision Foundation) can be sent to:
Tennessee State Treasurer
Dr. Dianne Anderson
497 Como Street
McKenzie, TN 38201
For additional information, please contact Alpha Rho Chapter President Judy England at judydengland@gmail.com.
Videos of Chapter Projects (ongoing)
Chapter Presidents - I am asking that you make a video of your chapter service projects to be shown at next year's convention. Please begin your video with a greeting, your chapter name and location, and a few words about the project. Then just shoot some footage of your chapter and/or community members involved, and the finished product. My vision is for us to showcase your wonderful projects in a " Service In Harmony" presentation. If a video is not possible, please take lots of pictures!
From Marsha Brewer, TNSO President
Please share these Leadership Links with your chapter members each month. I am not planning to send out a separate email to members. Points can be earned on the new Maycie Award form for sending the Leadership Links out to your chapter members. I appreciate your help in keeping our members up to date on news and activities at the state and international level!
FORUM ON THE TNDKG WEBSITE! Our State Webmaster, Sherrie Collins, has created a forum on our website for members and non-members to ask education related questions and to receive help and support. We are currently developing the forum rules and parameters. If you have computer skills and would be willing to help moderate the forum, please email me and let me know. I think this can provide a valuable resource for our active educators and give everyone a voice.
News of Committees
Information from our TNSO Officers and Committees
Many thanks to those of you who are serving on state committees for the 2023-2025 biennium. . Participating on a state committee is a great way to connect and network with members across the state, and to be involved in DKG at the state level.
From TNSO Treasurer Dr. Dianne Anderson:
Treasurers:
Don’t forget that dues are due June 30, 2024. That is not the final deadline but rather the first one. Unpaid members will get an email on August 1, 2024 reminding them to pay their dues and then another on September 1, 2024. Unpaid members will be dropped on October 1, 2024.
You may turn in dues as often as you want. If you have any problems with the dues portal or are new to the office of Treasurer and have questions—please do not hesitate to contact me at andersond3851@gmail.com. We can set up a zoom meeting and go over how to work with the dues portal.
From TNSO First Vice President Chasity Ragsdale to Officers, Committee Chairs, and Area Directors: If you have not set up your Google account, or had issues when setting it up, please send an email to: tndkg.corrsec@gmail.com Here is a video to help you set up your account:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1II_CiAWVeUQrYXACH9Ve7jWKNhdYPShn/view
Also, Chasity has a new email address: tndkg.1stvice@gmail.com
Many of our committees are excited to share information with you and want to keep you up to date on deadlines and events:
Harriet King and the Arts and Personal Growth Committee:
We have confirmed the Venue in the Village at Casey Jones Village in Jackson for September 27-28, 2024, for our Creative Arts Retreat. We will send out more information about the availability of motels soon. The cost will be $30.00 and the link for the registration form is here: https://forms.gle/mKyuXyYaiY1bLy3s6
Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to come for a weekend of fun, fellowship and creativity! We need a volunteer to do a music workshop and a writing workshop at the Arts Retreat in September. If you would like to help, contact Harriet King at hking13@outlook.com ASAP.
Beth Naylor and the TNSO Awards Committee:
The new and improved Maycie Chapter Excellence form is coming! The new form is streamlined for simplicity for chapters. It will be presented as a Google Form for award submission and as a PDF for chapters to use as a worksheet. The new format was shared at the TNSO State Convention, and chapter presidents had an opportunity to review the new form and make suggestions and provide input. At the end of July, the Awards Committee will release a video on the web site and on Facebook to show the new form and explain how to use it as a tool throughout the year, and then how to submit for points. Opportunities for points will not change significantly, so chapters can go ahead and plan activities and participation in accordance with the old form until the new one is shared.
Linda McCrary and the TNSO Bylaws and Rules Committee:
Thank you for submitting your chapter Rules for review by the TNSO Bylaws and Rules Committee. We appreciate you. If you were unable to submit your Rules in 2024 more information can be found at https://www.tndkg.org/. Click on Resources and scroll to Bylaws and Rules.
Dr. Elaine Vaughan and the Chapter Strengthening Committee:
Chapter Strengthening Due Date: September 30, 2024
The Chapter Strengthening Committee has released the link to the Connection Survey for 2024. Chapters may earn the Connection Award certificate for completing the survey by Monday, September 30, 2024. Please use the following link to earn your Maycie Points and the Connection Award certificate:
https://forms.gle/wMo7dgmKE9E2wU2y9
Judy England and the Communications and Marketing Committee:
I wish to congratulate all the chapters that have submitted newsletters this past year. You may continue to submit your chapter newsletters to the committee member to whom you previously submitted. If your chapter would like to submit newsletters but you aren't sure who to send them to, you find the list on tndkg.org. Go to Resources, select Communications and Marketing; there you will find the contact list for your chapter. I hope to get newsletter participation from every chapter!
TNSO 2nd VP Terry Sharp and the Convention Steering Committee:
Many thanks to the Convention Steering Committee and to all who volunteered as pages, table hostesses, etc. for a wonderful state convention!
Chasity Ragsdale and the TNSO Educational Excellence Committee:
Please continue sending in your excellent chapter programs and projects to be included on the EEC Corner Spotlight on the website. Congratulations to Lambda and Kappa Chapters for winning the Iris Award for best program and project!
Dr. Dorrie Powell and the TNSO Finance Committee:
From the Finance Committee:
Each biennium, the TNSO Finance Committee develops a two-year budget under which the state organization will operate for the second year of the current biennium and the first year of the next one. The proposed budget for 2024-2025/2025-2026 was approved during the TNSO Executive Board meeting May 19 and is attached to this Leadership Links.
Contact committee chair, Dr. Dorrie Powell, with questions. powell.dorrie@gmail.com or 731-234-5763.
Belinda Juergens and the TNSO Leadership Development Committee:
Mark your calendar for the second Beginning Leadership Seminar which is scheduled for September 13-14, 2024 at Henry Horton State Park. The registration form is below:
Dr. Carolyn Tucker and Brenda Oldham and the TNSO Legislation Committee:
Please contact Dr. Carolyn Tucker at ladybaldwintucker@gmail.com or Brenda Oldham at
travelers4043@bellsouth.net and let them know the contact information for your chapter Legislation Committee Chair. They would like to provide updates on legislative news and events.
Sixty-nine DKG members from 26 states attended the US Forum in Washington DC in March. This was an exceptionally well planned event, sponsored by DKG, which heightened the importance of legislative awareness.
If your TN chapter was not represented at the Forum, you might want to consider sending a legislative minded member in 2026. The forum is a fully-packed four day meeting covering all topics affecting education, legislation, member involvement and instruction before lobbying Congress. Registration fees cover meals and the hotel room rate is reduced for attendees. This is one of DKG's best efforts to educate members with useful information for application at all levels of involvement. Beverly Hall, Lynn Caruthers, Linda McCrary, Pam Thompson, and Brenda Oldham attended from TN.
The most recent Forum newsletter is attached below.
Dr. Linda Eller and the TNSO Membership Committee:
Question: Is your chapter required to vote on new members? See the answer in the attached document below from International, "Voting on a Member"
The TNSO Membership Committee will be offering new awards this biennium for the chapter that reinstates the greatest percentage of dropped members. For the data on members from your chapter that have dropped that you would like to contact, email Linda Eller at tndkg.mem@gmail.com for a listing. Please send Linda Eller a list of reinstated members so that you will be eligible for recognition. Congratulations to the chapters who received awards and recognition at the convention.
The75 page Membership Moments booklet can be found on the state website at www.tndkg.org or can be accessed here. https://www.tndkg.org/_files/ugd/4ad137_72ad2fda6a504ff99238137fd326ed82.pdf
Sandra Pineault and the Nominations Committee:
I hope you are taking time to enjoy summer activities, be they outdoors or staying inside to stay cool. It is important to us all to recharge, and for many, especially those still in the classroom, summer is the best time to do this. While you take some extra time for yourself, please consider committing to a greater engagement to DKG by applying to be a state officer or to serve on an elected committee—Finance, Personnel, Nominations or the Vision Foundation Board.
I hope you will also commit to encouraging promising women in your chapters to submit applications for these positions. There are so many great leaders in our ranks; sometimes it only takes a word from someone else to encourage them to step up to serve on the state level. Make a commitment to speak to at least one person in your chapter to help give them the confidence to apply for one of the officer or elected committee positions.
Applications are found on the TN DKG website at https://www.tndkg.org/forms and are accepted through October 31, 2024. You could make a valuable contribution to the Tennessee State Organization in the 2025-27 biennium by applying or encouraging someone else to apply for one of the positions.
Janice Stooksberry and the TNSO Personnel Committee:
All TNSO Related Personnel have been retained for the next year, and contracts are being signed. We appreciate the excellent work of our Treasurer, Dr. Dianne Anderson; Executive Secretary, Jennifer Lusk; Webmaster, Sherrie Collins; and Editor, Michelle Steen.
Elaine Warwick and the TNSO Planning Committee:
TNSO Chapter Strategic Plan Update for 2023
The TNSO Planning Committee asks state committees, state officers and related personnel, chapters, and members to review the current TSO Strategic Plan and propose changes that you think are needed. The current plan, as well as the form for submitting changes, appears at www.tndkg.org under Resources/Strategic Plan. Please send suggested changes to Planning Committee Chair Elaine Warwick (elainewarwick@att.net) by November 1, 2024. (form is attached below) Thank you for benefiting the state organization and your chapter by your efforts in planning!
The Planning Committee conducted a survey of all state chapters concerning the updating of their chapter strategic plan. The information gleaned from this survey is very enlightening and needs to be shared with all the stakeholders involved. Attached below is a summary of the chapter strategic plan survey results.
Please look at these results, share and discuss them with your chapter members. You will find that chapters have similar concerns such as membership retention and recruitment. Collaborate with other chapters in your area and find ways to help each other or share ideas. Contact your area director, TN Chapter Strengthening Committee, or other state officers if you need assistance in any way.
If you would like a copy of all survey results in an Excel spreadsheet, I would be happy to share it with you. Contact me at elainewarwick@att.net.
Cindy Lynn and the TNSO Scholarship Committee:
The Scholarship Committee was pleased to award a $3000 dollar scholarship this past year. We would love to award more next year. Chapters need to encourage members to apply for scholarships as their members work towards higher degrees.
Linda Mann and Mildred Nelson and the TNSO Special Events Committee:
Thank you for your donations to the Silent Auction at the TNSO Convention. The auction raised $2840.00, and another $1298.00 was raised through the sale of Iris Notecards and other Iris-themed merchandise for a total of $4138.00. All proceeds benefit leadership development for our state.
Mary Wadley and the TNSO State Projects Committee
EARLY CAREER EDUCATORS PROMOTIONAL FLYER IS HERE!!
EXCITING NEW STATE PROJECT - The TNSO State Projects Committee has received a Lucile Cornetet Seminar Award in the amount of $3064.00 And a Vision Foundation Award of $2500.00 to host three regional workshops for early career educators in the fall of 2024. Workshops have been scheduled for September 21, 2024 at St. Columba Retreat in Memphis, October 26, 2024 at The Dwelling Place in White Bluff, and November 16, 2024 at Falls Creek Falls State Park. Here is the link to the promotional flyer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a3AthnQLHCvE1ukOEJeh7SoP6zG10c9Y/view?usp=sharing
It is also attached to this newsletter as a PDF.
Please email this to administrators, Central Office, and any early career educators you know. Who is eligible? All who have been teaching 5 years or less. You do not have to be a DKG member. Male teachers are welcome also! This is a positive step forward in our mission of supporting educators and excellence in education.
Area Directors
Be sure and contact your Area Director and invite her to a chapter meeting. Your Area Directors are there to support your chapter, and to aid in organizing activities and gatherings within your area. The list of Area Directors is attached, as well as the Area Realignment map.
Contact your Area Director and ask about the possibility of some of your area chapters combining for a joint Orientation for new members. Any of our TNSO Officers and Related Personnel and our Chapter Strengthening Chair would love to be invited to help facilitate the orientation. They possess a wealth of knowledge about our society and they rarely have the opportunity to visit with chapters. Officers and Related Personnel include the following:
East Tennessee: 2nd VP Terry Sharp and Webmaster Sherrie Collins. Chapter Strengthening Committee Chair Dr. Elaine Vaughan.
Middle Tennessee: President Marsha Brewer, 1st VP Chasity Ragsdale, Recording Secretary Dr. Regina Henry, Corresponding Secretary Belinda Juergens, Executive Secretary Jenni Lusk, and Parliamentarian Dr. Kathie Harned
West Tennessee: Treasurer Dr. Dianne Anderson and Editor Michelle Steen.
Calendar
July 9 - 13, 2024 - DKG International Convention in National Harbor, MD (Gaylord National, D.C. Area)
July 12, 2024 - Tennessee Night at the International Convention
July 15, 2024 - Chapter Treasurers' Reports Due to International
August 1, 2024 - Collegial Exchange Submissions Due
September 13-14, 2024 - Beginning Leadership Seminar
September 15, 2024 - Arts and Humanities Fall Gallery Submissions Due
September 21, 2024 - Early Career Educators Survival Kit Workshop (West)
September 27-28, 2024 - TNSO Creative Arts Retreat
September 30, 2024 - All Dues must be entered in the portal to avoid members being dropped October first.
October 1, 2024 - Bulletin: Journal Submission (International)
October 26, 2024 - Early Career Educators Survival Kit Workshop (Middle)
November 1, 2024 - DKGIEF Cornetet CIPD Application due
November 1, 2024 - DKGIEF Cornetet CSPD Application due
November 15, 2024 - Chapter Treasurers must file IRS form 990
November 15, 2024 - Bulletin: Collegial Exchange Submission
November 16, 2024 - Early Career Educators Survival Kit Workshop (East)
June 5-7, 2025 - TNSO Convention
