September 5, 2018
Dear Sisters, I am honored to be serving as the Eta Chapter President for the next two years. My theme for this biennium is Simply Sincere Sisterhood. We will be seeking to appreciate what makes each of our sisters in Eta Chapter so unique and special, and to strengthen the bonds between us. Some activities being planned in addition to our meetings are game/movie nights, a holiday outing to the Gordon Roberts House, a tour of the new Allegany High School, and other opportunities to spend time getting to know our sisters more sincerely. Our first meeting will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 6 at the South End Library in Cumberland. As part of our meeting, we will each select a special sister for the year, and make a craft item to give to her. Then, for those who would like to share lunch, we will travel to a local eatery at the conclusion of the meeting. Your annual dues reminder is included with this letter along with a magnetic schedule of meetings. Dues may be sent directly to Jane Belt or brought to the first meeting. Also, it isn’t too soon to think about Operation Christmas Child donations. Please bring hygiene items (no toothpaste or liquids please) or school supplies for children ages 0-18 which can be packed and mailed at our November project meeting (date to be determined). Monetary Donations will also be accepted to offset the cost of postage. Last year Eta Chapter donated and packed nearly 100 boxes! Here’s hoping for a special year with our sisters. Sincerely, Kim Sloane
0 Comments
by Sue Morgan
For the past two years, Eta Chapter has had a "partnership" with Westernport Elentary school. A cadre of, mostly retired, members has volunteered for individual or small group activities in Kindergarten and First Grade classes once a week. We had a presence at the school, but each person only had to go once a month. The staff has gotten to know us especially since this year we provided treats for American Education Week. Because of the Greek letters, the staff equates us with a Sorority rather than a Society, hence the sign. We haven't gotten any new members, but we're hopeful that some of the staff will join is in the future. Kely Griffin conducted the June 9 meeting at the Cumberland Country Club. The officers for the 2018-2020 Biennium were sworn into office.
The Alpha Beta State Leadership Conference was held on May 5, 2018 at Bowie, MD. Kelly Griffin, Sue Morgan, Michelle Saville, Kim Sloane and Minnie Young attended. DKG Executive Director Nita Scott was the guest speaker. She spoke about expanding the definition of "educator" and exploring other possibilities for membership. There were two workshops: Money Matters with Mark Ring and Creative Writing with Lulu Delacre. Kim attended the Chapter Presidents' Training.
Twelve sisters gathered at the Gordon Roberts House for tea service and chapter meeting on March 17, 2018. It was a special arrangement as the House will not be open to the public until April. We enjoyed a tour of the house afterwards with volunteers from the Historical Society. Director, Evan Slonaker, and Asst. Director, Lindsay Lindsay welcomed us. Docent, Amy Monaco, gave us a tour of the house. We also thank Kitchen Assistant, Linda Droll, Sue Morgan is the current president of the Historical Society.
Sisters gathered at Patrick's Pub in Cumberland for a time of fellowship. It provided us a chance to chat and "catch up" since we hadn't seen each other since the first week of December.
Shown in photo are Florence, Sue, Kelly, Bev, Annette, Sandy, Kim, and Michelle. Photo provided by Florence Saku. The sisters of Eta Chapter gathered in December for their annual Holiday auction. Funds from the auction are used to support our scholarships. Members brought baked goods, crafts, and themed items to auction. It was fun to watch the bidding wars. Everyone had a great time!
Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma packed 85 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child on November 15, 2017. Members of the chapter donated hygiene items, school supplies, and toys in order to fill the boxes. Barb Arnone and her granddaughter, Riley, JP Lewis, Kelly Griffin, Sandy Stevens, Bev Hoopengardner, Annette Flanigan and Jane Belt met at Michelle Saville's Kindergarten classroom to pack the boxes. The shoeboxes are then delivered to children all over the world through the organization, Samaritan's Purse. Eta Chapter has been packing shoeboxes for the past six years, and each year the chapter increases the number of shoeboxes packed for children world-wide. Photos and Blog Post by Michelle Saville The sisters of Alpha Beta State gathered at Ashton United Methodist Church on Saturday, November 4, 2017, for a society workshop on the revitalization of our organization. We were honored to have Becky Sandowski facilitate this workshop. Becky is the current 2nd Vice President of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Becky shared statistics regarding declining membership. The goal for the day was to begin thinking about Alpha Beta State’s strategic plan. The day kicked off with sharing the strengths of Alpha Beta State. Concerns and roadblocks were also shared. After lunch, the sisters were split into three groups: Membership, Communication, and Leadership Development. Each group was asked to come up with suggestions and actions that addressed the concerns and roadblocks mentioned earlier in the day. Each group then shared their top three points to the entire assembly. The strategic plan was not written on this day, but the groundwork was laid to make it an easier task in the coming months.
The Eta Chapter joined our Alpha Alpha sisters for a fall meeting in beautiful Garrett County. Evan West, UNISERV Director for the Allegany and Garrett County Education Associations spoke to the group about the important work being done regarding the Kirwan Commission and what actions we as educators and community members can take. We were also blessed with a visit by Sharon Darling. We were her first chapter visit of the biennium!
|
Chapter President's BlogMichelle Saville Archives
November 2023
Categories |