News from Ohio State Organization
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Believe
:: Belong :: Build
“WE ARE TEACHERS...WE THINK QUICK ON OUR FEET…WE ARE FLEXIBLE...WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!” -Ann Todd, Zeta
Six weeks ago, Ohio’s teachers were given a virtual classroom directive and are, by all measures, reimagining what the future of education may bring. Our nation’s educators are truly amazing. All that has been accomplished in the past weeks boggles the mind, and yet at the same time inspires me, gives me hope and makes me abundantly proud of our profession. Without all of the additional educational trappings…they made it happen, made it seem easy and seemingly happen overnight.
In the anecdotal stories, we all have viewed during the local/national newscasts these past weeks, it is copiously clear our teachers took charge and were allowed to do, for the most part, what is best for their students. Without the stress of pending state tests or limitations of a required standardized curriculum, creative concepts, ingenious solutions, clever skillfulness, resourcefulness, inventiveness, and yes, even gifts/talents of our hardworking educators came spilling forth and into public view. Perhaps, the greatest impact and/or difference in shaping the lives of an entire generation may not be in the virtual content taught during this international pandemic, but rather by the teacher/student connectivity through spoken words of encouragement, smiles and laughs during conversations, a teacher’s drive-by visit or a safe/socially distancing home visit to help a distressed student with math, compassion shared by all, parental/student appreciation, the love and hope instilled during online chats, unexpected phone calls, or receiving special personalized cards and notes in the mail. Tasks our teachers are exceptionally equipped to do, because it is what they do best…love their students to change the world! I am in total awe, most grateful, plus exceeding thankful to our classroom teachers as they continue to bring a degree of normalcy to the uncertainty of this difficult and unprecedented pandemic crisis. Without a doubt…there are heroes among us!
Take care! Be safe! Be strong! Stay positive!
Diana
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Important Updates for Chapter Presidents
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Due to the unprecedented pandemic crisis, it became necessary to review, make adjustments and to streamline the Gold Key requirements and the Chapter President's report. Below are links to all the updated information and report forms that need to be completed and submitted by June 30,2020. All the forms are also available on the website
https://www.dkgohio.org
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What I Have Learned Over The Past Two Months
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The past two months have certainly been different than what I thought they would be when the year 2020 started. After months of planning and working on numerous projects, the weekend of the DKG Ohio State Convention passed with all of us staying in our homes. Who would have thought that could happen, but it did. Over the past two months, we have had the opportunity to reflect on those things that truly matter in our lives. We have had the opportunity to see how important many of the workers who provide services to us truly are. We have had the opportunity to witness how kind and generous people can be when life gets scary and challenging. I want to share a few of the things I have learned over the past two months.
- Technology is my friend!! I have been able to have video visits with my grandkids after digging my laptop out of the closet.
- I can still sew well enough to make face masks out of old bed sheets, though the needle is much more difficult to thread.
- I should have bought stock in Charmin toilet paper. Who knew!
- Much money can be saved by not wearing make-up!
- My husband and I are still able to paint our living room, but it takes us three days to recover from the experience.
- Parents appreciate teachers more. Jimmy Fallon said teachers should be paid a billion dollars after trying to home school his daughters.
- My brother who is a respiratory therapist in Dayton and my brother-in-law who is an OR nurse in Dallas, are very special men, and I love them dearly.
- Some of my friends and family members are still receiving chemotherapy, because cancer hasn’t gone away.
- The sunshine seems especially brilliant and the beautiful flowers that are blooming are magnificent. There have actually been years when my daffodils have bloomed, and I didn’t even notice them.
- What a blessing it is to hear the voice of a friend or family member on the phone.
Take the time to call someone today. Texts and emails are good ways to stay in touch, but there is something special about hearing a person’s voice. Call a friend, neighbor, or family member and just chit-chat. Take care and stay safe. This will pass!
Linda Diltz, Beta Rho
Convention Coordinator
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The Jigsaw Puzzle of
Chapter Leadership Training
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THE ISSUE:
How, where, and when to safely present key information to incoming chapter officers as near to the beginning of their biennium as possible while being cognizant of the demands and needs of those presenting information, the health and safety of all, and the ever increasing stress level facing members and their families, the state, and our nation.
RECOMMENDATION:
Weave the training within the
OSO 2020 August Convention
as follows:
- Provide a shortened version of the training on Friday, August 28th, beginning with a light lunch at 12:00 and ending at 3:00. Knowing non-retired members serving as incoming chapter presidents may not be able to attend, videotape the presentation and have this available following Convention. As has been the established practice, charge a fee for lunch and materials.
- Provide a combined second and third break-out session on Saturday, August 29th, for a total of 2 hours for those unable to attend Friday’s session. As has been the established practice, charge a fee for materials. Due to room size, the audience will be limited to 50 with first preference given to new Chapter Presidents and Treasurers.
- Provide an informal conversation following the conclusion of the Convention on Sunday, August 30th, to field questions and concerns.
- The Chapter Leadership Training Reservation Form will be available in the July edition of The Voice.
Normally I enjoy a jigsaw puzzle as the finished product always presents itself so very neatly along the journey. Alas, this has not been the case with the mounting and everchanging uncertainty of these times. However, with the voices and guidance of OSO Officers, this puzzle is taking shape with all the pieces coming together.
OSO looks forward to fitting YOU into the puzzle! Come join us!
Dr. Lois Harkins, Alpha Lambda
Leadership Development
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A bouquet of gratitude and appreciation . . .
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. . .is sent to all
"staunch, courageous"
members who have contributed to your Alpha Delta State Ohio Educational Foundation. Your Board of Directors and Donor Relations Committee are humbled and inspired by your generosity and support.
Funding the Future of Excellence in Education
is our goal. You are the strength that is making that goal a reality. Whether you have written a check, purchased raffle tickets, placed a bid on an original art item, made a donation to the "Building From The Heart" campaign, or sent a contribution "in Honor of" or "in Memory of" a DKG sister or loved one, you are the rock upon which our Foundation is built.
With your generous donations Nominchimeg Davaanyam, our A. Margaret Boyd Fellowship recipient, is completing her graduate studies at Kent State University; ten student teachers at state-supported universities throughout Ohio will be better prepared to begin their careers educating future generations; and teachers have been able to enhance student learning because of the Individual/Classroom/Community Project awards they received.
Although you may never know the full impact of your contribution, you have made a difference. Like flowers, the beauty of your gift gave joy to those who received it. The seeds of your gift will be planted and nurtured to continue the future work of your Foundation.
Thank You!
Debra, Mary Ellen, Patricia, Norma and Chairman Betty Monahan
Your ADSOEF Donor Relations Committee
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Grateful, Esther H Strickland Grant Recipient, Marie Dean, Shares Her Experience of Student Teaching
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I am beyond grateful to have been a recipient of this award from such a noble organization. The scholarship given to me lessened the financial burden that was given to me as a second-year graduate student earning my degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Speech and Language Pathology from Bowling Green State University.
This semester, I am student teaching with Sylvania City Schools. I spend four and a half days a week at Northview High School, and a half day at LEAP which is a school for students with emotional disturbances. I greatly enjoy going to my student teaching placement every day to help students improve their ability to communicate with others, understand/use oral and written expression, succeed in school, as well as improve their social skills to gain friends and get a job.
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Ohio Foster Care Children/Youth Are Experiencing Challenges during this Coronavirus Pandemic
Ohio has more than16,000 children living in “houseless” temporary placement environments according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The state has 7,880 licensed foster homes, but only 4,400 of those homes had children that were placed in them. Some of the reasons for the decline in temporary home placement for foster care children include…
- fear of accepting a child that might have been exposed to the illness,
- mounting financial challenges within the foster care families own homes,
- foster children placement problems that are ‘falling apart’ due to children being forced to ‘stay-at-home’ in one location,
- foster children may start to exhibit behavior challenges,
- as well as struggles dealing with the foster child’s routines changing radically.
In addition to all of these obstacles, the foster child is also unable to have ‘in-person’ supervised visits to see family members and must resort to phone calls, FaceTime and Zoom.
It has also been reported that when colleges had to close radically, youth who were without permanent family homes, and were now older than the required age for placement/services for a foster care youth, are now faced with the risk of being homeless.
Children and youth who are in the Foster Care community experience many different types of layers of emotions and challenges during these times of transition in our world.
During this season of uncertainty, as sisters in our Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Chapters across Ohio, let’s remember our children/youth in the Foster Care community in our thoughts as we continue supporting them with our gifts of love.
Melodie A. McGee, Educational Excellence Chairman
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COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
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Email Address Update
Chapter presidents, please share the following information with all your chapter members.
NOTICE:
If we have your school address on file, please provide an alternate email address. It is quite possible that your school is blocking our communication with you.
Follow Us On Facebook
Are you following our Ohio State Organization Facebook page? If not, follow the link:
https://www.facebook.com/DKGOSO/
. We post items from International, state and chapters. Some surprises are coming!
CLICK! FOLLOW! ENJOY!
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The Buckeye/Cherry Membership Challenge Update
What started out as an exciting membership challenge has obviously lost its momentum, but only temporarily. After conferring with the Michigan State Organization's leadership team, we have decided to extend the Buckeye Cherry Membership Challenge until March 1, 2021. Everything else will remain the same. The OSO membership team will have more information to share with chapter presidents at the next Executive board meeting.
The OSO membership team will be attending Zoom meetings to update the requirements for Gold Key and review the Strategic Plan. We will share those updates with everyone through upcoming editions of The Voice.
I would like to remind chapter presidents, both current and those starting their term in July, to please continue to send Form 6: Death of a Member to me as soon as it is possible for every member that passed away. It is my responsibility, but more importantly my honor to mail sympathy cards to the relative listed on the form and it should be done in a timely manner. You may email the form to me at
membership@ohiodkg.org
,
first.vp@ohiodkg.org
, or 309 N Bingham St, Oak Hill, OH 45656.
Debby Canter, Delta Epsilon
First Vice President/Membership Chair
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Zeta Chapter members created approximately 150 "Thinking of you" or "Thank you for your service" hand-made note cards to distribute through the Blue Star Mothers of America organization in Bellevue, Ohio. We have several members who make handmade cards on a regular basis and were willing to lead the rest of the chapter through the process. ...Teaching by leading!
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The Gamma Pi Chapter has been working hard on the Foster Care Initiative. A Blanket Ministry was held with 24 members making blankets to go to Comfort and Hope which provides Birthday Bags and Comfort Blankets to those in need since 2005. Gamma Pi also contributed toward the Easter Project by donating stuffed animals, small toys and candy.
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The Gold Key Chapter Award was introduced in Alpha Delta State (Ohio Organization) in 1983 to underscore the importance of the chain of communication, which links chapter members and their International, State, and Chapter organizations into one effective Society. In 1984, Louisa Strock (Beta Zeta), State Communications Chairman, presented the first Gold Keys to thirteen chapters, Honors to nineteen chapters, and Honorable Mention to twenty-three chapters. Louisa and her committee had defined the rules for the Award.
Sally Gillmore, Sigma
OSO Historian, Liaison to The Ohio History Center
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Gold Key Online Application Due
Chapter President's Report Due
AUGUST 28 - 30, 2020
- OSO State Convention
Embassy Suites in Dublin, OH
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Remembering Our Lost Sisters
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