Delta Kappa Gamma MemberSHIP

Smooth Sailing

for New Presidents

Xi State Web site Membership Section

What will be available thereThis PowerPoint PresentationGames TemplatesCompleted Games to use for

Orientation/ReorientationDelta Kappa Gamma Song in Mnemonic

formOther document files to help you build your

chapter

International Web Site

Page for Membership Committee has the following:Download for “Delta Kappa Gamma 101”

PowerPoint for OrientationLinks for ordering Membership Anniversary

pins, brochures on membershipDownload of graphics files for Society

emblems and insignia

Reinstated and Transfer Members

No fee for reinstatementAny members can ask for reinstatement

at any time, but chapter votesGeographic relocation or job change

may trigger transfer to another chapterAll Active, Reserve, and Honorary

members in good standing are eligible to transfer to another chapter

Keys to finding new members

Think outside the classroomUse a variety of means to identify

prospects Consider all kinds of educators, not just

those like ourselves

Who will be your new members?

According to the International

Constitution: Active members shall be women who

are employed in educational work at the time of election and have had three or more years of experience as professional educators (Article III, B1).

Other classifications of membership

ReserveMust request transfer from active

membership based on inability to attend due to long-term physical problems or geographic location

HonoraryMust have performed significant service to

women and/or education but be ineligible for active membership

For Active membership have you considered…

Classroom teachers?Administrators?College or trade school instructors?Instructional Aides? Paraprofessionals?Private or charter school teachers?Educational program administrators?Private tutors?

For Active membership have you considered…

Librarians instructing in the public library?

Church school education department leaders?

Business employees responsible for employee training?

Pre-school and nursery school teachers?

Or These …

Registered nurses who present educational programs?

State or countywide teacher training educators?

State Department of Education employees who provide educational services?

Corporate trainers and seminar leaders?

Have you looked in these places for Professional Educators?

School or work place for regular and part-time teaching staff, specialists, substitutes, support personnel, and administrators

District, county, state, national, international schools; countrywide service centers; universities; professional career training institutes

Grade level, department, curriculum or professional development meetings, conferences, workshops, and conventions

Or These?

Community colleges, adult and community education courses

Board of Education, local community, and public board meetings

Organized community park, recreation, sport, and leisure time programs

Pre-school, private, parochial, charter, alternative schools, and senior citizen centers

Have you looked here for Professional Educators?

Hospital, nursing home, assisted living, and care centers

Public libraries, museums, institutes, and service organizations

Private businesses and corporations for individuals responsible for training and in servicing or creating instructional or training materials

Don’t forget to consider these as well…

Health, wellness, personal growth, travel, enrichment, hobby, parenting, human growth and development speakers and events

Local tutors and private teachers (instruments, drama, painting, …)

Social and community eventsInternet interactions and relationships

Can you considered prospects such as these?

Susan, a resource teacher for “gifted” students for 22 years, is planning to retire in June.

Anita, an extraordinary teacher, is beginning her third year in the classroom.

Jean, a retired teacher, volunteers as a docent at a local art institute.

Jane accepted the chapter’s invitation to membership 15 months ago, but has been unable to attend an initiation.

How about these?

Ingrid, a police officer, is assigned to work with teachers and students regarding safety, violence and abuse.

MaryAnn was an unpaid tutor for many years; now, she serves on the Board of Education

Heidi just finished her education to become a kindergarten teacher; she wants to join.

And these?

Liisa, an engineer, trains small girls in skiing and skating during her leisure time; she has spoken to school groups about the benefits of an active life.

Antji, a retired university professor, was invited to membership two years ago; now that she has time, she is interested.

Sigridur will retire in two years from the municipal library; she was a school librarian for five years early in her career.

Grete has written many plays and short stories for children during the past decade.

What about these?

Sylvia taught six years before leaving teaching; she returned to the classroom two years ago.

Kay has been an instructional aide in a Special Education classroom for seven years.

For two years Amy has done pre-school story time/story telling programs as librarian at the public library.

Shirley has been a district pre-school/Head Start teacher for five years.

Can these women be members?

Valerie is retiring in January, three months before the chapter’s scheduled initiation.

Reverend Joanne organized the religious education program in her church and has taught in it for five years.

Tammy is student teaching in the high school English department.

Laura has written the training manuals and has been responsible for in-service training at XYZ Corporation for twelve years.

Finally, these?

Carol taught in the district’s adult education program for twelve years.

After teaching for five years, Beth is the new principal of a private, alternative high school.

Donna has completed her fifth year of teaching at a community college.

Andrea completed her doctorate in early childhood education although she has not yet actually taught.

Michelle is a professor in the Accounting Department at the state university

If in doubt…

Check with the Xi State Membership Committee

Check with Jill Foltz - Program and Membership Services Administrator

Check with the International Membership Committee

Are these membership practices acceptable?

Epsilon chapter initiates new members every other year.

Xi chapter pays the state and International dues for Marlene who resides in a nursing home.

Both Phi and Pi chapters collect partial chapter dues from Sara, a “snow bird,” who spends part of the year in each of the two states.

What about these?

Gamma members invite friends, educators and other non-members to chapter meetings.

Sigma chapter members insist that Chris join their chapter instead of Tau chapter, because she works in Sigma’s chapter territory.

Upsilon chapter approaches district superintendents and universities to acquire names of potential candidates for membership.

And these?

Due to chapter size, Alpha refused to reinstate Ann, suggesting she join Kappa instead.

Rho distributes DKG flyers and information at community events.

Mu invites area women educators to a countywide speaker and ΔΚΓ information night and encourages those present to consider membership in the Society.

Are these membership practices OK?

Beta’s orientation involves all chapter members, rather than only the Membership Committee members.

Zeta chapter initiates Audrey, a candidate previously not accepted by Chi chapter.

Nu chapter members are approached by Barbara who wants to become a member, and she is immediately accepted without vote.

Omega members oppose the transfer of D’Anne into their chapter.

Are these?

Lambda members help Debbie with transfer process and paperwork.

Iota assigns initiation to Membership Committee; Eta assigns it to Program Committee.

Omicron added a Sabbatical classification for the purposes of chapter dues assessment.

Theta collects Reserve state and international dues for Betsy who is on a leave of absence.

Delta destroys financial and membership files after 5 years.

Orientation is crucial for new members and current ones, too.

Make certain that new members understand the history and current structure of the Society

Make it easy for them to learn customs, procedures, and ceremonies

Use “Delta Kappa Gamma 101”Use game formats to test all your

members on facts about the Society (games on the Xi State web site)

After initiation, your work is far from over because new members need

NurturingPersonalizing BondingMentoring

Members need nurturing…

Use chapter telephone trees and the Internet to contact members.

Carpool to help older or inactive members get to meetings.

Offer financial help with members’ dues and fees, if needed.

Create a buddy system so each member can keep in close touch with another member.

Send personal notes or make phone calls to members not attending.

More ways to nurture

Select programs and chapter activities based on members’ interests and highlighting their strengths.

Establish a chapter committee or “Care Group“ to regularly check on inactive or older members. Rotate the committee membership so all members can serve in this capacity.

Move the meeting to a home, retirement community or care facility where members reside to permit their attendance.

They need personalizing…

Feature a member’s biography or a short skit about a member or two at chapter meetings. Include this and similar information in the chapter newsletter for everyone to read.

Use nametags for all.Create a “Me” bag, containing

information about a member, then ask others to guess “Who?”

More personalizing strategies

Encourage members to sit with unfamiliar women at selected meetings or events.

Keep current data about members, including contact information, personal and professional interests and abilities.

Send cards on special occasions, to celebrate successes, or for illness.

Record the oral history of a “treasured rose” in the chapter. Use video / audio tape or pen and ink. Present the finished product at a chapter meeting.

They need bonding…

Use members’ expertise for planning and presenting programs.

Assign all members to a chapter committee. Encourage chairmen to involve everyone on the committee in the group’s business, decisions, and projects.

More bonding activities

Have warm-up activities during which those present must match a fact with a member, like: Who is a charter member? Who was born in Singapore? Whose hobby is calligraphy?

Schedule social time at every gathering to allow members to become better acquainted.

Select a chapter project in which all members can actively participate.

Assign groups to give presentations or make meeting arrangements, so these teams can celebrate their shared successes.

They need mentoring…

Help a new member or an uninvolved member become involved.

Invite a member to attend an area, state, or regional meeting with you.

Inform members about opportunities for personal and professional growth in the Society (ΔΚΓ scholarships, training, US and international contacts, etc.).

More mentoring strategies…

Encourage newer members to accept leadership roles, first, in the chapter, then, on the coordinating council, state and international levels.

Talk to a member about personal or professional goals and how the Society and its members can help her reach these goals.

Answer questions about the Society. Help members understand activities, benefits, and positions at all levels of the organization.

Still more mentoring tips…

Invite members from other chapters and friends of members to present chapter programs.

Invite a state officer or committee chairman to visit and interact with members.

Encourage “show and tell” for members who are active at the state and international levels.

Which all lead to retaining members

Actively seek to involve all members at meetings and in chapter activities.

Check to see why members joined, what member expectations are in the Society, and whether these expectations are being met.

Meet members’ needs. Pay dues for members experiencing financial

difficulty.

More ways to retain members…

Use the Program Resource Guide to plan engaging and relevant programs.

Together, use “healthy” chapter practices. Reach out to include new target groups of

educators, while supporting current members

Final advice

Don’t take it personally when members resign or fail to pay dues

Do your best and grow with the jobAsk for help from your chapter members,

state officers and committee chairmen, and from International. We all want you to be the best president your chapter has ever had.