Alpha Alpha State Conference

June 10-12, 2011Alpha Zeta had 12 Sisters attend the Friday night Women of Distinction Ceremony. We also had the honor of recognizing two of our Alpha Zeta Sisters in the Album of Distinction, Sue Mullen and Joan Roy. Sue and Joan were honored for their service performed beyond the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Congratulations Sue and Joan! 9 Alpha Zeta members attended the full conference and had a wonderful experience.

Northeast Regional Conference

The Northeast Regional Conference is now history. What a great conference it was! We had 7 Alpha Zeta Sisters registered for the Conference. The theme of the Conference Embracing Our Vision-Designing Our Future was certainly realized by all who attended!

ALPHA ZETA NEWSM I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T : T O P R O M O T E P R O F E S S I O N A L A N D P E R S O N A L G R O W T H

O F W O M E N E D U C A T O R S A N D E X C E L L E N C E I N E D U C A T I O N

2 0 1 1 S U M M E R E D I T I O N

the

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE…

Dear Alpha Zeta Sisters,

Welcome to a new Alpha Zeta - Delta Kappa Gamma year! If you were like me you spent the majority of the

summer trying to beat the heat and trying to keep my flowers alive.

Summer 2011 is rapidly coming to a close and the school bells will be ringing for many of our Alpha Zeta

Sisters soon. As we begin this new school year let’s take time to reflect on all the changes that many are

facing at the start of the new school year. State budget cuts have affected many of our school districts.

Please know that your Alpha Zeta Sisters are here to help in any way we can as you begin your new

school year.

Teachers Helping Another Teacher will be a focus for this upcoming school year in the Alpha Zeta Chapter.

We need to hear from those still teaching about what we can do to help in your classrooms etc....

I am very excited about the excellent programs planned for this year. Our first meeting of the year will be

on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at the Towanda American Legion Hall, Towanda, Pa. We will have a buffet

dinner beginning at 4:45 with the Business Meeting starting at 6:00 followed by the Initiation Ceremony. We

will be welcoming 8 new Initiates this year!

We have some exciting changes this year and I continue to ask for your continued support, comments,

and guidance as we begin this new year together as “Leading Women Educators Impacting

Education Worldwide”.

With warm regards,

Linda

Membership Updates www.alphazetapa.weebly.com

Please check the Alpha Zeta webpage and see if your information is correct and up to date. Thanks to

all who responded this summer and many updates were made by webmaster Cindy Devonshire. Cindy is able

to travel throughout the US and still keep the webpage current.....many thanks to you Cindy!!

News from Our MembersBeth Carman reports that she is going on an Alaska cruise, leaving from San Francisco for a 12 day cruise through Inside Passage, she will be going with group of 20 family and friends.

Cindy and Phil Devonshire have been traveling cross country to Alaska since April 15th. We have really enjoyed seeing our beautiful country and traveling through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We have seen moose, bear, mountain goats and sheep, eagles, caribou and elk to name a few. We are in the west now and will be busy here with RV rallies and activities until we return home in September. We have been blessed with meeting up with friends and we have made some new friends along the way. See you all soon!

Marilyn Ayers traveled west to tour 11 national parks through 8 states and nearly 4000 miles in late June and early July. The trip was sponsored by the Northeast Bradford Foundation so there were about 30 from Bradford County. The spectacular scenery of Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, etc. was breath-takingly beautiful. Rafting the Snake River, jet-boating the Colorado, a steep horseback ride, a "hold-up" on the bus, and buffalo sirloin were just some of what we saw and experienced in our country.

Joyce Roof traveled with the Northeast Education Foundation for 14 days in June and July. We flew into Las Vegas and then boarded a tour Bus that traveled 3,817 miles through 8 states (Nevada, Utah,Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, and Arizona. We visited 11 National Parks, Salt Lake City, Denver, Vail, Mount Rushmore, The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, and Crazy Horse Memorial. Our tour ended at the Grand Canyon and returned us to Las Vegas where we spent a night before returning home. It was a wonderful trip with an excellent tour guide, bus driver, and travel group. Each day was like Christmas with new package to open. We live in a beautiful country with many diverse landscapes.

July 20 -24 I attended NERC in Hershey. It was an excellent meeting. It was well organized, the Hershey Lodge was a great location, speakers outstanding and great workshops. It was a FUN conference.

From Maureen Downs: Kevin and I enjoyed a trip aboard our boat, "Down Time" in August. We left from our marina on Cayuga Lake and leisurely locked through the Erie Canal east then north on the Oswego Canal to Oswego, NY. We crossed Lake Ontario and spent several days exploring Kingston, Ontario.

Carol Lane, Joyce Kerrick, Joyce Roof, Stephanie Olver, Linda Ferrario and Linda Nickerson attended the Northeast Regional Conference in Hershey, Pa. in July. The Alpha Zeta Sisters helped in many ways at the Conference. They enjoyed their time spent together and meeting new friends!

Dues NewsTo help expedite business at the September 22, 2011 meeting we are asking you to send your dues check to Treasurer Vicki VanNoy before the September meeting. Dues should be made payable to Alpha Zeta and sent to our Treasurer, Vicki VanNoy 7436 Route 514 Granville Summit, Pa. 16926. The dues will remain the same as last year.

Active - $80 ($40 International, $17 State, $22 Chapter, $1 Scholarship)

Reserve - $45 ($20 International, $2 State, $17 Chapter, $1 Scholarship)

If you wish, checks may be held for deposit until the last dues payment on October 30th. Just send a note with your check and it will be held until that date. Please make sure your dues are paid no later than the September meeting so we can keep an accurate count of members at this time.

Thank you in advance for sending dues in prior to the September 22nd meeting.

NEW INITIATES

We are excited to welcome 8 new initiates into the Alpha Zeta Chapter at our September 22, 2011 meeting.

The new Initiates are:

Ginger Lathrop- Troy

Lynn Eberlin- Sullivan County

Nicole Bradley- Canton

Fran Baumgartel- Towanda

Denise Amer- Sullivan County

Allison Polly- Troy

Sherry Spencer- Towanda

Deb Fitzwater- Canton

Show Your DKG PrideDisplay your pride as a member of DKG by wearing a DKG denim shirt. Carol Lane will have some shirts available for purchase at the September Alpha Zeta Chapter meeting. The cost of the shirts is $25.

Be on the Lookout for new Initiates!!Members from Athens, Sayre and Northeast Bradford need to be looking for key women educators from their districts to be recommended for membership in 2012. Recommendation forms are available from the Chapter President Linda Nickerson and the 2nd Vice President Naomi Edsell (membership chairperson). Official recommendations forms should be completed and returned to Naomi Edsell by October 24th in order to be presented at the November 5th meeting. The candidates will be voted upon at the March meeting with the initiation ceremony in September 2012.

Recruitment Grant ApplicationsCanton, Sullivan County, Towanda and Troy are the schools eligible to submit names for the 2012 Recruitment Grant. These applications are due at the November meeting. Names of Junior or Senior girls majoring in Education are eligible to be considered.

A Call for PresentersThe Creative Arts Retreat committee is looking for Sisters willing to share creative outlets. Do

you sketch, paint, sing, play guitar, stencil or do another craft of any kind? Maybe you have a

unique approach to an old Art to share. Please consider sharing your talent and sharing the

Sisterhood at the 2012 Creative Arts Retreat. Contact Grace Schauer at 495 Lake Drive Road,

Westfield, Pa. 16950 or call 814-628-2125 or email schauer@hughes.net.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND ENRICHMENT GRANTS

Alpha Alpha State Scholarships and Enrichment Grants are available to members in good standing who have held membership for at least three years. State Scholarships are offered for graduate study leading to an advanced degree or certification, or job/self improvement. A scholarship recipient may apply more than one time, but an individual’s total may not exceed $7,000.

The Marian Spitzer Robling Scholarship is awarded to one active member in her 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of Delta Kappa Gamma membership who is working in graduate study. The approximate amount of $1,000 is awarded each fiscal year.

Enrichment Grants are awarded for enrollment in an Elderhostel program, continuing education for personal and professional growth, a travel/study tour, or to develop an approved independent study project or to present a paper to a professional organization. An Enrichment Grant applicant may not receive more than $5,000 and an award point system is used as criteria for selection.

All applications for Scholarships and Enrichment Grants must be postmarked no later than February 1. Application forms for the State Scholarships and Enrichment Grants can be downloaded at the Alpha Alpha State website at: www.deltakappagamma.org/PA Click on Committees in Action.

All Scholarships and Enrichment Grants must be used in the fiscal year following the convention when they are awarded.

International Scholarships are available to members pursuing qualifying graduate studies. Each year up to 30 scholarships are awarded to members that have been an active member of the Society for at least three years, completed a master’s degree or equivalent, and are presently accepted or enrolled in a graduate program of a nationally accredited institution of higher education. Members that qualify may receive up $6,000 for assistance in graduate studies. Applications may be downloaded from the Society web site at: www.dkg.org. The deadline for all applications is February 1.

The Lucile Cornetet Professional Development Award is available to educators (society members or nonmembers) for participation in professional development opportunities such as workshops, seminars, conferences and courses. Awards up to $2,000 may be granted. Applications are accepted three times a year: Feb.1, May1 and Sept. 1. Applications are available at www.dkg.org and on Educator Edge at www.educatoredge.org.

Wonderful opportunities await each of you if you will only take advantage of them. The applications require time to get them completed so be sure to start the application process several weeks prior to the postmark deadline.

Submitted by Carol Lane

US Forum News

The Northwest Region of the US Forum passed the Northeast Region Resolution for "Preserving Social Security" and the Alpha Sigma State Resolution (WA) for "Promoting the ARTS in Schools." Both resolutions can be found on the US Forum page of the DKG website. This is the good news today!

I encourage you to subscribe to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security mailings for their information (www.ncpssm.org)

As reported during the last general session of the NERC last week, the survey taken by the attendees at the US Forum session on Thursday, July 21 showed that the top 6 issues in the northeast are: Social Security for women and children; WEP/GPO; Medicare issues for elderly women; tie for 4th between ESEA and Health issues of women and children; Pay Equity; and Human Trafficking. These issues will be shared with the Steering Committee next month.

Our work for the oncoming year and for the National Legislative Seminar will be directed by the compiled results from the 4 regions of the US.

I urge you to subscribe to the various sites that I share with you, so that you may receive the very latest news and are able to action as the news evolves! Also remember to save the dates for the National Legislative Seminar, March 18-21, 2012, in Washington, D.C. (only 8 months away).

Dates to Remember

March 28-21, 2012- National Legislative Seminar- Comfort Inn Pentagon City, Arlington, Va.

April 27-29, 2012- Creative Arts Retreat- White Haven, Pa.

June 8-10, 2012- Alpha Alpha State Convention- Nittany Lion Inn, State College, Pa.

July 24-28, 2012- Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Convention- Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, New York, NY.

Congratulations to our New Retiree’s Congratulations to Shirley Allis, Theresa Sparrow (October 1st) Kathy Barrett, Ruth Olson, Karen Shultz, Joyce Decker, Shirley Grantier and Barbara Fleming, all newly retired educators from our Chapter.

Please let President Linda Nickerson know if there are other new retirees that aren’t on this list.

Taking Care of Ourselves Regardless of your age, your responsibilities or your health issues, it is important that you take time for yourself and nurture yourself properly. “The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body food and the mind needs thought.”— Thomas Moore

The following are some suggestions that might work for you to affirm that you count. Share them with others. Women need to take better care of ourselves:

• Allow yourself some private time each day.

• Take a long walk.

• Buy yourself some flowers.

• If you don’t have close friends, begin to develop an intimate circle of friends—This is one of the DKG purposes.

• Put on your favorite music, turn it up loud and dance regardless of your age and/or physical condition (Sing as if no one is listening; dance as if no one is watching).

• Allow yourself that special treat—anything from the manicure or pedicure to a good movie or book—something just for you.

• Write a love letter (to your partner, your children, your parents, friends, yourself.)

* These suggestions are being reprinted from last Summer’s Edition since they are so wonderful!!:-)

Summer Fun!Top photo- Linda and Shirley Newhart (Beta Theta) on a drive through Farmers Valley in Troy, Pa. Shirley and her husband Bob visited Nick and Linda this summer.

Middle left photo- Wendy Carr and Debbie Philippi at the PSEA conference in Gettysburg, Pa. ....thank you for all you do!

Middle right photo- Cindy Devonshire posing with the whales!

Bottom photo- NERC Saturday night Banquet....we are all dressed up and ready to enjoy the evening.