Chapters Helping Chapters Blog

Chapters Helping Chapters February 2022 Feature Blog

The Need: Lack of active engagement of several chapter members

The Strategy to Meet the Need: For the past three Januarys, Beta Epsilon has had “Dinner for 8” rather than meeting as an entire chapter. Putting together a diverse group of eight or fewer members who do not generally know each other well, Executive Board officers coordinate with their assigned group to select a day, time, and location (a home or restaurant) for a casual meal. Some groups choose weekend brunch or dinner, some a weekday dinner and even one group that included two reserve members met at the assisted living facility where the reserve members lived so they could join the group.

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The Result: This has proven to be a popular activity, with several members who had not attended meetings in years participating, and with members who are typically active getting to better know each other better (Note that this activity is featured in the EEC Corner (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xAWxI5cQc3T_J060V4FCTqlKueFhZKk1/view). Don’t forget to check out the EEC Corner for additional ideas.

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Chapters Helping Chapters March 2022 Feature Blog

The Need: The need for members to establish meaningful relationships with each other.

The Strategy to Meet the Need: Kay Moss, Alpha Epsilon, reports on Alpha Epsilon’s practice of purposefully including dedicated time for members to connect with each other during chapter meetings. This time can be informal or more organized, but it is always in the confines of the standard meeting time and does not interfere with the meeting starting or ending on time. For example, Alpha Epsilon has a standard meeting time of an hour and a half. The first half-hour is typically dedicated to socialization in the form of informal meet and greet; however, there is a tendency for those who know each other well to spend most of this time together. To guarantee socialization among all the members, additional time has been built into the meetings for icebreaker activities which occur in purposefully formed groups of three or four members who do not know each other as well.

 

The Result: Kay reports that this practice has been productive in promoting cohesion and coherence among the membership.

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Chapters Helping Chapters April 2022 Feature Blog 

The Need:  The need to involve retired members and members who have difficulty 

coming to meetings.

The Strategy to Meet the Need: Jenniebeth King and Dee Dee Rives report that Theta Chapter has done a variety of things over the years which have proven successful in helping members who are unable to come to meetings as frequently as they had previously done to stay involved and contribute. For example, such members sometimes form the Sunshine Committee, sending cards to chapter members at times of illness, on birthdays, and on some holidays. This helps them to stay connected with the membership and provides a valuable service to the chapter as well as to the individuals receiving the cards. Additionally, in the past, retired teachers from Theta were each assigned a school, and they created treat baskets for the teachers at that school. If the retired members could not deliver the treats, other members did so. The treat baskets warmed the hearts of the teachers receiving them and helped the retired members have the benefits of contributing to the work of the chapter.

The Result: Dee Dee reports that the retired members were delighted to have been asked to contribute to the work of the chapter in these ways, and that they provided a valuable service. 

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Chapters Helping Chapters May 2022 Feature Blog

The Need: The need to provide quality programs when chapter membership numbers are small. The Strategy to Meet the Need: The Nashville area chapters have a long-standing tradition of having a joint Orientation, a joint Induction Ceremony, and a joint Founders’ Day celebration each year. However, in recent years they have had an additional joint meeting in most years. Sometimes this joint meeting has been to collaboratively work on a service project such as the More Than Warmth Project, hosted by Alpha Nu, or a Hygiene Project for Healing Hands International, hosted by Beta Upsilon. Sometimes the meeting has featured an outstanding speaker such as renowned portrait painter Shane Neal or Nashville historian David Ewing, sponsored by Beta, or by the author of the spell-binding true crime story Murder in Music City, Michael Bishop, hosted by Alpha Psi. While the membership numbers of the Nashville chapters are not necessarily small, the principle of joining together can benefit smaller chapters from a particular geographic area. We encourage chapter presidents of smaller chapters in a particular geographic area to brainstorm with each other to find ways to join to take advantage of the ancient idiom “many hands make light work.”

 

The Result: The joint projects and meetings have truly lessened the load for the individual chapters, have provided increased opportunities for fellowship among DKG sisters, and have helped to make possible having enough individuals present to be honoring and encouraging to a guest speaker.

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Chapters Helping Chapters June 2022 Feature Blog 

The Need:  To increase visibility of the chapter among non-members 

The Strategy to Meet the Need:  Pi Chapter in Clinton, Tennessee, offers a Classroom Grant to teachers to purchase needed resources.

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The Result:  Through providing these grants, Pi Chapter has increased their visibility among current teachers and future teachers.  For example, in 2022, Pi Chapter provided funds to the Anderson County Career and Technical Center’s Building Tomorrow’s Teachers Today curriculum. The Building Tomorrow’s Teachers Today curriculum is part of Teaching As a Profession (TAP) program of study. The goal of TAP is to create future teachers by providing practical experience for high school students. Through TAP, the Anderson County school district hopes to attract future teachers who invest back into the community where they grew up. Funds from the Pi Chapter Classroom Grant were used to purchase needed resources to assist students in competing in FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. FCCLA is a national Career and Technical Student Organization which offers intra-curricular opportunities for students to pursue careers which support families. 

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Chapters Helping Chapters September 2022 Feature Blog
The Need: The need to provide increased funds for chapter projects such as scholarships and
mini-grants.
Strategy to Meet the Need: In 2008 Beta Upsilon chapter began selling pecans prior to
Christmas each year and have continued to so do each year since. They have been getting the
pecans from Atwell Pecan Company in Georgia, which has recently been sold to Stuckey’s.

The Results: Marsha Brewer reports that Beta Upsilon typically raises between $1500.00 and
$2000.00 each year from their pecan sale and awards five $200.00 mini-grants per year to early
career educators. They usually choose one school where a Beta Upsilon member works and take
applications from interested teachers at that school. At Beta Upsilon’s April meeting, the grant
recipients share how they spent the money. Marsha reports, “It is wonderful to see the students
engaged in activities with the manipulatives or enjoying the books and materials” purchased
through the mini-grant funds.

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Chapters Helping Chapters October 2022 Feature Blog
In our digital age, it is common practice to send invitations and save the dates electronically by
social media, e-mail, group texts, or more. While this is an easier and useful way to remind
members of important events, Beta Rho chapter decided to add an additional personal touch with
their chapter meeting dates for the year. Beta Rho First Vice President Amanda Gregory created
a ‘meeting calendar’ using Canva listing the chapter dates, times, meeting location, and programs
for the entire year and mailed the calendar to members. The hard-copy visual can be placed on
refrigerators, bulletin boards, or other locations. The card not only reminds members of meeting
dates but can provide the chance to market DKG when seen by others. The idea was generated
after members expressed appreciation after receiving a mailed invitation for the Beta Rho
Orientation Tea. Designing and mailing chapter calendars is an excellent way to produce a
personal touch, generate publicity, and create keepsakes for members.

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Chapters Helping Chapters November 2022 Feature
When a chapter program would be of particular interest and benefit to a wider audience than just
the chapter, has your chapter considered inviting others, not just potential members, to attend?
Pi Chapter extended invitations to the spouses and significant others of Pi members to attend
their October 16 meeting which included Jim Dotson, Candidate for State Representative.
Invitations were sent via e-mail and the monthly newsletter. Several husbands attended the event
which included a meal and question/answer session with the candidate.
Likewise, Beta Chapter has encouraged Beta members to invite their friends and family members
who would be interested when speakers such as renowned portrait painter Shane Neal and
Nashville historian David Ewing were providing the program. Having a larger audience for a
well-known speaker creates good will for the speaker and for those to whom invitations are
extended.