Wisconsin State News

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 1

Wisconsin State News Wisconsin State Website https://dkgwso.weebly.com/ September 2021, Volume 71, Number 1

Wisconsin Group Facebook Page www.facebook.com/groups/WISigmaStateDKG

Official Publication of the Wisconsin State Organization of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

Sharing the DKG Mission, Doing It Together

Calendar Deadlines:

September

1 Cornetet Application

October

1-3 Creative Arts Retreat

November

15 Articles for December WSN

December 1 Action Grant Application

1 Int’l Golden Gift Application

Inside This Issue:

President’s Message ............... 1

WSO Virtual Convention .......... 2

Literary Competition ................. 3

Tech Tips ................................. 3

Committee News ................... 4-7

Foundation ............................... 7

International News ................... 8

Watch Your Language ............. 8

Key Women Educators ............ 9

Chapter News ................... 10-11

Roses ..................................... 11

From the Editor ...................... 12

Welcome Back to Another WSO Year! As you are enjoying the ending of the summer and thinking into fall, I want you to reflect on why you joined DKG and what was your WOW? Is that WOW something you would like to share with some-one else? Annie B. started DKG with 12 women who thought they could influence education and support educators even when told that would not be possible. DKG was at its peak in 1991 with over

200,00 women educators. Today we number about 100,000 members with an average age of 66-75. The loss reduces the impact of our influence on education and supporting educators, which keeps Nita Scott, DKG Executive Director, awake at night. How will we share the WOW with the next generations? Nita would like to see us at 200,00 for our 100th anniversary. This summer while DKG was meeting, Japan installed a new chapter. What will it take? Two books highlighted at the DKG Convention and Leadership Training resonated with me and were my take-aways. The first is The Will to Govern. The three key points were knowledge, trust, and nimbleness. The second book was Trauma Doesn’t Stop at the School Door, written by a DKG member, Karen Gross. Karen started her research before COVID, but the message is timeless. Her message: 1. Trauma cannot be cured, but it can go into remission. 2. Trauma individuals have triggers that cause the trauma to resurface. 3. Trauma has been experienced by educators. 4. Trauma experiences have an impact on individuals that interact with individuals of trauma. These two books highlight the work I see as important. First is the need to continue elevating our leadership skills to be the leaders in education, and second is to support educators, especially now that the pandemic has further exposed the struggles educa-tors are experiencing, especially with mental health. How we govern and share our message will impact our ability to influence education and support educators. Are we ready to do the work? An image stuck in my mind when recently watching a meteorologist reporting severe weather across the state. He had his suit coat off and sleeves rolled up, frequently returning to the TV screen to give up-dates because sometimes the sirens or other means are not always dependable. We have the knowledge, hopefully trust, but do we have the nimbleness to seize opportunities. Annie B.’s message: “Be progressive. Keep up with the moving world while not dis-carding what in the old has value. Don't cling to the old when its worth has passed. But, on the other hand, don't be a person so set in your views that nothing can change you." Stephanie Malaney WSO President

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 2

2021 WSO Virtual Convention Follow-Up

Wisconsin State News Deadlines

November 15 for December Issue January 15 for February Issue

May 15 for June Issue August 15 for September Issue

The WSO Convention Committee is happy to report that with the contributions from chapters in lieu of baskets and the revenue generated by the members registered for the virtual convention, we were able to:

• donate to the Sigma State Foundation’s Action Grant and Nettesheim funds,• donate to the DKG International World Fellowship Fund in the name of our International guest, Dr. Lace Marie

Brogden,• roll over the payment to the Radisson Convention Center for the use of the 2022 Conference meeting,• maintain a healthy balance in the checkbook for the 2023 Convention Committee from the South East Region

(Beta, Delta, Pi, Alpha Alpha, Beta Alpha).

Respectfully submitted, Convention Committee (Chi-Ozaukee, Omicron, Alpha Beta, Alpha Theta, Alpha Xi)

2021 Convention Balance Sheet

Beginning balance $ 6,548.91

Radisson Deposit $ (1,000.00) $ 5,548.91

New Checks $ (49.00) $ 5,499.91

Virtual Convention Ticket sales $ 1,498.94 $ 6,998.85

Basket Donation $ 935.00 $ 7,933.85

Foundation Donation- Action Grants $ (835.00) $ 7,098.85

Foundation Donation- Nettesheim $ (500.00) $ 6,598.85 Donation to World Fellowship Inter-national $ (500.00) $ 6,098.85 Pay forward for WSO using the $1000 Radisson deposit to help offset costs for the 2022 Conference.

Check Book balance at the end of the convention $ 6,098.85

2022 State Conference

May 7, 2022

At the Fond du Lac Radisson Hotel

and Convention Center

Save the date!

2022 International Convention

July 12-16, 2022

In New Orleans

Save the date!

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 3

Tech Tips

Google Forms by Barb Cody

Mary Jo Nettesheim Literary Competition by Donell Bonetti and Brenda Rank

After almost 15 years of chairing the Mary Jo Nettesheim State Literary Competition, Pat Brabazon and Judy Snyder have passed the torch to the Green Bay Zeta chapter. Co-President Donell Bonetti and member Brenda Rank will chair the competition. Donell is a gifted and talented teacher for three elementary schools in De Pere. Brenda is the gifted and talented coordinator for two schools in the Howard-Suamico School District. The basic structure of the competition will remain the same. Participating chapters will host a literary competition for students in grades 3-12. For the state competition, each chapter may submit 10 books written in English. Additionally, chapters may submit 3 Bilingual Spanish books, one for each grade range 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Therefore, a chapter could enter a maximum of 13 books in the state competition. The entries are due on or before March 12, 2022. Updates will be made to the student and chapter entry forms. In addition, all competition information/forms will be posted on the WSO website by early September (https://dkgwso.weebly.com). The email that has been established for the state literary competition is [email protected]. Please send your questions, suggestions, concerns, etc., to Donell or Brenda at this address. If you would like to contact Donell directly, her email is [email protected] and Brenda's is [email protected]. The state judging is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Heritage Elementary in De Pere at 9:30 am. If you are interested in judging the state entries, please email Donell or Brenda at the state literary competition email address. All chapter literary competition chairs are asked to submit their contact information (name, chapter, phone number, and email address) to the state literary competition email as soon as possible. We are looking forward to another year of creative writing and illustrating displayed in the students’ books.

Google Forms have become a new and popular way to receive feedback. Whether using the form as an evaluation, survey, quiz/test, or application, the directions are similar. You may have already used a Google Form to vote on some WSO items or fill out the 2021 WSO Convention evaluation. Soon some WSO applications will have the option to fill out a Google Form. Most of the time, you will receive a link in an email to the Google Form. Clicking on the link will take you to the form. Enter your information into the form and click Submit. I have an example of the Google Form you can try filling out and submitting. Click on this link or put this address into a web browser: https://forms.gle/U89M2VruNzYQcjV88. Once you click submit, your answers are uploaded to the creator of the form. Usually, your answers are confidential, so no one knows who filled out the form. Only when the form requires your email address or name would anyone know who filled out the form. Names and/or email addresses are needed to fill out an application or take a test/quiz. Please contact me if you have any comments or questions.

Attention WSO Chairs:

With this new biennium, many parts of the WSO website will need to be updated. Please take a look at your section of the WSO website (https://dkgwso.weebly.com/) and send me updates for the outdated items.

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 4

Action Grant Committee by Bobbi Momchilovich, Chair

The WSO Action Grant Committee met on Wednesday, July 28, via Zoom. We want to welcome two new members to our committee: Wava Haney, Lambda-Richland Center Chapter, and Stephanie Malaney, Ex-Officio-Omicron-Fox Valley Cities Chapter. We updated the Action Grant Committee Goals for 2021-2022, the Action Grant Writing Handbook, and the document for evaluating SMART Goals. In addition, we revised the Action Grant Application for Projects in 2022-2023 and the Rubric for Action Grant Evaluation. All members are reminded that the deadline for applying for an Action Grant is December 1, 2021. The Action Grant Application for Projects in 2022-2023 can be found on the website (dkgwso.weebly.com) as in the past, but it will be available only in Word Fillable Form. We also discussed using Google Form in the future for the application. This year two chapters, Zeta and Psi, will be using the Google Form for their grant application as an experiment to see if that’s the form we want to use exclusively in the future. Any other chapter who might wish to try Google Form this year, please contact Barb Cody, webmaster. In an attempt to be clear about the expectations for the Action Grants, the committee has listed the following criteria on the application. Each Action Grant Project must:

1. incorporate a literacy element.2. relate to the Strategic Action Plan of Wisconsin State Organization and/or the general purposes of DKG.

(dkgwso.weebly.com)3. use grant monies as supplemental monies for chapter projects.4. put a priority on new and innovative literacy projects that enhance membership.5. follow the Rubric for DKG-WSO Action Grant Evaluation when composing the project proposal.

(dkgwso.weebly.com)The Rubric for Action Grant Evaluation has been revised to reflect these criteria. As a reminder, chapters receiving Action Grants must:

1. send a voucher with receipts and the Action Grant Self-Evaluation Form to the Action Grant Chair after July 1,2022, but before May 1, 2023. Checks will be written at that time.

2. write a short summary for the Wisconsin State Organization newsletter within the 2022-2023 year and present adisplay of the project at the spring meeting.

Advice from chapters that wrote Action Grants last year is below. These comments/suggestions are from the Action Grant Self-Evaluation Forms that are required from Action Grant recipients to get their grant award: “I would encourage all chapters to apply for Action Grants. Complete the paperwork using guides available online. Work as a team so one person doesn’t do all the work; involve as many members of your chapter as possible.” (Theta) “Be sure to have a strong, supportive staff person to work with at the school you choose.” (Chi-Ozaukee) “We would recommend that a chapter read the Handbook on Action Grants and also follow SMART Goals. Following the grant form exactly is also very important.” (Alpha Xi) “Current teaching members should be asked for project ideas to fill student and teacher needs. This current and our pre-vious Action Grants were a result of our younger/current teachers’ suggestions. Include as much detail as possible and know that some modification may be necessary.” (Zeta) "Choosing a project that your members can work on throughout the year is a great way to keep members interested and active. Our chapter members enjoy getting together for work sessions when we make the Christmas stockings, fleece blankets, and scarves. It gives us a true purpose.” (Beta Alpha) “Look to community resources that either support or are directly involved in efforts that promote local and global literacy.” (Psi-Northwest WI) “Have a specific goal. Involve as many members as possible.” (Omicron-Fox Valley Cities) We will again be offering an informational meeting regarding applying for an Action Grant on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, from 9-11 a.m. via Zoom. Chapter presidents are asked to watch their email for reminders of this optional meeting for any member to find out more about applying for an Action Grant or to ask questions or make comments about the Action Grant Writing Process. Please contact any of the Action Grant Committee members listed on the next page with any questions or concerns:

Wisconsin State Organization Committees Working for You

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 5

Wisconsin State Organization Committees Working for You (continued)

Bobbi Momchilovich, Chair Pat Chuchwar, Secretary Linda Jentzsch 715-822-4701 715-822-8809 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Wisconsin Psi-Northwest Wisconsin Alpha Gamma-WhitewaterAnn Walser Wava Haney Stephanie Malaney 608-831-7226 608-604-1080 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Lambda-Richland Center Omicron-Fox Valley CitiesWe encourage all chapters to apply for an Action Grant for projects in 2022-2023! The Action Grant Committee is here to help any and all chapters plan meaningful projects as we move forward with our mission to promote literacy. Let us continue our tradition of being "Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide."

Alpha Iota Action Grant 2021-2022

As educators, we are always looking for ways to extend learning opportunities beyond the school walls. Our "Take- Home Literacy Kits" grant was written to provide such an opportunity. The Action Grant provided needed financial resources to create literacy packs to promote good reading habits within the home, teach parents how to actively read with their children, and increase independent reading levels through practice. We also hope the packs with included activities will instill a love of reading in our students. The “Take-Home Literacy Kits” were created using the framework from Reading Rockets www.ReadingRockets.org. Each themed kit contains a welcome letter for parents, fiction and nonfiction books, instructions for related craft and extension activities, materials to complete the activities, a parent survey, and a bookmark listing additional books aligned to the theme. We also included literature related to the importance of reading with children at home, question stems to use while reading, and additional ways to grow student literacy skills at home. Because of the Action Grant and generous donations from the local chapter, we created 21 literacy kits based on 11 different themes. The 2020-2021 school year provided several challenges for educators and families. Implemen- tation of our grant was no exception. Delays in the ordering and shipping of supplies and ever- changing COVID protocols affecting the sanitizing of the kits were two of these challenges. Despite a delay in our timeline, we sent literacy kits home with four families in May. The kits provided literacy opportunities for seven students in grades kindergarten through 4th grade in those families. Surveys returned by all four families indicated an interest in borrowing additional kits in the future.

The literacy kits will be introduced to families at a PTA meeting and to our students during library lessons this fall. We are excited to expand our usage of these engaging literacy kits during the 2021-2022 school year. On behalf of the students, families, and staff at Adams Elementary School in Janesville, Wisconsin, thank you for your support!

2021-2022 Chi Chapter’s Lifetime Literacy Project Action Grant

As part of WSO’s literacy mission, Chi Chapter members have led monthly book discussions at two senior centers in Ozaukee County since 2010. Five Chi members select, check out library books each month, and lead the senior book discussions with chapter and seniors' input. Interest has grown, leading to an increasing need for large print books. Our $600 Action Grant will primarily supplement extra large print copies not available through the library system. Our chapter has also donated 100 books so far for their libraries. We have selected books for the upcoming year. We publish the titles of them in our Redbook, encouraging our mem-bers to read them and join the discussions. Want to read a good book? What about The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate or one of Marie Benedict’s books about remarkable women? We are also devoting a chapter meeting to dis-cussing books about interesting women leaders: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell, Educated by Tara Westover, and My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor.

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 6

Educational Excellence Committee

Renewing Ourselves in Search of Excellence by Chris Shewczyk, Chair

Recently I participated in a virtual Leadership Training conference with 44 State Organization EEC chairs from across our country. The key point emerging from the initial discussion in our meeting was the value of an effective leader. The training focused on the importance of a Society leader’s ability to communicate key components of EEC to dissem-inate essential information to all. This was followed by a discussion on Educational Excellence areas of focus drawn from the Society’s Strategic Plan. I signed up for and attended the conference to grasp the direction the Society was proposing for the Educational Excellence Committee. The consensus of the discussion focused on communication. Main communicators: committee chairs, chapter presidents, regional directors, the webmaster, and convention attendees Information to communicate: upcoming programs and projects, deadlines for submissions, calendars, resources, legisla-tion, information about components of EEC, highlights of EEC activities, articles about the UN, and other Educational Excellence topics Timeliness of communication: based on relevance, either monthly, weekly, or quarterly Methods of communication: email, snail mail, social media, texts, Zoom, phone, president’s letter, and state newsletters As a committee, we will share information, thoughts, and ideas through multiple methods to achieve effective communi-cation frequently. We will clearly define our goals and how we will accomplish them. We cannot build a strong Organi-zation without everyone’s input. Thank you for your continued support.

Leadership Development Committee by Johanna Dvorak

Unable to attend DKG International conferences this July? Join me on September 13 from 6:30-7:30 pm on Zoom for a webinar summarizing conference highlights on developing your leadership skills. Barb Cody or I will send an email to WSO chapter presidents with a link they can share with you. I’ll also include specifics from the DKG International Leadership Training Seminar in August which are applicable to your chapter, your career, and your personal leadership development. Topics will include communication strategies, building teams, tips for training chapter presidents and leaders, and online resources. This will subsequently be posted on the WSO website under the Leadership tab. The Zoom link for the Sept. 13th meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82606298220?pwd=UEUyS21YV2JEM0J5ZG0ySzdCU3FzQT09 Like to join this WSO committee? Contact me at [email protected].

Wisconsin State Organization Committees Working for You (continued)

Beta Alpha Action Grant 2021-2022

Beta Alpha was excited to meet and listen to presentations from our teachers receiving Action Grant funds for “Launching Life-Long Literacy.” These are engaging projects that educators use in their classrooms to promote literacy. Unfortunately, we could not hear the presentations last year because of the pandemic, so we took this opportunity to listen to the projects from this year and the previous year. Last year's project involved incorporating fairy tales in a hands-on manner in a kindergarten classroom. After learning about the fairy tales, the students then wrote their own fairy tales. The project for this year was reading non-fiction books in a second-grade classroom. Each student created a diorama to go with one of the books they read. Reading and writing non-fiction is a big em-phasis of their reading program. All three teachers were kind enough to talk to us about the adaptions they needed to make in their classrooms to maximize learning during the pandemic, including virtual teaching. We should be very proud of the educators in our classrooms. They continue to put students’ needs first and work in creative ways to make learning meaningful.

Kathy Zautner,

Marilyn Hill

Sara McNamara, teacher

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 7

Membership Committee Membership Minute by Roberta Gale

Teamwork Makes Dream Work This was the big takeaway from the DKG Leadership Training session held in Atlanta, Georgia. The WSO team all attended virtually. There were four rooms for the training: EEC, Finance, Membership, and Presidents. This pilot pro-gram was a first for International. The Membership Room focused on updating our "MyDKG" on the International web-site, membership changes and classifications, and how to communicate with members, state data, and encourage new members. Let’s take a moment and look at the 2019-2020 membership data for Wisconsin. In 2009 we had 887 mem-bers, and in 2020 we had 641. To get back to our membership from 10 years ago, we need to have 246 new members. Are you up to the challenge of reaching that goal of increased membership? Create energetic enthusiasm in your chapter, for your chapter, and reach out in various ways to encourage and support new teachers to become members of this great organization. If you want to chat, contact the Membership Committee. Also, I need a few good women to join me on this committee to complement the two current members, Kathy Clouthier and Barb Albrechtson. Precept: The more you dream, the more you achieve. Michael Phelps

Wisconsin State Organization Committees Working for You (continued)

Greetings to you from the Sigma State Foundation Board! We send our greetings and hope you are all having a wonderful summer season. At this time, I would like to thank all the Sigma State Foundation Board members with whom I have had the pleasure of serving with during my terms. It has been with great pleasure that I was able to be a member of the Foundation Board. We now have a new leadership team. We look forward to having this wonderful group leading us: President Karoleen Glenzer (Gamma), Vice President Marilyn Rabideau (Zeta), Secretary Jean Schollmeier (Alpha Iota), and Treasurer Marcia Trentlage (Omicron). We know that you will be outstanding in your roles. We are all here to support you. The Board is an amazing group to serve with and to witness the wonderful collaboration and support for the mission and vision along with supporting the Wisconsin State Organization. The Sigma State Foundation Board met in a Zoom Meeting in June and accomplished many things. The Foundation Board worked to ensure that we continue to be cognizant of the budget and make sure that we are good stewards of the funds. We will be continuing our Give Back Program, which began with the 2017 State Convention, where we offered to "give back" to you for chapter endeavors and individual pursuits. The Sigma State Foundation will continue support-ing the Nettesheim Literacy Competition, Action Grant Program, and Leadership Development. Sigma State Foundation and the Wisconsin State Organization are two separate entities. Wisconsin State Organization chooses, plans, and organizes projects and activities to fulfill DKG's mission and purposes. At the same time, the Sigma State Foundation strives to provide financial support to enhance and maximize these endeavors. We use your donations to the Foundation to extend and promote DKG's purposes through your chapter projects and services. When you contribute to the Foundation, you may be doing so to honor someone on a special occasion, com-memorate a passing, or support DKG's work. Donations may be sent to the Foundation Treasurer, Marcia Trentlage, at 728 Thelosen Dr., Kimberly, WI 54136-2336. A donation form is available for your convenience on the WSO website: https://dkgwso.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/8/6/108636119/2019foundationdonationform.pdf In addition to direct monetary donations, you can support the Foundation when you order online through AmazonSmile, which will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible items to the Sigma State Foundation. Please consider reaching out to Karoleen or any board member if you would be interested in joining the Foundation Board. The Sigma State Foundation Board is always looking for new members. The term of service is a three-year commitment and meets 3 to 4 times a year either on Zoom or in person.

News from Sigma State Foundation

For more information about Foundation business, contact

Foundation President Joanne Hagen

[email protected]

Mission: To accept, manage, and distribute contributions that will

enhance the future quality of education.

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 8

News from International

When was the last time you checked out the wealth of information available on the DKG International website? Did you know there are scholarships available for graduate study? emergency funds to help members with a major loss due to a natural disaster? funds for chapter projects to benefit children and education? Log into dkg.org and click on DKGIEF to explore the many funding opportunities available to you. This is how Theta chapter took advantage of DKG funding through Educational Projects:

Self-Sufficiency Through Education by Marie Allen

For over 20 years, Theta chapter has sponsored scholarships to Western Technical College for women desiring to im-prove their lives through education. Way back in 1998, led by the indomitable June Kjome as our chapter Scholarship/Grants Chair, we applied for a grant from the Delta Kappa Gamma International Foundation. June and her co-writer Marian Dolezel sought money to help fund our “Self-Sufficiency Through Education” project for low-income women, many who left abusive relationships and are struggling to raise children on their own. (June, who will turn 101 in December, is no longer a member of Theta chapter. She devoted her life to justice and peace issues, and we still con-sider her our friend.) The first year, our chapter was delighted to receive $5000 for this program. Could it have helped that one of our members, Deloris Britt, was on the International Educational Foundation committee? We’ll never know. Since that first year, our chapter has assisted 73 women, granting over $68,000 to help them achieve their educational goals. To give our applicants an incentive to do well, the second-semester check for $500 is not mailed until we re-ceive proof of their progress in the first semester. Only on a few occasions have women failed to complete the school year, and most of our recipients have graduated. Over time we have had to get creative in funding this project by having rummage sales, book sales, working a chicken Q, selling car wash cards, and hosting the popular Bakeless Bake Sale. We received a grant from the English Lutheran Church Foundation, and we have also received bequests from two chapter members. Our members truly see what a difference education can make in a person’s life. The project has been so worthwhile, as evidenced by a note from one of our recipients. "Knowing the impact you have made on just my life alone makes it exceptionally phenomenal picturing the impact you must make on our community. I feel so blessed to have met all of you, for you are all a real inspiration to me. I dream of being a part of something big, making a difference in people's lives, while also making a positive impact on my community."

Watch Your Language by Kay Ziegahn

Most people growing up these days have never studied Latin. This means they lack an appreciation for some of the features of Latin words used in English. For some reason, although many of our words are direct borrowings from Latin, not all of them follow the Latin rules for forming their plurals when used in English. This means that many people do not realize which of them are plurals. Museum, for example simply adds “s” for its English plural, while ovum becomes ova. One common error associated with this is subject-verb agreement: Other examples such as the word “data”, which is the plural of datum, (the past participle of the verb to give, meaning a piece of evidence, or something given,) is a frequent offender. “The data suggests…” is incorrect, and it should read: “The data suggest…” Many Latin words ending in “-us” change to “-i” for the plural: stimulus, stimuli. Others ending in “-a” change to “-ae” for the plural: nebula, nebulae. Keeping all these in mind, should be helpful!

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 9

Key Women Educators

Alpha Xi Chapter’s Marj Margelowsky by Dr. Barbara Link

Marjorie (Marj) Margelowsky was initiated into the Alpha Xi chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma in 1971. It didn’t take long for Marj to assume the chapter presidency position in 1976. Following her chapter presi-dency, she served on many committees at the state level. From 1979-1981, Marj served as state second vice-president. After her state presidency, she served on and chaired the following state committees: finance, nominations, legislative, and audit, and she served on the Sigma State Foundation. Once again, when her chapter needed her in 1982, she assumed the Alpha Xi chapter presidency for the second time (1982-1984). Marj just couldn’t get enough of Delta Kappa Gamma! Her love of the organi-zation was evident when she served seven years as state treasurer! While she worked at the state level,

she continued to serve her local Alpha Xi chapter on the nominations committee, finance committee, and scholarship committee. You must be tired just hearing about her service to Delta Kappa Gamma! But wait! Marj was the thirty-second Sigma State President from 2005-2007. She selected a powerful theme for her biennium: "WE CAN! Women Educators: Caring, Articulate. Necessary!" After her chapter presidencies, she continued to attend all state conventions and workshops. In addition, she chaired the state convention committee for the state convention in Menominee. Her legacy of service to Delta Kappa Gamma in-cludes attending northwest regional conferences and international conventions and serving on the Northwest Regional Conference Committee in Madison in 1981. Marj was state president when the Northwest Regional Conference was held in Milwaukee in 2005. Marj has had many wonderful experiences while being a Delta Kappa Gamma member. She still remembers her special trip to San Diego as part of the International Board of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Marj has shared that she is very thankful to have been invited to Alpha Xi chapter in 1971. She values the friends and mentors she has had the opportunity to work with and freely states that Delta Kappa Gamma has led her in a direction to do things she would never have had a chance to do otherwise. After raising her family, Marj taught grades three through six for twenty-two years. She continued to sub after she retired from teaching. Her husband passed away in 1994, and Marj continued to visit chapters throughout the state! In 1996, Marj was the recipient of the Dr. Lorraine Missling Sigma State Achievement Award. Alpha Xi and Delta Kappa Gamma have been very fortunate to have had Marj as a member for 50 years. Marj's family of two sons, three grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters know exactly how much of a role Alpha Xi and Delta Kappa Gamma have played in Marj’s life! Alpha Xi Chapter loves you!

The Delta Kappa Gamma

Society International promotes

professional and personal growth

of women educators and

excellence in education.

Planning to Schedule an Online Meeting?

WSO has now made Zoom our online meeting platform. We will no longer be using GoToMeeting. Committee chairs, chapter presi-dents, when you plan your next online meeting, contact Barb Cody ([email protected]). She will be happy to work with you to schedule a date and time.

Are You Looking to Enhance Your Leadership Skills? Taken from 3/16/21 DKGSI

While many of you are familiar with the leadership training that DKG offers through pre-conference training for in-coming state officers and The DKG Ignite: Leaders Empowering Leaders Program, did you know there is more? Yes, just by going to the DKG.org website you will find information to help you to further develop your leadership skills. Once you are on the website go to Resources and Leadership Lab. Here you will find hyperlinks to noted leadership experts like Susan Leahy, Mike Figliuolo, Sarah Sladek, and Amanda Gore. You will also find hyperlinks to webinars made by the international leadership development committee, parliamentary leadership information, advice for leaders on how to analyze problems from Gallup and their leadership blog, and self-publication insights from Gail Goolsby.

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 10

Wisconsin State Organization Chapter News

DELTA—Milwaukee met for the first time in person on July 17 in the backyard of Isabel Maria Piana. Delta sister, Alethea Sumbry-Cetnarowski, better known as

Ally, taught us how to make a beaded bracelet. The highlight of this meeting was the construction of bracelets to celebrate two of our longest chapter members: Barbara J. Michaels, 57 years, and Minnie Benson, 45 years. We enjoyed making and delivering these special gifts. Saturday, August 14, we bid a final farewell at St. Hedwig Three Holy Women Catholic Church to Barbara J. Michaels. She will be missed by family, friends, and her Delta chapter and DKG sisters. More about Barbara will be shared during the Celebration of Life at the 2022 WSO Conference.

LAMBDA–Richland Center was so pleased to be able to meet in person on July 1 to celebrate Lambda’s 76th

birthday. Our last in-person meeting was in December of 2019. We met in the park and enjoyed great conversation, a box lunch, games, and, of course, a delicious birthday cake.

Front Row: Roxie Kovars, Wava Haney, Jane Bellman, Rachel Schultz, Harriett Hendricks, Sue Sadler. Back Row: Jean Birkett,

Kay Ziegahn, Barb Cody, Helen Nelson, Sue Tatar, Julie Ripp, Carole Troxel, Judy Barnicle, Sarah Bailey, Sharon Storms,

Nancy Clausius, Alice Retrum, Marie Walksmith.

NU—Clintonville/Shawano Under the leadership of President Jan Mielke, Vice President Judy Kucksdorf, Treasurer Mary Lou Donnelly, Secretary Carol Gerlach, and Program Chair Marge Wichmann, Nu chapter remained active during the pandemic. The September meeting was held in a park shelter in Marion. Two scholarship winners were announced--Marissa Vele attending the College of Menominee Nation and Nicole Seefeldt attending UW Green Bay. Fully masked members participated in a discussion led by Jean Belke of the book Educated by Tara Westover. Nineteen members logged into our chapter's first-ever Zoom meeting in October. A 4th-grade Clintonville teacher, Pam Skokan, presented the evening's program titled "Simple Ways to Spark Peace of Mind and Inner Calm." WSO president Mary Kenne Zoomed into the chapter's virtual meeting in November. Twenty-two members and three guests attended. Mem-bers donated $325 toward World Fellowship in lieu of the chapter's annual silent auction. Chapter members Jeane Giordana, Lynn Aprill, and Sue Hlinak talked about their interest in genealogy. Lynn Aprill introduced Brenda Heller during the April meeting held both virtually and in-person (masked) in Shawano. Brenda is the chairperson for the Title Town Days for Girls in Green Bay. Days for Girls is a nonprofit international organiza-tion founded in 2008 that provides handmade feminine products and hygiene edu-cation. Chapter members assembled hygiene kits after the presentation which will be shipped to Liberia. In May, Nu Chapter wrapped up the year with an in-person meeting in Clinton-ville where we welcomed two new members, Jodi Mallak and Nancy Schultz. Member anniversaries were celebrated. Celebrating 10 years were Judy Kucks-dorf and Mary Kovach. Dianne Kjendalen and Rita Simon celebrated 30 years. Jean Belke and Wendy Dallman have been members for 35 years. Joan Wohler

Dianne Kjendalen, Mary Kovach, Judy

Kucksdor, Jean Belke

(continued on page 11)

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 11

(continued on page 11)

White Roses in Memory of Those Who Have

Gone Before Us. . . Our Teachers ~ Our Mentors

Our Sisters ~ Our Friends

Forever in Our Hearts

BETA Betsy Brown 12/8/20 DELTA Barbara Michaels 8/7/21 ALPHA GAMMA Gloria Weingandt 7/6/21 ALPHA ETA Iris Plamann 5/4/21

Wisconsin State Organization Chapter News (continued)

has been a member for 45 years. The chapter donates up to $200 to each of two different school libraries each year as part of its literacy support in Shawano and Waupaca coun-ties. Gresham School Library and Wittenberg Elementary were this year's recipients. Master Gardeners, Lynn Clark, and chapter member, Judy Kucksdorf, presented the meeting program, "Container Gardening." Each member created their own container arrangement after the presentation. Pictured are: Jean Belke, Jenny Hangartner, Pat Osmuss

*reinstated

Red Roses of Welcome to Inductees

ALPHA ................................... Deanna Jacobs 6/12/21 DELTA ................................... Mary Evangelista 6/30/21 ZETA ...................................... Tammy Brunette 7/1/21 NU .......................................... Jodi Mallak 5/12/21 NU .......................................... Nancy Schultz 9/15/21 NU .......................................... Sigrid Shaw* 9/15/21 PI ............................................ Karen Podbielski 5/18/21 CHI ......................................... Fran Grant 7/21/21 PSI .......................................... Laura Jasper 3/17/21 ALPHA UPSILON SIGMA ... Alyssa Young 9/15/21

SEPTEMBER 2021 WISCONSIN STATE NEWS 12

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International 7 Purposes

I. To unite women educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fellowshipII. To honor women who have given or who evidence a potential for distinctive service in any field of

educationIII. To advance the professional interest and position of women in educationIV. To initiate, endorse, and support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the

interest of education and of women educatorsV. To endow scholarships to aid outstanding women educators in pursuing graduate study and to grant

fellowships to non-member women educatorsVI. To stimulate the personal and professional growth of members and to encourage their

participation in appropriate programs of actionVII. To inform the members of current economic, social, political, and educational issues so that they may

participate effectively in a world society.

From the Editor. . .

Thank you for all the great articles you continue to send for the newsletter. There are a few things I would like to mention. I hear many positive comments about Key Women Educators. I have to agree; it is my favorite column. Because the women you choose to highlight have accomplished so much, naturally, the articles are starting to get quite long. Please limit these articles to 400 to 500 words. Be sure to read Dr. Barbara Link’s (Alpha Xi) article in this newsletter. She stayed within the word guideline and was able to write an excellent article about Marj. When you submit articles, it's not necessary to send them in PDF format. When I prepare the newsletter for the printer and the website, I must save it in PDF format. If I put an article in the newsletter in PDF format and then save the newsletter as a PDF, that PDF article is blurry. The one exception is if you are submitting a document in TextEdit or Pages. Those must be submitted as a PDF, and I can convert them so they can be used. Please keep your address current. If you move, the easiest way to update your address is through MyDKG on the Inter-national website dkg.org. If you need help with this, just let me know. I'll be happy to walk you through it. Unfortu-nately, we have to pay an additional fee for every newsletter returned to us because it is undeliverable or forwarded, as we ask for this service. Likewise, if you change email addresses, please let me know. Although there isn't a cost in-volved here, I don't know your new email address unless you tell me. If you are currently receiving a print copy of the newsletter and would like to try receiving your newsletter through an email link, please let me know. If you find you don’t like it, I will switch you back to a printed newsletter. Each mailed newsletter costs approximately $2, while each emailed newsletter costs $0. Currently, approximately two-thirds of our membership receives their newsletter electronically. As the State is looking for ways to cut costs, this is one way many of us can help. Finally, please keep sending articles. Any suggestions or criticisms are always appreciated. Warm regards, Sharon Storms [email protected]