Planning ahead & Japan

     If you have received your Sept/Oct DKG NEWS, you may have read my column about Planning Ahead. We are really good at that in our organization.
     For the past two to three years, members of Hawaii State Organization have been working with women in Japan. The criteria for founding a new state organization had been updated and approved by the Administrative Board about the same time. More than 50 Japanese women have shown an interest in joining our Society. Nearly 10 attended the 2012 International Convention in New York City.
     To make a long story short:  Dr. Beverly Helms, 2012-2014 international president, will conduct ceremonies to establish Japan as the 18th country and the 80th state organization in DKG on October 14 in Kochi, Japan. I will be better with pictures and post some from that event.

Handouts, instructions and materials leave HQ

ABF driver takes a break while loading boxes headed for NYC.

Photo by Irene Morales

Busy week is an understatement for July 9-13. The staff finished packaging, labeling and documenting 147 boxes headed for New York City and the 2012 International Convention. (Of course, we had some last minute printing of items, too.)
     From committee handouts and instruction sheets for convention volunteers to timers and flags, the listing and packing slips were checked, then double checked. The numbers were verified before boxes made it to the dolly and then checked again as they went out the door on Friday, July 13, around 5 p.m.

     We're glad they're on the way!  (And so are the 31 Leadership Management Seminar graduates who received their Golden Gift Fund LMS pins under the watchful portrait of Dr. Annie Webb Blanton. That celebration began at 5:30 and wrapped up around 8:30 p.m. ...more later)

At our HQ Home for a few weeks

Austin, Texas, may be shining its 100° sun on us, but the birds and wildlife are enjoying the lovely “Sisters” fountain outside my window. Nevada state organization donated this fountain when portions of the Society headquarters building were last updated around 1994.

    It’s a lovely and peaceful sight to see and enjoy as I try to balance an account for convention or juggle rooms, people and equipment. It’s also a reminder of how much support we enjoy from so many places in the world.

    

     May your preparations for Leadership Management Seminar at the University of Texas- Austin; Educational Foundation Seminar in Purposeful Living in Washington, D.C.; 2012 International Convention in New York City; or somewhere special for you to visit bring you renewal.

Great Ideas Presents Challenges

The 2012 Great Ideas Conference by American Society of Association Executives blew me away this year. Each evening Linda Eller, Phyllis Hickey, Nita Scott and I met to compare notes on the various sessions we had attended. We took new notes and decided to add items to our technology plan or our headquarters plan or our personal plans. We were challenged to use new social media, to do twice as much work in one-half the time and to breathe.
     We have already shared some ideas with Dr. Jensi Souders and hope to implement them in New York City July 24-28!

Flying time takes calendar

Pausing to color a "Sacred Cow" was more calming than I thought. We then planted the art in a color pot.

It started in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a Great Ideas Conference offered by American Society of Association Executives. Then visiting Amsterdam, Oslo and West Virginia was followed by an International Finance Committee and Transition meeting. Living in a body that could not decide what time zone to follow created interesting eating and sleeping habits.
     As I tried to keep up with office and other responsibilities, I realized my calendar had suffered time lag, whiplash and several severe -itis complications. It stalled in a time warp with twilight zone overtones and evaded my grasp.
     A trip to a spa (thank you HR team) and memories of visiting a "time out" area in Colorado have helped my calendar land on my desk and reveal that it is "mighty full" in the next two months. Hope you have full days and plan to come to the 2012 International Convention in New York City.

Site Visit Has Positive Results

Riet Smits-Hoenderken, Ria Bleeker and Trijny Schmidt-du Moulin smile during coffee after one of our site visits. Elselien Baas and I are on the other side of the table with the hotel representative.

The 2013 Europe Regional Conference officially has a location. After thorough discussions with tourism boards and suggestions for appropriate-sized facilities, The Netherlands team narrowed the selections to three sites in Amsterdam. Ria (state organization president), Riet (regional conference steering committee chair), Trijny (past regional director), Elselien (conference treasurer) and I asked many questions, looked behind doors and walked hallways.
    We selected a wonderful, open technology center for the meetings and a newly built Holiday Inn Express for sleeping rooms. Just right for the 2013 Europe Regional Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands!

Tri-Chapter Luncheon widens horizons of warmth

Members of Theta Kappa Chapter, Texas State Organization, pose for a photo in the lobby after tri-chapter luncheon.

     
     I was among Theta Kappa Chapter members who drove the 30-35 minutes from Seguin, Texas, to San Marcos, Texas, for a tri-chapter luncheon on a Saturday recently. We reinstated this practice after a long hiatus. Nu Chapter in San Marcos hosted the luncheon and members of Alpha Theta in New Braunfels made the third chapter. They will have hostess honors in 2013.
     We ate a lovely catered meal with homemade desserts. Everyone in Alpha Theta and Theta Kappa won a door prize! We enjoyed a musical lesson about The Song, which had everyone smiling and singing. We shared successes and made plans to attend our coming Texas State Organization Convention and the International Convention.  In short, we enjoyed ourselves, met some new people, renewed some friendships, and enjoyed ourselves.

They let me make a plug for attending the 2012 International
Convention in New York City July 24-28...and tell a joke.

     It's so easy to fill a Saturday with errands and projects, but these three chapters have members who enjoyed the short ride with friends. So what else do we do? We catch up with what's happened during a month or more. We talk about elections and debates, the weather, the draught, and new rules leveled by area schools. We compare notes, share ideas, and laugh. We remind each other about coming events and who will drive or make the reservations.
     Sound like your chapter? Probably. This genuine spiritual fellowship grows on you and feels darn good when you need it. Whether we are mentoring early-career educators, playing Bunko with girls at the city youth club, or hearing from the superintendent, we learn and grow together. I hope you are enjoying the information and warmth of your chapter.
(Thanks go to Bobbie Maddox for the photos.)