Boxes and stacks creep into my office

As we prepare for all the final details for Seminar in Purposeful Living and for 2010 Convention, the boxes and piles are filling my office. Can I find anything? Only if it isn't moved.

Printing, proofing, shipping, paying the balance on items held by deposits, answering questions, asking questions...Yes, it's "crunch time." AND we are still smiling! I hope to see each of you in Spokane, Washington.
We have room at the Davenport Hotel and want to see you there! This headquarters hotel for the convention offers old world amenities with modern service. AND door-to-door service to the Convention Center!

Visit to Waterloo, Iowa

What a treat to be in the state of my birth--Iowa! Friendly participants, interesting speakers, informative workshops and good food! Thank you to Upsilon State for a making feel so comfortable during the convention.

Pikeville, Kentucky, hosts state convention

Visiting the Kentucky State Convention as their International Representative was a beautiful experience. Not only were the mountains and valleys beautiful, but the people were also beautiful and friendly.

Thank you to President Sandi Smith and all of the Kentucky members. Enjoyed the choir, the technology, the variety of information/speakers presented, the food and the fellowship. AND it was very special to receive the key to the city of Pikeville and be named an Honorary Pike County Judge!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

      Rainbows always bring smiles, turned heads and pointing fingers, as someone spots the colorful promise of a brighter day across the sky.  May Spring 2010 offer you a bright future, a sunny day and enough rain to make more rainbows. 
    We can celebrate a renewal of our Society as it blooms into a future with technology blazing across the Web site like bluebonnets along the Texas hiways or cherry blossoms throughout Virginia and D.C.
     A new look at http://www.dkg.org/ and a social network, just for members. We are in for some adventures, challenges and excitement. I know you will celebrate with us as we unveil new technology the first week in April.

Meet Challenges, Add International Flare

Working at International Headquarters in Austin, Texas, offers different challenges regularly. No hum drum job with the same ol’ thing! From answering members’ varied questions to interpreting information from the membership database, the Membership Services Administrator will find fresh challenges regularly. Attending state conventions, offering training during regional conferences and supporting programs for international conventions present more opportunities and challenges. You could thrive on this!

In addition to managing the Society’s database, updating information, providing information and using the information, this administrator will also be responsible for the content and day-to-day management of the Society Network. Go To Meeting and its many services for international committees and state organizations also are included in this department. In the morning you could be talking to someone in New Hampshire and in the afternoon it’s a member in Germany. Members will help you grow in the many ways!

Membership and all of its related services are very important aspects of our organization—our purposes are testament to that. How we are able to provide services to our members hinges on many aspects, including our committee structure. As we look at restructuring our committees this summer, the Membership Services Administrator will work with several groups to provide the best service we can. International committees afford a truly international view of our Society. You would love this!

We are looking at using today’s electronic systems and social networks, one-on-one personal connections, chapter programs that appeal to members of all ages and educational levels, training opportunities for chapters and state organizations, and specific membership support requested by state organizations. You could help us advance the Society?

And living in Austin is fun. It’s the capital. It’s a university town. It’s a music festival and special event place. We like the climate, the sunshine, the hill country. You will too!  http://www.austintexas.org/visitors/about_austin/

Working at headquarters allows you to become part of a team supporting our Society’s goals, our mission, our vision. It’s important work and you could do it!

Go to the home page http://www.deltakappagamma.net and download the application information. Submit your application by April 20. The time for you to step forward and step up is now!

How can it add up so fast?

Each year another convention planner discovers the anatomy of a meal price. She selects a reasonably priced meal from the “approved” catering list. (The approved catering list means that the convention center or hotel will let that group serve food at your convention site.) The convention planner feels good that even though prices have risen since the last event and this location is noted for higher prices, she has found a great lunch. “The chicken ala hotel salad is only $25 and includes coffee, tea, rolls, butter and a light dessert,” she smiles. She reports to her committee and they, too, are pleased.

Then the convention registration form must be created. She is asked about tax and gratuity and other fees. She assumes, “Tips are like gratuity. People know that.” She adds the mandatory 22% gratuity/service fee, thinking that she usually tips 20% or less. She frowns when she realizes that the meal price will now be $30.50. She asks and is informed that the state and city taxes are figured on the entire price, including the gratuity/service fee. She multiplies the $30.50 times the 9.26% local taxes. Her total is now $33.32.
Her committee members murmur, “Looks different when you add it all in at once. At the restaurant we just think about the menu price, not after adding dessert, coffee, tax and tips.”
They are now faced with what to charge members for the meal. They are being very frugal and are worried that 32 cents times 2,000 people ($ 640) would mean no decorations for the event if they try to absorb the odd cents. She asks the chapter working on the decorations. They say that creating anything for 200 tables add up, even if they donate all the work and some of the supplies. They cannot "absorb" another $640. Her committee notes that registration costs are usually rounded with no cents for ease of tracking registrations and having a little extra for favors or decorations or assorted other function charges. She sighs.
Her $25 lunch is reasonable, but it will look much different when it appears on the registration form as $34. She asks the editor if she can list the salad, meal, dessert, gratuity/service fee and tax separately. When the laughter ceases and the editor explains that the registration form has several meals listed and must fit on one page, she understands. Now she hopes members do the same.

          FYI: As I signed my credit card receipt for dinner recently, I realized my quick dinner had doubled...soup, appetizer, beverage and tax had taken my $11.95 entre to $22.14 and I still had to add a nice tip!

Our Holidays Differ

From one country to another, from one religion to another, from one person to another ... This holiday season brings out the best in most of us as we try to share our most emotional beliefs. As a Christian, I celebrate the holiday with family traditions from our church heritage. What is interesting to me is that many of my Christian friends don't celebrate in the same way...no toasting, no singing... Just different traditions.

Other friends are not Christian by faith, but they put up with me and I try to honor their beliefs and practices when invited to join in their celebrations. What I do notice is the love and warmth we all seem to share, no matter what our religion or our cultural backgrounds may be.

Imposing my celebrations and beliefs on others is no more natural for me than others forcing their religion or cultural habits on my holiday. It's nice to be in a community of friends who coexist with variations and differences--race, culture, religion, politics... and we still can respect and love one another. May your season of choice be a happy one. May the Chinese Year of the Tiger be fiercely successful for you.