September 2026 KAPPAN

KAPPAN SEPTEMBER 2026

EVOLVING TOGETHER

ALPHA DELTA KAPPA

Alpha Delta Kappan VOLUME 55 NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 2026

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International President’s Message International President’s Address to Conference Attendees Heroes and Belonging Bring Success Strong Roots. Supportive Branches. Growing Toward the Future Sharing Classroom Grant Excitement A∆K Foundation Offers Hundreds of Opportunities CONNECT: Built for Today’s Alpha Delta Kappa The Impact of the Leadership Academy International Membership Dues Adjustment in January The Pendulum Swings on Cursive Handwriting Chapter Cross-Cultural Programs Recognized Bytes & Pieces The Smiles of Sisterhood You Belong Here: Spokane 2027 Three Opportunities to Present at International Convention Hallmarks of Card Making New Information on the Future of World Understanding Project Congratulations, Graduates Planes and the Pledge Sister Tales Congratulations Altruism #A∆K Omega Chapter A∆K Dates and Deadlines

S/P/N convention photographs on pages 16-17 provided by Caroline Gilmore, Carol Emerson, Anita Faull, Susan Lott, Maria Luisa Lebar, Marianne Annie, Phyllis Robbinette, Linda Rissel, Mollie Acosta, Margaret Nieradka, Barbara Nore, Katy Matthews, Betty Jo Evers and Judy Barnhill. Thank you for sharing.

Cascading water represents the unstoppable energy of moving forward. A waterfall, constantly flowing and reshaping, is a symbol of transformation and renewal. The cover photograph is of Whitewater Falls, NC

KAPPAN EDITOR Joanne Grimm, CA Alpha Alpha KAPPAN TEAM Susan Pelchat, CT Mu Shannon Lorenzo-Rivero, TN Chi Betty Sherrod, VA Gamma Omicron Susan Whelan, NJ Kappa Julie Kinder-McMillan, TN Alpha Gamma Gwen Steele, NE Kappa Judy Barnhill, TN Beta Zeta Judy Tate, VA Tau Daniel LaBorde, Communication and Publications Manager, Int'l HQ KAPPAN EDITORIAL BOARD Conway Blankenship, International President Mary Ey, International President-Elect Ann Marie Brown, Immediate Past International President Christi Smith, Executive Director KAPPAN PHOTO EDITOR Betty Sherrod Alpha Delta Kappa empowers women educators to advance educational excellence, altruism and world understanding.

The KAPPAN magazine is published quarterly

by Alpha Delta Kappa, International Honorary Organization for Women Educators.

Find the KAPPAN Publishing Guidelines online at www.alphadeltakappa.org.

Alpha Delta Kappa International Headquarters: 1615 W. 92nd St., Kansas City, MO 64114-3210 (816) 363-5525, (800) 247-2311, Fax (816) 363-4010 email: headquarters@alphadeltakappa.org www.alphadeltakappa.org The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily in conformity with those of Alpha Delta Kappa or the editor.

Submitting Items for the next KAPPAN What do you collect and why? We’d like to hear and see photos of your collection. Share it in the December KAPPAN. The deadline for the Dec. issue is Oct. 1, 2026. Please include your name, chapter, state, province or nation, your office and a way we can reach you if there are questions or more information needed.

To submit articles/photos, go to the A∆K website >About>Publications>Submit to the KAPPAN. Follow submission guidelines on the submission form.

International President’s Message

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y heart is filled with gratitude for the members and leaders in our organization. These last few months have provided me with opportunities to visit many sisters faceto-face. As International President, I had the honor of representing you at National and Provincial Conventions in Jamaica, Mexico virtually, Manitoba Conway Blankenship and Ontario. I also traveled to Puerto Rico and attended its convention. These visits gave me the opportunity to experience new places and meet many members for the first time. Because we are Alpha Delta Kappa, I was welcomed with smiles and often hugs. Immediately, I felt at home.

New experiences allow us to better understand differences, acknowledge our own capabilities and sometimes be surprised by what we learn about ourselves. For example, in Puerto Rico, I quickly learned I am not able to speak a third language. Before leaving home, I practiced a few basic Spanish words so I could respond appropriately. However, the first time I tried thanking a waitress with “Gracias,” “Danke” came out. More than once, my brain went from English to German, but unfortunately, never to Spanish. I am amazed by and appreciative of those who teach English as a second language and work with students who speak a variety of languages. It is a talent you have, similar to those of you who teach higher math or who help develop the talents of students with artistic or musical gifts.

When I became a member forty years ago, I never dreamed of the opportunities available through our membership. You do not need to be serving in a leadership role to take advantage of them. Everyone can and should consider visiting sisters outside our home chapters and

regions. We should do so to expand our knowledge of lands and cultures beyond our immediate communities and to make connections with members who share our interests and goals. We should fill our circles with the strong, successful women we meet along our travels.

There are many ways we can visit without booking flights, driving long distances or saving funds for a big trip. One way is to contact the newly installed presidents I met this spring by going to our directory and locating their email addresses and phone numbers. Another way is to use ZOOM to reach out and invite members from our nations and provinces to join a chapter meeting. It does not need to be anything elaborate. You can share a program on Excellence in Education, demonstrate a lesson you have recently taught, or explain how your chapter is supporting your community altruistically. Let’s use CONNECT to share with one another more often. Our Canadian, Jamaican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican sisters want to make connections with those of us in the States. They want to share successes, discuss challenges, and, most importantly, build relationships with more members.

To help you make connections and to share a little of the excitement I experienced at each of these conventions, I am sharing logos, themes, and some photos from the installations of our new presidents in Puerto Rico, Manitoba, Mexico, Jamaica and Ontario. I hope you will use our directory to contact them. By the time we are together in Spokane, Washington, for our International Convention next July, I hope many connections will have already been made and meetings planned so we can greet each other face-to-face.

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International President’s Address to Conference Attendees

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nternational President Conway addressed the attendees at the three regional conferences. Here is her message.

Even though we are beginning a new biennium for our regions, states, provinces and nations, we are in the middle of our International Biennium. I am excited to have this opportunity to share with you.

“Evolving Together” is more than a theme. It’s a call for action. Tonight, my primary goal is to encourage you to join the 13 members of IEB, regional officers and S/P/N leaders who understand the need for us to look at membership differently. Both the teaching profession and Alpha Delta Kappa have changed since Agnes chartered the first chapter almost 80 years ago.

Let’s begin by taking a short walk down memory lane.

Each of our experiences differs. I am going to share my experience, and many of you will relate.

In the late 70s, my first classroom was in an old building with windows I could raise and lower, and a chalkboard with erasers that needed to be clapped together at the end of the day to rid chalk dust. My students had textbooks and an assortment of colored folders I used to teach organizational skills. My fourth graders had worksheets I created by hand and ran off myself in the copy room before school. Some of you will remember the purple ink and the scent it gave off. Was that healthy?

Most days I wore a dress to school. I remember when pantyhose were new. My grades were all recorded by hand in a physical grade book. I averaged grades with a handheld calculator, and I kept extra batteries in my desk drawer. Parents waited for report cards to be sent home at specified times, and I was fortunate to have parental support. If I needed help for anything, that night at home, I used my landline, and I phoned parents.

Over my 34 years, much changed. We realize today most classrooms now include whiteboards and students use technology to submit their assignments. Chromebooks have replaced textbooks. Parents, if they are involved, can review grade books whenever they choose. They also communicate frequently via emails and text messages.

Let’s stroll down another lane. Alpha Delta Kappa Lane. Again, I encourage you to remember your beginnings while I share bits of mine.

In the 80s, I received an engraved invitation to an Alpha Delta Kappa meeting. It asked for an RSVP. Remember 2

those? I replied and attended the meeting without knowing who would be there and why I was invited. Today, most likely, if an invitation arrived in my email, I would think it was a scam and delete it.

One of the best decisions I ever made was to accept the invitation to become a member. Why? -Because of the support and encouragement of my chapter sisters.

-Because of the interactions between members.

-Because of the networking with others in my school system -And because of the opportunities to share teaching strategies and discuss problems with others who understood There were times my sisters shared child-raising experiences and those were helpful, too. I believe we need each other for support as we travel down the different lanes of life.

Education continues evolving. Alpha Delta Kappa must also continue evolving.

We need to offer support to the educators in today’s classrooms. Let me give you some examples of how many differ.

There are non-certified teachers in our schools, currently working towards their certification.

There are teachers in our schools with bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but not a single methods class, nor have they had an opportunity to student teach and benefit from a supervised mentoring program.

School systems hard-pressed for qualified teachers are coming up with ways to fill the positions they need.

IEB continues looking towards our future. What steps need to be taken to create a strong and sustainable future?

Alpha Delta Kappa’s traditional chapter model remains the foundation of our membership experience. Traditional chapters provide members with local connection, leadership opportunities, service, fellowship and engagement through chapter and S/P/N affiliation.

To complement this traditional pathway, we propose adding an alternative virtual membership pathway. This model would create a single virtual chapter for educators who may not have access to a local chapter, who work or live anywhere in the world, or who need a more flexible way to participate in Alpha Delta Kappa.

We propose that members in the virtual pathway would

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meet quarterly in a virtual format.

We propose a minimal administrative burden because there would be no chapter officers or chapter forms to complete.

We propose that there would be no chapter or S/P/N affiliation.

This alternative pathway is intended to expand access to membership while preserving the value and identity of traditional chapters. Members in both pathways could connect with one another through optional CONNECT communities, creating opportunities for engagement across geography, interests and membership models.

By offering both a traditional chapter pathway and a virtual pathway, Alpha Delta Kappa can honor its chapterbased history while creating a more flexible and accessible membership option for educators today and into the future.

We see value in this alternative membership pathway for both virtual members and our traditional chapter members.

Value with the inclusion of more active educators who are unable to attend monthly meetings or serve as officers due to the demands of their jobs or families Value as we continue developing partnerships with

educational institutions and professional organizations Value as we welcome new ideas, fresh perspectives and teaching strategies from educators actively serving in classrooms, schools and educational settings around the world Value in creating a new revenue source that can support a more stable financial outlook for our organization, while continuing to honor and strengthen the traditional chapter experience I am only sharing a little of the information IEB has gathered, reviewed and discussed. We need your input, so after all regional conferences are finished, we will offer multiple listening sessions once again. The first listening session will be on August 13. Information will be available via International News and the All Member Community in CONNECT. As I continue with the lane metaphor, I ask you to join us as we open new lanes for today’s educators to become members in our organization. I ask for your support for the virtual membership model in order to provide today’s educators the benefit of our experiences and the support we offer. Lastly, I ask you to remember “Evolving Together” is a call for action.

Alpha Delta Kappa Leadership Academy

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MEMBERSHIP MESSAGE

Heroes and Belonging Bring Success

By International Vice President for Membership Kathy Beatty

“The most important tip we learned was to have fun.

Do not try to sell A∆K. Foster fellowship.” reating connections and fostering fellowship help chapters get to know potential and current members of Alpha Delta Kappa. This helps members find out what a prospective member is looking for in joining and what current members are continuing to find value in their membership. The International Membership Committee has hosted two cohorts that train and support chapters in reaching out to prospective members and developing strategies to keep members.

Over 200 chapters have participated in the Educators are Heroes cohorts since the spring of 2024, with 191 chapters initiating one or more members. This membership initiative gives sisters a new way of thinking about membership and new ways to approach potential members. Chapters held social events focused on active listening when conversing with guests. Training encouraged members to get to know women more personally and make matches between the organization’s needs and the interests and talents of prospective educators.

IVPM Kathy Beatty said, “Many sisters said it was refreshing to have a social event and to plan something that they have not done before. We heard excitement as sisters shared about their new event and how much fun they had with the theme. Many responded that these types of events also helped connect current members to each other and re-energize their chapter.”

Chapters shared feedback about using social events to attract educators. Oregon Mu sisters felt it was fun to meet in an informal way and reported, “Our meetings are great, but meeting and visiting without an agenda was enjoyable.”

Nicole Osborne of NC Beta Upsilon said, “We think smaller events are beneficial; no one gets lost in the crowd. We learned to make recruitment more intentional by scheduling luncheons over the summer.” KY Alpha Eta used this type of event to connect with two members who resigned last year, as they both said, “I already miss Alpha Delta Kappa, and I am thinking about coming back.”

Mary Yonker, Mexico Epsilon, said, “The training was very helpful and provided us with valuable ideas and strategies for recruiting new members and meaningful activities to engage potential members. It reinforced the importance of inviting guests to experience AΔK in an authentic and purposeful way. The training helped us move from ideas

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to action, making our recruitment efforts more intentional and impactful.”

Leslie La Croix, VA Tau, agreed. “I deeply appreciated the opportunity to come together multiple times over the course of the spring to see how other chapters were proceeding. I also appreciated the consistent messaging that reframed the purpose of the event as relationship building instead of a recruiting event. The focus on connecting with other women educators and getting to know them was refreshing and made the gathering truly special.”

“The training,” Lori Moore, NE Pi, said, “increased the role of recruitment from membership chairman to the entire chapter. There was more ownership in making strong connections and improving communication.”

Since the greatest number of members who resign are in their second to tenth year, IMC created a step-bystep “Onboarding for New Member” process to help new members feel valued, seen and heard. Kathy said, “We no longer want the new member to wait and listen before she gets involved. The more a new member is involved from the beginning, the more she is likely to stay a member.” Chapters that initiated at least one new sister were invited to join the “Belonging Through Onboarding” cohort to learn about each stage of onboarding so an initiate can feel a sense of belonging early in her membership. There have been two “Belonging Through Onboarding” cohorts, one in 2025 and one in 2026, with a total of 71 chapters participating.

Bernadette Gentilcore of PA Eta said, “The ‘Belonging Through Onboarding’ provided a timeline which was helpful to build a relationship with my mentee. Practicing personal conversations on Zoom showed me the way to engage in conversations, learn about the mentee’s passions and experiences, all through questioning and active listening.”

The New Member Onboarding process is available on the International website under the Chapter Officers tab in the Resources Library.

Margie Eiserike, MD Beta, was a mentor who stated that “(The mentor training) helped me focus more on the person I mentored rather than telling her more about the benefits of joining AΔΚ. I made a better connection with her.”

New member Kathleen Rogers, IN Alpha Upsilon, shared the importance of onboarding:” I feel truly privileged to be invited to be part of such an amazing group of dedicated, hardworking women who share my passion and purpose.”

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Strong Roots. Supportive Branches.

Growing Toward the Future

By Alpha Delta Kappa Executive Director Christi Smith

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hange is rarely easy. Even when we know it is necessary, change can still feel uncertain. It asks us to step out of familiar patterns, rethink what we have always done and imagine what might be possible next.

As Alpha Delta Kappa prepares for a predictable change in leadership with our S/P/N and regional officers, we have an important opportunity before us. This is not simply a season of transition. It is a season of growth.

In the front hall of our Headquarters stands the Alpha Delta Kappa leadership tree. It is more than a visual display.

It is a reminder of who we are, where we have been and the many leaders whose service has helped shape this organization across generations.

Like any strong tree, Alpha Delta Kappa has deep roots. Our roots are grounded in our mission, values, traditions and shared commitment to women educators. Those roots have sustained us through decades of change in education, leadership, membership and society. They remind us that we do not begin again each time leadership changes. We build from a foundation that is already strong.

But strong roots are not meant to hold a tree in place without movement. Strong roots make growth possible.

As an organization, we are reaching outward. We are extending our branches in new directions, exploring new ideas and asking how Alpha Delta Kappa can continue to be relevant, meaningful and supportive for educators today and in the future. That kind of growth requires courage. It also requires trust.

Leadership transitions naturally bring questions. What will change? What will remain the same? How do we honor our history while preparing for what comes next?

The answer begins with remembering why Alpha Delta Kappa exists.

We exist because women educators need support.

They need connection. They need encouragement from others who understand the challenges, joys and responsibilities of the profession. They need a place where leadership is nurtured, friendships are formed, and service has purpose.

That need has not gone away. In many ways, it is stronger than ever.

Teachers and educational leaders are navigating complex classrooms, changing expectations and increasing demands. They need organizations like Alpha Delta Kappa — places where they are seen, valued and connected to something larger than themselves.

That is why planning for the future matters. It is not change for the sake of change. It is not letting go of who we are. It is making sure that who we are continues to matter.

When we talk about innovation, we are not abandoning tradition. We are asking how our traditions can continue to serve current and future members. We are asking how our leadership structures, communication, programs and member experiences can grow stronger. We are asking how we can support the next generation of Alpha Delta Kappa leaders while continuing to honor those who have carried us this far.

Strong roots give us stability. Supportive branches give us reach.

Together, they create a living organization. One that is grounded, growing and ready for the future.

As we move through this season of leadership transition, let us see it as an invitation to support and encourage new leaders, welcome new ideas, strengthen our connection to one another and plan not only for the next year, but for the future of Alpha Delta Kappa.

Because we want Alpha Delta Kappa to be here in the future.

Here for educators who need encouragement. Here for members seeking connection and purpose. Here for leaders who are ready to grow. Here for the profession we love and the communities we serve.

Our roots are strong. Our branches are supportive. And together, we are growing forward.

Congratulations to our incoming S/P/N and regional officers. As you step into your leadership roles, you become part of the living strength of Alpha Delta Kappa, grounded by the roots of those who came before you and supported by the branches of members who will stand beside you.

May your leadership help us continue to grow with purpose, reach with intention and remain deeply connected to the educators we serve.

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Sharing Classroom Grant Excitement

By International Classroom Grant Chair Mari Page

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hen I was in the classroom, I loved enhancing my students’ daily required lessons with exciting activities and adventures that made their learning experiences challenging and memorable. One of the ways I was able to do this was by writing grants that allowed me to supplement my meager classroom budget and to provide enriching activities for them.

I know Alpha Delta Kappa educators today want to provide many such experiences for their students, and this opportunity is available in our organization. Working educators have the opportunity to apply for one of the $400 Classroom Grants. These grants provide funds to help creative and innovative educators obtain materials that enhance classroom lessons.

In 2025, a wide variety of applications were approved across all grades and subject matter. Linda Hume, VA Beta Epsilon, bought five Playaway devices for use by all students. She reported, “Each device contains an entire chapter book and can be used with or without an internet connection. They support English language learners, reluctant readers and those who need extra support or a book. Our fifth graders feel special. They are the only ones checking them out right now.”

Audrie Mergelman, CO Alpha Lambda, said, “With our A∆K Classroom Grant, I was able to purchase 40 new drawing books for our art room. Having so many diverse books allows me to quickly grab a book for a student looking for almost any independent interest or subject.”

Beth Jensen, KS Beta, a life skills teacher, was able to set up a small working coffee shop for teachers that was run by her special education high school class.

She states, “It is an important learning experience for the students. We are open for the first hour three days a week. The students prepare and deliver coffee as teachers place orders. During the second hour, one of the students keeps the books and makes a deposit with the financial secretary at our school.”

Justine Brown, WV Delta, used her $400 to expand the sensory item inventory in her classroom. She said, “I have been able to support my students and keep them in the general education classroom more when overstimulated or struggling to regulate, as opposed to hav-

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ing to remove them from the room for sensory breaks.

My students have loved the option for flexible seating and have found some new comfort in their plushies of choice.”

Donna Ralph, VA Xi, a fifth-grade science and history teacher, planned a project called “The Igniting Curiosity After-School Science Club.” It provided thirty-two fifth-grade students the opportunity to These grants participate in interactive science investigations provide funds in a weekly after-school to help creative enrichment program. She stated, “It was rewardand innovative ing to observe students educators obtain develop confidence, curiosity, and leadership materials that skills through handsenhance classroom on learning. The grant funding made it possible lessons. to provide meaningful STEM experiences that sparked excitement about science and helped students see themselves as capable scientists, innovators and problem solvers.”

These are just a few examples of the forty-nine wonderful ideas that were awarded grants. I have enjoyed the process of reading the applications that were submitted for 2025. I have been out of the classroom for quite a few years, and it was exciting for me to read all the amazing and innovative ideas that are taking place in educational settings today. Reading the applications allowed me to feel more connected to our working educators and supportive of their hard work.

Those of you who are currently working educators now have the opportunity to apply for your own 2026 Classroom Grant. What great ideas do you have that you might want to implement for your students in the upcoming school year? The application process is found on the International website and is not difficult to complete. Watch for upcoming information on the application process. The final due date for applications is October 1, 2026.

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A∆K Foundation Offers Hundreds of Opportunities

By Mollie Acosta, Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation Board Chair

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id you know that every biennium, the Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation offers 363 opportunities to apply for and potentially receive financial support in the form of awards, scholarships and grants? More than $360,000 is available to be awarded. Many of the programs administered by the International Executive Board and funded through investments and contributions to the AΔK Foundation are well known: Classroom grants, the Excellence in Education program and the International Teacher Education program are some examples.

Unfortunately, not all awards, grants and scholarships reach recipients due to a lack of applicants. One opportunity not often enough awarded is the Innovation grant, awarded to non-members with no more than ten years of teaching experience to assist with the cost of supplies or services to enhance creative lessons. International Innovation Grant Committee Chair Denise Ceron says, “This is a unique grant because it is open only to non-members. It is a great way to introduce an innovative, talented teacher to our organization. He or she must be recommended by an Alpha Delta Kappa member.” Think of those creative educators who may be colleagues, neighbors, family members or educators serving family members, and offer them this opportunity. The application is short, requesting a brief description of the project. It also requires a letter of recommendation from the recommending AΔK member. No detailed budget is required. The award is a direct $300 payment. As Denise said, it is a great way to raise awareness about Alpha Delta Kappa. Applications are available on August 15 and are due by November 15 each year.

Another major scholarship offered is the Fine Arts Grant. This is a $10,000 grant. It may be divided among two or more recipients annually. Its purpose is to encourage student enrichment in the fine arts and is available to members employed in the education field or those who are active participants in the activity supported by the grant. Retired educators are eligible. International Fine Arts Grant Board Chair Robin Leebardt states, “Too often, educators are spending their personal finances to make an amazing trip, a production, or a program come alive.

The Fine Arts Grant Board is honored to support teachers who are creative and inspiring and are looking for ways to enhance their students’ exploration and/or refinement of the fine arts. The fine arts, in general, are all about collaboration and teamwork. Students learn how to problemsolve and work together for a greater goal. Project-based learning is at the forefront of education: being in a play, performing with a choir, or dancing folklorico are the original and ultimate PBLs.” The Fine Arts Grant application is available on November 15 and is due by February 15 of each year.

The Regional Professional Development Spring and Fall Mini-Scholarships are available to all members. They are for non-AΔK-sponsored conferences, classes or workshops for personal or professional enrichment activities. The Spring Minis are for activities June 1-December 31; Fall Minis are for activities January 1-May 31.

Each scholarship is up to $500; three are available to be awarded per region in both spring and fall of each year. Applications are available January 15 and July 15 and are due April 15 and October 15, respectively.

The larger Regional Professional Development Scholarship is available to members employed in the education field and is to assist with pursuing a graduate degree, National Board Certification or recertification or state/provincial/national certification or recertification, licensure, or endorsement. It is up to $1500 per scholarship with two available per region annually. International Regional Professional Development Committee Chair Karen Miller states, “Through the RPD, sisters can take advantage of assistance from Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation funds in pursuing academic advancement and continued educational excellence. Supporting sisters with a goal of promoting educational experiences for students is an important part of the Foundation puzzle.”

More information about all Scholarships and Grants is available on our International website, alphadeltakappa. org; click Foundation/Grants and Scholarships and find the Scholarships and Grants At-a-Glance document. It has details for all scholarships and grants awarded by Alpha Delta Kappa.

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CONNECT: Built for Today’s Alpha Delta Kappa

By Daniel LaBorde, Communication and Publications Manager

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f you’ve logged into CONNECT recently, you may have noticed a few changes.

Over the past year, the Headquarters staff has been working to refresh and improve the member experience within CONNECT. Some updates have already been introduced, while others are still being rolled out.

As with any change, questions naturally follow. Why was CONNECT updated? Why were some things moved?

And most importantly, what does it mean for me as a member?

The answer is simple: we want to make it easier for members to connect, communicate and find the information they need.

When CONNECT was first introduced, it quickly became a space for members to engage with one another. Since then, technology has evolved, member needs have changed and the way we communicate has continued to shift. The recent updates were designed to help CONNECT better serve today’s members while ensuring it remains a useful tool for years to come.

One of the biggest goals of the refresh was reducing the number of places members need to visit to stay informed. Over time, information became spread across multiple websites, emails, social media pages and online resources. While each platform served a purpose, it often created confusion about where to find the most current information.

As part of this effort, links to external S/P/N websites were removed from the International website effective June 1. This decision was not made to eliminate communication channels or discourage S/P/N activities. Rather, it reflects a broader goal of bringing member engagement into a central location where information is easier to find and maintain.

Today, every S/P/N has its own dedicated CONNECT community. These communities provide a space to share announcements, resources, events, discussions, photos and updates directly with members who are interested in those topics. Instead of maintaining separate websites, members can participate in conver-

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sations and access information through the same platform they already use for many other Alpha Delta Kappa activities.

For members, this creates a more consistent experience. Rather than remembering multiple website addresses or searching through old emails, information can be found within CONNECT alongside discussions and resources from fellow members.

So, what’s in it for you?

CONNECT offers opportunities to engage with members beyond your local chapter. Whether you’re looking for ideas, inspiration, resources or simply a way to stay connected with fellow educators and members across the organization, CONNECT provides a place to do that.

Within CONNECT, you can: • Participate in discussions with members from around the world.

• Receive updates from your S/P/N, region and International leadership.

• Share ideas, resources and best practices.

• Stay informed about upcoming events and opportunities.

• Connect with members who share your interests and passions.

Most importantly, CONNECT helps strengthen what has always been at the heart of Alpha Delta Kappa: relationships.

Technology will continue to evolve, and the organization must evolve with it. However, the mission remains unchanged. These updates are simply tools to help you communicate more effectively, support one another more easily and ensure members can stay connected wherever they are.

If you haven’t explored CONNECT recently, I encourage you to log in, visit your communities and see what’s new. You may discover resources, conversations and connections waiting for you.

After all, CONNECT is more than a platform. It’s a place where Alpha Delta Kappa members come together.

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The Impact of the Leadership Academy

By Laura Brown, TX Gamma Theta

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ot long ago, I questioned my chapter’s decision when they asked me to consider being presidentelect. Me? Really? I am used to being the one in the background who organizes.

Around the same time, I heard of the opportunity to join the Leadership Academy, and I began a journey that would soon push me past my comfort zone and toward the leader I was meant to be. Through the Leadership Academy, I was challenged to apply our assigned reading to my personal life, both inside and outside the chapter, as well as professionally. In addition, I thought about how what we were reading and discussing impacted me professionally.

One of the greatest benefits of being in the Leadership Academy was having a mentor. Joyce Perkins, who served as Kansas state president 2024–2026 and 2008– 2010, my assigned mentor, became a confidante and source of support who helped guide me through both my capstone project and the things I wanted to improve while serving as president of my chapter. What I soon found out, however, was that many Leadership Academy mentors were willing to jump in and offer support and encouragement. I found myself connected to other mentors such as South Central Regional President (2024-2026) Cheryl Sigel, Past International President (2007-2009) Ann Hudson and South Central Regional International Vice President (2021-2023) Rachel Shankles, along with the Leadership Academy Board.

I began to reflect based on what we were doing in our monthly Zoom and mentor meetings, eventually developing a capstone project around introversion and leadership. I found myself volunteering to speak on stage in Kansas City about my StrengthsFinder results. My family was shocked. Who was I becoming?

That was just the beginning. I soon found myself taking on more leadership roles at work as well, eventually putting myself out there for a role at the district level.

These are things I likely never would have considered had I not been involved in the Leadership Academy. I also felt better equipped to lead my chapter and pursue state leadership due to the mentorship and guidance I received.

I highly encourage involvement in the Leadership

Academy. The Academy is seeking applications for the next cohort for both mentors and participants. Find out more information by visiting alphadeltakappa.org (Navigation: Members & Events> Networking> Leadership Academy).

Laura is currently a member of the Leadership Academy Board. She is also TX State Treasurer, TX District II Treasurer, District I Mentor and Immediate Past President of TX Gamma Theta.

From the Leadership Academy to Leadership Leadership Academy graduates have not hesitated to put their Academy learning to use, according to Leadership Academy Committee Chair Jamie Hawkins.

Katy Matthews, TX Gamma Nu and class of 2021, is the current Two-Year Member-at-Large on the IEB. From the same class, Michelle Roosma, AZ Psi, is the Arizona State Co-President-Elect, and Emily Castillo, VA Alpha Omicron, is a Four-Year Member of the Academy Executive Board.

Colleen Spears, TN Mu, from the class of 2023, is the current TN State President. She was the SER Excellence in Education recipient in 2024. Her cohort mate Jocelyn Frohwein, IA Epsilon, is Iowa State President-Elect. Laura Brown, TX Gamma Theta, also from the 2023 cohort, is serving as the Six-Year Member of the Academy Executive Board. Laura has served as an Advanced Academic Facilitator and has been involved with her district’s Digital Learning/Innovation Team.

Class of 2025 member Mari Early created The City Schools of Decatur Early Learning Lab, a community-based early childhood center. The Center highlights how intentional early learning investments can improve kindergarten readiness, strengthen communities and create a sustainable cradle-tocareer pipeline.

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International Membership Dues Adjustment in January

By International President-Elect Mary A. Ey

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he International Executive Board approved an adjustment to the International membership dues at its May meeting. Starting in January 2027, a member living in the United States will pay annual dues of $45, and a member in Canada will pay the equivalent in Canadian dollars. The dues for members in Jamaica and Mexico are not impacted at this time.

Prior to making this decision, IEB analyzed membership and financial data from the past five years. The organization has experienced a steady decline in membership each year during this time period. As a result, the impact on the organization’s dues revenue has declined by an average of 5% each year. Dues revenue represents about 68% of the organization’s annual budget. Other revenue sources include: • Donations to the organization • Management fees from the Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation • Interest and Dividends • Jewelry Sales • Miscellaneous Income (Merchandise Sales) If IEB took no action, this would result in a projected 39% total revenue loss over the next ten years. Key factors have been identified as contributors to the decline in revenue: • Over-reliance on chapter-based recruitment

• Revenue based mostly on member dues and donations • Limited access points for prospective members • Membership structure not aligned with evolving professional preferences Additionally, IEB has examined the organization’s expenditures over the past five years. Excluding International convention, operating expenses have averaged approximately $1.22 million per year and have been relatively stable. Non-dues revenue (management fee, interest, and other income) covers approximately $440 thousand of the expenses annually, leaving approximately $780 thousand per year financed by dues. At current membership levels, we are continually falling short. The gap widens each year as membership continues to decline.

Increasing International membership dues to~ $45 will mitigate the current recurring deficit between revenue and expenses. IEB has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that Alpha Delta Kappa remains financially healthy as it seeks to invest in programs, resources, leadership development, member services and future initiatives that support our mission and strengthen the member experience.

The Board will continue to explore and identify other strategies to increase revenue and decrease costs. It is committed to seeking recommendations and ideas from all members through surveys, virtual and in-person forums and personal contacts.

~ Alpha Delta Kappa Year-to-Date Income as of March 31, 2026 ~ Jewelry, $2,678.00

Misc Income $593.55

Interest & Dividends $136,255.87

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MGMT Fee- FND $164,490.00

Donations $34,982.98

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Legend Details

Dues and late fees $751,147.21

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Dues and late fees: International membership dues and late fees Donations: Member donations to the organization Management Fee: Foundation contributions to support the organization’s operational and administrative expenses Misc Income: Merchandise sales Jewelry: Alpha Delta Kappa jewelry sales Interest and Dividends: Investment accounts interest and gain/loss from the sale of investments

Dues and late fees

Donations

MGMT-Fee

Misc Income

Interest & Dividends

Jewelry

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The Pendulum Swings on Cursive Handwriting

By Julie Kinder-McMillan, KAPPAN correspondent

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he National Archives, Smithsonian, and Library of Congress share something in common other than the celebration and preservation of America’s 250-year history. These organizations are recruiting volunteers who can read cursive handwriting to help decipher and transcribe old documents for digital archives.

The general population’s ability to read and write in cursive has declined in recent decades, and the question of whether to reinstate the teaching of this skill is often hotly debated.

In a modern world where tested subjects receive the most attention, cursive handwriting instruction has taken a back seat. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which many states adopted in 2010-2011, do not specifically require cursive instruction. In addition, the rise of one-to-one devices for students who now use keyboards instead of paper and pencil helped push cursive instruction further down the priority list.

The New York Times quoted handwriting expert Kate Gladstone in 2013 as saying, “Mandating cursive to preserve handwriting resembles mandating stovepipe hats and crinolines to preserve the art of tailoring.” She argued that reading cursive matters more than writing it, and students can be easily taught to read cursive once they have mastered print reading.

Like many other controversies in education, however, the pendulum may be swinging back the other way.

According to reports from NEA Today and Education Week in March 2026, 27 states now have laws requiring or encouraging cursive instruction, up from only 14 states 10 years ago.

Alpha Delta Kappa sisters weighed in with their opinions via a recent request for input through CONNECT. Overwhelmingly, sisters who responded are in favor of continuing to teach students how to write and read cursive.

Several sisters, including Mary Ann Englehart of CA Xi and Rhonda Johnston of KY Lambda, note the importance of young people being able to access historical documents and genealogical records. Many referred to cursive handwriting as an “art form.”

Lynn Severance, WA Alpha Upsilon, taught cursive writing from 1965 to 1992 and believes “a person’s handwriting is much like a fingerprint for identification [and] uncovers personal identity.”

VA Alpha Pi’s Wilma Roark, who taught cursive handwriting from 1973-2009, agrees, stating that “handwriting

develops as uniquely as individual personalities.”

Sisters also feel that practicality also plays a role in the need to continue cursive instruction. Teresa Ledden of TN Alpha Gamma and Liz Gibbs of TN Beta Zeta concur that young people should learn how to sign their names in cursive for legal documents. Others point out that the inability to read cursive creates a communication barrier between generations.

“My grandkids told me they could not read the cards I sent them because I wrote in cursive,” shares Rachel Shankles of AR Alpha Epsilon. “I had to start printing in the mail I sent to them!”

MD Beta’s Margie Eiserike said that halfway through one school year, she was shocked when students revealed that they could not read the positive comments she had been writing on their papers – in cursive. On the flip side, Laura Reed of TX Gamma Kappa stated that recently, a high school teacher at her school could not read her students’ cursive handwriting, which caused the students to revert to printing.

Many respondents, including Becky Masters of IN Alpha Zeta and Sue Baker of OH Alpha Eta, noted that students always feel excited about learning to write in cursive because it makes them feel more grown up.

However, those with years of experience teaching it shared that proper instruction is very time-consuming as it requires consistent, daily practice. Chloe Austin of IN Tau builds in time for her third-grade students to enjoy practicing cursive writing starting in April – after state testing is concluded.

Although defenders of cursive instruction often cite brain-based benefits, the August 21, 2023, report published by Jim Hewitt and Nidhi Sachdeva in The Science of Learning shared their findings after an extensive research review. They found that “handwriting (printing or cursive) is important in the early years, and a good deal of time needs to be dedicated to it. It would be a mistake to replace [handwriting] with keyboarding.

However, the literature offers no evidence that cursive writing is somehow special in terms of fostering critical thinking or helping children express themselves more authentically.”

Despite the lack of scientific proof that teaching cursive is as important as many passionate educators like to believe, the current push for reducing screen time for children may also factor into how handwriting instruction, both print and cursive, is handled in the future.

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Chapter Cross-Cultural Programs Recognized

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he World Understanding Committee has named the top five programs in the Making a Better World Initiative for their benefit to both local and international communities. The Initiative recognizes outstanding programs, projects and activities that significantly contribute to cross-cultural learning and relationships and increase awareness of and involvement in global issues. More information, including program photos, is on the International website under the Foundation tab.

Yo Puedo Leer (I Can Read) Paraguay

Submitted by Mary Yonkers, Mexico Epsilon The Yo Puedo Leer program was launched in 2024 in Paraguay to address early literacy challenges faced by children from underprivileged communities who do not have books at home before entering school. This initiative is supported as part of the Epsilon World Understanding Project and is led by Mary Yonker, a member of the Epsilon chapter in Mexico, reflecting a strong commitment to improving lives through education. The program was created to foster a love of reading in early childhood.

The primary goal of Yo Puedo Leer is to provide children ages 3, 4, and 5 with access to age-appropriate books that support early literacy skills. Each child receives a set of 12 patterned, leveled books designed for emergent readers. The program is implemented through collaboration with parents, schools and local communities in rural Paraguay.

The books were written and designed specifically for this initiative by Mary Yonker and Yvette Carter and are delivered directly to families, creating each child’s first home library.

Yo Puedo Leer emphasizes home access to books, empowering families to actively participate in their children’s learning. To date, 300 families have requested books, and 85 complete sets have been funded, with distribution planned for March 2026. The impact has been immediate and meaningful: families report increased interest in reading, repeated engagement with books, and visible enthusiasm from children. Through Epsilon World Understanding support, fundraising and community partnerships, Yo Puedo Leer continues working to make a better world—one home library at a time.

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Opportunities Community Outreach- A Social Responsibility & Networking

Submitted by: Mary Ellen Lopez, Colorado Alpha Iota Cognizant of the importance of social responsibility, CO Alpha Iota chapter programming focused on Community Outreach this biennium.

Several meetings incorporated this component to a degree, but one meeting in particular had the greatest impact and exceeded all expectations. November 24 was A Thousand Dollar Plus Day! Two Pueblo community nonprofit agencies were the recipients of generous Alpha Iota chapter donations.

This altruistic effort, spearheaded by Mary Ellen Lopez (CMC) and Alpha Iota Sister Gina Lopez Ferguson, Philanthropic Lead for Caring for Colorado Foundation, began as a response to food drives by local organizations to fill their pantry shelves during a pending government shutdown. It became a reason to meet and act.

Gina provided the meeting space and enlightened members in attendance with an informative talk on food systems in our Pueblo Community & SNAP Issues.

Alpha Iota members filled a car with canned food and Thanksgiving-related food items to be delivered to Pueblo Cooperative Care Center, a nonprofit that is known as the central hub for individuals in crisis and is now the largest emergency food resource in Southern Colorado.

Energized by Gina’s presentation, the chapter approved a $500 donation to assist this nonprofit with its work.

A phenomenal response to this project also led to a vote to share some food donations with Servicios de La Raza— a nonprofit serving Pueblo’s Latino community. By networking with local community nonprofits to promote programs that improve the quality of life for those in great need, Alpha Iota has made a positive impact.

Reaching Out Through Jubilee Elves

Submitted by Glad Loreen, Washington Beta Alpha Jubilee Elves is a local project in Bellevue, Washington, structured to invite and engage members and organizations to care for some of the most vulnerable families in our community. Over 600 families and 1400 children experienced receiving with joy and brightness.

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This project involves gift giving for individuals, volunteering to be part of the toy sort and delivering to families. Our local AΔK chapter has chosen Jubilee Elves for the last several years as one of our altruistic projects to make a difference locally. We individually or in duos receive a wish list for an individual and bring packaged clothes and accessories to our November meeting. Our altruistic chairs deliver a van to the Jubilee Center. We are additionally invited to volunteer at the Center to organize toys prior to families coming to receive the goodness. Many of our members jump at the opportunity to take part in several days of readying the 1400 parcels.

Warm blankets and wreaths were the final gifts given to families and brought such smiles.

The purpose of this local project is to encourage vulnerable families and provide children with positive reminders that their community cares.

Jubilee Reach provides us with deep thanks following this season and gives us access to thank-you letters from families. Our members are touched by this annual reaching out to our community and quietly share they have had students in their school setting who have received this goodness.

We believe this makes a tremendous impact in our community and nurtures us, also.

AL Omicron Weaves Mats from Plastic Bags

Submitted by: Barbara Rodgers, Alabama Omicron Homeless Sleeping Mat weaving began in 2017 in Montgomery, AL, when volunteers responded to a need by making sleeping mats for people living on the streets. Barbara Rodgers, AL Omicron, joined them in 2023.

She learned to weave the sleeping mats from plastic shopping bags.

The goal was to provide a clean, insulated sleeping surface that offers comfort and protection from cold, wet ground for people without shelter. The objective is to improve quality of life for unsheltered individuals by giving them a meaningful item of support, while fostering community engagement and stewardship of recyclable materials. Since 2017, 700 mats have been produced, each requiring 2005 bags. Each mat is paired with blankets, pillows, hygiene kits and seasonal items.

Alabama Omicron visited the center’s worksite and became interested in collecting bags and supplying essentials for the ministry. Barbara Rodgers weaves two days a week, volunteering 388 hours since her retirement in 2023. She has provided publicity and promotion for the group, which has brought donations of blankets, socks, knit caps, gloves and restaurant gift cards. The program is sustainable as several groups have started their own volunteer work of making mats. Barbara has presented the program to Alabama Kappa in Clanton, AL, which donated gift certificates and took some mats to deliver to homeless shelters in their town. This ministry continues to make a better world during this 2026 freeze and ice storm by putting mats into warming centers where hundreds of neighbors are without heat, electricity and water.

Easter Baskets for Open Door Mission

Submitted by: Traci Gilmer, Nebraska Upsilon Our Upsilon chapter was looking for an altruistic project that would benefit children in our community about 20 years ago. Our goal was to choose something for children in need that would make their world brighter. One of our members reached out to the Open Door Mission, which provides support for families facing homelessness and women and children being abused. I think we started out making 50 Easter baskets the first few years, and over the years it has grown to 100 Easter baskets now. Every year when we contact the Open Door Mission about making baskets, they say, “We have been waiting for you to call!” Since we provide these Easter baskets, the Open Door Mission does not need to fund this project.

Over the years, we have perfected what items need to be included in each basket. Each basket has crayons, a coloring book, healthy snacks, candy-filled eggs, a stuffed animal and bubbles. In the last few years, we have made a few of them that are more appropriate for older children/ teens. These children don’t have families that can provide Easter baskets for their kids and wouldn’t know the love that God wants us to share if we didn’t show them love through this project! Our chapter really watches for sales like Easter buckets after Easter and crayons during “back to school” sales, because our chapter sisters purchase everything for the baskets. Our chapter is committed to continuing this project so that underprivileged children are cared for and loved!

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From Argentina to Virginia

By Heidi Lang, VA Gamma Epsilon Immediate Past President and Lisa Allan, VA Gamma Epsilon President

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nternational teachers serve as powerful cultural ambassadors, building bridges between nations right within the classroom. As they share stories, traditions and perspectives from their home countries, they provide a direct, personal connection to the wider world that goes beyond any textbook. And as the sisters of Alpha Delta Kappa forge relationships with them, the sisters benefit from their perspectives and connections, as well.

Welcoming Global Educators to Virginia

The Participate Learning Ambassador Program brings highly qualified international teachers to U.S. schools, matching them with districts eager to expand global perspectives in their classrooms. Fairfax County, VA, is fortunate to count Andrea Bonardi and Andrea Cárcamo Alvarez among its cadre of teacher ambassadors. The dynamic duo of Argentinian educators joined a VA Gamma Epsilon chapter meeting and shared their experiences as ESOL math teachers at Poe Middle School. Their insights into the American educational experience and the comparisons drawn to their own teaching background were at once informative and enlightening. Their energy was infectious and it wasn’t long before the two Andreas, as they came to be known, had been initiated into our sisterhood.

A Leap into the Unknown

Transitioning to a new country came with a myriad of challenges, among them finding housing, sourcing transportation and adjusting to a new work schedule. Stepping into a foreign classroom must have felt like a leap into the unknown for both women. They arrived with a toolbox filled with teaching strategies, lesson plans and objectives, yet the reality of daily life in a new environment shifted their focus toward the profound exchange happening between their students, colleagues and selves. The sisters of Alpha Delta Kappa provide the Andreas with both personal and professional support. Andrea C. noted, “This support has come in many forms: a sense of community, opportunities to get together with purpose, bonding and learning from other teachers, feeling a sense of belonging and finding ways to contribute to the community.” For their students, having teachers from Argentina offers a daily reminder that the world is bigger and more connected than the walls of any classroom. As Andrea B. explained, “Paradoxically, I came here to teach, but I have been learning a great deal about education, culture and different perspectives. Every challenge has become an opportunity to grow.” Navigating unfamiliar waters continues to reshape their understanding of global citizenship.

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Andrea Cárcamo Alvarez,(L) and Andrea Bonardi,(R) at VA Potomac District Founders’ Day

Becoming Part of the Sisterhood

The Andreas quickly became involved in our chapter.

And, although we all knew their time in our country was temporary, in the true spirit of Alpha Delta Kappa they were welcomed in and given a place to land and connect with other educators. Their experiences with our chapter have offered another layer of richness to their time in the United States.

Impact in the Classroom and Beyond

But the measure of the success of their ambassadorship has gone well beyond how the Andreas benefited from becoming members of Alpha Delta Kappa. Their students have undergone significant, positive transformations as a result of their teaching. Colleague and VA Gamma Epsilon sister Kate Wolling shared, “The second language students have the unique opportunity to see themselves in these two teachers. Their work in the school,” Kate continued, “has brought another level of community and acceptance to students who often are in need of it.”

Culture Shared, Sisterhood Strengthened

Having international sisters has fostered greater openmindedness among our chapter members, and the cultural exchanges we’ve had have benefited everyone. Viewing chapter meetings through a lens of diversity has deepened our understanding of what sisterhood really means. We’ve explored the commonalities of our educational systems, learned of the advantages offered by theirs, and come to appreciate ours in new ways. We’ve tried traditional alfajores, buttery shortbread cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche.

We’ve learned about fairy-tale villages in the mountains of Argentina, home to alpine-style chalets and German food and beer. We’ve tasted torta galesa, a dark, dense fruit cake often served in Argentina’s Patagonia region. We’ve researched the history of public education in Argentina and its connection to the famed American education reformer, Horace Mann.

We’ve celebrated Argentine Teacher Appreciation Day and we’ve smiled as the Andreas spontaneously serenaded us with popular Christmas carols from their home country.

Opening Doors to the World

In both small and large ways, we’ve come to know more about Argentina, its people and its culture. In the process, our chapter has been strengthened, reminding us that sisterhood, much like education itself, grows richer when we open our doors to the world.

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Duo Receives Hall of Fame Recognition

Bytes &

Congratulations,

sisters, for an amazing fundraising effort.

In the brand-new Do What You Love to End ALZ campaign, 80 A∆K teams raised $238,293 as of July 7.

This is incredible, considering it is a brand-new campaign and the cutoff date was two months earlier than in the past.

Thank you for making a difference.

We look forward to even more success in the upcoming campaign. ~A∆K Foundation Chair Mollie Aosta

pieces

At the 2026 spring convention, Nebraska Alpha Delta Kappa announced the induction of sisters into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

Honors are bestowed yearly upon two members who, during their 15 years or more of service, have exemplified outstanding commitment, dedication and effective leadership both personally and professionally in A∆K and in their community.

This year’s recipients are Immediate Past State President Cathy Kloch, a 27 years Silver Sister of the Alpha Zeta chapter in Alliance, and Gwen Steele, past State Chaplain, a Violet Sister of the Kappa chapter in Bellevue. Both sisters served their communities through their respective public school districts for decades, Cathy as a secondary-level family and consumer sciences teacher and advisor on teacher retention, and Gwen as a secondary-level teacher of German and special education parent surrogate representative.

Both sisters have been noteworthy participants in A∆K throughout their tenures in the organization. Cathy served in several chapter leadership roles, including the offices of the presidential trio, recording secretary and treasurer, and has chaired numerous committees, among them Altruism, Fraternity Education, Ways and Means and Scholarship. At the state level, she served as VP for Membership before being elected Nebraska State President for 2024-2026.

Gwen has mirrored Cathy’s chapter positions. She served as State Chaplain 2022-2026, headed the state’s Longest Day campaign committee and wrote regularly for the state newsletter. She joined the KAPPAN committee in 2022 as a correspondent and presented the story “Building Bridges” at the 2025 International Convention. She’s beginning her second term as president this summer.

Regarding the Hall of Fame award, Cathy said, “I feel this is one of our best honors because the application comes from our individual members and chapters. It is based on service to one’s local chapter and beyond. I am proud to join this group of dedicated A∆K sisters.” And Gwen enthusiastically concurs.

Established in 1993, the Hall of Fame award provides an opportunity to recognize members and state presidents for work done above and beyond the simple mantle of membership. Candidates can be nominated to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee by any active Nebraska A∆K member. The committee vets and reviews the applications, then chooses sisters to receive the award at the spring state conference or convention.

Digital Dialogues Deepen Connections

By Pat Valle, ABC Committee Chair

A dialogue is an interactive conversation, an exchange of ideas between two or more people. Today, the internet has become the world’s largest town square, but on the topic of social change, it operates more like an echo chamber and less like an exchange of ideas.

Recently, conversations surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have dominated news stories, social media and other digital formats. These platforms serve as a place where people are constantly sharing, challenging and redefining what it means to build a fair society.

While these virtual town halls have provided marginalized voices with a stage for solidarity, they simultaneously amplify fierce cultural backlashes. In today’s rapidly changing world, building a truly inclusive environment requires more than just policies, committees or a message on social media; it demands open, honest communication.

The Access, Belonging and Community Committee is committed to holding space for open, honest communication. In August, members were invited to step into a digital dialogue—a dynamic, collaborative online space designed to explore their authentic feelings, insights and ideas regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Whether they wanted to share their lived experiences, discuss the evolving definitions of systemic equity, or listen to and learn from diverse perspectives, their voices were essential to the conversation. This virtual forum was built on mutual respect, safety and a commitment to ensuring that every participant contributed to meaningful dialogue.

Our next Digital Dialogue is at 1 pm Central Time on Saturday, November 14. Join us and share your perspective as we deepen our sense of belonging and connection in Alpha Delta Kappa.

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The Smiles of Sisterhood

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You Belong Here: Spokane 2027

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By Mary Jane Henderson with Kris Hinz, International 2027 Convention Co-chairs.

en compelling reasons to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Alpha Delta Kappa in Spokane, WA, July 14-18, 2027.

Beautiful Riverfront Setting- Riverfront Park sits in the heart of downtown with walking paths, gardens, public art, and spectacular views of Spokane Falls.

The Spokane Falls - One of the largest urban waterfalls in the United States, Spokane Falls is just steps away from the convention district and provides a memorable backdrop for photos and sightseeing.

Walkable downtown - Many hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping and entertainment venues are within easy walking distance, making it convenient to explore without a car.

Outstanding convention facilities - The Convention Center offers modern meeting spaces, scenic river views, and easy access to downtown amenities.

Excellent dining- Spokane has a thriving food scene featuring farm-to-table cuisine, bakeries, and locally owned restaurants to suit every taste.

Outdoor adventure - Extend your trip with hiking, kaya-

king, golf, or a visit to nearby lakes and mountains. Nature is never far away.

Arts and Culture - Enjoy museums, galleries, live theater, concerts, and historic architecture. The city’s creative community offers plenty to experience in your spare time.

Wine and Craft Beverages - Eastern Washington is known for award-winning wines, and Spokane is home to numerous tasting rooms, craft breweries, and cider houses.

Friendly, Relaxed Atmosphere - Spokane combines the amenities of a larger city with the hospitality and pace of a smaller community, making visitors feel welcome.

Easy Pre- or Post-Convention Excursions - Spokane is a great base for exploring the Pacific Northwest, including scenic drives, nearby lakes, and destinations such as Coeur d’Alene, just about 30 minutes away.

Bonus Reason: Sharing time with sisters.

Spokane offers a mix of convenience, natural beauty, and vibrant local culture making it an enjoyable convention destination. For additional information, go to the Visit Spokane website and download the app. You can request a Visitor’s Guide and map.

Three Opportunities to Present at International Convention “Evolving Together Through Challenge, Change and Renewal” is the theme of the Educational Symposium at the International Convention in Spokane in July 2027.

The strands for the Symposium are Learning with a focus on teaching, learning, leadership and professional practice; Leading with a focus on global awareness, cultural understanding and broadening understanding; Serving with a focus on compassion, community, well-being and service to others.

Members have three opportunities during the Symposium to present their stories. Presenters may share their passion, proven best practices or solutions that inspire fellow educators in 60-minute educational sessions. Sisters unable to attend may apply to do a pre-recorded session for the virtual library.

Applications are also being accepted for speakers to address the full convention audience in 10- to 30-minute live podcast-style presentations. Poster presentation is a new way to share stories. Poster sessions are designed to be welcoming and conversational.

Instead of a formal presentation, poster presentations

are designed to allow participants to engage with convention attendees in a relaxed setting where members can stop by, ask questions, exchange ideas and learn from one another. Posters representing individuals, teams, chapters or S/P/Ns may be presented by an individual or a team of two on a tri-fold poster board.

International Headquarters will provide the basic materials needed for a display.

Go to: Membership/Events and Networking/International Convention to access the Jotform application and find more details about presenting and speaking. Applications will be closed on November 15.

Members of the International Convention Educational Symposium Committee are Chair Peggy Wild, IN Alpha Upsilon; Lauren Balint, VA Gamma Chi; Hollie D Citeone, PA Upsilon; Barbara Havens, VA Gamma Kappa; Headquarters Staff Liaisons include: Membership Engagement Manager Phyllis Robinette, CO Eta; Events and Membership Experience Manager Paula Henry and IEB Liaison Terry Peyton, LA Alpha Psi. Information provided by Chair Peggy Wild.

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Hallmarks of Card Making

By Susan Pelchat, KAPPAN Writer

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hether you want to send a heartfelt message or brighten someone’s day, handmade cards offer a thoughtful touch. For me, card making checks several boxes: altruism, learning, busy hands and a project that won’t sit around my house for years.

I now make about 600 cards each year for the benefit of soldiers, convalescent home residents and my own chapter.

For many, what started as a love of paper crafts turned into cardmaking passion. Though most materials are not exorbitant, a trip to the craft store can turn into hours exploring a plethora of supplies.

Andrea Andersen, CA Beta Rho, uses mandalainspired dot painting in circular designs. She began by painting rocks, then holiday ornaments and cards, which may take one to four hours to complete. She shares her skill with her sisters through chapter programs. Relaxation can be found in her easy-to-learn technique.

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Rosemary Coomber

Daljeet Rakkar

Pat Valle

Gay Toomy

“It’s not the card; it’s the process.” Rosemary Coomber, ONT Psi, noted. Rosemary, a 30-year card maker, emphasized, “Who doesn’t love to cut and paste!”

She likes to personalize cards to match people’s interests and sends cards to soldiers overseas, her way of thanking them for their service. She was touched by a heartfelt thank you card from an officer in Kuwait.

Ontario Sigma’s Daljeet Rakkar leads workshops with chapter sister Michele Tibshirani, a card maker for 20 years. Michele was hooked instantly at a friend’s workshop. Both send encouraging messages to others in need, giving their projects special meaning.

Lisa Worrall’s original, whimsical aesthetic has been a signature aspect of her 400+ designs. A member of NE Zeta, her cut-paper creations have become cards, puzzles, even needlepoint patterns. Her pastime became a passion, and, at 57, her passion became a business.

Does she wish she had started sooner? She says she could

Lisa Worrall

Linda Chambers

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Felicia Johnson

never replace her years with her students who inspired her and shaped her vision.

Pat Valle, WA Alpha Delta, is a 30-year veteran of the craft. Multiple layers, folds and embellishments make her cards a treasure. She enjoys working with her hands, especially making cards with moving parts. “That’s me channeling my dad and his engineer brain,” she quips.

“Mum constantly kept supplies on hand and worked with us at home.” Gay Toomy, MA Epsilon, started her card-making hobby 12 years ago. She built up a stash of “masterpieces” using crafting tools and gadgets and is now a demonstrator with a craft room full of supplies. It’s her “happy place,” always a mess, but great for puttering and relaxing with a therapeutic hobby.

GA Beta Gamma Linda Chambers’ fire was lit 25 years ago when her chapter visited a craft store. “In my hectic, fast-paced life, I loved having a few moments to sit, forget my self-imposed deadlines, daydream and unleash my creativity.” Her current therapist is a box of rubber stamps, ink pads and decorative papers. Eventually, everything in her inventory will get used, and she will have cleared her mind of troubles and allowed herself

to “get lost in a world of creative thoughts and dreams.”

Felicia Johnson, PA Gamma, sells her creations at various venues and donates cards for her chapter’s Violet Shop.

She reinvests her profits in more supplies to keep her card business booming. Card making and her workshops have boosted her chapter’s coffers.

At first it was a simple hobby with simple card styles.

But as Lourdes Rosario, PR Delta, became more involved, so did her handiwork. She derives pleasure from creating cards and even more from the expressions on the faces of those who receive them.

Nancy Wickson, ON Lambda, has been accumulating techniques, embossing folders and dies for 15 years. Her quilt cards incorporate glitter, gilding and pixie flakes and provide her an “accessible, creative outlet everyone can enjoy,” she says.

Cardmaking offers a relaxing, refreshing return to personal expression, while, in many cases, benefiting A∆K chapters. Ultimately, the true fun of cardmaking lies not only in the act of creating, but in the joy it brings—both to the maker and to those who are lucky enough to receive a handmade expression of kindness.

New Information on the Future of World Understanding Project The following is the text of the video message delivered by World Understanding Chair Joyce McAloon on the International News in May. Good afternoon, my name is Joyce McAloon, and I am the International World Understanding Chairman.

I would like to give you an update on what will be happening with our World Understanding program.

The World Understanding Committee has been exploring new ways for Alpha Delta Kappa to stop “THE PAUSE for a World Understanding project.”

With support from the International Executive Board, the Committee has put together a new look for our members to continue supporting the world around us.

Over the years, many changes have caused Alpha Delta Kappa’s support to be limited. Through many thoughts, ideas, and discussions, the committee decided that our organization would choose one worldwide established charitable organization to support for our 2027-2029 biennium.

The worldwide established charitable organiza-

tions that we are reviewing are actively addressing important challenges facing our world today, and they continue to show and extend their support. Their ongoing efforts provide the support, stability and protection that our donations need.

The World Understanding Committee will research and select five worldwide established charitable organizations. These five will be submitted to the International Executive Board to be evaluated, and three of the organizations will be recommended for the next step.

Alpha Delta Kappa’s members will then have the opportunity to vote and select the worldwide established charitable organization that we will be supporting for the 2027 -2029 Biennium.

Our altruistic donations to the chosen worldwide established charitable organization will continue to show how Alpha Delta Kappa can make a difference in the world around us.

More information on how you can support our new plan will be forthcoming.

Thank you for your time.

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Congratulations, Graduates Four members of the University of Arizona, Tucson received degrees during the university’s graduation ceremony. Ell Joy Henning, Carly Cantos, Lexi COLLEGIATE Franklin and Gabriella Kostiew wore stoles designed by Anna-Marie Perez, a ____________________ – CLUBS – CC member, for the ceremony.

Club sponsor Suzanne Maly, AZ Zeta, congratulated the graduates and said she hopes to see them as members in their local A∆K chapters.

Graduates Carly Cantos (L) and Ella Joy Henning (R) show their special stoles.

Planes and the Pledge

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By Gwen Steele, KAPPAN correspondent

nce you meet Betty Jo Evers, you will never forget her. Her soft Tennessee drawl, her presence wherever A∆K sisters gather, her presentations at conferences and conventions, her insights and sage advice all magically draw you to her. I kid you not. You will see her at nearly every state, regional and International gathering of the A∆K sisterhood. She flies—to Canada, to Mexico, to each of the 50 states. Year-round, you will find Betty Jo buying a plane ticket, boarding a plane or pushing luggage into the overhead compartment en route home to Arizona from somewhere sisters have assembled. It probably sounds a bit overwhelming to many of us, despite the reward of a gazillion redeemable frequent flyer miles. (And I whined about the 2-hour flight to Austin last year!)

Are you ready for a bit of data? Chew on this: Since 1974, Betty Jo has attended 52 S/P/N conventions, including those held in 11 states, Mexico and Canada, 36 regional conferences covering each of the seven regions and 19 International conventions. That’s a grand total of 107 events! Why does Betty Jo go, go, go? Betty Jo explains, “The more events you attend, the more you feel at home as part of the A∆K family.”

While her flight miles are certainly legendary, she is not only a frequent flyer extraordinaire, but she is also a true practitioner of our Alpha Delta Kappa Initiation Pledge, which each of us has spoken: “I pledge to follow the precepts and principles of Alpha Delta Kappa and do anything asked of me to the best of my ability.” And she does just that.

Participation and communication are Betty Jo’s love languages. A 53-year member of A∆K and now a Golden Sister, Betty Jo not only lives the pledge she recited in 1973 but also morphs the meaning of the A∆K precepts into actions at all levels of our organization. Betty Jo jumped with both feet into AZ Iota when it was initiated during her teaching days on the Pima Indian reservation. The statistics of her 22

A∆K engagement are astounding. She has served as AZ Iota chapter president and other chapter offices, as well as AZ state treasurer, AZ state president and Grand Vice President of the Southwest Region. Just a couple of months ago, Betty Jo was elected as SW Regional VP for Membership.

International positions round out the list of roles filled as well; this is her fourth biennium sitting on the International Membership Committee. She has also served as International Chaplain, International Executive Board Member and, many biennia ago, International VP for Membership, a position she feels most honored by since she was voted in following a 14-year hiatus from officer duties. Commenting on leadership, Betty Jo says, “Your value as a leader doesn’t show up until after you leave office if the people you follow are successful. So when the door of opportunity knocks, try to go through if possible, and you’ll never be sorry you did.”

But wait, there’s more! Betty Jo doesn’t simply attend our gatherings. She has been instrumental in our A∆K Collegiate Club programs. She helped organize a club at the University of Arizona and recently installed a collegiate chapter at Central Arizona College. Speaking is definitely one of Betty Jo’s gifts; she’s presented sessions and workshops in leadership, membership and fraternity education with conference and convention attendees in both Canada and Mexico, and throughout the United States, most recently at this summer’s conferences in Las Vegas, Nashville and New Orleans.

Betty Jo’s expertise employs the talents and skills honed during her teaching years on the Pima Indian reservation, in her work with Scholastic, authoring reading and writing flip books for the early elementary audience, and in her poetrywriting program with ownership in TeachersPayTeachers. com. Betty Jo offers up these closing words of advice: “It all goes back to the Pledge; come in to work as an active member, not as a passive one. Be involved. Participate as directed in the Pledge.” Betty Jo does just this. Each time she boards a plane to an A∆K conference or convention, she lives the values of our initiation pledge.

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My First Classroom: Twice

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By Elaine Johnson

began first grade in the very same classroom where I would later begin my teaching career. As I entered that room as a young teacher, it felt as though my childhood spirit still lingered there. It enabled me to feel empathy for the nervous yet excited new group of first graders. I still remember when my mother brought me into that classroom in 1956.

I had a briefcase loaded with every school supply known to mankind. Scissors, crayons, paste, paper, pencils, ruler, etc.

My teacher kindly told us that I would not need all those supplies. They were furnished by the school. I was so embarrassed as my mother had to take all those things home.

When I was hired to teach first grade, I told my principal that I was worried I wouldn’t be able to teach my new students to read. She simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Elaine, they’ll learn to read in spite of you.” As it turned out, she was right; they did!

My principal was so excited that I was beginning my teaching career in my childhood classroom that she invited the local newspaper to spend the day there. As a result, my very first day of teaching was observed and documented by a reporter who stayed in the room for most of the day. Needless to say, my first-day jitters were doubled, if not tripled.

To make things even more memorable, the air conditioning in my Florida classroom decided not to work on that hot August day. The old crank-out windows had been sealed shut, so our only relief from the heat came from a single oscillating fan and the open classroom doors. At one point, I had the children stand and sway in the imaginary breeze like apple trees. When we lined up for lunch, one child asked hopefully if it was time to go home.

I still have the newspaper article that details nearly everything I did on that first day. It was a special, somewhat nerve-racking beginning to my teaching career.

After 33 years in the classroom, I retired a few years ago. Even now, I still miss it.

Recently, on a trip back to Florida, I visited that classroom once again. As I stood there remembering, I could almost see the little girl who began first grade in that room and the young teacher who nervously started her career there years later. They reminded me of how it all began; life had gone full circle.

Violet Sister Elaine Johnson is the chaplain of SC Fidelis Alpha and has been a member of A∆K for 22 years.

Sister Tales

Beta XI Sister Save Wolves

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By Shelley Smith, MO Beta Xi

id you know that every Mexican wolf in the wild today can trace its roots back to the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri? The EWC was founded in 1971 by zoologist Marlin Perkins. The Center’s mission is to manage breeding programs, inspire educational programs and develop methods to release wolves into their native habitats. Today, the organization is considered the cornerstone of wolf conservation in America.

MO Beta Xi sister Susan Richmond and her late husband, Brad, first became involved with the EWC when they contacted the facility seeking volunteer opportunities. Asked how he could help, Brad informed the director, “I have machines: a Bobcat, skid steer, a CAT dozer and an excavator, and I know how to use them!” Brad started by improving the fencing in the enclosures for various canids, moving heavy rocks into enclosures and completing any jobs that arose. Over time, Susan and Brad envisioned a permanent building to better care for the animals, as the caregivers were using an old single-wide trailer to do small procedures and provide medicine and nutrition for all the wolves. Together they conceptualized the idea for the Richmond Veterinary & Nutrition Center, drew up the plans and funded the building, including lumber, machinery, electricians, HVAC company and painters. Brad served as a job supervisor.

The Center, which opened in 2021, features stateof-the-art clinical spaces and dedicated dietary preparation areas. It facilitates medical evaluations, pup health checks and genetic semen banking to help boost the genetic diversity of endangered wolf populations. The EWC property is within the Rockwood School District. As a result, over the years, Susan has shared her passion for the EWC with colleagues at her school who collaboratively developed curriculum consistent with the Next Generation Science standards, took students on field trips to the EWC and equipped them to understand how they can impact conservation efforts for endangered animals.

In addition to her continuing impact at the EWC, Susan has served A∆K in her chapter, state and region as president, membership chairman, MO state auditor, corresponding secretary, courtesy secretary and sergeant-atarms. A Violet Sister, she was a featured speaker at the Kansas City International Convention and has led learning sessions at International, regional and state conventions. Susan is indeed an amazing sister who is making an impact both locally and globally.

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The KAPPAN Congratulates Ontario Lambda Receives Sister of Distinction Award

By Mary Johnson, Ontario Psi

Elizabeth Sills, Ontario Lambda Chapter, is the recipient of the 2024-2026 Ontario Sister of Distinction Award.

The purpose of the award is to recognize a sister who exemplifies the principles of the mission statement: Empowering women educators to advance educational excellence, altruism and world understanding. Chapters are invited to nominate a member who is often the hidden gem, that special sister who is actively involved in the chapter and its special projects, may have served past the chapter level, always lends a hand, makes you proud to know her, is involved with her community and beyond, is a sister that has special qualities/interests that set her apart.

Elizabeth is the proud mother of two adult sons, an adoring mother-in-law and grandmother to three beloved grandchildren. She taught within the Primary Division for 30-plus years, and after retirement, supply taught for many more. She has been an A∆K member since 1994, held all of the chapter executive positions and served as corresponding secretary and chaplain for Ontario. While serving in these two roles, Elizabeth became known for her beautiful words of outreach to our members, often quoting the poet Maya Angelou. “People don’t always remember what you said, but they remember how you made them feel.”

Elizabeth’s communication was always thoughtful, positive, supportive and uplifting. When you received her notes, you felt seen and heard. Her words made you feel special, cared for and that you mattered to her. We carry these feelings in our hearts as Elizabeth’s unique gift to us.

Within her community, Elizabeth served as President of Probus, as a member of the executive for the Glanmore National Historic Site and held many positions within her church community. When a sudden illness took away her independence in 2024, Elizabeth moved to a supportive residence where her daily needs are met. There, she demonstrates her resilience and tenacity. She continues to serve A∆K and attends her chapter and Ontario executive meetings in person or by Zoom. Elizabeth truly is a Sister of Distinction.

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MS Iota Sisters Honored At a recent Power of 100 Women luncheon, MS Iota Chapter President Brandy Fairley and Robin Rector, a new Iota member, were honored with the organization’s “Community Builders Award” for their outstanding work in fundraising and raising awareness for the Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center in Hattiesburg, MS. The philanthropic movement challenges 100 women to each raise $1,000 for the Advocacy Center.

Pictured (L to R): Founder and CEO of Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center Didi Ellis, Robin Rector, Brandy Fairley and Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center Donor Relations Manager Paige Thames.

IA Member to Participate in National Webinar Leigh Ann Schoeder, IA Upsilon, has been selected

by National Day, a non-profit educational organization and academic competition for grades six through twelve, to participate in its new national webinar series, “Revolutionary Ideas: Understanding 250 Years of American Principles.”

Leigh Ann is a curriculum coordinator, social studies teacher and Senior Master at Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf, IA. Rivermont is a college preparatory school for students from two years old through twelfth grade.

The Pearl Sister, who is chapter historian, is a National Constitution Center Constitutional Coach and a Fulbright Scholar. In addition to participating in the series, Leigh Ann will provide feedback on course content and integrate the materials into her instruction.

“I’m excited to not only contribute educator feedback but to use these materials with my own students as we explore how revolutionary ideals have been interpreted and redefined over time,” Leigh Ann said.

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Kaity Getchell Receives 2026 Maine Alternative Education Educator of the Year Award Kathleen “Kaity” Getchell, a member of ME Alpha, recently received the 2026 Maine Alternative Education Educator of the Year Award given by the Maine Department of Education and the Alternative Education Association of Maine.

The award honors alternative educators who make a meaningful, lasting impact on students, create innovative learning opportunities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to advocating for students and the field of alternative education.

The recognition said, “For 16 years, Kathleen Getchell has dedicated herself to supporting students through The Learning Center at Frank Jewett. She is recognized for meeting students where they are, developing specialized learning opportunities, and helping each student reach their full potential.

“Kaity Getchell creates meaningful experiences for students through hands-on activities, trips, school-wide opportunities, and partnerships with school personnel to support postsecondary pathways. Her commitment extends beyond the classroom as she serves as a trusted family liaison, connecting students and families with resources, support and encouragement when they need it most.

“She has organized countless student experiences that provide opportunities for teamwork, personal growth and the development of life skills. She also works closely with students to help them complete academic requirements, plan for graduation and remain connected to their larger school community through events and milestones such as prom, yearbook, senior celebrations and school activities.

“Through her compassion, advocacy and unwavering support, Getchell ensures students in alternative education feel valued, connected and prepared for their futures.”

By Maine State President Carlene Iverson

Member Work on Display in Atlanta

By GA Gamma Delta Historian Donna Smith

Marjorie Yergin, a Pearl Sister of GA Gamma Delta, joins a select group of artists in the latest installment of the “Art of Georgia” display, a curated grouping of paintings and photographs presented by the Office of the Governor and the Georgia Council for the Arts.

Marjorie is among 40 contemporary visual artists from Georgia selected to have their landscape artwork placed in the executive offices of the State Capitol and the Ballroom of the Governor’s Mansion in Atlanta, GA. Rather than a public exhibit, “Art of Georgia” is placed in official state spaces to inspire policymakers, visitors and dignitaries. Guests of the Governor’s Office experience the state’s diverse natural beauty through the eyes of talented Georgia artists whose work reflects the pride and character of their communities.

“The selected artwork reflects a deep sense of community pride and a shared admiration for Georgia’s landscapes,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly.

“From rural vistas in South Georgia to metropolitan skylines, this display celebrates the talent and traditions of the people who call this state home. We are grateful to Governor Brian P. Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and the Georgia General Assembly for their continued support of Georgia artists.”

Marjorie reflects on what having her work selected for “Art of Georgia” means to her: “I felt very honored to be a selected artist from the state of Georgia to display my piece in the Capitol. Three other local artists were also selected from our area. I’m so blessed and excited to share the talent that the Lord gave me. My hope is that ‘Raise a Hallelujah’ will bring joy and inspiration to those who view the drawing.”

Since 2012, the “Art of Georgia” series has provided a meaningful platform for Georgia artists to share their talents and bring inspiring landscapes to the heart of state leadership. A total of 51 pieces from artists representing 23 counties collectively highlight the breathtaking landscapes of Georgia.

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Altruism

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are we doing for others?’” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

AL Beta Chi and AL Gamma Epsilon

In honor of Veterans Day, AL Beta Chi and AL Gamma Epsilon came together to provide daily essentials to local veterans at the “Three Hots-And-A Cot” transitional home for unhoused veterans. The program provides local veterans with a place to live and support in their time of need. The chapters collaborated to provide socks, toiletries, blankets, kitchen essentials, gift cards, board games, puzzles, journals, snacks, and much more. Representatives from “Three Hots-And-a Cot” described the mission and service provided to the homeless veterans to the sisters at a dinner. “It was an honor to collaborate with the Beta Chi chapter as we celebrated Veterans Day for our local vets,“ said Gamma Epsilon President Eugenia Lowery.

Pictured are (L to R): Sherry Sublett, Jan Thomas, Cot Representatives Tim Smith and Jim Johnson, Gamma Epsilon President Eugenia Lowery and Cindy Vines.

FL Omicron

FL Omicron chapter sisters adopted Carolyn Marrero’s K-2 Exceptional Student Education class at St. Lucie Elementary School in Fort Pierce, FL. The Play with a Purpose curriculum, adopted in St. Lucie County kindergarten classrooms, provided an opportunity for the chapter to become actively involved by supplying hands-on materials to complement the classroom ocean theme. Ms. Marrero attended a recent chapter meeting to accept the donated materials and share information about her classroom. Pictured are Omicron President Pat Davis (left) and Ms. Marrero as Pat shared one of two sensory quilts she created for the class. Once introduced into the classroom, the quilts immediately engaged the students for hours of fun and learning. In addition, $195 collected from the chapter’s “Scratch-Off Tree” fundraiser was presented.

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AZ Psi

Altruism is very important to the sisters of Az Psi, according to Immediate Past Chapter President Ann Fullerton.

The members participated in an all-day fundraiser for Beads of Courage, a non-profit organization that helps children and teens cope with serious illness. The sisters sorted T-shirts, set up tables and chairs, packaged materials, made signs and anything else needed for the event.

Beads of Courage gives custom-made “beads of courage” to patients, with each bead marking a milestone or procedure in their brave fight. The program was started by a nurse in Arizona to recognize the difficult medical journey of patients and their families. There are now more than 6,000 children and teens receiving beads of courage in several states.

The local Tucson Community Food Bank is another of the chapter's altruistic focuses with monthly donations, volunteers and support of the Caridad Program that gives second chances to those needing them through its chef training program. Demand for the program’s support is increasing, and funds are short. Psi members voted to end the 2024-2026 biennium by donating funds to the program rather than holding their traditional potluck. The over $300 raised will be doubled by a matching donor, according to Ann, “It was a great way to end a successful biennium by adding over $600 to help those suffering from hunger,” she said.

Pictured: Ann Fullerton at her last meeting as chapter president AZ Psi members (Standing L to R): Gloria Suarez, Sharon Keown, Jenny Warren, Kelly Esham, Julia Gates, Jennifer Ceccardi, Ann Fullerton, Denise Ceron. Kneeling (L to R): Chris Sanzo and Michelle Roosma.

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AZ Sigma

“Small but Mighty!” is AZ Sigma’s motto. Sigma’s nine members make altruistic donations every month to an organization selected by a Sigma member. Current and past recipients have been the Ronald McDonald House, Youth on Their Own, the Birth and Women’s Center, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Diabetes Foundation and the AZ Council on Aging.

In February, Sigma joined forces with the San Xavier Kiwanis Club of Tucson to support the Singletons organization through its Bare Necessities Drive. Singletons is an Arizona-based, non-profit devoted to meeting the needs of single-parent families battling cancer.” Combined donations totaled over five cartloads of household and personal hygiene items collected at the Kiwanis meeting site.

Information from Sigma Co-President Robin Leebardt and Sigma Fraternity Education Chair Joy Goodsell Displaying their Bare Necessities collection are Sigma and San Xavier Kiwanis members (Front Row L to R) Fraternity Education Chair Joy Goodsell, Lynn Ramsey, CoPresident Robin Leebardt, Past President Alice Bever, San Xavier President Carla Bailes, Rudy Benitez, Recording and Corresponding Secretary Linda Brady and Treasurer Susan Naegle. (Back Row L to R) Ed and Jade Verberg, Mark Greaves and Dick Cloud.

IL Beta Epsilon

Erica Kammerzell is the recipient of the IL Beta Epsilon $1,000 scholarship. Erica graduated from Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois, having earned an impressive 4.3 grade point average.

She stated in her application that, as a child, she knew she wanted to be a teacher, and she would often line up chairs in the living room, place her stuffed animals on the chairs, and “teach” them different subjects.

Erica found her passion while taking an Early Childhood Education class three times a week at her high school, so it was no surprise when she decided to major in Early Childhood Education, according to Beta Epsilon President Toni DeLaurentis.

FL Fidelis Nu

Members of FL Fidelis Nu present a $500 check to the Pensacola USO volunteers at the Pensacola International Airport. The sisters were given a tour of the lounge area available to servicemen and women and their families and heard about how much young troops away from home appreciate the welcome they receive. The special altruistic collection was the highlight of the chapter’s last meeting of the year, which celebrated America’s 250th birthday with patriotic music and decor.

GA Beta Chi

The beginning of March in Dublin, GA, is always an exciting time. Everywhere you look, you will see various shades of green, frolicking leprechauns and shamrocks of all sizes. GA Beta Chi chapter does its part by joining the yearly month-long celebration of numerous activities and the official kickoff of the city’s St. Patrick’s Festival.

Proclaimed an official festival event, Beta Chi sisters get in the spirit by hosting their annual Game Night on the first Monday of March. Looking around the room, you will find at least 35 tables of Bunco, Bridge, Canasta, or Mah-jong participants. The room is alive with friendships, old and new, lots of chatter and heartwarming smiles and hugs.

This annual project supports future teachers by awarding scholarships to high school seniors who have chosen to enter the field of education. This year, with the overwhelming and tremendous support of our community, the funds raised from Game Night and our first 50-50 raffle enabled us to present four $1000 Scholarships!

The evening begins with an amazing array of homemade hors d’oeuvres and delectable desserts prepared by our talented chapter members. Many tell us this is one of the reasons they come. Participants are ready to get down to business and concentration begins. Door prizes are presented.

Article by GA Beta Chi President Karen Bobbitt

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Altruism, continued.

NC Alpha Nu

NC Alpha Nu recently awarded two $750 scholarships. Alpha Nu Scholarship Chairman Lisa Smith (L) and Alpha Nu President Cindi Brown (R) stand with Tyler Tyer and Samantha Smith, the scholarship recipients. Tyler plans to study geology and paleontology at Appalachian State. Samantha, the granddaughter of Alpha Nu Past President Peggy Nelson, will pursue a degree in political science at East Carolina University.

OH Alpha Rho

OH Alpha Rho’s March meeting was filled with special events. Ohio State President Denise Sontag visited the chapter and participated in the evening’s activities, which included a raffle and a fraternity education game designed to challenge members’ AΔK knowledge. “The game was fun and an engaging way for members to review and strengthen their understanding of the organization,” said chapter Historian Linda Stephens. The chapter also celebrated the initiation of new member Tabatha Stover.

At the meeting, members assembled 30 baskets for Kinship Care, an organization that assists relatives and close family friends who are caring for children from families throughout the Columbus area. For more than a decade, Alpha Rho has carried on a tradition of filling Easter baskets for foster children with toys, games, candy and other useful items donated by the members.

“Easter baskets are a welcome gift that helps brighten the children’s day and offers encouragement to their caregivers. When the children receive their baskets, you can imagine how delighted they are,” Linda said.

Pictured with the Easter baskets are: (L to R) Chaplain Teri Marsh, Treasurer Cara Jones, Donna Carter, Corresponding Secretary Stacey Zawisza, Sergeant-atArms Karen VanVleet, President Kay Bible, Immediate Past President Kathy Gardner, Ohio State President Denise Sontag, Membership Chair Allison Ellis, Lisa Cook, Corresponding Secretary Mary O’Kane, President-Elect Linda Reasinger, and Tabatha Stover. Not pictured: Linda Stephens.

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NC Pi

NC Pi sisters participated in Bless A Birthday, a core program of Bright Blessings, a volunteer-led organization that assists thousands of homeless and impoverished children in Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Birthday celebrations become only a wish for many children. Bright Blessings provides everything struggling parents need to bake, decorate and give a gift to the birthday child. A volunteer who has worked with Bright Blessings for 13 years explained that she needed volunteers to fill treat bags and individually wrap small age-appropriate gifts for birthday bags. Pi members created an assembly line and filled 463 snack bags. They also individually wrapped eight gifts for each birthday bag. At the end of the day, they had completed about 200 bags. “Our hearts were filled as we left that Saturday. We felt that we had accomplished a rewarding achievement…something important that we knew would affect children, students and many families. The chapter decided afterward to continue our support of Bright Blessings with volunteer time and donations,” said Pi Immediate Past President Teresa Broom.

Filling birthday bags are (L to R): Lindsey Arant, Rosanne Bateman, Carol Blackwelder, Sue Griffin, Teresa Broome, Patricia Murphy and Lyndia Honeycutt.

WA Alpha Delta

Ethan Bennett and Josephine Cunningham, students in the Shoreline School District in Shoreline, WA, received $1,500 scholarships from the sisters of WA Alpha Delta.

The scholarships are awarded to graduating high school students planning to enter the field of education. Selection by the chapter’s Scholarship Committee is based on scholarship, community service and a demonstrated interest in becoming an educator.

The chapter began giving scholarships in 2005 with a $300 award in memory of Emrose Linn. Since that time, donations and fundraisers have increased the award. One year, the chapter raised enough to fund five scholarships, according to Kim Haff, the chapter’s corresponding secretary.

Josephine, a graduate of Shorecrest High School, plans to attend Oregon State University and major in elementary education. Ethan graduated from Shorewood High School. He will attend the University of Washington to be a secondary school music teacher.

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PA Delta

The final meeting of PA Delta was filled with delicious food, camaraderie and altruism. Chapter World Understanding Chair Karen Chewning chose Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen as her focus for the 2024–2026 biennium. The World Central Kitchen, started by Chef Andres, provides fresh meals to communities impacted by natural disasters, climate crises and conflicts by sending emergency relief teams to set up field kitchens and partnering with local restaurants. At each chapter meeting, Karen reported on the history, the organization and the people and places that World Central Kitchen has served.

Early in 2026, members were asked to submit a family recipe along with a brief note about it for inclusion in a recipe book. The recipe collection, “PA Delta World Understanding Family Cookbook,” designed and created by CoPresident Sue Masley, was presented to each member.

Members were invited to prepare and bring the recipe that they submitted to the May meeting for all to enjoy.

Members dined on Beef Stroganoff, Quiche Lorraine, Italian Meatballs, Manicotti, Lebanese Grape Leaves, and desserts including Wine Cookies, Sticky Rolls, Derby Pie, and more, according to Masley.

Delta members collected over $325 for the World Central Kitchen. Another $100 was donated by the chapter in honor of their oldest members, Orysia Hladio, Becky

DiDay and Helen Mellott. In another altruistic project, Delta sisters collected $350 and more than 200 pairs of women’s and children’s socks and underwear for the Beaver Women’s Center.

Pictured is World Understanding Chairman, Karen Chewning.

KS Alpha Alpha

The 2025-26 year has been busy for KS Alpha Alpha.

It started with the donation of a trunkful of school supplies to Tomahawk Elementary, where we are classroom volunteers. As colder weather approached, Sharon Manson, a chapter member, gave an informative talk on Alzheimer’s, and we supplied lap blankets for the clients of Heritage of Overland Park. In February, we created and delivered cards with candy to them. We heard speakers from Camp Encourage, a nonprofit camp for children and teens with autism, and Autism from the Start, a nonprofit working with children with autism, and supported them with fidgets and matching donations. We assisted KS President Joyce Perkins with hosting an open house that featured one of Alpha Alpha sister Kelly Havens exquisite, historical miniature houses.

Donations went to the KS Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation to increase scholarships for future teachers attending one of six Board of Regents Schools. During the holidays, we volunteered hours at the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, providing seasonal support to low-income families.

We are looking forward to our monthly altruism in 2026-27.

Golden Memories Sisters who have been members of Alpha Delta Kappa for over 50 years are Golden Sisters. Many chapters plan special occasions to mark that milestone.

Barbara Wilson was honored by her NC Alpha Nu sisters at the chapter’s March meeting. She retired after teaching for 25 years in the business education program at Pitt Community College and for five years at Vanceboro High School.

MD Xi celebrated the chapter’s 60th anniversary and honored (L to R) Golden Sisters Lynn Hildenbrand, retired English instructor at Chesapeake College; Cathy Sewell, retired Writing Center coordinator at Chesapeake College; and Pat Clark, retired special education teacher at Easton Elementary School.

Donna Balzer, Iowa Tau, had many fond memories of her years in A∆K. She says, “The strength of A∆K has always been the camaraderie of the teachers.” She admires the leadership of her sisters.

Pat Brodeen’s milestone was celebrated with a surprise party given by her TX Alpha Eta sisters at the home of Karol Rademacher. Karol created a special wreath for Pat. It included yellow flowers, green leaves and violets. Gold ribbons with cards listing the offices held by Pat, “Things to Remember” cards naming activities of the chapter for the past 50 years and cards with special remembrances of members hung from the wreath.

Pat Brodeen, with creator Karol Rademacher, holds the wreath.

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A∆K

AL Alpha Theta

Celebrating Sixty Years of MN Psi

“Sixty years is a remarkable milestone,” said Janet Kujat, MN Psi Chapter’s Big Sister, when she addressed sisters at its anniversary dinner. “But the magic of this chapter isn’t just found in the passage of time; it’s found in the lives you’ve touched. As a sorority, you are a shining example of Alpha Delta Kappa’s highest goals,” she said.

The Psi sisters celebrated the milestone by turning the clock back to April of 1966 when several women in the Cloquet area started the chapter. The theme of the anniversary dinner, “The Sixties,” was set by the location at the Route 61 meeting room in Moose Lake.

Members arrived wearing something that represented the period. Lindsay Lally brought photos of the fashions of the period and Jennie Johnson showed some of the unusual household pieces. Members shared their lists of the sixty activities they had done for sixty minutes during the chapter’s anniversary month. The activities ranged from 60 minutes of roadside cleanup to baking for an hour. The members sang “Happy Birthday” to Mary Svendsgaard.

“Celebrating 60 years of Psi chapter encouraged us to take a look back at the beginning of the chapter and the changes over time, not only within Psi chapter or MN Alpha Delta Kappa, but also within our International organization,” said Psi President Shirley Stebbins. The chapter was recognized for its 60 years of service at the Minnesota State Convention.

AL Alpha Theta sisters (L to R): Kelley Clegg Neal, Mary Ellen Pinion, Sue Ann Patrick, Barbara Guthrie, Stephanie Blair, Linda Creel, and Lynn Moody display laser-cut wooden Alpha Delta Kappa symbols. At a recent meeting, the members heard a presentation on how to use a laser-cutting machine.

MI Beta Mu

MI Beta Mu Chapter celebrated their 60th (Diamond) Anniversary with a lovely lunch in June. Pictured are Sisters (L-R) Rose Claus, Janet Alaska, Mary Popielarz, Joanne Benham, Carol Szuba, Ann Mucha, Suzanne Erbes, Vicki Whitsett-Jackson, Ines Cardillo, Kristen Franz, April Walker, Ginny Palubin, Susan Troxell. New Officers were installed: President: Ann Mucha, President-Elect: Suzanne Erbes.

Many thanks went to Rose Claus and Ines Cardillo for their leadership over the past four years.

NC Alpha Nu

Psi chapter members: (Back row, L to R) Big Sister Janet Kujat, Rose Roszak, Mary Lindgren, Eleanor Eskurt, Barb Peck, Lindsay Lally, Jill Juntunen, Paula Ballantine and Jennie Johnson (Front row L to R) Mary Sanders, Shirley Stebbins and Mary Svendsgaard.

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NC A∆K District Ten Vice President Becky Stewart presided over the installation of NC Alpha Nu officers for the 2026-2028 biennium at the chapter’s May meeting. Sisters welcomed Past NC State President Flo Daniels as a special guest to the ceremony. Pictured are: (L to R) Altruistic Chair Marti Wilson, Co-Chaplains Donna Matthews and Cathy Marsh, Recording Secretary Kelsey Shue, Treasurer Vivian Covington, Vice President Sharon Surles, President Cindi Brown and NC District Ten Vice President Becky Stewart.

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A∆K

CO Alpha Upsilon pictured: Julie Seeley, Veronica Shea, Annie Braverman, Andrea Brady, CO State President Margarette Bracero Goldman, Lauren Daniels. Also, members are Megan Higgins, Liz Fischofer and Terri Donohue

Colorado Charters New Chapter

By Phyllis Robinette, CO Immediate Past President and Headquarters Membership Engagement Manager

Colorado proudly announces the chartering of CO Alpha Upsilon in Castle Rock, CO. The chartering ceremony was celebrated in person and via Zoom. The event was held at the historic site of The Hill Top Schoolhouse in Parker, CO. Attending on Zoom, International President Conway Blankenship offered a welcome and challenged the new chapter to build relationships with one another, expand their interests by engaging in activities beyond their chapter, and evolve together in sisterhood.

International President-Elect Mary Ey, International Vice President for Membership Kathy Beatty, Southwest Regional President Nancy Martinez, CO Ignite Team Member Amy Gunning and CO State Treasurer Terry Shaw attended on Zoom.

I attended in person along with CO Historian and Ignite Team Member DeAnn Gobin and Co Vice President for Membership and Ignite Team Member Brenda Ledeboer.

CO Alpha Upsilon is the first chapter to complete the “Ignite S/P/N Membership Grant.” IVPM Kathy Beatty and I guided the members through the steps in the grant. Colorado began the process of growing a new chapter in the fall of 2024 with a lunch for all staff members at a local school. Southwest Region President Jeanie Hinck, Co VPM Brenda Ledeboer, and I held 10-minute relationshipbuilding conversations with the staff members who joined us in the lounge for lunch. With funds from the “Educators are Heroes” program, the new chapter held various social and fun events to grow interest and continue building relationships with potential members over the next year.

In January, Colorado applied for and was awarded the “Ignite Membership Grant.” The Ignite team of CO President Margarette Bracero Goldman, CO Eta President-Elect

Amy Gunning, CO Historian DeAnn Gobin, Brenda, and I, through training and individualized support, helped to enlist the new members needed to charter a chapter.

Margarette said, “One thing I’ve found really beneficial from the “Ignite S/P/N Membership” training is learning about the “Story of Self” and how to narrow my message down to one clear idea instead of feeling all over the place when I talk about ΑΔΚ. There is still so much I want to say and share, but this has really helped me stay focused and on track. I also feel like being more intentional with my message has helped bring in more people and create better connections.” She also said, “The Ignite Grant” gave me the opportunity to connect with sisters from other states and learn what they’re doing for their new chapter. It was validating to see that we share many of the same challenges and that we can lean on each other for ideas and support.”

The new CO Alpha Upsilon leaders will be using the Shared Leadership Model to learn and grow their chapter. The Colorado Ignite Team will continue to mentor and support this new chapter for the next year plus.

More information on the Ignite Grant can be found on the International website.

NC Zeta

NC Zeta officers and committee members met at the home of Chapter President Coral Helms to plan programming and altruism activities for the upcoming year. Discussing the joy and purpose of their chapter are (L to R): Ruth McCarter, Susan Abromitis, Anne Cummings, Gale Moore, Jamie Reinsch, Lisa Carter, President Coral Helms (back), Carrie Metcalfe.

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Ω Omega Chapter MEMBERS ADDED SINCE LAST ISSUE

Mailyn Avis...................................................... Virginia Alpha Pi Sharon Barbee............................North Carolina Fidelis Kappa Carolyn Berngartt...................................Maryland Alpha Alpha Nancy Borsuk.........................................West Virginia Lambda Pamela Brandon....................................Pennsylvania Omicron Martha Brant................................................ Illinois Alpha Delta Sharon Bridges............................... International Headquarters Johanna Bulman.................................................. Montana Eta Peggy Burris.................................................. North Carolina Xi Ruth Carson................................................. Colorado Gamma Paula Case.................................................... North Carolina Xi Mary Caverzagie......................................... Nebraska Gamma Norma Clark........................................................... Illinois Beta Linda Cross................................... North Carolina Alpha Alpha Vickie DeBuhr.................................................Nebraska Kappa Susan Dekich.....................................................Minnesota Eta Deandra Delgadillo...................................... Texas Gamma Psi Marilyn Erickson................................................ Florida Beta Xi Susan Ezell...................................................... Mississippi Tau Nena Foster...........................................Texas Epsilon Gamma Sandra Freshcorn..........................................Pennsylvania Eta Ruth Frye............................................ North Carolina Beta Tau Mary Futchko.......................................... Virginia Beta Lambda Elizabeth Gann..........................................Alabama Sustaining Barbara Grooms..............................................Wisconsin Delta Linda Hardesty................................................. Virginia Beta Xi Bonnie Herrold................................................ West Virginia Xi Imogene Hogan........................................California Sustaining Patsy Horton.................................................Kentucky Lambda Elizabeth Horton..................................North Carolina Omicron Nancy House................................................Florida Sustaining Joyce Huggans...................................................Nebraska Rho Belva Johns..................................................... Alabama Kappa Georgiana Johnson..............................................Minnesota Pi Janet Jones.............................................................Virginia Mu Evelyn Karas....................................................Maryland Alpha Gloria Keaton...................................................... Maryland Eta Jane Kivell......................................................... Texas Beta Nu Mary Langhorst..............................................Nebraska Kappa Helen Lunsford.................................. Florida Gamma Omicron Sue Lutes................................................................ Missouri Xi 32

Robin MacDade............................................... New Jersey Chi Nell Magness.......................................... Texas Gamma Sigma Kathryn Malone....................................... New Mexico Lambda Joan Mangiaracina............................... Michigan Beta Gamma Marcella McCann..................................................... Illinois Eta Margaret McConnell...................... South Carolina Fidelis Zeta Peggy McLaughlin......................................... Tennessee Alpha Victoria Menhennett............................................. Colorado Tau Phyllis Muranaka..................................................... Hawaii Eta Blanche Nichols................................North Carolina Beta Delta Iona Noger............................................................Kentucky Mu Kathleen Pearson.............................................Connecticut Psi Phyllis Plifka...................................................... Connecticut Pi Norma Prall.......................................... Michigan Beta Gamma Peggy Quinn................................... North Carolina Alpha Delta Susan Ray................................................ New Mexico Epsilon Margaret Redinger......................................... Washington Rho Janet Reid................................................Indiana Beta Epsilon Roberta Reynolds...................................Washington Alpha Psi Zona Rutherford........................................... Colorado Gamma Linda Shatto......................................................... Iowa Epsilon Sharon Small............................................Michigan Beta Theta Edith Stahl............................................ Michigan Gamma Zeta Regina Stansel...............................................Texas Alpha Rho Edna Stephens................................... Michigan Alpha Lambda Venetta Stephens.............................................. Virginia Sigma Connie Sutton................................................ Pennsylvania Mu Nancy Swisher............................................Virginia Sustaining Carol Thanos....................................................... Ohio Lambda Sarah Thomas...................................................Mississippi Chi Katherine Tillman.................................. Georgia Alpha Gamma Maria Trebby........................................................... Idaho Beta Aleta White....................................................... Ohio Beta Beta Martha White.................................................... Ohio Beta Beta Julia Whitworth...............................................Nebraska Kappa Marlene Wier........................................... New Mexico Gamma Nancy Wilkison............................................ California Alpha Pi Carole Williams............................................... Georgia Gamma Evelyn Wood...............................................Georgia Fidelis Nu Joyce Yarnot.............................................Connecticut Gamma Sharon Yearwood................................................ Illinois Sigma

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A∆K Dates and Deadlines SEPTEMBER

September 7........................Headquarters closed – Holiday

OCTOBER........................... Alpha Delta Kappa Month

October 1........................... KAPPAN submissions deadline (December publication) ................Chapter Yearbook/Handbook to S/P/N President ................................Classroom Grant Application deadline October 15.......Proposed Amendments to the International Bylaws and International Resolutions .........................International Altruistic Project proposals for next biennium deadline .......................Chapter Needs Assessment (CNA) deadline

.....S/P/N Bylaws or S/P/N Official Policy Statement Online Submission deadline ....... 990-N E-Postcard deadline (for U.S. and Puerto Rico) ................................. Leadership Academy applications for participants deadline ..... Leadership Academy applications for mentors deadline ............Regional Mini Fall Scholarship application deadline

NOVEMBER

November 15.............................. Innovation Grant deadline ......... S/P/N Needs Assessment deadline (biennium goals) .......................Educational Symposium proposals deadline November 26-27.................Headquarters closed – Holiday

Thankful or Grateful?

W

By KAPPAN Correspondent Judy Barnhill

hen you are given something, tangible or intangible, are you thankful or grateful? What’s the difference between these two words? How do you express either? These are questions that come to mind when exploring the meaning of each word. While they are similar in meaning, there are also differences.

Gratitude is often defined as the deep, emotional feeling of appreciation or recognition of and acknowledgment of something good. It could be acts of kindness from others, the goodness of life in general, or blessings one feels from a higher being.

Thankfulness more often refers to being conscious of some benefits received often as some desired, tangible gift.

Recognizing the differences in these two terms can manifest itself in how you respond with gratitude or thanks.

Sisters in Alpha Delta Kappa have opportunities to express their thankfulness in many ways. A word of thanks, a quick handwritten note, an email or a quick phone call can go a long way toward encouraging a sister to continue to serve or to offer to serve again.

Parents often admonish children to say “thank you” for gifts they receive. Most would consider this a polite life skill.

However, the sincerity of the child’s perfunctory thank you for the birthday socks is not quite the same expression as true gratitude. Gratitude is more of a heartfelt emotion. It includes a far more thoughtful voice than the expected “thank you.”

Developing a sense of gratitude for the work done as officers and committee members is an integral part of creat-

ing feelings of pride in the work being done and the efforts to complete the work in a useful manner. Not every deed of service is spectacular or even seen by everyone. It is important to remember that it takes the cooperative effort of all sisters to execute good programs and projects.

Every member should be aware of the value of being appreciated for a job well done or even for the extra effort in attempting to complete a task. Small acts of appreciation go a long way in making members feel that they are valued. Let’s be honest, we all need to know that we are needed and that our efforts are important.

At a recent state convention, attendees were given the opportunity to donate a dollar or two to honor a sister. Funds raised from these donations were given to the convention altruistic project. Names of the honorees were collected, and then cards were sent to those being honored. These cards let the honoree know that someone was appreciative of their service, their friendship or simply for being a sister.

This simple effort made lots of members smile when they received a notice that they were special to someone. It just goes to show that even the simplest acts of kindness can help to create a warm sense of gratitude. The next time you see the efforts in planning and completing a task for the good of our members and our projects, don’t forget to say “thank you” and say it from your heart. It may be just the affirmation a sister needs to hear and to show her that she is valued. This costs very little and makes a big difference to the recipient of the special “thank you.”

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