Happy 2023 to all of you!

Theta’s January meeting at the Arboretum is fast approaching! I hope all of you have

January 21, 2023, 10:30, on your calendars. Committees have been working hard and

will have lots of good news and big plans to share with you. The last time we scheduled

a meeting at the Arboretum it snowed, and we had to cancel. Let’s hope for better

weather this time.

Tammy Albright, our Region IV director, will be our guest. We have also invited

members of her chapter, Delta Iota, located in neighboring Brunswick County, to join

our meeting. We want to meet and get to know our nearby sisters. Please come help

make our guests feel welcome, and show them what an enthusiastic, supportive group

you are.

Registration is now open for the NC DKG Leadership Development Seminar to be held

March 25-26, 2023, at Caraway Conference Center near Asheboro. This year’s theme

is “NC DKG Leadership: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Present, and Inspiring the

Future!” The deadline to apply is February 28, 2023. Only 30 spots are available

statewide and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so we need to choose our

applicant right away. Theta has budgeted money to send one person. Please contact

me ASAP if you are interested in applying.

Registration for the 2023 NC DKG convention in Greenville, NC is now available online.

Show your DKG pride and be among the first to register! This year’s convention is not

far from Wilmington, so Theta can hopefully be well-represented. Some may want to go

for the entire convention, and others may want to spend one night or even drive up for

one day. If you have never attended a state convention, this is the perfect opportunity

to get in on the fun and see a bigger picture of NC DKG.

See you soon!

Connie

The Scholarship Committee is very pleased to announce that Madison N. Ayers is the 2022-23

recipient of the Delta Kappa Gamma Scholarship (Theta Chapter). Madison is an Elementary

Education major at UNCW and is completing her internship in a 4th Grade Classroom. She is

responsible for her own tuition and expenses so this scholarship eases some of her concerns

about finances. She says it has helped her focus on her work, her degree, and her future!

Congratulations to Madison!

Theta Chapter is pleased to present the 2022 Educator Grant winners:

Laura Black, Rocky Point Elementary School, "The Science of Sound". This project is for 5th grade music students who will work together in small groups to create an instrument and learn to play it.

Jennifer Bloodworth, Topsail Annandale Elementary School, "Station Creation". This project will create stations that will differentiate in subject and instructional level to meet the needs of diverse 4th grade learners.

Jody Keziah, Topsail Middle School, "Reading in Middle School". 5th grade students who are housed at the MS due to overcrowding at the ES, will use Scholastic News weekly to explore nonfiction topics to increase reading and language arts skills, promote a love of reading and develop lifelong reading habits.

Roseanna Robertson, Cape Fear Elementary School, "Building Our Outdoor Environment". The outdoor classroom will be used by three preschool classrooms and will aid with social-emotional development as well as cognitive learning in all academic areas including arts and technology. All of this will occur while empowering children to learn and develop through play.

Shirley Womble, Malpass Corner Elementary School, "Engaging Resources to Support Early Readers". This project will provide first graders with hands-on materials to assist with the development of early literacy skills, in particular phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition of familiar words using evidence-based Science of Reading models for instruction and practice.

Congratulations to these five outstanding educators.

The NC DKG Ad Hoc Committee studying cost-cutting measures for state meetings needs your input. Below is a survey the committee is using to collect information. All NC DKG members are asked to complete the short survey by Friday, January 20, 2023. The responses will be used to compile the committee report for the 2023 NC DKG Convention.

NC DKG Survey Regarding Meetings and Costs

Complete the survey by January 20, 2023!

The survey link is also available on the NC DKG website and Facebook page. Please check with your members who do not have email and ask them to access the survey on one of these platforms.

Thank you for helping the Ad Hoc Committee to have current member input on decisions impacting NC DKG finances for state meetings.

NC DKG met at the Greensboro Embassy Suites for the first in-person Fall Executive Board Meeting in three years on September 24, 2022. Approximately 107 leaders representing 71 chapters attended. President Beth Winstead called the meeting to order. Patricia Pemberton, Delta Rho co-president, shared an inspiration relating examples of capitalizing on teachable moments as we develop relationships with students or with DKG members.

Officer & Appointed Personnel Reports

• President Winstead conveyed how much she enjoys visiting chapters and learning about their activities. As in other organizations, DKG is challenged with decreasing membership and finding new chapter leaders. Chapters were encouraged to reach out to any state officer if they are struggling or need support. She announced that an ad hoc committee would examine the cost of state meetings and suggest cost-cutting measures for consideration. Winstead will continue chapter visits and the monthly ASK meetings with chapter presidents. • First Vice President & EEC Chair Hilda Parlér introduced the members of the EEC committee, presented highlights from the summer virtual New Leader Training for EEC representatives, and encouraged members to share ideas for chapter programs. Program ideas can be found on the DKG website under the Programs/Projects tab.

• Second Vice President Tammy Cullom shared her work with the new 2022-2024 Regional Directors, provided ideas for working with presidents in their regions, and gave suggestions for regional meetings. Cullom worked with the 2020-2022 Regional Directors in selecting members for the Past, Present, and Future Member Spotlight on the NC DKG website.

• Treasurer Leslie Black announced that 2,771 members had paid dues, with 260 unbilled members. Fifty-six chapters have made donations to Headquarters totaling $4,850. Chapter presidents were reminded to be sure their treasurer submits the 990-N form to the IRS before November 15. If chapters have members who have dropped their membership, Form 18A should be sent to the NC DKG and DKG International treasurers. Black also reported that the Google Workspace evaluation started with a training session on September 23, 2022, to examine the program.

• Executive Secretary Elizabeth Miars reported that she is excited about the 2023 NC DKG Convention in Greenville, NC, on April 28-30, 2023. Dr. Sylvia Alston made a motion that the 2024 NC DKG Convention be held at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham on April 26-28, 2024. Thommi Hendricks seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.