My welcome and congratulations to the new State organisation Presidents in Europe.  I hope we will be able to work together through many Society-related questions during my period as Regional Director.  The Leadership Development for incoming State organisation Presidents and new Executive Secretaries starts Monday 3^rd August, 18.00 at Oslo University College.  I am looking forward to seeing you there.

     “Are we International?”  The question was raised by the second vice President Dr. Sigrun Klara Hannesdottir at the Administrative Board meeting in Austin one week ago.  Among all the countries of the world Delta Kappa Gamma is to be found in only 16.  After 80 years this is the result of our expansion.  Do we want to be international?  The word is included in the Society name.  But, cross your heart, to what extent do we have international issues on our chapter agendas?  Are we international?  This is a question to be considered.

   The two and a half days long Administrative Board meeting included many questions and decisions.  I would like to inform you about some of them.

·         Heard reports from Durbin Studios concerning marketing items and from Greenlights for Non-profit Success concerning Headquarters’ staffing.

·         Revised the Policy for use of electronic communications and accepted recommendations updating Net Tools and continuing the Leadership suite.

·         Afghanistan project ends 30^th June 2009.  A committee is gathering information and suggestions for further action.  Report to Administrative Board will be give at its meeting 14^th-16^th January 2010.

·         Determined that the Emergency Fund collection would be the sole recipient of funds at regional conferences.

·         Strategic Plan for Success was updated.  Out of reports given by the State organisation presidents in Europe we understood that many states have their own strategic plan.  I do hope that the members are well informed about the contents.

·         A Communication Services Administrator was hired.  Her name is Linda Eller and she will begin her work in September 2009.

·         A job description for the Bulletin Editor was agreed.  The editor is to create a professional publication that enhances the academic standing of the Society, supports its purposes, helps accomplish Strategic Planning goals and provides members with specialized publishing opportunities.  Dr. Lace Brogden has accepted to be the editor for one year.

And now to Norway:

The members of the organising committee for the regional Conference in Oslo have their hands full in working with the final issues.  We are hoping to make the conference of high quality, both professionally and personally.  Our aim is to “Activate your Visions”.  In the News you will find all detailed information.

Oslo is waiting for you and so am I!     With warm regards to all of you from a beautiful Malmö in springtime.               

GREAT BRITAIN

Being State Organisation President has been a very positive experience. One I could not have managed without the support and help of members. It gave me great pleasure at our Conference in Cambridge to announce that Diane Billam will be our new State President.

     The Chapter Presidents’ reports are a timely reminder of just how much goes on at Delta Kappa Gamma meetings. They also show how hard our Chapter Presidents work to provide strong leadership and organisation. For me, the best part of the reports is where they explain what makes them most proud of both their Chapter and their members. This year they said what they valued most was the fact that their members come with a wide range of educational experiences and interests. Also, collectively and individually, members are ‘always ready to try new challenges’, and provide firm friendships and support. What could be better?

     What would our founder members think of the organisation today? Now in our 80^th year, faster, cheaper communication gives us greater contact and better links with our headquarters and members around the world. Many of us travel to Regional and International Conferences, we network, make new friends and renew old acquaintances.

     Our April State Conference in Cambridge was well attended and we were delighted that Dr Jensi Souders, first Vice President, was able to join us as the International Representative. Our main speaker was on-track giving us an excellent talk about viruses and explaining what a “flu pandemic” might mean (somewhat prophetic in the event). We celebrated our Society’s 80^th birthday with a cake decorated with our Society’s badge

     A great deal has happened in my Biennium, with perhaps, the culmination being able to represent GB at my first International Convention in Chicago last summer. It was a moment of personal pride when I carried the Union Flag in front of some two thousand women. Chicago summed up Delta Kappa Gamma for me. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear excellent speakers, learn more about our society, meet new people and have a wonderful time! As we go forward with our new International President’s theme of ‘From Vision to Action: Advancing the Society’, I look forward to the future and, of course, the next Regional Conference in Oslo.                                   

Advance Notice:  Great Britain’s State Conference 2010 will be held at the Chaucer Hotel, Canterbury, Kent, 16^th -18^th April.

                                          Diana Bell,

 State Organisation President

GERMANY

The headline of our International President Dr. Carolyn Rants’ letter in the March / April News says “Take Action Now: Attend Your Regional Conference” and she recalls the very first one she had attended and how from every single one following she had come back full of new energy and ideas both for her professional and personal life.When

      I attended my very first Regional Conference we were still with North East, my next one was our very first European Regional in Breukelen in 1999, and I can only agree with what she says. When (potential) members ask me “What’s in it (= in membership) for me?” I most often say: Just attend an International or Regional Conference and all your questions will be answered by simply attending, listening to, and connecting with members from all over the world.

    So I was very happy that the date of the British State Conference in Cambridge allowed me to (just) make it this year again, as I always so much enjoy it – seeing friends again, experiencing an exemplary, expertly run conference with a good, compact program and inspiring speakers at interesting venues.

     My next conference will be Oslo, and I’m already looking forward very much to seeing many of you again there. German members will be quite numerous this time – even more than in London 2007 – as I found out at our State Conference in Etelsen near Bremen, where our hosting Delta Chapter had found a most charming venue.

     We were very happy to have so many friends from abroad with us – eight from NL, four from GB, two from Finland, one from Sweden, and last but no way least our guest from Headquarters, International Coordinator Corlea Plowman, who so readily shared her knowledge and experience with us. Before taking her up north those seven hundred and some kilometres to the Conference we had toured the area and possible locations for the Regional Conference 2011 and she had found the venue at Baden-Baden suitable and the many possibilities for short and longer trips in Black Forest / Rhine Valley, Alsace / France and Switzerland quite fascinating.

     The Friday of our Conference was dedicated to getting to know some of Bremen with an excellent guide, a visit to the Overseas’ Museum and enough spare time to explore the quaint quarters of the historical town centre a little more at our own pace.

    On Saturday all of us who hadn’t had the chance to listen to Dorothy Haley’s “Truth about the Tudors” yet, were overjoyed to do so, and the “hands-on” art workshop was very inspiring, too – something to use 1:1 in your own art class.

    Elections were part of the AGM Agenda, and I am looking forward very much to working with Thi Finkemeyer as Vice President, Gisela von Engelhardt as State Secretary and Rosemarie Menke as State Treasurer.

    On Sunday morning we held our first big official Steering Committee Meeting in the presence of International Coordinator Corlea Plowman, the first half hour a quick exchange in German of what had been accomplished up to now and what was to be done next, then we continued in English with our friends from GB, hostesses of the 2007 European Regional Conference, Trijny Schmitz du Moulin, then Regional Director. They had readily agreed to share their experience with us and answer all our questions, and we left with the feeling that we were not alone in this and didn’t have to re-invent the wheel. We know that the challenge will be tremendous for a membership as small as ours but we are looking forward to it and are confident that you’ll love the venue – nestled in vineyards, small, compact, but all ours!

     Public transport takes you into Baden-Baden’s town centre; it’s easily accessible from whatever direction you come by whatever means of transportation – Baden-Baden is on the Rhine Valley railway line, there is a regular shuttle from the small but close airport of Karlsruhe/Baden (cheap flights from London Stansted e.g.), rail and fly from / to Frankfurt …

     There are so many ideas for pre- and after conference trips that it will be difficult to choose – first for the travel committee and then for you – just come to our stall at the Info Fair in Oslo and see for yourself!   

Brigitte Wichmann,

Steering Committee Chair and State President 2009-2011

Why are February 1, May 1 and September 1, important dates?

• Because they are application deadlines for Individual Awards of  The Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation Cornetet Fund for Professional Development
• Because Lucile Cornetet Individual Awards assist educators in their participation in professional development opportunities
• Because Grants are awarded to employed educators, both Delta Kappa Gamma members and non members.
• Grants are available for early-career educators and second-educational-career educators. What to do?

     It was also nice to read about the excellent women who founded ΔΚΓ Netherlands and expanded the society in Holland. It was interesting to read what occurred in those years: the themes that were discussed, the growth, the decline and the founding of new chapters.

     It was also interesting to see the ups and downs and to see that today is not the only risky period. There have in fact been many more, in particular when the membership numbers went down, but in the long run it always went up again. Now we are working on a booklet with stories from members from over 30 years of ΔΚΓ Netherland’s existence.

   Food and sustainability were the topics of our convention at a beautiful castle in Baarn. This castle owned by our ministry of agriculture, food and environment is the educational platform used to expand their themes. More specifically, they also offer educational programmes for children and their parents. We made a nice deal with the organisation; If we could arrange a lecture about food and children and we would like to share this with the public, we would get good free publicity as well the use of their beautifull lectureroom. And so it went.. A nutritionist, working with and for schools gave the lecture. What have we learned? There is much to do when it comes to better nutrition for our youth. Sugar is very harmful, so never use prefab food. And of course, at the end everyone who  attended got the ΔΚΓ-elevator speeches.
    During the convention we honoured our founder Anneke Bolle. Anneke is an excellent example of an outstanding woman. She believes in the effects of education. She believes in the goals of our society and puts a lot of effort into our organisation to reach these goals.  It is a priviledge to have her as an honorary member. 

     One of the most interesting parts of our society is its international character. At international  conferences and conventions many of us can experience that character, but also on a smaller level it is visible. The contact between Epsilon in the North of Holland and Gamma in the North of Germany is a good example. We overcame the boundery of states. In distance they are closer to each other than they are with other chapters in their own countries.

     Visiting each other’s convention is a nice opportunity for international contact. And of course, so will be the regional conference in Oslo. The members of the European Forum developed some interesting ideas on how to get in contact with each other, how to inspire each other without spending more money. An European website is a very good idea. We look forward to it.

     We have a new board for the next biennium. I will be chair again. Although I know that all members should get the experience of being chair, this time there was no one who stood up. So I am pleased to do it again.

     What our goals will be? We will try to increase brand awareness. We will discuss this topic in June, but “creating a buzz” will be one of them.  

                                Riet Smits, State President

 FINLAND

     We will be working in order to achieve this goal.  Personally, I would be very happy to invite the sisters from the north to join our society.

     But they will not be the only ones to be invited:  all our chapters located all around Finland need to get new and active members.  The age structure of our chapters indicates that expansion is a really urgent goal.  But, of course, there is even more important work to be done to fulfil the aims of our international organisation.  It is the core, it is the heart, and it is the ultimate motivation for our work.  See you all in Oslo in August.                    

   Maritta Stoor-Lehtonen    

 ICELAND

   The general meeting the following day followed traditions. Our incoming State President is Ingibjörg Jónasdóttir from the Gamma Chapter in Reykjavík. Our international guest, Jackie Cuppy, shared warm and encouraging words with the Icelandic members. She had, by the end of her five day stay in Iceland travelled by bus all around Iceland with a group of members from the Reykjavik area who attended the Convention. This, we think, is quite an achievement.

      The social program was not to be missed. We enjoyed a guided walking tour through a historical wood collection and a memorable reception was held in an old school for homemakers. At last but not least the gala dinner along with the lively entertainment by the Zeta-Chapter members stands out in the memory of a very successful DKG State Convention of 2009.

    The participation of Icelandic DKG members in the upcoming European Conference in Oslo next August seems to be quite good, and we are already looking forward to an enjoyable stay.

     The new State Board takes over July 1^st. The outgoing State Board thanks everyone for good collaboration and enjoyable times during the last two years and wishes our sisters in Europe all the best.                                          AnnaThóra Baldursdóttir,

State President