Inside this issue:

Karen’s Comments 2

Links for Learning 3

Purposes 4

Convention Awards 5

Convention Pics 6

Committees 7-8

Chapter News 9

Volume 71, Issue 2

MISSOURI STATE

Summer 2019

“Honor, Learn, Lead through DKG” has been the theme of this biennium with President Karen Evans at the helm of the State Or-ganization. At the State Conven-tion, DKG members were able to honor our members by recogniz-ing many with awards. Members learned through a variety of speakers and breakout sessions and the state voted in new leaders for the next biennium. The 83rd Convention was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Springfield on April 26-28. On Friday afternoon registration be-gan at 4:00 PM. This year there were 155 registered attendees with 137 of those being members. A hospitality room was sponsored by the SW area chapters and dis-cussions were held about society committees at the Table Top Top-ics. On Saturday morning, the busi-ness meeting was held. Ginny Baumann brought greetings from the SW area and from Springfield. Marilyn Gregory, SW Regional Director brought a welcome from International. Changes to the State Bylaws and Standing Rules were voted on and passed and commit-tee reports were given. At the luncheon, scholarships and awards were given. Missouri’s First Lady, Teresa Parson was the guest speaker and also was in-ducted into Missouri DKG as an honorary member. Mrs. Parson spoke about the JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) program that she and Governor Parson are passionate about. The meal ended with birthday cake for our State organization.

Saturday night at the Presidents’ banquet, the Color Guard from Missouri State University per-formed. New state officers were installed as well as a touching message about kindergarten readi-ness and the challenges that Springfield has faced by Todd Parnell, author and activist. Cay Sergent, past state president was given the Individual Achievement Award. Her daughters were pre-sent to cheer her on. To end the session, Marilyn Gregory spoke of the changes and challenges in our society and an invitation to the Technology Conference (formerly the SW Regional) this summer in Costa Mesa, CA. Sunday morning, thirty-two members were honored at the Cel-ebration of Life and the Fellow-ship Breakfast was held. Judy Domeny Bowen entertained with her folk songs from the past and some original songs about farm-ing and teaching. Members sang along and Julie “threatened” to take all on the road with her. Joan Judd gave the registrar’s report and Terre McPheeters led in sing-ing “As We Leave This Place”.

The Delta Kappa

Gamma Society

International promotes

professional and personal growth

of women

educators and excellence

in education.

83rd State Convention Takes Place in Springfield

Deltagrams, Page 2

State Officers

2017-2019

Karen Evans, President

Jana Siefkas, 1st Vice President

Marty Tidd, 2nd Vice President

Brenda Jarrett, Recording Secretary

Paulette Fischer, Exec. Secretary/Treasurer

Deltagrams is published four times a year online at http://www.dkgmissouri.com/

News items should be sent to: Jamie Erwin,

Deltagrams Editor 410 W 10th St.., Kearney, MO 64060

deltagrams.mo@gmail.com

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, P.O. Box 1589, Austin, TX 78767-1589

888-768-4685

Karen’s Comments After the Mis-souri State Con-vention, I found myself wonder-ing about the fu-ture of our Socie-ty. I remembered an old Girl Scout song, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” The traditions of DKG are the old

way, the silver, and many of the old ways need to be kept. Yet we need to be prepared for change, that’s the gold. Change is hard on everyone. New members will come into our chapters and want to change things. Older members, and I am including myself, need to be open to the possibilities. We need to listen to the new members and try to see their point of view. That is what happened in my chapter. In 2016 Re-becca was inducted into my chapter. At the May meeting we were discussing how to reach more wom-en. Rebecca suggested we change the day and time we met. She suggested basically that we initiate the new recruitment program (This is before the program was really out.). My chapter listened to her and we

tried her suggestions. Well, after a year we went back to the same day we always met, but we kept the earlier time. It seems to be working. We tried the new re-cruitment program and we have several new members; in fact, one was at the Convention. Listening and be-ing open to change will work, but you must be sup-portive of the change. Rebecca is still growing in her membership in DKG. She is presently our chapter president and I am so proud of her. She is on the state Golden Anniversary Committee and is willing to try new things. She is passionate about our chapter, Missouri State and DKG. She is the gold member in our Society and I hope this silver member will continue to support and listen to her and other gold members.

Mildred Hamby Gamma/Beta Eta

July 22, 2018

Dr. Ruth A. Schwieterman Alpha Rho

February 2, 2019

Dr. Eugenia R. Crain Beta

April 2, 2019

*For names to be printed in the Deltagrams, Form 6 must be submitted to the Membership Chair, Marty Tidd, dkgmo2ndvp@gmail.com.

In Memoriam Golden Anniversary Sales

Please help support the Golden Anniversary Funds by purchasing DKG items!

New items will be available at Convention! Cash and Checks can be taken, no CC.

Call or email Vicki Cassady 417-438-6213, cvcassady@sofnet.com

Deltagrams, Page 3

Links for Learning Summer will soon be here so it is time to enjoy some books while relaxing in the shade. Here are eight titles that you may enjoy.

Death by Darjeeling - Laura Childs - This is the first book in the author's teashop series of twenty books. They are murder mysteries set in Charleston, North Carolina. After reading one of the books, the reader will want to visit Charleston.

A Very Private Grave - Donna Fletcher Crow - A mysterious death and ancient clues puzzle a student and An-glican priest as they solve a murder. Set in the backdrop of northern England and southern Scotland, this is the first book in a series.

Waters Like the Sky - Nikki Rajala - Andre, a young man in North America, discovers he has French royal blood, a brother he does not know and an enemy. He sets out to find his brother by becoming a voyageur. Vo-yageurs were French Canadians who transported furs during the fur trading years in the 1800's.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book - Diane Muldrow - Bring back the joys of reading the Little Golden Books with this book.

In A Dark, Dark Wood - Ruth Ware - Six strangers gather at the Glass House in the woods. One of them is a reclusive crime writer. What happens during this weekend that goes so wrong?

The Clockmaker's Daughter - Kate Morton - Birdie Bell is the clockmaker's daughter and this book tells her story which is surrounded by intrigue and is told through the voices of many others.

Girl Waits With Gun - Amy Stewart - In 1914 no one expects a woman to be a deputy sheriff. However, the Kopp sisters are different.. Read this fictionalized account of the Kopp sisters and their adventure in solving a crime. This is the first book in a series.

The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd - Sarah Grimke and her slave, Hetty, both facing the restrictions so-ciety places on them forge new directions for themselves. This work of historical fiction brings their charac-ters to life.

http://www.bookclubcentral.org/ - Sponsored by the American Library Association this site is a treasure for readers. It features book suggestions, resources for book clubs, author interviews and much more.

http://creativitygames.net/random-word-generator/randomwords/8 - Use this random word generator to build creativity by writing a poem using the words generated or perhaps by writing three sentences or more with the words generated.

**Links for Learning is a regular column of resources that may be helpful or interesting to you. They may in-clude books, magazine articles, web resources, and apps. The web addresses were current at the time of pub-lication; however, web sites change rapidly and cannot be guaranteed to be available later. All web address should be previewed before using in a presentation or classroom. No endorsement is given to resources.

Before You Register… To understand the new format for the International Conferences this summer, click on this link to watch a YouTube video.

You can also find this video on the DKG site on the International Confer-ences registration page.

Before You Register

Members can choose which International Conference they wish to attend. Marilyn Gregory invited Missouri members to attend the Technology Conference, July 17-20 in Costa Mesa, CA. Members may also wish to attend the Leadership Conference in Des Moines, July 10-12. Here is a message from Iowa... Iowa DKG personally invites the state of Missouri to come to the Leadership Conference in Des Moines. It’s our turn to be your hostess! There will be meaningful speakers, helpful workshops, and take-aways on leadership but many others on general topics of interest to any DKG member. Check the schedule on dkg.org for descriptions of the workshops. Make it a road trip! Register now! There will be time to enjoy the city sights and restaurants, take a tour or a walk along the river. Hope to see you in July!

Deltagrams, Page 4

The Seven Purposes

Over the last two years, The Deltagrams has been featuring the Seven Purposes of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. All the work of the Society is based on those Purposes. Listed below is just a sampling of how the Purposes affect Society members. Purpose 1: To unite women educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fellowship. Missouri State united at the state convention. Members that attend one of the International Conferences this summer will unite with women from the United States and other coun-tries. Purpose 2: To honor women who have given or who evidence a potential for distinctive service in any field of education. Members that receive their doctorate are recognized at the International Convention. Purpose 3: To advance the professional interest and position of women in education. The Society has many opportunities for members to publish their work and further their professional portfolio. Purpose 4: To initiate, endorse and support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the interest of education and of women educators. The US Forum sends out newsletters about legislative issues. The US Forum also sponsors the Legislative Seminar in

Washington D.C. in March of even number years. Purpose 5: To endow scholarships to aid outstanding women educators in pursuing graduate study and to grant fellowships to women educators of other coun-tries. Missouri State and DKG International award several scholarships for professional studies. Interna-tional also awards approximately thirty World Fellow-ships for women outside of the United States and Canada every year. These women usually take what they learn back to their home countries. Purpose 6: To stimulate the personal and profession-al growth of members and to encourage their partici-pation in appropriate programs of action. The Socie-ty supports the professional growth of members through the speakers at Society events. Members grow professionally by presenting breakout sessions at both Missouri State and International events. Purpose 7: To inform the members of current eco-nomic, social, political and educational issues so that they may participate effectively in a world society. The Society publications keep members informed about educational issues. The Deltagrams keeps members informed about state issues. When members study the Seven Purposes, they dis-cover much more about how DKG benefits them.

Left: Incoming State President, Jana

Siefkas, makes announcements on

Sunday morning at the Fellowship

Breakfast.

Right: Author Todd Parnell shows off

his new book, Privilege and Privation.

All proceeds from the sales of the

book go towards the early literacy

program in Springfield.

Lower: A view of Saturday evening’s

group with chapter trifolds in the back-

ground. Below: President Karen Evans welcomes In-dividual Achievement Award winner, Cay Sergent, to the podium.

Deltagrams, Page 5

Awards Presented at Missouri State Convention Chapter Achievement Awards Three Stars: Delta, Pi, Sigma, Chi, Beta Theta, Beta Rho, Gamma Alpha, Gamma Kappa, Gamma Kappa, and Gamma Tau Four Stars: Theta, Kappa, Alpha Gamma, Alpha Lambda, Alpha Upsilon, Alpha Psi, Alpha Omega, Beta Eta, Beta Omega, and Gamma Theta Five Stars: Epsilon, Nu, Xi, Tau, Alpha Theta, Alpha Iota, Alpha Rho, Alpha Tau, Beta Delta and Beta Tau

S.E.E. Awards Southeast Area: Pi, Sigma, Beta Theta, Alpha Iota, Beta Delta, Gamma Tau, Alpha Theta, Gamma Rho, Gamma Kappa, Beta Gamma, and Beta Rho Northeast Area: Mu, Nu, Tau, Alpha Omega, Beta Iota, Beta Tau, and Beta Omega Southwest Area: Beta Eta, Epsilon, Xi, Alpha Gam-ma, Alpha Tau, Alpha Psi, Beta Omicron, Gamma Beta, Gamma Xi, and Gamma Phi Northwest Area: Beta Zeta, Alpha, Chi, Alpha Rho, Alpha Upsilon, Gamma Theta

Key Women Educator Awards Lori Pinkston, Delta; Deborah Dick, Epsilon; Pamela Kauflin, Theta; Mary Borgman, Mu; Paulette Baker, Nu; Caryl Feiler, Xi; Patricia L. Riethmeier, Pi; Judy Stanford, Tau; Dr. Shirley Lawler, Alpha Gamma; Lori Ulrich, Alpha Theta; Wilma Deanne Harpole, Alpha Iota; Debra Straatmann, Alpha Lambda; Karla Spear, Alpha Tau; Dr. Della Bell-Freeman, Beta Iota; and Brenda Williams Hamm, Beta Tau

Communications Awards The Communication Awards recognizes Chapters and Editors. Newsletters First Newsletter: Beta Iota, Deborah Teague Honorable Mention: Xi, Caryl Feiler Honors: Mu, Pam Pirch; Pi, Dee Meyer; Alpha Rho, Diane Ackley; Alpha Upsilon, Bonnie Knauss; Alpha Psi, Christine Butler; Beta Omega, Peggy McFadden and Gamma Phi, Donna Jones

Highest Honors: Epsilon, Shae Johnson; Tau, Judy Stanford; Alpha Tau, Myrna Walker; Beta Theta, Sue Wyrostek; Beta Rho, Rose Kreitler; and Beta Tau, Kerri Prom Websites Honors: Beta Delta, Janet Black and Beta Tau, Kerri Prom Highest Honors: Epsilon, Sue Groves; Tau, Nancy Lewis; Alpha Gamma, Ginny Baumann; Alpha Tau, Myrna Walker; Alpha Upsilon, Jamie Erwin; Beta Io-ta, Della Bell-Freeman and Beta Omega, Peggy McFadden

Order of the Rose One Rose: Alpha, Delta, Epsilon, Sigma, Chi, Alpha Theta, Alpha Sigma, Alpha Tau, Alpha Upsilon, Beta Zeta, Beta Iota, Beta Pi, Beta Rho, Gamma Xi, Gam-ma Tau Two Roses: Tau, Alpha Iota, Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma, Gamma Beta Three Roses: Kappa, Nu, Pi, Alpha Rho, Alpha Ome-ga, Beta Eta, Beta Theta Gamma Rho

40 Year Members Marcia Dawn Powell, Beta Iota; Donna Brown, Pi; Barbara Allen, Beta Pi; Dana Burkle, Tau; Carolyn Hudlemeyer, Alpha; Dorothy Romann, Beta Rho; Peggy Webb, Beta Rho; Gloria Means, Beta Rho; Gloria Brown, Beta Rho; Claudetta McCorkendale, Beta Tau; Opal Richardson, Beta Tau; Patricia Walk-er, Beta Tau; Clara Howerton, Alpha Upsilon; Eliza-beth Stroble, Alpha Sigma; Blanche (Louise) Rader, Gamma Phi; Ellen Ewing, Gamma Psi; Nadine Horn-er, Alpha Psi; Mary Powell, Pi; Madge Wiesner, Pi 50 Year Members Dr. Rebecca Burrell, Alpha Gamma; Sharon Early, Alpha; Carol Moore, Alpha Upsilon; Shirley Shed, Alpha Gamma; Carol Harris, Alpha Xi; Elizabeth Manning, Epsilon, Barbara Leftwich, Alpha Omega 60 Year Member Edith Donath, Alpha Omega

Pictured are Marilyn Gregory, SW Area Director; Karen Evans, Outgoing State President; Jana Siefkas, Incoming State President; Judy Heuer, Incoming First Vice President; Marty Tidd, Out-going Second Vice President; Diana Ackley, In-coming Second Vice President; Brenda Jarrett, Outgoing Recording Secretary; Mary Pettegrew, Incoming Recording Secretary during the installa-tion ceremony, Saturday night at Convention.

Deltagrams, Page 6

Memories from Convention

Above: Vicki Cassady at the Golden Anniver-sary Table. Below: Members of the Missouri State Color Guard performing Saturday night. Above: Julie Domeny Bowen entertain-

ing members with song Sunday morn-ing. Above right: Sixty Year member Edith Donath and Marty Tidd, 2nd Vice Presi-dent. Right: President Karen Evans congratu-lating Individual Achievement Award winner, Cay Sergent.

Left: Newly elected Missouri State Officers for 2019-2021. President Jana Siefkas, 1st Vice President Judy Heuer, 2nd Vice President Diana Ackley, and Re-cording Secretary Mary Pette-grew.

Right: Missouri’s First Lady Teresa Parson speaking at the luncheon on Saturday.

Above: Terre McPheeters playing a tune. Below: SW Area Director, Marilyn Gregory and Linda Wall, State Bylaws and Standing Rules Chair.

Deltagrams, Page 7

State Committees Look to the Future Communications

The purpose of the Missouri State Communications Committee, as in the past, is to provide support for newsletter and website editors. The goals for the 2017-2019 Biennium have been to help chapters increase communication with members, to support the DKG International poli-cy for publishing, and to support new editors and those editors striv-ing for both a higher-ranking news-letter and website. The committee also continues to work toward in-creasing submissions. To implement these goals, the committee published articles on design, content, and on the Mis-souri State website’s “Resources” page which publishes the rubrics for both newsletters and website evaluations. Final submission dates were given in the winter and sum-mer editions of Deltagrams which cited “References” to locate the Communication Award’s rubrics. One article stated that four newslet-ters must be turned in by March 15. The summer article noted that the committee needed “heads up” for website submission and if the minutes would be found on the website instead of the newsletter. The committee gave individual assistance while, also, receiving suggestions from chapter editors. Many questions arose on documen-tation of materials. Every submis-sion received an email with positive points about the newsletter and some suggestions. The committee used the established rubric which the committee reevaluated and cali-brated before the 2018-2019 sub-missions. The committee evaluated all the submissions: 15 newsletters (49 total) and 9 websites. For sta-tistics fans, of the newsletters and websites submitted, SW submitted 7; SE, 4; NW, 1; and NE, 5. For those who suggested seeing

examples of newsletters, Jamie Er-win will make newsletters available for viewing soon! In addition, Ja-mie will research website compli-ance. The committee also encourages Facebook group pages as well. Ask a tech savvy member to help your chapter. The Communication Committee recognized gifted editors at the State Convention. These are listed on page 5 of this issue. The committee commends the edi-tors who keep their members ap-prised not only of their chapter but also of Missouri State, DKG Inter-national, and educational legisla-tion. The editors shared joys, sor-rows, meeting and personal-trip photos, as well as, internet sites, personal experiences, and educa-tional literature.

Finance The finance committee would like to thank the executive board and convention attendees for supporting the dues increase. This will help assist the Missouri State Organiza-tion of DKG to remain financially viable into the future. Since during this membership year of 2019-2020 there are changes in the time that dues are paid, the committee felt it was important to wait one year be-fore increasing the dues. The first increase will be in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. In addition, the com-mittee wanted the increases to be incremental so both members and chapters would have time to plan and adjust for the change. Please note the dues do not continue to raise indefinitely, the increases stop in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. To assist chapters in planning here is a chart of the dues increase:

The committee would also like to remind all members and chapters that while the dues increase was necessary, increasing membership is needed for the state organization to remain viable. If there are questions, contact the chair of the finance committee, Cay Sergent. For answers about the day-to-day finances, contact the execu-tive secretary-treasurer, Paulette Fischer.

Membership

Delta Kappa Gamma International has added another area of potential members for our society. Women college students in the field of edu-cation may be invited to join as a Collegiate Member. Missouri State Convention (April 26-28, 2019) voted to change wording to include "Collegiate Member" in our state's bylaws. The membership fee for Collegiate members will be the same as those for Reserve mem-bers. In addition, Collegiate mem-bers will be counted as another cat-egory for the Order of the Rose Award. Many parties will benefit from this win-win situation: DKG Interna-tional, State DKG societies, indi-vidual chapters, present members and Collegiate members. As a soci-ety, we have much to offer college education majors. In addressing these young women (and all poten-tial members) the following quote from the DKG International web-site speaks to these benefits well. "Will you work in isolation, or de-

velop skills by working with like-minded women educa-tors through

Year Active Mem-bers

Reserve Mem-bers

2020-2021 $14 $7

2021-2022 $16 $8

2022-2023 $18 $9

2024-2025 $20 $10

Deltagrams, Page 8

projects and programs? Will you spend your career defined by the status quo, or interact and network with local, state/provincial and global women educators who have valuable lessons for you gained through leadership and educational experience? As a member of DKG, you have the potential to make more significant contributions to education worldwide. While grow-ing professionally, you will also realize that there is a strong reason to develop your personal capabili-ties and networking experiences." If a chapter is near a college or university, decide on a strategy to introduce young women education majors to DKG. Check with the Dean of Education about arranging an informal meeting with the ladies -perhaps provide cookies or pizza - and visit with potential members about the benefits of society mem-bership. Bring along brochures and other literature to pass out. Ask if some pamphlets may be left in the education department's student lounge. Invite the students to at-tend a chapter meeting and offer to transport them since many students do not have their own transporta-tion. Including college education ma-jors in DKG is a wise decision. All groups, especially the young wom-en who will become Collegiate DKG members, will profit. What a unique opportunity to introduce and acquaint future educators, during their college years, to the manifold benefits gained by belonging to Delta Kappa Gamma.

Scholarship Each year Delta State offers two Bradford Grants-in-Aid to under-graduate women who have com-pleted a minimum of 75 hours to-ward a degree leading to a career in education. There are also three graduate scholarships available

each year to Delta Kappa Gamma members who are pursuing a mas-ter’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in education. The Bradford grants are $1000 each while the graduate scholarships are $2500 or $1000 depending on the scholarship. De-tails about the scholarships and grants are available on the state website along with application forms. At the recent Missouri State con-vention, the Scholarship Committee recommended to the Executive Board that two women be awarded scholarships for the 2019-2020 aca-demic year. The Board approved those recommendations. Ashley Angle will receive the Delta State President’s Scholarship for $2,500 and Rebecca Schnaare will receive the Merea Williams Scholarship for $1,000. Ashley Angle lives in Jefferson City and is a member of Tau Chap-ter. She teaches kindergarten at Pioneer Trail Elementary after pre-viously teaching at Southern Boone Primary and South Calloway Schools. Ashley received her bach-elor’s degree from Central Method-ist College and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri. She is currently seeking her special-ist’s degree in educational admin-istration from William Woods Uni-versity. Ashley actively works in her school’s professional learning community and is a Google Certi-fied Educator. Her principal writes that “She is an incredible educator that is resourceful, caring, passion-ate, and highly motivated. She is truly committed to excellence in education.” Rebecca Schnaare lives in House Springs and is the current president of Alpha Iota Chapter. She teaches physical education at Rockwood Summit High School but is also certified as a FACS teacher and in

middle school science. Rebecca received her AA degree from Jef-ferson College and her BA from Southeast Missouri State Universi-ty. She is currently enrolled at Mis-souri Baptist, working on an MA in School Counseling with a concen-tration in Clinical Mental Health. Her goal is to become a clinically trained school counselor. A co-worker writes that “Rebecca has a desire to get to know her students and understand the way that their minds work. Her belief is that if she can understand the students’ mental state then she can help those stu-dents be more successful. Rebecca's goal is to help cure the current men-tal health issues facing too many young people today.” Congratulations to both of these accomplished Delta Kappa Gamma members! All Committee Reports are sub-mitted by state committee mem-bers and chairs. Please refer to the Yellow Pages on the website for names and contact infor-

Committees (continued)

Pictured is Dr. Rebecca Burrell, Fifty Year Member of DKG! Members who have reached the 40, 50, or 60 year anni-versary were honored Saturday during the Luncheon at Convention.

Deltagrams, Page 9

Upcoming Conventions and Conferences Missouri Leadership Seminar-June 22, Hawthorn Bank Center, Jefferson City International Area Conferences Arts & Humanities, Asheville, NC, June 27-29 Leadership, Des Moines, IA, July 10-12 Technology, Costa Mesa, CA, July 17-20 Professional Research, Reykjavik, Iceland, July 25-27 Global Awareness, Mashantucket CT, July 30-Aug 1 International Convention July 7-11, 2020, Philadelphia, PA

Dates to Note June 1—July/August DKG NEWS deadline June 30—Chapter Dues Deadline July 15—Chapter Treasurer’s Report Deadline Registrations due for International Conferences: Arts and Humanities, NC—June 29 Leadership, IA—July 12 Technology, CA—June 14 Global Awareness, CT—August 1

Chapter News

Dr. Lynell Gilbert-Saunders received the Golden Key Award from Beta Eta chapter at their meeting in April. Dr. Saunders is the daughter of Lucy Gilbert, member of Beta Eta chapter. Dr. Saunders was given the award for her outstanding contribution to higher education. She is a chemistry professor at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. Alpha Upsilon chapter of the Liberty and North Kan-sas City areas celebrated its 50th birthday on April 18. The chapter was organized with eighteen charter members: Bonita Allen, Edna Cole, Elizabeth Ann Collings, Myra Cozad, Lillian Crossett, Mary Alice Dowell, Pat Hartley, Jo Ann Morris, Lottie Patterson, Eloise Redford, Ruth Robbins, Myrtle Schlickelman, Melba Jean Sharp, and Evelyn Townley. Alpha Upsilon supports the community through ser-vice projects and scholarships. In memory of Law-rence “China” Slaughter who was a custodian and

crossing guard for more than forty years in the Liberty School district, a park and statue were recently dedicated across from Franklin Elemen-tary School in downtown Liberty. China was hard working, well educated, and an avid reader. He knew the children by name and encouraged them to love reading. Children would walk out of their way to school so that they could cross the street where China worked. He retired in 1984. Alpha Upsilon chapter donated two rose bushes and a plaque that were placed in front of the stat-ue in the China Slaughter Reading Park to cele-brate China and their 50th birthday.