Inside this issue:

Jana’s Journal 2

Links for Learning 3

Chapters 5-6

Committees 7-8

Inductees 8

Award 9

Dates 9

Volume 72, Issue 4

MISSOURI STATE

Winter 2020

The Missouri State Convention will be held the weekend of April 16-18, 2021. It has not been decided whether the convention will be an on-site convention at the Adams Point Conference Center or a virtual convention. Either way, the convention will include business meetings, awards, speakers, breakout ses-sions, a remembrance ceremony

and so much more. The state of-ficers and state committees are beginning to prepare for each sce-nario. Mark your calendars to attend the Missouri State Convention, for fellowship, professional and personal growth, and the oppor-tunity to participate in this unique experience. Watch for more infor-mation on the status of the con-vention.

The Delta Kappa

Gamma Society

International promotes

professional and personal growth

of women

educators and excellence

in education.

84th Annual Missouri State Convention

Jefferson County Council Holds Meeting

On October 12, 2020 four chap-ters (Alpha Iota, Beta Delta, Beta Pi, Gamma Tau) met together in person and on Zoom for the annu-al council meeting. The theme for this meeting was Hawaiian. Chap-ter members were encouraged to dress in Hawaiian attire and deco-rate their backgrounds on Zoom with Hawaiian items. During the meeting, members were recog-nized for their years of member-ship in Delta Kappa Gamma. There was a range of members with membership from ten years to sixty years. Each were recog-nized and given a certificate. Each chapter also had a member that re-ceived a Jefferson County Council Leadership award. These awards were presented during the meeting. Certif-icates were also sent to the chapter presidents to give to their Leadership Award members. Throughout the

meeting, members participated in a fill-in-the-blank Hawaiian trivia. Participants also did a multiple choice Hawaiian trivia during the meeting. Jana Siefkas, Missouri State President, was the host for the Zoom meeting. She spoke about membership and meetings that are still being held despite these challenging times. A Thank You video for Schools for Africa from the UNICEF website was watched by all attendees. The meeting closed with the DKG song. (Pictured are members of Beta Delta who hosted the meeting.)

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State Officers

2019-2021

Jana Siefkas, President

Judy Heuer, 1st Vice President

Diana Ackley, 2nd Vice President

Mary Pettegrew, 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 406 Briar Ln., Kearney, MO 64060

deltagrams.mo@gmail.com

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, 416 W 12th St, Austin, TX 78767

512-478-5748

Jana’s Journal Thank you for being a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and Missouri State. When times are difficult it is easy to forget why we be-came a member of this unique, professional educators organi-zation. DKG is an organization that promotes and supports fel-low educators at home and around the world. During this

unusual time, I have found that, You, Missouri State members, have continued to stay in touch with each other, continued to encourage fellow educators, have continued to maintain your chapter projects and have presented outstanding programs. Well Done! Now more than ever, DKG Purpose #1 “Unite wom-en educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fel-lowship” still has value. As we move forward staying connected is so important. Like several chapters are doing, it might be a good time to remember that other educators are facing similar challenges and may ap-preciate joining in the fellowship of your chapter. Whether they are early in their career or a veteran ed-ucator, support for our fellow educators is always ap-preciated.

Being able to host chapter meetings on Zoom has allowed me the opportunity to attend several different meetings across the state. It has been an interesting and unique experience. Of course, it isn’t the same as being together face to face but being able to see and hear everyone has been uplifting. I am enjoying host-ing chapter meetings and I am available to attend any other chapter meeting held on Zoom. Keep up the good work! Our meetings may not look the same and our fellow-ship may be from a distance but as we continue to work together and stay together, we can hopefully Make a Difference. Thank you for being such dedicat-ed members of DKG and Missouri State. -Jana

Callie’s Corner It is hard to stay vigilant when you want everything to get back to normal. Callie’s Advice: Be safe, practice social dis-tancing, wear a cool mask and keep things as normal as possible.

Barbara Ann Maxwell

Alpha Xi

August 19, 2020

Elizabeth H. Haney

Mu

October 14, 2020

Carolyn Mabbott Coyne

Alpha Rho

October 29, 2020

Golden Anniversary Sales

Please help support the

Golden Anniversary Funds

by purchasing DKG items!

Cash and Checks can be taken,

no credit card payments.

Call or text Vicki Cassady

417-438-6213

In Memoriam

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Links for Learning The holidays are often times of gift giving for children. Books are often a great choice. Here are some award-winning books that you may wish to consider.

New Kid - Jerry Craft - This winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal tells the story of Jordan Banks going to mid-dle school. As if middle school wasn’t difficult enough, he is an African-American boy attending a largely all-white privileged prep school.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes - written by Christian McKay Heidicker; illustrated by Junyi Wu - Two young foxes are separated from their litter and face many horrifying adventures. This is a 2020 Newbery Honor Book.

The Undefeated - illustrated by Kadir Nelson; written by Kwame Alexander - This picture book, winner of the 2020 Caldecott Award, tells the stories of African Americans in America. The words speak of the struggles of slavery and the brilliance of great heroes.

Bears Came Along - illustrated by LeUyen Pham; written by Richard T. Morris - A 2020 Caldecott honor book, this is a delightful story of animals on an adventure who learn they need one another.

Blueberries for Sal - Robert McCloskey - Sal and her mother are off to pick blueberries for the winter at the same time mother bear and her cub are eating berries for their winter. This delightful story was a Caldecott Honor book in 1949.

As the days shorten with darkness arriving earlier and the cold keeping you indoors, it is the perfect time to find a good book and a comfortable chair. Here are some good choices.

The Book of Lost Friends - Lisa Wingate - Two different stories are intertwined here. Three young women in the late 1800s are thrown together on a journey that none of them expected. The other is the story of a young teacher in the late 1900s who is on a journey to discover herself and the long-forgotten tales of three young women.

Peace Like A River - Leif Engler - A father and two children travel on a journey to find another son who has escaped from his jail cell. It is a beautiful and captivating read.

The Cold Millions - Jess Walter - Set in the early twentieth century, the Dolan brothers navigate the world with a chasm between rich and poor. The book is filled with rich and varied characters.

Winter solstice - Rosamunde Pilcher - An uplifting read which reminds one of the healing power of friendship and love.

https://www.librarything.com/ - Library Thing - Are you a lover of books? Then Library Thing may be just what you need to keep track of your personal library and network with other readers.

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

40-plus Years Treasurer Recognition Special thanks to Jane Webster who has served as the only treasurer of Beta Iota since its charter in 1975, and to Judy Salter who has served Beta Tau since its charter in 1979.

The deadline for the Spring issue of the Deltagrams is February 1.

Deltagrams, Page 4

Beta Omega Supports Women in the Arts

One of the purposes of DKG is to stimulate the personal and profes-sional growth of members. The Beta Omega Chapter tries to meet that goal, in part, by dedicating one meeting a year to artistic endeavors. The October meeting is not one of the business meetings. Members chose this month to support women in the arts. The members usually meet at a school building in one of the districts or an art studio of some kind. On one of the first outings, members enjoyed painting, visiting, and snacking at Painting with a Twist. At this art studio, clients may bring in wine and other good-ies to sample as they work. Painting was much easier than expected, be-cause the instructor used a step-by-step approach to show how to paint an evening scene. Even though members did not think it was possi-ble, all of the paintings turned out just great. It gives a person such a boost when they see what they have accomplished without any prior knowledge. In 2015, the chapter learned Bas-ket Weaving 101. They had a won-

derful instructor, Laura Klaus, teach the chapter how to make a traditional market basket. It took a couple of hours to complete the task and everyone ended up with a great, sturdy basket. The chapter members also hired Marianne Warren one year to help create wreaths for

their homes. She gave members many delightful wreath de-signs to choose from to sat-isfy the different tastes in the chapter. Everyone en-joyed getting to make such beautiful wreaths and visit-ing with members while they worked. It is fun to mention that all members bring a snack to share at the October craft meeting. Food and fun are a great combina-tion. Another year, they went to the St. Charles Art Cellar where, with the help of the instructor, members designed concrete steppingstones to keep for themselves or to give as gifts. Members created unique stones using cut glass and polished rock. The ladies were truly inspired! The chapter also taps into the talents of its own members. Member, Kathy Weindel taught Beta Ome-gas the art of card making. Kathy is an avid Stamp it Up card maker and she put together fall and holiday

card making stations and taught members how to stamp, cut, and paste to their hearts content. Again, the group ended up mak-ing some terrific looking cards. Last year, Linda Mayher and Peg McFadden helped the chap-ter to make succulent terrari-ums. Members got to pick out their own container, plants, and embellishments to decorate their terrarium. This year the chapter

did not feel it was safe to meet in person, so they had to find a project that could be demonstrated on ZOOM. They just finished making fabric pumpkins through a virtual presentation. The pumpkins were easy to demonstrate and easy to complete at home. Jana Siefkas and Judy Heuer joined us and Judy made her own pumpkin that looked great! Beta Omega made some

“smashing pumpkins” as well and all were very “fall-ish”. The chapter gets excited about and looks for-ward to the new artistic activity each year. The key to a successful craft meet-ing is to start planning early, be-

cause sometimes it is difficult to find the supplies or a place to craft. After those in charge decide on a project, they send out an email with the project, pricing, and other de-tails and have the members sign up to participate. Once that is com-plete, they can start shopping and organizing. Have fun and feel free to contact Beta Omega for more information. -Submitted by Peggy McFadden

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Elaine Campbell, Gamma Phi president, and the Gamma Phi members have been staying connected by email. The chapter decided that because of Covid-19 and a few members testing positive, it would be best not to have any meetings at this time. They are continuing to wear masks and practicing social distancing but like other meeting locations their meeting space is small and usually they are in close contact during the luncheons. Gamma Phi members are making plans and hope to have a meeting in February.

Alpha Lambda Chapter collected books for babies and gave them to the area Parents as Teachers. They are planning on having Zoom meetings but hope to have a face to face meeting in March. In April, the chapter conducts a Founders Day program and awards a grant-in-aid to a graduating senior enrolled in education at Central Methodist University.

Julie Hoffelmeyer and Paulette Baker, co-presidents, and Nu members held their second Zoom meeting in Oc-tober. Ladies joined by using their computers, phones and even FaceTime. A short business meeting was held, followed by a presentation by Beth Walker titled, “The COVID Impact”. Members were challenged to answer questions regarding how much they knew about the Covid-19 virus. It was a very enlightening presentation. The chapter’s projects were discussed, books will be given to the Marshall Hoot Resource Centers, and gifts for the adopted middle school teacher were decided on. Arrangements for the Show-Me Council meeting to be hosted by Nu in March were discussed. The meeting closed with Nice Nu News (N3). The next Nu meeting will be in December.

Beta Eta has had two face to face meetings this fall. In September, Beta Eta met at a park. Everyone brought snacks and they made plans for the year. In October, Beta Eta had an outside meeting at the home of Cathy McCord, Beta Eta's Treasurer. They had a wiener roast and did a craft project, making pumpkins with toilet paper rolls. Vicki and Kathi Cassady, co-presidents of Beta Eta, are making plans for a January Zoom meet-ing. (Pictured below.)

Missouri State Chapters Make a Difference

Deltagrams, Page 6

Alpha Upsilon in Liberty and North Kansas City has met twice outside this year so far. Mother Nature made two perfect Sat-urdays for the chapter on September 12 and November 7. Mem-bers were able to bring their own chairs and drinks or snacks if they wanted to. The chapter met in the parking lot of the Lib-erty Christian Church. Members remained six feet apart and wore masks to conduct the regular business meetings. Being able to see each other in person was a treat for the members after several months apart. (Pictured above.)

Delores Penton, president of Pi Chapter, and Pi members have made a real effort to conduct DKG business as usual, even though the meetings have not been face-to-face. The Zoom meetings this fall have been well at-tended and very productive. Meetings have included: DKG business, an installation ceremony, fun and crea-tive programs, discussion regarding their projects and a beautiful Ceremony of Remembrance for long time member, Sally Dobrunz. Kain Penton, Delores's grandson, closed the September meeting by playing "In the Mood" on the piano.

Alpha Iota Chapter in Jefferson County, Missouri has annually supported Operation Christmas Child (OCC) for many years. OCC is an international project of the charity, Samaritan’s Purse, that began in 1993, and col-lects shoebox gifts filled with school supplies, fun toys, and hygiene items. The shoeboxes are delivered to children in need throughout the world. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received. Without the school supplies, many children are unable to attend school. More than 178 million shoebox gifts have been distributed to children in more than 160 countries and territories. OCC is hoping to collect enough shoe-box gifts this year to reach 11 mil-lion children in countries like Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda and Ukraine. More than 10.5 million shoebox gifts were collected worldwide in 2019 with more than 8.9 million collected in the USA. Anyone can pack a shoebox. Indi-viduals, families, friends, organi-zations, churches, and groups can fill empty shoeboxes with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys such as dolls or soccer balls. For more information, go to https://www.samaritanspurse.org/. (Pictured at right.)

Missouri State Chapters Make a Difference

Deltagrams, Page 7

State Committees Look to the Future Bylaws

Chapter rules are the guide to run-ning each chapter. The Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee is ready and willing to help in any way with chapter rules if needed. If the chap-ter bylaws committee has any ques-tions email Linda Wall at bylawsdkgmo@gmail.com. The state committee realizes that this is a challenging year and each chapter is doing its best to get chapter busi-ness completed.

Communications The Communications Committee encourages chapters to try to have both a website and a newsletter. Ask a sister to oversee each of these jobs for the long-term. The purpose of the communications committee is to support chapters and reward them in these endeavors. There are guidelines for newslet-ters and websites at dkgmissouri.com under Resources and then under Communication Awards. There is a sample newslet-ter posted there, and there are great websites that follow International guidelines posted at dkg.org. First sign in, then look under Resources, Forms, and Websites. A compli-ance seal is required if the chapter wishes to be linked on the state or international website. To obtain the seal, complete Form 72 anytime. It needs to be resubmitted every other year by the end of October. This form is found at the same location. It is important to send newsletters to the communications chair for two reasons: 1) That makes the chapter eligible for an award (a minimum of 4 newsletters yearly is required for Highest Honors AND to receive credit on the Chapter Achievement Award); and 2) The committee will give helpful feed-back for your newsletter to help improve it. However, every chapter

that submits a newsletter will re-ceive some type of an award certifi-cate. Please make sure to submit your newsletter in a PDF format so the newsletter will not change in the sending. Chapters will receive credit in their Chapter Achievement Award record for having a website, but as with newsletters, there is not a requirement for number of pages or type of format. The goal is to keep members informed of local and state news. Also, Missouri State has a Facebook page. Go to “DKG Missouri” and like it. Please send in articles and pictures to Cay Sergent at dkgmofb@gmail.com to be posted on the Facebook page. The communications committee is beginning to evaluate websites be-tween now and February. They will then start evaluating newsletters. The newsletter editor should select which one to be evaluated. One final suggestion for newslet-ters: think about assigning sisters to help get information for the newsletter such as educational in-formation, Missouri legislative in-formation and/or passing out a sheet at meetings to be completed for news about members. This will help the editor as she begins to write the newsletter each time. Feel free to contact the communi-cations committee for any ques-tions. Keep communicating!

Finance The Missouri State Finance Com-mittee has been diligently review-ing the income and expenses. The committee submitted a motion to put a moratorium on the dues in-crease for 2021-2022 fiscal year in view of the COVID-19 virus and its economic impact. The state execu-tive board approved the motion. Therefore dues for International and Missouri State will remain the same for the 2021-2022 year. Dues

will be $40 for International and $14 for Missouri State plus the chapter dues. The committee con-tinues to monitor the state finances and appreciates all the chapters that paid their dues on time.

Nominations

For months, members have been inundated with reminders to VOTE—but this is a reminder to NOMINATE. DKG is looking for candidates to serve as state officers for the coming biennium. Please think about chapter members and consider those who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the or-ganization. These are challenging times. The state officer team has been support-ive as they look “outside the box” to come up with alternative ways to conduct chapter business. Thanks to the support of state officers, chap-ters have been able to continue to serve DKG members. But the chal-lenge continues to support each oth-er as sisters and to consider taking up the challenge of leadership for Missouri State. To nominate an out-standing leader from your chapter to serve as a state officer, please fill out the application form for nomi-nations on the state website, dkg-missouri.com/resources. The deadline for nominations has been extended to Friday, January 8, 2021.

Personal Growth

Better the Balance, Better the Life! What does that quote mean? Take a few moments to think about the quote and write down some thoughts. In this article, the quote means having a handle on the various are-as of life, both internal (mind, heart, health) and external (work, social, family, fun). One should feel as though their body, mind, and heart

Deltagrams, Page 8

State Committees (page 2) are not being pulled into too many different directions. One should feel grounded, healthy, motivated, be clear thinking, and have a sense of calmness. It all sounds great, but do women achieve these feelings most of the time? It is a struggle to have a balanced life, but one can achieve it more often than not. A few items to think about, and again, write down thoughts while reading through these ideas. • Mind: Challenge oneself intel-

lectually vs. creating opportuni-ties for the mind to rest

• Heart: Giving love vs. receiv-ing it

• Health: Eating, drinking, exer-cising properly vs. resting and treating yourself to some extra yummies

• Work: Pushing oneself to achieve goals vs. seeing the big-ger picture and just enjoying the ride

• Social: Satisfying social desires vs. taking time for oneself

• Family: Fulfilling familial re-sponsibilities vs. creating healthy boundaries

• Fun: Allocating time for things one enjoys doing vs. making sure one does not overdo it

Maintaining balance in life is not about staying perfectly still. It is about recognizing when one is get-ting out of balance and righting

oneself. Constantly. Staying in bal-ance looks different for everyone. It is impossible to have everything in life completely balanced and in per-fect order. The goal here is not per-fection as that would be unrealistic. The goal is to learn how to adjust to the “give and take” that life de-mands and continually strive to come back to center. The coronavirus pandemic has created a major shift in the life-styles of most families. Finding bal-ance in life may be something peo-ple just do not think can happen. But one can focus on one or two areas. Do not think everything has to be balanced. Be kind to yourself. Know that one can reach out to friends, family, coworkers, and DKG sisters, for comfort, advice, and a listening ear. Take a few moments to write or journal thoughts on this statement: In what way can you keep a balance in your life?

Scholarship Two undergraduate students and one graduate student received awards for the 2020-2021 school year from DKG. Hannah Galler and Sarah McCord were each awarded a Bradford Grant-In Aid. This summer Hannah contin-ued her major in elementary educa-tion by taking two courses through

Missouri State University. As well as taking classes, she started work-ing with elementary students at a daycare when they are not in school. Sarah McCord worked with Agriculture in Education pro-moting and advocating for agricul-ture in elementary schools. She taught K-5 summer school students all kinds of topics within Missouri agriculture, and found time to teach swimming lessons. She will con-tinue her education at Missouri State toward a degree in Agricul-ture Education. Jennifer McCord was awarded the Harmon Scholar-ship. She is the BSN Program Co-ordinator for Lincoln University's School of Nursing. Jennifer is completing her Doctorate De-gree. She completed a systematic literature review on workarounds in nursing practice. The results of the review have been developed into a manuscript that has been submitted for publication. A listing of scholarships and crite-ria are available on the Missouri State’s website at dkgmis-souri.com. Information may also be obtained by emailing Mary Young, scholarship chairman. All Committee Reports are submit-ted by state committee members and chairs. Please refer to the Yellow Pages on the state website for names and contact information.

Missouri State Welcomes New Members Epsilon

Katherine A Funk

Theta Melissa Kline

Gayla A Singleton

Mu Michelle Leigh Amos

Stacey Begemann Grace Fiedler

Jessica Ann Kendrick

Pi Bertha Myers

Carole L Stafford Rhoda Parker

Alpha Lambda Denise M Haskamp

Ruth Jones

Welcome!

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Missouri State Convention April 16-18, 2021 Adams Pointe Conference Center & Courtyard Marriot 1400 NE Coronado Drive, Blue Springs

2021 International Conferences Portland, Oregon July 7-10 San Antonio, Texas July 21-24

Future International Conventions New Orleans, Louisiana, July 12-16, 2022 National Harbor, MD, 2024 Aurora, CO, 2026

Upcoming Dates of Importance

Beta Member Wins Award

In August, Westminster College announced that Dr. Barri Bumgarner, Associate Professor of Education and Digital Blue Coordinator, is the 2020 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient. The first faculty member from the Education Department to receive the award, Bumgarner was recognized dur-ing Fall Semester faculty orientation via Zoom — a digital platform the tech expert knows well. Dubbed WestMo’s “Digital Blue Guru,” Bumgarner is the primary face and encouraging personality be-hind the College’s Digital Blue iPad Initiative. Little did anyone know the de-vices distributed to all stu-dents beginning a year ago would become central to the Spring 2020 Semester, when Westminster pivoted to a virtual format. Bumgarner led the effort by conducting emergency training sessions for West-minster faculty. She also became a resource throughout the state for many K-12 educators who reached out to her for help with their online platforms during quarantine. In addi-tion, Bumgarner organized a multi-faculty, impromptu road trip spanning 800 miles to visit each 2020 graduate who earned a degree in Education from the College. “Westminster’s faculty are among the most active and engaged anywhere in the country, and none con-tribute more to Westminster and its success than Bar-ri,” Roebuck says. “She is among the first to volun-teer, she offers creative ideas for transforming teach-ing — such as Digital Blue — and she works tireless-ly with the students.” Bumgarner is Chair of the Education Department and a certified Apple Learning Specialist. She teaches digital literacy to Education majors, reading/writing

education courses, and teacher preparation courses that focus on the exceptional individual. In 2018, Bumgarner was named Alpha Chi Professor of the Year. She received the Bushman Research Award in 2017. Bumgarner also has received the Buschman Deans Junior Faculty of the Year Award and a Winney Award. Bumgarner earned a Ph.D. in English Education and Digital Literacy from the University of Missouri-Columbia, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in English and Pre-Med from Mis-souri State University in Springfield, MO.

In addition to her list of professional accolades, Bum-garner’s hours away from Westminster are filled with accomplishments. She has published four novels and recently was featured on both NBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML71GGPYAEM and the Oxygen Network https://news.westminster-mo.edu/campus-life/westminster-faculty-member-interviewed-in-true-crime-drama-on-oxygen-network/ for her ex-tensive research into a local murder. Her newest novel, Fifty Cents for a Dr Pepper, is due out by Christmas time. Bumgarner is a self-described crazy Kansas City

Chiefs fan. She lives in Columbia, MO, with her bet-ter half, Marsha Tyson, and two furry “kids”: Cali, a Boston terrier and Chihuahua mix, and Kaycey J, a Fox terrier. She became a member of Beta Chapter in 2007 and has served as chapter secretary, as well as an engaging program presenter. The Excellence in Teaching Award is given to one Westminster faculty member annually after a voting process and recommendation by the Faculty Person-nel Committee. -Submitted by Valerie Goodin