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NOTES A TO Z

"Key Notes A to Z"

A Publication of

Alpha Zeta Chapter

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society

International

St. Clair County, Michigan

Vol. 20, No. 1 Winter, 2018

A HOMETOWN HOLIDAY

By Kathy Loewenthal

A drizzly Saturday

afternoon didn’t dampen the

spirits of 21 Alpha Zeta

members and guests on November

18 at the intimate, 98 seat,

Snug Theatre in Marine City

where we enjoyed the spirited

presentation of The Michigan

Caroling Company’s rendition

of “Hometown Holiday Christmas

Radio Show.” This talented

group of entertainers had the

audience laughing, cheering

and singing along to

Christmas songs and

participating in

holiday movie trivia.

Three members of our

group even demonstrated their

holiday expertise in the movie

trivia and song segments of the

delightful production. On

stage, Jacquie Green’s guest,

Susan McCabe was the winner of

the movie trivia contest.

Gretchen Ploeger’s guest,

Paula Downing and Alpha Zeta

member, Leah Hamlin-Morgan

both participated in a

hilarious version of the “The

Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Six-part harmonies, excellent

musicians and fabulous musical

arrangements provided for a

brilliant performance.

Following this

delightful and fun-filled

production, our group met at

Anita’s Restaurant, just a few

short blocks away from the

theatre for an enjoyable

dinner and engaging

conversation. The day was the

perfect kick-off to the 2017

holiday season!

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ALPHA ZETA SCHOLARSHIP By Marilyn Abernathy

This year’s scholarship

recipient is Maggie Bacheller,

who will attend Oakland

University this fall. Maggie

has a passion for working with

young children and over the

last few years she’s spent time

volunteering in classrooms in

grades kindergarten through

eighth. She said the

experience has been enjoyable

and fueled her desire to be an

educator of young children.

She can’t see herself going to

work everyday and wanting to do

anything else.

Maggie graduated from

Port Huron Northern with a 3.96

GPA. She was on Student

Council, National Honor

Society, and on the varsity

tennis team among other

activities. She graduated SC4

this spring and is looking

forward to continuing her

education in her chosen field

and learning how to be the best

teacher she can be. She said

she hopes to make a difference

in the lives of young children

like so many teachers did for

her.

Congratulations Maggie on

being our 2017 scholarship

recipient.

Marilyn presents Maggie with

the scholarship.

Joyce was Maggie’s

Kindergarten teacher.

White roses in memory of

Diana Torrey, Katy Locke,

Virginia McClelland

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By Karen Jamison

August 3, 2017

The meeting was called to

order by Chairperson Marilyn

Abernathy at the Dorsey House.

Twenty members and one guest

were present.

Alpha Zeta received the

following awards at the

State Convention:

Award of the Rose

Yearbook-Exemplary (Barb

Teller)

Newsletter-Outstanding (Janet Haas, Gretchen

Ploeger, Loupatti Miller)

Woman of Distinction –

Pam Naplin

White Rose remembrances:

Diana Torrey. Katy

Locke and Virginia

McClelland will be

honored next year.

Several members were

honored for years of

service:

10– Pat Eppley, Marlene Heering

15 – Joyce Dahlberg

25 - Katy Locke (posthumously),

Jacquie Green

30 – Lynn Wilhelm

40 – Margaret Sutton

52 – Ellen Burns

55 – Clare Vivian

58 – Pat Barrymore

Marilyn introduced Maggie

Bacheller as our scholarship

recipient.

Donna Lee Hernandez

joined the ranks of retirees.

September 6, 2017

Welcome by Chairperson

Joyce Dahlberg. Twenty-seven

members and guest speaker, Sue

Amato, were present.

Sue Amato gave a power

point presentation from her

recent trip to

Cuba.

Donations for speakers

will come from miscellaneous

funds.

New budget lines were

approved for Days for Girls and

Marshall Islands donations.

Current membership is at

41: 39 active, 2 reserve.

Regular account is $3,934,

scholarship is $3,840.

Our chapter is the only

chapter in the state without a

president.

• Breakfast is usually

the third Tuesday of the

month, Cracker Barrel,

8:30 a.m.

• Alpha Zeta will host

Riverlake on April 21 at

Rix Rooftop (old

Fogcutter).

• Marshall Islands:

Sandy sent 39 boxes, all

but 2 arrived.

Thank you to Loupatti for

crocheting another lap

robe for a door prize

at fall convention.

Former scholarship

recipient Rachel King

graduated MSU and is student

teaching this fall.

TIDBITS OF THE

MINUTES

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October 11, 2017

Welcome by Kathy

Loewenthal, Chair of Programs

Committee. Nineteen members

and two guests were present at

Loupatti’s “party palace.”

Sandy Stein introduced

Pam Samis-Heller and Patrick

Heller who spoke about

adopting two children from the

Marshall Islands.

Donations this year were

$444 for Christmas books, $199

for backpacks, $355 for Days

for Girls and $180 for Marshall

Islands. Today’s speakers

donated $50 for Days for Girls

and $50 for Marshall Islands.

Days for Girls will be

making 25 more kits. Can use

flannel - 4 yd. lengths, dark

colors.

Marshall Islands focus

for next year will be to send

supplies to different islands.

Can always use books, dry erase

markers.

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

DKG Mission Statement

The Delta Kappa Gamma

Society International promotes

professional and personal

growth of women educators and

excellence in education.

CUBA

By Sandy Stein

ur guest, Sue Amato,

traveler to Cuba, shared

her experiences traveling to

Cuba with the “People to People

Program,” sponsored by Road

Scholars. Some of the

highlights of the program were

her stay at the Hotel Nacional

de Cuba, famous Havana

landmark, Hemingway Haunts,

and the Bay of Pigs. Sue

treated us to some photos of

cars of the 1950’s to show that

Cuba is a place where time has

stood still. She emphasized

the restrictions of travel to

Cuba; to visit a U.S. citizen

must be under the guidelines of

one of 12 reasons for travel.

Sue went as a student, not a

tourist. She was expected to

attend all discussions and

activities that were part of

the Road Scholar Program. We

learned from Sue the need to

help the Cuban people as Sue’s

group brought items to leave

and left personal items behind

as gifts to share with the

people.

O

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By Marilyn Abernathy

wenty-one members and our

scholarship recipient,

Maggie Bacheller, were

welcomed by Marilyn Abernathy.

Announcements and a brief

meeting was held. Sandy Stein

spoke of her efforts

collecting school items for

Marshall Islands.

Pam Naplin and Marilyn

Abernathy reported about the

State Conference which they

attended with Pat Eppley in Bay

City in May.

Judy Kuschel presented

membership recognition

certificates. A moment of

remembrance was held for our

three members who died this

year: Diana Torrey, Virginia

McClelland and Katy Locke.

Our New

retiree, Donnilee

Hernanadez, shared

her plans for her

retirement and told

about her career

experiences and

memories.

Marilyn Abernathy

presented our scholarship to

Margaret Bacheller who will be

attending Oakland University

this fall.

MARSHALL ISLANDS’

ADOPTION By Sandy Stein

Alpha Zeta welcomed Pam

Samis Ball Heller and Pat

Heller from East Lansing. Pat

and Pam shared their journey

about becoming adoptive

parents of two babies from

Majuro, Marshall Islands.

Pam, teary eyed, told of her

experiences while adopting

Daniel and how he had suffered

severe neglect while a new-

born in the Marshall Islands

hospital of Majuro. Amy, Pam

and Pat’s younger daughter,

has met her biological mother

while in Springdale, Arkansas,

a large community of

Marshallese immigrants. Pam

and Pat are committed to share

this remarkable journey as

well as helping to educate

others about the tragedies of

the Marshall Islands due to the

U.S. nuclear testing program

of the 1950’s.

IN MEMORY

Alpha Zeta Chapter

mourns the loss of

former member,

Marge McKenzie. She

passed away on

November 8, 2017. A

memorial service is

planned for June 30, 2018.

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SCHOLARSHIP AND

RECOGNITION LUNCHEON

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BIRTHDAYS

January: 1-Cheryl Frank,

7-Janet Haas, 15-Gay Huston,

18-Jacquie Green, 24-Correen

Woodley, 25-Theresa Balboa

Februay: 2-Margaret Sutton,

4-Gaye Shivers, 8-Ellen Burns

March: 1-Leslie Dias,

19-Judi Kushel, 20-Marlene

Heering

April: 3-Karen Jamison,

6-Kay Goodman, 19-Cheryl

Rogers, 24-Pam Naplin,

27-Gretchen Ploeger

May: 22-Sue Hinton, 26-Joyce

Dahlberg

June: 11-Kristine Oppliger,

24-Lynn Wilhelm, 25-Kathy

Loewenthal

July: 3-Marilyn Abernathy,

26-Sue Ostrom

Visit the Society at:

www.dkg.org

Visit Alpha Iota State at:

www.dkgmichigan.org

Visit Alpha Zeta at:

http://dkgmialphazeta.weebly.com

MARK YOUR

CALENDAR

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Spring Fling

Location and Time TBA

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Riverlake Council Luncheon

Rix Rooftop (Old Fogcutter)

11 a.m.

May, 2018

Fashion Show

TBA

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Scholarship Luncheon

Dorsey House

11 a.m.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Executive Board

Following Scholarship

Luncheon

May, 4-6, 2018

Alpha Iota State Convention

Marriott Auburn Hills,

Pontiac at Centerpoint

Pontiac, MI

July 16-20, 2018

DKG International Convention

JW Marriott

Austin, TX

WEB SITES

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Congratulations to Bob and Judi Kuschel who celebrated their 50th

Anniversary on September 30.

Congratulations to Carol Konkel on the birth of her

10th Grandchild: Philomena born August 29 to Todd

and Nicolle Konkel in Kansas.

Gay Huston is proud to announce the birth of her

fifth great-grandson.

BOOKS FOR KIDS By Gretchen Ploeger

On November 21, following

Alpha Zeta’s monthly breakfast

get together, members of the

“Books For Kids” committee and

several chapter members met at

Loupatti Miller’s to sort

books and precut paper for the

upcoming book wrapping.

On November 28, 2017,

chapter members met at

Loupatti’s for our annual

Christmas book wrapping. A

total of 730 books for students

in Pre-Kdg., first, and second

grades at Cleveland, Crull,

Garfield, Roosevelt, and

Woodrow Wilson were wrapped.

Books were placed in

individual bags for each

classroom and delivered by

Alpha Zeta members prior to

Christmas break.

Following the wrapping

members gathered for a time of

socialization while sampling

the various delicious treats

brought by Alpha Zeta members.

This marks the 30th year

of this Chapter project and is

always one of the most

enjoyable and well attended of

the year.

MEMBER HEADLINES

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BOOKS FOR KIDS

Children opening their books.

Gay checking book bags.

Children opening their books.

Gretchen preparing to wrap.

Marlene Heering reading to students.

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This quiz is for people

who know everything. The

answers follow at the end of

the next column. No peeking!

What famous North American

landmark is constantly moving

backward?

Only three words in standard

English begin with the

letters ‘dw’ and they are all

common words. Name two of

them.

Name the only vegetable or

fruit that is never sold

frozen, canned, processed,

cooked, or in any other form

except fresh.

Name the one sport in which

neither the spectators nor

the participants know the

score or the leader until the

contest ends.

Of all the vegetables, only

two can live to produce on

their own for several growing

seasons. All other vegetables

must be replanted every year.

What are they?

Name 6 or more things that

you can wear on your feet

that begin with the letter

‘S’.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Niagara Falls-the rim is worn

down every year from the

water rushing over it.

Dwarf, dwell, and dwindle

Lettuce

Boxing

Asparagus and rhubarb

Shoes, socks, sandals,

sneakers, slippers, skis,

skates, snowshoes, stockings,

stilts.

2016-2018 Alpha Zeta

Officers

President:

Vacant

Vice-President:

Vacant

Secretary:

Karen Jamison

Treasurer:

Pat Eppley

Parliamentarian:

Gretchen Ploeger

A to Z Newsletter

Editors

Gretchen Ploeger

Jan Haas

Loupatti Miller