President’s Page Suzanne’s July Message
Dear Sisters:
First of all, thank you to everyone who attended and helped in any way with the 2021 DKG Convention held in Eagle, CO June 15 to 17, 2021. It was very well-attended, and the location and food received praise from several of the attendees. The Alpha Chi and Alpha Sigma chapters put in a great convention AND had very competitive bidding/donations for the baskets. Congratulations to my fellow Executive Board Members: Maxine Fawcett-Yeske, 1st VP; Paulette Evans and Karen Libby, Co 2nd VPs; Nancy Pierce, Recording Secretary; and Cela Verosy, Corresponding Secretary---I look forward to working with you all over the next two years.
I was very grateful to see Leila’s final message which included her very creative “What I Learned From COVID; I believe that we will continue to embrace those learnings as we move forward in this new biennium.
I have been revising the members of the different teams associated with Colorado DKG using Kerry Tripp’s last list, updates and corrections from Leila, my notes from the Spring Board meeting and the evaluations from the Convention to update the member names. My plan, once I return from the Portland Conference, is to communicate with each team separately so that the Team Leader knows the names, and we can make corrections early on if there are changes so that Cela Verosy, our new Corresponding Secretary will have the most accurate information possible. There are Teams that could use more members as well….being on a State level team is a wonderful way to see/experience that amazing energy that happens at State gatherings. Most individual team meetings will be held via zoom or google meet….so attendance should not be a concern. There will be a half day planning meeting for all team leaders (and team members who can attend) TBA in August; location TBA as well.
One of my goals during this biennium is to make State level meetings more accessible to members; both in location and cost-effectiveness. Membership will be a huge goal as well, and I look forward to working with Leila Koenig, the new Membership Leader, as we continue the work that Beth Barzdukas has done so well over the past bienniums. Some Teams had little to no direction; that was partially on me as 1st Vice President, but also on the Pandemic as we floundered with reaching members, family and friends in a meaningful and timely way. At the August planning session, there will be discussion, direction and a positive move toward the outcomes that each team will set.
I have a lot to learn. I started a journal in the New Year as I prepared to step into the Presidency. I will be honest; as I looked at the plethora of materials that I was getting via email and the boxes of materials that I was getting, I needed to control my breathing. I know that I can do this; I know that with the help, networking and support of the Executive Board, the Teams and Team Leaders and the membership at large, I can be a great leader for Colorado Delta Kappa Gamma. To paraphrase Phylicia Rashad: “ Never underestimate the power of a group of organized women.”
In my August message, I will include the notes from the Round Table on Attracting and Retaining Younger Members; I will also get articles to Juana Hajek in a timely fashion for the Fall Peaks and Plains that will echo information that I gathered at the Portland Conference and at the President’s Training in Atlanta. I look forward to visiting individual chapters and getting to know members on a more personal level. I look forward to the guidance of Cynthia Mousel and Lilly Vigil as we move through the next two years.
Finally, I spoke of my daily mantra at the end of my acceptance speech; I offer it to you now as a way to relax and to breathe when things get stressful:
May today there be peace within
May we trust that we are exactly where we are meant to be
May we not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in ourselves and others
May we use the gifts that we have received
and pass on the love that has been given to us
May we be content with ourselves just the way we are
Let this knowledge settle into our bones and allow our souls the freedom to sing, dance,
praise and love
It is there for each and every one of us.
Have a wonderful rest of the summer!!
Dear Sisters:
First of all, thank you to everyone who attended and helped in any way with the 2021 DKG Convention held in Eagle, CO June 15 to 17, 2021. It was very well-attended, and the location and food received praise from several of the attendees. The Alpha Chi and Alpha Sigma chapters put in a great convention AND had very competitive bidding/donations for the baskets. Congratulations to my fellow Executive Board Members: Maxine Fawcett-Yeske, 1st VP; Paulette Evans and Karen Libby, Co 2nd VPs; Nancy Pierce, Recording Secretary; and Cela Verosy, Corresponding Secretary---I look forward to working with you all over the next two years.
I was very grateful to see Leila’s final message which included her very creative “What I Learned From COVID; I believe that we will continue to embrace those learnings as we move forward in this new biennium.
I have been revising the members of the different teams associated with Colorado DKG using Kerry Tripp’s last list, updates and corrections from Leila, my notes from the Spring Board meeting and the evaluations from the Convention to update the member names. My plan, once I return from the Portland Conference, is to communicate with each team separately so that the Team Leader knows the names, and we can make corrections early on if there are changes so that Cela Verosy, our new Corresponding Secretary will have the most accurate information possible. There are Teams that could use more members as well….being on a State level team is a wonderful way to see/experience that amazing energy that happens at State gatherings. Most individual team meetings will be held via zoom or google meet….so attendance should not be a concern. There will be a half day planning meeting for all team leaders (and team members who can attend) TBA in August; location TBA as well.
One of my goals during this biennium is to make State level meetings more accessible to members; both in location and cost-effectiveness. Membership will be a huge goal as well, and I look forward to working with Leila Koenig, the new Membership Leader, as we continue the work that Beth Barzdukas has done so well over the past bienniums. Some Teams had little to no direction; that was partially on me as 1st Vice President, but also on the Pandemic as we floundered with reaching members, family and friends in a meaningful and timely way. At the August planning session, there will be discussion, direction and a positive move toward the outcomes that each team will set.
I have a lot to learn. I started a journal in the New Year as I prepared to step into the Presidency. I will be honest; as I looked at the plethora of materials that I was getting via email and the boxes of materials that I was getting, I needed to control my breathing. I know that I can do this; I know that with the help, networking and support of the Executive Board, the Teams and Team Leaders and the membership at large, I can be a great leader for Colorado Delta Kappa Gamma. To paraphrase Phylicia Rashad: “ Never underestimate the power of a group of organized women.”
In my August message, I will include the notes from the Round Table on Attracting and Retaining Younger Members; I will also get articles to Juana Hajek in a timely fashion for the Fall Peaks and Plains that will echo information that I gathered at the Portland Conference and at the President’s Training in Atlanta. I look forward to visiting individual chapters and getting to know members on a more personal level. I look forward to the guidance of Cynthia Mousel and Lilly Vigil as we move through the next two years.
Finally, I spoke of my daily mantra at the end of my acceptance speech; I offer it to you now as a way to relax and to breathe when things get stressful:
May today there be peace within
May we trust that we are exactly where we are meant to be
May we not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in ourselves and others
May we use the gifts that we have received
and pass on the love that has been given to us
May we be content with ourselves just the way we are
Let this knowledge settle into our bones and allow our souls the freedom to sing, dance,
praise and love
It is there for each and every one of us.
Have a wonderful rest of the summer!!