President's Welcome
State President, Eileen Little, asked me why I accepted the invitation to join DKG. In 2012, I was invited by Cindy Reynolds, my cooperating teacher from my student teaching days. That was an honor in itself and then I read the mission, the vision, and the seven purposes and I was humbled.
Each of us has taught students in our classrooms where ripples were put into place that had long reaching consequences that many of us may never know. Look around at the women in our organization and when you put the strength of all of these women educators and positive role models, into a society together, they can make a force whereby those ripples can turn into a tsunami.
President Eileen encourages all of us with her theme, “You have a voice and a choice” and I decided to join when I was invited and become part of this society that Annie Webb Blanton founded 93 years ago and that is still so relevant today. That in itself is amazing to me.
Since I was inducted I have invited six colleagues to join our chapter. Chairing communications, membership and the education excellence committees as well as serving as first vice-president, and for this biennium President of Beta Rho has given me the opportunity to get involved and to learn so much about the Society. I have encouraged active involvement on the part of my sisters along the way.
I have attended state convention every year since I joined except for the year that was cancelled due to Covid. I remember when President Louanne Shrader spoke at my first Tri-Chapter meeting and she shared what convention was all about and I was hooked. When she realized how excited I was, she invited me to be a flag bearer at my first convention. What an honor and opportunity!
It was wonderful to be recognized in the Album of Distinction for receiving the Environmental Education Partnership Award from the Wyoming County Conservation District for my “Trout in the Classroom” program. It was exciting to see my crafts that I worked on during the Covid lockdown, accepted into the International Gallery of Fine Arts and posted on the website. I love the socializing with so many great women and all that DKG has to offer but my favorite part of belonging to DKG, as a member in the Beta Rho Chapter isn’t about me at all.
It’s all the projects and outreach that we all do to make a difference. To name a few it’s collecting food items for the Summer Lunch box program, putting together purses or backpacks full of items for the Women’s Resource Center so women and children that have to flee from dangerous situations in the middle of the day or night will find a little welcome when they arrive, and making SEE baskets for the teachers just starting out or moving to a different position. At the international level, supporting schools for Africa has been rewarding.
President Eileen is so right – “we have a voice and a choice” and I’m glad I’ve chosen to be with all of you as part of this society. My wish is that each of you will take a moment to think about what being a member of DKG has meant to you.
Thank you for all that you do!
Patricia Carpenter, Beta Rho Chapter President, 2022-2024