Bullock Museum hosts Women Shaping Texas

The Bob Bullock Museum,coated in downtown Austin, Texas, opens doors to a new exhibit December 8. Annie Webb Blanton, DKG Founder, is a featured woman in the exhibit. Blanton was the first woman elected supertindent in Texas and pushed for improvements in education. On December 6, 2012, Corlea Plowman, Phyllis Hickey, Nita Scott, Dr. Beverly Helms, international president, Marilyn Gregory, Texas State Organization parliamentarian, and I attended the opening reception. Complete with refreshments and an all women band, the evening made each of us very proud of our membership and the impact of DKG.

When entering the special exhibit hall for "Women Shaping Texas," artifacts seen include Blanton's teapot, cup and saucer, an old postcard with Blanton pictured with her automobile, her mortar board, a book with historical information and the tapestry usually hanging in the reception area of headquarters. All artifacts and memorabilia have been loaned from The Delta Kappa Society International. Dr. Paula Marks, visiting curator, worked with the administrators at Society Headquarters in selecting the artifacts to include. Consider the impact this woman is still having on the organization she began. DKG's mission states-The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. As chapters and members move forward, we are all reminded how important it is to support early career educators. One of these new educators may in turn impact education as has Dr. Annie Webb Blanton.

 

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Welcome Japan

On October 14, 2012, Japan joins DKG as the 18th country to become a member. Sixty-two women in Kocki, Japan, will be installed and initiated by the international president, Dr. Beverly Helms. What an exciting time for members of Delta Kappa Gamma as we broaden the reach of "Leading Women Educators, Impacting Education Worldwide."

Non-profits and associations from all areas are losing members in today's fast-paced, busy world. But here we have women eager to join with twelve founders who plan to continue the growth of the newest state organization. Each member of DKG should be inspired to recapture members who have left and find new ones. Many chapters have initiation during the fall of the year. My chapter added eight members October 1. Membership surveys are showing us that many members will return if we just ask. Who might you be able to ask? How will you plan to keep members active and interested?

iPhone 5 arrived

I'm so excited that I had to share. My new iPhone arrived today. I'm heading to the Apple Store to set it up. Did you know that is lighter and slimmer that the previous iPhone? I purchased a black and slate version. It is light as a feather, comparatively. But it requires a nano SIM card. I cannot take the old SIM old and start it up so off I go at lunch time to get my new beautiful phone in working order. I can hardly wait.

Smart phone update

I ordered the iPhone 5 today. It is supposed to arrive September 21. I'm very excited and have been waiting for this version. I held off moving up to the 4Gs last year to move to 5 when it came out. I ordered a black phone and will soon have a 4G to sell. There is a small chance that my daughter my inherit since you has a lousy cell phone and I want more pictures of the grandson. I ordered the new iPhone from my current iPhone using the Apple Store app. It was so easy. I couldn't get through on Apple's website or on AT&T so this simple to use app made all the difference. You enter a couple of pieces of information and your password and boom, your order starts to process. then pick your color and plan since it knows which carrier you use and order completes. I can hardly wait. I am an Apple Fan Girl.

Learn, Lead and Honor

In July I took two weeks of professional leave to attend the Leadership Management Seminar held at the University of Texas in Austin. For years I've seen friends attend this event and hear what a wonderful experience it was and how it was life-changing. This year I experienced this learning activity. With 30 other women, I studied, read, listened and participated in classes on advocacy, leadership, conveying messages more effectively, style and image, personality styles and more. We role played tough negotiations, practiced speeches in front of a video camera and learned we could stand on our own when we needed to but now have lots of support when needed. I would like to encourage members who are open to new things, to apply for this opportunity in 2014. The new committee will work hard to make the next event just as successful as the Class of 2012. The members of this class not only lived together in dorm life, learned new skills and made many incredible new friends. After returning home, one of my new friends sent me a wonderful note and surprise inside to continue the connections and support beyond. So we now have a key to leadership memories and a reminder of the learning. This is one benefit from membership in DKG.

A new biennium in Delta Kappa Gamma has taken root. The regional directors arrived in Spokane, Washington today for training and planning for the next two years. The Administrative Board joins them in another day followed by the international committee chairs. The 2012-2014 theme is Sharing Our Vision - Strengthening Our Society. I have now been in my current position for three years. It is amazing how fast this time has been. Part of my role is in the training of the new leaders of DKG in regards to communication, information, publicity and technology. I am very lucky to love what I do and for whom I do this work. I really have a great job and great people to work with as we continue efforts for growing membership, learning new things and staying abreast of technology changes. I continue to look forward to new connections and collaborations.

Leadership Management Seminar day 4

My class is in day 4 and we have learned so much already. Today we are focusing on one my favorite topics, social media and networking. Dr. Melody Chatelle and Jennifer Harris from JWH Communications are here with us today sharing what, why, which, how, when and how much social media changes communication.

DKG Leadership Management Seminar class of 2012

I am fortunate to be a 2012 participant in the Dkg Internationsl Leadership Management Seminar held at the University of Texas. This is the third day if class. WOW! I'll be posting experiences along the way. Dr. John Daly is with us again today.

Interview with Jane Katch

The Educators Award Committee of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International awards and Educators Award each year for a book written by a woman that has the potential to influence education. Jane Katch's book Far Away from the Tigers recevied Honorable Mention for 2012. This interview conducted by committee member, Dr. Joye Sterret, May 28, 2012 via email was posted in the closed network to members. With Jane Katch's and Dr. Joye Sterrett's permission, I'm sharing this discussion for all educators.  In your book, Far Away from the Tigers, your approach to education seemed to be to have the children learn by play and exploration and by guided questions from you.  Please elaborate on your philosophy for teaching young children. Jane Katch:  Lev Vygotsky, the famous Russian child psychologist, wrote that “In play, a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play, it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”  In watching young children for over thirty years, I have found this to be true.  Children in play learn social skills, learn to construct knowledge for themselves, and learn to stretch their language skills.  I believe that as their teacher, I can help them to learn these skills by providing an environment that encourages creative play and by having conversations with them which help them make new discoveries.  I can provide literacy activities, such as the story telling and the story acting I describe in my books, (which was invented by Vivian Paley) which help them understand what they need to explain in order to have others understand them and also help them to listen carefully to the stories told by their peers.  When children talk about what goes well and what does not go well in social interactions, they sit longer and listen more carefully than at any other time.  These conversations expand their ability to understand the point of view of another person, explain their own opinion clearly, and come to a compromise.  I believe that this is critically important in our world today.  What do you learn by observing young children at play and what are a few of the things you try to teach them? Jane Katch:  While they are playing, I watch to see what is going well and what is a problem to them. Then when we meet as a group, usually at snack time, we talk about what happened.  If there has been a conflict that was not resolved, I like to find out both sides of the problem and present them equally.  (Sometimes it is challenging for me to see both sides of the conflict —for instance, I might say, “So John, you had that block and you had planned to put it on the building of the roof for a chimney and you really wanted to do that.  And Suzy, you really, really, needed that kind of block and there weren't any more like that so you thought the only way you could get what you needed was if you grabbed it out of his hands, right?”  Then everyone in the class brainstorms ways that problem could be solved until the two sides find an idea they both can feel good about.  It usually is something I never thought of before.  So everyone is listening to the problem, trying to understand both points of view, and many kids come up with solutions.  I think this ability to explain ideas, listen to the ideas expressed by others, and come up with solutions is probably the most important thing I teach.  Once they are used to it, the kids amaze me with their problem-solving skills.  Please tell us how your classroom is structured for working with young children. Jane Katch:  In a full day kindergarten, we have time for free play every day, when the kids can choose what they want to play.  Blocks, dramatic play, sand, and water are essential!  They play for at least forty-five minutes every morning.  We also have large group times, small group times, and quiet time every day.  We do math and literacy in those periods.  We have two recesses, a half hour each, twice a day—and we go out in all but the worst weather.  I know this is a very broad question, but what should parents and grandparents do to raise well-adjusted children? Is there an attitude or approach to child rearing you can describe? Jane Katch:  I think that two things are very important for young children and both parents and grandparents can make a big difference by building them into their kids' lives—play and books.  By play, I mean really free play, so kids can learn what they love to do, what they don't like, how to solve problems, and what to do when they are bored!  I also think that reading to kids is essential so they can have the motivation to become readers themselves.  Research has shown that grandparents can be particularly helpful with this. You have written several books about teaching children. How do you organize your writing life? For example, do you keep extensive notes on daily interactions with the children? Jane Katch:  When I write, I always choose a question I want to understand better--something that puzzles me.  I don't like to write about what I already understand.  I use my writing to look deeply at a problem that puzzles me.  Then I begin to tape conversations and play in the classroom that come up around that subject.  I might put the tape recorder in the dramatic play area or in the block area so I can hear more carefully what is taking place there.  I also tape our group discussions.  I do that because I know I can't remember them word for word—and the kids always say things I never would have thought of.  That's what makes it so interesting to me!

New Mexico in April

During the last weeks of April, I ventured to Albuquerque, New Mexico as the Society representative to the 78th state organization convention. I shared a remarkable experience with the members attending convention. I arrived early and Carmen Tapia, past state organization president, picked me up at the airport and took me sightseeing prior to the executive board meeting. We went to lunch at a quaint French restaurant and then rode the tram to the peak of the Sandia Mountains. Late in the afternoon we arrived at the hotel, checked in, had a short time to refresh and then attended the executive board meeting.

On Saturday the convention continued with the general business meeting, break out sessions, luncheon for celebrating honors and accomplishments and the dinner banquet complete with local entertainment from Mariachi Herencia from Atrisco Hertiage Academy High School.

Sunday morning held breakfast, the necrology service and one more executive board meeting. Members in New Mexico were gracious and welcoming and made my trip most enjoyable. On Sunday I departed to visit more of New Mexico. I drove to Santa Fe  to spend a couple of days learning about the historic square and seeing the incredible country side. My hotel room has an awesome sunset view and I took lots of pictures.

 In June I travel to Oklahoma as the Society representative and I am so looking forward to enjoying another group of great members.

Tech savy educators

I came across a blog entry from David Warlick this morning that reviewed the ISTE affiliate conference in North Carolina, NCTIES. David has attended this conference for many years and I've followed his work for the same many years. I've been fortunate to hear him speak on an occasion or two. He was clearly impressed with the sophistication of young educators attending this year's conference as he describes,

    "...Another thing that impressed me was the technical sophistication of most of the attendees. They were  imaginative, tech-savvy educators, who were open to new ways of using their skills and their tech to create new learning experiences for their learners.  It was exciting." 
   

Just reading this account is exciting as we move forward in supporting education, making progress and encouraging young educators to be creative in spite of those tests students must take, in spite of all the extras required of teachers today and in spite the challenges that comes with working with students. What a privilege to see these examples though David's eyes.

As members of DKG, should we seek out this shining examples as potential members? Could some of those attending the NCTIES be members? Membership matters and it is up to current members to seek and find women of high caliber who have begun to show the potential for excellence in education and become acquainted. The international convention in NYC in July will be an excellent time to become more involved, connect with others, increase your own technology skills and introduce a young member to the benefits and opportunities of the Society. I hope to see you in NYC this summer.

Using Social Media

Social media is a communication tool that has become ubiquitous. From smart phones to new portable tablets, like the iPad, the use of social media apps is more convenient than ever. Twitter is a micro-blogging site that provides real-time news immediately, often as it happens. For example, Time Magazine posts daily almost every hour. CNN shows posts from 4 minutes ago to 15 minutes to an hour ago. By following a news media Twitter feed, you are always in the know. If you are interested in someone famous, most often they have a Twitter feed. I'm hooked on the HBO series, A Game of Thrones, written by George R.R. Martin. This morning as I'm working on my blog, a tweet popped up keeping me up-to-date on the next season of the series. I've read the books and can hardly wait for the next season starting in April.

There's another title I like and the movie comes out in March, The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. Written for preteens and adolescents, this is a futuristic look at another kind of society. There are 3 titles to this series. There's a Twitter feed for this that includes the URL for a quick preview. It will be a bit graphic.  I just re tweeted this posting as I was writing this post. To re tweet means to share something you read on another tweet with your circles.
Here's the URL - http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html

My profile icon on Twitter.

Now, you can keep up with your DKG friends using Twitter. The four administrators and the international president have a Twitter feed. You can probably find some local friends there as well. Go to twitter.com and sign up for a free account. You create your own user name and password (email address is a good user name but use something you will remember). After you have an account, find an app for Twitter on your smart phone or tablet. Set up the app with the same information you used in creating your account. On many smart phones today, you can find the app and create the account right on the phone. My Twitter ID is @lseller. Follow me. My friends here at headquarters are @corleaplowman (Corlea Plowman), @nitarscott (Nita Scott), @phyllisinaustin (Phyllis Hicky) and @jensips (DR. Jensi Souders). Join us as we share news of convention and other Society happenings.

During the convention I'll be using the hash tag #dkgcon.  A hash tag in a post enables a conversation to be grouped together so that all those following can see everything being said about a particular event. For those planning to attend the 2012 International Convention, look for the meet and greet session for Twitter. We will gather say hello and be able to stay connected with new faces at the convention by using Twitter. I can hardly wait.

Happy New Year 2012

I have really gotten behind on my blog writing. The fall begins new issues of the NEWS to get out and on a personal note, the final pieces of my doctorate work. So I thought I'd spend some time bringing you up-to-date. The Jan/Feb News will be in your mailboxes soon. It is filled with convention information and a registration form or you may register online at http://tinyurl.com/7z4k7r5

In December I completed my oral defense of my dissertation and passed! For this defense, I traveled to California for a face to face presentation with my dissertation committee. Yea, I'm done. My doctorate is in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. It's been a long journey and I'm so thrilled to be finished.

During the holiday season I went to Tennessee to visit family and friends. Part of my visit was to Nita Scott's farm in West Tennessee where I had the opportunity to ride their horse, Colonel Rey Sugar, a.k.a. Sugar Rey. That was much fun and I look forward to Nita and James finishing their move to Texas and riding again.

The Calendar Says Fall

Greetings from Austin, Texas where it is still hot and dry. Many of you are now experiencing fall temperatures with pleasant days and delightful evenings. Please enjoy! 

Here at Society Headquarters, we are preparing for the international convention in July 2012.  From ballrooms to meeting rooms, from convention program planning to meals and menus much happens in preparation for this international event. The convention will be July 24-28 in New York City.  Great speakers are being planned and interesting break out sessions with a computer lab for some and a few pre-conference surprises. I'll be doing a hands-on session in the computer lab, Web 2.0 and You ( the expanded version).

This will be an opportunity for personal learning, some professional growth, a bit of entertainment and of course seeing members you haven't seen in a long time. The convention will be help at the Sheraton Hotel and Tower on 7th Avenue. What a location to visit, the heart of Manhattan. If you plan wisely, you can be part of this exciting event. Looking forward to seeing many in 2012.

Regional Conference Travel 2011

Have you ever been to all five DKG regional conferences in one summer? It is an experience. So much planning, packing, unpacking, repacking, catching a plane or two, speeches and presentations keep a person busy. But it provides new understandings, connections across the membership and incredible fellowship.

International Achievement Award
Recipients present in the NW

Reception held  in Baden- Baden, Germany
as part of Europe Regional

From the mountains in Colorado and Alberta to the racetrack world in Kentucky, from the chocolate infused world of Hershey, PA to the grape vine covered hillsides of the Black Forest in Germany, members greeted, attended a spectacular opening night, learned new things at general meetings, listened in at workshops and dressed up for a final banquet. Although each region has its own flavor, regional conferences have the mission of Delta Kappa Gamma running through the events. It is incredible to learn about regional differences but see the Society purposes in action at each regional event.

A field trip visit to Strasburg, France and
the Council of Europe

Personally, I have gained new experiences, met more members, shared a bit of knowledge in a few workshops and strengthen the collaborative ties that we have at Society Headquarters. I had the opportunity to see members in the Southeast and began getting to know more members in the Southwest. Sandi Causey is a Texas member and in my new chapter. She has served as the registrar for each region. Working with her has been a joy. Joan Hester, Alpha chapter president in Texas, joined other U.S. members in Germany and I had the honor of getting to know her better. Traveling with my companions; Corlea Plowman, Sandra Smith Bull, Phyllis Hickey, Becky Sadowski, leadership development chair and Dr. Jensi Souders, international president, has topped this experience. We are a team. We work as a team and travel as a team. We help each other, enjoy great meals together and support one another professionally and personal. I am so lucky.

Southeast Regional Conference

State organization presidents and executive secretaries have gathered in Louisville, Kentucky for the Southeast Regional conference for pre-conference training as they begin a new biennium with state organizations. The sessions provide training in budgeting, Society structure, chapter strengthening, Schools for Africa, the international project, technology and new modes of communication, membership and the new orientation materials and parliamentary procedure.

On Wednesday of pre-conference training, chairs of membership and educational excellence committees attend all day sessions in preparation for the new biennium and new information available. State level editors, web masters and treasures attend a half day session. First timers have an opportunity to learn all about a regional conference on Wednesday afternoon.

General sessions and workshops begin with Kentucky night on Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Check the international web site for speakers and the overall schedule for the conference.

At the end of June, the Southwest state organization presidents and other leaders attended a similar pre-conference and conference session. For the next three weeks, regional events will be back to back with the Northeast in Hershey; the Northwest in Edmonton, Alberta and the Europe Regional in Baden-Baden, Germany in earlier August. It's not too late to attend a regional conference where you will learn, network and grow both personally and professional.

Pre-conference training offers new opportunities

Summer is here and preparations for all five regional conferences are underway. It is an exciting time and each conference has its own flavor.  May went by like a flash as I have been developing two training sessions for regional conferences; one for editors and one for web masters. I've also worked on a section about communication for the pre-conference session for incoming presidents. As I began working on these items, it became slightly overwhelming because I now a few of the editors across the Southeast and began shaking in my boots thinking I was training them. Many editors have been doing this work for many years and could teach me much. So I talked with Dr. Jensi Souders, you might know her as the international president, but I know her as editor extraordinaire and my editor mentor for I followed her in Tennessee. We talked about what I might offer and now I have, I think, a pretty good training manual for editors and I'm excited to get to meet so many this summer.

Next the challenge was how to design something for web masters. That entails similar skills but also very different skills as for editors. The biggest challenge in working with web masters to me was the array of software tools possibly being used to develop web sites and the enormous range of skills of web masters who might attend. Couple that with not being in a lab and not having a hands-on experience and the task becomes daunting. But not to fear, I found a solution, or at least I hope web masters will take away something new. I actually finished this manual today and it has gone to print. I must say I'm a bit pleased with it and hope many of you state web masters enjoy our time together. I'm hoping to meet many of you this summer.

Pre-conference training at regional conferences for incoming state organization leaders is one of the opportunities provided through membership in DKG. I understand the commitment involved in doing one of these jobs and what it takes to make attending a regional conference an important part of summer plans every other year. I believe it is worth the effort and expensive but truly realized this after attending several regional conferences. A regional conference is where you get to know members from across similar geographic areas. Attending these events helps one see your own potential as a member and educator. It helps bring the seven purposes to light in a new and enriching way. The International Leadership Development Committee has an incredible training opportunity for incoming state organization presidents. I am looking forward to meeting these new presidents as we travel from place to place and am honored to be part of this event. If you are an incoming editor, web master, membership chair, educational excellence chair (program chair) treasurer and have not yet made a commitment to attend pre-conference training, I urge you to consider the opportunity. You will learn a bit, meet new friends, re-kindle old friends and have a great experience.

I look forward to seeing many of you this summer. The Southwest Regional is first and begins the end of June. The Southeast follows after the 4th of July holiday (U.S.). Northeast, Northwest and Europe fall immediately after one another. Stay connected and watch the DKG Web site for highlights of each regional conference.

New York State Convention Celebrates 75 years

Syracuse, New York hosts the 75th anniversary celebration of Pi State. They know how to celebrate. The fellowship and professionalism in this state is amazing. Joan Slagle, 2009-2011 state organization president, has lead the state into new realms of working. Collaboration and teamwork is evident in all the events that have been held. Tonight's Presidents Banquet honored past state presidents, chapter presidents and the Pi State founders. The Pi State Achievement Award was a special highlight of the evening as Karen Crumley received the honor. During the banquet members were entertained by a harpist and violinist and during dessert a wonderful quartet performed. I have had such an honor in participating in this convention. Everyone has been so thoughtful and caring. Not only was I picked at the airport, someone was available most of the time for just about anything I needed. It has been wonderful to be so welcomed. New York is looking toward the future and building our vision.

I was fortunate to be the keynote speaker on Friday night. I spoke about communication and social media. My presentation is available for your use.

Missouri State Organization Convention- Delta State

Missouri shows its genuine fellowship as soon as you arrive. I was picked up Friday afternoon at the airport by a friendly face and off to the convention we went. I had the privilege of meeting with the state president's advisory council and have dinner with this esteemed group of women. Then I got to shop a little and play bunco. What's even better is I won a prize. I met lots of new members and made new friends.

Today, Saturday, April 16, has been filled with new experiences. From business meetings and lunch to workshops and banquet, I've met many Missouri members and learned a few new tips. At the banquet this evening, I was the keynote speaker. I tried something different. I used Prezi for my presentation. Prezi is a zooming presentation editor. It's a lot of fun to use but I wasn't too sure about connectivity. I was right. The meeting rooms were not equipped for Internet access but Prezi has a viewer and with lots of patience, I got it to download so I could show during my talk. My speech focused on communication from traditional methods to social media. I thought it worked out very well. I have already had many tell me how much they enjoyed my talk.

Several have already asked about the presentation. Here's the link. My presentation here will be missing of course the interaction and story telling in-between but enjoy and use if you need help. Thank you, Missouri. I've had wonderful time.

Learning and Working in a digital world

Lots has been happening in my work life and personal life of late. Here's a recap- I work full time in a very fun job. I write, I edit, I guide the development of a massive Web site, manage a private social network, review all printed materials, manage the online store for DKG, take pictures, chose images for printed material, work directly with several committees and indirectly through my colleagues at work with most committees. I drive visitors to dinner, lead a department, have too many papers on my desk most of the time and answer phone calls and emails with tips or advice or to just answer a question or two. All of this is just during the day. I have a great job. It's fun, challenging, tiring, exciting, and has a bit of travel thrown in the mix.

But there is yet another side of me and my simple life. I just became a grandmother-a little boy, Naini Warner, 7 lbs. 20 inches. I have seen pictures and will be traveling to see the little guy in about a week. I have a stash of goodies to take with me from clothes, a toy or two and of course books. My daughter will be reading to that baby. You might wonder why I'm waiting so long to visit. Well that is the other part of me that is keeping my brain and my fingers working.

I am a doctoral student. Yes, I went back to school. I started this in 2006 and am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am a student at Pepperdine University in California. Much of the program was done online. Hooray for the digital world. So I work by day and study and write by night. Lots of nights I find myself not getting much done (imagine being tired at the end of the day) so on Saturday and Sunday into my home office I go. Between reading, writing, and doing more reading and writing, editing and starting again, I find I have used up another day. But in two days, I will participate in a preliminary conference with my dissertation committee. This is a huge hurdle. I can hardly wait. I've worked on a Power point presentation getting ready for this event. My presentation is extensive. This is a monumental event in the path to completing this work. The conference will be held remotely with my dissertation committee in California and me in Texas. We will be using Skype and all will have my presentation which is 26 minutes long. Try to guess how many times I've practiced and timed this thing. I might even dream about it. Then the committee members ask questions and make comments and decide if I can move forward with the research. Tomorrow I have a pre-conference call with my advisor in preparation for Tuesday. So needless to say, Tuesday is a really big day. I hope to be celebrating that night.

Headquarters is buzzing

      Lots of activity is found at the international headquarters in Austin this week. Two committee meeting this week and one was this past weekend. That keeps everyone busy. The headquarters staff works very hard to make everything easy for committee meetings since most committee members travel from places far and wide. The non-dues revenue committee met over the weekend and Marcia Kirkland, a committee member, said, " This is hard word to do so fast."
     Many who serve on an international committee for the first time are overwhelmed at the first meeting. They soon learn the ropes and many try for another committee after the experience. Each committee has a representative from each geographic region. Larger committees have more. The administrative staff serves on committees as the liaison from committee to headquarters. It's one of the exciting parts of being on the staff. You get to meet people from parts of Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United States.
      This week I'm headed to Dallas for the Texas Leadership Seminar. I'm so excited to have been selected for this opportunity. This way I'll get to meet members from across Texas and learn more about the state organization. I've adopted an Austin chapter and they have been grand. Membership certainly has many unseen benefits if you open doors as they appear.
      In April, I'm looking forward to taking the international president's message to New York and Missouri. I'll have more new friends after visiting each state organization convention. Of course, there are five regional conferences this summer and I will be visiting each. It will be a whirlwind summer- four weeks on the road back to back. They tell me it is an experience - a bit of work and some fun. Hope to meet some new friends in each area. I'll be looking to meet as many members as I can. I'm doing a workshop in Hershey and Denver- What you can do with Web 2.0. I hope you can join me.