Volume 96 - Issue 8 | February 2024

Cathy Tenney, Editor

A Message From

OSO President Melodie McGee

Greetings. . .It's a beautiful day today in our

OSO Delta Kappa Gamma Society neighborhood!

As we approach the month of February, we think about the season of showing love to others. As a gardener, I noticed one of my larger mature plants, began to overtake one of the other plants that was next to it. The plant with the larger, mature leaves had blocked the sunlight from it which caused the smaller plant not to be able to get the needed amount of light to grow and develop. This reminds me of some members in chapters who sometimes overshadow and do not give others a chance to develop their skills and shine in their chapters. Wouldn’t it be nice if we as DKG sisters could live and serve together in unity, spread out, yet still grow side by side in harmony, not trying to overtake each other? Let’s encourage and provide everyone with opportunities to gain knowledge about DKG to give everyone the opportunity to have a chance to grow strong and healthy as members in OSO Chapters. Then we can say together these words that I adapted from a hymn . . .

Our love wonderful love

The love that we share together as members of DKG,

That's love wonderful love,

When we're together it can be so rich with memories, so full of

valuable information, so enjoyable to see,

Our DKG experiences together can be wide, wide as the ocean,

And our OSO Chapter meetings/gatherings can be deep, deep as the sea,

We soar high as the heavens above when we stand together in

our circle singing our theme song,

As we remember the reasons why we are members of DKG.

Melodies’ Meaningful Memoirs…

Let’s get ready for our exciting Spring OSO Executive Board Meeting, Esther Strickland Scholarship Luncheon, and ADSOEF Foundation Annual Meeting. We are also featuring a special workshop speaker coming from Alberta, Canada. Kerry Black who will lead us in an interactive workshop entitled Conflict with Grace . Kerry Black will give us tools and strategies to use when we experience conflicts within our Chapters and our personal lives.

This event will be on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3220 Columbus Street, Grove City 43123 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. In the next few days an E-Blast invitation will be sent to all OSO Chapter Presidents and chapter members to attend this exciting spring event!

Until next time….

Shirley M. Wolfe, Beta

Barbara Bradford, Beta

Barbara Bibler, Beta Delta

Patricia Ann Pattern, Beta Iota

Rosemary J. Koepfle, Beta Nu

Andra Surratt, Chi

Cindy Ferrite, Gamma Theta

Membership Treasures

S.H.I.N.E!

Let the Treasures of Delta Kappa Gamma Ohio State Organization S.H.I.N.E!

Our DKG OSO Chests are overflowing with treasures! In the future months our OSO Membership Committee will share some ideas focused around the S.H.I.N.E. acronym. Each monthly focus will help chapters show off the wondrous gifts they have to offer new members.

The I in S.H.I.N.E. stands for Ignite Interest in Delta Kappa Gamma. It is so very important for each of our chapters to be actively seeking new members. Each chapter is special and therefore has its own unique treasures of membership to offer!

Marketing your chapter is an essential way to ignite interest. Start by working with your chapter to compile a list of what your chapter has to offer new members. Then, generate a list of marketing ideas to highlight your uniqueness and the overall values of membership in Delta Kappa Gamma. Set up an active plan to market your chapter for the upcoming year. It just takes one little spark to ignite interest!

Continue reading Membership Treasures S.H.I.N.E.

Delta Psi - Mary Jo Johnson

Gamma Xi - Jennifer King, Christina Williams

DKG Ohio Membership and Chapter Update

Active Members	2,273
Collegiate Members	5
Reserve Members	305
Total Membership	2,583
Ohio Chapters	70

Statement of Financial Activity

Revenue	$41,997.00
Expenses	$21,435.00
Epsilon Alpha Expenses*	$ 424.00
Net Income	$20,138.00

Statement of Financial Position

Assets	$236,446.00
Board Designated*	$ 1,076.00
Total Assets	$237,792.00
Liabilities	$ 259.00
Total Equity	$237,533.00

Diana Haskell, OSO Treasurer

Winter Chills

Winter has certainly arrived in Ohio. I am composing this article in the coziness of my library while the temperature outside is a frigid two degrees with a wind chill factor of minus 19 degrees. Do you know what also gives me chills? Pondering about women domestic violence victims. It is a sobering topic but needs to be addressed on numerous levels. I will use the acronym WINTER to highlight a few points.

W–Women. According to ODVN (Ohio Domestic Violence Network), women are predominantly the victims. In 2023 there were 112 fatalities in Ohio. There were 90,751 crisis calls and 72,920 survivors served. The ramifications of those statistics and the lives directly impacted by domestic violence are staggering. It makes me think hdeeply about what type of assistance I could realistically offer the women representing those numbers.

I–Individual. Each of the statistics referenced above represent an individual. They are not just numbers to be shocked by, but are distinct human beings that have suffered domestic violence. Each person has their own narrative or story. We could positively impact a survivor by reaching out to our local women’s shelter and offer to help in whatever capacity that best matches our abilities and the needs of the local shelter. Information on Ohio shelters can be found on the ODVN website. Check it out and take realistic actions to help now.

N–Needs. Needs are things that people require to survive. Air, food, water, and shelter are all needs. A need can also be defined as a physiological or psychological requirement for the well-being of a person. This encompasses personal safety, food security, reliable transportation, social support and financial resources. What needs could you help provide for women negatively impacted by domestic violence?

Continue reading Winter Chills

News From Around Ohio

Heidi Baxter of Gamma Nu in December donated a kidney to fellow Columbus Crew fan, Heithem El-Hodiri!

Alpha Tau Chapter hosted Dima and Yana Sytnyk along with their three children from the Ukraine at their December meeting.

Beta Rho Chapter enjoyed their Christmas dinner and auction. The auction is held every two years as their only fundraiser.

Beta Chi Chapter members joined Alpha Omega Chapter in an entertaining musical program.

2023 in Review

Happy New Year to one and all! This time of the year calls on us to reflect upon what we accomplished in the previous year. In my blog, I look back at how education was impacted by legislation at our federal level and at our state level. I hope that this year is more active in the education sector for our friends in Washington D.C. as they work to make our schools better and safer for our students and teachers. Check out my blog at https://www.smore.com/ykmd5 to see the breakdown of the 488 bills introduced in 2023 associated with education.

Sharon Scheidegger, Beta Delta

Legislative Liaison UN & US Forum