Beta Bits

Volume 78, Issue 6 – April/May 2017

• The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International•Beta Chapter• Alpha Epsilon State

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International promotes

professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.

Karen Braeckel, President (thejabs@att.net; (317) 253-4874 or (317) 409-3370)

Barbara Moser, Editor (barbmoser2@aol.com; (317) 894-2704 or (317) 919-7220)

The President’s Perspective

Dear Beta sisters:

Happy Spring! Ruth Simmons and I just met at the Museum of Art to buy our

international visitor’s gift for the convention next week. The sun showcased the

beautiful tulips and redbuds in full bloom near the entrance. I confess spring fever

took its toll.

Thanks to everyone who stepped up when asked to help Council 8 with the

upcoming state event. We heap major kudos on Beta sister Nancy Hoff who co-

chaired the planning committee with Marti Daily of Omega – not a task for the

weak of heart, mind or spirit.

Jan Good took on the massive detail work of registration, while Ruth and Michele

Lefkovitz tackled the centerpieces and flowers. Sheila Baker, committee

coordinator, oversees the activities of the various committees as designated by the

chair. I will serve as hostess for our guest speaker from Norway (which means I

must remain on my best behavior all weekend. It’s almost as impossible as

Nancy’s and Sheila’s jobs.)

If anyone counts, they will find 17 of our Beta sisters volunteering at the

convention. That number shows the great dedication of our members!

Thanks to the 19 Beta members and three guests who helped make the

centerpieces at the March meeting under Ruth’s patient guidance. (I love any art

project that, in the end, resembles something close to the expected result. I think

we all passed!)

(Continued on next page)

In this issue:

➢ President’s Perspective

➢ Creative juices flowed at the March meeting!

➢ Beta Back Story ➢ NE Regional

Conference ➢ May 2 Meeting

Information May 2 will be the last regular meeting of the Beta year. Please be sure to keep your information current with us! Jan Good will be updating the 2017-2018 directory soon. Let her know ASAP if you have any changes in the following:

• Mailing address

• Phone number(s)

• Email address We don’t want anyone to miss out on Beta news and activities, so it is important you let us know of any changes! Thank you!

The President’s Perspective (Continued)

Almost immediately after the convention we will host the teachers at Crooked Creek during Teacher

Appreciation Week. Hope you can join us at 3:45 p.m., Tuesday, May 2 for snacks and guest

speaker/author Ashley Ransburg. (See details in this edition of Beta Bits.)

We postponed initiation until September after deciding we planned too much for one meeting to make it a

meaningful ceremony for our new members.

Officers and committee chairs, if you have not marked your calendar for our Thank You and Program

Planning Luncheon Thursday, June 8, please do so now. (It’s in the yearbook.) Details will follow after the

May meeting.

Please find the information for volunteering at the Northeast Regional conference in Windsor in this

newsletter. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Hope to see you at the convention.

Enjoy the season!

Karen Braeckel

An Evening of Fellowship, Food, Crafts – and Service!

The Trinity Corner House was the site of a very busy March meeting. As the members enjoyed a light

supper catered by VAL, a short business meeting was conducted. After supper, Ruth Simmons demonstrated

how to assemble paper “purses” to be used as table centerpieces at the state convention in April. Following

the demonstration the members created a variety of purses for the convention. A wide range of art supplies

was collected to be donated to our partner school, Crooked Creek Elementary.

Elizabeth Brayton and Katy Smith select their

supper from the variety of choices provided by

VAL catering.

Making sure the materials for crafting are ready

for the meeting, Michele Lefkovitz and Ruth

Simmons cut out the pieces each person will

need to create centerpieces for the state

convention.

Ruth Simmons demonstrates the steps

needed to produce the purse

centerpieces. Katy Smith, Mindy Armstrong, and guest Susan Hintz

are proud of their almost completed purse!

Julia Price, Jill Alsop, Debbie Lewis, and Carolyn

Cook take a moment to pose for the camera as they

complete another purse.

Generous describes our Beta sisters as Nancy Hoff displays

the wide variety of art supplies brought to the meeting. The

staff and students at our partner school, Crooked Creek

Elementary, will put these items to good use in their

projects this spring!

“Beta Back Story”:

She Goes with Her (Many) Strengths!

This month’s member spotlight focuses on Sherry Watkins. A role model and leader, Sherry keeps her sense of humor and models grace as she devotes much of her time to organizations which she feels make a difference, even as she often tackles tough, sometimes controversial, issues.

Sherry grew up in Bloomington, Indiana. She always answered the question, “What do you want for Christmas?” with the reply, “a baby sister.” By age six, Sherry finally got her baby sister, Beverly. Sherry’s mother was a farm girl from Linton, Indiana, who went to work at the RCA factory in Bloomington. She married and followed her husband through military bases during World War II. Sherry’s father was a pilot in the Army Air Corps. Postwar, her father received engineering training at RCA and joined management. He helped set the efficiency logistics and production pace on the television assembly line.

Sherry says she used to kid her dad that he must lay awake at night wondering where he had gone wrong that his daughter was a union president. This began for Sherry during her summer job at RCA. She stuck it out on the hot, smoky, smelly soldering line all summer, despite being told she wouldn’t last two weeks. Sherry says in reality her dad supported the union and told her to join. It was her liberal leanings as a result of her union involvement that concerned him.

Sherry went to Indiana University and received a BS and MS in Elementary Education. She ambitiously earned an additional 30 hours above her Masters. Her first teaching position was a fourth grade classroom at North Grove Elementary. After two years, Sherry left Center Grove Schools and taught 39 years in MSD Washington Township at John Strange and Allisonville Elementary Schools. Over her 41-year-career she taught 4th grade, except for a stint teaching English and math in a departmentalized sixth grade. One of her teaching philosophies was teaching her students to be responsible to help ensure their futures.

Sherry was not only passionate about helping her students, but other teachers as well. She spent many hours as negotiations chair for the Washington Township Educators Association. She became a good friend with association president, Glenda Ritz, tackling teaching contracts! Sherry also used her talents as district discussion chair working with school reps and administrators as she tried to ensure decision-making based on valid input.

Sherry said she has appreciated in-service opportunities and travel as a delegate to National Education Association Conventions, and women’s and minorities’ conferences. A life-long learner, she calls herself a conference and lecture junkie. Sherry states how mind-expanding it was to meet prominent names in women’s and social justice issues and march at the South African Embassy against apartheid.

Community involvement is important to Sherry. She is currently co-president of the Indianapolis Chapter of American Association of University Women, facilitating awareness and advocacy of social and political issues. Sherry belongs to the historic women’s organization, The Propylaeum, where she serves on the women’s enrichment series and co-chairs the style-show fundraiser. She also holds positions on the executive board for ISTA-Retired and as corresponding secretary for the Indianapolis Council of Women.

Dedicated to women in education, Sherry has belonged to DKG for 33 years. She was invited into Beta Chapter by Marilyn Renner and Jan Updike. Sherry has served as chapter president, Council 8 chair, state legislative chair and state 2nd vice president. Believing in “go with your strength,” Sherry most enjoyed using her talent for writing in DKG media.

In her spare time, Sherry enjoys reading, ethnic dining, and her Yorkies. She has three generations of Yorkies - Tasha, Keisha, and Chelsea. She’s planning to have a fourth one adopt her this summer. Sherry is a supporter of the arts and attends the Cabaret Broadway Series, IU Auditorium Series, Indiana Repertory Theater Season, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Palladium performances.

She has been to 46 states and 25 countries. A favorite travel experience is traveling from San Francisco, driving down Highway 1 to Big Sur, and dining at the coastal restaurant, Nepenthe. She is planning to attend the DKG NE Regional in Windsor, Ontario, the AAUW Convention in DC, and IU’s-Mini University this summer. A fun trip to New Orleans in May is also on her calendar.

Thank you, Sherry, for using your time and talents to make lives and communities better!

We Need You and Your Help at the Northeast Regional!

Over the past months a number of you have said that you are willing to help us at the Northeast Regional in Windsor. Here are some ways you can assist: Volunteer to be a presider. Some of you already are presiders, but there still are some presenters of breakouts who do need presiders. A presider picks up an envelope with information when she checks in at the registration table. At the breakout, she assists in finding seats if the room is crowded, passes out information if asked to do so, and briefly introduces the presenter. If you or other members are willing to be presiders, please send me (chughes@mtco.com) names and e-mail addresses. Debbie Rodaway and Sylvia Dopking of Ontario will contact presiders. Join the choir and/or play an instrument. Music is a key component of the conference. You can download the form at bit.ly/DKG-NERC which will take you directly to our DKG website and information on the regional. Sue Young, Choral Director, will send you the music and CD. If you are not a musician, then ask one of your DKG friends who is musically inclined to share her talent. For your convenience, I have attached the form. Bring a used musical instrument to donate. Mike Stevens, who is a professional harmonica player and one of our speakers at the Regional, founded ArtsCan Circle. Through this foundation, Stevens has influenced his fellow musicians to use their talents to teach the youth of Canada’s remote indigenous communities, especially in the north, to play these instruments. So if you have a used instrument, hang on to it a little longer and bring it to Windsor. (I am bringing a trumpet.) He also will accept music, guitar strings, straps, and other kinds of musical materials. Other volunteer jobs will surface as Ontario does not have a large group of members. When a need

arises, I will again be contacting you. These volunteer jobs might be helping in the registration area,

greeting arrivals by the drive up entrance on the lower level, handing out goodie bags, etc.

Laura Drake, along with the Ontario Steering Committee, and I greatly appreciate your willingness to

help in some way at the Northeast Regional Conference.

Image designed by Eileen on Canva.com

Join your DKG Beta sisters on Tuesday May 2, at 3:45 p.m. in the Crooked Creek Elementary Media Center to:

• Celebrate Crooked Creek teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week with refreshments, raffle, door prizes.

• Meet teacher, author and illustrator, Ashley Ransburg Kuhne, who will present her book, Evie Finds Her Family Tree. Ashley will speak about the inspiration and process of getting her book published by the Indiana Historical Society Press. Curriculum connections utilizing the book will be given.

• Participate in a short Beta business meeting. A meeting fee of $8.00 will cover speaker fees, refreshments, and teacher gifts. Crooked Creek Elementary School 2150 Kessler Blvd, West Drive Indianapolis 46228 Turn north at the school sign, which is west of Michigan Road, off Kessler Blvd. Follow

the drive to the parking lot. Enter at Door #1. We are meeting in the Media Center.

If you plan to attend the Tuesday, May 2, Beta meeting at Crooked Creek Elementary,

please RSVP and send your $8.00 check to Nancy Hoff, 807 N. Ritter, Indianapolis, IN

46219 by Tuesday, April 25 . You may also reach her at nancy-hoff@att.net; or call her at

317-356-2119.

Another successful Beta Year Comes to a Close!