Successful Chapter Practices The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Presenters: Dr. Jensi...

Successful Chapter Successful Chapter PracticesPractices

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society The Delta Kappa Gamma Society InternationalInternationalPresenters: Presenters:

Dr. Jensi Souders, Int. First Vice Dr. Jensi Souders, Int. First Vice PresidentPresident

Dr. Helen Popovich, International Dr. Helen Popovich, International Mamber-at-Large, 2006-2010Mamber-at-Large, 2006-2010

Survey ResponseSurvey Response

Total Response: 1184

Non-Growing

616 – 52%

Growing

568 – 48%

Survey ResponseSurvey Response

• EuropeEurope 33%33%• NortheastNortheast 40%40%• NorthwestNorthwest 46%46%• SoutheastSoutheast 47%47%• SouthwestSouthwest 37%37%

• Society-WideSociety-Wide43%43%

MeetingsMeetings

Number of Number of MeetingsMeetings

GrowingGrowing Non-GrowingNon-Growing

4-64-6 52.5%52.5% 45%45%

7-9+7-9+ 47.5%47.5% 55%55%

Conclusion: Growing chapters have fewer meeting per year than do non-growing chapters, have frequent social get-togethers (lunches, picnics, field trips to

interesting places, etc.) in addition to regular meetings

Question: How many meetings a year does your chapter have?

MeetingsMeetings

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

SameLocation

VariousLocations

Same Day VariousDays

20% 18%

Question: Describe your chapter’s typical meeting schedule (Check all that apply)

39% 37%

61% 63%

39% 37%

Conclusion: No significant difference

MeetingsMeetingsQuestion: What meeting times work best for

your chapter?

1= best attended time through 4=worst attendance

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

A.M. After School Noon Evening

Conclusion: After school or evening meetings are best for both groups. Growing groups have almost as

good attendance on Saturday mornings. Growing groups tend to have better attendance at all

scheduled meeting times.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Follow RobertStrictly

Refreshmentsavailable

Mostly mealmeetings

Meetings start ontime

Understood starttime inc.fellowship

MeetingsMeetingsQuestion: Describe the structure of your

meetings

Conclusion: Growing chapters conform more strictly to Robert’s Rules of Order and tend to have more

refreshments/fewer meal meetings.

MeetingsMeetingsQuestion: On average, how long do your meetings last, excluding meal functions?

Conclusion: All chapters’ most common meeting length is 1 ½ hours, excluding meals.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

> 1 hour 1 hour 1 1/ 2 hours 2 hours < 2 hours

MeetingsMeetingsQuestion: A—Is meeting length important to

your members? B—Do you encourage members to come late or leave early rather than not

attending at all?

Conclusion: No significant difference, although B seems not to have occurred to many non-growing chapters.

A—YesA—Yes B--YesB--Yes

GrowingGrowing 92%92% 94%94%

Non-GrowingNon-Growing 90%90% 94%94%

ProgramsProgramsQuestion: Describe your meeting programs,

ranking as follows: 1—Nearly always, 2—Sometimes, 3—Seldom, 4--Never

Conclusion: Largest differences are in highlighting community initiatives and the use of members’

talents/expertise, with growing chapters incorporating these into programming more often. Growing chapter

programs meet members’ social needs to a greater degree.

1

1.21.4

1.61.8

22.2

2.4

Membertalents/ expertise

featured

Non-members featured Hands-on forattendees

Professionally relevant Personally enriching Socially satisfying Highlight communityinitiatives

ProjectsProjectsQuestion: What best describes your chapter’s

projects?

Conclusion: Slightly more growing chapters engage in ongoing projects and more types of projects, both one-time and ongoing. As shown later, the difference lies in

the types and quantity of projects, where growing chapters have more variety and involvement than do

non-growing chapters.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Oncea year

On-going

Both

13% 14%

35% 32%

54% 52%

ProjectsProjectsQuestion: Describe your chapter projects (Check

all that apply)

67% 61%

31% 28%

71% 62%

59% 57%

66% 67%

32% 23%

69% 63%

1.4% 1.6%

59% 50%

26% 21%

9% 7%

ProjectsProjects

ProjectsProjectsQuestion: Describe your chapter projects (check

all that apply):

Percentage Differences Between Growing and Non-Growing

Conclusion: Growing chapters are significantly more involved in the number and kind of project involvement. In all areas but literacy and public tv/radio, growing chapters

are more active than are non-growing.

*indicate significant differences

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Grant P urchase Time M oney Literacy M entoring Shelters P ublic TV/R adio C ommunity Legislative Other

9%*

10%*

14%*

3%-1%

39%*

10% -

13%

17%*

24%*

38%

ProjectsProjectsQuestion: What project(s) do your members most

enthusiastically support?

Those most-often mentioned by all chapters are

•literacy,

•grants-in-aid, and

•women/children’s shelters.

Growing chapters mention mentoring of new teachers far more often than

do non-growing chapters.

CommunicationsCommunicationsQuestion: How does the chapter communicate with individual members (check all that apply)?

Newsletters

Conclusion:

Growing chapters use newsletters in somewhat larger numbers overall than do non-growing chapters. Many commented that they considered newsletters sent via email as email and this answer as print.

CommunicationsCommunicationsQuestion: How does the chapter communicate with individual members (check all that apply)?

Conclusion: Growing chapters communicate more with their members through all means than do non-

growing chapters.

Note: Websites were most often mentioned in the “Other” category.

GrowingGrowing Non-GrowingNon-GrowingPhone TreePhone Tree 66%66% 64%64%EmailEmail 92%92% 89%89%Snail Mail (letters, Snail Mail (letters, postcards, cards, postcards, cards, etc.)etc.)

64%64% 64%64%

Other (describe)Other (describe) 11%11% 7%7%

CommunicationsCommunicationsQuestion: Does your chapter do anything designed to make known within your

community/schools? If so, what?

Conclusion: More growing chapters participate in activities in the communities and school that help to make the Society’s purposes

and projects known. Almost 40% of non-growing chapters do nothing, or did not report anything. Growing chapters are more likely to undertake the types of activities that make them known and more likely to view

their activities as opportunities to be known.

*Indicative of only those %s of chapters responding.

GrowingGrowing Non-GrowingNon-Growing

Responded to questionResponded to question 75%75% 62%62%

Newspaper onlyNewspaper only 17%*17%* 22%*22%*

Newspaper + other Newspaper + other meansmeans

21%*21%* 14%*14%*

GIA (only or one of GIA (only or one of means)means)

9%*9%* 10%*10%*

Other than news or Other than news or GIAGIA

59%*59%* 56%*56%*

Membership and Breaking Membership and Breaking the Moldthe Mold

The following answers are taken from growing chapters only for these reasons:

1. Many non-growing chapters responded, “We need to work on this,” “We need help in this area!” “We don’t do

anything special.”

2. Many non-growing chapters left the response areas blank.

3. Most growing chapters responded to the questions with detail and enthusiasm.

4. When non-growing chapters did respond with chapter strategies, their responses were often similar to growing

chapters.

MembershipMembershipQuestion: Describe one or two of your

chapter’s successful tactics for attracting new members.

Top Five Answers from Growing Chapters

1. Inviting prospects to meetings, social events, guest nights

2. Discussing through word of mouth, personal contact

3. Telling the story—benefits, programs, projects, resources—one on one

4. Interesting/high-quality programs/speakers

5. Exhibiting enthusiasm for organization

MembershipMembershipQuestion: Describe one or two of your

chapter’s successful tactics for retaining new members.


1. Involving them immediately in chapter committees and activities

2. Contacting frequently and consistently via phone, email, notes, newsletters, etc.

3. Having meaningful, high-quality, interesting meetings and programs

4. Offering fellowship/camaraderie in a non-pressure setting

5. Mentoring

MembershipMembershipQuestion: Describe one or two chapter activities designed to involve retired

educators.


1. Involving them in committees focused on special service projects

2. Implementing high-quality programming that highlights education and the interests of retirees

3. Giving them meaningful responsibilities in all chapter activities

4. Offering rides to meetings/carpooling

5. Having them present programs

MembershipMembershipQuestion: Describe one or two chapter

activities designed to accommodate and involve currently employed educators.


1. Having high-quality programs/speakers on relevant educational issues and topics

2. Setting varied and convenient meeting times and dates

3. Having meetings/cultural/social events that are fun and promote fellowship

4. Providing legislative updates pertinent to education, women and children

5. Organizing meetings efficiently

MembershipMembershipQuestion: Describe your chapter’s most

effective strategies for developing chapter leaders.


1. Encouraging attendance at area/state leadership programs/meetings

2. Mentoring by previous/current chapter leaders

3. Involving in committees/programs, as committee chairs

4. Delegating, assigning, and sharing work/positions

5. Having leaders work their way up from small leadership responsibilities to larger ones

Breaking the MoldBreaking the MoldQuestion: Name one or more traditions, rules, or practices of the Society that your chapter

has abandoned in order to be more successful at gaining or retaining members.


1. Strict attendance policy

2. Strict adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order/formalness of meetings

3. Singing/singing the song at all meetings

4. Formal/professional dress

5. Secrecy

Breaking the MoldBreaking the MoldQuestion: Name one or more traditions, rules, or practices of the Society that your chapter considers essential to keep in order to have

success.


1. Formal/traditional initiation/installation ceremony

2. Relaxed meetings/social events that are fun and encourage fellowship

3. Business meetings that are structured/quick-moving

4. Singing/singing the song

5. Emphasis on the Society’s mission, purposes, and history

Breaking the MoldBreaking the MoldQuestion: Name one or more things that your chapter offers to women educators that they

cannot get elsewhere.


1. Fellowship/interaction among highly diverse groups of educators of all ages from many fields, levels, sectors, and nations

2. Friendship/sisterhood/camaraderie

3. Mentors/mentoring

4. Quality/professionalism of the organization and members

5. Scholarships/Grants

Conclusion:Conclusion:Successful Chapter ModelSuccessful Chapter Model

• Holds 4-6 well-planned, relatively informal but still structured, quick-moving business meetings per year

• Meets at varied times, days, and places that are convenient for working members

• Meets for approximately 1 ½ hours in length, excluding meals

• Plans fellowship time as part of each meeting

• Has more refreshment-only meetings than meetings with meals

• Focuses on meeting members’ social needs (fellowship/camaraderie)

• Has open meetings and activities that welcome non-members


• Has a wide variety of high-quality, interesting programs and speakers, including programs that highlight community initiatives and those that use members’ talents/expertise

• Supports a variety of one-time and ongoing projects that actively engage its members

• Supports projects in the areas of mentoring/Collaborative Connections; fund-raising and volunteer efforts; scholarships and grants-in-aid; community initiatives, especially for women and children; literacy; the legislative process; and others, including international projects

• Communicates with members in multiple ways: newsletter (print, website or email 4+ times a year), phone, email, snail mail, website

• Publicizes the Society through projects and activities that receive newspaper coverage as well as school and community recognition


• Has specific strategies in place for attracting new members, retaining members, engaging retired and employed members, and developing/nurturing new chapter leaders

• Implements formal and traditional initiation and installation ceremonies

• Emphasizes the Society’s mission, purposes, and history

• Offers benefits and services that members cannot get elsewhere, including chapter scholarships, grants, interaction among a diverse group of educators, friendship/camaraderie, and service to community.

Chapter Success Action Chapter Success Action PlansPlans

• Involve all members’ input in writing the plan;Involve all members’ input in writing the plan;• Have actionable activities, not just goals;Have actionable activities, not just goals;• Use international and/or state’s SAP as model;Use international and/or state’s SAP as model;• Involve all chapter committees/officers in plan Involve all chapter committees/officers in plan

through assigned responsibilities for carrying through assigned responsibilities for carrying out certain activities;out certain activities;

• Make the plan specific to chapter needs;Make the plan specific to chapter needs;• Assign a person(s) to be responsible for Assign a person(s) to be responsible for

monitoring progress and reporting to Executive monitoring progress and reporting to Executive Board and/or chapter;Board and/or chapter;

• Ensure that plan can be and is updated and Ensure that plan can be and is updated and improved as new needs and ideas occur. improved as new needs and ideas occur. Update/change at least every biennium.Update/change at least every biennium.

Possible Questions for Possible Questions for Chapter DiscussionChapter Discussion

• If the chapter were perfect in every respect, what would it If the chapter were perfect in every respect, what would it look like?look like?

• If you could have everything you could possibly want If you could have everything you could possibly want (chapter-related), what two/three items would be at the top (chapter-related), what two/three items would be at the top of the wish list?of the wish list?

• What needs to local women educators have that are not What needs to local women educators have that are not currently being met?currently being met?

• What project/activity could the chapter participate that What project/activity could the chapter participate that would a) make a valuable contribution to the community, would a) make a valuable contribution to the community, and b) achieve positive publicity because of the nature of and b) achieve positive publicity because of the nature of the activity?the activity?

• What practices/policies must the chapter surrender in order What practices/policies must the chapter surrender in order to achieve great success?to achieve great success?

• What What newnew practices/policies should the chapter institute in practices/policies should the chapter institute in order to achieve greater success?order to achieve greater success?

• What role(s) should chapter officers and committee What role(s) should chapter officers and committee members play in achieving greater success?members play in achieving greater success?

• What goals can each committee have to help the chapter be What goals can each committee have to help the chapter be more successful?more successful?

Successful Chapter Successful Chapter PracticesPractices

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society The Delta Kappa Gamma Society InternationalInternationalPresenters: Presenters:

Dr. Jensi Souders, Int. First Vice Dr. Jensi Souders, Int. First Vice PresidentPresident

Dr. Helen Popovich, International Dr. Helen Popovich, International Member-at-Large 2006-2010Member-at-Large 2006-2010

Successful Chapter Practices The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Presenters: Dr. Jensi...

Documents

Transcript of Successful Chapter Practices The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Presenters: Dr. Jensi...