Meeting
Quick
Links

Welcome!

Opening Message from the President, February 20, 2004

Welcome everyone, to this joint meeting of the Walden Cyberspace and Tokyo Japan chapters of Phi Delta Kappa. Please read through this opening material; then follow the links to the various meeting and program elements. Plan to return several times this week to follow the discussions as they unfold and to contribute your thoughts. Each time you return, watch for the "Meeting Updates" which I will post at the top of this section. Then use the "Meeting Quick Links" column at the left to access the program material and meeting topics.

We have a wonderful program ready for you! Last year, we hosted Marg Thorsborne from Australia, who lead us in an exploration of the topic of "Restorative Justice in Schools". This year, Peg Lowmiller joins us to share her expertise and insights about the root causes of violence in human relationships, particulary as relates to the elementary school environment. Not only is her information enlightening, she provides us with concrete tools for change. This is timely and important information we can all use. Part 1 of the program material is posted now. The rest of the program material will be posted beginning Monday the 23rd.

This meeting will continue through Sunday, Feburary 29th. That's Leap Day! This is a year of privelege—we have one extra day. I have thought of an interesting challenge for myself for the 29th. I am going to treat the day as a special, rare gift I've been given, which I want to make the very most of. Between now and then I will give thought to how I spend my time in general, and how I WANT to spend my time. I'll figure up all the current categories of my interests and activites, and schedule out my time for that day to be proportionally representative of how I want to spend my time for the ensuing year. I expect to learn some new things about myself in this process, and to spur a more conscious and deliberate allocation of that most precious commodity of all--—TIME!

The Walden Chapter will hold our annual officer elections during our next meeting, April 17 to 25. I will soon post a new web page form which chapter members may use to nominate someone for an office. Self nominations are encouraged! If you would like to nominate someone other than yourself, please do check with that person first to learn if they are willing and able to serve.

Brief, very general descriptions of the various officer positions may be found here, in our bylaws, Article 6. I expect and hope to see some new folks willing and able to serve this year, but I am also hopeful that a core of our experienced officers, who have demonstrated long term committment to the chapter, will also be willing to commit to another term of office. All positions are open. Officer positions are changing from prior years. We will hold elections to fill the offices as described in the proposed revision of our bylaws, rather than the currently binding bylaws. However, we are on target to be able to bring our bylaws revision to a vote in time for our May meeting. Assuming approval by the chapter then, the revisions will be submitted for final approval at the international level by the time the new officers are to take up their positions July 1.

Some of you may be willing to serve, but may be unsure which position would suit you best, or where the chapter might need you most. I have included an option on the nomination form for you to request "consideration for a position as needed". If you choose this option, the nomination committee will contact you with more information about the various positions, and to discuss possible options. After these conversations, the committee will prepare a slate of nominees to present to the electorate in April. Please open yourself to this opportunity to get involved, and to help move the chapter forward in the directions YOU would like to see us move in. The executive board has matured over the years of our chapter's development, and the connections that officers have made with each other through the officer group's email communications represent good, warm, and supportive collegial relationships. This has been an unexpected "plus" of the experience for me.

Gay Wiseman
gwiseman@mindspring.com

President, Walden University Cyberspace Chapter #1586
Phi Delta Kappa

P.O. Box 255
Dutch Flat, California 95714

UPDATE
February 23, 2004

Our VP for Membership has posted a report now available in the Chapter Business link at left. Use this page for any comments or topics for discussion not related to the program. I will also post there any other reports from officers submtted during this meeting.

 

UPDATE
February 25, 2004

I've now activated Parts 2 and 3 of Peg Lowmiller's program. Go directly to Part 2 here, or review Part 1 first (and the insightful discussion comments that have been posted in response) by clicking on the program title in the column at the left. You will now find links to all parts of the program on each of the program pages for easy access to all Peg's material. I am enjoying following the discussion with you, very much! This is an important topic for us all. You will find new comment boards for both Part 2 and Part 3. Post your further discussion questions and comments on whichever page is most appropriate to your content.

I have not yet completed the officer nomination form—I hope to get that uploaded either Wednesday or Thursday evening—Friday at the latest.

Also, there are new comments posted to the Chapter Bylaws and the Chapter Business pages (links at left)—please be sure to see what others are thinking and contribute your 2¢ on those topics.

 

UPDATE
February 27, 2004

The Officer Nomination Form is now ready for use. Click the link at left.

 

MEETING CLOSE
February 29, 2004

Hello all,

Let's bring this meeting to a close. Our next meeting will be from April 17-25. At that time we will discuss next year's budget proposal, hold officer elections, either vote on or review once more our bylaws revisions (there's still issues to be dealt with there)... AND... wee will open nominations of school libraries to be considered for our 2004 Literacy Project.

As we did last year, we will ask members to nominate any school library that they think our chapter should support with our book donations this year. Between now and then you might make an opportunity to visit a school library in your area, or one that you care particularly about, to see what their needs are. (The nomination form will ask for the name and email address of the librarian or responsible school administrator, so get that information while you're there.)

Nominations for chapter officers will remain open until just before the next meeting when I will prepare the election ballot—please consider stepping up your level of service to the chapter this year and helping move our organization into new levels of achievement in service to education. Service on the executive board is a rewarding experience that you will enjoy. I will put a link to the officer nomination form on the main page of our website sometime tomorrow. I will also be sending some nagging reminders via the email list between now and the next meeting to spur you to consider getting involved.

Thanks everyone, for a rewarding meeting and program, and I hope you are now looking forward with me to our April meeting!

Gay
     

 

Click here to send your comments to the officers' listserve.

Click here to send your comments to the membership listserve.
(You must send your messages to the memberhip listserve from the same email address under which you are subscribed. If the mailing list software does not recognize your email address, your message will be delayed.)

Click here to read the membership listserve archives.
The most recent messages are at the very bottom, so they will take a while to load.

Click to: Chapter Main Page | Meeting Center | Chapter Programs | Newsletters | Chapter Information


This page prepared by Gay Wiseman for Walden University Cyberspace Chapter of PDK International.
Please send website suggestions, broken link reports, and comments to webmaster.