Links to Officers' Reports:
Report from VP for Programs, Jennifer Pullman
Report from VP for Membership, Jarek Janio
Report from Communications Director, Gay Wiseman
Report from Secretary, Andre Elliott
Report from Treasurer, Arthur Ogden
Report from Foundation Representative, Carol Van De Pol
Report from Newsletter Editor, Barbara A. Hopkins-Cox
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Report from the Vice President for Programs
Happy Spring to All!
Our program this meeting has two components: First, our annual “Literacy Project"”. It is time to nominate your favorite school library to receive our chapter's support in the form of book donations and a $300 cash grant. If you are new to the chapter, you can learn more about the history of this project here. You will find a link to the school nomination form at the left. View the form to see what information is required for the nomination, and then return to complete the form and submit it by midnight, Thursday, June 8. Before the close of this meeting, we will vote to select one of the nominated libraries. Don't miss this opportunity to bring new resources to students you care about!
Next, I have enlisted Dr. Janice Lake Betts to host a discussion program and she assures me that she will make it this time! She is a fire-cracker of energy and knowledge, so the discussion should be quite lively. Janice is a reading specialist and advocates arts-centered reading programs, which of course I applaud! She may be presenting at the International Reading Association Conference during our meeting time, so this will showcase how wonderful being a cyber PDK chapter can be! I will send a notice by email to our chapter email list when the meeting is to open.
It was wonderful to receive responses from many new (or at least previously unknown-to-me) members during last meeting's door prize giveaway. I had the pleasure of communicating with a few of these colleagues during our non-meeting months. Looking forward to getting to know everyone even better at this meeting! A wonderful prize will be involved :-)
Sales of Walden PDK badges are still steady, if slow-paced. Thank you to all who are sporting their Walden PDK pride!
If I have neglected anything important, be sure to let me know.
Respectfully,
Jenny
Jennifer K. Pullman
Vice President for Programs
Walden Cyberspace Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa
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Report from the Vice President for Membership
Welcome to our Spring Meeting,
Summer is right around the corner, and sometimes I find myself wondering what happened to February. Time seems to be slipping away ever so fast.
I am not exactly sure what the reasons are, but the flow of requests for membership information has significantly decreased in the last three months. I have received 11 such requests in March, none in April and only 1 in May. Considering that I used to get 20 requests per month on average, I see this as a slow down that perhaps our summer campaign during Walden Summer Residency in Bloomington, Indiana can cure.
[Update on this: Inquiries about joining the chapter have NOT fallen off after all, but those sent since March were not reaching Jarek. When he sent in this report, I went digging and found that a technical problem had hung up about 50 inquiry messages. That has been fixed. If you were one of those 50 people who used our website form to request information, sincere apologies for the delay in getting back to you! --Gay Wiseman]
We have also been experiencing spamming problems with our e-mail addresses. This results in more than 30 e-mails on a daily basis that I have to sift through to get to the ones that I really would like to read. A similar problem was experienced by AERA mailing lists, and I've noticed that they have access to the University of Arizona tech support resources and managed to remedy the problem in a timely fashion. Perhaps PDK International or Walden tech support could be contacted to help us slow down the amount of unwanted e-mails we all seem to receive
On a positive note scholarly journal idea emerged as a topic of discussion among some of our current members. Perhaps one day the concept will materialize in a form of a yearly publication, giving forum for Walden students, faculty and graduates to share their work and research interests. Such journal, in my opinion, would likely contribute to a better retention of our members.
I hope we all get the well deserved rest in the months to come. I wish you all a great summer.
With warmest regards,
Jarek Janio, vp_membership@waldenpdk.org
Vice President for Membership
Walden Cyberspace Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa
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Report from the Communications Director
Hello all,
I confess to a lack of enthusiasm over the past year for my duties as Communications Director. The good news is that one of our newest members, Greg Williams, has expressed interest in taking over as webmaster, and I will be working with him to prepare for that transition.
If I do indeed find myself free of the time-consuming website work, I may be able to relieve Arthur as Treasurer, since I have become comfortable working with the financial reports and budgets while preparing them for the website—we'll see how that all plays out as we go through this meeting and the Fall one.
Gay
Gay Wiseman
Communications Director/Webmaster
Walden Cyberspace Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa
vp_communications@waldenpdk.org
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Report from the Secretary
January 1, 2006 Gay announced that our party page was up and ready. Marion and Gay ensured that the web page posted items for new and old business. A book lending library began with Dr. Simon’s newest edition of the dissertation cookbook.
Marion indicated that she wanted to tie up loose ends before her term ends in June so that all will be easy sailing for the next president. Top on the list is the scholarship, the PR for new members, and the email list. Marion requested each officer to submit a report as a member of the executive board.
Marion announced that she will retire from teaching after 37 years. She also encouraged others to consider leading our chapter as president. In her own words:
“What part I will play in PDK is not yet clear to me. It depends upon what offices are filled, I suppose, & what needs my family has by this summer. This comes after great thought & discussions with family. I greatly appreciate working with such a fine group of concerned people, and I thank you for your support these last 2 years. I was pleased that several wrote to ask me to stay on as president, and I strongly considered it for a time, but with the above information, I decided it would not be best to do so. I plan to stay on the scholarship thing until it is safely underway, as this is very important to us, & I will be a strong supporter of the new president, helping behind the scenes.”
Below are comments from some officers upon hearing that Marion would retire this year.
Gay: Marion, you have been, and will ALWAYS BE a rock for this chapter,
ever since its inception, one of the foundation stones on which we
have been building, little bit, by little bit, a small but growing
community of caring educators that reaches around the globe.
Dr. Simon: I want to add my thanks and appreciation to Marion. You have been one of our guiding and bright lights and you have played an essential and critical role in helping our chapter soar.
Andre: Your leadership kept us moving onward, toward the high mark. We will miss all that you have been. We will always remember you. We know that you will be near and cheerful of our aspiration.
Jennifer: Your tiny shoes will be soooo hard to fill at the PDK. Such energetic,
clear-sighted leadership is not easy to come by. Your wisdom, compassion,
and humor are so valued by us all. And your organizational skills...stellar!
Now your home and family will be the main beneficiaries of them at last.
Regarding the future leadership of Walden PDK:
Gay and Marion encouraged members to become more active. They expressed concerns about having a completely new slate of officers.
Gay indicated she would remain as web master. She is open to consider another position. However, she strongly favors her current position. Arthur indicated that due to obligations in his community, home and work, he will not be able to remain as treasurer.
Regarding our scholarship:
Arthur said “I will hammer out a final version of the scholarship
proposal, but, in general, it needs to be competitive, significant in the honoree, and it needs to be in the neighborhood of $500-$1000
per year if we can maintain that level. Remember, we
get only $25 per member from International.”
Survey
Barbara prepared a survey to seek to know why members are not very active during our online meetings. Several officers provided input to advance the usefulness of the survey.
Above, are some of the salient points from our most recent meeting. It does not include every detail. I apologize if I omitted some important points or discussions.
Sincerely,
Andre R. Elliott, Ph.D.
Secretary
Walden Cyberspace Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa
Report from the Treasurer
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Here is the financial status of our treasury through June 3, 2006:
| BEGINNING BALANCE, as of 27 January 2006 | $3,856.97 | |
| Deposits Jan. 27 through June 3, 2006 (chapter portion of dues) | $702.50 | |
| Interest earned on checking account | $12.78 | |
| TOTAL of BEGINNING BALANCE plus NEW REVENUE | $4,572.25 | |
| TOTAL EXPENSES PAID | $179.40 | |
| The Host Group (website maintenance) | $179.40 | |
| BALANCE AS OF JUNE 3, 2006 | $4,392.85 | |
Respectfully submitted,
Arthur G. Ogden, Ph.D.
Treasurer
Walden Cyberspace Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa
treasurer@waldenpdk.org
Discussion
Below are comments posted to the discussion during the meeting:| Name | Comment |
|---|---|
| Gay Wiseman | Arthur, Andre, and Marilyn all have said some important things on the officer's email list in the last couple of days about the scholarship program. I'm pasting those comments here, to trigger more discussion about it among the general membership.
Arthur wrote:
These are just a few considerations. I believe two things, however -- first, the recipient must be someone in the Education Track, and second I believe that Dr. Marilyn Simon needs to be on the selection committee. Also, perhaps past presidents can ex officio serve on this committee.”
Andre wrote:
Marilyn wrote:
|
| Arthur ogden | I believe Andre's idea is a great one! I think that we all could contribute some amount, say $10 as Andre suggested. If for no other reason, Marilyn deserves our support for attaching her name to this worthy project. |
| Jenny | Andre's plan is as perfect as they come! I cannot wait to contribute! |
| Charles Smith | Greetings Members! To support the recommendations of Dr. Elliott, I agree that some form of donation should be rendered by all PDK members. To advance it further, the Chapter should consider seeking Corporate contributions to increase the amount of scholarships to be presented. If we are 501-C3, we should not have a problem encouraging the private and business sector to contribute to this worthwhile cause in honor of Dr. Simon and Dr. Poppenhagen. A $10 donation with the option to give more is acceptable. I suggest that we immediately write letters to major businesses such as Wal Mart, IBM, Verizon, T-Mobile, Nextel, Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Lowe's, Home Depot, Bank of America, Wachovia Bank,(other Banks), General Motors, Ford Motor Corporation, Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Toyota Motors, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, Sam's Club,K-Mart, CSX Railroad (Jacksonville, Fl), Office Max, to name a few. In reference to Dr. Ogden's criteria for scholarship consideration, I suggest that we add proof of enrollment from the registrar for those individuals presently attending college. We must also decide if the scholarships will be offered to high school graduating seniors in 2006. In support of Dr. Ogden's proposal, I hereby recommend that we consider four (4) $250.00 scholarships per year, for a total of $1,000 as a starting point. If financial resources become more readily available through contributions, then the amount can be increased at the discretion of the Chapter members. We should also seek contributions from the Walden Alumni and faculty members via email, regular mail, and solicit donations during the summer session. We should explore every possibility to secure funding to make this historic honor for these great educator's a reality. All other reports are indeed well-prepared and in order. I applaud you upon completing another great year. Let's continue to move on with our productive and progressive agenda. Yours in cyberspace, Charles J. Smith,Ph.D. Advisor, Walden University PDK Cyberspace Chapter |
| Arthur Ogden | BRAVO to Dr. Smith's proposal! It is both generous and cautious, given our resources. I support his proposal. |
| Jenny | A quick note: The price of our Walden PDK badges has gone up one dollar to $16.00. I just break even with this amount by the time taxes and shipping are figured in. If anyone feels we could make a profit by offering a more sophisticated badge at a higher price, I am always open to suggestions. Currently we have an original,attractive, and very "Walden-looking" design, on a simple plastic base. |
| Doris | This sounds reasonable and sound. |
| Marion Carpenter | Here is an update of information on the scholarship after my discussion with International: We may have an endowment scholarship, in which a minimum of $10,000.00 is given to PDK International's bank, and they release the interest each year to be used as a scholarship. This continues forever. However, most chapters have a scholarship set up on their own, which we are doing. The usual amount given is $500 to $1,000. Intl. does not suggest we give less as less than $500 does not go very far. They feel it is better to give 2 scholarships of $500 rather than one of $1000 in order to share the wealth and joy, yet still give a substantial award. They have great experience in scholarship presentations. This agrees with Arthur's comments above. Arthur has decided to stay on for one more year as Treasurer, which is greatly appreciated as we work to complete the scholarship project. Barbara Hopkins-Cox would like an editor elect to come on board to learn the newsletter position. She will remain on this year as Newsletter Editor and train an editor elect. This is a great opportunity to learn the ropes from a master editor. Contact me at president@waldenpdk.org . If more than one applies, we will vote. Carol Van De Pol regretfully will not remain as Foundations Representative. Her mother died of cancer and her step daughter was killed in a car wreck, both within a month. This position is open and will be voted upon. Stay tune for more updates! |
| Marion Carpenter | Please see my June 10 "UPDATE" on the meeting opener page here. |
| Arthur Ogden | There is a correction to the final balance for this fiscal year. I have sent the $300 to the Winegard School, which comes from Category #4 in the budget. This leaves us with a forwarding balance of $4092.85 as we proceed into the next fiscal year. And in accord with Gay's Budget categorization, which is the perfect approach to budgeting, the Communications/Internet payment to The Host Group comes from Budget Category #6. ANOTHER NOTE: Marion's outstanding efforts in researching our chapter and our approaches came to the fore in her latest communication. It is ALL good and I support her positions completely. LASTLY, we need to keep Gay in our prayers as she travels to England. We remember what happened there last summer! |
| Doris | Arthur, thanks for the info. I'll give the book-keeper/secretary a heads up that a check is on the way and should go to the media fund. It is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. Our loses have been high this year. |
| Arthur Ogden | As we move into the scholarship application/award process, may I suggest that we put our application in PDF format on our website so that candidates can download then send in the application. What would be BETTER would be if they could apply ONLINE and then the completed application would be sent to a link for all the selection committee to review. It still could be a PDF format, but that would mean that each applicant has Adobe software on their PC's. Just a thought. |
| Marion Carpenter | I like your thought, Arthur. It would be excellent to have an online application. |