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Geography, as a factor, was also noted in the sense that distance proved to be a
means to bring members together. Members who lived in the same general area rode
to meetings together and enjoyed each other’s company along the way. As for the
challenge, the chapter spanned six counties, which created a number of miles for
individuals to travel to meetings. Traveling such a distance was difficult, as reported
by some members, when all meetings were face-to-face. At times, some members
reported being unable to attend meetings because of the hardship of travel. Many,
however, responded that they were able to manage this by riding together, allowing
time for fellowship and sharing, and having breakfasts or lunches together as a
group. Such travel time resulted in time to visit and get to know each other according
to interview data.
As Beta Upsilon is one of the largest chapters in geographical area in the state,
a discussion opened about possibly reorganizing and splitting the chapter. The
president at that time shared some of the hardships caused by the geographical size
of the chapter with state organization leaders. As chapter meetings were held on
Saturdays, many members had to travel for 1.5 hours just to get to the meeting in
addition to 1.5 hours to return home, essentially taking the better part of an entire
day with the meeting and luncheon. State organization leaders responded to the
chapter’s concerns about the difficulties with distance, and they offered helpful
options as discussions continued with chapter members. The resulting discussions
provided a first step toward resolving the challenge of geographical distance and
recognizing needs. The chapter could not resolve this problem entirely during that
presidential term, but these discussions did open the door to finding ways to address
the challenge and resulted in sharing of different perspectives.
Small Schools, Community, and Districts. The adjective “small” was applied
frequently in significant references. One member stated, “Being in a small school
allowed me to grow in leadership. I played ball, I was the editor of the yearbook,
I had so many opportunities to step forward and lead.” Another indicated of her
school,
Things were so small, and we were so small that we had a lot of responsibilities.
For example, I had curriculum instruction, but I also had personnel committee.
I don’t know how your school system works, but you may be familiar with
wearing many hats.
The opportunity to lead that presented in small schools, churches, communities, and
other venues allowed many to develop leadership, confidence, and the knowledge
that they could be of service and help. In these small communities, members had
many opportunities to lead and participate in different projects and initiatives in
continuous activity and involvement. Although fulfilling so many obligations and
participating in so much service may have seemed a hardship, the results of being
involved in multiple areas of leadership in the smaller environments ultimately
helped individuals strengthen their leadership skills.

Quantitative Data
Quantitative findings from the survey proved to be limited. The design of the
survey and the number of questions being asked around each leadership style did
not allow researchers to measure the opinions, experiences, and behaviors of the
participants accurately. Researchers determined that reliability and validity of
this survey were not strong due to design with this sample population size. The

42 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators