Page 44 - 2021-Mag-88-2

DKG Practice/Program

meeting. Not only did our new members bring fresh perspectives to our chapter,
but they also provided the motivation to view the entire DKG Society in new and
unexplored ways—from the inside out.

Q: How does Mu history relate to the vision of constructing the
sense of belonging?
A: Mu Chapter has a sustained a history of state organizagtion, regional, and
international participation. The project directors concluded that purposefully
examining each level of DKG (using the frame of reference from our Mu Chapter
members’ participation and leadership experiences) would provide a sense of
relatability and inspire new Society understandings. Another thing we considered
carefully was combining our Society’s history with the idea that we are moving
forward into the future together.

Q: What were the purposes of the project?
A: We envisioned Mu Connect to have four purposes:
Belonging: We determined our most important purpose was to bring our
chapter together: to welcome and support each other and to build relationships in
all personal, professional, and organizational endeavors.
Recognizing: We sought three approaches to (a) inform members of the DKG
opportunities available, (b) encourage everyone to give back to the Society in ways
appropriate for them, and (c) explore new avenues for valuing and honoring our
members.
Reminding: We focused on how truly, absolutely AMAZING our members
are by emphasizing personal and professional connections and celebrating
accomplishments.
Reflecting: We chose to review our chapter’s history and honor chapter
members’ unique, rich, and continuous contributions to DKG.

Q: How did this project coincide with your chapter’s core
values?
A: Core values are standards of our Society structure. In a previous chapter
project, led by Iowa State Organization (ISO) President Kristin Merkle, small- and
large-group conversations captured our core Mu values: leadership, friendship/
relationships, mentoring, teamwork, empowerment, making a difference,
professional and personal growth, and diversity/inclusiveness. Throughout our
project, these core values were centering and integral components.

Q: Why did you choose a 6-Ring Bullseye as your model?
A: We acknowledge that DKG has three levels: chapters, state organizations,
and international. However, our goal was to reframe and expand our Society
connections, and we chose to do so by inserting three additional rings.
We developed two models of The Bullseye. The combined ring diagram
(Figure 1) shows the seamless, radiating rings and depicts not only the structure
of DKG but also the depth and breadth of connections in the Society. This graphic
was the introduction to as well as the reflection of the project.

42 · Volume 88-2