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Personal Reflection/Anecdote

waste, allowing for that product to continue production with less environmental impact.
One way sustainability relates to United States members specifically was highlighted at the US Forum
discussion on the final morning. How can members show support for education legislation that will be
affecting them? Many members are practicing teachers who can benefit from knowing about the numerous
bills being passed at state and federal levels—but it can be difficult to sustain the support and act on behalf
of educators, students, and citizens when people aren’t aware of the changes. Participants heard from DKG
about relevant non-partisan education legislation, such as HR 744, a bill then in the House Subcommittee
on Health that establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health
among education professionals and other school staff. This bill had bipartisan support. The Forum members
suggested contacting legislators to thank them, to urge them to move specific legislation along, and to ask
for support. The Forum members noted that for every one contact, legislators are 12% more likely to
support something.
To sustain positive legislative action, DKG members can do a number of things, such as join the DKG
US Forum mailing list; participate in Zoom sessions and the Facebook group; attend the annual National
Legislative Seminar; and ask the US Forum leaders to do a program for one’s chapter. As for contacting
legislators, participants asked, “Where do you start?” The presenters emphasized five key points to include
in any outreach: First, introduce yourself and your credentials. Then state the critical point and explain
your issue, followed by the personal impact and why you care. Provide evidence and supporting facts for
your position, and close with “the ask”—what you want done. Forms and templates are available through
the Forum website (DKGUSForum.org). DKG members can use these tips to help sustain support for
education legislation that they find most beneficial and most important to best serve the students and the
future of education in their community, state, and country.
Finally, sustainability brings us to DKG: our chapters, our state organizations, and our organization as
a whole. International President Debbie LeBlanc stated that the Avenue M survey sent out in summer 2023
received 11,000 responses, and DKG international leaders will continue to work with chapters and states
in the coming months. The international officers were able to use the Avenue M results to dig into data
about what keeps members in the Society and what pushes them away. DKG international leaders have
continued to offer Inside International and Town Hall sessions to be transparent with members and open to
listening and discussing. However, the underlying themes are not surprising: They come down to vitality,
relevance, and sustainability and how members approach these ideas in their chapters. In the words of Dr.
Annie Webb Blanton, “Be progressive. Keep up with the moving world while not discarding what in the
old has value. But don’t cling to the old when its worth has passed. Don’t be a person so set in your views
that nothing can change you.”

Conclusion
In 1929 DKG was founded by 12 women in one chapter and one state. By 1939, DKG had 10,000
women in 300 chapters in 35 states. And by 1991: 168,000 women were members! As we were told at the
conference, that expansion now includes eight European countries, four Central American countries, as
well as Canada, Mexico, and Japan. If those founding 12 members could start an organization that grew
like that, then surely current members can do their part by advocating, participating, bringing in new
members, and guiding chapters to support what the Founders started.

Dr. Simone Nance, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, Indiana, is a member
and current president (2020–2024) of Beta Alpha Chapter of Indiana State Organization. senance@usi.edu

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