The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Mission Statement To promote the professional and personal growth of women

educators and excellence in education

February, 2010 Burdette Issue 24

Watch out, Martha; Here We Come! Bethany Lucas

Watch out, Martha; Here We Come! Bethany Lucas
Are you trying to beat the weary winter blues or overcome these menacing days of cold and rain? We cant change the weather or the season, but we can offer you a day of excitement, exhilaration, and enthusiasm! The February 20th Beta Gamma meeting will be held at Harris County High School; the meeting will begin at 10:00 AM in the schools media center, where members will enjoy breakfast refreshments and the wonderful camaraderie of our delightful Delta Kappa Gamma sisters. The February meeting will showcase member talents and hobbies. Memory Reed will be teaching a fabulous workshop: The Art of Cooking, which will feature a recipe demonstration and sampling. Lynn Skinner will be presenting her ingenious Party in a Basket, which will include invitation making, floral arrangements, and other exciting surprises. Watch out, Martha Stewart! We will also be inducting the initiates that had prior commitments and could not attend our October initiation. They are Linda Brown, Tammy Harris, Lori King, Kim ONeal, and Nikki Rolison. A delicious lunch will follow our business meeting. Waddells Catering will serve a delectable menu to include party chicken, twice baked potatoes, squash casserole, rolls with butter, decadent chocolate-caramel cake, and sweet tea; the cost of lunch is $11.00. Please make plans to join us at Harris County High Schools Media Center at 10:00 on Feb. 20, 2010 for fellowship and a light breakfast. The initiation ceremony will begin promptly at 10:30.
Childrens Books, Bingo Prizes

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Psi State

Donations to be collected at February meeting.

Beta Gamma Chapter is continuing its projects of providing childrens books for DFACS or a similar service agency and of supplying a nursing home or senior citizens center with Bingo prizes. These items will be distributed in the Harris/Talbot area. Collection boxes will be located near the sign-in table at our February meeting. You will want to be part of these worthwhile projects. Please be sure to mark your calendar with a reminder to bring donation.

Marys Minutes
Greetings to all, I hope the holidays were amazing and blessed for all of you. I am excited about this months program and the initiation of five more amazing women educators into our organization! As always, I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing group of ladies, and I am blessed by each of you. Please be reminded that we have a Psi State Executive Board meeting on Feb. 27th in Macon. I will be attending, and I would love some company! Let me know if you are interested in attending with me. Looking forward to seeing you at the February meeting,

Mary
*************************IMPORTANT HELP FOR THOSE SUFFERING IN HAITI************************* Please be aware that Charlotte Zuerner and Geni Boswell will be putting together health supplies to send to Haiti under the auspices of their respective churches. If you can, please bring any of the following to the meeting in February: Place these items inside a sealed one gallon plastic bag: 1 hand towel (15x 25 up to 17 x 27, No kitchen towels) 1 washcloth 1 comb 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers) 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up) 1 toothbrush (single brushes only I original wrapper, no child-size brushes) 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages $1.00 to purchase toothpaste ALL ITEMS MUST BE NEW ITEMS Strict rules govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested itemsnothing more. DO NOT include any personal notes, money, or additional material in the kits.

Member Spotlight
Sallie Mabon: One of Beta Gammas elite educators
Sallie grew up on a small farm in rural Iowa. Although she was an only child, she was never lonely because they had a menagerie of animals to entertain them; cattle, bantam chickens, horses, a peacock, a pet sheep, a goat and a series of dogs and cats. She had a pond to fish in, fields to roam and a huge barn to explore. It was a wonderful life! Because her parents were both in the medical field, (her dad was a physician and her mom an anesthetist) they were on call 24/7. Together, they delivered more than two thousand babies. When Sallie was young, her parents were often called in the middle of the night to come to the hospital on an emergency; so of course, she had to go with them. She never knew if she would be sleeping in the back seat of the car with her collie, Lassie, sleeping in an empty hospital bed, or sleeping in the doctors dressing room where there was a single cot. Her mother used to joke that she had seen more doctors in their underwear than anyone else in town! Her hometown, Oskaloosa, had a population of about 12,000. The majority of people in the area farmed for a living. She noted that one might think this would be an unlikely place to find many supporters of the arts, but that would not be true. Both the middle school and high school had a wonderful fine arts program. They offered marching and concert band, orchestra, chorus, drama, debate and visual arts. It did not take her long to discover that participating in as many of these programs as possible would become her passion! Henry Symons was her favorite teacher. He was a life long bachelor who lived in a downtown hotel room and devoted his whole life to teaching history and coaching debate and individual events. Through the years, many of his students won both state and national recognition. He had humorous nicknames for everyone he coached, had the ability to make learning fun, but also knew each students ability level and pushed him/her to be the best they could be. She was proud when her dad led a fund raising effort that ended up allowing Mr. Symons to go on a month long expense paid trip to Europe. Now, for the first time, he was able to see many of the places he had taught about for a life-time. (Actually, she thinks the trip might have been a thank you from her parents for keeping her out of trouble. After all, Mr. Symons had her enter almost every speaking event available!) After high school, Sallie attended Coe College for two years and then transferred to the University of Nebraska where she completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. During graduate school, she had a teaching assistantship in the Communications Department. It was then she discovered she loved to teach. (It is interesting to note that her $2,100 dollar assistantship paid for her tuition, books and living expenses!) Her first full-time teaching position, however, was at the University of Massachusetts. Although she loved it there, she loved her fianc more so returned to the Midwest to marry. She then taught at Iowa Western College until her husband, Jim, completed his degree. They were then persuaded by a friend, who was a professor at UGA, to move to sunny Georgia. Sallie then accepted a teaching position at the university and taught there until Jim completed his MS and MBA degrees. They then moved to Meriwether County where Jim accepted a position with Milliken. Sallie was both excited and flattered in 1978 to receive an invitation to join Delta Kappa Gamma. Through the years, she formed many friendships and gained new insights into teaching by sharing time and experiences with fellow educators. Attending the national convention in Atlanta was probably her most exciting DKG experience! It made her realize we are an integral part of a very large whole. Through the years, she has had the honor to serve as chapter treasurer, parliamentarian, and president. Teaching in the Meriwether Co. Gifted program has given Sallie the opportunity to teach students from 2nd 12th grade. Beyond this, for the past 14 years

she has been an adjunct instructor for Mercer University, which has given her the opportunity to also challenge students at the college level. It is hard for her to believe that this is her 44th year of teaching! The first year they were in Meriwether Co., Sallie taught English at Woodbury High School. That year, she learned far more from the students than they learned from her. Because there were not enough books for both grammar and literature, she was asked to begin with literature. The first day she asked students to read a short story for homework. The next day, she quickly discovered only a few had read it. She was angry. She thought they were lazy and did not want to do their homework so she decided they would read the story aloud. As she went around the classroom asking different students

to read, she heard many hostile remarks: This story was dumb so I dont want to read, I left my glasses at home so I cant see to read, Ask someone else, or I have a headache, dont bother me. Finally, it dawned on her that almost half of the class could not read at that level! She immediately knew she had a lot of re-thinking to do about her approach to teaching! A few weeks later, she chided a student for not doing anything positive all period. She quietly walked to his desk and said, Kenneth, I am going to have to give you a zero today because you have done nothing to show me you are even trying. He sadly looked into her face and said, Thats okay, Ms. Mabon, I am a zero. She said she cried many nights over that experience, as she tried to find new ways of reaching students like Kenneth.

Outside of teaching, Sallie enjoys being involved in her community. She is an active member of the Meriwether Historical Society, Lions Club, Garden Club, Better Home Town Board, church, choir, etc. She and Jim have two sons. Their oldest, Jerad, is the manager of a Walmart and lives in Texas with his wife Meg. Meg is a Lt. Col. in the army and has just returned from a years deployment in Afghanistan. Their youngest son, Aaron, returned to Georgia last year and is a financial advisor with Ellis and Ellis in La Grange. We are so lucky to have someone like Sallie in our chapter. She brings a wealthy of energy, enthusiasm, intellect, and experience to our meetings and to our sisterhood. We love you, Miss Sallie!

Sallie with her family in a recent photograph.

Red Roses for our members:

Congratulations to Brook Zuerner. She, Andrew and little Bella will welcome a baby girl to the family on March 31st! Congrats also to Charlotte Zuerner on becoming a grandmother again! Kudos to Kathy Glisson on another successful FBLA awards season. Kathy also is serving on the FBLA Board of Directors for the State of Georgia. Congratulations to Jodie Day on being chosen as Thomaston-Upson County Teacher of the Year! Congratulations, also, to Jennifer Barbee on being chosen as Meriwether Countys Teacher of the Year!

Beta Gamma Birthday Girls

January February
Sallie Mabon---1/2 Laurie Pate1/2 Sherrell Darby-1/11 Yvonne Atkins1/16 Lane Tyus---1/18 Janet Fowler1/21 Sylvia Attaway1/23 Janett Dowis1/23 Debbie Thorne2/4 Margaret Johnson-2/17 Misty Hancock2/24 Jodie Day2/25 Donna Patterson2/27

March

Beth Wall3/16 Glenda Stevens-3/19 Mary Anne Harman-3/26

Book Reviews with Charlotte Zuerner

Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas Sandra Dallas is a wonderful and talented storyteller. You can follow the friendship between Hennie Comfort, an 86 year old widow, and Nit Spindle, a 17 year old newcomer to the Colorado mining community. The two women become fast friends as Hennie shares numerous stories and her zest for life while they take long walks and sew on their quilts. What they share is truly special and meaningful. The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans A good read for the holidays and even after the season. James Kier has the opportunity to read his obituary in advance and does not like what he reads about himself. He was known as a fierce, ruthless businessman and was more interested in his own profits even if it meant terrible losses for others. James decides that he needs to change his ways and sets things in motion with a list. It is a story of true redemption. No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard The Cappadora family had their three year old son abducted, but then returned to them after nine years. The family is still going through the healing process when one of their sons, Vincent, makes an award winning documentary about abducted children. The film earns acclaim, but puts the family through another tragedy which brings them together and helps heal old wounds. Rainwater by Sandra Brown This story takes place in 1934 during a time of racial tension and social unrest. Ella Barron runs a boardinghouse and works hard keeping up with it as well as her challenging 10 year old son, Solly. Then David Rainwater arrives to rent a room. He is a calming presence for Ella and Solly and will impact their lives forever. Merry, Merry Ghost by Carolyn Hart Meet Baily Ruth who is on a mission from Heaven's Department of Good Intentions to protect a little boy, foil a murderer, and save Christmas. Bailey is a spirit with a passion for food and fashion. She has to find out about a changed will, two murders, and still keep peace with her heavenly boss.

Reminder of Upcoming Dates

Beta Gamma Chapter MeetingFebruary 20, 2010--Hamilton, GA--10:00 am Psi State Executive Board MeetingFebruary 27, 2010Macon, GA-- 9:00 am Beta Gamma Chapter MeetingApril 17, 2010Manchester, GA10:30 am Psi State District Three Meeting----April 24, 2010 Lassiter HS, Marietta, GA9:00 am

Mrs. Mary Burdette 7316 Cedar Creek Loop Columbus, GA 31904