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� Women Educators International (DKG) promotes Professional and personal growth and excellence in education.

� In this newsletter you will read a message from our British Columbia Chair, Lorrie Williams as well as chapter news and other worthwhile messages. Thank you to all contributors.

As always, I encourage each of you to check out our wonderful website kept current by Phyllis Stich. http://dkgbc.weebly.com

Totem Talk British ColumbiaNovember 2017

Volume 22

editor: Lennor Stieda rollen@shaw.ca

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QUESTION:HOWMANYOFYOUHAVEREADANDTHENSHAREDYOURTOTEMTALKWITHAFRIEND????

A+en.onAllforourLorrie’sMessage.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE     I have always lived by my personal motto, " I'd rather regret things I do than things I don't do."  It has served me well and I have had a wonderful life filled with exciting and interesting adventures.  In addition, I have met multitudes of people; some for a short time who have made a lasting impression on me and others with whom I have established meaningful relationships.       Women Educators International (aka dkg) has been and continues to be an organization which has provided opportunities for adventures and friendship especially international conferences.  If you have never attended one,  the next one will be in Austin, Texas, the birthplace of WEI.  What an opportunity to see headquarters!  I imagine this will be an extra-special

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conference.  The dates are July 16 - 20 , 2018 at the JW Marriott in Austin.  Don't let this one slip by!

Sothereyouhaveitfromourprovincialpresident’shearttoyours.TakeprideandtakeadvantageofopportunitytolearnandconnectattheInterna.onalConven.onin2018.Theexecu.veisworkingonfiguringoutassistancetofirst.mea+endees.Staytuned.

ThephotoaboveshowsLorrieWilliams,president,MarilynRushton(withMistyherdogunderthetable),ourfirstvice-chair,andCathieHarrower,ournewcorrespondingsecretary.AndournewrecordingsecretaryishardatworkLindaDelparteseeninthenextphoto.

Theexecu.veboardmeetsinthisroominNewWestminster’sBuyLowfreeofcharge.

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NovemberfromAutumntoWinterjustlikethat.

SouthVancouverIslandChapterGree.ngs

AtourfirstgatheringthisfallwevisitedtheamazingTerryFoxdisplayattheRoyalB.C.Museum.Wewereawedbyhisjournalandonceagainremindedofhisstaminaandlegacytoallofus…nottogiveup.InthephotowearestandinginfrontoftheTerryFoxvan.

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On our walk by the Inner Harbour we met Serena who has beaded and sold her bracelets and special boxes (as held in the photo) for over 22 years. She gave me permission to photograph her and her pieces. Next time you are down in Victoria find her. She is very sweet.

In October we got together to create Retelling Literacy Boxes. Two Pearson College (UWC) girls staying with Lennor enjoyed helping us.

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Four members and four guests enjoyed supper and then got to work.

News from our Vancouver Chapter:

On October 4, 2017, the Vancouver DKG chapter members participated in a fun workshop at the ArtStarts Gallery. ArtStarts in Schools is a charitable organization that seeks to expand the

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role of arts in education for the benefit of British Columbia’s young people. Each year, ArtStarts provides over 640,000 unique arts experiences for young people in urban, rural and remote communities across BC. My next door neighbour was excited about my going to the gallery as his work was actually on display.

Planning programs for a DKG chapter can be challenging. Our chapter had an excellent meeting in May, where using DKG guidelines we brainstormed topics and speakers. Donna McCormick and myself had earlier attended a Room to Read event and had the opportunity to meet Navida Nuraney, the executive director of ArtStarts. We talked about the possibility of a meeting at their gallery, and she and the program manager of ArtStarts came to our next DKG meeting and helped us in our brainstorming session. Rekha Pavanantharajah, ArtStarts’ program manager, also happens to have been my sixth grade student!

Vancouver DKG members enjoyed their visit to the ArtStarts Gallery, the only gallery in Canada that only displays children’s art. We all participated in a very fun hands on workshop on creativity. Members expanded their understanding of what creativity is and members who had never felt that they were creative, realized that they actually were. We often think of being creative as being artistic but we realized creativity takes many forms, on a tennis court, in the way we dress etc.

Our workshop leader, Krista Cameron, put us all at ease, and even helped us do some creative brainstorming and problem solving about DKG fundraising.

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It was also fun to have my good friend, Valerie Delacretaz, from Montreal, an active member of DKG Quebec, join us for the evening, which included a fun dinner at the nearby Social Club restaurant.

Everyone really enjoyed the evening. If you are interested in learning more about Artstarts please visit their website. https://artstarts.com/creativityworkshop.

Submitted by Meredyth Kezar

Please check out more photos from Vancouver Chapter’s experience at the end of Totem Talk on page 13 and 14 (ed.)

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An Update on our Canadian Project submitted by Donna-Faye.

The 'Empowering Through Education' part of IWEN has been a Canadian DKG Project for the past 3 1/2 years.  We will be completing this Project in July as a project can only run for four years.

    Many of us bought scarves the Nepalese women made to raise funds for their families and their children's education. In Regina, at the NW Regional, Bonnie Edgecombe, the sister-in-law of the president Kevin Edgecomb, sold a record number of scarves.  They are a very industrious group of women that now feel empowered to contribute to the project and their community. This feeling of empowerment through education will spur on many new industries and produce nurses and teachers etc. in the future.Mother Spotlight Hari Kumari Hari Kumari is 33 with two children, a daughter and a son. She had to drop out of school in grade 8 but she was always eager to improve herself and learn new things. Several years ago, when a chance came up for her to learn sewing and tailoring Hari took the course. She did so well that when the course was run again she was an instructor.

�

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Now Hari Kumari had the knowledge but without startup capital she couldn't do anything with it.

Read More (taken from the October newsletter of IWEN )

! Did you know that Lorrie is also acting Mayor of New Westminster? Lorrie Williams, acting Mayor of New Westminster, was the MC at the unveiling of the commemorative bricks in Hyack Square on July 7, 2017. The commemorative bricks were purchased by former and current New Westminster residents to celebrate a life event or honor a special person,

occasion, or memory. �Lorrie invited those attending the celebration to take the microphone to say a few words about who they were honouring. Orrie is looking at a brick honouring her mother.

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FromlastTotemTalksomeofAnnieBlanton’sadvicetoourChapterMembers.Haveyouhadabrainstormwithyourmembers?

Iaminvi.ngyoutodeterminewhatMOSTaddressestheneedsofthemodernwomaneducator.

I am not saying that you should discard the Purposes, but I do want you to be courageous and to examine them and their impact on modern DKG members—and prioritize what is important for LEADING WOMEN EDUCATORS IMPACTING EDUCATION WORLDWIDE. Have courage strong enough to consider that “what’s always been this way” may not be the way to a strong future. “

International Convention

July 16-20 2018Austin Texas

B.C. Executive board meets in January 2018

April Symposium on the 28th at Vancouver Lawn

and Tennis Club

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We have been asked by an Ad Hoc Committee to discuss if Canada should become a Region on its own as Europe is for example.Each chapter president has the document with examples of pros and cons.These are the three questions to respond to after your group has discussed the issues.

Survey Questions

Survey from the ad hoc Committee that is studying the feasibility of forming a Canadian Region in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

1. Do you want to see Canada as a separate region?

Yes_____.  No ______ 2. a) If yes, what benefits do you see to becoming a separate region?     b) If no, what disadvantages do you see to becoming a separate region?3. Other comments-

More photos from the Vancouver experience follow on page 13 and 14.

In our January or February TT we will share photos and stories of what Fraser Shores and Burnaby chapters have been excited about.

Enjoy and mark down the dates… especially Symposium and International ConventionL.St. Nov.6th, 2017

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It must have been an enriching experience for all who were able to attend.