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from September 2021 KAPPAN, page 35
FL Fidelis Tau Share the Love
MDM = Making a Difference Matters
“Knowledge will bring you the opportunity to make a difference.” ~CLAIRE fa*gIN
By Betty Jo Evers, International Vice President for Membership 2021-2023
Asking questions is the basis of learning. Remember the three-year-old who asks “why” 100 times a day? She’s learning.
Where do you turn when you have questions? “Google it” seems to be the ready response these days. But where do you turn for answers to your Alpha Delta Kappa question? The ready response would be, “Refer to the MDM.”
What is the MDM, you might ask? Well, it is the Membership Development Manual: the “textbook” of Alpha Delta Kappa membership matters. It “lives” on the MEMBERSHIP tab on the Alpha Delta Kappa International website.
Every S/P/N Vice President for Membership/Membership Consultant, S/P/N president, chapter president, and chapter membership chairman should download a copy of the MDM and have it available for immediate access should questions arise. The following are testimonies of members about the site.
“The Membership Development Manual is basically the core to membership and success of Alpha Delta Kappa. Mostly anything you need to know is in there (letter, forms, ideas), basically made easy and convenient,” says Debbie McLaughlin, a sister in NJ Lambda. She suggests that sisters bring the physical manual to a meeting and review the table of contents. Learn the
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members of your S/P/N and chapter membership teams.
Joyce McAloon, International Vice-President, Northeast Region shared that “all Connecticut chapters use the MDM on a regular basis to gather content for their S/P/N and chapter newsletters, to support chapter meeting agenda items, and to create membership ‘blurbs’ which are individual articles written to the chapter membership chairman. We use the MDM as a guiding book for our chapter meetings, officers, the 4Rs (Recruit, Retain, Reinstate, and Revitalize), and as a reference for any questions that come up.”
Brendy Guilford, Louisiana Vice President for Membership, shared that the Louisiana Chapter Membership chairmen use the MDM to preview the Chapter Needs Assessment and the Member Needs Assessment documents.
Mari Page, California Vice President for Membership, says, “I trained membership chairmen and screen-shared the important parts of the MDM. I think the MDM is a valuable tool, a shortcut to find answers, and a support for all levels of leadership in our organization.”
Arizona Iota Fraternity Education Chairman Valdine Brower uses the MDM for ideas and the latest information for monthly fraternity education activities.
The MDM is a valuable tool for Membership Consultants. Section 7: Four Key Elements of Membership is the most frequently viewed.
Caroline Gilford, Florida Vice President for Membership, explains it this way: “When responding to an email, I use the feature Microsoft has, ‘Snipping Tool,’ and snip a clip of the actual information in the manual, as well as refer to the page
where it is located when responding.” Emily Hord, Mississippi Alpha Membership Chairman, reminds us, “The MDM is a wealth of helpful information and guidelines for the chapter membership team.” The following are some of the efforts that Mississippi Kappa chapter has made because of suggestions/ ideas/ guidelines given in the MDM: • The entire membership “The Membership Development Manual has become aware that growing the organizais basically the core to membership and tion is the responsibility success of Alpha Delta Kappa.” of every member. • Sapphire sisters were recognized. • Fraternity Education is a part of each meeting, even when not having in-person meetings. • Since the manual recommends taking field trips in the place of the usual meeting place, they have done this several times in pre-pandemic years and will do that again as well in 20212022. • The section about ENGAGING MEMBERS offers great ideas, many of which have been scheduled into their program plans. • Also, the MDM is used as a guide in making sure that PEARLS are earned by gathering information and submitting reports on time. I like to think of the MDM as: Making a Difference Matters. The MDM is YOUR tool to achieve knowledge on all levels of Alpha Delta Kappa membership. Achieving more knowledge, sharing that knowledge and knowing you made a difference could make a “shining moment” in your Alpha Delta Kappa life. So, don’t be afraid if questions come your way. You’ve got “the book of knowledge.” USE IT.
“Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, pass it on. That is the pleasure I get from teaching - whether it is television or books. We should all share.” ~ Mary Berry, English food writer
Jaye L. Masters, GA Beta Psi
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