Six area Tau Chapter members were among 1,079 attendees at the Texas State Convention of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for Women Educators held in Waco last month.

Attending were Virginia Riddle, who participated in leadership training, Patty Manley, who served as hospitality chairman, Margaret Day, box lunch chairman, Glenda Nelson, facilitator, Martha Kirgan, convention treasurer and Wynona Lipsett, convention chairman and head of the steering committee.

Mrs. Nelson is outgoing president of Tau chapter. Mrs. Kirgan serves as treasurer, and with Mrs. Lipsett, is a past president of the chapter.

Tau chapter received awards for outstanding yearbook and the Early Bird award, as well as outstanding newsletter award.

Theme for the 2009- 2011 biennium of Texas state president Dr. Vicki Davis, retired provost at Texas A&M Commerce, is

Advance the Society . . . Believe, Engage, Learn, Lead”.

Highlights of the convention included a presentation by Mark Hoog, author and executive director of the Children’s Leadership Institute, whose topic was

Conscious Leadership”.

Motivational speaker Amanda Gore delivered

Secret Skills of Leadership”, and Helaine Jesse Morres, vice president of development and external affairs at Western Nevada College, presented

Magic of Marketing”.

A luncheon celebrating the 81st birthday of Delta Kappa Gamma, founded in Texas by Dr. Annie Webb Blanton and 11 other educators, honored all members present who had been members of the society 50 years or more.

This occasion featured Waco area author Lisa Wingate who spoke on the topic, “The Writer’s Teacher”. Dr. Patricia Wallace, recently retired from Baylor University, was guest speaker at the Texas Forum where her topic was “Brain Fever: Women’s Struggle to Get in the School Door”.

Additional convention learning experiences included training for the 2010-2012 chapter presidents from 287 chapters in the state, numerous workshops on a variety of topics, performances by the convention chorus of 90 women, a necrology service to celebrate the lives of members who passed away during the previous year, a business meeting, and a gala banquet honoring past and present state and area presidents as well as the 12 society founders and two honorary founders.

International society representative Carolyn Pittman of Little Rock, Ark., shared her thoughts on the biennium theme at the closing banquet on Saturday night.

Special musical event at the convention featured Baylor professor of organ and organist in residence Dr. Joyce Jones, and longtime Word Music president, pianist, arranger, and clinician Dr. Kurt Kaiser, in a duo concert.

Delta Kappa Gamma is comprised of key women educators, membership by invitation only, and has chapters in all 50 states as well as 16 foreign countries. With more than 112,000 members, the society offers members assistance with graduate study through scholarships, grants and stipends for research, recognition of exemplary achievement and opportunities for professional growth.