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Kappa Omicron Nu
FORUM
State of the Society*
Janelle Walter
Chair of the Kappa Omicron Nu Board of Directors; Faculty Member at Baylor University, Adviser of Kappa Gamma Theta Chapter
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*This message was delivered to the Leadership Conclave, Dallas, Texas,
August 9, 1997.
It is my pleasure to report on the state of Kappa Omicron Nu. This message
will tell you why I am impressed with the dynamics and vibrancy of the Honor
Society.
Our governance structure involves continuous strategic thinking and review
of policies to assure that the programs and policies remain relevant and
responsive to member input. The policy handbook describes the chair as presider
of board meetings and Conclave, liaison to the Constitution Committee,
ex-officio member of all committees except nominating, and leader of the
organization on behalf of members. This means that in all things I represented
you. In order to measure progress it is good to remind us all of the purpose of
the Society. The mission of Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society is empowered
leaders in family and consumer sciences. The ends that provide focus
are planned to create empowered leaders. The language of these statements lies
in the current governance approach the Board has adopted to govern this
organization. Policy Governance® focuses the Board on the
mission and policies that guide decision making for Kappa Omicron Nu. The
Board, including the Executive Director, makes decisions on ends policies to
achieve the mission:
- Scholarship/Research/Leadership—Skills that enable members to provide
direction to the profession and empower others to meet their full potential.
- Organization—An organizational and management environment that
supports mission-driven programming.
- Affiliation Networks—Strong affiliation networks that develop
empowered leaders.
Among the strategies to achieve these ends are the recognition and award
programs. Awards totaled almost $55,000 in this fiscal year.
- Four doctoral and two master’s fellowships were awarded for a total of
$11,000.
- Sylvia Asay - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Andrea Clark - University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Jessica Mills - University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Sharon Nickols-Richardson - University of Georgia
- Pauline Samuda - University of Maine
- Jonathan Sandberg - Kansas State University
- The Chapter Scholar Program grants local scholarships to chapters once each
biennium. Fifty-nine awards totaling $15,000 were distributed to chapters in
1997-98.
- A new fellowship was announced in connection with the Centennial
Celebration of the College of Human Ecology at Michigan State University. A
fund-raising effort contributed toward the endowment of a doctoral fellowship
in honor of Dean Gilchrist for her role as leader of the founding group of
Omicron Nu. Numerous Omicron Alpha members were honored or memorialized in this
manner.
- The recipient of the Undergraduate Research Paper Award, given by the
Coordinating Council of Honor Societies, was Katherine Boward, Iowa
State University. She presented her paper at a luncheon co-hosted by Kappa
Omicron Nu and Phi Upsilon Omicron at the Annual Meeting of AAFCS in
Washington, DC.
- The Conclave Undergraduate Student Paper Award recipients were Leslie A.
Bumgardner, Bradley University; Gretchen Feldtman, Baylor
University; Amy King, Baylor University; Natalie Moretz, Berea
College; Jennifer Vanzee, Baylor University; and Audrey M.
Williams, University of North Carolina.
- Chapter awards for 1995-96 and 1996-97 were awarded to the following
chapters: Kappa Chi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Alpha Mu, Kappa Alpha Phi, Kappa
Beta Xi, Kappa Beta Rho, Kappa Gamma Psi, Omicron Theta, Omicron Tau, and
Omicron Alpha Gamma.
- Omicron Tau Chapter received awards for programming in mentoring and
cultural diversity.
- Sixty-two delegate scholarships, totaling $23,000, were awarded for
Conclave.
- Honorary membership was granted to James A. Autry at a ceremony at
Iowa State University. Formerly vice president and editor-in-chief of books and
magazines at Meredith Corporation, Autry is currently author, poet, and
consultant. His books, Life and Work and Love and Profit, feature
his philosophy of caring leadership and the role of emotional and spiritual
issues in the workplace. In 1996-97 he held the Dean Helen LeBaron Hilton Chair
in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at Iowa State.
Society publications included four Dialogues and two FORUMS.
Future issues of FORUM will feature “Legacies for the Future,”
“Making Community,” “Leadership: Up Close and Personal,”
and “Advanced Information Infrastructures.” Calls for papers for two
collections of essays have been distributed: “Reflective Leading in the
Public Interest” and “Toward a Theory of Family Well-Being: #2.”
Kappa Omicron Nu joined the information age and the World Wide Web. In 1996
members could tap into KON’s Web site <https://kon.org> and
e-mail the national office. Other enhancements are contemplated.
Membership continues to grow. In 1996-97, 2768 new members were initiated.
Our membership acceptance rate of 57 percent compares favorably with other
honor societies, but the Board is not satisfied with this statistic. Active
life, alumni, and campus members in 1996-97 totaled 13,000+, including more
than 4500 gift memberships to recent grads. Members over time total almost
113,000. Although renewal efforts are extensive, active membership retention is
lower than desired.
A membership survey appeared in the February Dialogue. Results of the
survey indicated that the number one benefit of membership was to broaden
horizons. Next in value were “stay well informed about critical
issues” tied with “renew my commitment to excellence.” The top
resource was scholarships/fellowships/grants, followed by Dialogue and
Kappa Omicron Nu FORUM.
Terms for national officers coincide with the calendar year, except Student
Representatives who serve from one conclave to the next. Board members whose
terms will expire in 1997 were Janelle Walter, Chair and Merry Jo
Dallas, Vice Chair for Finance.
The Society was served by our standing committees. Sincere thanks to the
following committee members whose elected terms expire at the end of 1997:
Editorial, Gwendolyn Newkirk and Francine Hultgren; Nominating,
Betty Church, Charlotte Edwards, and E. Katrina Rivers.
Committees provide a valuable governance function and assist the
organization in achieving its mission. Committees for 1997 included the
following members: Awards I, Barbara Amundsen, Geraldean Johnson, Lynette
Olson, and Mary Rainey; Awards II, Gwendolyn Paschall, Deborah
Fowler, Jane Reagor, and Marilyn Swierk; Awards III, Virginia
Clark, Kathleen Bands, Beth Goudge, and Virginia Vincenti;
Constitution and Bylaws, Kaye Boyer, Karla Hughes, Susan Poch, and
Mary Pritchard.
Kappa Omicron Nu has continued to collaborate with Phi Upsilon Omicron in
the Coordinating Council of Honor Societies (CCHS). In addition to sponsoring
the undergraduate research paper competition, CCHS presented the Graduate
Program Showcase at the AAFCS Annual Meeting.
As part of the Leadership Academy, Kappa Omicron Nu joined with the
Coalition for Black Development in Home Economics, the Council of
Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Family and Consumer
Sciences Administrative Leadership Council to sponsor a preconference workshop
at the 1997 AAFCS Annual Meeting. The “Taking Charge of Change”
workshop featured the Reflective Human Action leadership model. Fran Andrews
and Dorothy Mitstifer conducted a workshop, “Making a Leadership
Community,” at the international meeting of the Society for Nutrition
Education in Toronto.
This Conclave, held August 7-10, 1997 at the DFW Hyatt Regency, Dallas,
Texas, features “Leadership for the New Millennium” workshops in two
tracks: students and professionals. Members who contributed to programming were
Wilma Griffin, Frances E. Andrews, Virginia Clark, Mary E. Pritchard,
and Gladys Gary Vaughn. Student Board Members Elizabeth
DeMerchant and Scott Ketring complete their terms at this Conclave.
The following Student Board Members will serve until the 1999 Conclave:
Norene Cochran of East Tennessee State University, Carrie J.
Fuller of Bradley University, and Kevin M. Taylor of University of
Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Financially speaking, the fiscal year was changed to July 1 - June 30;
therefore, in order to change from the previous September 30 closing date, the
1997 report represents a nine-month transition year. One of the Board’s
main concerns is that membership benefits have been a priority to the detriment
of creating a general fund reserve large enough to maintain current programs in
harsh economic times. In other words, benefits have outranked cash reserves.
The endowed funds and restricted funds are well protected with a balanced mix
of equity and income investments.
Liabilities and Fund
Balances
9/30/96
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6/30/97
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| General Fund
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General Fund
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| $ 54,232
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$ 56,323
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| Restricted Funds
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Restricted Funds
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| $307,980
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$336,927
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You can be proud of the great care and vision that drive all those who serve
Kappa Omicron Nu. And the Society is to be commended for its unselfishness and
desire to contribute to the welfare of the profession. In summary, I am pleased
to say that our vital signs are very good; our prognosis great.
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