Eta Chapter History
Eta Chapter was the seventh chapter chartered in West Virginia. Eta was chartered on Saturday, March 27, 1948, in Knutti Hall, Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, WV, by State President, Miss Virginia Foulk. Charter members include Mary Emma Conard, Dorothy Conkly, Hilda Doggett, Douglass Harlan, Gladys Hartzell, Lucille Hefflebower, Margaret Kilmer, Henrietta Loy, Jewel Matthews, and Mary Pugh. Miss Florence Shaw, a state founder, was involved professionally, emotionally, ethically, and physically.
The first officers were: President--Nellie O. Dick (DKG WV State, formerly Alpha Phi State, founder); First Vice-President--Florence Shaw (DKG WV State founder); Second Vice-President--Grace Scott (DKG WV State organizer); Corresponding Secretary--Douglass Harlan; Treasurer--Mildred Conard; and Parliamentarian--Jeanette McGuffie (DKG WV State organizer).
Originally the chapter included an eight county region; but when membership grew to over one hundred twenty, the Chapter was divided into two chapters. This division occurred on October 25, 1980. Eta now includes Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties in West Virginia. Our sister chapter, Alpha Kappa, includes the five other Eastern Panhandle counties.
Eta Chapter participates in four all-day Saturday meetings a year, which now alternate among the three counties. Programs, designed to create a stimulating environment for the professional and personal growth of women educators as well as to focus group attention on current educational issues, are presented at each meeting. Programs focus on state and local goals/themes set by the organization.
Membership, a unique composition of elementary school, junior high/middle school, senior high school, vocational/technical school, junior and four-year college educators, is by invitation only and is extended to those women educators whose distinguished contributions and achievements in the field of education and to their communities are identified as outstanding.
Eta Chapter provides annual grants to outstanding young women with a major in education, who attend Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV.
Scholarships, available at the local, state, and national levels, are awarded to members who are continuing their education in advanced study programs and who successfully complete the application process.
Eta Chapter has hosted four DKG WV State Conventions in 1952, 1964, 1988, and 2010. (The 2010 convention was co-hosted with Alpha Kappa Chapter).
The first officers were: President--Nellie O. Dick (DKG WV State, formerly Alpha Phi State, founder); First Vice-President--Florence Shaw (DKG WV State founder); Second Vice-President--Grace Scott (DKG WV State organizer); Corresponding Secretary--Douglass Harlan; Treasurer--Mildred Conard; and Parliamentarian--Jeanette McGuffie (DKG WV State organizer).
Originally the chapter included an eight county region; but when membership grew to over one hundred twenty, the Chapter was divided into two chapters. This division occurred on October 25, 1980. Eta now includes Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties in West Virginia. Our sister chapter, Alpha Kappa, includes the five other Eastern Panhandle counties.
Eta Chapter participates in four all-day Saturday meetings a year, which now alternate among the three counties. Programs, designed to create a stimulating environment for the professional and personal growth of women educators as well as to focus group attention on current educational issues, are presented at each meeting. Programs focus on state and local goals/themes set by the organization.
Membership, a unique composition of elementary school, junior high/middle school, senior high school, vocational/technical school, junior and four-year college educators, is by invitation only and is extended to those women educators whose distinguished contributions and achievements in the field of education and to their communities are identified as outstanding.
Eta Chapter provides annual grants to outstanding young women with a major in education, who attend Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV.
Scholarships, available at the local, state, and national levels, are awarded to members who are continuing their education in advanced study programs and who successfully complete the application process.
Eta Chapter has hosted four DKG WV State Conventions in 1952, 1964, 1988, and 2010. (The 2010 convention was co-hosted with Alpha Kappa Chapter).
Last updated 04/04/2024