All Saint's Church, El Paso, TX
August 2-3, 2013
Building on the good work so ably done by Sandy Martin has been the role of Cindy Davis and the DOK Board, consisting of Peggy Way, 1st VP; Anna Marie Dugan, 2nd VP; Carol Ast-Milchen, Secretary; Brenda Restivo, Treasurer; and the Rev. Jeanne Lutz, Chaplain. We met in January to review the bylaws regarding our duties and start planning for this Assembly and other events. The Board identified communication across the long distances of the Diocese and support between Chapters and Daughters as of utmost importance to keeping us connected in our Sisterhood.
An e-newsletter and blog have been the first steps to greater communication. Regular e-news bulletins and blog updates are readily accessible to Chapter Presidents and any Daughter in the Diocese. Since some Daughters do not like to use computers, we still do periodic ‘snail’ mailings, such as Assembly Registration. Regular articles in the Together, the Diocesan newsletter, share DOK news on a regular basis with Daughters in the Diocese and others who might be interested.
To bring Daughters together for events other than Assembly, two holiday gatherings were held last year. One was a Christmas brunch at the Bosque Center in Albuquerque, hosted by the St. Agnes Chapter and the other an Epiphany luncheon at Holy Mount in Ruidoso, hosted by the Maranatha Chapter. Weather played a factor is low attendance at both, but those who were present expressed delight in the idea of gathering for fellowship occasionally. In 2013, these events will include a ‘Who Are the Daughters’ component for women interested in DOK. Each chapter president is encouraged to identify one or 2 women (maybe younger women!) in their parish and invite them to the event closest to their parish.
Sadly there were 5 chapters in the Diocese with only one member at this time last year. After follow up with these women and their parish priests, the difficult decision was made to disband three chapters. The good news is that there are also new seeds. The Chapter at St. Bede’s, down to one member, is on the road to revival, with 3 women interested in starting discernment in the fall. Five ladies in Taos will be beginning the discernment process, which was put on hold when their parish priest left; and the priest at St. Francis on the Hill in El Paso has expressed interest in forming a chapter. The Jr. Daughter directress team at the Cathedral is interested in pursuing the idea of a city-, or even diocese-wide Jr. group, since some parishes don’t have the ‘critical mass’ of girls needed for a Jr. Chapter.
Daughters have always been in the forefront of women’s ministry in the Diocese and are active in the newly formed DRG Women’s Ministry, too. A Lent retreat in El Paso was attended by 40 women of the Diocese, more than half of whom were Daughters. Daughters were also present at the Body, Mind, Spirit Retreat in Taos last month and several are on the Women’s Ministry Council.
Chapter Presidents are encouraged to come to “Leadership 101” next summer, part of the Women of the DRG ministry, as a way to be empowered as stronger leaders in their chapters and parishes. The Board is exploring ways to use technology to help connect our far-flung chapters, with things like the blog, perhaps a Facebook page and/or a Google group, and even taping event speakers to post on the blog.
Please feel free to contact me with any ideas, questions, and concerns you have about Daughters of the King. On the ‘DOK Info Ladder’, questions start at the chapter level, if the Chapter Pres. cannot answer, the question bounces up a rung to the Diocesan Pres., if she cannot answer, she asks the Provincial Pres., who in turn contacts the National Office if she doesn’t have an answer. (The idea is to help the National Office staff by not overwhelming them with details that could be dealt with more locally.)
Mark your calendars for Assembly 2014 (August 1-3) at Holy Faith in Santa Fe. The theme will be “We are One in the Spirit…and We Serve.” See the reverse for other opportunities around the Diocese for spiritual growth. I am looking forward to working with and for each Daughter in the Diocese of the Rio Grande, and with Presidents from around the Province.
FHS
Cynthia Davis
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