AMENDMENTS RATIFIED, HISTORY MADE
Seventy percent of Phi Delta Kappa's chapters participated in the recent balloting on three constitutional amendments approved by the 2nd Legislative Council that met in Bloomington in October 1999. The process ended with the ratification of all three amendments; a two-thirds majority was required for the enactment of the amendments.

Beginning July 1, Phi Delta Kappa will no longer describe itself as a FRATERNITY. Instead, our 90+-year-old organization will identify itself as a PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION. Chapters should begin now to look at their local publications and correspondence and make the change. Your international office has undertaken a complete review of our printed materials to implement this change. Chapters approved this amendment by an 85- to 15-percent margin.

By an 84- to 6-percent margin, chapters also approved an amendment establishing uniform membership standards among chapters. The uniform standards to be used by chapters are the same as those outlined in PDK's Constitution and Bylaws: good character, commitment to PDK goals, and a scholastic record and activity record sufficient to be admitted to an advanced degree program. Additionally, a candidate must meet one of these three requirements: hold a baccalaureate degree, be an undergraduate who is in or has successfully completed student teaching, OR a graduate student admitted to a graduate program. This amendment takes effect on July 1. Perhaps the most obvious impact of this amendment relates to chapters that have the master's degree requirement. Put simply, local PDK chapters may no longer establish membership requirements that exceed those outlined in the international Constitution and Bylaws.

Finally, and effective immediately, educators may now join PDK directly without a chapter affiliation. This amendment puts in place the "pilot project" authorized slightly more than two years ago by the 1st Legislative Council. The international office will continue to forward to chapters the names and addresses of "direct members" each quarter. Local chapters are strongly encouraged to ask these "direct members" to join the respective local PDK unit. This amendment was approved by 73% of the chapters voting.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS ON AMENDMENTS
We need to recognize that the approval of these three amendments are significant milestones in Phi Delta Kappa's history. We have identified ourselves as a professional association as compared to the designation of fraternity. We have moved to consistent membership requirements among all chapters, and we have made it possible for men and women to join Phi Delta Kappa directly. I hope each PDK chapter will recognize these as historic changes and will move to include the changes in its local bylaws.

INITIATION PLANS THIS SPRING?
On 30 June 2000 the staff at the international office and your Board of Directors will review membership statistics for 1999-2000. Staff members and officers will be looking carefully to see which chapters have met their constitutional obligations to conduct at least one initiation this year.

Please make sure that your chapter conducts at least one initiation this year and reports that initiation within 30 days to the international office.

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AWARDS
Local chapters, especially research representatives, are encouraged to nominate candidates for PDK's Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Awards Program. Information has been mailed to chapter officials; if you want more information, please contact Carol A. Langdon, the Acting Director of the Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research. Here are the salient points of the competition.

• open to Kappans and non-Kappans completing doctorates between 1 September 1998 and 1 August 2000;
• the nominee must be a recent graduate of an accredited college or university and the dissertation must focus on an educational topic;
• entry must include a 1,000- to 1,500-word summary;
• entry must be postmarked by 31 August 2000 and should be mailed to Dissertation Awards, Phi Delta Kappa International, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789.

Look around. Identify men and women who have completed doctorates during the time period specified. Nominate persons for this recognition. If recognized as the outstanding dissertation in any of PDK's nine districts, the honoree will receive a $500 award.

DUES WILL GO UP JULY
The dues for Phi Delta Kappa International will increase from $35 annually to $45 effective 1 July 2000. Please remember -- and advise members accordingly -- that members will be billed at the $35 rate until 1 July 2000 even if their expiration date is after July 1. Members billed at the $35 rate prior to July 1 and who fail to remit their dues in a timely manner will be billed at the $45 figure beginning July 1.

ELECT OFFICERS IN APRIL, REPORT THOSE NAMES IN MAY
Local PDK chapters, through their nominating committees, should be nominating their 2000-2001 slates. Those officers should be elected during April; names and addresses of new officers are due in the international office by 31 May 2000.

Nominating committees are urged to make a concerted effort to fill each position on the slate.

NEW SAMPLE BYLAWS AVAILABLE JULY 1
Chapters are strongly encouraged to review their local bylaws following each legislative council. Updated, sample chapter bylaws will be available beginning July 1. This sample set will reflect the changes made by the 2nd Legislative Council and the amendments ratified by our chapters. We will forward to chapters two items in July -- the revised Constitution and Bylaws of Phi Delta Kappa International and a set of sample, local chapter bylaws.

AREA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES -- PREVIOUSLY OLCs
Area leadership conferences (ALCs), previously called officer leadership conferences (OLCs), are conducted annually by the area coordinator. Most coordinators have provided the international office with the dates of their respective conference. Check PDK's web site for the date of your ALC or check directly with your coordinator.

It is most important for your chapter to be well represented at the spring ALC. Build into your chapter's nominating procedures the expectation that officers will attend the ALC. Simply put, the more leaders from each PDK chapter who attend the leadership conference the deeper the chapter's base of leadership. A chapter that depends on one person to "represent" the chapter at an ALC compared to the chapter that sends six, seven, or eight officers to the ALC has a more limited leadership base. The handbook, provided in quantity to all officers at the ALC has a name change; the handbook for 2000-2001 will be entitled Leadership Development: Resource Guide for PDK Leaders.

WEB SITE CONTEST, A PDK FIRST!
Local chapters with their own web sites may enter the International Web Site Contest. This is a first for PDK and parallels the more traditional newsletter contest. Entries are due in the international office by 30 June 2000 and winners will be announced at October/November district conferences. Announcements have been mailed to presidents and newsletter editors. For more information, contact Billie Spellman or Candice Crandall.

SPEAKING OF CONTESTS, DON'T FORGET PDK'S NEWSLETTER CONTEST
Billie Spellman has recently mailed information to chapter presidents and newsletter editors regarding the 1999-2000 Newsletter Contest. Your chapter should enter. The deadline is 30 June 2000. Traditionally, this competition has only been conducted in legislative council years; now we will conduct the contest annually and present awards at district conferences.

FRYMIER ETHICAL LEADERSHIP CAMP SET FOR JULY 11-17
You will find a flyer included on PDKís Ethical Leadership Camp, formerly called the values camp. Chapters are encouraged to work with high schools in their area and identify one or two students who might attend. For further information -- after reviewing the flyer -- contact Connie McCoy.

REFERRALS TO CHAPTERS FROM 2ND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
On a separate sheet we have listed items considered by the 2nd Legislative Council and referred to chapters for their thoughtful consideration. Each chapter is urged to carefully review each of the referrals and to implement the item if the chapter believes the referral would enhance the work of the chapter. Questions concerning these referrals may be directed to your area coordinator, district representative, or the international office.

ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VACANCY TO BE POSTED IN APRIL
Anticipate an announcement requesting applications for the position of associate executive director in the April issue of the Kappan and the spring issue of News, Notes, and Quotes. The position -- Associate Executive Director for Leadership and Development -- is essentially the position previously held by George Kersey. For further information contact George Kersey at 1-800-766-1156 or by e-mail gkersey@pdkintl.org.