Carolyn H. Pittman is Past President of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International 2016-2018. She is also a member of Gamma Omicron Chapter in Pulaski County. Kappa State is very proud of her and the service she has given to education and to DKG at every level of the organization. In researching for this article several avenues of information were considered including personal comments. Candi Martin, Immediate Past Kappa State President, sent a paragraph.
Candi said, “Carolyn has a professional resume that would impress anyone. Her DKG resume is equally impressive. She has been a tireless servant of both her teaching profession and her beloved Society for many years. However, it is the care she takes in the friendships and partnerships she has grown as a result of these two areas that most impresses me. Carolyn is a very special person who can speak the harsh truth and make it feel like a much needed compliment. Her leadership is kind and natural. It is inclusive. It is genuine. It is powerful. It is lasting. As long as I have known Carolyn, she has been busy as a full-time servant and leader. I could not guess how many of us have been blessed to have learned from or to have been encouraged by her, but I know that my life is quite richer because of my association with Carolyn Pittman. I admire and respect her as our International President, but I love her as my friend.”
Past Kappa State President Ella Reese also sent an insight into the special lady that Carolyn is. She shared, “In the late 1980s I saw a lady on a DKG chartered bus wearing watermelon socks. I will never forget that day or that lady. You may be curious as to why I was so impressed by someone wearing watermelon socks. To me they suggested individuality and a willingness to do things differently. I felt that our Society needed leaders with those qualities. As I learned more about this lady I realized that she was a personable, self-assured leader. I decided she had qualities that I wanted and needed in a good friend. I wanted God to bless me with the watermelon sock lady as my BFF, (Best Friend Forever.) She was the Kappa State Editor and today she is International President Carolyn Pittman making innovative changes in our Society and pursuing our Society’s vision, “Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide.”
Ella continued, “Carolyn is not only an excellent leader but also a fun loving friend and family member. Her love for the arts is expressed in many of her activities. She continues to improve her talents by taking voice and clarinet lessons. She and John love music and regularly attend Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performances and have season tickets for the Arkansas Rep. Several years ago she was active in community theatre in Little Rock and it was my pleasure to see her perform in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. She is not only my BFF but also my BSB, (Best Shopping Buddy.) Many of you have shopped with her but I wish more of you could have shopped with us in Dallas, Saint Louis, Magnolia, Russellville, and other exciting places. It’s a hoot! You could probably call this our guiltiest pleasure. Carolyn’s greatest devotion is to her family. She could be called WGM, (World’s Greatest Mother/Grandmother.) Carolyn has used her writing talent to make a personal birthday book for each of her seven grandchildren on their birthdays. What a blessing it will be for those children to reread Grandmother Carolyn’s books when they are adults! Her husband, John, is the retired former Chief Justice of the Arkansas Court of Appeals and their three children are successful, happy, professional adults who have given John and Carolyn seven smart fun-loving grandchildren.”
Ella finished her comments about Carolyn with the following, “The dictionary defines vision as intelligent foresight. I am totally convinced that the watermelon sock lady and my BFF took intelligent foresight with her to Austin and is daily improving Delta Kappa Gamma. Since she is the only Arkansas member in history to ever serve as International President it is my strong conviction that Kappa State members support her International Convention this coming summer with their attendance and the financing of a party worthy of this very worthy lady. Carolyn’s abilities are so vast and diverse that it is difficult to sum up just what makes Carolyn, Carolyn! Her great vocabulary, excellent knowledge of grammar and journalism make her a great communicator. Her pleasing personality and strong work ethic stem from being part of a loving family and, of course, from being a teacher.”
When Carolyn was elected International President, her first President’s Letter in the DKG News September/October 2016 issue, sent a clear message. “Being president is not about me. It is about US. Together we are making a better world. Small acts multiplied by thousands can transform the world. The Butterfly Effect states that a butterfly can flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion that will move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air, eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet. DKG because of what multiple individuals do moves lives. Thousands of DKG butterflies are in our membership. Exercising our combined power affects the future of the Society and, consequently, the well-being of the world. Small actions often set in motion large results, our purposes, vision, and mission.”
Candi said, “Carolyn has a professional resume that would impress anyone. Her DKG resume is equally impressive. She has been a tireless servant of both her teaching profession and her beloved Society for many years. However, it is the care she takes in the friendships and partnerships she has grown as a result of these two areas that most impresses me. Carolyn is a very special person who can speak the harsh truth and make it feel like a much needed compliment. Her leadership is kind and natural. It is inclusive. It is genuine. It is powerful. It is lasting. As long as I have known Carolyn, she has been busy as a full-time servant and leader. I could not guess how many of us have been blessed to have learned from or to have been encouraged by her, but I know that my life is quite richer because of my association with Carolyn Pittman. I admire and respect her as our International President, but I love her as my friend.”
Past Kappa State President Ella Reese also sent an insight into the special lady that Carolyn is. She shared, “In the late 1980s I saw a lady on a DKG chartered bus wearing watermelon socks. I will never forget that day or that lady. You may be curious as to why I was so impressed by someone wearing watermelon socks. To me they suggested individuality and a willingness to do things differently. I felt that our Society needed leaders with those qualities. As I learned more about this lady I realized that she was a personable, self-assured leader. I decided she had qualities that I wanted and needed in a good friend. I wanted God to bless me with the watermelon sock lady as my BFF, (Best Friend Forever.) She was the Kappa State Editor and today she is International President Carolyn Pittman making innovative changes in our Society and pursuing our Society’s vision, “Leading Women Educators Impacting Education Worldwide.”
Ella continued, “Carolyn is not only an excellent leader but also a fun loving friend and family member. Her love for the arts is expressed in many of her activities. She continues to improve her talents by taking voice and clarinet lessons. She and John love music and regularly attend Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performances and have season tickets for the Arkansas Rep. Several years ago she was active in community theatre in Little Rock and it was my pleasure to see her perform in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. She is not only my BFF but also my BSB, (Best Shopping Buddy.) Many of you have shopped with her but I wish more of you could have shopped with us in Dallas, Saint Louis, Magnolia, Russellville, and other exciting places. It’s a hoot! You could probably call this our guiltiest pleasure. Carolyn’s greatest devotion is to her family. She could be called WGM, (World’s Greatest Mother/Grandmother.) Carolyn has used her writing talent to make a personal birthday book for each of her seven grandchildren on their birthdays. What a blessing it will be for those children to reread Grandmother Carolyn’s books when they are adults! Her husband, John, is the retired former Chief Justice of the Arkansas Court of Appeals and their three children are successful, happy, professional adults who have given John and Carolyn seven smart fun-loving grandchildren.”
Ella finished her comments about Carolyn with the following, “The dictionary defines vision as intelligent foresight. I am totally convinced that the watermelon sock lady and my BFF took intelligent foresight with her to Austin and is daily improving Delta Kappa Gamma. Since she is the only Arkansas member in history to ever serve as International President it is my strong conviction that Kappa State members support her International Convention this coming summer with their attendance and the financing of a party worthy of this very worthy lady. Carolyn’s abilities are so vast and diverse that it is difficult to sum up just what makes Carolyn, Carolyn! Her great vocabulary, excellent knowledge of grammar and journalism make her a great communicator. Her pleasing personality and strong work ethic stem from being part of a loving family and, of course, from being a teacher.”
When Carolyn was elected International President, her first President’s Letter in the DKG News September/October 2016 issue, sent a clear message. “Being president is not about me. It is about US. Together we are making a better world. Small acts multiplied by thousands can transform the world. The Butterfly Effect states that a butterfly can flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion that will move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air, eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet. DKG because of what multiple individuals do moves lives. Thousands of DKG butterflies are in our membership. Exercising our combined power affects the future of the Society and, consequently, the well-being of the world. Small actions often set in motion large results, our purposes, vision, and mission.”