"As Daughters of the King, we have taken vows of prayer, service, and evangelism."  All of us can say that sentence by heart.  We have participated in book studies, attended workshops, and listened to speakers on these three subjects to help us live into these vows.  However, our duties and responsibilities of being Daughters of the King as outlined in our Handbook (see page 4 of the 2012 Edition of our Handbook), involve more than fulfilling our vow to pray and serve (the first bullet) and to evangelize (the second bullet).  Our duties and responsibilities also include the prompt payment of our dues (the third bullet).  

Several years ago, to aid in the efficient processing of dues payments by our National Office staff, we went to payment of dues via the chapter as a whole rather than individual payment.  While this manner of paying our dues can elicit a whole raft of discussions, there is only one I am speaking to today.  Paying our dues via one check on behalf of the whole chapter, does not absolve us of the responsibility of paying our own dues.  We are responsible for paying our own dues by September 1 of each year - not our chapter president, chapter treasurer, or other Daughter designated by the President to collect from us, we are responsible, we are accountable.  If we do not pay our dues on time (or contact the appropriate person for scholarship assistance), we are failing to fully live into our vows as Daughters of the King.  We are failing to support our community that is the Order of the Daughters of the KingŪ.

Dues packets have been mailed to chapter presidents.  An informational packet, including the dues notice, will be mailed to Daughters-at-Large.  So, how can you fulfill your duties and responsibilities and honor your vows?  Do not wait for the chapter President to contact you for your dues.  Be proactive.  Ask her if she is collecting the dues or if she has assigned that function to another Daughter in the chapter.  Ask her to whom she wants your check for dues to be made out.  Ask her how you may assist in the collection of dues from other Daughters.  If by the middle of August, your dues still have not been collected by a Daughter in the chapter, go online to either pay your own individual dues online or to print off the dues notice and send it with your payment to the National Office by mail.

As a Daughter of the King, I pray, I serve, I evangelize through my prayer and service, and I honor my being a part of this Community by paying my dues promptly.

Susan O'Brien

National Secretary

This is the cross that calls to me this month.  I found this cross atop St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Salt Lake City.  Begun in 1870 - 1871 and completed 1882-1902, it is Utah's oldest non-Mormon church in continuous use. This cross called to me, welcoming me to Utah - the site of Triennial 2015.  Remember to send photos of your favorite cross for our photo gallery in the September issue of Cross+Links. 

Susan O'Brien

Cross+Links Editor

Each year at the Convention for the Diocese of Western Michigan, I reserve a display table and put out the Daughters of the King brochures for information.  Recently, I have taken to doing a couple more things to draw people to our Daughters' display table. One was to take a regular road map of Michigan, cut it out, and glue it to a display board. Then with pins that have colorful pinheads, I used the white ones to mark every parish, the blue ones to mark every DOK chapter, and the red ones to mark the cities where each DAL lives in our Diocese. A key added to the board explains what the colors represent. The display board is one of the biggest draws to the table as priests, convention delegates, and Daughters love to see in a visual form where we have chapters in the Diocese. Having available a printed roster of all the names and addresses of the Daughters in your Diocese is also a helpful resource to be able to answer specific questions that may arise.  Adding a display board with a collage of pictures of the Daughters throughout the Diocese in various settings and doing various activities is also an interesting focal point.

The next draw to the table is, of course, a candy bowl. Mints or chocolates are nice to have but even homemade cookies would be a nice way to get people to come to your table when they need a break from the business of convention.

Lastly, having some "Takeaways" allows you to send some advertising with the recipient. A "Takeaway" is something someone may want or need that fits in their pocket. You can attach a business card size ad to a takeaway, or place a sticker with contact information. Some ideas for "Takeaways" are small packages of Kleenex, single packages of wet-wipes, seed packets, etc. Instead of having these items at your display table, you might think about putting several of them directly on the business tables at convention. Some convention attendees may pick up brochures but will receive so much paperwork/reading material from convention that when they get home the brochures are forgotten about, but with the "Takeaway," they have something they can put in a pocket or purse and when they pull it out, it has some sort of DOK information on it. Our business card simply states "Diocese of Western Michigan" on one line, "The Order of the Daughters of the KingŪ" on the next line, and then a link to our Diocesan Website as the third line. Our Diocesan website has a link to the National Website so that seekers of more information can find out who we are and what we do not only in the Diocese but also at the National level.

Marilee Roth 

President, Diocesan Assembly of Western Michigan 

This idea came to me from a Facebook posting.  Lisa Grubbs, the wife of a specialist for premature babies, started NICU Helping Hands, a Fort Worth organization created to support parents whose children did not live to go home after their birth.

So for all you seamstresses out there, here is something to think about.

Lisa and her group make "Angel Dresses" out of wedding gowns.  Women donate their wedding gowns for this project rather than pack them away unused for years.  The gowns are then transformed by seamstresses into a dozen or more "Angel Dresses" for the deceased infants to be to be buried in.  This gift of service lets the parents know their child's life was important and meant something.  

There is also another group who does this and it can be contacted at www.rachelsgift.org.

Lyn Zolman

Service and Evangelism Chair 

Expect not one miracle but many.  Each day's happenings, 

if of My working and under My control, are miracle works.