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National Leadership Conference 
It was green and white as far as the eye could see when KDs from across the nation - collegians and alums alike - swept into Minneapolis in June for the 2006 National Leadership Conference (NLC). It is the much-anticipated opportunity for members to meet other KDs from around the country, share ideas, listen to fascinating speakers, and, of course, shop! What else would you expect in Minneapolis, home of the legendary Mall of America?These young women - leaders on their campuses, in their chapters and in their communities - trekked to Minneapolis: No one left disappointed. Attendees were treated to an informative, engaging presentation by Jean Kilbourne, author and motivational speaker, internationally recognized for her pioneering work on alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising. Hand-in-hand with Jean's presentation was a special appearance by Stacy Nadeau, model for the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Kappa Delta partners with Dove on its campaign to promote self-esteem in young girls across the country, especially working within the Kappa Delta/Girl Scouts of the USA collaboration. Stacy captured the minds and hearts of the NLC participants as she enthusiastically explained how she - a "normal" girl - was chosen to model in her underwear, explaining that women need to be happy as they are -- NOT as they are told to be by the media. The young women especially enjoyed her story of seeing herself for the first time, in her underwear, on the side of a bus. Quite brave, don't you think? After Stacy's energetic speech, the collegians left full of ideas of ways they could encourage young women on their campus, Girl Scouts and their female family members and friends, to be who they are -- brave, fantastic women!  Breakout sessions held throughout the weekend focused on timely topics of great interest to the collegians and national officers in attendance. Philanthropy projects such as Shamrock Events were discussed and ideas were shared, along with e-mail addresses so questions could be asked as members went back to plan new, educational and fun events for their campus and community. There were many sessions on Chapter Choice, the new and innovative program that allows chapters more flexibility in their meetings and planning/working sessions.
 And of course, no visit to Minneapolis is complete without a trip to the Mall of America - a great, towering spectacle of clothes, purses, jewelry, home furnishings, gourmet delights and virtually anything else you can possibly imagine, including a full amusement park. The Kappa Delta women boarded the buses and headed to the mall for hours of fun-filled shopping and daring amusement park rides in the Park at the Mall of America. The more adventurous KDs hit the roller coasters in full force while the more "grounded" women enjoyed Starbucks and laughed at the contorted faces the girls made as they looped-de-looped.
The weekend ended with an energetic performance by Jana Stanfield, acclaimed song writer, motivational speaker and businesswoman, who's known as the "Queen of Heavy Mental" for her music, which she describes as "psychotherapy you can dance to." With her trademark blend of self-effacing humor and profound insights, Jana entertained the crowd, using audience participation, and her unique storytelling abilities to encourage the NLC attendees to be who they are - not who someone else tells them they should be. With a flourish of brightly-colored balloons - lots of green and white, of course! - NLC drew to a close, and the participants headed home to share all the wonderful memories, experiences and information they picked up in Minneapolis.
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