July 19 News & Notes

July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month

Looking for ways to remain an active volunteer this summer? You can take action for National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month! Children born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, two of the most common craniofacial abnormalities, can face trouble feeding and speaking, as well as social stigma. Cleft abnormalities are common in the United States, but children born in developed countries usually get early care. Operation Smile helps make sure children in all countries can have access to safe surgery. Here are a few ways you can spread awareness and make a difference this month by supporting Operation Smile:

You can download information and directions for everything below on their website.

• Collect items they need urgently, such as travel-sized toothpaste, coloring books, puzzles, and more.
• Sew Smile Bags and fill them with personal care items and toys so that each child who has undergone surgery can have a care package.
• Collect office supplies necessary for the medical record office that is set up during medical missions.
• It may be hot now, but surgery patients can always use a blanket for warmth and comfort. You can knit, crochet, quilt, or tie blankets that will make patients feel secure. Don’t forget to follow Operation Smile’s size and material guidelines.
• Create Smile Splints (formerly No-No Armbands) that help keep patients from pulling at their stitches after surgery.

Whether you make it a family activity on a rainy day or you place collection boxes at local business, community centers, or churches for the summer, you can bring smiles to children around the world in a few easy steps. Get started today!

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Subscribe to News & Notes

If you haven’t yet subscribed to News & Notes, the best source for all things GFWC, what are you waiting for? Signing up is easy and gives you access to timely news items from around Headquarters, our partners, and our work on a national and local scale.

Simply provide your name, mailing address, email, and club name to GFWC Membership Services Manager Kate Garlick at kgarlick@gfwc.org and you’re all set!

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Magazine Announcement

In case you missed it in our July & August edition, Clubwoman Magazine is going quarterly starting with the next issue! The Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer issues will routinely arrive in mailboxes at the beginning of September, December, March, and June respectively. Each issue will continue to be packed with the quality content that has become integral to Clubwoman’s legacy and keeps the GFWC volunteer spirit alive.

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MLK Day of Service Ideas

One of the grand initiatives for the 2018-2020 Administration is to have 1,000 clubs participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 21, 2019 and January 20, 2020. Each week in News & Notes we will share a new project idea for how you can contribute to your community that day. Take notes on the ideas you like and present them at your club meeting!

Organize a Community Clean-up

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is meant to get everyone involved in the active betterment of their community. So harness the power of the collective and organize a clean-up day in your neighborhood. There’s a public park with your name on it!

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Introductions to the GFWC Mediators

GFWC Mediators serve a three-year term and are selected from a pool of applicants on the basis of their experience not only in GFWC but also in the areas of education, law, counseling, and conflict management. Welcome back to returning Mediator Judith Shepp, and please give a warm welcome to our new Mediators:

J. Lynn Cline
Miriam Costilow
Katie McGuigan
Kelly Paul
Phyllis Skubic

We know they will be of great support and service for their tenure. Learn more about the Mediators Program on our website.

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Legislative Action Corner

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), written by suffragist leader Alice Paul, was first proposed and introduced in Congress in 1923. It was passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states with a seven-year deadline for ratification. Although Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982, the ERA received only 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications.

The most recent states to ratify the ERA were Illinois in May of 2018 and Nevada in March of 2017. This leaves only ONE additional ratification needed. The fourteen remaining unratified states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Here are a few strategies your club and state federation can use to get the ERA ratified in your state.

1. Write a letter or call your state legislators encouraging them to address this issue in their current or upcoming legislative session.

2. Contact the GFWC Programs Department to create a Legislative Alert specific to your state and clubwomen.

3. Visit the offices of your state lawmakers to discuss the ERA while also creating a personal relationship.

4. Visit the “Advocacy in Action” section of the Legislative Action Center for ERA talking points for your meeting, call, or letter.

As always, we encourage you and your fellow club women to subscribe to the LAC to take action on the issues that are important to our Federation.

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Parliamentary Pointers

by GFWC Parliamentarian Deen J. Meloro

Whenever a question or problem arises in an organization, the first resource is the Bylaws. The best gift a leader can give her organization is to ensure that the Bylaws are clear, concise, and relevant. At least once an administration, a committee appointed by the President should review the Bylaws and present any amendments the committee feels are necessary. These amendments are then presented at Convention for the delegates to vote on.

Article I ~ Name: Is the name correct in your Bylaws? Seems simple enough, but many times it is not. The name of the organization is that which is stated in the club’s Articles of Incorporation. If the club/state is not incorporated, then the full, exact, and properly punctuated name is that in the Bylaws.

Article ~ II  Object: Ideally, the object should be stated in a single sentence. If an organization is or wishes to be federally tax-exempt, the object should read, “Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and/or scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).”  The word “religious” may be omitted.

Article III ~ Membership: Under this article should be a section on all classes of membership, such as General, Junior, Juniorette, Affiliate, At-large, Honorary, etc;  whatever classes of membership you have. Each class should be explained. There should also be sections on how to apply for membership, the termination of membership, and reinstatement of membership and dues, including the amount of dues, when they are due, and how they are paid.

Other Articles will be noted in upcoming editions of News & Notes.

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Volunteers in Action

Members from the GFWC High Springs New Century Woman’s Club visited Peaceful Paths to donate a check for more than $1600 from the proceeds of their “Purse Auction.” Theresa Beachy, Executive Director of Peaceful Paths, said the funds will be used for the many emergency items that families need when they are receiving assistance from the organization.

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GFWC Marketplace

These professionally printed cards are full color with full bleeds. Premium quality business cards are essential in making a great first impression. They are great tools for marketing and networking yourself or your club. Click here to view quantities and prices.

*Due to the customization required for this product, please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

**Shipping included in cost. Shipped separately via UPS, which does not ship to P.O. Boxes.

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Be the Hero

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