News & Notes – August 16, 2018

“Thank You, Your Bill Has Been Paid.”

A little generosity can go a long way. When members of the military wear their uniforms in public, they are often met with salutes and kind words. But you can take it a step farther! You can’t put a price tag on the time, effort, and sacrifices that members of the military make, but you can still give back. Show your gratitude for a soldier by paying for their restaurant bill.

Your club can make “Thank You, Your Bill Has Been Paid” cards at a meeting and have everyone take some to keep in their purse. Next time you see a uniformed soldier at a restaurant, you can tell the waiter you’d like to pay for the soldier’s meal. It will mean the world to them to know that their time, efforts, and sacrifices have been acknowledged.

The card itself can include a longer message thanking them for their service. Presenting the soldier with a handmade card is a personal touch that not only shows GFWC gratitude in action, but also shows to the soldier that your club’s appreciation for members of the military is not a one-time event but something you’ve dedicated yourselves to.

Exhibit the kindness of strangers and make “Thank You, Your Bill Has Been Paid” cards in time for Veteran’s Day this fall when you might be likely to see past and present members of the military eating with their family. Paying for their bill is sure to touch their hearts and show them how appreciated they are by their community. And who knows, they might just pay it forward and help someone else, creating a GFWC domino effect of good deeds!

---

Cares & Concerns

Please keep 2018-2020 GFWC Arts CSP Chairman Tinker Forrester in your thoughts as she recovers from a small stroke she experienced last week. We wish her a smooth healing process.

---

GFWC Top Projects 2018

The Top GFWC Projects of 2018 are now available under “T” on the GFWC Resources page. Take a look at the projects selected by the GFWC Special Program, Community Service Program, and Advancement Area Chairmen. You might just find your club’s new favorite project!

---

Thank You Tuesdays

Did you know the GFWC Membership Committee’s #ThankYouTuesday campaign launched on August 7? Follow @GFWCMembers, GFWC’s Facebook Page, and plan to reply with your positive GFWC membership experiences. This month’s theme is “New Year, New Attitude.” Throughout August, let us know how GFWC has fostered your personal growth. Feel free to share GFWC’s post on your personal page, including the separate #GFWC hashtag in your comment, if you’d like.

---

GFWC Announces Staff Transitions!

GFWC is announcing the departure of Kate Garlick, Membership Services Manager and John Stanley, Executive Coordinator. We wish them all the best! Communications that have previously been directed to John Stanley should now be sent to Samantha Henry, Executive Coordinator. Please direct all other concerns to GFWC@GFWC.org to be routed to the appropriate staff member.

---

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!

Make Mats for the Homeless

Collect plastic grocery bags, cut them into strips, roll them in a ball of “yarn,” and crochet waterproof mats for homeless vets to sleep on! It takes about 40 hours to make one mat. This idea comes from the GFWC Henry Clay Woman’s Club (VA), featured in the newly released Top GFWC Projects of 2018!

---

National Senior Citizens Day

August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. It was designated to show appreciation to seniors who have given so much throughout their lifetime. Take the day as an opportunity to show a local retirement home you care with some of these ideas:

• Host an activity like game night or put on a talent show to entertain them.
• Donate large-print books for residents who want to read, or you can arrange to read aloud to residents who have trouble reading themselves.
• Give manicures. The spa treatment can make them feel pampered and loved.
• Help a senior create a scrapbook so they can hold on to their best memories.
• Bring treats for caregivers. Nursing home staff members do a lot to help make sure your loved ones are safe, happy, and comfortable. You can show your appreciation with gifts for staff.

Seniors in nursing or retirement homes don’t want to be overlooked, so you can make sure they don’t feel forgotten. Whether you visit with a pack of cards to socialize or you work with the nursing home to create an arts and crafts night, put a smile on a senior this National Senior Citizens Day!

---

A Woman’s Journey Conference

Join hundreds of women from around the country on Saturday, November 10 at Baltimore Hilton Hotel for the 24th annual Johns Hopkins Medicine’s A Woman’s Journey conference. 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The two keynote speakers will be nurse, breast cancer survivor and humorist Lille Shockney and nurse and associate director of the Center for Global Health at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Nancy Glass. Lillie Shockney will reflect on the thousands of patients she has shepherded through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment while witnessing the evolution of medical research in the treatment of cancers. Dr. Nancy Glass will share her life-long commitment to addressing gender-based inequalities in diverse populations and preventing violence against women in humanitarian settings. Register and listen to these two keynote speakers and select four out of 32 seminars all featuring Johns Hopkins Medicine experts.

Lectures include:

• Coping with the News Cycle
• Foods to Enhance Your Immune System
• The Implication of Inflammation
• Finding Your Voice
• Kidney Disease in Women of Color
• Fatigue and Sleep
• Having your Chocolate and Eating It Too
• The Rise of Lung Cancer in Non-Smoking Women
• The Impact of Stress in Women
• Home Diagnostic Tests
• Strategies to Treat Pain without Addiction
• Thrive to Survive

Open to the community. Register before August 31 and save 10% off of regular registration of $145. Continuing Education Credits available.

For more information and a complete list of available lectures, please call: 410-955-8660 or visit: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney/Baltimore

---

Parliamentary Pointers

by GFWC Parliamentarian Deen J. Meloro

More on Bylaws~

ARTICLE VII. Committees. The article should begin with who chooses the committee chairman and who chooses the committee members. It should also state the length of appointments of chairmen and members. If the President appoints the committee chairmen, there should be a procedure for the Executive Board to approve the chairmen.

Every Standing Committee gets its own section. Each of the sections should state the name of the committee, its composition, and its duties. A section related to elections or nominations is not located in this article but in the article on officers, ARTICLE IV.

There should be a section of this article explaining who names a Special Committee, its chairman, and its members. There should also be a section to provide for “ex officio” members. Usually it will state, “The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees, except the nominating committee.”

ARTICLE VIII. Parliamentary Authority. The parliamentary authority should be prescribed in a one-sentence article reading, “The rules contained in the current edition of… (specifying a standard manual of parliamentary practice) shall govern the Society/state/club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.” Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised is usually the standard manual chosen. A group may adopt special rules of order as they are needed to supplement their parliamentary authority, but the language quoted above does not authorize the adoption of a special rule of order that would supersede a rule that the parliamentary authority states can be altered only by a provision in the bylaws.

---

Volunteers in Action

This week’s Volunteer in Action photo is of the Oregon City Woman’s Club (Oregon). To learn about their recent event, check out their new club profile on the GFWC website!

Have a story you want to share? Send your photos and a description of the project to PR@GFWC.org to be considered for our next Volunteers in Action member profile.

---

Marketplace Announcement

Due to the recent Supreme Court Internet Sales Tax Decision, Marketplace will now be charging sales tax on orders. Sales tax will be determined by the shipping address. We appreciate your understanding.

---

GFWC Marketplace: GFWC Timeline

The GFWC History Timeline includes important milestones and photographs covering GFWC history from 1890 to the present. The publication is printed on heavier paper, with larger font size and photographs, making it easier to read and display. Use this as a resource for club programs on GFWC’s history! Buy yours for $2 each at the GFWC Marketplace!

---

Be the Hero

There could not be an easier way to be the Hero and support your cause. Earn 50% profit and the bulbs get delivered directly to your supporters. They are 100% guaranteed, with no minimum order and no upfront cost required! Order your free sales supplies to start your door to door fundraiser or build your online campaign today!

Raise fantastic profits, all the while beautifying your community and rejuvenating Mother Earth.

Earn 50% profit from sales!

An extra 5% from every sale goes directly to GFWC to support national projects.

www.FlowerPowerFundraising.com/GFWC or call 1-888-833-1486.

---

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@gfwc.org and you’re all set!