News & Notes- December 12, 2019

A Memorable Holiday Open House 

On December 4, Headquarters turned into a festive night of holiday cheer as International President Mary Ellen Brock opened the doors to welcome clubwomen, partners, family, and friends for GFWC’s 2019 Holiday Open House. While music filled the air and holiday lights twinkled, clubwomen had the opportunity to come together and share in the holiday spirit. With the help of the Presidents Assistants, GFWC Headquarters turned into a festive palace. To help make this year’s holiday décor special, State Federations sent in decorated gift boxes to place under the tree.

GFWC’s annual Holiday Open House was a night to remember! Guests were able to take a piece of GFWC home with them by purchasing special gear from GFWC’s Marketplace in person as they kick off the holidays!

View this year’s Holiday Open House photo album on Facebook. We hope that everyone can join us again next year!

Cares & Concerns

GFWC is sad to announce that New Mexico Past State President Margaret Armstrong, 1988–1990, lost her husband Ed on December 6, 2019. Our thoughts are with Margaret and her family. Condolences may be sent to 6750 Chamisa Ln. Farmington, NM 87402-0904.

Shoes Make a Great Holiday Gift 

The holidays are always a great time to think of the less fortunate. As we enjoy food and drink with family and friends, it’s easy to forget that thousands around the world are unable to celebrate the holidays. They lack food and other basic essentials, such as shoes.

As you’re buying holiday presents, consider what you already have that could also be a gift. Organize a gently-used shoe drive for your club! Routing your donations to those who need footwear is as easy as joining GFWC’s cooperative giving project on the Soles4Souls website.

After Registering

1. Keep the “Thank You” webpage open that displays immediately after the registration is processed, and download the marketing toolkit. If you close it accidentally, your assigned representative can resend it.

2. Determine if there is a drop-off location within driving distance. If not, a Soles4Souls representative will be in touch to plan logistics.

3. Contact Stephanie Hathaway at stephanieh@soles4souls.org if you have not heard from your assigned representative within three business days.

4. Share your success stories with pr@gfwc.org to be considered for the Volunteers in Action blog.

Already made a donation to the GFWC and Soles4Souls Cooperative Giving Project? Register for another donation! Or, contact your local Nike store at least 48 hours in advance to coordinate the details of your club’s donation (organized in clear plastic bags) to its Reuse-a-Shoe Program. There are 3,237 shoes still needed until the 2018–2020 Administration reaches its 40,000-pair goal by June 2020.

Volunteers in Action

GFWC Potpourri Club of Glenwood (Minnesota), GFWC Ossoli Circle (Tennessee), and GFWC North West District are featured on GFWC’s Blog. Read and comment on their activities supporting their local troops, decorating a 100th anniversary suffrage tree, and collecting items for their 7 Grand Initiatives.

Have a success story to tell? Email pr@gfwc.org.

Time’s Running Out to Join the Million Dollar Club!

Less than seven months remain until the GFWC Annual Convention and the close of the Seven Grand Initiatives. Your contributions to the Capital Campaign are already hard at work protecting, repairing, and restoring GFWC’s historic Headquarters, but there’s still more work to be done! With the close of this Administration in June 2020 comes the close of the Million Dollar Club. Take this opportunity to join President Brock and your fellow clubwomen in this important effort to raise the needed funds to maintain the Federation’s home. Contributions to the Capital Campaign have helped replace the roofs, repair cracked pipes, and remove old wiring. Your support is essential!

Donors to the Million Dollar Club will be recognized in a book displayed at Headquarters showcasing the Regions, State Federations, Districts, clubs, groups, and individual clubwomen who have contributed to this amazing achievement. With so many projects still to tackle, your participation is more important than ever. Celebrate the success of the Seven Grand Initiatives and join the Million Dollar Club!

Thank You Tuesday- The Gift of Membership

Your gift of GFWC membership needs to be shared. The new neighbor who has just moved into the community, the retired schoolteacher, that friendly face at the hair salon, and that list may go on and on. For example, GFWC Membership Committee Member Valerie Barnes was one of the 10 ladies recruited by her neighbor 54 years ago. This was the gift that has kept on giving and giving! The membership of Valerie’s neighbor has multiplied and allowed communities to experience the volunteer service of GFWC. Invite those around you to join GFWC!

Keep the gift of membership going on Facebook and participate in this month’s Thank You Tuesday. Sharing your club with others is truly the greatest gift.

Heifer Makes Life Better for Neighbors Worldwide

To date, GFWC’s members have raised over $100,000 since May 2018 towards fulfilling Heifer’s School Milk Project!

With this help, Heifer has fully funded the Heifer School Milk Project as well as created additional child nutrition projects with milk and dairy components in numerous countries. A daily serving of dairy for a student provides high-quality protein, vitamins, and nutrients needed for healthy minds and bodies—empowering them to focus on learning instead of hunger.

Through projects in Kenya, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Rwanda, and Honduras, Heifer is creating opportunities not only to help dairy farmers through training and connecting them to markets; they are also increasing the nutrition for hungry children and their families in these communities. It’s through the dedicated efforts of clubwomen that makes this life-changing work possible.

During your holiday endeavors, visit www.heifer.org/gfwc to see what blessings you can bestow on hungry families this year. Whether it’s sponsoring a fundraiser or shopping through Heifer’s gift catalog, GFWC’s dedication and giving spirit rises to the occasion to create change in communities around them.

January 20 is MLK Day

Has your club started planning its project for the 2020 MLK Day of Service yet? The 2019 Top Projects list has something for every interest and club size, but refreshing a previous club project that was successful at recruiting new members is another option. Together, we can light up GFWC’s brand!

PCAA’s President & CEO Author’s CDC Report

Dr. Melissa Merrick, president & CEO of GFWC Partner Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), is the lead author of the latest Vital Signs report, issued in early November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This landmark report contains the most comprehensive estimates to date on the widespread impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as well as tangible recommendations for preventing them to improve the health and prosperity in the United States. Recognizing the report’s value to PCA America’s nationwide chapter network, Healthy Families America affiliates, lawmakers, and the public, Dr. Merrick and her team have made numerous related resources; including a short video, talking points, and links to infographics and training; available on the PCA America website. PCA America also distributed a press release addressing the specific role of business leaders and policymakers in preventing ACEs.

Share these resources! You and your club have a role to play in preventing early adversity like child abuse and neglect.

Logged into Your Profile?

If you haven’t visited the GFWC Member Portal yet, try selecting “Forgot your password?” and entering the email address with which you are receiving this News & Notes. You will then receive a prompt to check your email for a temporary login code. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any difficulties logging in.

State Director’s Project: Georgia, Becky Bolden

The special project of Becky Bolden, GFWC Georgia Director of Junior Clubs, is Women’s Health with an emphasis on Diabetes. Becky’s sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 18, and she has seen her everyday struggles. She wanted to share the warning signs with Georgia clubwomen and how living a healthy lifestyle could reduce the chances of diabetes. Teresa Hanna, Becky’s sister, shared her life journey at the Fall Institute.

Becky also wanted to bring awareness to Juvenile Diabetes, which affects more than 200,000 young people in the United States. She partnered with Camp Kudzu, an organization that provides
weekly summer camps for youth with diabetes, as well as training for family members. The youth who attend don’t feel out of place when they experience a high/low blood sugar, prick their finger, or take a shot. Becky asked the women of Georgia to support her campaign to send an eight-year-old (Keegan) to Camp Kudzu for the first time in addition to providing supplies for the camp. The smile on Keegan’s face was priceless when she was able to go to a camp where every camper has the same disease and struggles of diabetes.

As women, we work hard to bring happiness to our families, friends, and communities. One of Becky’s objectives was to share important information with Georgia clubwomen on taking care of ourselves. Eating healthy, walking/exercise, yoga/meditation, reading, hobbies, prayer, and sleep are the foundation to good health. However, Becky has found that laughter and kindness are great stress relievers; they are free and tend to bring a smile to those around you. The motto of Becky’s administration has been “It is What You Do for Others That Counts” – an expression she hopes has inspired others as much as herself.

Parliamentary Pointers
by GFWC Parliamentarian Deen J. Meloro

STEP 1: A member stands up, is recognized, and makes a motion.
Common Mistakes: Members do not stand up, do not wait to be recognized, and typically start to discuss their motion before completing STEP 2, STEP 3, and STEP 4 below.

STEP 2: Another member seconds the motion.
Common Mistake: The person seconding the motion dives into the merits of the motion.

STEP 3: The presiding officer restates the motion to the assembly.
Common Mistake: Motion is restated differently from the wording of the maker. Beware: the motion that is adopted is the one stated by the presiding officer, not the one stated by the maker of the original motion.

STEP 4: The members debate the motion.
Common Mistakes: Debate gets out of control in temper, in duration, or in relevance. Members talk at each other across the room rather than through the presiding officer.

STEP 5: Presiding officer asks for the affirmative votes and then the negative votes.
Common Mistakes: The presiding officer states “All in favor” and fails to tell the members what to do as a matter of voting (for example, “say aye,” “stand up,” “raise your hand,” etc.), or the negative vote is never requested or counted.

Step 6: The presiding officer announces the result of the voting, instructs the correct people to take action, and introduces the next item of business.
Common Mistakes: Presiding officer fails to pronounce the result of the voting. No one gets instruction to take action. Commonly, dead silence follows because the presiding officer is lost and stares at the assembly.

Club Anniversaries and Gold Pin Recipients

Anniversaries

110th

Village Improvement Association of Rehoboth Beach, DE, Inc.

125th

GFWC Ohio

Gold Pin Recipients

Judy Lary
GFWC Oak View Women’s Club (California)

Doris Turner
Livermore Woman’s Club (Kentucky)

Linda Li Frye
GFWC State College Woman’s Club (Pennsylvania)

Lynda Simmons
GFWC Park City Athenaeum Club (Utah)

GFWC Marketplace: Holiday Shopping

It’s time for holiday shopping and there are lots of ways to show that special Federation sister that you care. Whether it’s a holiday ornament or one of the many apparel or accessory options available, GFWC Marketplace is your one-stop shop for making this season merry and bright. Place your order by December 13 to ensure there’s time for your gift to arrive and be wrapped!