News & Notes – May 2, 2019

International Past President Juanita Bryant, with then Vice President George H.W. Bush and WHRC Chairman Lennie Sims, speaks at the opening of the WHRC on May 1, 1984.

Celebrate 35 Years of the WHRC

Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the opening of the Women’s History and Resource Center (WHRC). Over the last three and a half decades, the WHRC has filled the vital role of ensuring that the General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ 129-year history will be told through our collections.

In 1984, the GFWC archives were constructed through generous donations of both clubwomen and corporate donors. But did you know that our current archives space has a long history of being used for educational purposes? Affectionately referred to as the “spite room,” the area was originally constructed as a way to ensure privacy from neighbor’s windows which overlooked the carriageway of 1734 N Street. However, since its construction, the room has been used as a library, a space to display artifacts, to conduct research, and to store historical documents. When the space was officially opened as a part of the Women’s History and Resource Center in 1984, it was outfitted with archival shelving and temperature control, as well as space for research and writing.

Our archives and special collections are open to both clubwomen and the public so that GFWC’s story can continue to be told. Documents contained within the WHRC have helped to fill in the gaps of local clubs’ histories, have provided context to family members whose relatives were clubwomen, and have aided researchers in completing books, dissertations, articles, and exhibits. Our history matters, and it is crucial that we are able to continue sharing it. As we look towards the next 35 years, please consider making a donation to help us further our mission. Thank you for your support and generosity. Cheers to 35 years!

---

Clear Your Closet to Help Others

Summer is upon us and so is the season of capris and bright, floral, and fun dresses. As you buy new shoes to spruce up your spring/summer wardrobe, consider which pairs you no longer need! There are two ways that your club can participate in the 2018–2020 Used Shoes Grand Initiative:

1. Register your club on the Soles4Souls website today. You’ll be connected with a Soles4Souls representative within 3 business days to plan logistics. Immediately after the registration is processed, you’ll be taken to a “Thank You” webpage where you can download the GFWC marketing toolkit.
2. Contact a NIKE store near you that is participating in its Reuse-a-Shoe Program. Call the specific drop off location to confirm details, but you should plan on giving at least 48 hours of notice and compiling donations into clear trash bags.

Then, don’t forget to snap a photo of your members assembling the donations before drop off. Share your success stories with pr@gfwc.org to be considered for the Volunteers in Action blog.

---

Brock at the Beach

Brock, the Canine Companion named after International President Mary Ellen Brock, is enjoying his last few days with his puppy trainer Betsy. They spent some quality time at the beach together. Brock will graduate this Friday, May 3 and begin his professional training. Watch his graduation ceremony live stream at 1:00 p.m. ET.

---

Cares & Concerns

We send our condolences to Alice Kendrick, Past GFWC Kentucky President (2003-2006) on the passing of her husband, George on March 5.

---

Volunteers in Action

The Seward GFWC (Nebraska), GFWC South San Francisco Women’s Club (California), GFWC Dillsburg Woman’s Club (Pennsylvania), GFWC Woman’s Club of the Denville-Rockaway (New Jersey), Sorosis Club of Lamar (Colorado), GFWC Temple Terrace Woman’s Club (Florida), Women’s League of Mt. Holly (New Jersey), and Midge Tucker, a member of the GFWC Ludlow-Okemo Valley Woman’s Club (Vermont) are featured on GFWC’s Blog for their Arbor Day projects.

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

---

Welcome an Honor Flight with GFWC

Please join GFWC in welcoming the next Honor Flight from West Central Florida on Tuesday, May 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Seventy-five veterans and their guardians will pay respects to the war memorials and you can help make the day a success.

---

Convention Correction

Last week we incorrectly published that the Lip Sync Challenge Fun Night will take place on Friday, June 28 at the GFWC Annual Convention in Austin. It will actually take place on Saturday, June 29. Register for Convention so you can take part of this entertaining evening!

---

Parliamentary Pointers: The Rights and Obligations of Members

by GFWC Parliamentarian Deen J. Meloro, RP

Congratulations! Just joined a new group and anxious to participate? You may also be anxious to know what you are and are not allowed to do. As a member, your rights include:

• Receiving a copy of the group’s bylaws, standing rules, and any other governing document.
• Expressing your opinion during discussion.
• Voting on all issues, no matter what form the vote may take.
• Making a motion. Your motion should be clear and concise, and its purpose should be to bring new business to the floor.
• Asking questions. These can be asked before, during, and after a meeting. If a question is asked during a meeting, it must be about the business being discussed.
• Attending meetings. Certain meetings, such as Board meetings, might not be open to everyone, but the general meetings are.

You also have obligations as a member. Some of these include:

• Paying dues. It’s not just a matter of giving your local organization some money. There are numbers needed and deadlines to be met that start with your local group but continue on to state and national manifestations of your organization.
• Expressing your opinion without denigrating others’ opinions or ideas.
• Thinking of the organization first and not become allied with one group or the other. Cliques are the quickest way to kill a group.
• Attending all meetings, or as many as possible. You cannot be a well-informed nor active member without attending meetings.
• Being open to new ideas.
• The obligation “to forget not to be kind.”

---

Club Anniversaries and Gold Pin Recipients 

Anniversaries

25th

Austintown Junior Women’s League (Ohio)

50th

GFWC Western Fairfax County Woman’s Club (Virginia)
New Dominion Women’s Club (Virginia)

60th

GFWC Woman’s Club of Mclean (Virginia)
Woman’s Club of Madison County (Virginia)
Northampton Woman’s Club (Virginia)

70th

GFWC Yorktown Woman’s Club (Virginia)
Brookneal Woman’s Club (Virginia)

75th

Woman’s Club of Columbia (South Carolina)

80th

Woman’s Club of Poquoson (Virginia)

85th

Covington Junior Woman’s Club (Virginia)

90th

Woman’s Club of Hilton Village (Virginia)

95th

Woman’s Club of Suffolk (Virginia)
Woman’s Club of Sandston (Virginia)
Woman’s Club of Roanoke (Virginia)
GFWC Roanoke County Woman’s Club (Virginia)
Farmville Junior Woman’s Club (Virginia)

120th

GFWC Port Washington Woman’s Club (Wisconsin)

Gold Pin Recipients

Anabel Brunermer, Joyce Catt, Grace Shields, Beryl Tait, & Pearl Wilson
GFWC Intermediate League of Butler (Pennsylvania)

Faye Florida
Woman’s Club of Madisonville (Kentucky)

Pat Miller
Woman’s Improvement Club of Corona (California)

Oweita Calvert, Judy Tracy, Donnie Eakins, & Ruby Martin
GFWC Platonic Club (Oklahoma)

Patricia Rinebolt & Marcia Seagraves
GFWC Saxonburg District Woman’s Club (Pennsylvania)

Virginia Alleano & Shirley Leonard
East Hartford Women’s Club (Connecticut)

Judith Getchell
Westbrook Woman’s Club (Maine)

Mrs. C.W. Ritter & Mrs. Cadman Porter
Twenty-First Century Club of Koscuisko (Mississippi)

Wilma Hulbert
GFWC Crescent City Woman’s Club (California)

Martha Pasker
GFWC Murray Women’s Civic Guild (Utah)

Alice Biernacki
GFWC Woman’s Club of Mountaintop (Pennsylvania)

Bennie Hall
GFWC Holden Beach Woman’s Club (North Carolina)

Ruth Ogles
Fairview Heights Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Pat Rolandelli
GFWC Orinda Woman’s Club (California)

Sarah Fillet, Joan Gonzales, & Rosamond Pierce
GFWC Dover Century Club (Delaware)

Virginia Field
GFWC Woman’s Club of Stephen (Minnesota)

Sherrie Silcox & Geneal Dart
GFWC Tooele Civic League (Utah)

Alice Wiedrich & Darla D. Weltmer
GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Suzanne Shambaugh
GFWC Cerro Gordo Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Darlene Dicken & Doris Doughty
GFWC East Peoria Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Brenda Conley & Jackie Victor
Wauconda Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Doris Lane & Rosalie Taylor
GFWC Woman’s Club of Champagne-Urbana (Illinois)

Carol Rich
GFWC Pontiac Junior Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Betty Lyons
GFWC Femmes Unir Women’s Club of Bartonville (Illinois)

LaVerve McKanna & Delores Banderowicz
GFWC IL Libertyville Woman’s Club (Illinois)

Dorothy Bennett
GFWC Beaver Dam Woman’s Club (Kentucky)

---

GFWC Marketplace: WHRC Collections Book

Celebrate 35 years of the WHRC with the second edition of Rising to Light by Higher Things, which details the illustrious history of GFWC’s collections. All proceeds support the WHRC. Get yours for $15 in the GFWC Marketplace.

---

Subscribe to News & Notes

Simply provide your name, mailing address, email, and club name to gfwc@gfwc.org!