News & Notes – September 20, 2018

International Week of the Deaf 

International Week of the Deaf takes place September 24-30. The annual observation raises awareness about the rights and needs of the Deaf community. Longtime GFWC Partner, Canine Companions for Independence, provides hearing dogs free of charge to those in need. Hearing dogs use physical contact to alert their owners to everyday sounds in their home like timers, telephones, and doorbells. They can also warn their owners of danger by responding to fire alarms.

Hearing dogs can help in public as well, increasing awareness of their owners’ surroundings and a sense of security. While dogs aren’t trained to respond to outdoor sounds like car horns, they still look around at things they hear. The Deaf community can face social exclusion, and a dog can create more social interactions and provide loving companionship to combat loneliness. Dogs are the world’s best ice breakers when people stop to pet them and chat with their owners. For a deaf or hard of hearing person who might lack the confidence to initially break the communication barrier, these moments can be incredibly beneficial.

For International Week of the Deaf, support Canine Companions for Independence in training dogs that can be placed in homes to be a source of life-changing support and comfort for owners with disabilities.

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Cares & Concerns

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Patrice Booze, 2018-2020 Resolutions Committee Member, 2006-2008 Ohio State President, and member of the GFWC Pierce Arrows. She brought a bright smile to every GFWC event and will be missed. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

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GFWC Announces New Staff Member!

Please join us in welcoming Tiana Robles to GFWC as the Office Associate. She will be working in our front office providing assistance to members, guests, and the public.

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Curator’s Corner: New Items Donated from the Dudenhoffer Family

Last winter GFWC suffered a monumental loss in the passing of International Past President Phyllis Jay Dudenhoffer. A clubwoman since childhood, Phyllis was a fierce advocate of women’s history and rights. Under Phyllis’ administration, GFWC celebrated its centennial and the designation of 1734 N Street as a National Historic Landmark. After her passing, her family donated her papers and possessions to the Women’s History and Resource Center. The collection ranged from state pins and scrapbooks to an assortment of books about GFWC history. The WHRC is honored to have received and cataloged these items. View pieces of Phyllis’s collection by  searching our online catalog under the keyword “Dudenhoffer.”

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Refer to the GFWC Signature Program: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention section of the Club Manual to prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s an extensive resource for ways that you can support shelters and survivors of domestic violence.

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Advocates for Children

One of GFWC’s best and biggest weeks of the year, Advocates for Children Week, is coming up on October 21-27! Start planning now to make sure your event or project is a great success and to get all the helping hands you can.

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How Your Club Could Lose Visibility

Want to make sure your club’s website gets the visibility it deserves on search engines? Read the “Your Club’s Website Is Its Home“ article in the Summer Membership Quarterly to learn why your website domain name should contain the https prefix as soon as possible so it doesn’t risk losing visitors. Your website is a great resource for potential members; don’t let it go to waste!

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Convention Project Update

Thanks to your generous contributions for our 2018 Service Project, we doubled our goal and raised over $22,000 for Rise Against Hunger!

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A Woman’s Journey Conference

There’s still time to register for the 24th annual Johns Hopkins Medicine’s A Woman’s Journey conference.

Date: Saturday, November 10

Time: 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Location: Baltimore Hilton Hotel

Attend two keynote speakers, select 4 out of 32 seminars all featuring Johns Hopkins Medicine experts, and attend Ask the Experts, which provides access to additional Hopkins physicians.

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

Registration is $145, which includes two meals, educational handouts, and option to earn Continuing Education Credits from eight professional health organizations like Nursing, Social Work, Health Educators, Counselors and Therapists and more.

For more information, please call: 410-955-8660 or visit: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/awomansjourney/Baltimore

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Volunteers in Action

This week’s Volunteer in Action photo is from the GFWC Polk County Service Club (Oregon). To learn about their 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.

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Parliamentary Pointers

By GFWC Parliamentarian Deen J. Meloro

More On Minutes.

Each officer’s report is noted, but it can be as simple as “The Vice President reported on the Garage Sale.” However, if money was raised, new members were installed, local recognition was received, etc., that should all be included in the minutes. If an officer or chairman has no report, that is noted, as in “Vice President – no report.”

If a motion is made, seconded, and debated at a meeting, the exact wording of the motion as made is entered into the minutes. The name of the person making the second does not go into the minutes unless the Secretary is specifically told to do so by the assembly. The result of the vote is also put into the minutes, but the discussion is only noted. The rule is that the minutes record what was done, not what was said. So, for example, the minutes might read: Jane Jones moved that the Bunco tickets be priced at $8.00. The motion was seconded. After discussion, the motion was adopted. OR Jane hones moved that the Bunco tickets be priced at $8.00. The motion was seconded. After discussion, Mary Smith moved to amend the motion by striking $8.00 and inserting $7.50. The motion was seconded. After discussion, the proposed amendment was defeated and the price of $8.00 for Bunco tickets was adopted.

Anytime there is a ballot vote, or a counted vote of any kind, the number of votes on each side are put in the minutes. In an election, the complete report of the tellers is put in the minutes, which would include the number of votes received by each candidate.

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Where in the World is GFWC?

Where do you take your GFWC volunteer spirit? Snap a picture of this “flat GFWC” with you, post the picture on your Instagram or Facebook, and tag it using #GFWC1820. The GFWC Juniors will be awarding winners for most creative, funniest, and furthest distance. We can’t wait to see where in the world GFWC goes this administration!

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MLK Day of Service Ideas

Take notes on ideas you’d like to present at your club meeting for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, one of the 2018-2020 Administration’s Seven Grand Initiatives! This week’s idea is:

Decorate and Refurbish a Shelter

Brighten a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. The East Springfield Jr. Woman’s Club (Ohio) partnered with three other local GFWC clubs to provide a more cheerful environment for domestic violence victims during a difficult time. The clubs purchased new bedding, provided five towel sets, made and hung curtains, and put framed art and inspirational quotes on the walls. The project was listed in the GFWC Top 10 Projects.

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GFWC Marketplace: GFWC Bling Pin

Show off your GFWC spirit in style! The rhinestone pin measures 3/4″ H x 2-1/2″ W and includes a pin safety and clasp. Available for $10 each at the GFWC Marketplace.

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