Home∣Articles by: SMayuga

Author: SMayuga

GFWC National Short Story Contest Winner

Jodi Hodges of Anderson Creek Woman’s Club (North Carolina) won GFWC’s 2017 Short Story Contest with a thought-provoking tale about a world where luck functions almost like currency, with rewards and costs for using it.

One of the many successful parts of her story was the subconscious writing style, which Jodi used to create a sense of urgency and chaos that immediately catches the reader’s attention. When asked what she wants readers to take from the story, Jodi said she wanted the story to be a ride, and for readers to think about what kind of choices they might make if put in a similar situation.

Jodi hasn’t written since college, but her return to writing was a success. As for her inspiration, Jodi explained, “I had seen a [writing] prompt for people being limited in luck and started thinking about what that might look like and how it could play a part in people’s lives.” Once she began to imagine that world, her story took off from there. If you want to read Jodi’s absorbing short story, click here.

 

 

Saidie’s Cupboard

A small club can still have a large impact, and the GFWC Salem Woman’s Service Club (Oregon) is proof. With eleven current members and limited finances, they are always on the lookout for projects that small clubs can accomplish. One project that became an enduring success is Saidie’s Cupboard, which partners them with Public Health Nurses who work at the County Health Department with children who have medical issues. Many low income families have children taken care of there, and Saidie’s Cupboard attempts to ease the financial burden.

The club creates family bags that hold 15 hygiene and personal care items, including shampoo, detergent, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, toilet paper, and more. They also create infant bags, which have newborn care items like diapers, clothes, blankets, infant shampoo, wipes, and other items. Every other month, the club delivers these bags to nurses, who keep them on hand for when a visiting family might need them.

The club named the project to honor Saidie Orr Dunbar, who led the Public Health field in the 1930s. She was crucial to the development and funding of Public Health Nurses, and was both an active member of the Oregon Federation of Women’s Club, as well as the GFWC International President from 1938 to 1941, and so there was no better person after which to name the project.

They began thinking about the project in 2004 when one of the members saw a similar project operated by a church in another state, and brought the concept to her club. They liked the idea because it meant they could provide items to disadvantaged families who couldn’t get those necessary items with food stamps or through other community agencies. They proposed the idea to the Public Health Nurses, who eagerly worked with the club to identify what kind of items would be most helpful. In addition to the family and infant bags, the nurses specifically requested Spanish and English board books and newborn rattles. The nurses explained that they use the books and rattles to teach parents how to have positive interactions with their baby that foster attachment, stimulate the baby, and encourage literacy for both baby and parent.

Club president Pam Briggs said, “This has become an important project to our club because it has been so well received by the nurses and has given us an ongoing project that the community can connect us with.” To strengthen that connection with the community, the club puts labels on the bags with information about the club and their contact information.

The biggest challenge for the club has been providing continual funding, but they have integrated several funding sources over time. In addition to club members bringing a few items to meetings each month, they have obtained grants, as well as established a direct mailing campaign called “Stock the Cupboard” to encourage medical professionals and other clubs in the state to contribute. But the most important development was that of in-kind donations from the community, with the club acquiring unsold infant clothing from a consignment store and surplus items through a United Way program.

From their first delivery in 2005 to the end of 2016, GFWC Salem Woman’s Service Club has provided 514 family bags, 337 infant bags, 1,568 Spanish and English board books, 682 rattles, and 22,190 diapers, showing that a small club can yield big results.

Encouraging the Youth to Write

With the annual National Youth Writing Contests, GFWC offers young writers the opportunity to find their voices. Writing is a wonderful practice and talent worth fostering, especially in children who can use it to discover themselves and their own potential.

Nora Halder, the winner of this year’s Category 4 Youth Short Story Contest, was entered through GFWC Seward Woman’s Club (Nebraska). GFWC Nebraska started a creative writing program in 1970, and it has continued to this day. Initially, it was only for GFWC members, but when the national organization included the youth, the clubs began to include the youth in their contests as well. For the past fourteen years, the clubs have held a writing workshop for students and adults, and there are usually 50 to 60 people, mostly students, in attendance. Nora Halder, now a senior at Seward Senior High School, has attended the writing workshop each year since she was a freshman, and values the chance to write and participate in the contest.

The Fine Arts and Creative Writing Chairman for Nebraska, Betty Jean Kolterman, encourages the clubs to notify schools of the writing contest, and at least nine clubs faithfully provide entries. GFWC Nebraska also prints an anthology that includes the writing of Nebraska students and clubwomen to celebrate and share their work.

The 3rd-5th grade winner of the Youth Short Story contest was Mary Arengo, and she was entered by GFWC Montgomery Woman’s Club (Ohio).


Mary Arengo, pictured with members, from left to right: Ruth Harrison, Claire Hounchell, and Nancy Jones. 

The club has sponsored the contest since their founding in 1952. They promote the contest by sending information to every school in the district. They are fortunate to have enthusiastic English teachers who encourage their students to submit, and so the club receives between 400 and 500 entries every year. The first, second, and third place winners receive a certificate, as well as a Barnes and Nobles gift card to encourage reading and writing. Winners at the state level are invited to join the club in the Montgomery 4th of July parade, and participants are given a “cone card” for an ice cream cone at the local ice cream parlor.

Sophomore student Alison Oman won her age group’s poetry contest, submitted by GFWC Amery Woman’s Club (Wisconsin). Alison is active in sports, particularly tennis, and the group presented her with her award at school to accommodate her busy schedule. The club works with Amery Public Schools and the Home Schooling group that meets at the local library to encourage youth submissions.


Alison Oman pictured with Gloria Lansin

GFWC Woman’s Club of Rock Hill (South Carolina) has been having a writing contest for over thirteen years. Chloe Powell, the nine year old winner of her short story age division, is the granddaughter of one of the club’s members. She wrote the story for school, and the club was very impressed with it. The club is planning a “Tea and Topics” event in the fall where Chloe will be reading her story. The club has a strong Education CSP group and is made up of many former teachers, and so they encourage their families to submit writing. Club President Geri Rinehart said, “[We consider] our Chloe winning this award to be a truly amazing honor and we were so thrilled.”

Gabby Hall, who won the Youth Poetry Contest in the K-2nd grade age group, was entered through GFWC Alma Ladies Reading Circle (Kansas). Arlene Gnadt, the writing contest organizer for club, is a retired third grade school teacher who was approached many years ago by the group’s former President Veryl Meseke to have her students participate. Arlene said it was a great way for her students to practice their writing skills with a purpose. The students kept a journal for a week, and when contest time came, they each selected one poem and one story to submit.

After retiring, Arlene and the group’s new president, Diane Barrett, prioritized promoting the contest by visiting other classes and schools to encourage them to participate. The club gives monetary prizes for the top four winning entries in each category and grade level. Arlene says, “It is always exciting to see the students’ faces light up when they are given this award.” In addition, they celebrate the winners by publishing pictures and winning works in the local newspaper.

GFWC hosts the youth contests to inspire children to pick up a pencil and express themselves, but it’s the clubwomen who encourage it in their communities. “We don’t want teachers to see this contest as additional work, but as an opportunity to expose their writers and encourage a joy for writing,” Arlene said. GFWC hopes clubwomen continue spreading that joy for writing.

To learn more about the GFWC’s writing contest, visit our club manual.

 

Cell Phones for Victims of Domestic Violence

When people get a new phone, their old one often collects dust in some drawer in their house because they aren’t sure what to do with it. For victims of domestic violence, a donated cell phone can be their lifeline. A phone allows them to call 911 or other support services, as well as any friends or family who might be able to help them. Abusers try to isolate victims, but a cell phone is a way for victims to feel safer and less alone. The National Network to End Domestic Violence reports that domestic violence hotlines nationwide typically receive about 20,800 calls a day, and victims need access to a phone to get that help.

Cathy Haney is the Domestic Violence Chairman of The Woman’s Club of Parsippany Troy Hills (New Jersey), and says the cause is dear to many of her club members’ hearts. Twice a year, the club has a drive to collect cell phones and other electronic products, such as iPads and iPods. They place collection boxes with explanatory signs in restaurants, banks, dry cleaners, and other frequently visited establishments, and after a month, the club sends the collection to a non-profit recycling agency. The agency assigns a value to each item and sends a total check to a charity that the club designates, in this case, the Jersey Battered Women’s Service (JBWS) of Morris County. In addition to the phone collection, the club completes several projects each year to support JBWS and help both the women and children in JBWS safe residences.

Cathy says that unfortunately, as time goes on, the monetary value of non-smart phones have been decreasing, and people are less likely to donate their smart phones now that trade-ins and trade-ups are available. So while the club’s April drive yielded an impressive 78 items, the remuneration was less than they might have hoped. To make a change, Cathy has been trying to find a group that sends used, re-programmed electronic devices directly to victims of domestic violence, as the cell phones would likely be more useful that way.

Programs like that are harder to come by then the recycling programs. HopeLine from Verizon collects phones to recycle and resell, with the proceeds both funding non-profit agencies, and also being used to purchase phones for victims of domestic violence that are distributed to shelters and social service agencies.

It’s not environmentally sound to discard your cell phone, so recycling is the way to go. With programs that will put the phones, or the proceeds of the phones, towards someone who might desperately need it, it is a win-win situation. The Woman’s Club of Parsippany Troy are committed to making sure old cell phones don’t go to waste, and you can be too!

 

 

 

 

GFWC National Poetry Contest Winner

Sharon Paulson of GFWC Amery Woman’s Club (Wisconsin) has won first place in GFWC’s national poetry contest. Sharon’s entry, “On the Death of My Son”, is a moving poem that she wrote on the night her son Christopher died. “I hope people can see the world through the eyes of Christopher,” Sharon said. “He was empathetic to a fault. He felt for others too deeply. So much so, he felt himself too imperfect to live in this world.”

While there were many outstanding submissions that illustrated the talent of the GFWC community, Sharon’s poem stood above the rest. She has been writing for about eight years, but not steadily— only when she feels deeply moved by an idea. The death of her son was one of those moments, and she channeled her emotions into a poem that spoke to the judges:

On the Death of My Son

It was all about perfection
And that is why he loved nature
You’ll find perfection all around
A flower, a snail, a star, a tree.

He was most at peace in the woods, in the quiet
The sounds of nature were his Mozart, his genius
And after the woods, the birds, the animals, and brooks
Were his family.

But children came before the fall, before the destruction, before sadness.

The root of that destruction was the masses, the media, and man.

Nature wanted the control, but man chose differently.
Man decided and nature lost.
Let the children choose.
It was too late.
Perfection was slipping farther
And hope was lost.
And, finally, life was lost.
We lost.

 

We would like to thank Sharon for sharing this emotional poem with us.

Sharon is one of fifty-seven members of GFWC Amery Woman’s Club, which helps their local community. One of their major and best-loved projects is their Amery Art & Craft Fair, which benefits school scholarships.

Helping Children Succeed in School

With school coming back into session, it’s hard to miss the vibrant Back-to-School displays at your local retail stores. As much as kids might mourn the end of summer, picking out a new wardrobe, freshly sharpened color pencils, and all the items on their supply list can be a fun experience. Unfortunately, it can also be an expensive ordeal for their parents, especially for families with multiple children.

Fortunately, GFWC clubwomen rose to the challenge of making sure that the children in their communities, no matter their financial situation, have access to the supplies they need for school. All of these clubs found different and creative means of collecting items, but all methods had the same level of impact: children will be better equipped to do well in class.

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Denville-Rockaway (New Jersey) established collection sites for school supplies in three different towns. Several local businesses volunteered to help, showing a great level of community cooperation. The club collected $500 worth of school supplies, which they distributed to four different nonprofits. Since the club doesn’t have summer meetings, the project can be difficult to organize, but project coordinator Susan Kleczynski says, “I have to give my team a lot of credit,” and drew on the phrase, “Many hands make light work,” because even with many members on vacation, everyone tried to chip in and commit to the project.

The GFWC Pocono Mountain Women’s Club (Pennsylvania) also collected school supplies throughout the summer, filling twenty nylon backpacks with $400 worth of supplies, including pens, crayons, rulers, and much more. They donated the bags to their local pantry, and even had leftover supplies that they plan to give away to the school or community church.

The GFWC Swartz Creek Women’s Club continued its annual support of Guiding Harbor, a residential and foster care program started by GFWC Michigan. Each year, club members collect school supplies like markers, notebooks, and backpacks to donate to school age boys and girls. Last year they donated $749 worth of supplies, and this year they expect a great result as well, with supplies quickly arriving.

Gift cards were an innovative idea this summer, with the Woman’s Club of Parsippany Troy Hills (New Jersey) hosting a Back-to-School drive where they collected gift cards for purchasing school clothes, as well as collected lunch snacks for the kids at shelters. Similarly, the Needham Women’s Club (Massachusetts) gave gift cards to their local Community Counsel to help them purchase school supplies for local children in need.

GFWC Escanaba (Michigan) took part in a “Wishes on Wheels” campaign and collected school supplies throughout August. Then they were given a list of students in the area who needed the help, adding a personal touch to the donation process.

Parents and their children aren’t the only ones who have to worry about school supply prices; teachers do too! The Jonesville Junior Guild (Louisiana) thoughtfully gifted teachers with double-duty caddies filled with school supplies that teachers might otherwise run out of in their classroom throughout the school year.

No family should have to worry about their child’s education being impacted by their inability to afford school supplies. Luckily, GFWC clubwomen across the country made it their mission to make sure children have what they need to succeed.

Ring a Bell for Rosies

Rosies were women who did important work on the home front during World War II. With so many men at war, women stepped up and filled jobs that were traditionally done by men. Although these women inspired the cultural icon, Rosie the Riveter, not every Rosie riveted airplanes. Instead, they did an array of different jobs at factories and ship builders. Rosies made themselves an integral part of the war effort. Unfortunately, when the soldiers came back from war, the women were ushered out of those jobs so the men could return. While the soldiers were celebrated, the significant contributions of the women were, and continue to be, overlooked.

GFWC has many members who were Rosies, most of whom are in their nineties by now. Ninety-one year old Maxine Redmond Cook (Las Fidelis Study Club of Levelland) took a class in sheet metal work at the start of the war, and then went to work at the South Plains Army base. She likes to tell the story of her almost accident— she was working high above the ground when she began to slide off the edge of a wing, but luckily she stopped before falling to the cement below. Jennifer Marie Conaway McMullen (Women’s Club of San Bernardino) worked at Lockheed’s aircraft factory, and says, “The entire area was camouflaged under a very large burlap tarp painted with homes, trees, even fire hydrants to depict a scene of suburban life.” Late member Lela Mac Buster (Las Fidelis Study Club of Levelland) built Liberty Ships at the Kaiser Shipyards in California. The shipyard used to build a single ship in two weeks, but towards the end of the war, they were constructing three a day. These GFWC Rosies were imperative to the war, and their stories deserve telling.

Many daughters of Rosies are GFWC members as well, and are proud of their mothers’ important work. Dorothy Hawkes (Woman’s Club of New Cumberland) is the daughter of Mary B. Jones, who worked at the Hancock Manufacturing Company in New Cumberland, West Virginia. Leslie Jo Gatti (GFWC Wyoming President) is the daughter of Dolly Troutman Weaver, who worked at the Crane Naval Shipyard in Indiana. Dolly met her husband, and Leslie’s father, through the work carpool, where he drove her and a few others in his bright blue Chrysler. Leslie jokes, “My dad says he got my mother with ration stamps!” Dolly was President of the now disbanded Lytle (TX) Woman’s Club, and so Leslie and her daughter, Marianne, are GFWC Legacy members in her honor.

To honor Rosies like the superb women GFWC. Thanks! Plain and Simple, Inc. (Thanks!), a nonprofit, has organized the Ring a Bell for Rosies event, where bells will be rung at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Labor Day nationwide. The major event will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., where the nonprofit has arranged for two days of Rosie recognition. On Sunday, September 3, Rosies will be recognized by the ringing of the bell at the 10:00 a.m. church service, serving as a preview of the following day’s main event. At 1:00 p.m. on Labor Day, bells will be rung in the garden, and the bull bell will peal for three and a half hours.

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Huntington (West Virginia) will be holding an event as well. The club has participated in the bell ringing for many years, and have supported the recognition of Rosies by naming the first government building in America, “The Rosie the Riveter Building” in 2013, and by installing a display in Huntington’s historic hotel.

Events around the country will be starting at 12:30 p.m. on Labor Day, and then everyone will ring their bells at 1:00 p.m. to honor Rosies and their invaluable labor and efforts. Go to Thanks! Plain and Simple Inc. to learn more and find an event near you. Celebrate Rosies and share your photos at #RingaBellforRosie

 

 

Celebrate Women’s Equality Day

This Saturday, August 26, marks the 46th celebration of Women’s Equality Day! Women’s Equality Day was first designated in 1971 at the urging of New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug. as a way to commemorate the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

The 19th Amendment guarantees women the right to vote by denying the ability of the states and federal government to restrict voting rights on the basis of sex. Observance of Women’s Equality Day helps to celebrate this monumental achievement to which GFWC was so integrally tied. However, it also highlights the struggle beyond the vote, and continuing efforts towards full equality. This is a journey which the women of GFWC have, and continue to, contribute so much.

When President Richard Nixon issued Proclamation 4236, declaring the first Women’s Equality Day, he wrote that “The struggle for women’s suffrage… was only the first step toward full and equal participation of women in our Nation’s life. In recent years, we have made other giant strides by attacking sex discrimination through our laws and by paving new avenues to equal economic opportunity for women. Today, in virtually every sector of our society, women are making important contributions to the quality of American life. And yet, much still remains to be done.” The women of GFWC took this call to action to heart.

The women of GFWC marched, protested, and organized for our right to vote, and persisted in struggling for equality well beyond the suffrage movement. In 1923, GFWC became an outspoken advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, and remained so through the 1980s. The women of GFWC have championed women’s education since its founding and were essential contributors to the second wave of feminist movements in the mid-20th century.

Today, we continue to advocate for women’s equality through support of equal pay laws, through our volunteer work with women who have survived or are struggling to overcome abuse, and through empowering women to take an active role in their homes and their communities. GFWC will always support and fight for the equal rights of women. Please take time to reflect upon those women who have fought for your rights, and we hope you will continue their legacy. Happy Women’s Equality Day!

 

The Mayfield Women’s Club Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

The Mayfield Women’s Club (Ohio) is celebrating its 50th anniversary as part of GFWC. To commemorate the club’s founding, members held a “Women of Substance” themed banquet. The banquet’s keynote speaker was Cathy Weber, a charter member of the club. Below are Cathy’s eloquent and heartfelt remarks.
___________________

I am celebrating being in this organization for 50 years. I am also married for 50 plus years and have 3 children who are all in their 50’s. I find it amazing to be a part of this organization for 50 years.

Our club has done so many things over the years. I’ll share just a few. You realize that most of us were in our 20’s or early 30’s at the time we began, so some of the things I will mention were easily done, but today would be too hard for most of us.

In 1976, our club celebrated the 200 years of the Declaration of Independence. It was the bicentennial and Mayfield Hts. had a 4th of July Parade and a few of the club members rode in a convertible, to represent the club. I was dressed as Betsy Ross and carried a flag. My 10-year-old son was dressed in that period of clothes and was with us. We have pictures in our scrapbooks to share with club members and our community.

When our club first started we met at Marshall Ford car dealer, which used to be on Mayfield Road. Shortly after that we met Mayfield High School and from there we moved to Mayfield Library. As our club got bigger, we moved to the Ross DeJohn Center in Mayfield Heights and we now are privileged to be meeting in Mayfield Village in their new beautiful Community Center facility.

Some of the projects we were involved with in the early years include purchasing and dedicating a Peace Pool on the grounds of Mayfield Library where it stood for many years until the Library parking lot was remodeled. We also purchased an OFWC roadside sign which is still standing on SOM Center Road in Mayfield Village. We planted flowers at the historical house, and we painted a wooden fence at the Mayfield cemetery which was is on Wilson Mills. Now that fence has been replaced by a wrought iron fence.

For many years several of us would go to the state convention held in Columbus, Ohio, and stay overnight.  They have a whole weekend of activities and meetings of the Junior Clubs and the Women’s Clubs. We are still doing the Junior projects, so we are considered a Junior club. We actually started as Mayfield Junior Women’s Club, but we voted and dropped the “Junior” because many of us did not look quite like Juniors! At those conventions we could see the Federation at work and share and learn from other clubs.

We had many socials and sometimes they included our husbands. We had an annual Christmas Party for couples at one of the member’s home which was always fun. We also had many clambakes at the home of Betty Jo Mooney which was a grand time. Some of us even swam in her pool. Other socials were bowling, attending local plays in nearby cities, and many other outings too long to list.

Some of our fundraisers took lots more time and energy. We had a few rummage sales which were a big undertaking and took lots of time to prepare. We had plant sales, where we unloaded the truck of hanging baskets and flats. We made and sold a cookbook.

We helped with a waffle wagon for several years during the weekend of the 4th of July event in Mayfield Hts. We powder sugared the waffles, bagged them, and collected the money which the owner split with us at the end of every night. One of our members even made aprons with our club’s name embroidered on them. Betty Jo is now storing them and maybe we will use them on another project one of these days. We also had bunny bingo at a local school for several years and some of our husbands helped by being the bingo caller.

During these years, our members became close friends. We had our board meetings at a member’s home on the first Monday of the month. We had time to socialize after the meetings and share our lives with each other. Some of my very best friends were made in this club. They have been a support for me, as well as each other, and the community.

When I had two major back surgeries with rods and screws, this club made meals for my family for over three weeks which was a beautiful show of their love.

During my club years, I worked on many committees and held the office of Second Vice President, First Vice President, and was President in 1973 and 2003, 2004, and 2005. Never was the job too overwhelming as these members are quick to volunteer to help wherever needed.

I did not mention one of our most important reason for our group is the welfare projects which are numerous. Our biggest project has been at the Metro Health Nursing Facility, previously called Sunny Acres. In 1969, we started to play bingo with some of the residents during the day. Years later, we began hosting a Christmas Party in the evening. We now bring in the Mayfield Swing choir, and provide cookies and punch, and Christmas gifts for all.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in what we do.

Here’s hoping I can help out for a few more years in this very special organization. Thank you for listening.”

Atlanta Woman’s Club’s Spread the Love Challenge!

By: Cimi Douglass, President; Judy Reece, Communications Chair; Britton Rogers, Social Media

Kindness. Is it contagious? Well the Atlanta Woman’s Club (AWC) thinks it is. What if we lived each day with the purpose of making a difference in someone’s life? Would it be contagious? Could it begin that ripple effect of spreading peace, love, and kindness within our communities? The Atlanta Woman’s Club believes it will.

At the Atlanta Woman’s Club’s June meeting members were challenged to participate in AWC’s Spread the Love Challenge throughout the summer. Each week, AWC will challenge its members and Facebook friends to do ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS. A Random Act of Kindness will be posted each week and AWC would like you to join them and consider putting it into action. Some challenges will be easy and some will force members to dig a little deeper. Whether you choose to participate in the challenge that week or choose your own random act of kindness, what’s important is that you attempt to find ways to spread love and kindness in the communities you live. If you accomplish the task, AWC would love for you to share your experience by posting it on their Facebook page.

Most of us will never be involved in solving the big world problems, so… what CAN you do?  It’s easy, you can spread the love, one person at a time, one project at a time. We may not be able to end homelessness or war, but little random acts of kindness can make a big difference. It’s simple and takes just a minute of effort on your part but it can have lasting results for the people around us – people we may never see again, but who will remember the kind gesture or puts a smile on someone’s face and maybe, just maybe some will even pass it on.

So are you up for the challenge?

Here are some examples:

  • Surprise our firemen! Visit a fire station–deliver fresh fruit, cupcakes, watermelon or other goodies.
  • Leave a nice note on the windshield of a car
  • Give a server a generous tip with a nice written compliment
  • Pay for the order of the person behind you
  • Bring treats to the office to share with co-workers