Author: SMayuga

By GFWC President-elect Mary Ellen Brock

GFWC’s Strategic Plan contains our Mission Statement, our fundamental reason for existence and the scope of our activities; our Vision Statement, an inspirational description of what we would like to achieve in the future; our Core Values, the basic elements of how we go about our work; and the particulars of the plan. GFWC’s Strategic Plan helps build consensus and clarity of GFWC’s mission, values and goals.

What is a Strategic Plan? Let’s say I asked you to go outside right now, get into a car that’s waiting there, turn it on and drive away. You may, and rightly so, be puzzled by this, and ask “Where am I going and how do I get there?” You would want a map with your destination and directions. A Strategic Plan is just that—a map for an organization. It identifies destinations or goals and outlines directions or strategies to reach them. If I handed you such a map, you would be able to know where you’re going and how to get there.

GFWC’s Strategic Plan charts a course of action for GFWC by focusing on the future and providing an opportunity to influence that future. The Strategic Planning Committee developed the current GFWC Strategic Plan and the Board of Directors adopted it in June 2016.

Within the next week, I want you to become familiar with GFWC’s Strategic Plan. It is available on the website. Click Resources, scroll down and click on “Strategic Plan.” Download it! Read it!

The Strategic Plan identifies six major issues facing GFWC. We remember it as two Ms, two Ps, an L and an F. Or, try this method: “Many More People Prefer Live Flowers.” Commit it to memory and you will always remember our issues.

Two Ms, two Ps, an L and an F. Two Ms stand for Membership and Management. Two Ps refer to Public Awareness and Programs. L stands for Leadership. And F represents Financial Stability. Membership, Management, Public Awareness, Programs, Leadership and Financial Stability.

Let’s look at these in more detail.

Our goal is to increase GFWC membership. One of the strategies is to reinforce the concept that membership is everyone’s responsibility. For example, a club or state could provide monetary incentive to a member for bringing in a new  .

Good management leads to a well-governed and well-run organization. We want to provide ongoing education and information to ensure fulfillment of Board responsibilities. In this instance, a Club or State might hold a meeting for incoming and outgoing officers and board members to exchange files, ideas and job descriptions.

Public Awareness  is recognized universally as GFWC’s key strategies. This may mean using  approved GFWC emblem and/or logos on shirts or other items.

Programs, both Special and Community Service Programs, measure the value and impact of Club activities on the community. A yearly evaluation procedure for each program/project recognizes what is and is not working. End programs or projects that don’t show results.

Leadership comes from educating and fostering GFWC leaders. To this end, a Club or State could provide “Parliamentary Pointers” in its newsletters or at its meeting.

All GFWC Clubs aim to assure the organization’s Financial Stability goal. For example, celebrating the 1922 purchase of 1734 N Street, GFWC Headquarters, through donations to the Capital Campaign-Campaign for the Future is a means to that end. A Club/ State might celebrate by having a cake with members purchasing a candle with the proceeds going to the Campaign for the Future.

It is very easy for your club or state to implement a part of the Strategic Plan in your ongoing or planned events, and we are here to help and advise you along the way.

There is one more very important letter: U. You are a vital component, necessary for the success and fulfillment of GFWC goals. Every GFWC Club member is vital to reaching the destinations and accomplishing the goals.

We are all on the road to success together. I need you to take the drive, but don’t drive alone; carpool with your Club, district, region and state to reach the destinations and accomplish the goals together.

Your GFWC Core Value Implementation Toolkit: ‘Putting the Strategic Plan into Action, Step by Step’ is available on the GFWC website to help you start or fine tune your projects. And of course GFWC also offers roadside assistance. Just call GFWC and one of the volunteer or staff mechanics will answer your questions and help you get back on the road.

In ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ the Cheshire cat tells Alice, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” To that we say, read the GFWC Strategic Plan so you know exactly where we are all headed.

So now it’s time to start your engines! See you at the finish line!.

By Jennifer Marie Conaway McMullen   

Born on October 22, 1924 in Ohio, I attended local schools and worked as a legal secretary until my family relocated to Arizona in 1943. While working in accounting and helping out in my family’s café in Tempe, Arizona, as an 18-year old, I met a number of airmen from the surrounding airfields, one of whom was named McMullen. He often said to me “You should meet my younger brother, you’d be good together.” The following summer, one of my co-workers who was a cousin of Gene Kelly, the movie star, said he and his family were travelling to Hollywood to visit Gene and asked me to come along, so I took a chance and traveled to California.

After a few days in a Los Angeles hotel, I went to Eagle Rock, California to stay with an acquaintance, who lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a friend. My new roommates both worked in the office at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank, California. After interviewing at Lockheed, I was hired as a riveter in their aircraft factory. 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.

Housing was at a premium and we had to share the two twin beds in a small apartment in Eagle Rock, which worked out fine as they worked the day shift and I worked the graveyard shift from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. We all worked seven days a week.

I initially began my job bucking rivets and later moved up to being the riveter. For safety reasons all women were required to wear a scarf tied over their hair. We worked mainly on sections of airplanes. One of the planes was top secret, and we never viewed the plane in its entirety. I later learned it was the one and only Lockheed XP58 Chain Lightning, a long range fighter plane. The paycheck was good for the time and I used it wisely as I was entirely on my own. The majority of my co-workers were women, a few older men, and soldiers who worked during their military leave. The women worked on large presses as well as using rivet guns in the area where I was stationed.

I was happy to be working at a defense plant to help the war effort, as my two brothers were in the service, the elder in the South Pacific and the younger in France and Belgium. I was very fortunate that they both came home safely at the end of the war.

After working as a riveter for about seven months, I obtained a job in Los Angeles as a legal secretary and therefore left my Lockheed job and had to acquire new lodgings. Since I was still in contact with that young McMullen pilot, he suggested that I contact his mother as she had an empty bedroom since his younger brother was away in the Air Corps. So that worked out well, his mother and I became good friends, and when the war ended I was on the streets of Los Angeles amongst all the hugging and kissing that you see depicted in photos of that time. It was indeed a joyous day!

Shortly thereafter in November, 1945, came the glorious day when the younger McMullen brother Mel arrived home from the China-Burma-India Theater of war and while not quite love at first sight, within six weeks we were engaged. Meanwhile my best girlfriend from Ohio had come to share my bedroom and when the older McMullen brother Jim came home on leave, they fell in love and before he was sent to Okinawa after the war, he proposed. So we ended up having a double wedding at the Air Force base in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 13, 1946. The brothers always joked that they had to marry the Ohio girls to get their bedroom back. While we lost my brother-in-law and wife some years ago, life is still a joy for Mel and me as we head into our 72nd year of merry matrimony.

We have had a great life together, reared three sons who are talented and live successful, comfortable lives. They have also given us four good-looking grandchildren.

I am a proud member of the American Rosie the Riveter Association and the Women’s Club of San Bernardino (California).

In the spirit of coming together to recognize our dynamic past and exciting future, GFWC is excited to host a special video contest. Each of the three finalist submitted a video answering the question, “What does being a GFWC clubwoman mean to you?” Now, clubwomen across the nation are invited to vote for their favorite video. The finalist are encouraged to share their submission with friends, family, and their community and encourage them to vote! Voting will take place from May 15 to May 31. Contest rules allow for a maximum of one voter per person, per day. The winning club will receive a $100 gift card for the GFWC Marketplace.

Visit the GFWC Facebook page to cast your vote.

GFWC Connecticut

GFWC Melbourne Woman’s Club (Florida)

GFWC Nevada Mesquite Club, Inc.

BY AUTHOR AND SPEAKER MARY LOU SANELLI

At the movies, I sit next to a woman I’ve seen around town for years, a woman I’ve taken special note of because she reminds me of my mother. While waiting for the film to begin, I go over and over in my head why this woman is so similar to my mom even though she has red hair — instead of brunette — and she wears silver jewelry rather than the gold accoutrement my mother prefers. Manner. That’s what it is. The perfect word for why she and my mother resemble each other. Let’s just say that if they shopped together, they’d be drawn to the same style. Or if they were to chat about the neighborhood, family, religion, or politics — though they’d likely skip religion and politics — they’d agree about most things, or politely pretend to. They are mothers from the same era. And even if they have no more in common than having married and procreated in the fifties, they have lived through much of what life has to offer, good and bad, which becomes its own loyalty in the same way veterans bond over a shared war. And if May wasn’t about finding the perfect gift for mom, which it is, I would be satisfied with a quick scan of how I feel about the woman sitting next to me, then I’d lean back to enjoy the trailers. But tonight I’m looking at her from the inside out, where perspective is always more about tuning in to the little voice inside you. And if I listen carefully, it’s not hard to hear why this woman has chosen a seat next to me. Oh! I knew it! What was I thinking? You see, just yesterday I bought my mother’s gift, the most exquisite 100% silk blouse that would fall over her shoulders in the most elegant way. But one glance at the woman beside me reminds how utterly inappropriate the gift is for my mother. The blouse is appropriate for, you guessed it, me. What my mother would enjoy receiving is a sweater similar to the one the woman beside me proudly wears with the words “World’s Greatest Grandmother” stitched to it’s front. Let’s back up. I need to back up here and say something I’m not especially proud of: I have been trying (and failing) to “remake” my mother most of my life. And so if, at first, I didn’t understand why this woman was affecting me so strongly, I realize now that I know exactly why. To remind me to return the silk blouse. Tomorrow. First thing. Because there is a real message here even for the most irreverent: Gift giving is about the person on the receiving end. As soon as the movie is over, I will politely ask the woman where she found her sweater. And then I will surf the net until I find it. Because of all the people I need to buy for, mom is the one I most want to please. Mom has always been the one I most want to please. Which this year I fully intend to do.

____________

MARY LOU SANELLI has earned a solid reputation in the literary and public-speaking community through a steady commitment to writing and through twenty years of successful public readings and presentations. She has published seven collections of poetry and three works of non-fiction, Among Friends, Falling Awake, and her newest title, A Woman Writing.  Learn more by visiting her website, www.marylousanelli.com

Click on the link below to download the handout from your State Convention!

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

1. The beautiful lobby at the JW Marriott has two “bars” but only one serves alcohol; the other is a full-service, made-to-order sushi bar.
2. GFWC has contracted a $1 per night resort fee with the JW Marriott. If your reservation or final bill shows anything other than $1 per day, please contact GFWC staff.
3. The GFWC App is a great tool for clubwomen all year. It is especially useful during Convention for viewing the agenda, posting pictures, and receiving alerts in the event of a schedule adjustment.
4. While Palm Springs may be the most famous city in the Coachella Valley, neighboring communities include Palm Desert (actual city of our hotel), La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, and Cathedral City are worth a visit too.
5. If you’re in need of a quick bite for breakfast, check out the breakfast Grab and Go (hours based on demand) for GFWC attendees starting Friday, June 23.
6. The spa at the JW Marriott features 48 treatment rooms, an outdoor salt-water pool (included in Spa Treatment price), bistro, and salon.
7. A table seating software program is used to randomly assign seats at many meal functions. If seating is assigned, your meal ticket will have a table number. If you have reserved seating for a meal or business session, please refer to the protocol sheet in your registration packet.
8. You will enjoy seeing and hearing some fine-feathered friends during your stay, including several Chilean Flamingos, exotic birds in the lobby, and elegant black and white swans on the lake.
9. GFWC Marketplace will be highlighting new items such as Convention T-Shirts, pashmina scarves, sunglasses, earrings, and a necklace charm.
10. Like miniature golf but long for something more? Try the complimentary adult putting greens right outside the lobby. Ask the concierge for a golf ball and putter…and scorecard if you’re the competitive type.
11. In a slight departure from recent Conventions, state/group photos will be taken on two evenings—EC States and WSR States on Friday and the remaining states scheduled on Saturday.
12. Remember to wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes on the “Soaring Heights and Celebrity Sites” Tour. Temperatures at the summit can be 30 degrees cooler than on the ground…which may make the mountaintop the most pleasant place to be outside in late June.
13. Exhibitors will be open from Friday afternoon through Monday evening. Partners will be in the foyer nearest the meal ballroom and vendors will be in the foyer closest to the business session ballroom. When you stop to browse or chat, let them know we appreciate their continued support of Convention.
14. To follow along with Resolutions and Bylaws discussions, we advise bringing the Call to Convention found in the March/April issue of Clubwoman Magazine. If you do not subscribe to Clubwoman Magazine, you should…it’s great!
15. Speaking of subscribing, GFWC will once again give cash awards for increased subscriptions to Clubwoman Magazine and the Legislative Action Center. Encourage everyone in your club to sign up!
16. Sunday, June 25, will be an on-your-own evening. The hotel has plenty of delicious options for those wanting to stay onsite. This night is also a perfect opportunity to meet with your state or national club.
17. Stay hydrated! Hydration is the best way to prevent jetlag (continuously sipping water is better than chugging). With the desert climate and all the activities at Convention, it’s easy to over-do it. Slow down and enjoy your time among friends and the amazing scenery in this oasis.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and GFWC is proud to support Prevent Child Abuse America in its Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign. Every year, clubwomen raise awareness of child abuse and promote healthy childhoods by planting pinwheel gardens. Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel in 2008 as the official symbol of great childhoods. The pinwheel reminds us of our own childhoods and the fact that all children deserve to be happy and healthy.

Check out our interactive map showing locations of GFWC-sponsored pinwheel gardens across the country below!

Is your club planning a pinwheel garden to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month? Send details and photos to the GFWC Communications and Public Relations Department at pr@gfwc.org.

By Jaci Tidwell, fifth grade student and niece of GFWC Conservation Chairman Angela Cutrera

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2017, I have answered several questions about the environment.  Think about how you would answer. Do you know as much about conservation and the environment as a fifth grader?

What does Earth Day mean to you?
To me, Earth Day means a day where you need to recycle and respect our world.

How can you save energy?
You can save energy by unplugging unused chargers, turning off lights in empty rooms, and using light bulbs that use less energy.

What are some items that can be recycled?
Some items that can be recycled are plastics, cardboard, newspapers, tin cans, aluminum cans, and glass. Plastic is good to recycle because it takes about 450 years to decompose.

How can you conserve water?
When you brush your teeth, turn off the water while you are brushing.  Take short showers, because taking a bath basically wastes a few gallons of water.

Why is it important to care for the environment?
We should care for our environment because all of the trees and plants could die and we would not have any oxygen.

What are some things children can do to celebrate Earth Day?
On Earth Day, kids can make posters and put them all over their school or neighborhood to inspire other people to care for their Earth and community. They could also pick up trash around their neighborhoods and parks.

What are some things adults can do to celebrate Earth Day?
Adults can recycle more and help the environment by collecting and bringing recyclable goods to a center.  They can lead an event where kids and their families go around neighborhoods and collect trash around the roads.

What does preservation mean?
Preservation means to save and protect the environment and to keep the wildlife populated by ensuring there is a place for them to live.

How can you spread the word about Earth Day?
You can talk to people about the importance of Earth Day and recycling and put up posters. Also, talk to your friends about how fun the outdoors is and why we need to protect it.

Are you making a difference?
I am making a difference because every year my 4-H club has a trash bash to clean up the roads around my school. I also clean parks with my Girl Scout troop and recycle and talk about conserving water. Our Girl Scout troop has visited and toured the landfill many times, where we learned about how important the environment is.

What would you like to tell everyone about caring for the environment?
We don’t have another world and we need to protect it.

Can the little things we do really make a difference?
If everyone does a lot of little things, they can make a big difference.

Should we only care about the earth on Earth Day?
We should celebrate Earth Day every day, one day is not enough!

So how do you compare to a fifth grader? How can you make a difference this Earth Day?

BY VALERIE LENTZ

It is my great pleasure to write for GFWC during the month of April, Autism Awareness Month, also known as Autism Acceptance Month since simple awareness is not the goal. Rather, the goal is to create a community of inclusion and acceptance for people of all abilities and differences. It’s something I feel truly passionate about. At Easterseals Joliet Region I have had the amazing opportunity to work with and learn from individuals with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition that affects 1 in every 68 children in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder with clearly defined diagnostic symptoms including persistent difficulty with social interaction and communication, as well as rigid or repetitive behaviors. If you aren’t familiar with the diagnostic criteria for ASDs please view the Easterseals’ ASD Fact Sheet.

However, the saying is “if you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism”. The saying conveys that autism is a complex condition that presents with varying symptoms, severity, onset, and course. I’ve always suspected the true message is that autism does not dictate who a person is.  They are a unique individual with strengths, quirks, and preferences that may or may not have anything to do with having autism. Understanding the symptoms that define autism is very important, and understanding that autism does not define the person is equally important.

A few years ago I met Kaylee, a sweet two year old girl. After several days of assessments at Easterseals our team explained to Kaylee’s family that she had autism. At that time Kaylee had never spoken and often appeared to be in her own world, unaware of the people around her. Kaylee’s parents didn’t agree on how to best help her, mostly because neither were sure what to do. The Easterseals’ team enrolled Kaylee in the speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy she needed and Kaylee’s parents started attending the parent support group. Over time, Kaylee blossomed. She is now a very talkative five year old who loves horses and drawing, needs her routines and would rather organize her toys then play with other kids. She endears herself to staff with her spunky personality and contagious laugh.

While autism takes different paths, most parents report they felt concerns before their child’s first birthday. Early intervention is the key to a child reaching their full potential, yet the average age of diagnosis is 4 to 6 years old. There are many barriers families face to getting the diagnosis and services they need: finances, insurance coverage, long waits for services, and qualified providers. But one barrier that should never exist is fear. Fear that their child will not be accepted, loved, or wanted. Fear that their family, friends, and neighbors will never understand. Fear that their child will feel less capable because of a “label”.  Autism is not a label; it does not carry shame and should not cause fear. By spreading knowledge and creating a community of acceptance for people of all different strengths and needs, we can tear down that barrier – and that doesn’t cost anything at all.

___________________

Valerie Lentz, LCSW is the Medical Diagnostic and Autism Program Coordinator for Easterseals Joliet Region where she works out of The Regional Pediatric Center providing diagnostic and clinical services to children with autism, and wrap around support for their families. As a passionate advocate and educator Valerie writes articles, provides professional trainings, and hosts community workshops on topics related to children and families. She can be reached at vlentz@joliet.easterseals.com  Easterseals is a national leader in providing services to individuals with autism and you can learn more about the services offered and how you can support a location close to you at www.easterseals.com

By Donna Shibley, GFWC Meetings and Convention Chairman

The 2017 GFWC Annual Convention in Palm Springs, California is coming up quicker than you think and if you still have to register, now is the time. Hundreds of GFWC members go to Convention and always go home with memories that last a lifetime. You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun! For more information, please visit https://www.gfwc.org/events/gfwc-2017-annual-convention-palm-springs-california/.

Need more convincing? Here are some FEDERATION reasons why you should go:

F: Get together with your Federation Sisters. There’s nothing better than catching up with longtime friends. The GFWC Annual Convention allows you to reunite with all of your Federation sisters from around the world, share ideas and inspiration, and celebrate everyone’s accomplishments with GFWC contests and awards.

E: Explore the Palm Springs area with fellow clubwomen and friends on the Soaring Heights and Celebrity Sights Tour. This off-site tour includes a trip on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, one of the most unique adventure attractions with a rotating tram car transporting you on an exciting excursion into nature atop the peak of Mt. San Jacinto. Also get an insider’s look at the lifestyles of your favorite celebrities with a fun and informative celebrity home driving tour through the historic Las Palmas area of Palm Springs.

D: Get Direct Access to GFWC Partners via the “One Shining Moment” Partner Luncheon on Saturday, Partner Workshops, and Partner Office Hours. These events and activities allow you to connect with the organizations who work with us to improve our communities and make the world a better place. Take the time you have with the partners to share your stories and experiences, discuss ideas, answer any questions about their organizations that you may have, and more!

E: An Elegant Evening is planned at the GFWC California State Night Banquet, Evening at the Oasis. Friday night is sure to be an evening to remember filled with fun and excitement. This desert paradise will offer much enthusiasm as the California contingency shows the attendees an entertaining evening.

R: Eight Region Luncheons are scheduled on Sunday where clubwomen can celebrate the accomplishments of their region. This is the perfect place to meet with women like yourself who believe in the GFWC mission, history, and spirit. Each Region President and their Officers will be sure to have a special afternoon planned for the region attendees while learning, sharing, and inspiring their region’s clubwomen.

A: Celebrate GFWC State Awards throughout the Convention including Special Program, Community Service Program, and Advancement area contest winners with International President Sheila Shea and the 2016-2018 Administration. Commemorate with fellow clubwomen all that states and clubs have done in the name of GFWC.

T: Try your luck at the “Dice Dice Baby” Casino Fun Night after the Awards Banquet celebrating GFWC’s Advocates for Children achievements. These Saturday night festivities are guaranteed to be a rewarding experience celebrating the achievements of Junior and Juniorette Clubs while benefiting March of Dimes. Dancing, having fun, and winning prizes.

I: Interested in shopping? Buy new GFWC Gear from Marketplace. The GFWC Marketplace often introduces great new products at Convention and this year is no exception! Be sure to stop by the Marketplace to get your commemorative merchandise. The GFWC staff is available to assist with all your shopping needs.

O: Outstanding opportunities that need mentioning: USO Service Project at Monday’s “Thanks for the Memories” Awards Brunch, California Dreamin’ Raffle items looking for a new home, Monday’s “Putting on the Ritz” Gala Banquet addresses from International President Sheila Shea and Director of Junior Clubs Jolie Frankfurth.

N: Nestled in the heart of Palm Desert is the breathtaking JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa where you can settle into your luxury guest room or suite at Convention. Five sparkling outdoor pools, two championship golf courses, a state-of-the-art spa facility and six exquisite on-site restaurant options will make this an unforgettable resort experience. Enjoy every minute.

Bonus Reason: Save money on Convention this year by registering as an All-Inclusive Attendee. This repeat deal allows you to pay one discounted price ($550) for registration and meals. The price includes your general $150 registration, three banquets (Friday-Monday,) two luncheons (Saturday-Sunday), one brunch (Monday) and one breakfast of your choice. You’ll save a total of $30 and won’t have to miss out on any of the Convention fun! Visit http://www.cvent.com/d/2vqg5g/4W to register today.