Soroptimist Pinellas County, Florida, USA newsletter

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL
OF UPPER PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA
P.O. BOX 10535 CLEARWATER, FLORIDA USA 33767

Volume 46, Issue, July, 2009 Online Edition #96

Meeting Place For our July Meeting will be at Cathy Wagners's home.
1170 Weybridge Lane
Dunedin. Florida 34698
Click on address for map.

Cathy will be grilling and providing all the meat for the grill.

Everyone attending please bring a potluck dish.

It is very important that you RSVP. You may do so by Emailing here.
Or

by calling Terry Sue at 442-0149

Cocktails at 5:30 PM
Dinner at 6:00 PM
Our meeting will begin at 6:30 while we are having dessert.

Agenda
This will be a continuation of the June strategic planning meeting.
Younger members, please plan on attending. You are the future of this club.
You need to decide what you want it to be.

2009-2010 President-elect Mail Ballot Results

soroptimist The run-off ballot for President-elect concluded on June 24th, and Sharon Fisher, a member of SI of Langley’s in Western Canada Region, has been elected as the 2009-2010 SIA President-elect, and will assume that office on September 1, 2009. She will assume the office of SIA President on September 1, 2010, and will serve in that position through August 31, 2011.

We have lost our paper Club Charter!!! Does anyone remember what happened to it? Did anyone take it out to be framed. If anyone remembers please tell us. We would like to have it back.

President Susan's Letter

This month we are meeting at the home of Cathy Wagner (map attached) for a relaxing pool party and ‘meeting’. Cathy has graciously offered to supply the meat for barbequing and I will supply lots of iced tea (sweet and unsweetened) and Terry Sue has offered to supply the wine. How about we do “Christmas in July” and everyone coming bring a covered dish like we do for our Christmas Party. For a group that ‘doesn’t cook,’ I believe you all have lots of talent in the kitchen. So dress casual, bring your food, a swimsuit (if you want to dip in the pool) and … as a continuation from last month … your ideas for improving SI Upper Pinellas. Arrive at 5:30, dinner will start at 6:00 and we’ll get started on our strategic plan about 6:30 while we eat. We will be selecting the primary focus for the club and brainstorming possible service activities.

On that topic, I would like to ask everyone who chaired a committee or project this year to put together a report/checklist/guidelines for that committee or project. We will be planning a “passing of the books” in the near future – and want to have information to help a new chairperson get started. We’re also looking for project ideas (to suggest a project does not mean you have to chair), so once again, put on your very best thinking cap, and let’s see what we can do.

Also at this meeting, you will have an opportunity to sign “interest sheets” for each committee and project. This way, we can see who is interested in particular committees and projects. At our board meeting this month, we discussed member commitment and distinguished the difference between committee involvement and project involvement. A committee was determined to be more of a year-long process, where a project (where is might take several months) has a single purpose. We would like everyone to serve on one of each. The “interest sheets” will briefly describe each committee and project.

Hope to see each of you on the 28^th ….

Susan

Below you will find our Calendar, Lists of our Officers, Committees and Members, Some Committee Reports, Birthdays and other Current Announcements.

At the very bottom of this page are Current SIA and SI International Projects. There are live links to SIA for more info. Please page down to read.

Previous meeting minutes and the treasurer's report will be attachments on the email that brought you the link to this page.

The
Way We Were
2007 -2008
If you want to know
our personal history,
Click above.

THE BEST FOR WOMEN

Officers 2009-2010 President: Susan Kinney Lowell, Vice Pres- Phyllis Cloman, Secretary- Patricia L. Arbutine Treasurer – Linda Taminini, Director - Marsha McGrath Director- Mel Chase Delegate -Terry Sue Turner, Delegate-Karen Curry			A volunteer signup sheet for the openings below will be at the July meeting. If you can not make the meeting, please contact President Susan with your wishes. You may email here.
			Committee Assignments 2009 -2010 Service Telephone & Parliamentarian: Terry Sue Turner Publicity: Growth & Development: Phyllis Cloman Projects Scoup - SOLT: Pat Arbutine Directory : Women Honoring Women: Women Opportunity Award: Violet Richardson Award: The Ruby Award:(Women of Distinction) Above the Club: Betsi Lewis
"Above The Club" Information from Soroptimist Headquartrers
Writeable Applications Distributing award applications has never been easier! Clubs can email writeable Women’s Opportunity and Violet Richardson award applications to prospective applicants and partner organizations. Applicants and their references can complete the writable forms and email them back to the club contact person. Soroptimist Public Service Announcements Click here to download Soroptimist’s 30- and 60-second audio PSAs. Clubs can burn the files to a CD and send them to local radio stations to help raise awareness of the organization, or direct their local stations to SIA’s website.
Birthdays Marsha M 1/06 Pegi M-1/16 Judy P - 1/25 Jeanne G-1/27 Nancy C.-3/19 Alice S -5/5 Dede 5/12 Cathy W - 5/15 Karen- 1/ 27 Martha G-7/19 Linda- 9/04 Terry Sue T -9/4 Phyllis 9/06 Pat A. - 9/13 Susan K-9/23 Mel C. -10/8 Grace S - 11/22 Katie 12/4 Betsi L- 12/19
Calendar2009 -2010
Board Meetings May 17,2009- Place: Mel Chase's Home Everyone is Welcome!! If Interested Email Here.	Meeting May 26th: at The Grand Hotel Presentation of Women's Opportunity Award, Violet Richardson and Making a Difference for Women	June 6 -Joint Officer Installation Meeting Hostess : SI Holiday Isles Place: "Sam Seltzer's"-See Invitation Board Meeting - June 14th at Pat's Home.	June 23rd Regular Club Meeting- Strategic planning meeting. July 28th Club Meeting at Cathy's Home	August Whether or not to have a meeting this month will be decided at the July meeting.	September 22nd Meeting. Mark your calendars!! Macy's Shop for a Cause Event for the fall will be held on Saturday, October 17th. No further details at this time - will keep you posted. Hope you all can join us.
October 16 -17 District II Meeting Hostess Holiday Isles	October 27th Meeting	November 24th Meeting Shopping Night at The Silver Queen	December Christmas Party	January 26, 2010 Meeting	February Women H0noring Women
March Slate of Officers Presented	April Election of Officers Service Funds Due March 31st Dues should be paid April 1st.	April 29 - May2-2010 Southern Region Conference Deerfield Beach,Florida "S.S. Leg-a-Sea"

A little bit of FUN!!!!
A treat, a joke and this month some pictures to browse.!

E Mail Us

Link to Southern Region Accent - June, 2009 : Lots of good "Above the Club " Reading Here.

A little bit of FUN!!!!
A treat, a joke and this month some pictures to browse.!

VERY INTERESTING

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?

A. All were invented by women.

Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

Pictures from Terry Sue. Award Banquet and Installation.

Installation -Our Club Officers

The Presidents

The Awards Banquet

Our WOA Winner

Sharon from Women on the Way

Anyone with pictures from the Installation or the Awards Banquet, Please send or give to me. I will put them in the July Scoup. PLA

Face Book Members: SIA is now on Facebook. Our local club is also on Facebook.

Dedicated to Dorothy Quick who loved to share her Soroptimist wisdom with us.

You may read SIA Annual report at the SIA Website. Go to the newsroom.

S.O.L.T.

Soroptimists STOP Trafficking,

SIA is pleased to announce Soroptimists STOP Trafficking, a new public awareness project addressing the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. This new project will provide information cards about sexual trafficking for participating clubs to distribute in the community. In addition, clubs will work to raise awareness through media and public events. The project has been created in response to overwhelming input from clubs and members indicating a desire for an SIA project that addresses this serious global issue.
The project will launch in the United States on Friday, January 11, 2008, the first National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness. The launch will begin with a public event at which clubs are asked to distribute specially designed flyers in transportation centers in their area: airports, train stations or bus depots. The event will focus on the public awareness message: "Someone in this transportation center may be here against her will," and will provide an excellent opportunity for public awareness and to gain media exposure.
Participating clubs will be provided with professionally designed cards and flyers; club instructions for the project and launch event; and public awareness materials to ensure the project is a success. The materials will be available in all SIA languages. If your club would like to participate or has any questions, contact siahq@soroptimist.org

Project Sierra -$80000 has been donated so far for this project. 5/2008

Sierra is a four year partnership between Soroptimist International and Hope and Homes for Children which will transform the lives of some of the most deprived children and women in the world.

Project Sierra: A Family And A Future aims to raise £1 million ($2million USD) to help disadvantaged women and children in Sierra Leone face their futures with confidence.

By strengthening families at risk of breakdown, helping young children living on the streets return home and empowering vulnerable young mothers, Project Sierra will enable more children to grow up in a caring family environment - giving them the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

To learn how Project Sierra will achieve this, visit the Project Overview section.

Disaster Relief Fund for Women and Girls

Soroptimist's Disaster Relief Fund for Women and Girls targets the special needs of women and girls during natural and man-made disasters. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable during disasters and lack access to resources. They also have special abilities to respond to disasters, which is often overlooked. Soroptimist's disaster relief program mitigates the barriers facing women/girls during disasters. In addition, the program honors the commitments made by the United Nations in the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome Statement of the 46th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women. Soroptimist grants funds to local clubs for use in communities needing disaster relief. Funds are pooled from voluntary contributions sent in from Soroptimist members throughout the world. Soroptimist recently disbursed disaster relief grants to: the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support Iraqi educational programs for returning women refugees; the Ramona, California, Soroptimist club to help women recovering from the fires in Southern California; and women in El Chaco, Ecuador, to help rebuild the community's farming infrastructure following an earthquake.

Service Funds

Service Funds are due on March 31st of each FISCAL year. (These funds are for the currant fiscal year.) Remember that you are responsible each year for $100 in service funds. You may raise these either by writing a check, advertising in our WHW ad booklet, or by using our banner to have your own fundraiser. All funds raised under our banner must come to our service fund. Each person that participates in an ad hoc fundraiser is still responsible for a total of $100 in service funds.
(Example. 3 members hold a garage sale. They raise $310. The total amount must come to our service fund. All 3 members have covered their service funds. But if 3 members raise $270, each member is still responsible for $10 more to cover their service funds.)

Live your dreams

The following information is from the Soroptimists International of America Website. To read more info, Just click here.. Despite much progress during the last century, women and girls throughout the world continue to face serious challenges. While they represent about one-half of the world'spopulation, women suffer disproportionately from many social problems. Approximately 70 percent of the 1.3 billion people who live on $1 a day are women. More women between the ages of 15 and 44 die due to gender-based violence than cancer, malaria, car accidents and war combined. About 90 million girls around the world are deprived of primary education. These are but a few statistics illuminating the obstacles facing women and girls around the world. Soroptimist created the Live Your Dream campaign to raise awareness about these challenges and inspire women from all walks of life to realize their full potential.

Good Search

Contribute through GoodSearch
GoodSearch is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates 50 percent of its advertising revenue (about a penny per search) to the user's favorite charity. Ours, of course, is SIA. The pennies add up quickly. Consider that if only 1,000 members, friends and staff search the Internet just twice a day, Soroptimist could earn $7,300 a year - just for doing something we do every day! If we think bigger, for example, 10,000 users searching twice a day will earn Soroptimist $73,000 a year! All you have to do is visit www.goodsearch.com and download the GoodSearch toolbar. Enter 'Soroptimist' in the 'My Charity' field and then every time you search the net on your computer, don't forget to use GoodSearch! Thank you for using GoodSearch to help Soroptimist fund our programs that improve the lives for women and girls. Let's see how much we can get those pennies to add up!
Note from Pat: This is not Yahoo's standard bar

LINK TO THE UPPER PINELLAS HOME PAGE

LINK TO TAMPA BAY AREA SOROPTIMIST PAGE

Link To SCOUP Index

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Copyright 2009. Soroptimist International of Upper Pinellas County

This newsletter sponsored by The Silver Queen