Reporting time for GFWC is always busy. I serve as Jr Homelife Chairman in NH and GFWC-NH Homelife:Focus on Health Chairman. I received, read  and reported on club activities  and used the on line reporting to GFWC and also sent a copy for my state Junior Director and State President. Serving as state chairmen is an interesting balancing act , getting all the reports to the right people  on time.  For March, it  was a busy month , working  as a National Chairman for GFWC (Resource Conservation ) . I was excited to see how all this would work on the national level. I waited and reports started trickling in from all over the country via email and US Mail. It was time  to sort and  review and report on what I read. I found it interesting to hear from State Federations and understand their approach to the Goals GFWC has set out for them. Many States had specific projects geared to the area they live in based on their needs. The tough part was putting all this wonderful information into several shorter reports…..but I did it.  

In April GFWC-NH Clubwomen celebrated Federation Day at our State Capital in Concord,NH. We had a terrific day hearing how bills become law, took a tour of the state house and saw a special exhibit on Abe Lincoln. Did you know NH’s Legislature is one of the largest in the US? 

May brings more chairman duties. I must present award certificates for club recognition for  their work in Homelife at my state’s annual meetings. In our state the GFWC-NH Women meet separate from GFWC-NH JRs, so I attend two meetings. In NH this is possible to go home between meetings as it is a central place. I do so enjoy carpooling to GFWC events. Isn’t car travel the best place to brainstorm for GFWC ideas and problem solving?  

The Memorial day weekend is upon us and I find myself working in my gardens, watching the bumblebees get their work done…………

Soon I’ll be at the GFWC International Convention and complete this freshman’s chairman duties for the first half of this 2008-2010 Administration.  Hope to see most of you in Cleveland.

Carol

Carol visits her father in Florida 1/08

We buried him on February 17th on his 79th birthday.

People have asked me if we were close with him living in Florida and me living in New Hampshire. We were as close as we can be, living that far apart. Phone calls and emails sure helped. He had been in Florida for over 20 years and we (my family) usually saw him once a year on his yearly pilgrimage……..not in the middle of summer but after Labor Day when he could enjoy his stay at Cape Cod, MA.

Last fall he didn’t make it here, so my husband and I visited him and his wife last January 2008. I never thought it would be the last time.

As someone said before me, I’m an orphan, both my parents are gone. My mother has been gone for 20 years.

He rests with dignity and honor after a Marine burial where as the eldest child I received  the American flag. He served with honor in the Korean Conflict.  The 17th was  a clear sunny day in the 30’s and how ironic today, he rests under a fresh blanket of snow. He hadn’t seen snow in over 20 years . He just avoided it ,but always enjoyed joking with us about the balmy weather in Florida when we were in the middle of a snow storm here.

It has been amazing to me how supportive GFWC  has been for me during this time. Starting with phone calls and hugs from my local club members and more emails and cards from state members and more from around the US from  other women who took the time to let me know they cared. This is a marvelous sisterhood. Thank you.

GFWC-NH Delegation with Lili Ledbetter in former Senator Sununu's office with his aide. 9/08. L>R Gail leSjane, Jeanne O'Sullivan, Arlene Creeden, Lilli Ledbetter, Sununu's aide,Judith Maguire, Carol Waters and Sandi Jones.

 Just last week Congress, the Senate and President Obama voted to support the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Which is a step up for women everywhere. (Please see the extensive story in the GFWC Clubwoman Magazine).

Last September over 200 GFWC women from all over the US went to the Capital in DC and asked our Senators to support this  Proposed Act. I was there with five other NH clubwomen who serve on the GFWC Board. We were in DC for a Board meeting and  also had a planned day on the hill. It feels good at this moment that we may have helped the Act pass with the many GFWC women who stormed the Capital to the Senate buildings.

Yeah!

Carol

These women have been like family to me, a family of sisters. Some older and some younger and many of them mentors.  After taking on leadership roles in my club I became involved with the state organization
and through the years have met some wonderful women. Many are my current GFWC Gurus.

My circle of friends in my local club have advised me and I hope they feel the same of me. We all help each other navigate through our leadership roles in GFWC-NH.

I’m sure my list of mentors will grow through the years and I hope other women are as lucky as I to have similar experiences with women helping women.