November 16, 2020
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT:
 
November means Veteran’s Day to me. I have a lot of memories when it comes to my own past service years, they were fabulous! I am proud to have served those years in the Armed Services and once out, I continued to serve as the City Liaison planning many events on both Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day.
 
Being in the Armed Services is a calling. Each member has their own reasons for joining and each has a unique perspective to their time served. I believe it is so important to preserve the memories of our Veterans and urge each of our members to ask family members that served about their history of service. It is up to us to save the memories and keep them alive for those Vets we are losing at such an alarming rate.
 
My family had many Veterans, especially during the WWII years. They would share some stories with us as children and were careful not to scare us with too much truth, but we knew as we grew older that this was a time that was both scary and brave for many people. As I got older. Their stores were elaborated on and there was an element of fear that only they knew as tangible.
 
One of my first Veteran memories is coming across several beautiful handmade handkerchiefs my grandmother had made when she was little girl and I asked about them. She made dozens of them she said, she and her friends’ hand-sewed them with love and care, placed leaves and petals in them then tied them up tight. They would go to the train platform and hand them to the soldiers in WWI as they left for enlistment, she said it was a little part of the Imperial Valley to remember their home, what they were fighting for and hopefully, what they would come home to.
 
As I went through the 1960’s and 1970’s, I was not allowed to watch television, but I came from a house full of teachers, so we all knew about the politics and the Viet Nam War. I know that this time in our history is called a lot of things: conflict, police action…but I also knew that to me: war was war no matter what you called it. People were dying, people were protesting, and people were angry. By the Fall of Saigon in April of 1975 came, I had already enlisted. I graduated High School in June and went into the Military that Fall.
 
I am a Cold War Era Veteran. I enlisted because I did not know what to think, I could not tell the truth from the untruth, I needed to know myself what was happening. I learned a lot in the Military, and I would do it again, for it taught me a lot about myself and convictions that have taken hold and deeply rooted themselves in my own patriotism.
 
I hope that you will pepper the Veteran in your home this Holiday season and make sure their memories are forever etched in the minds of your family. We cannot forget what these quiet heroes have done to preserve our Freedoms. Here is to the Veterans; thank you for your Service to us All!
 
Luv, Pam

UPCOMING MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT:
 
This is a repeat QB, but bears repeating
 
It is unfortunate to have to announce that the Winter Executive Board Meeting in February 2021, which was to be held in Oakland has been moved to a Zoom Meeting. Your CFWC Meeting Planner has heard from the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel and they are not hosting any meetings until the end of the summer months in 2021. Therefore, I look forward to seeing you all soon on Zoom. The CALL to the Winter CFWC Executive Board Meeting will be going out via email around the 24th of December, so keep your eyes open!
 
I think it important to say currently that I am grateful for the health of each member of our wonderful California Federation. I am also grateful that we do have the means and Chairs that are able to navigate us through this time so that we may keep up our meetings online. Thank you, each one of you, for your patience and understanding.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS Overlapping Letters Vector Icon on Snowflake Background
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSES ON ZOOM
 
It is time to gather and laugh! We have spent a lot of lovely time on Zoom for meetings and workshops, but now is the time to Zoom with our Gift for Gab!
 
I am happy to announce that I have set 3 days aside with 2-hour blocks where we can meet and have some fun just getting together online.
 
Scheduled during “Happy Hour”, I do hope you will join us for 5 – 7 pm on these dates to share with friends, have a laugh and smile! Bring a drink if you want, I am sure others will and let us just celebrate knowing that we each belong to sch a fabulous group of volunteers.
 
This is a time to reach out and be with one another, albeit electronically. Remember we can only hold up to 300 of you, so registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Invites will be sent bi-weekly in the order they are received.
 
For your invitation, just send me your name and email address with the date or dates you want to attend. I can be reached at:
Reservations must be requested 72 hours prior to the date you are requesting.
 
Holiday Open Houses are always from 5 – 7 pm and will be open on Zoom:
November 20, 2020
December 7, 2020
December 30, 2020
 
The only business is monkey business for these get-togethers; see you there.


 
MEET THE CHAIRS UPDATED ANNOUNCEMENT:
 
What a fabulous response we are having for these events! I am super excited and look forward to having each of the remaining meetups a success! If you have not yet signed up there is still time to register for the November 24th date!
 
If you were unable to attend the November 10th workshop, you may view it on our GFWC California Federation of Women’s Clubs Facebook page. Copies of each of these workshops are posted the Wednesday after the event and removed on the following Monday at noon. That gives our members a full 6 days for viewing.
 
Just to reiterate: Meet the Chairs November 10th taped workshop went up on November 11th before noon and will be taken down on November 16th at noon. Watch it or download it today.
 
I did want to give some added information regarding cut-off dates to reserve your spot in the event. You do need a separate invitation to attend each one unique to only you. Capacity is limited and remember that each of the events feature different Chairs, who will speak with you for 3 minutes in each topic. We will open the room for questions from you after that, so have those questions ready.
 
Send your Registration request to: ament.pam5@gmail.com
 
Event Date: November 24, 2020
Last day to register is November 19, 2020
 
Supporting Paperwork and Invitation Reminders for the Meet the Chairs events will be sent around noon on the Monday’s preceding the event.
 
Hope to see you there; Barbara Briley Beard, Sonja Hults, and I are extremely excited about these events and hope to see you there! Luv, Pam

If you didn't have a chance to read it last week, it's here one more time.
FIND YOUR LIGHT AND SHARE
Many of you have requested a copy of our GFWC International President's Speech delivered at the Western States Region Meeting. It was lovely for Marian to share with us her thoughts as our President of GFWC and I am honored to share that speech with you now that the Region Meetings have just ended. Enjoy! Read Here
Gail Fitzpatrick, our CFWC Promotional Sales Chair, informs us that she now has Yearbook Flash Drives for sale for $5. Please see information at cfwc.org for more information.
CFWC 2021 Convention
Send your thoughts by November 30th, details below

The dates for the convention are May 12–15, 2021 at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel. CFWC President, Pam Ament and convention chairs, Priscilla Bolinder and Edie Seger would like input from members to help in making decisions about the convention. At this point we do not know what the virus situation will be at that time. Foremost in our minds is the safety of our members when we are able to meet in person.
 
It has been suggested that we consider a location other than a hotel. Please keep in mind that the hotel has a deposit from CFWC with no guarantee it will be refunded. Mentioned as   possibilities are a casino or a Clubhouse large enough to accommodate over 100 peopleThe Clubhouse would have to have their own in-house caterer. Social distancing could be an issue at either venue. In either case, members would have to make their own arrangements for where to stay overnight. It would also be possible to have a convention meeting on Zoom.
 
Please share your thoughts with us by answering a few questions. Send your responses to the 3 of us by November 30 (email addresses are at the end of this article).
 
1. How would things have to change for you to want to attend a convention with 160 other people at a hotel with banquet seating for meetings and meals?
 
2. How far would you be willing to travel and what mode of transportation would you feel comfortable using?
 
3. Which of the ideas (hotel, clubhouse, casino, Zoom) would you prefer? How would your choice work for social distancing as recommended by health care professionals?
 
4. The past couple of year’s room rates have been $144-$145 plus taxes. How much would you be willing to pay for a room with no amenities (room service)?
 Registration was $20 and $25 and meals (not including ESO or Emeritus) came to $265 and $270. ESO was $35 and $42; Emeritus was $35 and $45. 
 
 
Pam Ament: ament.pam5@gmail.com
Edie Seger: edie@juliantea.com
Priscilla Bolinder: pjb43cfwc@gmail.com
Domestic Violence Awareness - Diane Waterhouse, CFWC Chair
Diane has prepared a new tri-fold brochure about the GFWC Special Project. It is in .pdf form ready for you to print. This link will be transferred below to QuickDocs starting next week.
MILITARY & VETERANS – Yolanda Petroski                                                  
 
A new Veterans Memorial awaits you on your next visit to D.C. – the National Native American Veterans Memorial. 25 years in the making, this latest memorial on the National Mall opened on Veterans Day. Designed by Harvey Pratt, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapho tribes of Oklahoma, the memorial honors all Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian Veterans as well as the families who support them. His design was selected out of over 100 submissions. Since the memorial is meant to be timeless and dedicated to all Native Veterans – past, present and future – names or tribal identifications are not included on this memorial which was funded solely by donations from individuals, organizations and Native Nations. Check it out on www.nnavm.com for interesting stories and the FAQ.

Pinnacles National Park
  
After the past hectic weeks why not take a break to experience the breathtaking scenery of one of California’s newest national parks seen over a 24-hour time lapse.
Pinnacles National Park is located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California and 80 miles southeast of San Jose. The “pinnacles” are eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 200 miles from its original location on the San Andreas fault. The rock formations provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. It features unusual talus caves that house at least 13 species of bats. Park lands are prime habitat for prairie falcons, and are a release site for California condors that have been hatched in captivity.
 Congress designated Pinnacles as a national park in 2012 and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2013.
Enjoy your visit and plan to come back. 
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"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them, that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." Lao Tzu