September 27, 2021
 FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
 
I hope that you and your family are well. As I sit this morning and begin to write my weekly Quick Byte, I cannot help but think over the past 18 months and how it has affected each of us in a myriad of ways. We have suffered through a period we never imagined that we would be part of. Some of us came through with little to no effect, others went through unimaginable hardships and trials. However, as we each emerge from what is to become, we must also realize that this is a time unwritten, and we shall each day be challenged by what is.
 
The GFWC California Federation may not tell you what to do; we do not take a stand on how you are to conduct your meetings and business as we come out from a dark time. We are not going to say: “this is the way now, so please do it.” That is hardly our right, for our Bylaws do not give us the right to dictate such actions and we should never do so.
 
I have had dozens of calls and emails this past week on the reopening of clubs, meeting in-person, and the safety protocols by which clubs and districts should follow. Again, this is not what the State Officers and State Bylaws can guide you in. This is a club and district issue and must be managed delicately and with safety of the members foremost in your minds.
 
Let us take those three issues one at a time:
 
Reopening Clubs: our clubs never really closed, some clubs met via virtual platforms, others never stopped meeting in person, and some clubs went on hiatus. These were all perfectly fine actions for the clubs involved, for only they know what they can do with the talent of their members in special times such as this. Kudos to each club for their choices and your choices will dictate what will be the rest of 2021 for the “reopening” process. Remember though, you never really closed, so although I am hearing about reopening, I choose to call it emerging.
 
Meeting in-person: some clubs and districts are ready for meeting in-person, some have never stopped meeting in-person and followed the safety protocols dictated by State, County, and City rules. Should your club and district want to begin meeting in-person again, I suggest that the decision comes from the entire club, not a small committee or Board. The entire club and district must decide how they want to meet and under what conditions. Members may choose if they want to answer the vote or not, but make sure all members are asked! Also, for consideration, there should be a way for those not attending to still stay updated. Asking for a vaccination card or proof of a negative test is becoming common all over the State. Should your club and district vote as a majority to do that: ask for a volunteer to staff that table. This is not a job that is simply assigned: you are assigning someone to Police your members, make sure that member wants that job and keep the guidelines posted at the table. Now more than ever, club and district phone trees are needed: get them in working order. Upon speaking with Nancy Jo Banko, Loma Prieta District President, she shared with me that her club is placing a small sticker on their name tags after proof of vaccination is shown, so that they do not have to show proof again if that sticker is in place, (great idea).
 
Safety protocols: We need to remember that each city and county have mandates and protocols in place that we must follow for meeting in-person. These change all the time to meet the needs of the percentage rates by which we face covid. Checking with the State, County, and City Mandates is essential. Checking rules and mandates should be done weekly, for they change and can affect something you are planning in your club and district calendars. Below, I have put in the URL for the California State page on covid mandates and protocols. Each club and district must find their own County and City websites themselves and take all 3: State, County, and City into consideration.
 
California State page for updates on covid mandates and protocols:
 
 
I wish you the best of luck as we emerge. I am not a Law or Medical professional; these are just my opinions; you may choose whether you like them or not. I personally cannot wait to see people again and will be happy to follow the rules set forth by my club. I voted and will bring my vaccination card to the next meeting and happily sit at the table of six. I also plan on driving to and attending each Area Conference in October. I shall follow the mandates and rules set forth in those circumstances as well. I am ready for this and tired of being at home; I am a people person and need to be with other people! I am looking forward to seeing you all soon.
 
Luv, Pam
MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND TAKE ACTION

Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention
 Diane Waterhouse


A REMINDER -Webinar is Friday, October 1
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and at the beginning of the current GFWC administration, three new categories were added. Along with Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Military Sexual Abuse, Violence Against Native American Women was added. On October 1st, the Tillie Black Bear Women Are Sacred Day Webinar by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, will be shown online.
This would be a great way to educate ourselves about this addition to our projects in Domestic Violence Awareness. I have registered for it and I encourage others to do the same.

Success for Survivors Scholarship
 
On October 1, 2021 the GFWC Success for Survivors Scholarship Application process opens. The application form will be available from GFWC beginning on or shortly after October 1, 2021 with the deadline in early February 2022.
Each year, GFWC awards scholarships to help intimate partner abuse survivors obtain a post-secondary education that offers a chance to reshape their future by securing employment and gaining personal independence.
This scholarship was created in 2012 to lend a helping hand to those impacted by intimate partner violence who are pursuing higher education. The scholarship aims to provide survivors with a means to achieve both financial and personal independence. Since its inception, GFWC has awarded more than $80,000 in scholarship funds.

IT'S ALMOST OCTOBER -
AND THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL AREA CONFERENCES.
Mark your calendars and follow registration instructions when they appear.

AREA C -
Marcia Willett, Area Vice President
TODAY, 9/27, IS THE LAST DAY
TO REGISTER FOR AREA C

Ladies, attached please find the Information and Registration form for the Area C Conference, Harvest of Information, to be held on October 9, 2021. Any member of other Areas that cannot make their own Area Conference are welcome to register and attend the Area C Conference.
Reservations Deadline: September 27, 2021.

 
AREA B
Patsy Wilson, Vice President


Area D Conference is Coming!
         This year, the Area D Conference will take place on Saturday, October 23, 2021. De Anza District will host at the Riverside Elks Lodge, Riverside. All members in Area D are welcome and we welcome members who cannot attend their Area’s Conference. The CALL, Agenda, and Registration Form has been emailed to all Club Presidents in Area D - De Anza, Palomar, San Bernardino, and Southern Districts. [Also attached in this Quick Byte] Please forward the registration as listed on the form, by the deadline date of October 5, 2021.
         We are very excited for you to meet our CFWC President Pam Ament. Also presenting will be President-elect Barbara Briley Beard, 2nd Vice President Sonya Matthies and updates from CFWC Program/Project Chairs.
         There will be some fun activities! Yes - Vendors and a “Mask-R-ade” (see CALL). Mark your calendars. Looking forward to seeing you on October 23rd. Please contact me with any questions. In Federation, Wendy Curran Area D Vice President
Area A Spooktacular
 
     October 30, 2021
Coffee at 9am, call to order at 9:30am
    Northgate Village, Banquet Hall,
El Patio Restaurant in Tracy, California
 
Cost is $35.00
RSVP to Cindy Sanders   Twcpresidentcindy@aol.com
 
If you are sending a buzz to Cindy Sanders, the Area A Vice President, please use the
email listed below 
No, it has not changed but please check your contact list to make sure that it is correct.
Thank you so much

Leadership Minute
LEADS is coming!
Yes, it is right around the corner. Each District is allowed to send one person to the February State Board meeting as a Participant in the California Leads Seminar. Please, take advantage of this great opportunity. It a chance for one person in your District to get a jump start on learning more about how to be a great Leader.

What do you need to do? Send me, Dori Kelsey at catsmeowz@comcast.net a separate photo of your person & then a packet including two letters of recommendation for that person, the GFWC Application form, the CFWC Application form & a one page resume. By email is best but remember to make the photo a good one & send it NOT attached to any of the other documents. I need to use it to make a nice hand out for the other members of the State Board. The Dead-line is January 15, 2022. Email me if you have questions.

If you were a presenter last year & would like to present again. Please contact me, the same email with your name & what you presented last year & what you would like to present this time. Remember the early bird gets the worm. If you want your first choice to present send your choice in right away. I loved what everyone did last year. You were all fabulous & would love you all to do it again. You are a great team! I will be contacting everyone starting sometime in October but be proactive.
Love to all. From Louie & Dori
And a new addition to Dori's Leadership Library
Environment - Jane Thomey

Biodiversity encompasses all the life forms on earth, and all require habitat to survive. If healthy, they work together to maintain a balance of nature, the ecosystem, that supports life by producing oxygen, cleaning water, converting sunlight into food and pollinating crops. Our life on earth depends on them and other essential services
The ecosystem is increasingly threatened by destruction caused by human intervention. To mitigate the effects, the national parks were created to preserve natural habitat.   While beneficial, there are too few parks to make a significant difference.
A possible solution might serve to restore biodiversity. Dr. Douglas Tallamy Is a noted entomologist. He states that the ecosystem can be regenerated by the small efforts of many people to create new ecological networks.  By doing so national parks will extend to our own yards and communities. It’s called Homegrown National Parks.
Green lawns on private properties in the United States encompass 40 million acres. They are biological food deserts with no ecological benefits. The exotic plants that surround them repel indigenous wildlife, essentially starving them. By replanting just half of them with native plants and trees, we can create a connected habitat to restore biodiversity. This campaign is not limited to lawns, however. Any unused, unclaimed patch of soil, or even window boxes or planters that can receive native plants can be part of this campaign.
This is a country-wide program with a goal of regenerating 20 million acres.  Participants are asked to report their efforts for display on an HNP MAP broken down by county, now including a sizable number in California.
Environment Chairmen will soon receive information packets about Homegrown National Parks. There are many possibilities for projects that can involve members, schools, and public spaces. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. aitane@ca.rr.com
I would like to digress from the Health and Wellness program this week although, I feel that there is some elements of Health and Wellness in the stories I have written about.
I attended a funeral this past week for the 42-year-old daughter of a friend. You are not suppose to die at 42 and leave a young family. While funerals are sobering, I ended up with a very uplifting feeling at the end of this one. Seven teenage girls all dressed differently, but in black, sat in the pew in front of me. I tried guessing who they were: the decedent’s nieces, her students? It wasn’t until after Communion when the decedent’s daughter came over to her classmates that I found the answer to my question. All seven stood up as she entered the pew and formed a circle around her, everyone holding tight. They stayed that way until the end of the service 15 minutes later. At that time, I felt warmth, caring, loving and that the daughter was going to be ok because not only did her family have her back, but also her friends. I was once told that to be loved, you had to love. This was certainly evident that day.
 My next story is of a 31-year Fallbrook club member called Betty. Whenever you mentioned the name, everyone knew who you were talking about. Betty was a WWII officer (nutritionist) who served in North Africa and Italy. When we went to Veteran’s Day parades, Betty was always in uniform in a car. (She had served as Grand Marshal one year). A better question is whether you would still fit into a uniform after so many years! Betty even wrote a book, ‘Remembering World War II: A Female Officer in the 5th Army in Italy.’ My favorite story is how she dug a hole in the floor of her tent to crawl into so she could get some sleep and be protected from shrapnel. Several years ago, another member of our club accompanied her to Washington, DC on an Honor Flight. Several club members greeted them at the airport upon their return.
Betty threw herself a birthday party at our clubhouse and invited family, friends, and members. For many years she entered the art and writing contests and won many times. At one meeting, we were to wear a funny hat. Betty wore a bra on her head with the large cup size on the sides of her head and on her ears.
Betty had a bad fall a couple of years ago and was slow to recover, but she still came to meetings in a wheelchair with her caregiver. The last couple of years due to COVID19, the club has held a “drive through” birthday party for her at the clubhouse. She was delighted to see the members, balloons, cards, and flowers. She was able to visit with us from her car. So many Betty stories.
Betty passed away in her sleep September 18 at age 102, a life well lived. RIP Betty from all you Federation sisters.

CFWC Health and Wellness Program
Chairman Myrna Binford


I would like to digress from the Health and Wellness program this week although, I feel that there is some elements of Health and Wellness in the stories I have written about.
I attended a funeral this past week for the 42-year-old daughter of a friend. You are not suppose to die at 42 and leave a young family. While funerals are sobering, I ended up with a very uplifting feeling at the end of this one. Seven teenage girls all dressed differently, but in black, sat in the pew in front of me. I tried guessing who they were: the decedent’s nieces, her students? It wasn’t until after Communion when the decedent’s daughter came over to her classmates that I found the answer to my question. All seven stood up as she entered the pew and formed a circle around her, everyone holding tight. They stayed that way until the end of the service 15 minutes later. At that time, I felt warmth, caring, loving and that the daughter was going to be ok because not only did her family have her back, but also her friends. I was once told that to be loved, you had to love. This was certainly evident that day.
 My next story is of a 31-year Fallbrook club member called Betty. Whenever you mentioned the name, everyone knew who you were talking about. Betty was a WWII officer (nutritionist) who served in North Africa and Italy. When we went to Veteran’s Day parades, Betty was always in uniform in a car. (She had served as Grand Marshal one year). A better question is whether you would still fit into a uniform after so many years! Betty even wrote a book, ‘Remembering World War II: A Female Officer in the 5th Army in Italy.’ My favorite story is how she dug a hole in the floor of her tent to crawl into so she could get some sleep and be protected from shrapnel. Several years ago, another member of our club accompanied her to Washington, DC on an Honor Flight. Several club members greeted them at the airport upon their return.
Betty threw herself at birthday party at our clubhouse and invited family, friends, and members. For many years she entered the art and writing contests and won many times. At one meeting, we were to wear a funny hat. Betty wore a bra on her head with the large cup size on the sides of her head and on her ears.
Betty had a bad fall a couple of years ago and was slow to recover, but she still came to meetings in a wheelchair with her caregiver. The last couple of years due to COVID19, the club has held a “drive through” birthday party for her at the clubhouse. She was delighted to see the members, balloons, cards, and flowers. She was able to visit with us from her car. So many Betty stories.
Betty passed away in her sleep September 18 at age 102, a life well lived. RIP Betty from all you Federation sisters.

Communiquès from the CFWC Communications Committee
Communications Committee Defining the Roles Part 3
Your Committee Chairman
A committee is all about working together towards one goal. The Communications Committee is no different. The Communications Committee is there to assist in all areas of communication for your club/district. On your committee could be the following leaders the; President, 1st VP, Treasurer, Website Editor, Newsletter Editor, Social Media Editors, Public Relations/Media and your photographers.  
During the summer, or early into your club year, call a planning meeting. Do a round table with an open agenda.
·        Allow each person on the team to express their goals for their area.
·        Have the President express their theme and passion project for the year. This gives you their logo and color with their project to highlight.
·        Try to get each committee member to quantify their goals (how many likes or how many subscriptions they would like to increase this year).
·        Encourage them to take on one area of learning. Such as taking a class and expanding into Instagram, linkedin, etc.
·        During that meeting ask someone to take notes so that you can actively listen. Be willing to guide the conversation when needed.
·        After going around once. Now it is time to get everything on the calendar
o  Include when the newsletter is released
o  Due date for articles.
o  Include all fund raisers, with who is announcing them when.
o  Put it on the calendar and then go back 6 weeks and place the beginning of your advertising campaign for your conventions/fundraisers.
o  All these things must be included so that your chairman knows when to call to request space in the local paper or to get the President to write her article. It all plays a role.
On the following Monday after the meeting, create an email that is open for responses, (My team is trying Dropbox Paper) and place your calendar as it was written the week before. Make sure to allow for corrections. Once the calendar is set, the Communications Committee can meet via zoom once every 6 weeks to touch base or right before one of your campaigns begins. This give everyone on your committee a blueprint to work from and then there are no surprises. Once a week touch base with each team member, letting them know you are there to help. Be willing to step in if they need assistance in any way. They should never feel like they are doing this job all alone. It is a team, a committee, it should feel that way.
Lastly, celebrate your successes. Be open to having a dinner to acknowledge everyone’s growth and amazing jobs through the year. These are not easy jobs, and it is important that they are recognized and appreciated.
How can I help? Would you like to have a Communications committee meeting with me? Can I help you plan the year? Call me. I am looking for one Club and one District volunteer to have me come and listen. I would like the CFWC resources to reflect what you need to grow. To get ahold of me email cfwccommuncations@gmail.com. I am very excited to get to know you and to learn what CFWC can do.
QUICK DOCS
QUICK LINKS

Just a thought ......

"Tackling adversity means moving forward
with the knowledge that some questions
need action, not answers."
Chris Novak