CFWC QuickBytes

January 31, 2022

Hi!

Today (Monday, 1/31/22) is the final day to register for the Winter Board Meeting as well as secure hotel room reservations. Please mail your registration form with check TODAY or register online.

Thanks

Jean Lash,

CFWC Meeting Planner

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members, have you made your reservation for the upcoming CFWC Executive Board Meeting in Sacramento yet? All are welcomed and we would love to see you there! We know this meeting is a time to meet and enjoy the company and camaraderie of other Members; to share with one another the spirit of what it is to be a Federation Volunteer.

At this Meeting we will welcome Marian St Clair, the GFWC International President as our special guest. I am so excited to have Marian attend! Luck has placed us all together as we are able to share with Marian her insights on the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. I am sure many of you that have not yet had the chance to meet Marian will be charmed by her ideals and leadership, this will truly be a meeting to remember.

I also want to welcome our District LEADS Candidates to this meeting. Our CFWC Leadership Chair, Dori Kelsey has a lovely 2-days planned for your training. This was how I began my journey in Leadership at the State level and I know you will have an informative and exciting time meeting the CFWC Executive Board members and our GFWC International President. I look forward to meeting each of you in Sacramento and witnessing the spark of leadership and fun you bring to your Clubs and Districts…this is just the beginning!

For those attending to interview for the 2022 – 2024 Executive Committee Officers of the GFWC California Federation: Welcome. The Nominating Committee Chair, Lynn Hutton and her Committee are looking forward to getting to know you and your leadership styles. Please make sure your paperwork is in order, just look at our CFWC Bylaws to know what is needed.

I want to encourage all members of the California Federation to attend. Our meetings and workshops are open to each of you, unless otherwise designated. This is one of the best ways to see how we as your Executive Committee and Executive Board of California’s Federation work for you. Jean and I have worked hard at making this another great meeting and hope to see you there. There is no Zoom protocol for this meeting, and therefore will be held in-person only.

On Thursday evening, we will have something special. The For Art’s Sake Dinner Fundraiser will be a closed event to a small group with proceeds from the meal going to our CFWC Art Fund. Marian will be my special guest, Barbara Briley-Beard, and Sonya Matthies will be there as well. We hope you will want to attend too.

TODAY, (Monday, January 31, 2022), is the final day to register for the Winter Board Meeting as well as secure hotel room reservations. Please mail your registration form with check to Jean Lash TODAY or register online at www.CFWC.org.

Luv, Pam

CFWC NEEDS YOU to fill several Executive Board positions.

One of our Federation goals is to encourage and motivate leadership. I’m asking clubs and districts to seek out those leaders and urge them to submit their names for consideration.

1. Candidates must have written endorsements from both their club and district to include name, address, and qualifications signed by the President and Recording Secretary. (See page 236 in CFWC Yearbook)

2. Send a copy ASAP to each member of the Nominating Committee listed on page 46 in the current CFWC Yearbook.

Don’t hesitate to call if you have a question.

Lynn Hutton

Nominating Committee Chairman

lynnhutton3@hotmail.com

310.835.1451

Military & Veterans – Yolanda Petroski

Little is known about the valuable war-time work accomplished by a select group of women – the Six Triple Eight – who answered the call to unravel the backlog of mail waiting to be delivered to the military. The 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, comprised of 855 enlisted Black women, accomplished in 3 months what had been estimated to be a 6 month job in sorting out the undelivered mail in England, and later, France. The Foundation for Women Warriors has put together a documentary airing for free Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Register on its website, foundationforwomenwarriors.org to view it. As Black History Month approaches, it might motivate you to urge Congress to pass HR 1012, awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to the African American women of the Six Triple Eight. Only six of the original 855 are still with us. Approved by the Senate it is said to be only six votes shy in the House. You know what to do!

Bring Back the Monarchs!

They’re back, but will they return next year? At one time millions of Monarch butterflies overwintered in California, but after a steady and steep decline in number, there were only 2000 who made the annual migration in 2020. To everyone’s surprise, this year more than 250,000 Monarchs returned to the West, the highest number in five years. While this rebound is exciting, it is not a guarantee that the Monarchs are regenerating and have been saved from extinction.

The reasons for the increase are unclear. Perhaps the smaller populations allowed for less competition for resources. With plenty of milkweed and plants to eat and with sufficient space it might have caused the population to spike. It is possible that the warm dry weather in California and Mexico may have been favorable for breeding grounds. The downside to this is that droughts and warming temperatures usually signal declines in abundance and diversity. Another theory is that there was an influx of Eastern Monarch butterflies that intermingled with the Western butterflies. Or the rebound can be explained by changes in crop planting and pesticide use in the Central Valley.

it is now a wait and see period to determine if the Monarch butterflies will come back strong next year. Whatever the reason for this year’s resurgence, we can support them by rebuilding habitats in our own personal gardens, a goal of the Homegrown National Park. Avoid pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Plant nectar producing native plants and milkweed. Be sure that none of the plants have been treated with pesticides. Stay away from non-native milkweed that harbors parasites which sicken Monarchs. Let us do our part to provide a safe environment so that Monarch Butterflies will hopefully return and thrive permanently.

Our CFWC Communications Team Chair, Sonja Hults, graciously invites any member to join her on Sunday afternoons. Please email: cfwcsonjahults@gmail.com for codes.

From the recent GFWC News & Notes

February 4: Success for Survivors Scholarship Application Deadline

There is still a week left before the 2022 Success for Survivors Scholarship submission deadline on Friday, February 4. Ten scholarships of $2,500 will be awarded in 2022! Spread the word about the opportunity that this scholarship provides survivors of intimate partner violence—the financial support to seek higher education and achieve both financial and personal independence

Don’t miss your chance to register for the Remote GFWC Holiday Open House! If you did not have time in December to experience the holiday magic at GFWC Headquarters in Washington, DC, you can now register through the GFWC Member Portal until 12:00 noon ET on February 15.

Want more information -

read the entire issue of News & Notes

https://www.gfwc.org/news-notes-january-27-2022/

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!

CFWC Convention May 2022

Are you ready for May? Are you as excited as I am? Have you cleared your schedule for the event of the Administration? Yes, yes, and yes should be your answers! The CFWC Convention is right around the corner for May 11 – 14 in Anaheim, California. The Convention Committee is working hard to get out the CALL to Convention during the first week of March and there are so many wonderful things we have planned for you! So, print out, email, share, and send the “Save the Date Flier” attached below and let’s all celebrate getting BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN for a rip roaring 2022 in-person Convention!

Printable Convention Save the Date Flier