Happy New Year!!!

Please join us on January 6, 2011 for our first of the year business meeting, 12pm.

December News

Hi all,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  We all have so many things to be thankful for and high on my list is our Soroptimist Club. Not just because of the friendships and enjoyment of working together but because we are helping so many women and girls through our many projects.


The wreaths are here! Terry would like everyone to pick them up on tomorrow, Wednesday between 4 and 6 PM at her home, 916 Bolton Circle.  If that time is not good for some members, you can email or call Terry to arrange pick-up at another time.

This week I received my Best for Women Soroptimist magazine. The feature article is on breast Cancer and the costly results. I know that many of us have been touched by breast and other cancers in our mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and ourselves. It is an article worth reading. The side bars include symptoms of a little known breast cancer and actions our club can take to help women in our local community.

This Thursday we will be having our regular business meeting at the Baptist Church. It is a sack lunch affair. Business meetings are very important. It is where we make plans and report how we are doing with our projects. If you are not able to attend all the meetings please try to come to the business meeting, the first Thursday of the month. Please print out the Agenda, Minutes and Calendar of Events for reference.

A big thank you goes to Susie and the work that is done to prepare and send out our monthly e-news letter. In an effort for our club members to connect with the bigger picture of Soroptimist our guest author for Dec. is Governor Linda Sue Hansen.

Helaine is collecting children's book for our book project at each business meeting. If you don't have any to donate, talk with Helaine about purchasing some from her list.

At the meeting we will have sign up sheets for the Parlor Tour Dec 4, Bell Ringing Dec 18&19, and gifts for the Rosewood House Christmas Party Dec 22.

December is upon us and there is a lot going on. Hopefully everyone will take part in one or more of our projects but remember, DO NOT FEEL PRESSURED TO DO EVERYTHING. Pick and choose what is important to you.

Correspondence: Chamber Newsletter - Business After Hours, Dec 9 Westamerica Bank 5:30-7:30 and the STAND newsletter

Pres Libbey

NOVEMBER NEWS

Dear Benicia Soroptimists,

Recently I was looking over the SIA club award information. This year they have added a new question to be answered. It is: “Approximately how many women and girls were helped this year by your club”? Wow, what a question! The answer is due June 1st of next year  so I have time to think about it but how can I possibly even guess? 

Well, let’s just look at the month of October. At our business meeting we passed a budget with almost $13,000 earmarked for giving to National, Regional, and Local Soroptimist projects. That does not count the money we raised for the Laughing Workshop, and for what we are planning to raise from Relay for Life and LunaFest for the Cancer Fund, or all the donations we make for projects such as the CAC Thanksgiving Din-ner, the Rosewood House Christmas Party, the cuddle blankets or the books for the school libraries plus the many personal projects such as sending boxes to women troops in Afghanistan. And these are just a few. I could go on and on. How can I possibly count the number of women and girls we help? 

On Oct 20th our club organized a Vigil Against Domestic Violence. We had a good number of members and non members turn out including Sandra the Chief of Police. There was press coverage, and the message went out that our club came out to make a stand. How many women and girls did we help? We would be happy to know that we helped just one but the message we sent out by being there has the potential of helping many more. 

How about the Bewitching Tea on Oct 24? How many women and girls will be helped from the money raised for STAND and Safequest of Solano? 

I’m not sure how I will answer the question when the time comes. There really is no way to know because it doesn’t stop with the women whose lives we touch. It travels on and on through many more lives than we could ever know about. Our mission is improving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. The truth is we really don’t stop to count, we just keep helping. Way to go Ladies! 

~Pres Libbey “Grow Your Dreams in Fertile Soil” 

Letter from last year’s Violet Richardson award winner, Florenza Plung 

I am doing great! College has been wonderful. I am currently attending Babson College which is located near Boston. I am pursuing a business degree with a marketing concentration in hopes of starting my own non-profit organization someday or working for one. I will be starting a Rotaract Club this semester and do more fundraising and projects. I've been working on campus and at two interns. One of those interns involve blogging about charities and finding organizations to donate to for the webhosting company I am part of. Hopefully I will make it big here in Wellesley, MA. If you have any fundraising ideas or international projects that you have information on, I would definitely love to hear about it. Of course, I will definitely tell all my friends about the Violet Richardson Award and send out e-mails. Being a Violet Richardson Award recipient is something I am very proud of, and I can't wait to let someone else feel the pride also. 

Check Out the PAGES Above!

Check out the new pages above.  The Women's Opportunity Awards,  the Violet Richardson Award and this Month's Newsletter.

Your Soroptimist Blogger Linda

President's Update 9-2010

Greetings All


The Talent Show was a huge success. Thank You to everyone who help make it a great event!


This coming Thursday is the fifth Thursday of the month, so our House Committee has planned a fun evening of Bunko at the Commanding Officers Quarters at 6PM. The cost is $20 which includes dinner. The Evite invitations went out on Sept 19 and I will be forwarding them out again as 19 of our members have not responded yet (you will find your name on the list). Be sure to let the house committee know a yes, no or maybe.

Also, from your hardworking Club Roster Committee you you've been sent our first ever Photo Album of members! Liesa Harkness found many of our pictures on the internet and put the album together. Some members will need to either email or bring a picture to Liesa to scan and add to the album. Check it out!

The monthly board meeting will be Wed, Sept 29 at 7 PM at Helaine's house. All members are invited. If you would like to come please let me know so we can be prepared for you.

Correspondence: A Luncheon invitation from STAND. Oct 14, Concord Hilton, $100.

It's been a very full week,

Pres Libbey
"Enjoy the Fruits of your Labor"

Benicia Has Talent & They Need Our Support!

 BENICIA’S GOT TALENT! Soroptimist International of Benicia presents the 8th annual community talent showcase on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at the Hayley Horn Auditorium, Benicia High School. Come and see some truly remarkable talent that we have right here in Benicia. There will also be a 100 prize raffle! Doors open at 6:00 p.m., seating starts at 6:30, show at 7:00. Come early to look over all the wonderful raffle prizes you could win. Admission tickets are $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Benicia Main Street, Benicia Chamber of Commerce, and at the door. Don’t miss out on this wonderful event, bring the whole family. Benicia High School is located at 1101 Military West in Benicia. 

There are lots of opportunities to support this event and help make this our best fundraiser yet! 

Event Sponsorship: 

 Gold Sponsor: $500.00 – free full page ad in the program, publicity at the event, 4 admission tickets, VIP Priority Seating 

 Silver Sponsor: $250.00 – free ••• page ad in the program, publicity at the event, 4 admission tickets 

 Bronze Sponsor: $100.00 – free business card size ad in the program, publicity at the event, 4 admission tickets 

Donate Raffle Prize - $25.00 or more value – e.g., gift certificates, baskets, gift items 

Advertise in our Event Program 

$100 – full page ad 

$ 50 – ••• page ad 

$25 – business card size ad 

The mission of Soroptimist International of Benicia is to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. We support many local women with scholarships, Women’s Opportunity Awards, and we also support projects around the world. Soroptimist was founded in 1921 in Oakland, California, and we are now over 100,000 women in 125 countries. Your donation will help women and girls live their dreams. 

Soroptimist International of Benicia is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and your contribution to our organization may be tax-deductible. Our federal tax I.D. number is 94-2359493.

What's New In Benicia?

BENICIA’S GOT LOTS OF TALENT!

Soroptimist International of Benicia will host its 8^th Annual “Fall Follies” Community Talent Showcase.  This year’s participants will include some of the wonderful talent from last year’s show, the intoxicating flautist Andrea Reeder,  the Susie Harper Dancers, and some fresh new talent.  This is always a popular and fun event for the whole family that is hosted by Soroptimist International of Benicia.

Soroptimist Leeann Cawley is this year’s chairperson of the event. “We’ve been an active organization for 34 years here in Benicia, and this is one of our major fundraisers for the year.  It’s a great event for very talented members of our community to perform and for all of us to enjoy”, says Cawley.

Soroptimists is an international professional women’s service organization dedicated to making the world a better place for women and girls.  They do this through scholarships and service projects locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.  

 In addition to this year’s show, the group is also offering an array of 100 raffle prizes at the event.  Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.  Event tickets are available at Benicia Main Street, Benicia Chamber of Commerce and at the door. This year’s show will take place in the Hayley Horn Auditorium at Benicia High School on Saturday, September 25, 2010.  Doors will open at 6 PM, seating will start at 6:30, and the show begins at 7 PM.  For further information about this event, call (707) 334-0077.  

Soroptimists Summer

Summer is quickly fading into the sunset but looking on the horizon here's an update on what's unfolding. We're meeting to the Left of City Hall at Noon every Thursday until we resume our regular meetings. President Libbey reminds us to bring a hat and sunscreen with our lunch. Here is more from Libbey.

"Mark your calendars! This year we will be holding a planning workshop for the out-going and in-coming board and all the members are invited. It will be Thursday August 5^th from 6-9 PM in the Dona Benicia Room at the Library. Come help us make plans for the coming year and beyond.  I will be providing a salmon salad dinner so let me know if you can come.

Also, mark your calendars for Thursday August 26^th. We will be holding our end of the summer potluck at Kathy Griffin’s house at 297 St Augustine Dr.at 6 PM. It is a fun time to catch up before we start our regular meetings in September.

For correspondence this week we received a thank you letter from Benicia Grad Night for the donation of $200. The letter was signed by our member Lisa McVeigh as a member of the Grad Night committee. We also received an invitation to SI Napa’s annual Lobster Dinner Fundraiser on Nov 13. I hear it is an experience!  Further correspondence was from the trust of Elvira E. Appe who died on June 31, 2010. Some of you long time members may remember her. Please share your memories with the rest of us. Elvira named the Benicia Soroptimist Scholarship Fund in her trust. It may be some time before we know if there is any money that will come to the club as Elvira became ill and spent most of her savings paying for her care.  

That is all for now,

Pres Libbey"

Be colorful and enjoy the sunshine!

June and More

Hi all,

How time flies!!! It's June and we are about to enter our lazy days of summer. Yesterday we had our last business meeting until next September when our new board steps up to the plate. Debbie, Thank You for all of your hard work as President!!!

For those of you new to Benicia Soroptimists, we go dark, or don't meet, during July and August, that is officially. Unofficially members gather at a local park or lovely outside venue and chat and share news and updates over a brown bag lunch. Here's our schedule for June, July and August.

June 10 - Secret Pals will be revealed. All Secret Pal participants bring your final gift to the meeting.*

June 17 - Sharon Petreleese will talk about the Benicia Human Services and Arts Board.*

June 23 - Installation of new members at the Benicia Yacht Club.

* Meet at the Commandant's Residence - E.Mail Heather if you're going to have lunch.

July 2 - There was talk of meeting at the Soroptimist Grove at Matthew Turner Park. I'm told there are signs directing you there. There was also discussion of a potluck as well. I HIGHLY recommend checking with another member (see board names below) if you're not sure what to do. After this meeting folks chose a sitting area between city hall and the post office. Check with Heather if you can't find it.

Next Official Meeting September 2. Location to be announced.

Have a glorious summer. Remember our great events listed to the right. I'm off to Boston pretty much through the middle of July so will miss them and look forward to great pictures.

Warmly

Linda

May Program Update

Hi all,

At the May Business Meeting we welcomed back our Board Members who have returned from Hawaii. Yes, you too can visit a wonderful destination site when you become a Soroptimist Board Member and go to the Annual Conference!

Here's an update on what's coming up for those of us who are not in Hawaii.

Monthly Programs*

May 13 - No clue I must have been sipping my iced tea but it will be at Mike and Gayles in the Southampton Shopping Center and don't you love surprises?
May 20 - A field trip to the Soroptimist Grove in Benicia at the Community Park off of Rose Drive.
May 27 - Book Talk - Our own Helaine Bowles will entertain us with a presentation of the books recently read by library book groups. She'll bring books to purchase if one catches your fancy.
June 3 - Business Meeting
June 10 - Secret Pals will be revealed. All Secret Pal participants bring your final gift to the meeting.
June 17 - Sharon Petreleese will talk about the Benicia Human Services and Arts Board.
June 23 - Installation of new members at the Benicia Yacht Club.

* Unless noted otherwise meetings are held at Mike and Gayles in the Southampton Shopping Center. A buffet lunch is offered for $15. When you get the e.mail notice, let them know if you will be having lunch so they can plan on how many to feed.

Chocolate Wine & Fashion
Pick up your raffle tickets at the next meeting to sell to friends, family, and anyone you think would be interested in winning in a wonderful gift. I've seen the raffle prizes and any one of them is a real find.

Scholarships
Lisa McVeiw has reviewed many applications and the final three winners will be presented with their scholarships May 18.

Dream Dinners

Once again we are holding our Dream Dinners Fund Raiser. Dream Dinners supplies all of the ingredients and recipes for making delicious healthy dinners you can pull out of the freezer and have prepared in 30 minutes or less.

The fundraiser is the night of May 12 starting at 6:00 pm. If you would like to join us, all you have to do is fill out the May menu letting Helaine know by e.mail (Helaine.Bowles@ci.benicia.ca.us) which dinners you would like and how many.  For a copy of the menu visit the Dream Dinner site at http://dreamdinners.com/main.php?page=order_menu_combo.us> . You can order as few as 1 dinner or as many as you want.  Dinners serve 3 or 6 people depending on which ones you order. You need to give Helaine your menu by May 3 to participate and give her a check at that time made payable to Dream Dinners or you can wait and pay that night.

The night of the event we'll meet at Dream Dinners (which is located at the CVS shopping center on Columbus Parkway at the end of Rose Drive) We'll put together our dinners, drink some wine and have a great time. Soroptimist make 15% on the total proceeds.

Award Winners

Soroptimist International of Benicia is pleased to announce the winners of The Violet Richardson and Women’s Opportunity Awards for 2010.

Florenza Plung is the winner of the Violet Richardson Award.  The award recognizes a young woman who is caring, compassionate, creative and, most of all, committed to making the world a better place.  Ms Plung, a senior at Benicia High School, is president of Benicia High School’s Interact Club and treasurer of Benicia High School’s Red Cross Club.  In addition, she participates as a youth commissioner in the Benicia Community Service Division, tutors for the California Scholarship Federation, participates in the Christian Club and teaches at Kid Zone of Northgate Christian Church.  Ms Plung will receive a $500 award and has designated the Interact Club at Benicia High School to receive a donation of $500 in her name.  “As a volunteer,” Ms Plung says,” I learned how important it is to cherish all the things I have in life…to share what I have, and to do as much as I can.”

The winner of the Women’s Opportunity Award is Kristen Cote.  This program was created in 1972 to help women improve their ability to provide for their families.  It targets women who serve as the primary wage earners for the families and provides them with the financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training.  Ms Cote is a resident of Benicia with her two daughters, ages 4 and 7.  She is a licensed Esthetician but her main career goal is to work with foster and underprivileged children.  To that end, Ms Cote is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at Solano Community College.  She will use the $1500 award to finish her AA degree in Early Childhood Education and then transfer to John F Kennedy University to obtain a bachelors degree in Psychology. “My goal,” she says,” is to work with children to open their minds to how valuable they are to our world and to manifest each of their personal gifts.”

Soroptimist International of Benicia is part of Soroptimist International of the Americans.  Benicia members join with almost 100,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women.  In addition to participating in the Violet Richardson and Women’s Opportunity Award program, Soroptimist International of Benicia provides local scholarships, supports women recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, and contributes to other many other local and national causes.  For more information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, call Frances Harkins at 745-8756.

Onward into 2010

Soroptimist International of Benicia has a full year ahead, and we want YOU to join us. You don't even have to be a member, and we would love to have you join our friendly group. Our events are fund raisers. Proceeds are used to donate to local women's resources and to support our awards programs.


March 27 - Luna Fest - Luna Bars sponsors an annual international competition for women directors and then creates a program made of the winner’s works. On March 27 Soroptimist International of Benicia will be screening these short films at the Benicia High School Hayley Horn Auditorium at 7 PM (doors open at 6 PM.

In Keeping with the Soroptimist goal of making the world better for women and girls, proceeds will go to Safequest Solano, battered and abuse victim shelter and the Breast Cancer Fund.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Tickets are available at BENICIA MAIN STREET. BOOKSHOP BENICIA or by calling 707-746-4358.

There will be a VIP reception at 6 PM with preferred seating. These tickets are $25 advanced sales only and are available at BENICIA MAIN STREET or by calling 707-746-4358.

April 30 - Soroptimist Conference in Hawaii
May 22 - Relay for Life
June 19 - Chocolate Wine & Fashion - You've GOT to come to this one, it's great
July 7-10 - SIA Convention in San Francisco
TBA - Spring Fling - A dance party and general celebration for members of our community who are developmentally disabled, this one will touch your heart.

Please Join Us!