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Soroptimist International of Los Angeles

Growing our membership to increase our service

November 2012Vol 4, Issue 3
Greetings!

 

Pres Bev Oct MeetingWe had an interesting and busy month in October. Naomi Camona-Morshead, SI Greater Santa Clarita Valley, and her topic "Color Me Pink and Purple" in support of breast cancer awareness and domestic violence was a great program.  Then we learned about some of our own history in the Soroptimist Grove in Fern Dell as well as lots of information about the history and growth of Griffith Park.  Bernadette Soter and Marian Dodge, Friends of Griffith Park, helped us understand the mission of careful development and preservation.

 

Thanks to all for donations to the "Clothes The Deal" project. Our clothes should help many women dress for the interviews and the workplace. And we also collected $280 for Antonia Becerra, the Taix waitress caught in a scam. Pam Smith prepared a cute collection pumpkin, a fancy envelope containing our check and wrapped it all up for presentation to Toni through the fund set up to benefit her.

 

At the first meeting in November, we will change gears for business. We need to finalize dates for our teen domestic violence workshop, our annual luncheon and our Christmas project. The first item of business will be the long delayed bylaws revision approval. Other important topic will include the club giving through SIA President Raquel Arreola Ruiz's Challenge. November will also bring our member recruitment event. Keep in mind we are reaching for eight new members this year. Our first, Carol Dukes, is a wonderful addition. Let's make the recruitment party a big success.
        

President Bev

In This Issue
More Details on the 2012-2013 Calendar
Color Me Pink and Purple
Fern Dell / SILA Connection
Clothes The Deal
Report on Fall District Workshop
Stephanie Struck Update
Quick Links

2012-2013 Board

 

President: Bev Johnson
1st VP (Programs): Joyce Jacob
2nd VP (W&M): Jessica Washington
Secretary: Daphyne Howell
Treasurer: Janet Elliott/Teresa Harvey
Director 2011-13: Joan Johnson
Director 2012-14: Diane Vernon
Contact Information

 

For more information about SILA or this Newsletter, please contact:

 

President Bev Johnson at [email protected] or 818-563-3775.
 
Editor Janet Elliott at [email protected] or 310-809-2438; Co-Editor Ann Read at [email protected] or 626-919-9202

More Details on the 2012-2013 Calendar

Remember there will be only one regular meeting of SILA in November because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but also a very special recruitment event. Mark your dayplanner now.

 

Wed. Nov. 7th 6:00pm at Taix Restaurant: Business Meeting: Lots of important issues to be discussed and decided. Be there!

 

Wed. Nov. 14th 6:00pm at Taix Restaurant: Recruitment Event: Watch for details from Emily Dell.

 

Note: Sun. Nov. 25th: Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence. The day was designated in December 1999 by the United Nations' General Assembly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Check out the SIA White Paper: Domestic Violence as a Workplace Concern.

 

To view the complete 2012-2013 calendar of Soroptimist meetings, workshops and conferences, revised as of 10/31/12, click here.

Color Me Pink and Purple

Pink and PurpleSILA members donned colorful outfits in pinks and purples in support of the topic for the program meeting on October 3: the breast cancer awareness and the fight to eliminate violence against women - both at home and for teens in dating relationships. Naomi Carmona-Morshead of SI Greater Santa Clarita Valley is Chair of Color Me Pink and Purple for Camino Real Region. Her presentation focused on how women can positively guide their lives with affirmations to choose health and make meaningful changes for others needing protection through connections and communication.

Fern Dell / SILA Connection 

   

 

marion & bernadette
Marian Dodge & Bernadette Soter.

 

SILA has connected with our history! At the Program Meeting on October 17, two founding board members of Friends of Griffith Park, Bernadette Soter, Vice President of Outreach, and Marian Dodge, Secretary, gave an excellent presentation on Griffith Park and the Soroptimist Grove. Their presentation including details on the history of Griffith Park, the peak time of Fern Dell in the 1920's, and the decline during the last 30 years. 

 

 

 

 

ter-pines-picnic-area

 

 

The Fern Dell area of Griffith Park is the location where SILA planted a grove of redwood trees in 1932. The picnic area near the grove, shown right, has two plaques. One on the upper level says Soroptimist International of Los Angeles, July 1955. 

 

 

  

 

FernDell PlaqueThe other plaque, dated July 1947, is a memorial honoring Los Angeles policewoman and first probation officer, Minnie Barton, who befriended homeless girls while working with young women on parole or probation. In 1917, Barton founded the Minnie Barton Home. This temporary home started with young women who were first offenders being sent to the home instead of jail. The facility grew and became The Big Sister League, now Children's Institute Inc.

 

 

 

Clothes The Deal

 

Clothes the Deal
President Bev with Steve De Leon at Clothes The Deal

SILA's collection of business clothing for low income women was very successful. At the October 17 meeting, members really made the effort and the meeting room was crowded with boxes, sacks and hangers containing skirts, blouses, dresses, blazers, slacks, shoes and jewelry that was eventually loaded into President Bev's car.  The next morning, she delivered it all to the Clothes The Deal facility. She had a great tour through the reception and receiving hall, the clothing storage room and the very nice client showroom. Clothes The Deal has contracts with other organizations to send them clients who select clothing from their showroom. The clothing is nicely displayed with two dressing rooms and large mirrors for client use.

 

There is a drop-off location at the LA Law Library in the downtown area with 14 other locations in the greater LA area. They will also come to a site holding a collection event to help and to transport the donations. For more about this worthwhile program, watch the 6-minute video below.  Good job SILA!
 

Clothes The Deal Promo
Clothes The Deal Promo

 Report on Fall District Workshop   

 

 

CRR logo 2012-2014

The annual Regional Fall District Workshop was held on October 13. After being welcomed by the City of Camarillo and the host club, SI Camarillo, Camino Real Region (CRR) Governor Linda Haines delivered her message in a lovely garden room setting.

 

Region updates included presentations by SILA former president Ginger Cole, who is now CRR Secretary, and SILA's Jessica Washington who discussed the Girl Scout Partnership with Soroptimist. The workshop also included invitations to the Spring Conference which will be held April 26-28, 2013 in Ventura with SILA member Sheila Tatum as Chair and to the 2013 Fall Workshop to be held in nearby Glendale.Ginger by Fall District Workshop

 

The first of three speakers for the day, Gloria Miele, a Certified Professional Coach, discussed leadership qualities - identification and strengthening techniques of leadership. The second, Stacy Smith, PhD, USC, discussed her research on women in the media. She studied film content from 300 movies over 20 years to determine the role of women. In November, a further study of women's roles in television will be released. Finally, Chelle Campbell discussed Financial Stress Reduction. There was a great deal of interesting and important information in each presentation.

 

SILA was awarded a Certificate for Participation in the Soroptimist signature program, the Women's Opportunity Awards. SI Camarillo did an excellent job hosting the workshop and all who attended agreed that it was well worthwhile. President Bev is already setting a goal for 100% participation next year.

fall conference2 

Stephanie Struck Update

 
S. Struck
Stephanie receiving the Stephanie Klopfleisch Graduate Fellowship Award

Stephanie Struck, winner of SILA's 2011 Graduate Fellowship award, has finished her M. A. degree in Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in International Development and Urban Studies and is now working full-time as the Executive Assistant at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership in Pasadena. And she is really enjoying her job!

 

Stephanie entered graduate school after several years of local community engagement and overseas volunteer work which included service in Amman, Jordan, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico. During that service, she was involved in planning community events to raise awareness of issues such as refugee resettlement, HIV/AIDS, clean water efforts, and fairly traded crafts and consumer items, many of the issues central to Soroptimist International interests.

Congratulations, Stephanie, on this new phase of your dedicated life.