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Happy Spring!
This issue is filled with important information!
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Hello Zontians & Friends,
I hope everyone is staying warm and cozy. It is cold days like these that make me happy to have Zoom meetings instead of going out in this bitter wind. It was certainly lovely sitting at home for the last meeting and listening to the inspiring Jess Sexauer. I hope everyone was able to watch the beautiful video she put together just for us. I believe we truly honored Amelia by sharing the story of this other young female pilot. Congrats to Sue Seaver for winning the Amelia Earhart quiz!
February 2021
Dear fellow Zontians and friends,
I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving. Thanks so much to Liz Hart and Anthonia Olatubosum for giving us an update on the Malden club’s hard work passing the End Child Marriage bill! Let’s all do our part and continue to let Speaker DeLeo know how important this is to our community.
The 25th of November marks the start of the 16 Days of Advocacy with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends December 10th with Human Rights Day.
December 2020
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Hello Zontians and friends,
I want to start off by saying thank you to our wonderful panelists from our Domestic Violence event. Monica, Emily, and Danielle provided us with some great information.
As Thanksgiving and the holidays draw closer I’d like us to think about thankfulness and understanding.
Read on:
November 2020
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What a difference a year makes! One year ago, we were putting the final touches on our annual Silent “no more” Auction. Today, most of us are hunkered down in our homes, unable to socialize with our friends and families and donning masks for the rare trip to the grocery store. It all seems so surreal. I find myself experiencing the entire gamut of emotions in the course of 24 hours- sadness, fear, happiness, irritability, panic, anger, overwhelmed, powerless… I could go on, but you get the picture. We are all experiencing this pandemic in our own ways, yet there are similarities. I know that I am not alone when I say that I miss BEING WITH my Zonta sisters! This is a new way of life and it is rather uncomfortable, but we Zontians are strong and resilient women! We are all learning new ways to conduct our lives and our Zonta business.
May 2020
Dear Sister Zontians and friends,
Happy fall to all! Our Zonta club is in full swing and we have so many exciting events during this Centennial anniversary biennium! I am not going to recap the fantastic lineup of upcoming speakers and events in my president’s message. As always, Mary has done her usual impeccable work with our club’s newsletter. I want to express my sincere thanks to Mary for her efforts in putting together this wealth of information. I encourage every member to carefully read our monthly newsletter. While we all may not be able to attend every meeting each month, every member is expected to stay informed of what is going on within our club and district!
My thoughts lately have been filled with what I can do to encourage and promote engagement within our members. We often speak about increasing our membership. While this is absolutely necessary, it is also necessary to take a look at recommitting to our “WHY”…… why did we join Zonta??
October2019
Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,
We are off to a grand start to our new Zonta year!
We welcomed 2 new members to our Zonta family at our September meeting. Also, many thanks to Shanique for an entertaining presentation of her experiences at the ZI convention in Japan. Nice job, Shanique! Lastly, thank you to Mary for educating us about the Zonta online Leadership Program (see slides on pages 7-8). There are so many wonderful opportunities for personal growth as a Zonta member. I encourage everyone to take the time to investigate this program.
On October 15th, we will hold a very special event to support the HeForShe movement. We have invited several representatives from our community to participate in a panel discussion on domestic violence. This will be an opportunity to educate ourselves on what is happening locally and to understand how we can join together to take action. The timing of this program could not be better! Please help us spread the word about this important event. Invite friends, family and colleagues to join us in raising awareness. This impacts everyone, men and women.
October2018
Dear Sister Zontians and Friends:
January’s dinner meeting honoring Amelia Earhart featured WPI PhD. student, Sharada Bhavanam. Her enthusiasm was contagious—we can expect to hear more about this fabulous up-and-coming aviator and aerospace engineer!
All the clubs in Western MA are taking part in the 2018 Period Project. Feminine products are costly and are not covered by SNAP or WIC. For some women, that time of the month could not come at a worse time. Please help us raise awareness and collect pads, tampax, panty liners, soap, wipes, and underwear. We are also accepting cash donations to be used to purchase items in short supply. Drop-off locations are listed at zontaqv.org/period. On February 12th we will gather at the Ludlow Country Club with representatives of shelters, foodbanks and survival centers to assemble monthly kits. Contact Trish with guest list so we can have an accurate count for dinner.
The International Woman’s Day 2018 theme for gender equality in March is #PressforProgress. To appreciate that sentiment, we will travel back in time to experience societal norms with Lucy Stone, who was born in West Brookfield MA in 1818. Actress and historical interpreter, Judith Kalaora, will perform her one-woman play as suffragist Lucy Stone on March 12th. If you would like to ensure that students and others without means can experience this timely educational event, we invite you to send a donation (in any amount) to Zonta Quaboag Valley with a note in the memo: “Lucy Stone Free Admission.” We will take care of the rest!
On the FIRST Monday of May, we will sponsor our 9th annual Silent “no more!” Auction—a festive and amazing fundraiser to benefit Zonta International Foundation, Solder On Women Veterans and one more deserving nonprofit to be determined. Let us know your thoughts on the third recipient and start gathering those themed baskets and gift certificates.
As February’s business meeting will be abbreviated, Committee Chairmen have kindly included their reports in this newsletter. Please review in advance.
Thank you as always for your dedication and service!
Mary Knight
President
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Dear Zontians and Friends:
Wishing all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. As you craft your intentions for 2018, please consider: “Who is left out? Why? How can I be an instrument of change?”
We have a lot to look forward to in the next several months, and it’s a perfect opportunity to share these events with individuals who desire to be part of something much larger than themselves.
In January we honor Amelia Earhart and welcome an up-and-coming aviator and aerospace engineer, Sharada Bhavanam. Please contact Trish to confirm your attendance for the January 8th meeting and provide names of guests. We need an accurate number for dinner. Thanks.
The public is invited to join us on Monday, January 8, 2018 starting at 5:30 at the Ludlow Country Club, Ludlow MA. A buffet dinner will be served at 6pm, followed by a short business meeting and the program. Please RSVP by January 3rd (note any dietary restrictions). Either send a check ($18/pp) with names of all attendees to Mary F. Knight, PO Box 1034, Belchertown MA 01007-1034, or email info@zontaqv.org with names of all attendees and pay $20/pp at the door – cash, check or credit card.
Between now and February 12th, all the clubs in Western MA are taking part in #ThePeriodProject. Feminine products are costly and are not covered by SNAP or WIC. For some women, that time of the month couldn’t come at a worse time. Read more….
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On Monday, December 11th we are delighted to welcome Linda van Werthooven and learn about how the Tanzania Nursing Scholarship program is changing lives of young women and their communities.
Members and guests are invited to bring an unwrapped gift for a child staying in transitional housing during this holiday season. Janelle Estrada from Woman Shelter Companeras suggests reading books, activity books, board games, dolls—items that occupy the imagination and take up little space
We meet starting at 5:30 with a social and 6:00 dinner, followed by the program, at the Ludlow Country Club, Ludlow MA. RSVP by December 6th is appreciated. Either send a check ($18/pp) payable to Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley, with names of all attendees to ZQV, PO Box 1034, Belchertown, MA 01007-1034 or email info@zontaqv.org with names of all attendees and pay $18/pp at the door – cash, check or credit card.
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