How amazing to be celebrating a centennial—What do you think Marian de Forest would say about the accomplishments Zonta members have made over the last 100 years?

Many of us will be celebrating the anniversary (11/8-10) at the District 1 Fall Conference. It’s not too late if you and guests want to join in on this inspirational weekend. (Page 7) Members unable to attend are encouraged to make a donation to ZIF before 11/8 in honor of this milestone, and to put our club in the running for a free registration to the next Fall Conference!  Many thanks to members for the generous donations for our Chocolate Basket to be entered into the Silent Auction. I am definitely bidding!

On November 11th we further commemorate this anniversary by honoring Mary-Beth Cooper, president of Springfield College, with a Centennial Community Award. Dr. Cooper is not only a champion for women’s empowerment but an influencer and mentor for equality. To quote Carol A. Leary, Ph.D., President of Bay Path University. “We are also fortunate to have her leadership and her support for the advancement of women and the values of Zonta.”  Please take this opportunity to invite guests and anyone who might be interested in learning more about our organization. It promises to be a fun and lively evening.

 By Wednesday, please RSVP to me (email or text) to confirm your attendance at our 11/11 meeting and provide a guest count for dinner.

Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

Am I the only one who feels like summer has gone by in a blink? There is an invigorating touch of fall in the air, as I leave for work in the morning.  I hope that everyone has had a chance to relax, recharge and reconnect with family and friends in the past couple of months. It was great to see many of you at our summer potluck gathering on August 12^th. We had a great time, lots of laughter and delicious eats! We have some very creative chefs in our club! Thank you to all who attended!
Our 25^th annual golf fundraiser will be held on Saturday, September 7^th at Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown. I want to thank our golf committee for their efforts in organizing this wonderful event. I hope that many of you are able to participate in this event, either by playing in the tournament, donating a gift for the raffle table and helping out at the event.    READ ON

It’s hard to believe that March is here already!  March is certainly living up to its saying…………….In like a LION!

Sincere thanks to our community for their generous support of our Period Project! On February 11th, the Zonta clubs of Northampton, Springfield and Quaboag Valley assembled over 550 packets of feminine hygiene supplies for impoverished women in need.  These packets were distributed to area homeless shelters, food banks, the YWCA, high schools and several other organizations. In addition to the completed packets, we had a large surplus of additional supplies which were donated to those in need.

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march2019

Scholarship Chair, Dana Burton of Belchertown, MA has announced that the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley is now accepting applications for the 2019 Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award, recognizing young women for their demonstrated leadership skills and commitment to public service.

We are looking for women in the Quaboag Valley and surrounding towns who are high school juniors or seniors and have an active commitment to volunteerism, experience in local or student government, demonstrated leadership skills, and dedication to advancing the status of women throughout the world. The club offers an award of $1,000 cash to the most outstanding applicant. The winner then goes into the running for awards at the district and international level.

Applications are available by contacting Dana Burton scholarship committee chair at deburton4212@gmail.com or your high school guidance office. The application can also be downloaded from www.zontaqv.org/resources. Completed applications are due by March 15, 2019, to: Dana Burton, 118 Jensen St., Belchertown, MA 01007.

The Zonta club will take orders for Poinsettias between 11/1 to 11/20.  Deliveries begin the week after Thanksgiving.

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Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

The 25th Anniversary / Founder’s day meeting was well done and received. We had 88 out of the 96 expected individuals in attendance. The programs, centerpieces, cake(s), chocolate favors, pens, photographer were all plusses! The two PowerPoint presentations (one of Zonta – created by MaryAnn, and one of Marge being Marge) and pictures from Fran Ferry are available on line—let me know if you have trouble accessing.

The food was WONDERFUL and the venue absolutely beautiful! Many thanks to members who had speaking parts and those who worked behind the scenes to pull this off! I think everyone signed the guest book that circulated, but we got very few emails…. So we need to spend postage if we want to follow-up.
Please help Trish and I by getting us email addresses for your guests – and reach out to see if they might join us at our December meeting. Reminder: Get me regrets/names of guests by 12/7 so we have an good count for dinner.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence continues through December 10th. Please review and share info Dana has posted on Facebook; consider writing a letter to the editor to raise awareness on issues of violence against women.

Our December 12th meeting will feature a speaker from the Links to Libraries Board—George O’Brien, editor of Business West.

We will also be launching a hands-on project proposed by our board:
The Period Project—distributing dignity to women/girls in need.
We are meeting with representatives from local shelters to finalize details, but the idea is to pack monthly menstrual kits that include tampons, pads wipes, pantyliners, soap and underwear. We would collect items in December and January, and put the kits together at the February meeting. One of the cheerleaders for this project —Kim Lee from CHD—will join us for the launch, to share how this will make a difference in the lives of their clients.

As is customary at this meeting, we collect new, unwrapped toys, stuffed animals, games and books for children who will be spending the holidays in shelters. Your generosity is appreciated by Mothers in a tough place right now.

Finally, please review the outline for our 25th anniversary issue of the Bog in this newsletter. Comments, questions, help with organizing and proofreading are welcome!!

Thankful as always for our Zonta Fellowship, Mary Knight

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Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

I hope many of you took the message from the October meeting to heart and have started taking some “ME” time!  You are special and deserving.

Six of our members attended fall conference in Nova Scotia and had a most uplifting time. The speakers on Human Trafficking and women’s issues were very informative; we have lots to share. Dana’s report is on page 7.  Handouts will posted on the District website for your review as well:  zontadistrict1.org

Preparations for our November 14th meeting are being finalized and it appears we will have a record attendance to celebrate our 25th Anniversary and to honor this year’s Founder’s Day recipient—Marge Cavanaugh.  Thanks to all members for their efforts in pulling this special evening together. It is not too late to invite friends, family and colleagues. The press release is included in this newsletter. Please be sure to get your final guest count to me by November 7th so we provide an accurate count to Ludlow Country Club and plan seating.

Photographer Fran Ferry will be on hand to memorialize the evening and plans are underway to create a special 25th Anniversary issue of the Bog by year end.

November 25th is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the first of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.  It is a perfect time to educate ourselves and others about facts and issues impacting women locally and world-wide. Check out www.un.org/en/events/endviolenceday/index.shtml and be on the lookout for ideas from our Advocacy committee.

Our December meeting will feature a speaker from the Links to Libraries Board and a collection of toys for children who will be spending the holidays in shelters. New, unwrapped toys, stuffed animals, games and books are always appreciated!

Thanks to those of you who have submitted responses to Membership Chairman Trish Pupek about your reasons for being a Zontian. Debbie Wood’s reflection is included in this issue.

As always, yours in Zonta Fellowship,

Mary Knight

Dear Sister Zontians and Friends,

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Many thanks to members and guests for a very productive meeting in September.  We set our intentions in a positive way (thanks Sandy Neumann!) and began our 25th year of service and advocacy!  We are very pleased about our 2016 Founder’s Day award winner—Marge Cavanaugh—and look forward to recognizing her many contributions.

At the fall conference in Nova Scotia we will be participating in the Silent Auction—Dana got us a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate, and the Store—I will bring a selection of our t-shirts along with an order form.

The golf fundraiser was another great success! Thanks to the core committee Debbie, Marge, Kris – and to all other members who donated raffle items, food and precious time to pull this off.

The October meeting promises to be another interesting one, and much shorter!.

• Ÿ Our program (page 2) will be about making YOU a priority on your “to do list!  Check out the rationale on page 7 and share with friends who need to hear this message.
• Ÿ This is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—observed to bring to light an issue that effects our community in a staggering way (page 5). Shanique will share how the local YWCA is taking part in the Purple Purse Challenge and how we can help.  Tip:  We will have a tag-sale table, so bring cash!
• Ÿ We will get updates on the 25rh anniversary plans for November 14th and other committee reports.

Finally and most importantly: Why are you a member of Zonta?  What do you hope to get out of being a member of this club?  What will it look like; feel like to you when your reason for membership is being met?  How can the club measure its success in meeting your needs around being a member? Read Kris’ thoughts regarding this topic on page 6.

As busy women, almost all decisions we make have that underlying thought process, “What’s in it for me?” If we hope to strengthen our Zonta club, it is important that we understand your WIIFM—so that we are focused on those interests and needs.  So….Why are you a member of Zonta?  Please forward your response to Membership Chair Trish Pupek at or before our October 10th meeting.

As always, yours in Zonta Fellowship,

Mary Knight

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Congratulations to the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley on its latest milestone.  Three of our charter members continue to be active and inspiring leaders:  Marge Cavanaugh, Deb Wood and Liz Reeves.