Federation President Maureen’s Welcome Message

It gives me great pleasure to invite Soroptimists and their guests to the 78th Federation Conference in Belfast.

Our Conference theme ‘Facing the Future Together’ challenges us that, in taking forward the aims of our organisation, we must work together in partnership with others to improve the lives of women
and girls not only locally, nationally but internationally. We can achieve so much more, when we work as one.

Our Conference in Belfast will inspire, enthuse and encourage us to work together to deliver our Programme Goals. We will have the opportunity to report and reflect on our achievements, share
ideas and of course have a lot of fun and friendship along the way.
As usual, our opening ceremony will include receiving the various national flags that show the diversity of our membership. This is a very moving and emotive celebration and one that we all enjoy.

Our evening will close with some music and song of the various counties that comprise Northern Ireland.

On Friday, we will listen to exciting and stimulating speakers: International President AliceWells, Naomi Long MP for Belfast East; Teresa Doherty QC – a High Court Judge at The Hague. We will also have the opportunity to discuss the formal business at our General Meeting. In the evening, we invite you to ’A Taste of Northern Ireland’: an evening of food, music, song and dance – something for everyone at the Europa Hotel.

A further keynote speaker has been invited to speak with us on Saturday morning – The Honourable Mobina Jaffer QC, a Senator in the Canadian Government and she will be followed by celebrating our Programme achievements through Educate to Lead. This is, after all, the lifeblood of our organisation, the reason for being a Soroptimist.

Saturday evening closes with the Change of Insignia Ceremony at the Signature Building in the Titanic Quarter, where you will be enthralled with the interactive displays about the lives and times of
people in Belfast in the early 1900s.

Come to Belfast and celebrate ‘Facing the Future Together’. Please click on this link to download the Conference Flyer.

Maureen Maguire
Federation President 2011-2012.