At our business meeting President Pam presented Susan Sexton with her 25 year Service Award.
Jenny Cobb (IPP) received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the local community and charity work.
Our October meeting highlight was a return visit from a former member who took time out to be our town’s mayor! Soroptimists do tend to be busy, involved women but Tricia had had an early marriage, handicapped baby, early widowhood, training to teach English to foreign students, housing many students, then by the age of 40 decided to attend university & achieved a first!! To complete the new start she moved to a new district (ours!) and began to take an interest in local affairs becoming a local councillor and subsequently Mayor. And that became a whole new story! We enjoyed her inside stories and insights, and look forward to welcoming her back as a Soroptimist again when her life quietens down a little.
Our not so frugal supper on 1st September was very kindly hosted by Immediate Past President Jenny (and Soroptimister Paul) and we are all very grateful for their hospitality. The supper and raffle raised money for President Pam’s charity A-CET. After our ‘frugal’ supper we had a most informative talk from Margaret Holman on her (voluntary) visit to Brixton Prison and to the restaurant run by the prisoners.
We had the pleasure of Johanna Raffan’s company at our business meeting. Johanna, Federation Councillor, gave a presentation entitled ‘Building the Future of SIGBI’, which is about Associate Membership (AM) and how to grow new Soroptimists. This was a timely explanation of this proposed new category of membership and Johanna’s talk gave rise to numerous questions, some thoughts from our members as to how this would work in practice and for those going to Confernece the expectation of a lively debate about the proposal.
Our summer outing was to Hopleys Nursery for a conducted tour of the plant centre and of course refreshments, afternoon tea.
We had a stall at the Kite Festival in Royston on 3rd August. The weather was just right for kites if a little too windy for our banner. We ran a ‘bran tub’ for children and were visited by a number of people interested in finding out what Soroptimists are all about and also one or two visitors from other clubs.
July was a very busy month for SI Hertford & District. We held a fund raising supper for the BIG project in the Poppy Room in Benington Village Hall on 21st July. A splendid venue for a lovely supper to help raise money for the BIG project.
Our annual tea party to raise funds for Isabel Hospice was held on 16th July and again another extremely succesful tea party with yet again perfect weather, thanks to Anne Miles!
International Service in Burkino Faso Our July speaker meeting was a return visit from a gap-year student. Hannah has spent the past 3 months with International Service working in Burkino Faso. As well as general input to the local school & community her main role was to involve disabled children & young people in sport. This she did very successfully, ending her stay with a ‘paralympic sports day’. She had clearly enjoyed her placement & was able to increase our knowledge of the country, its life, culture and systems, especially education & health. It was good to see how she had grown in confidence and maturity, and will be ready to take up her university place in the autumn. ‘Inspiring Action, Transforming Lives’ – maybe a Soroptimist of the future.
