Good Morning Soroptimist Sisters
I am told that yesterday was the first day of Spring and indeed, the temperatures are positively tropical following all the ice and snow! It has been a blustery week, I hope that all your fences are intact! I am not sure if we have seen the back of winter just yet?
Your Regional Officers held a virtual meeting on Wednesday this week, where we all demonstrated the International Women’s Day ‘Choose to Challenge’ pose for a screenshot. There was much to discuss and as always, we
are looking to the future and planning for the Northern England Region, as much as we can within the restrictions. These virtual Officer’s Meetings have been extremely successful during the pandemic. Officers usually hold four meetings each year and travel to Seaburn for them. Using SKYPE initially and now GoTo, [and shortly on Microsoft Teams] we have been able to meet monthly and it has been agreed that these virtual meetings will continue, probably even after we are free to travel; savings will be made on venue costs and travelling expenses and personally, I have to say it is a luxury not to face a long, dark, drive home trying to avoid the inevitable roadworks, diversions and roads closed!
SI Middlesbrough also raised their hands at their Zoom Meeting this week – members who will ‘Choose to Challenge’ the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.
The latest SIGBI News Briefing has a link to the February edition of Soroptimist News, where, on the back page, you will see seven Soroptimists pictured, also raising their hands in the Choose to Challenge pose. Three of these seven ladies belong to the Northern England Region. Thank you to Margaret Clark, our FCC, for arranging and submitting these photographs. The Briefing has more news and useful links connected with the SI Centenary.
Claire Rawlinson of SI Cockermouth reported on a most interesting Club Meeting this week, when they heard about Dogs For Good. Anna Prosser, a volunteer, and Sarah Cox, a dog partner [pictured with her Assistance Dog, Rumba] were the speakers and explained how the charity trains dogs to help a wide range of disabilities from adults in wheelchairs to children with autism. The dogs are trained for a specific disability and can do jobs like opening and closing doors, loading and emptying washing machines, fetching, helping with dressing and undressing, socialising etc. Claire said that this was a very informative and interesting evening and would recommend to other clubs. dogsforgood.org.
This was the charity supported by Past Regional President, Suzanne Brown some years ago with her Afternoon Tea at Lumley Castle.
Please be aware that UKPAC Minutes are now available in the Member’s area of sigbi.org. [Go to Members menu, then Programme Action, then UKPAC Member Resources.] Thanks to Kathy Warrick of SI Middlesbrough for providing this information. Check it out! Their meetings have been held online since the beginning of the pandemic. The meetings are split into two, one concentrating on Officer Reports and the business of the Committee. The three sub groups of the committee which report are – Modern Day Slavery, Prison Reform Trust and the group co-ordinating the project on special Domestic Violence Courts which was, of course, originally started in our Region by Dame Vera Baird and is now being undertaken by clubs across the country. UKPAC is also trying to develop a project around recycling to feed into the COP26 meeting on Climate Change, which is to be held in Glasgow in November 2021. The second meeting is reports from Regional PAC Officers and acts as an inspiration to clubs across the country.
News from Barbara Brown of SI Darlington. It is lovely to receive long newsy messages each week from Barbara and she continues to be busy organising the collection of food items, donated by members, for Food for Thought. Darlington Club has long supported Food for Thought which provides cooked meals and food to households in need. Barbara then passes them on to the Chief Organiser.
At present, Food for Thought only delivers at night and Barbara is anxious to return to her weekly volunteering role when restrictions are lifted. She misses the camaraderie of the FFT Gang! .
I have some exciting news to share with you about Associate Member, Debbie Hicks, who was our Regional President in 2007/8. Debbie intends to move from her home in Cumbria to ‘fulfill her dreams’. She has made an offer on a catamaran, which has been accepted this week, and she is hoping to sail off to see the world either later this year or early next. She will be using a crew to help her to start with and for all the ocean crossings. She is expecting to be away for ten years. I am happy to say that Debbie will remain an Associate member and will keep in touch through Facebook as her main source of communication. We all must wish her well and hope that this will indeed be an enjoyable adventure for her, but most of all that she STAYS SAFE.
Quote for this week attributed to various authors:
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything!
Until next week, STAY SAFE, KEEP WELL
In Friendship.
Joyce
Joint Regional President
SINE