{"id":4545,"date":"2021-11-24T17:51:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-24T17:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/sevenoaks\/?page_id=4545"},"modified":"2021-11-24T18:06:06","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T18:06:06","slug":"si-sevenoaks-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/sevenoaks\/si-sevenoaks-history\/","title":{"rendered":"SI Sevenoaks History"},"content":{"rendered":"

SOROPTIMISM IN SEVENOAKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

A history of our Club<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part 1\u00a0 \u00a0 Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Soroptimism came to Sevenoaks in 1938, seventeen years after the organisation was founded in California and fourteen years after it spread to Europe.\u00a0 Prior to its official inauguration on 4th<\/sup> February the first meeting of our club was held on 18th<\/sup> January 1938.<\/p>\n

Soroptimist International is a world-wide association for women intent on improving\u00a0 conditions for people, particularly women and girls, living in deprived circumstances at home and abroad.\u00a0 In Sevenoaks we are part of the South East region, under the umbrella of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI).<\/p>\n

Our archives make interesting reading.\u00a0 Initially there were fourteen members, all actively professional women, who continued to meet throughout World War Two.\u00a0 The minutes, either immaculately hand written or carefully recorded on a manual typewriter, indicate a group of women serious in their commitment to fund raising in stressful\u00a0 times, whilst continuing to participate in social activities such as dances, tea parties and whist drives. The Covid pandemic of 2020-21 has set a different challenge \u00a0but modern technology , such as Instagram and Facebook, enables us to keep in touch with members across the globe.\u00a0\u00a0 We in Sevenoaks have our own website and\u00a0 have remained in cotact with each other and sister clubs via email and zoom.<\/p>\n

The first meeting \u00a0of SI Sevenoaks took place \u201cby kind permission of Miss Ethel Breething\u201d at her home in Dunton Green.\u00a0 Mrs Deed was elected president and Mrs Bosanquet secretary, while the name of Miss Beatrice Wilson (who later founded Rockdale) is amongst those on the Executive.\u00a0 On this occasion Miss May Field, a director of British Instructional Films, gave\u00a0 \u201ca delightful description of her experiences.\u201d As well as the speaker and the fourteen founder members,\u00a0 five guests were present.<\/p>\n

In the minutes of the club during the nineteen forties and fifties only members\u2019 titles and surnames are used.\u00a0 Nowadays we are no less serious in approach but less formal in address.\u00a0 President Pat (Mrs Patricia Downing MBE) has recently taken over from President Penelope (Robbins).\u00a0 Penny is now Programme Action Chair for the South East Region, having guided the club successfully through a challenging period.\u00a0 Each president chooses two charities, one of them of local interest, for the club to support through her term of office.\u00a0 President Pat is raising money for the nearby Hospice in the Weald and continuing with CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), a non-profit\u00a0 making organisation tackling poverty and inequality for girls in African rural communities .<\/p>\n

A key international topic in 2021 is the plight of\u00a0 women and girls in Afghanistan.\u00a0 Significantly, when President Pat last held office this issue\u00a0 was of equal concern.<\/p>\n

A piece from the Leader of 24th<\/sup> January 1997 reads:-<\/p>\n

\u201cThe club , whose aims include improving the status of women, has also taken up the cause of women in Afghanistan, who are restricted from working and receiving medical treatment and where schools are closed to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

We support a number of local projects, most recently Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees and\u00a0 the local council\u2019s participation in South East England in Bloom .\u00a0 To our delight the Vine sensory garden, restored and maintained \u00a0by eight of our members, was recently awarded a gold medal.<\/p>\n

In our collection we have an early framed version of the Soroptimist Vision., which\u00a0 expects members to \u201cmaintain high ethical standards in business, professions and other aspects of life.\u201d Professional employment is no longer a requirement of membership.\u00a0 In fact many Sevenoaks Soroptimists joined after retirement.\u00a0 What we do ask is dedication to our Mission Statement.\u00a0 This has been updated over the years but unchanged in principle.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The current version concludes \u201cSoroptimists inspire action and create opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls through a global network of members and international partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Club Member Pauline Payne November 2021<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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