![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/woking-and-district\/files\/2021\/01\/SI_First-Soroptimist-Club.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThroughout the second half of the 19th<\/sup> century, women were increasingly active in society.\u00a0 This trend intensified at the start of the new century.\u00a0 After the First World War, and the Spanish flu pandemic, change was in the air.\u00a0 The time was right for women to group together for the common good.<\/p>\n The first Soroptimist club was in Oakland, California.\u00a0 <\/strong>The members were women representative of the spectrum of occupations. By acting together, they wanted to make sure women had a greater say in the social, business and civic affairs of their community.\u00a0 \u00a0Today, the members are women from every walk of life rather than specific occupations.\u00a0 Actively contributing\u00a0 to the local community is still a major requirement.<\/p>\n Many clubs were set up across America during the 1920s. In Britain, the Greater London Club was the first Soroptimist club. It was chartered in 1924. The Founder President was Viscountess Falmouth, and members included George Bernard Shaw\u2019s secretary and Dame Sybil Thorndike.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Clubs were soon created in other major British cities too. By the end of the 1920s, there were two Federations \u2013 America and Europe \u2013 to manage the growing organisation.<\/p>\n The Oakland Club set the pattern for meetings. Members met for luncheon (soon replaced by dinner) weekly, and then fortnightly.\u00a0 They invited an outside speaker to broaden the members\u2019 horizons.\u00a0 They had a series of Committees to run the Club.\u00a0 That pattern is still traditional in many Clubs.\u00a0 But\u00a0 new working patterns and new technologies are changing how members meet.\u00a0 Soroptimist International Italy inaugurated its first SI e-Club in January 2021.\u00a0 It will be run entirely online.\u00a0 No doubt, many others will follow.<\/p>\n Soroptimists had adopted the familiar Soroptimist logo\u00a0 and blue and marigold colours by 1928.<\/p>\n \u201cWe united to promote the spirit of upright dealing, Service for others, and Fellowship among ourselves\u201d\u00a0 All Soroptimists are expected to hold these values today.<\/p>\n The very first community service project of SI Oakland was a campaign to save local redwood trees.\u00a0 Ever since, Soroptimists have responded to local needs with personal service, with awareness raising and with fundraising.\u00a0 From the start they organised bridge drives, fashion shows, benefit concerts. They continue to do so:\u00a0 for example, SI Woking’s ‘Tea & Temptations’, a\u00a0 fashion show with afternoon tea, is a regular sellout.\u00a0 From the beginning, Soroptimists would launch pilot service projects and fund them until they became self-financing.\u00a0 Cooperation with other organisations was also frequent.<\/p>\n As the 19th century came to an end, women were able to do more .\u00a0 For example they could study at the higher levels: women\u2019s colleges opened in the US and UK\u00a0 during that period.\u00a0 Following the success of the Suffragette and Suffragist movement, women were more active in politics too\u00a0 – Lady Astor was elected an MP in 1919. In 1928 women were given the vote at the same age as men. This encouraged more women to enter politics.<\/p>\n The 1919 Sex Discrimination (Removal Act) allowed women to enter the legal profession as solicitors and magistrates.\u00a0 The war and its aftermath also gave women the opportunity to enter industry and medicine in greater numbers.<\/p>\n Hillcroft College (now part of RHAAC, near Kingston) was founded in 1919 to provide education for working women – indicating that education was become open to more than upper-class women.<\/p>\n During the First World War (1914-18), women in the glove-making industry in Yeovil were hired to make equipment like parachutes for the war.\u00a0 The men were fighting and so the women were allowed to do their jobs.\u00a0 But the trade unions insisted that the arrangement was due to the emergency.\u00a0 When the men came back, the women would have to stop.<\/p>\n We are looking forward to seeing the statue of Dame Ethel Smyth installed this year in the centre of Woking.\u00a0 Woking Borough Council<\/a> announced the plan last year. It means that this famous champion of votes for women will be remembered by us all.<\/p>\n Extract from Woking Magazine<\/p>\n The annual New Beginnings art exhibition is at the Lightbox in Woking.\u00a0 The Women’s Support Centre aims to prevent women from coming into contact with the Criminal Justice System.\u00a0 Helping women to get involved in art is one way of doing that. Art can motivate, inspire and help women to develop the skills they needto lead a more positive life. This year’s theme is ‘Looking Through a Different Lens’.\u00a0 Read about our pocus on women and prison here<\/a>. You can visit the virtual exhibition at the Lightbox\u00a0 here<\/a><\/p>\n The Woking Debate on 16 January was rich and wide-ranging.\u00a0 The speakers were Sian Jones of Surrey Care Trust,<\/a> David Munro, Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey<\/a> and Justin Price, Head teacher of Fremantles School in Woking.\u00a0 The discussion touched on the sorts of help available to vulnerable children and their families, the risks vulnerable children face , the need to act early to ensure better outcomes and much more.\u00a0 Go to Woking Debates<\/a> and get the link to watch it yourself.\u00a0 Additional links: Justin Price on Emotional Wellbeing<\/a> in the young.\u00a0 Bounce Forward<\/a> on resilience skills for the young.<\/p>\n Goldsworth Park Community Association (GPCA) is holding a public meeting about community policing<\/a> in Woking.\u00a0 It’s on Thursday January 21 at 8pm via Zoom.\u00a0 Borough Police Commander, Inspector David Bentley, will speak first and respond to questions. Then the\u00a0 meeting will talk about GPCA business. <\/span>If you would like join the meeting and are not yet on the membership register, email chair@ourgoldsworthpark.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0You will be sent the Zoom link a couple of days before the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n The government has teamed up with independent pharmacies and Boots to help domestic abuse victimes.\u00a0 The pharmacies and stories will operate a codeword scheme ‘Ask for ANI’.\u00a0 \u00a0Victims of domestic abuse will give the codeword to a member of staff and get help straightaway.\u00a0 And they will get help without alerting their abuser.\u00a0 More about the government scheme here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We were very pleases to learn that ‘elder abuse’ will be recorded from now on.\u00a0 The Office of National Statistics has agreed include incidents of domestic abuse against older people.\u00a0 Age UK has campaigned for abuse against people aged 75+ to be tracked.\u00a0 Read their comment here<\/a>.<\/p>\n We have donated \u00a3200 to the Soroptimist International President’s special charity ‘The Road to Equalit<\/a>y’.\u00a0 We also gave \u00a3200 to our National Federation’s Benevolent Fund.\u00a0 The Fund helps Soroptimists who find themselves in difficulty or distress.<\/p>\n East Surrey Domestic Abuse Services<\/a> (ESDAS) received \u00a3100 this month.\u00a0 The money was given gladly but with sadness too because it was a gift in memory of our beloved member, Barbara Watts, who left us forever in December 2020.\u00a0 We remember too with sadness that charities like ESDAS are in greater demand than before. This is because domestic abuse has increased since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We held our first dinner meeting in early January with an energising guest speaker.\u00a0 Mayor Beryl Hunwicks really lifted our spirits when she told us about her experience during the past 18 months.\u00a0 We were most impressed with all that she \u2013 and the organisations and people of Woking \u2013 had been able to do safely, despite the pandemic.<\/p>\n She paid tribute to the great community voluntary support that exists everywhere in Woking.\u00a0 She mentioned Horsell Prepared as one example among many others . \u00a0Horsell Prepared helps people who can\u2019t leave the house.\u00a0 We are proud to say that one of our members, Moira, contributes a great deal to that group.\u00a0 Other members, such as former mayor Anne Ansell,\u00a0 give similar help in other parts of the borough.<\/p>\n The Mayor also talked about her special charities, the Women\u2019s Support Centre and Your Sanctuary.\u00a0 These two projects are very close to our hearts.\u00a0 Visit our Soroptimist Action pages<\/a> to find out more about the charities and what they \u2013 and we \u2013 do.<\/p>\n Mayor Beryl Hunwicks is a great example herself.\u00a0 Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, she did not hesitate to agree to stay as mayor much longer than is usual.\u00a0 Her burden of responsibility has been much greater as a result and she deserves many congratulations for all that she has achieved.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nMission and values<\/h4>\n
Status of women in the 1920s<\/h4>\n
<\/h2>\n
Dame Ethel Smyth, Woking icon<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/h2>\nNew Beginnings<\/h2>\n
Are we giving vulnerable children the help they need?<\/h2>\n
More early invention and greater resources needed<\/h3>\n
Community Policing<\/h2>\n
Domestic Abuse<\/h2>\n
New year, new donations<\/h2>\n
First dinner meeting of the year<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSoroptimist International Centenary<\/h2>\n