âIt is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.â âUrsula K. LeGuin
So here we are with only two general meetings before we break for the summer. Reflecting on the past year, when I took the gavel from April I remember being unsure what to do next. I was given the awesome responsibility of keeping our club moving forward. While you will be the ultimate judge of the year, I believe that with the help of the Board and all the members, we kept âthis train on the tracks!â We pivoted and worked with all the committee changes. We worked as teams to get things accomplished, and we all were successful.
There is still so much to accomplish in these next two months. The Spring Conference District meeting is right around the corner (April 17th), and then the Convention (May 5th to the 7th). I know that many of the committees are working on spring projects that will have positive impacts on our communities. Advocates for Children is working on their awareness campaign with a Pinwheel Garden. You may spot those around the community. If you do, please stop and take a selfie. This is about raising awareness, so feel free to post on your social media.
Our Special State Project Committee is partnering with the NJ Childrenâs Alliance to host a âKnow and Tellâ training course right here in West Deptford. They are inviting members from the other clubs in the Garden District. Members will learn to spot the signs of a child in distress. Please support this effort and join them on June 17th. There will be an online signup sheet, and the training is free. Denise P. and her team will fill you in on all the details.
Our Community Impact project was successfully launched in March with several members volunteering their time in the West Deptford Elementary Schools. If you are interested in volunteering starting in September, please reach out to either Sandy Mastrangelo or Carol Dechen. Those ladies are just awesome to work with, and your commitment is only a few hours a month. What a way to fill your heart with love!
Of course we have GCI in June, and Clara Campbell is spearheading that, as she has for many years. If you have an interest in learning more about the Girls Career Institute, please reach out to Clara. The program is held at Rutgers New Brunswick, and the committee is looking for volunteers for various one-day or multi-day positions.
A few NJSFWC-sponsored events are coming up if interested in attending. Check out the Federation Secretaryâs page for more information.
For our April General Meeting, we will have a guest speaker talking about Male Breast Cancer, Juan Nanum. Juan is a survivor of breast cancer. Please note that our April meeting, will be in RiverWinds starting at 6:30.
Thank you to every one of you for your dedication and work to make this club year a success. It truly takes a village.
Love,
Janice