Welcome February! As you know, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow on Groundhogâs Day which means we are supposed to have early Spring weatherâŚwhat do you think? Either wayâŚit is staying lighter in the evenings and each day brings us closer to the warmer weather. I am readyâŚ
The Heart of a Volunteer is not measured by size, but by the depth of the commitment to Make A Difference in the Lives Of Others âGFWC California Federation of Womenâs Clubs
When I saw this quote by the California Federation of Womenâs Clubs, I knew that I had to share it with all of you. It truly speaks about all of us and how it is our heart and caring for others that continue to make a difference in our community. This saying encompasses every one of you and is so appropriate for February.
It was great to see all of you who were able to be on Zoom last month for our January meeting. The weather in January is so unpredictable and Mother Nature proved us right by voting to stay home and connect via technology. Even with the winds and rain, we were able to hold a wonderful meeting.
There are a lot of activities, projects, and meetings for the rest of the club year and we will be busy until our end-of-the-year June Installation of Officers and Dinner. Please make sure that you stay up to date with what is happening by reading Tidbits and writing those dates down for activities that you want to participate in.
Our meeting this month will start right on time with our speaker from the GWCM. Rev. Phillip Oehler, paster of the Presbyterian Church in Woodbury, is also Vice President of the GWCM and was very happy to be asked to talk about the local food pantries, how they work, and what churches are included. He will be pleased to answer any and all of your questions. Please feel free to bring a donation for the GWCM.
Also, February is Heart Health Month as well as Valentineâs Day so I am asking everyone to wear red (or pink) to celebrate. We will also be doing a $5-10 Galentineâs Pollyanna at the end of our meeting foranyone who wishes to participate. I have already purchased my gift. This will beso much fun!
All our Committee Reports have been copied and mailed to the State Chairs. We have completed some incredible activities in 2023 and I was so proud to mail our accomplishments to Headquarters.
Many of you were able to give donations to the January Committees: Family Promise, Civic Engagement, and Advocates for ChildrenâŚthank you for that. If you still have donations to give them, please bring them to our February meeting. In February, Health and Wellness and Domestic Violence are collecting. Please read their articles for what they are needing this month.
As of this publication, our Honor Roll committee has completed the difficult task of selecting members to receive Honor Roll and Order of the Lily. I say difficult because all of you are so deserving of recognition. I applaud Carol F. and her committee for their dedication to this task. Carol and her committee will be making the presentation of these awards at our March meeting.
Speaking of committees, Cheryl F. and her committee have been tasked with coming up with a slate of officers, per our bylaws, for the â24/â26 club year. This is also a difficult task as there are so many wonderful leaders in our club. I know that Cherylâs committee will present a slate of officers that will work together to continue to guide our club forward and make us shine. J
It is that time of year that Peg S. will be collecting dues for the â24/â25 club year. Dues are $45, due by our April meeting. Peg will talk more about this at our February meeting, but I wanted to give you all a heads up.
We had three members attend the January Garden District Council meeting at the Porch Club of Riverton. Denise H., Isabella C. and Kim VZC. had a wonderful time and shared our clubâs accomplishments as well as some of our programs at the meeting. Isabella also brought back information that she is sharing in her article; however there is one item that I want to mention. I will elaborate more at our meeting, but the abridged version is that Headquarters is asking all club members across the state to contribute to the â1894 Societyâ which is how the State Board pays for the headquarters building upkeep and more. I will have the information to share with you, but I wanted to mention this now as it is an important project that helps with our state building upkeep and land rent. With the rising cost of everything today, every little bit helps.
April 18th is the Garden District Conference and Arts and Culture Achievement Day, to be held at the Pennsauken Country Club. I will share more information on this exciting day as soon as I receive it. Marie D., District VP has asked us to provide the centerpieces for this event, which we are pleased to do. This will be Marieâs last formal event as her term is coming to an end in May, so I hope many of us can attend. I have also received the Achievement Day forms and will be giving them to Ann C. who will be sharing the information for submitting a project as well as the rules for registration. Think about what project you may want to submit as I know how talented all of you are and I would love to see our memberâs work showcased for all to see.
All our Secret Pal forms have been given out by Cynthia H-B last month to all members who have chosen to participate. I have mine and canât wait to spoil my Secret Pal all year. Donât forget to bring your Secret Pal gift to the meeting if you did not already have it delivered. (Remember, this is separate from the Galentine Pollyanna, which is just for our February meeting.)
Enjoy the rest of the month and Happy Valentineâs Day!
Shout Out to Members
February is here and the members of the Womanâs Club of West Deptford continue to shine and display works that show just how awesome we are!
Be the reason why someone feels included, welcomed, valued, listened to, supported and loved âAuthor Unknown
One of the reasons that I wanted to join our club is the welcome that I felt from that very first meeting to now by so many members. I felt included, valued and the friendships that I have forged will stay with me forever. So, my first recognition is to all of you who have welcomed and included all of our newer members. You have made them feel special and appreciated.
One committee that rarely get recognized is our Environmental Committee. Patty W. and her committee quietly work behind the scenes to find ways to improve the environment and include ideas that help us recycle some of our everyday containers. I keep a bag in my pantry to put recyclable containers in that I would have never thought would be collected and reused. Thank you, ladies, for making us conscious of how we can make a difference and collect items to be reused.
Another member who works quietly behind the scenes in our own Linda J., who continues to collect interesting articles and facts on the history of the GFWC. The background to this wonderful organization is vast and so many of us do not know much about our beginnings. Linda has taken the reins on this and constantly finds information that is so valuable and writes her articles to share with us each month.
A big shout out to our Arts and Culture Committee! Ann C. and her energetic committee does an amazing job finding crafty things to do with our members, the latest being the cards for ProMedica residents this past holiday. These cards were so lovely, and I am sure the recipients enjoyed them throughout the season.
Finally, thank you to everyone who makes a conscious effort to donate food and clothing to so many different organizations. No matter the time of year, there are always families who are in need and appreciate everything that we give. It does not matter the quantity but knowing that in some small way you are helping others makes it all worthwhile.
Thank you all for continuing to make the Womanâs Club of West Deptford an organization that makes others take notice.
April   Â