Soroptimist International of Los Angeles
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS
November 2014                                                                                     Vol. 6, Issue 3

Meeting reminder

Next Business Meeting: Wed. Nov 5
6-8pm at Taix French Restaurant

 

President JoyceDear <<First Name>>,

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS:
October has been a very active month both for SILA and for my personnel life. The President’s role has guidelines to follow for each month. How did we do on the checklist?
 
During the month of October, we celebrated Founder’s Day on October 3rd.  We had seven SILA Members attended the CRR Fall Workshop on October 18th.  At present, we are working on Fundraising activities. Several exciting and interesting activities are planned, so come to the Business Meeting to learn and be a part of the activities.

The Membership Committee is planning on a Membership Drive with a special event. Carole was very supportive in making our commitment to have a Region Officer, District II Director, Ana Marie LeNoue attend a SILA Program Meeting. SILA receives additional support from Carole because she is the Region Chair for International Goodwill and Understanding. We get updates at all time. The main issue for October was “COLOR ME PINK AND PURPLE”. A proclamation was submitted to legislative members in Los Angeles with the help of CRR Chair Naomi Carmona-Morshead, SI Greater Santa Clarita Valley. An additional role for each SILA Member is to pass out five “SIA Keeping Women SAFE at Work” pamphlets at a work or public site. These pamphlets will be at the Business Meeting. SILA is a TEN, we did great on our checklist!
 
In my personnel life, I am dealing with all the reports, insurance papers, repair on my car, and trying to replace the stolen medical equipment when my car was stolen from my garage on October 3rd. I did get my car back the next day thanks to Onstar. I am so grateful they did not steal the SILA flag which was in the trunk of my car. That is priceless!
 
We will be just as active in November. This is a great month because we have wonderful programs and activities planned, so come and have fun with SILA.

President Joyce
 
IN THIS ISSSUE:

- Meet Your New Member: Amy Poulos
- District 2 Director Update
- Ellen Snortland Speaks Out
- We Are Winners!
- Legendary Ladies Luncheon
- Reconnecting with SI Nagoya

QUICK LINKS:
SILA's Website
Camino Real Region
Federation (SIA)
International (SI)

 
2014-15 BOARD:
President: Joyce Jacob
1st VP: Carole Oglesby
2nd VP: Daphyne Howell
Secretary: Bev Johnson
Treasurer: Teresa Harvey
Director 2014-16: Barbara Jury
Director 2013-15: Julie Mairs



CONTACT INFORMATION:
For more information about SILA or this Newsletter, please contact:

President Joyce Jacob at joycejacob@aol.com or 626-222-9316

Editor Janet Elliott at jvelliott88@gmail.com or 310-809-2438

Webmistress Ann Read at annr@earthlink.net or 626-919-9202

 
 
MEET YOUR NEW MEMBER: AMY POULOS

Amy PoulosAmy Poulos
was one of two new members inducted at the meeting on October 1.

Born and raised in LA, Amy attended Pierce College and CSUN. She almost became a sign language interpreter, until she discovered she liked being a private investigator more. No hiding in the bushes with cameras involved. Rather, she mainly does pre and post trial asset searches, which she says are always new and interesting, but also with a finite conclusion.
 
Her grandfather and grandmother, former doctor and nurse Arnold and Margaret Freed, founded the Barlow Guild House Gift Shop in 1943 to help raise funds for the Barlow Respiratory Hospital which is just north of downtown LA. The gift shop had a reputation for unique, one-of-a-kind gift items and Amy worked there many years and ran it when her grandmother stopped four years ago at age 95. That’s where Amy met Barbara Jury, longtime supporter of Barlow and active Soroptimist. “Barbara was my role model,” Amy says. The Gift Shop had to close in January to make room for expansion of the hospital.
 
Example of Formline ArtAmy’s been married 24 years to Gregory, a computer programmer for the VA. Having fourteen nieces and nephews helped them decide they didn’t need children of their own.
 
Amy’s admitted obsession is Northwest Coast Indigenous Art. It is such a unique art form, Amy had to start her own website to gather images.  Check out formlineart.com to see more.
 
Welcome, Amy

Meet new member Lessie Caballero next month!
DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR UPDATE

Ana Marie LeNoueThe SILA October 1 meeting featured our District 2 Director Ana Marie LeNoue. The program was in honor of SI Founder’s Day.

Having been a Soroptimist for nearing 20 years, and serving multiple terms as Club President and District Director, Ana Marie brought a wealth of knowledge and insight. "Making Change a Reality" was illustrated expertly by her presentation.

Click here to see Ana Marie's full powerpoint presentation.
 
ELLEN SNORTLAND SPEAKS OUT

Ellen SnortlandEllen Snortland gave an inspirational presentation to SILA Members at our program meeting on October 15. This woman is a lawyer, writer, actress and a strong supporter of women and girls’ rights.

Her latest commitment came when she and her husband were confronted by a burglar at their home (they came home early). Ellen scared him away by a loud scream. She did not know self defense but immediately took classes and now is a teacher of self-defense for women.

Beauty Bites BeastShe feels strongly that women should teach women on self defense and has taught classes at Downtown Women’s Center. She has written two books: BEAUTY BITES BEAST: Awakening the Warrior within Women and Girls and THE SAFETY GODMOTHERS: The ABCs of Awareness, Boundaries and Confidence for Teens. Her books are available on Amazon.com.

In the early 70’s she founded the first all-female theater company and at present she is in a play that she wrote and performs called NOW THAT SHE IS GONE. This play will be performed on Sunday, November 16 at 2:00P.M. at the Porticos Art Space in Pasadena. Ellen is also an NGO delegate and a Goodwill Ambassador for the National Women’s History Project.

All SILA members present felt this was an exceptional meeting. Thank you, Carole, for inviting Ellen as a speaker.
WE ARE WINNERS!
 
SILA received the best recognition at the Camino Real Region Fall Workshop on October 18, held at the Northridge Women’s Club. The SILA Members who attended included Governor-Elect Ginger Cole, Teresa Harvey, Bev Johnson, Joyce Jacob, Amy Poulos (our new member), Pam Smith and Diane Vernon (recovering from surgery on her right wrist only three days before the Workshop).
 
During her presentation, Lori Blair, SIA Senior Program Director, gave two examples of outstanding projects by CRR Clubs. SILA was one of the examples. Past-President Bev submitted our 1736 Christmas Program to SIA and how exciting to hear about our project from SIA. Thank you, Bev.
 
Gov-Elect GingerSILA received three Awards: 1) 2014 Soroptimist Club Award in recognition of outstanding work in each of the four pillars leading to increased collective impact. Again, thank you Bev for submitting the four reports. 2) Recognition of SILA’s Participation in the 2014 Live Your Dream Awards (formerly Women’s Opportunity Awards). Thank you Chair Teresa. 3) Club Giving: SILA is at the Dreamers level for their contribution to 2013-2014 Club Giving. Thank you all SILA Members. The club gives 10% of our fundraising proceeds to support SIA programs.
 
We are proud of our SILA Member Governor-Elect Ginger Cole who gave a presentation on DREAM IT, BE IT. She also presented RIDING THE WAVE OF CHANGE with Tora Brown, SI Greater Santa Clarita Valley.
 
The members that attended will be discussing the Fall Workshop Program at our Business Meeting on November 5th.
 
All CRR Clubs are committed to an Opportunity Drawing. SILA has a commitment of 50 tickets at $20 each. The drawing will run through the Spring Conference 2015. The prize is 8 days and 7 nights at the WorldMark by Wyndham in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, September 3-10, 2015.
 
Joyce won a drawing at the Fall Workshop, a beautiful basket of items from SIA including a bottle of Chardonnay that she will share at the Business Meeting. We were winners!
 
LEGENDARY LADIES LUNCHEON
by Joyce Jacob

 
LAPD Police WomenOn October 22, 2014, I attended the Legendary Ladies luncheon at Taix Restaurant to honor Los Angeles Police Women.
 
The history of the Police Women begins when the first policewoman with arrest powers was appointed on September 12, 1910. Her name was Alice Stebbin Wells and she was a former social worker. By 1912 there were three policewomen and three matrons in the Department.

The second policewoman was Minnie Barton, a SILA Member, who befriended several homeless girls while working with young women on parole or probation. These girls had no where to go and in 1917 she founded the Minnie Barton Home. This “temporary home” facility grew to include care for pregnant women, first offenders or women just released from jail. The Home has expanded and is now known as The Big Sister League, a United Way agency.
 
Now to the present: there are 1,939 women in the Los Angeles Police Department. It took a law suit in the 1970s to pave the way for the role of policewomen. At that time, they could not rise above the rank of Sergeant. Now there are women in every rank except the Chief of Police.
 
I sat at a table with two women Captains and a Senior Lead Officer with the Media Relations and Community Affairs Group. They are very proud of how far they have come in their departments and are meeting the challenge to have a woman Chief of Police.
 
SILA honored Captain Anita Ortega as a woman of distinction several years ago and at present she is assigned as Area Commanding Officer of the Hollenbeck Area.
 
RECONNECTING WITH SI NAGOYA
 
Nagoya, JapanWe recently got a most interesting email from Mikiko Suzuki, a member of SI Nagoya and current chairperson for their International Goodwill and Understanding (IGU) Committee.
 
SILA has had a long-standing “Friendship Link” with the Soroptimist Club in Nagoya. However, in recent years, they have sent only seasonal greetings. Now, as Mikiko says, “Their committee is interested in getting to know SILA a bit more.”
 
To begin building the connection, Mikiko tells us a little about SI Nagoya: 
 
“We currently have 42 members and celebrated our 40th anniversary three years ago. However, after our anniversary, quite a few older members withdrew, and we have been trying very hard to attract new members.
 
Our main programs are:
SI Nagoya DV fund - Small loan lent to women in emergencies.
High School Scholarship - Help to students recommended by the board of headmasters.
Great Earthquake Aid - Helping out the people in the Tohoku area which was hit by the earthquake three years ago.”
 
“I hope we can keep in touch,” says Mikiko in her email.

What a delightful invitation!