Wed. Jan. 4 6:00-800pm:  Board/business meeting @ Taix Restaurant 


Friday, Mar. 24:  Annual Gala Fundraiser and Awards Ceremony

CHRISTMAS AT 1736

SILA members offered their annual holiday joy to the victims of domestic violence who are staying at the 1736 Family Crisis Center.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, a large contingency of SILA members arrived at 1736 to put out gifts and assist the children.

By providing gifts for the women, but allowing their children the joy of selecting, wrapping and stashing those gifts in large bags under the Christmas tree, SILA members bring the spirit of Christmas to everyone.

 

...FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AT EL CHOLO

The holiday traditions continued with many SILA members enjoying lunch and a gift exchange at El Cholo Mexican Restaurant after the morning at 1736.

 

CAROLE OGLESBY HONORED INTERNATIONALLY by Amy Poulos
 

 


SILA member Carole Oglesby was honored by the International Olympic Committee at the 2016 IOC Women and Sport Awards as the winner of the continental award for the Americas. The award was presented at a gala ceremony held in Lausanne, Switzerland on November 7.
 
The IOC Women and Sport Trophies are awarded to promote the advancement of women in sport. They recognize outstanding achievement and contributions made to develop, encourage, and strengthen the participation of women and girls in sport at all levels.
 
Carole was honored as President of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, President of the National Association of Girls and Women’s Sport, President of Women Sport International and co-Chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport.

As noted in the awards ceremony, “Throughout her academic career, Dr. Oglesby has devoted herself to the growth and development of women’s studies and the advocacy of women in sport.”


 

A LESSON IN PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE by Joyce Jacob

 

We were honored to have Camino Real Region Parliamentary Chair, Sheila Tatum as our Speaker for SILA Program Meeting on December 7th.

 

Do you know what parliamentary procedure is, where it came from or why it is important? Sheila had answers!

 

It is a set of rules for conducting business at meetings and public gatherings.

 

It originated in the early English Parliaments. It came to America with the first European settlers. It became uniform in 1876 when Henry M. Robert published his manual on Parliamentary Law known as Robert’s Rule of Order Newly Revised.

 

Why is it important? It allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion.

 

We learned from Sheila about a fixed agenda, how members get their say, and most importantly, the 5 general types of motions: 1) main motions 2) subsidiary motions 3) privileged motions 4) incidental motions and 5) motions that bring a question again before the assembly. Included in this section was how do I present my motion and the method of voting on a motion.

 

And most important of all, BE COURTEOUS!

 

Now all SILA members must come to our meetings and see us at work using our Parliamentary Procedures.

 

 
Last year, more than 600 Soroptimist clubs participated in SI of the Americas’ next Big Goal survey and helped identify the Federation’s next century’s Big Goal: Invest in the dream of women and girls through access to education!
 
In December, RoseMary Reed, President of SIA, asked clubs to participate in the next Big Goal survey to discuss and identify what Soroptimists will have to do to make our next Big Goal a reality and how many women and girls we think we can reach.
 
SILA member, Julie Mairs, took on the challenge of leading a discussion with SILA members and submitting the completed survey to SIA on behalf of SILA. Click here to read her completed report.
 
Thank you, Julie, for leading us in this thoughtful and thorough exercise.
 

 
Carole Oglesby, chair of SILA’s Live Your Dream committee, reports that SILA had six applicants from within the Region for this year's Live Your Dream award.

The committee, composed of Carole, Sheila Tatum, and Lessie Caballero, had a difficult time selecting the winner but have now presented all the information and their recommendation to the club and a winner will be announced soon.
 

Alice Slaughter and Kim Plater were our speakers on the subject of Domestic Violence at our Program Meeting on November 2, 2016. They are members of the Covina Woman’s Club, and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Domestic Violence Action Coalition (DVAC). Their message is powerful as advocates against Domestic Violence.
 
They tell the story of Monica Thomas who in November 2007 was kidnapped and violently assaulted by her estranged husband, Curtis Bernard Harris. Yes, he was arrested, sentenced to 16 months, but he was released to get his affairs in order. Because no protective order was given to Monica and she was not notified of his release, on January 3, 2008, Harris kidnapped her again, tortured her for two days and shot her to death.
 
There are many stories but this is a rallying cry to stop domestic violence. The mission of  DVAC: 1) honor the life and memory of Monica Thomas and all victims and survivors 2) facilitate a forum to pursue changes in the criminal justice system 3) ensure the safety of all victims of violence and support the agencies that provide services for survivors