Annual Awards Luncheon
Friday, March 24, 2017

The California Club
538 S. Flower St., LA 90071

11:00AM: Reception/Silent Auction
12:00 Noon: Luncheon
http://soroptimist-losangeles.org

DARE TO DREAM!
 

You are invited to Spring Conference 2017.

 

The theme for this year’s Camino Real Region Spring Conference is DARE TO DREAM because “if you can dream it, you can do it!” (Walt Disney). We, as Soroptimists, find that we collectively have dreams for a better world.
 
Spring Conference is our time to share what we, as a Region, have been involved in for the past year. It is our time to recognize our programs, honor our members, conduct the business of the Region, share best practices, and enjoy fellowship with each other. It is our time to change the pace, to broaden our knowledge, and understand the direction that our organization, as a whole, is taking.
 
This year will be exciting! If you have not had the opportunity to attend Spring Conference in the past, please make it a point to come to this one. You won’t be sorry! There will be something for everyone. We will work hard, play hard, dream big, and never stop believing that anything is possible.

When: Friday, April 21- Sunday, April 23, 2017
Where: Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills.
NOTE: To insure a room, BOOK NOW!! Check emails from President Daphyne for more information.
 

GREETINGS FROM TURKEY by Amy Poulos



On Saturday, March 11th, Camino Real Region Governor and SILA member Ginger Cole, SILA member Amy Poulos, and four other members of CRR (Gwyn Petrick, Sharon Satterfield Jones, Marty Laff, and Edna Esfeld) met with a Soroptimist from Turkey and her husband for drinks at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood.  
 
Elif Teoman Ovali is the Vice President of her Soroptimist club in Turkey, SI Antakya, and is visiting the United States to conduct lectures on creating social awareness in society.  Elif's family has owned a farm in Turkey for over 500 years, Teofarm Antakya.  Elif is also a lecturer at Mustafa Kemal University in Hatay, Turkey.
 
Elif has suggested that her club, Soroptimist Antakya Turkey, be a sister club to SILA.
 
SILA presented Elif with a plaque that says “Don’t ever give up on your dreams!” On Facebook, Elif wrote: “Thanks for hospitality and friendship, visiting Soroptimist Camino Real Region members. I’m very happy to meet you. For peace, for humanity, and for better life.”

 

WOMEN IN SPORT by Bev Johnson and Joyce Jacob

 

Terry Lawton and Sue Lemaire were speakers at the February 1 meeting. Their topic continued a great tradition started by SILA member Joan Johnson, who for many years organized a club meeting in February on Women in Sport.
 
Sue spoke about Karen Johnson, Joan Johnson, and Carole Oglesby, all of whom were (and in the case of Carole, still IS) a member of SILA and leaders in women's sport. Sue said all three ladies were role models in her development as a sport professional.
 
Both ladies are volleyball umpires. Sue talked about how she got started and the opportunities and travel she has had through that work. Both volunteered for the 2012 Olympics in London. Their role was to make the beach volley ball courts level, which they accomplished!

 
Being a volunteer meant that they had to pay their own way. People would ask them why come from America to volunteer? Answer: for the love of the sport and the people in our volleyball family that is so important. They are truly professionally women in their field.   
 

 

SILA is sorry to say goodbye to one of its newest – and definitely it’s oldest! – active member.

 

Margaret Freed was already 100 when she became a new member of SILA in May 2016. She passed away in her sleep on February 17 at 101.

 
Margaret was born, raised, and worked in Los Angeles her entire life.  She attended Garfield High School but having skipped third and eleventh grades, she graduated at age 16. Always artsy, she got a scholarship for art school out of high school, but her mother insisted she get training in a field where she “could make a living.” She attended Los Angeles Community College and eventually became a Registered Nurse through USC, formerly the county hospital.
 
She met her husband when he was a tuberculosis patient who later did his residency at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. She ended up working with him in his private practice in LA for 50 years. Margaret and her husband started Barlow Guild House, a gift shop of unique gifts which helped support the funding needs of the hospital for over 60 years. Margaret continued running it after Dr. Freed’s death, as did their granddaughter, and active fellow SILA member, Amy Poulos.
 
Margaret was married over 60 years, had two children, 3 grandchildren and a 14 year old great grandson, all in the LA area. Up to the end, she stayed busy sewing 20 clown dolls a month for the California Hospital Children’s Ward as well as wardrobes for American Girl dolls.

 

She was a delightful addition to SILA’s membership and will be missed.