SCOUP

January, 2010

Below you will find our Calendar, Lists of our Officers, Committees and Members, Some Committee Reports, Birthdays and other Current Announcements.

At the very bottom of this page are Current SIA and SI International Projects.  There are live links to SIA for more info.  "Live your Dreams" and "Disaster Funds" have been updated.   Please page down to read. 

Previous meeting minutes and the treasurer's report will be attachments on the email that brought you the link  to this page.

Officers 2009-2010
President:  Susan Kinney Lowell, 
Vice Pres- Phyllis Cloman, 
Secretary- Patricia L. Arbutine
Treasurer – Linda Taminini,  
Director -  Marsha  McGrath   Director- Mel Chase
Delegate -Terry Sue Turner, 
Delegate-Karen Curry

Soroptimist International of the Americas joins the world community in expressing shock and concern about the situation in Haiti. The devastation caused by the earthquake—in an already extremely poor country—is horrific. Tens of thousands of people are dead, and more than 1/3 of Haiti’s citizens are now homeless.

Because Haiti is part of Soroptimist’s European federation, Soroptimist International of the Americas has made a donation of $10,000 to Soroptimist International of Europe to support immediate disaster relief efforts for women and girls.  

SIA knows from experience that women and girls will be disproportionately vulnerable to the effects because of existing gender inequalities that are magnified during and following any disaster. To that end, Soroptimist International of the Americas maintains a Disaster Recovery Fund to provide for projects ensuring that women and girls have the support and resources necessary to rebuild their lives and their communities. Concerned Soroptimists and other individuals are urged to contribute to the Disaster Recovery Fund to replenish the initial donation and to fund future projects to help women and girls in Haiti recover from this disaster. Read more about Soroptimist Disaster Recovery Grants.  

Donations can be sent to Soroptimist International of the Americas headquarters, earmarked “disaster recovery.” Members may contribute securely by clicking here. Look for the “disaster recovery” donation line, and indicate "Haiti Disaster Recovery" in the notes section.  

Non-members can contribute by clicking here and selecting “general programs” from the drop-down menu. Specify "Haiti Disaster Recovery" in the comments section.  

For updates on what is happening from the Soroptimist perspective, visit Soroptimist International of Europe’s website. Updates are being posted regularly.  

For more information about women and disaster, please read Soroptimist International of the Americas’ white paper: “Reaching Out to Women When Disaster Strikes.”


Yours in Soroptimist Service,
SIA Board of Directors

Subject: [Soroptifun] A generation prepared for cold and snow in England

Bob (wonderful gardener/handyman) who helps me, phoned on Thursday and said "no point in me coming, can't do anything in the garden".      Oh yes he could!    He spent a couple of hours digging snow, and I can now get to the bottom of the garden where the garden shed houses my big freezer, so I have access to lots of food!     I am leaving my external security shutters up at night - just in case of power cuts.  I don't want to risk them being down and me left in the dark inside! 

I have several torches around the house, 3 large boxes of matches and numerous large  Yankee Candles which burn to upwards of 100 hours - just in case.    When I looked after Mum and Dad and they were in the 90's, I was also concerned about power cuts, so purchased a Calor Gas heater to have on standby.   I've checked it out.   It has a full bottle of gas and is working perfectly and in the dining/kitchen ready for emergency use.     

I may try to get the car out today to visit my 93 year old friend who lives about a mile from me.  I have my Antarctic walking boots (I knew there was a good reason for keeping them), and thermal socks, longjohns, vests and shoe insoles - again saved from our month in the Antarctic.   I'll use my two walking sticks and be very careful. 

We 'war babies' know a little about being prepared, don't we!       I don't know about you, but when I was a child the schools were never closed and I never missed school because of snow - not even in the winter of 1947.    I remember a very bad winter - think 1963 - when to get to work in Harpenden, I walked 2 miles to Luton Station because none of the town or London Transport buses were running.   Then took the train to Harpenden and walked a couple of miles to work on the outskirts of Harpenden on the main A6.     To do this and arrive at work for 9.00 am, I left home at 6.30 am in the morning.   Of course, the whole thing had to be reversed at night - but I didn't loose anytime from work.     My grandchildren have been at home from school all week in Reading - the teacher said "Don't try to come into school if you have to go up or down a hill.   You might fall and hurt yourselves"!    

 Keep smiling up in Liverpool -  

Love and cyber-hugs from a cold and icy Crewe

 Kate   

(Kate Moore MBE)
Director of Membership
Soroptimist International - GBI

I'm glad to learn you are OK with plenty of food and warmth and ready for whatever the weather throws at Cheshire.We have snow up to our knees here in North Yorkshire and cannot get the car out.  We were going to walk to the shops but as my shoulder has still to be in a sling I am afraid of losing my balance and falling over if I walk on icy snow.  We also have a stock of candles, an oil heater, and a rather strange heater that is usually in the greenhouse and like you also have the clothing we wore for our five weeks in Antarctica when we faced minus 25 degrees and even the water in the cruise ship froze.   My parents used to have a Beatrix stove which I remember mother could boil a saucepan on and we had coal fires in all the rooms instead of central heating. 

I think our chatline friends in the north of Canada, Sweden and Norway will be thinking how pathetic we all are here making such a fuss when they have this every year.  

I don't remember missing school - until the age of 11 I had to walk quite a way through the village to school and don't remember it shutting.  After that, from 11 - 18 years I had to catch a train from Haywards Heath to Brighton each day and then walk quite a long way to school in Hove.

Anyway enough reminising - this is the great opportunity to do lots of bits of clearing out of files in the study for instance, a job I keep putting off.  Also sorting out e mails, replying and saving as necessary.   One main concern is for our tortoise who is now around 90 years old and who has been passed down through three generations.  It is vital he stays at a temperature of around 4 or 5 degrees - freezing could make him blind and too hot would make him think summer had come and he would wake up and move around.  At present he is wrapped in lots of shredded paper in a small box within a newspaper lined wooden box with a max/min thermometer leading from his shall to the outside of the box.  The box in in the utility room which is not heated but not unduly cold.

I can't help keep thinking about Veronique and wish there was something I could do.  There must be Soroptimist Clubs in Paris who could perhaps help.  

Take care

Love from snowbound Shirley

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