Soroptimist International Edinburgh news notes anecdotes

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1 Soroptimist International Edinburgh news notes anecdotes Issue 150 January 2016 Congratulations to Morag Rennie The third annual Scottish Fair Trade Awards Ceremony was held at the City of Glasgow College on the 24th November As reported below Morag was given recognition for her efforts to promote Fair Trade. She has written to thank all who, at the Federation Conference in Glasgow, bought bags of Kilombero rice. Volunteer of the Year Morag Rennie Morag is heavily involved in the local Fair Trade movement in Motherwell and is the secretary of the Motherwell Fair Trade Zone. She is constantly promoting Fair Trade, both locally, nationally and internationally, particularly within Soroptimist International. At the recent Soroptimist International Federation conference, she sold 90 bags of Fair Trade Rice from Malawi! Through her involvement in the Fair Trade movement she is able to contribute to changing these inequalities for everyone. Web Scotland South Meeting Saturday 5 December 2015 at Greenpark Community Centre, Polmont President Marian Sapcote (SI Kirkcaldy) introduced the new Executive team. President Marian s theme is: Education through Partnership. She hopes to encourage clubs and members to find a partner to work with and to learn something new. Scotland South have been invited to partner with Dalgety Bay Horticultural Society in entering a garden display at Gardening Scotland (from 3 to 5 June 2016 at Ingliston). The theme is Regeneration after Earthquake and it is anticipated that this could tie in with the SI President s Nepal project. (For more information see under Membership). SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 1

2 Joint Conference - Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline on Saturday 23 April 2016 Each club will be asked to put forward an educational project in which they have been involved, written up on a Programme Focus Report form (PFR), by end February. Three of these submissions will be chosen for presentation at Conference, and the winning club will be presented with the Dorothy Lawrie cup. Clubs are to submit posters illustrating their Programme Action work. There will be a prize for the best one. (I have the card and some guidelines). Celebration of 80 years Scotland South and Scotland North 2016 Ideas as to how to celebrate this anniversary, using an educational theme, are welcomed. Backpacks for Mary s Meals were done for the 70th. NB If clubs are filling SIGBI Conference bags for Mary s Meals they may bring them to the March Region meeting. (SI Edinburgh may be able to send via Morag). Nomination for SIGBI Vice-President It was agreed to support the nomination of Sue Williams (SI Paisley) as SIGBI Vice-President. Fairtrade Morag Rennie (SI Hamilton) has been named Fairtrade volunteer of the year. It was noted that SI Hamilton had raised enough at their stall at the Glasgow Conference to feed and educate a child in Malawi for a year. Next meeting Saturday 5 March 2016 at Daisypark Centre, Motherwell. ************************************ Smalls for All There was a short presentation from Maggie Ness on the above charity, which collects new pants for sending out to Kenya and Malawi, where a pair of pants can make a big difference to a girl s education. They also collect bras (new and used some of which may be recycled for cash). Any cash raised is used for the education of girls. They link with Mary s Meals for the provision of meals for the girls. Volunteers are requested to help sort bras on Saturday 13 December from 11am to 4pm at Broxburn. (A PowerPoint presentation will be ed to clubs). Better World Books This is an organisation which collects used books for sale/recycling. President Marian suggested that Region might adopt this as a project Clubs can collect books for passing on to BWB collection arrangements will be made. The funds raised can be applied to 3S Trust. (Again, a PP presentation will be ed to clubs). ******************************* Membership Clubs summarised their recent membership activities. SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 2

3 SI Kirkcaldy use Linked In website to find out about local women who are reported as having achieved something, and then send their congratulations. SI West Lothian take a thrift shop for a week every year. In 2016 they plan to use it as a focus for membership. SI Dunfermline use a scheme at Asda in Dalgety Bay whereby shoppers select a project for support by inserting counters in a tube. This helps to increase awareness. SI Dunfermline also send regular s to those who ve expressed interest but not yet joined, keeping them informed of club activities. Sue Williams (SIGBI Director of Membership) wants clubs to send her articles on membership activity. She has also asked for short videos (recorded on phones) with answers to Ask me why I m a Soroptimist. Associate Membership was given the go-ahead at Conference and is to be launched in May 2016 Membership Month. NB Remember that if full club membership is not feasible for someone then Associate Membership of SIGBI will be available from May. Gardening Scotland (Ingliston, 3-5 June 2016) Three people will be required initially to help with the design of the garden. For three or four days immediately prior to the event, perhaps 10 or 12 people will be needed to help build the garden, and then volunteers will be needed to man the stand. Beforehand, all clubs will be asked to help raise funds for the purchase of materials. There will be sales opportunities at the event and proceeds will probably be given to the Nepal project. There will be further information provided in due course. Dorothy SIE Business Meeting held on 13 January 2016 at Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel Present Alison (in Chair) plus 13 members plus Micaela (3S Trust). Apologies for absence were received from 6 members. The Soroptimist vision and mission statement was read by Christine. 3S Trust Ishbel introduced Micaela, who spent a year in Namibia on a project organised by Project Trust. Micaela worked in a school and had initiated several teaching projects. She had very much enjoyed the experience, and expressed her thanks for the support from 3S Trust. Micaela will be involved in further volunteering during ****************************** News of members Sally Wood-Lamont s work with the disabled athletes and the Romanian Paralympic Committee was covered in an interview in the Sunday Mail on 10 January. Ex-member Lesley sends her best wishes. Ex-member Caroline is now housebound but is still interested in hearing about SIE. Several club members attended the funeral of ex-member Jean Playfair, who died in December. SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 3

4 Treasurer Carolyn reported that she had sent 345 to the International President s Appeal, and thanked members for their contributions. Scotland South meeting at Motherwell on Saturday 12 September Dorothy gave a very brief report. See January SIEnna for a summary. Gari Donn Gari Donn provided an update on UN House and the Edinburgh Peace Initiative (EPI). EPI conference in November 2015 was on the impact of overseas conflict on Scottish communities. UN House (on the 3rd floor at 4 Hunter Square) there are several groups operating from here, including UNA Edinburgh. Conversations event had been run on Russia/Ukraine in an effort to get people from the two sides together hosted by Gari at her home. Programme Action (Alison) Thanks have been received from Cranston Street Hostel for the Christmas gifts. Mary s Meals Morag is still collecting items. 9 sacks of textiles and 2 blankets were handed over to Mary s Meals at the last collection. Morag expects the next collection just after Easter. Women and Criminal Justice in Scotland there is to be an event on 10 February. Some free places are available. Contact Alison for website details. There are several cross-party groups at the Scottish Parliament dealing with issues that are very relevant to Soroptimists. Meetings are usually held on early Wednesday evenings. Details are available on the Parliament website. Marie Curie Anna advised that collections would be held from 6 February to 19 March. Members interested in helping agreed to contact Marie Curie to make their own arrangements. Fundraising There were no suggestions made. Friendship groups were asked to consider possible events. Miscellaneous It was agreed that Associate membership, which will be available from May, may be of interest to Anne. Scottish Love in Action soup lunch and book sale on 27 February at Morningside Parish Church from 10:30 to 2:30pm. Cost 6 for lunch + 2 books. Next meeting There is no meeting on 27 January. The next meeting will be held at Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel on Wednesday 10 February at 7:30pm. There will be an exhibition at the Parliament from 20th January to 16th April 2016 on the Scottish Womens' Hospitals in WW1. It features art by John Bellany and also photographs, films and other items. Christine SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 4

5 Scottish Suffragettes a novel, 'A Petrol Scented Spring' by Ajay Close. I attended the author talk at the Central Library recently. Even though it is fiction, she has done a lot of research, and the book is based on fact. The talk was illustrated by pictures of Scots such as Ethel Moorhead, places that were vandalised, Perth Prison where there was forced feeding, and even instruments used in this brutal treatment. Interestingly she mentioned the fire at Whitekirk that I heard from another source was not the work of Suffragettes but an unfortunate accident and blamed on them because the minister was against women's suffrage. I mentioned to Ajay that a panel of the Great Tapestry of Scotland depicted women's suffrage and that it was embroidered by members of our club. Christine SI Club of Dnepropetrovsk is happy to announce the second International Project "Golden Ring of Ukraine" and to invite Soroptimists, their families and friends to discover the capital Kyiv and its historical and picturesque suburbs. The project will take place from September 3 to September 10, The previous project" Satin Season in Crimea" had a great success: more than one hundred guests from all four SI Federations took part in it in 2001,2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, Today the Ukrainian reality gives us another chance to show the best towns of the country and enjoy new sightseeing. Three days you devote to the sightseeing of Dnepropetrovsk founded by Tzarina Catherine II and its suburbs. You will visit the Cossacks' places and the village Petrykivka famous for its unique paintings. You will have the opportunity to see our project Hope 3: Give the Child a Chance The participants and sisters of SI club of Dnepropetrovsk will also enjoy a gala-dinner with meals of different parts of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and delicious wines. And you will keep warm recalls about hospitality of Ukrainian Soroptimists' families. Then accompanied by Soroptimists of our club you will be lucky to see one of the most beautiful cities in the world Kiev. Our guests will stay in the modern hotel. And much, much more. Your husbands, children and friends are welcome! Deadline is MAY, 20, (website for club projects) Winifred SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 5

6 Sight Village: I received a very attractive calendar from Queen Alexandra College, the organisation that arranges for Sight Village visits to Edinburgh and Glasgow. This is an exhibition of goods, services and charities involved with visual impairment. As members may remember, we volunteer as guides to visually impaired visitors to this very interesting day. I shall be asking for volunteers again in the Spring. Christine Dates for Your Diary Feb 10 Business Meeting/PA 24 Speaker Mar 5 SISSR Daisypark Centre, Motherwell 5 SWC IWD Event at Scottish Parliament 9 Business Meeting/PA 19 Earth Hour 2016, pm see SIEnna Speaker Apr 13 Business Meeting/PA 27 AGM Suffragette Oak (Information from The Scotsman 28/12/15) An oak tree was planted in Kelvingrove Park on 20 th April 1918 by a number of suffrage organisations to mark women being granted, earlier that year, the right to vote. The oak was chosen following a public vote from a list of six trees. The tree has now been named Scotland s tree of the year. It was championed by Glasgow Women s Library who was presented with the Scottish Tree of the Year trophy during a reception in the Scottish Parliament. The contest was organised by the Woodland Trust Scotland and supported by players of the People s Postcode Lottery. Great Tapestry of Scotland 70 panels (including no. 123) are now on display in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Before the end of January 1500 people had visited and it remains there till 20th February. From 19 th March till 1 st May the Tapestry will be at High Mill, Verdant Works, Dundee. SI Edinburgh web address: The tree will now go up against those from 15 other countries to decide the 2016 European tree of the year. Ed. SIEnna 150 Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) Ltd Company No Page 6