FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members and Friends,



Our members are enthusiastic about volunteering and actively making a difference in their communities each day. This enthusiasm begins with our clubs and efforts to welcome and educate new members through mentoring programs. It is important to create an inclusive atmosphere through personalizing outreach, mentorship, and immediate engagement.

Effective strategies in mentoring new members include assigning mentors, hosting welcome events, holding induction ceremonies, and involving new members in service projects early on. Offering rides to meetings, running icebreakers, and inviting new members to district or state federation meetings to help build connections and encourage participation.

Identifying the skills and talents new members bring—such as computer expertise or artistic abilities—benefits both the club and its members by fostering belonging and meaningful contribution.

To integrate new members, clubs can host orientations, implement mentoring programs like Big Sis/Little Sis, and actively welcome participation in meetings and projects. Mentors ("Federation Buddies" or "Big Sisters") help newcomers understand club structure, activities, GFWC affiliation, and traditions. Assigned before or after joining, mentors accompany new members to events, introduce them, share information about GFWC programs, and encourage engagement at all levels. This support helps new members feel at home and connected to the Federation.

Many wish they had mentors when joining; now experienced members can guide newcomers who will shape our Federation's future. Thank you for welcoming new members and inspiring volunteerism.

Yours in Federation and Love,

Sonya

CONVENTION INFORMATION - KATHI McGRAW, Co-Chair

CFWC Convention is Coming. It will be from May 14-16, 2026 at the Ontario Airport Hotel and Conference Center. Gather your club members and prepare to “Ignite the Magic of Federation.” The Call to Convention has been sent to all club presidents. You can also find the Call and other information on the cfwc.org website. Read the Call carefully so you do not miss out on important information such as bylaw amendments, resolutions and of course, election of officers for the next administration.

Plan to attend the Thursday night banquet. The entertainment is Jerry Langford, Magician. Be ready to be amazed with mind-blowing close up magic. You might even be part of the show. 



LEGISLATION AND PUBLIC POLICY - KATHLEEN HOLM, Chair

I want our members to be fully informed about the SAVE Act. Please read the entire article from GFWC News & Notes, February 26, 2026 issue under the Legislative Corner. Excerpts:

“Voter Registration: On February 11, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to require people who are registering to vote in federal elections to provide proof of their U.S. citizenship. The vote was 218-213, with all Republicans and only one Democrat voting for the measure. This is an amended bill from the House-passed SAVE Act from 2025. The bill is now pending in the Senate and has gained 50 Republican cosponsors with the support of the White House. But it takes 60 votes in the Senate to bring a bill up for a vote.

Enactment is unlikely because of Senate rules, and it would be extremely difficult to implement. The bill does not address the issue of voting by mail.

Here is the link for the entire article: https://www.gfwc.org/news-notes/

Zoom Meetings: Starting Saturday April 3, 9 – 10am, I will offer Zoom meetings to give members an opportunity to learn more about legislation & public policy. The first session will be on the difference between it and civic engagement. I will continue to offer these meetings once a month on Saturdays, same time. All are invited. 

The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88128399978?pwd=VlnAPKgOxbr9T636xbcVCe58ajN2P6.1

Meeting ID: 881 2839 9978

Passcode: 512236



ART & CULTURE - KELLY DAVIS, Chair

Glass Tree Sculpting

From Bottle to Beauty. The power of Glass Recycling.

All you need is a glass cutting kit. 

Woman’s Club of Fullerton

Glass Tree Sculpting

This great class, conducted by a local mosaics artist and the Woman’s Club of Fullerton member, had the benefit of creating beauty from recycled glass. The class was full and more will be scheduled as there wasn’t enough room for all the woman who wanted to participate.

Pumpkin Plants

So much was accomplished by the women who participated in this project. A member guided everyone through the process of making a succulent arrangement in pumpkin! The pumpkins varied in size, small, medium, and large. Various materials such as dried moss, twigs, enhanced the succulents to make beautiful arrangements. These arrangements then graced the tables at our November meeting where we were having a giant potluck and recipe exchange. Then, the added benefit of selling the pumpkins and raising several hundred dollars for the club.

Art and Culture Chairman: Paulette Marshall Chaffee

ENVIRONMENT - NANCY B. JONES, Chair

One of my volunteering projects is providing field trips at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens. This week we worked with second graders on Pollination. Bees and other insects and animals are pollinators. We emphasized Interdependence (plants need pollinators and pollinators need plants) and the importance of biodiversity (providing varied plantings for year-round food sources). Check out the Save the Bees Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that organizes bee research, environmental restoration projects, and funding for organizations to improve the environment for bees and raise awareness of the pollinator situation that help sustain bee populations. 1200 types of crops require pollination - fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. What can you and your club do to improve bee habitats to support pollination?

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT and OUTREACH - ANNE COCHRAN, Chair

Just came up with a great way to help veterans in your community. If you belong to an American Legion or VFW or a facility that you are active in, offer your services by collecting their red sharp containers and taking them to a facility that accepts the red sharp containers. These veterans are very limited to where they can drop off their containers. which I found out recently that it can become a problem for them. You can offer once a month pick up and take them to a fire station or a hospital with an outside sharp container bin. 

Just a thought ......

"No matter what people tell you,

words and ideas can change the world."

--Robin Williams