GFWC/Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs

Conservation Department

 

 

BEAUTIFICATION IN THE COMMUNITY Division

Chairman: Carolyn Adams

 

CORD Chairman:  Mary Stephens                                             EORD Chairman:  Marjean Sizemore

LED Chairman:  Kathryn Fink                                                    NED Chairman:  Stephanie Canzonetta

NWD Chairman:  Jo Vernon                                                      WCD Chairman:  Diane McHenry

WORD Chairman:  Jane Zachman

 

ACTION PLAN FOR OHIO

 

Include a beautification project in your programs and /or projects.  View the GFWC ideas and incorporate one or more of the following.

 

  • Support The Mohican Memorial Forest & Shrine’s needs for landscaping and upkeep by increasing your club’s donations for the Ohio Memorial Shrine. Purchase a brick for the walkway in your clubs name, and also a brick in each past president’s name. Goal every club purchase two bricks in 2008-10

 

  • Plan a project for your community “Make a Difference Day” event by encouraging youth groups, scouts, and adults to beautify their surroundings, including school grounds, community parks, local museum grounds and community store fronts

 

  • Take part in the free vegetable and flower seeds from the “America the Beautiful Fund”. You can donate the produce to those in need and give flowers to brighten someone’s day in a local nursing home.  More information see Resources

 

IMPLEMENT TREE –PLANTING AND PRESERVATION PROJECTS

 

  • Celebrate “Arbor Day” by participating in “A Tree for Every Child” through the American Forest foundation, “Learning Tree” program.  This project is one that works with a school class and their teacher to instruct Children on the importance of planting and caring for trees.

 

  • Plant a tree in the community, native to Ohio to commemorate fallen soldiers in your area. Work together with other clubs and organizations to accomplish this memorial.

 

PARTICIPATE IN LITTER PREVENTION PROJECTS

 

  • Participate in Litter Prevention Projects, surveying your community to determine its needs with regard to litter prevention by supporting the “Keep America Beautiful Graffiti Hurts” program. Observe Keep America Beautiful “Great American Clean-Up” in April, by organizing a cleanup day with the help of scouts and other youth organizations. More information  see resources

 

 

RESOURCES

 

America in Bloom www.AmericaInBloom.org

America the Beautiful Fund www.FreeSeeds.us.org

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. www.KAB.org

 

 

 

RESOURCE CONSERVATION IN THE COMMUNITY Division

Chairman: Dianne Phillips

 

CORD Chairman:  Mary Stephens                                             EORD Chairman:  Marjean Sizemore

LED Chairman:  Kathryn Fink                                                    NED Chairman:  Stephanie Canzonetta

NWD Chairman:  Jo Vernon                                                      WCD Chairman:  Diane McHenry

WORD Chairman:  Jane Zachman

 

ACTION PLAN FOR OHIO

 

Club members “take action” for managing and preserving Earth’s natural resources by becoming informed about current/future issues and practices and then making a positive difference to become “GREEN.”

 

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION

 

·         Become informed about soil and water issues at local, county or state levels and conduct or participate in programs that address these issues.  Collaboration and partnerships with school and community groups are encouraged. 

 

ENERGY CONSERVATION

 

·         Become informed about the Energy Star Program sponsored by HUD/EPA/DOE by visiting their web-site at www.EnergyStar.gov or by ordering the brochure: A Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating and Home Sealing by calling 800-STARYES.

 

·         Conduct or participate in programs that implement energy conservation practices in your home, community, county or state.

 

BECOMING “GREEN”

 

·         Continue to support the “Kids and Kindness” educational program from the Humane Society; Youth organization by sponsoring classroom subscriptions of the environmental news letter “Kind Kids.”  Feedback to the club from the students or teachers receiving the news letter is encouraged.  Report number of subscriptions sponsored and the increase from last year.

 

·         Continue to collect pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  Report the pounds collected and the increase from last year.

 

·         Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Become informed about current/future practices and then take action by sponsoring and participating in programs at the local, county or state level. 

 

·         Go GREEN today by purchasing and using reusable tote bags for your grocery shopping.

 

RESOURCES:  Refer to the GFWC manual for environmental and conservation web sites.  Contact county-wide Soil and Conservation District offices for educational resources and programs.

DATES TO REMEMBER: Keep America Beautiful Month (April);  Earth Day (April 22); Ohio Arbor Day (last Friday in April); Make a Difference Day (4th Saturday in October); America Recycles Day (November 15)

 

 

 

STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST FOR SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS

2009-2010

TITLE:  It IS Easy to be GREEN

 

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

  1. Teachers please relate to your students the importance of Conservation through awareness of environmental concerns and needs in your community. Recycling is just one way to make it “Easy to be Green”
  2. Maximum number of words – 200. Count EVERY word and put the number at the bottom of the left corner of the essay. The essay must be typed on 8 ˝ x 11 paper. Another person may do the typing.
  3. The contest is open to all current seventh grade students.
  4. No more that (2) entries per club, mailed by the club president to your District Conservation Chairman in a 9” x 12” envelope.  Please enclose a cover letter with the entry and indicate how many entries your club received.
  5. On the back of the essay must be the following information:

       Student’s name

        Student’s age

        Name of student’s school

        City or Town in which the school is located

        Sponsoring club’s name, city and district

  1. Each contestant must sign a contest release form found in the OFWC Form Section of this Directory.
  2. Entries must be postmarked on or before February 1, 2009 and 2010 to your District Conservation Chairman

 

JUDGING GUIDELINES:

        Judging will be based on the following:

        A.  Creativity                        70%

        B.   Composition                   25%

        C.   Neatness                           5%

        The decisions of the judges will be final.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

1.        A panel of three judges appointed by the district Conservation Chairman will select the district winners.  District winners will receive certificates on Legislation Day.  First place winners will also receive $15.00 from Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs and be entered in the state competition.

2.        District Chairman will send the first place district essay to the State Beautification Chairman, Carolyn Adams, 414 E. Columbia Ave., Cincinnati OH, 45215, by March 1, 2009 and 2010.

3.        A panel of three judges appointed by the State Conservation Beautification Chairman will select state winners.  State winners will be announced at the annual GFWC/Ohio Federation of Women’s clubs Convention.  The Conservation Chairman will read the winning essay at the convention.  The student submitting the first place entry will be celebrated at the District Fall conference of the sponsoring club and awarded a $75.00 US Savings bond. The first place entry will be published in the Buckeye magazine, the official publication of the Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs. With the students permission he/she will also be featured on the OFWC Website at www.gfwcohio.org.

4.        Due to distance and school schedules the student may not be able to be in attendance at the district level; however the sponsoring club might want to honor the student at a club meeting and present the award or at a school assembly with permission of the school.

 

 

 

 

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