GFWC/Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs

GFWC SPECIAL PROJECT - Empowering Women One By One

 

Chairman:        Marianne L. Nave

 

 

Committee Goals:

To encourage each club to appoint an Empowering Women One By One chairman to develop and motivate members through stimulating and interesting programs and projects that will empower each member individually.

 

What is an Empowered Woman?

Do you know a woman in your club who goes a step beyond when it comes to doing her job or accomplishing a club task? This woman is empowered!  She seems to be motivated to go ahead when others lag behind.  She seems able to get things done, when others are unable to accept the same challenges.  She always seems to come up with a winning idea for a special project or activity.

 

Is this woman in your club? Who do you know that fits this description?

OFWC Founder Clementine Berry Buckwalter

A great example of an Empowered Woman in our own history is our OFWC Founder Clementine Berry Buchwalter.

 

In 1889, Clementine Berry Buchwalter was a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs who lived in Springfield, Ohio.  She was known locally as Captain Edward Buchwalter’s wife and a very busy clubwoman. She made her own mark in history by taking on a huge challenge to start GFWC in the State of Ohio.  Clementine invited 98 clubs, from all over Ohio, for a two day meeting on October 24–25, 1894 and following the meeting, OFWC was accepted into the GFWC on October 26, 1894.

 

Our empowered woman had the foresight to invite the GFWC President to the session making admittance to GFWC in record time.  Clementine was also known as a leading clubwoman in her community and belonged to a number of clubs and organizations.  She was a woman ahead of her time!  Willing to go the extra mile to accomplish what she felt was a great need, the Buchwalter’s home was a stop on the Underground Railroad.  It was also a meeting place for numerous clubs and their officers and where she entertained many club members and friends.

 

 

Start your own club project:

  • The first thing to do is appoint one of your club women as your Empowering Women One By One Chairman.
  • Follow the ideas in your GFWC Club Manual in the Special Projects section.  Make up your own ideas based on your own club activities and projects.
  • When you do any projects or activities that are empowering to your members, be sure to keep a record of them and report your best accomplishment to the state chairman.

 

Share your club’s achievement

Be sure to share your most outstanding achievement in this program by sending a narrative of 250 words or less to your state chairman. 

  • Narratives must be postmarked by February 1, 2007 or 2008, so a winner can be determined and mailed to the GFWC chairman by March 15, 2007 or 2008. 
  • There will be certificate awards presented based on narratives you turn in to your state chairman. 
  • The winning state narrative will be forwarded to the national chairman to compete for the GFWC $50 award that will be presented annually to one club in the nation.

 

 

Download the Empowering Women Contest Entry Form

 

The contest entry form MUST accompany your 250-word narrative.

 

For more information, please contact:

Marianne Nave

mariannelnave@yahoo.com

 

 

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