Getting to know You

Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page

GETTING TO KNOW YOU - ABOUT CHATLINERS

Continuation of pages where Chatliners can share something about themselves with others.

Sheilah Downs
Honorary Life Member of SI Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Barbara Milburn sent a photo taken during an evening celebrating the conferring of Honorary Life membership on Sheilah.

Pres Joy Clark and Sheilah Downs

Extracts from the citation:

"Sheilah, you joined Soroptimist International of Lower Hutt in its very early years and you have seen it through all its successes and difficulties; you have always been to the fore- you have served in every position possible- from committee member to President- and in a goodly number of positions on more than one occasion. Nothing has ever been, and still isn't too much trouble. We appreciate your meticulous record keeping, your publicity work and your wonderful photographic skills.

"Not only have you served the Club but you have also been a wonderful member at Region, Federation and International level and one of the very first to embrace the International Chatline.

"Sheilah we are proud of you for your place in Soroptimism."

[Barbara Milburn
SI of Upper Hutt
Central Region New Zealand
SISWP]

Margaret Støle Karlsen

Margaret writes: "About myself: I am now 55 ( august 2003 ), married and have a son at the age of 27. I work as an art director/designer in our local newspaper, www.op.no and have done so for 20 years. I am interested in photography and video. Only for personal use, but I do like putting on music and stills to the video from our different travels/holidays. That makes them more interesting, I think. I am very glad being part of Soroptimist International, being able to take part in friendship across the borders and to hear about all the good work being done around the world by efficient women in our organisation.

"I have been a Soroptimist since 1963. Our club, SI of Larvik, is located in South Norway - about two hours drive from the capital city of Oslo. The club was chartered September 26th 1969 and at present there are 30 members in the club. We are a very active club and the members are of mixed ages from 42 to 75. The atmosphere in the club is excellent and we work well together.'

SI of Larvik's own Christmas Charity Stamp Margaret writes further:

"Twice a year we issue a club paper in the size of A4 with at least 26 pages (sometimes even more) in which we have local firms and shops advertising their goods and services, and that brings us £600 per year to our work. We also had a concert in our church which gave us £2000 and a lot of PR for our club and the work Soroptimists do all over the word.

"We have also designed a Christmas charity stamp that will give us £5000 if all goes well.
The photo on the right shows what the Christmas charity stamp looks like.

"Once a year we have a fashion show and take part in a local Christmas market where members of our club sell home made bread and cakes along with flowers of the season."

"Norwegian Soroptimists have their own education foundation giving girls in developing countries in our Federation a helping hand. Up till now we have been able to help 154 girls with one year education each. All help goes through local Soroptimist clubs in Africa. http://www.soroptimistnorway.org/

Joan Sherry with Margaret

Margaret concludes:

"Not long ago I visited the SI of Douglas, Isle of Man, and one of the Soroptimsts, Joan Sherry, invited me, my husband and friends to her home. We had a wonderful evening along with other local Soroptimsts and their husbands.

"This picture just to say thank you, Joan."

Margaret Støle Karlsen
SI of Larvik
Norway

Joan Sherry

Joan sent this photo of the four members from SI Douglas presenting a cheque for £2,000 to Five-O for the project in Samoa. SI Douglas members presenting cheque for 5-O Project

SI Douglas members presenting cheque for 5-O Project

L to R: Val Gimbert, Marion Bolam, Joan Sherry, Jane Zimermann, Lorry Roberts, Johanne Sorenseon, and Judith Derbyshire

Joan Sherry
SI Douglas
North West England and the Isle of Man
SIGBI

Ann Holland

Ann writes: "Just thought you might like this - just some thing else we have done here and you can all have a good laugh at me in uniform!!

"Gravesend Red Cross Centre are showing once again what it means to be truly part of the community. The local community has always supported Gravesend Red Cross through donations, over the past few years the local Rotary club donated an oxygen therapy head and the Lions Club gave a set of 'frac' immobilisers. This time it is the turn of Soroptimist International.

"Soroptimist Housing Gravesend Ltd needed a place to hold their committee meetings and the Red Cross offered a room for them to use. In return Soroptimist Housing have purchased a carry chair for the ambulance. John Lines, joint centre organiser and Ann Holland, supplies and communications officer, are both members of Kent Ambulance Service Reserve and they are pictured receiving the chair from the chair of Soroptimist Housing Gravesend Lady Ann Murray, vice chair and President of Soroptimist International Gravesend & District, Pam Debnam along with Barry Smith, from Gravesend Churches Housing who manage the properties owned by Soroptimist Housing on a daily basis.

In the photo from the left Ann Holland, Pam Debnam, John Lines, Lady Anne Murray of Gravesend, Barry Smith

Ann also sent this snippet of news about
INTERACTION OF CHATLINERS

Ann writes:
"On the photo are from the left Mary Stratton regional President South East England, myself, Ann Greenfield President Sevenoaks club and Erene Grieve of Milford Haven club.

"Erene asked me some time ago if I knew of a hotel she could stay in whilst working for a couple of days in Medway, so I contacted Medway Towns Club and President Sue Daykin offered her a room for a couple of nights. Last night Erene and I went to dinner in a restaurant in Rochester and nattered about our grants of friendship and a lot more. I showed Erene some of the local sights Sue had not shown her. Tonight Gravesend club handed over the Daphne Whitmore Rose Bowl to Sevenoaks club and as Erene has to be in Sevenoaks tomorrow Ann Greenfield offered her a room for the night so off we went.

" I for one would like to give Kate a BIG THANK YOU for arranging the chatline so that this type of interaction can occur."

Ann Holland
SI Gravesend & District,SIGBI

More from Ann about CHILDREN IN NEED

Ann writes:"The photos attached are of the administration manager at my office being kidnapped for 'Children in Need' - the Annual BBC appeal.

Maxine "In the picture on the right, Maxine is the one at the back with the multi coloured hat at her desk. In picture below in the background you will see a blue bomb (it has been disarmed) this is where Maxine Hales was tied up from about 11.15 this morning until her release at 16.45 this afternoon. Within the office we had to guess the name of the doll, guess the weight of the cake and a raffle, along with dress as you like, and Maxine's kidnap. Maxine's 7 year old daughter was worried she would not get her mummy back so Jodie wrote a plea along with all the money in her money pot to let her mummy go. In total the money raised was just about £1,000.

"This just goes to prove that it is mad dogs and English women go out in the midday rain! (well in Chatham anyway)"

Ann Holland
SI Gravesend & District,SIGBI

CHATLINERS MEET - from RUTH LONGVILLE

One of the most important aspects of the SI Chatline is friendships formed in this "Cyber Club". On these web-pages there are many examples of such "real life" meetings of Soroptimists from around the world. These meetings happen because of the SI Chatline.

Shown on this photograph is yet another instance of a meeting between Chatliners.

From Left to right: Sheilagh Shaw (SI Coventry,UK, SIGBI) Hilary Hampton (SI Angouleme, France, SIE) Maggie Bayliss (SI Stourbridge, UK,SIGBI) and Ruth Longville (SI Stourbridge, UK, SIGBI)

for "Getting to Know You" PAGE3

This web site is created and maintained by Hendré Falkson