The departments of the MFWC are the same as those for the GFWC.

These departments are:

************************ARTS**************************

Activities in this department are designed to stimulate the artistic interests of club members through contests such as photography, short story, drama and poetry competitions.  Issues such as art and sculpture preservation, and disabilities and the arts are also covered.

The objective of the Arts in the Community program is to encourage members to foster and support arts activities in all communities. This objective can be accomplished through three program areas: VSA Arts, Art for Youth, and Fostering Community Art.

Follow as many of the GFWC suggested activities in each program as possible; however, add any other activity that you deem appropriate and constructive in your community. Your creativity in choice of projects could be rewarded.  To recognize creativity in the Arts in the Community Program, $50 will be awarded annually to one club in the nation. The award will be based on narratives.

Details regarding possible activities and guidelines for contest can also be found in the MFWC Handbook.   The GFWC CLUB MANUAL lists available resources for projects in Arts in the Community Programs.  Consult the club manual for contact information. Many of these resources are free.

Narratives should support statistical information and give a description of the project. Narratives should be under the designated program area, such as VSA Arts, Art for Youth, etc.  Narratives are a very important part of the judging process.  Club reports are NOT to be mailed to me. They are to be mailed to GFWC-MFWC Vice President, Tammie McCoy.  

 The objective of the GFWC Photography Contest is to encourage members’ artistic expression and recognize and support members’ achievements in photography.

CATEGORIES

~Natural History: flowers, animals, insects, birds, trees, etc.
~Scenic: vistas, landscapes, seascapes, snow scenes, bridges, parks, mountains, farmland and more.

~Feature: human interest pictures including people, events and more.

 Complete guidelines and rules for this contest can be found in the Handbook and on the website.

 Entries will be judged on the District Level with First Place winners advancing to State Level.

 State Level First Place winners (one per category) will be sent to GFWC Headquarters for National Judging.

 The objective of the Short Story and Poetry contests is to encourage members and youth to develop creative writing skills and to recognize their achievement.

 Complete guidelines and rules for Member and Youth Contests can be found in the Handbook and on the Website.

 Clubs must send entries (only one winner per contest, per category) to this chairman (See Directory for contact information) for state judging.  State entry deadline  is  February 1, 2008.

 
AWARDS

Member Contests

 State: A GFWC certificate will be presented annually to the top entry (per contest) in each state
National: GFWC certificates will be presented annually to the top three national entries (per contest).

Youth Contests

State: A GFWC certificate will be awarded annually to the top state entry in each category (per contest).  Total of eight awards per state.  MFWC will award $50 to the First Place winner in each of the 8 categories.

National: GFWC certificates will be presented annually to the top entry in all four categories of each contest.

Note:  All state entries must include an Anthology Authorization Form giving permission for entries that place on the national level to be placed in the GFWC Anthology.   In 2007, 9 out of 10 submissions from MFWC were included in the Anthology.

 Please support Youth Art (formerly Pennies for Art) by organizing local contests and entering the winners in the District and State Youth Art Contests.

As always, there will be monetary awards at the District level in each category. This year, the monetary awards at the State Level have been reinstated. Please support this program financially by making a contribution on your Dues Form.
 

The rules for the competition are in the Handbook and on the website's Forms/Guidelines page.  In addition, we are hoping to organize a Youth Art display at the Mississippi Library Commission’s new building next year. More information will be provided on that later.

 If you have any questions, please contact Theresa Berryhill, Youth Art Chairman.

*****************CONSERVATION******************

Activities in this department are designed to increase awareness of important issues, including the beautification of local communities, conserving America's resources, preserving our national parks and observing days that commemorate conservation activities.

 According to Webster, Beautification means the act of making beautiful or embellishing. We all prefer to look at things that are pleasing to the eye.  Beautification often plays an important part when visitors or perspective residents come to our communities.

When you look through the green Action Plan of the Beautification Program, located in the GFWC Club Manual, many of the ideas are those you have seen before.  You could possibly expand a project that has been previously implemented. The resources are plentiful and most are free. Other than personal gratification of this type project, there are area awards – see the Action Plan for this area.  Some of the resources offer grants; GFWC has a “Plant-A-Row” grant ($500).
 

Drive around your community and look at Main Street, public buildings, parks, schools, town entrances, etc.  Talk with other organizations (scouts, youth groups, or maybe another MFWC group) about working together on big or detailed projects.
 

Sometimes it takes very little effort to clean up or spruce up an area.  So each of us as club members, need to look around our communities, discuss possibilities with our clubs, and choose a project or two or three and get busy beautifying!

 I am real excited about our Resource Conservation Program.  We have the greatest opportunity to make a difference in our world today.  Just look around you.  There are so many things we can do to preserve or improve our Natural Resources.  I will be sending out newsletters with dates and ideas to use for programs and projects.  If you have any ideas, please send them to me to put in the letters.

Please work with other organizations, not only to accomplish large tasks, but to promote unity in our communities.  Most of all, go outside – Look! Listen! And Enjoy! one of God’s greatest gifts – our natural resources!

*********************EDUCATION******************** 

The Literacy Program is divided into three categories: Adult Literacy, Family Literacy, and Youth Literacy.  I would like to encourage each club to gather information about the literacy levels in your town and share this with others.

Become familiar with local Adult Literacy programs in your area. Become mentors to the adults who are attending literacy programs and area GED programs.

Encourage reading among family members.  Give books for Christmas and birthday gifts.   Make sure that you make notes of these gifts and report them at reporting time.

There are many ways to become involved in Youth Literacy. Your local schools may participate in the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program. For $2.00 per student the students receive three brand new paperback books during the school year. Your club may participate in RIF by funding the program, partnering with another business to fund the program and helping the school with the distribution program.

You may help the Gulf Coast Libraries rebuild their libraries through the Heart of America Program. You may get information at http://www.heartofamerica.org. You may donate books, money, or help through this organization.

August 24th of this year, join children and adults across the country to read “The Little Engine That Could”. This is part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record.

The 3rd week in October is Teen Read Week.  Encourage your local school to participate in this program.

March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. It is “Read Across America Day”. Visit your local schools and read with the students.
 

Become and mentor and/or tutor to someone in your community.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

The objective of this program is to promote a commitment to lifelong learning by encouraging members and others to foster and support educational opportunities in your communities.

Epsilon Sigma Omicron (ESO)

This is an honorary educational society open to GFWC club women.  The purpose of ESO is to give clubwomen a structured reading program for self-enrichment and personal growth.  Be sure and see the GFWC Club Manual about getting this program started in your club and to order the GFWC material.  Let’s have more members report their reading.  (Children’s books may be counted.)

Libraries

Contact your local public and school libraries to see how your club can help with existing programs.  Give books in honor or memory of a club woman.  (Put a picture in the local paper!)

‘We the People Bookshelves’ is a program sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that encourages young people to read classic books and explore themes in American history, culture, and ideas.  School (K-12) and public libraries are invited to apply for 15 thematically related books which embody the 2007 theme “Pursuit of Happiness”.  Your club can help the library get the information, assist with the application or help with a ‘We the People Bookshelf’ celebration.  Information and ideas may be found at www.ala.org/wethepeople.  Applications will be available after Sept. 5, 2006 and are due on March 1, 2007.  More information may be found at www.neh.gov (look for bookshelves) or www.wethepeople.gov/bookshelf/index.html.   Let’s help our local libraries receive 15 FREE books!

Scholarships

Talbots is offering a scholarship program just for women who earned their high school diploma or GED at least 10 years ago, and who are now seeking a college degree (2 or 4 year).    Correction to email in GFWC Club Manual:  www.1.talbots.com/about/scholar/scholar.asp  

Be sure and see the Action Plan in the GFWC Club Manual for a detailed listing of available scholarships and program/project ideas.

Be creative to promote lifelong learning among your club members.  Look to the junior colleges and universities that offer classes for fun, information and new hobbies.

“Read to Feed” – This is a school program that teaches school children about world hunger and directly involves them in the solution, while also fostering a love for reading.  “Read to Feed” is a standards-based curriculum and the program is complemented by a continually updated website.  “Read to Feed” offers curriculums for 3^rd-4^th grades & 5^th-6^th grades.  They are free with books, video and curriculum.  Call 1-800-422-0474 to order packets. 

Encourage your teachers to apply for the S. A. Rosenbaum Earthwatch Fellowship.  Eight Mississippi teachers (K-12 & Jr. colleges) are selected each year to participate in a field research in the USA and around the world.  Deadline for application is February, 2007.  For more information go to www.philhardin.org/rosenbaum_fellow.html

Another outstanding opportunity for teachers are the Landmarks of American History Workshops for School Teachers.  These varied workshops provide the opportunity for K-12 educators to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics in American History.  The deadline for applications is March, 2007.  For more information go to www.neh.gov/projects/landmarks-school.html or call 202/606-8463.

If you have any questions about the last two activities listed, please call me.  I went to Brazil on an Earthwatch expedition and my Landmark Study was at Plymouth Plantation.

Let’s encourage our club members to stretch!  Learn and do something new this club year!

*********************HOME LIFE*********************

Activities in this department are designed to increase awareness of important issues, including women's health, women's economic security and programs that improve the lives of people with disabilities.

It Makes Sense to Manage your Dollars- The objective of Dollars and Sense Program is to provide information to educate members about the value of and need for retirement planning and to provide valuable financial information regarding checking credit, giving wisely, identity theft and social security.

Women are more likely than men to spend old age in poverty because many have spent their lives at an economic disadvantage.  “Women earn 76% of what men earn,” said Laurie Young, director of Older Women’s League in Washington, D.C.  Women also drop out of the work force for an average of 12 years to care for children or parents.  They also take more flexible jobs with low wages and few, if any benefits. Frequent job changes make it harder to quality for pensions.
 

About one-third of the mothers of minor children are stay-at-home moms. According to an article by Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, in its May 11, 2006, edition, “Salaries.com estimate that stay-at-home moms work an average of 91.6 hours a week.  That should be worth $28.16 an hour or $134,121 annually.”   Women often forfeit many $$$ in wages and benefits over their lifetime.

Women who reach age 65 can expect to live another 20 years, often outliving their husbands by an average of 6 years. Widows lose a third to a half of their Social Security benefit when their spouse dies.  Many women get blindsided by divorce — they plan their retirement as half of a couple, but get divorced and lose out on a share of their spouse’s pension benefits. Kimberly Strassel, co-author of “Leaving Women Behind: Modern Families, Out-dated Laws” states, “A marriage must last 10 years before a divorced spouse can claim benefits based on a former spouse and most divorces occur within seven years.

“Older Women’s League” strategies for secure retirement:
• Become financially literate

• Start investing early

• If you are married, become a full participant in retirement  decisions
• Contribute to a 401K plan or individual retirement account

• Tax-deferred investments reap bigger returns

• Investigate the exact amount of future Social Security benefits

• Review the annual statement Social Security sends  prospective beneficiaries

Our focus is healthy lifestyle awareness and I am encouraging each club to develop a healthy lifestyle action plan. We cannot put a price on our health so let’s learn to modify our lifestyles to improve our overall quality of health.

You will find several ways in which to accomplish this by referring to the manual that each President should have received including Healthy Lifestyle, Shingles, Stroke, Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Women and Cancer, and Diabetes. Many programs and resources fall under each of these categories as well as the ABC’s of Women’s Health that each President received in her packet at Summer Institute and a 15-20 minute DVD that I have that can be checked out by clubs for programs on “Testing For Hereditary Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancer”.

Take advantage of all that you have to work with, plan, initiate, and report, report, report!

If I can be of any assistance in helping you to accomplish this challenge, please feel free to contact me.

I am so proud to be part of the 2006-2008 MFWC Board. We can make great things happen in our state and I know each of you is willing to help. Our President’s Special Project — Habitat for Humanity - falls under the Helping Hands Program, along with the Easter Seals, Heavenly Hats, Canine Companions for Independence, March of Dimes and National Organization on Disability.

Easter Seals - Order the free kit that provides a pattern and directions for making therapy vests for children at www.easterseals.com; make your club and community aware of Easter Seals; volunteer at an Easter Seal center and support Easter Seals with your monetary donations.

Heavenly Hats - Donate NEW hats to cancer patients who lose their hair due to cancer or other medical conditions.  Boost a patients’ self esteem and give them courage in their battle against cancer. Visit the website at www.heavenlyhats.com.
Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) - A non-profit organization that places highly trained assistance dogs with people with disabilities and professional caregivers. This helps them to become more independent. You could volunteer to be a puppy raiser or sponsor a fundraiser. Contact www.cci.org for more information.

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) - A non-profit housing ministry seeking to eliminate poor housing and homelessness. As part of the 2006 Women Build Program, our State Federation is helping build a Habitat home and a “New Neighbor House” in Jackson.  In addition, later on this year a Habitat home on the Gulf Coast will be built. Not only can your club volunteer hours, but also lunch will need to be provided. Our State President’s Special Project is a “home come true” for these new homeowners.

March of Dimes (MOD) - Increase awareness by having health experts discuss pre- and post-natal care, or the health risks surrounding teen pregnancy and the use of drugs and alcohol during childbearing years. Order your free packet of materials from www.marchofdimes.com, participate in the Walk American project, and observe Birth Defects Prevention Month in October.

National Organization on Disability (NOD) - Help increase the opportunities for people with disabilities. Look around your community — does it adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Could your club members provide transportation to persons with disabilities? Is your club welcoming to people with disabilities? Contact www.nod.org for more information.

***********INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS************

Activities in this department are designed to increase awareness of important issues, including the relevance of the United Nations and its various entities like UNICEF, the significance of international exchange and development support and the needs of groups like CARE, Childreach, Operation Smile and Save the Children.

The objective of this division is to: Educate members and others about world needs and provide opportunities to offer support. There are ten projects named below in this area:
 

CARE — order information materials from resources for your club
 

PLAN USA — A video is available free; special areas for women and children

CLOWNS WITHOUT BORDERS — volunteer performers spread a smile where children are living in crisis situations
 

CURE INTERNATIONAL — operates teaching hospitals in developing countries focusing on needs of children
 

HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL — this includes several choices as “Kids 2 Kids” or “WILD’ and others as gifts of food and incoming producing animals

GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS - one can serve 1-3 weeks in countries working

OPERATION SMILE — changing the life of a child through reconstructive surgery for which money and supplies are needed
 

SAVE THE CHILDREN — sponsor a child as an individual or as a club (group)

WORLD FOOD DAY — observe Oct. l6th to donate food items or money

CULTURAL EXCHANGE — promotes learning about the diverse cultures around the world sponsor festivals in schools — work with the student exchange program in your local school if available.

As I checked out web sites, I found that some of these agencies had conducted programs/assistance on the MS Gulf Coast, with some having a special Gulf Coast Fund. This may be of interest to your club members.

Please read your GFWC Manual, consulting your resources information; contact the agencies by e-mail, phone or the web site; choose projects suited to your club; adopt these as club projects and REPORT at the end of the year. I look forward to reading those reports!

The GFWC United Nations Program objective is to educate members about United Nations programs concerning women and children. There are four areas of emphasis in the action plan.
 

United Nations -- Clubs should first appoint a chairman who will work to educate members about UN issues, programs and activities. October 24th should be recognized and celebrated as United Nations Day. Provide materials and books for local schools encouraging initiation of a Model UN program.
 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) - Celebrate National UNICEF Month in October. Educate schools and youth groups about Trick or Treat for UNICEF boxes. Order boxes by calling 1-800-UNICEF or visit www.unicefusa.org. Visit vww.teachunicefusa.org for lesson plans and activities to share with schools.

Campaign Against HIV/AIDS - (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission/PMTCT) - Download material from www.unicefusa.org/volunteer and use as a club program. Host an international tea or library event as a fundraiser and education event. Order the informational HIV/AIDS video. Order brochures and pins and use pins as a fundraiser for PMTCT.
 

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) - UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the UN that provides financial support to innovative programs that empower women. Visit www.unifem.org for ways to become involved.
 

During this time of turmoil in the world we need to support programs that aid women and children around the world.

We have two new project ideas for 2007-2008:

1.    Celebrate UN Day and Judy Martin’s Birthday – Celebrate both on October 24^th by sending Judy a card and a gift in her honor for the US Fund for UNICEF to MFWC Treasurer Merle McLeod.

 2.      Check out our GFWC-MFWC UNICEF Project Webpage and make a donation to USA UNICEF Fund.  Our goal is   20 members on our team and contributions totaling $200.  This is just another way to help women and children around the world.  Click on the following link to join our team.

 www.unicefusa.org/ert/mfwc  

     During this time of turmoil in the world we need to support programs that aid women and children around the world.

*****************PUBLIC AFFAIRS*****************

Activities in this department are designed to increase awareness of important issues, including crime prevention, safety throughout the home, assisting veterans and the importance of good citizenship.

 I am excited to serve as MFWC Public Affairs Community Safety Chairman. The objective of the Safety Program is to educate members and others about community, home, and vehicle safety issues, and encourage citizen action on these issues.

Debbie Thomas of Van Buren, AR is GFWC Community Safety Program Chairman. She recently forwarded the following “Women’s Safety Tips”, which focus on the most common mistakes women make that could result in being attacked, kidnapped, raped, or killed. Share these with your club members.

1.  Never get into an attacker’s car, even if he has a gun. His intent is most likely not to shoot you but to drive you to a secluded area for the attack. Run away screaming!

2.  Never pull over if someone drives alongside you, pointing at your car and pretending that something is wrong. Drive to a populated, well-lit area before checking the car.

3. Lock your car doors when driving to prevent someone from jumping into the car while you are stopped.

4. Never open the door to your home without identifying who is there. A peephole is a good investment.

5. Keep your head up and be alert when walking to your car, especially after dark. Have car keys in hand, and always check the back seat!

6. Use a computer to check out pictures of sex offenders in your area. Many of them look like honest, clean-cut, trustworthy people.

7. When it comes to your children and grandchildren, be suspicious of everyone. Child molesters often are the very last people we would suspect. Pay attention to what children say and to how they react to people in their lives.

8. When having your car serviced, never give the attendant any keys other than those for your car. Remember that a key duplicator may be readily available at the service site.
 

If I can be of service to you or your club please call or e-mail me, my contact information can be found in the Directory of this magazine.