My Soroptimist year started with a business meeting in our new format of two monthly meetings. We previously had one meeting a month and then several smaller committee meetings plus an exec. So a President was generally out at a meeting most weeks. Our new format means we have a business meeting at 7.00 p.m followed by a business meeting at 7.30 with all members followed by committee meetings at 9.00. Should keep thepace brisk and businesslike!
Last Saturday I dropped in on the stall at St Andrews where we were selling cakes, jams and bric-a-brac in aid of our sponsored girl in the Gambia - Aji. We generally send a bag of rice to her every three months and the money raised goes to this good cause. A big thank you to everyone who gave their time and made cakes, jams and marmalade and donated items for the stall. We were delighted to have raised £107 from our efforts! The top photo shows two of our members and the splendid array of goodies. Also please note our lovely new bannerstand - we are proud to be Soroptimists and we can now tell the world!
As part of our Programme Action Soroptimists were also out in force as helpers at the Sport for the Disabled last Sunday. This has become one of our yearly features and we are delighted to be able to support the community in this way. Thanks to everyone who gave their time - I didn't manage to get there but I've heard that everyone had a fantastic time. Well done to everyone who helped.
My theme for this year is Inspiring Women with Action! For my speaker and dinner meetings this year I have invited a number of women who are inspiring women of action. My first speaker this week was Rachel Marshallsay who is an Admiral Nurse, one of only two in Warwickshire. Admiral nurses who are trained mental health nurses support families where there is a diagnosis of dementia. they work closely with the family offering advice and support right to the end-of-life. Rachel read out a heart-warming letter from a former carer who had been a client of Admiral nurses and it was evident that the service which is provided is invaluable in getting through very difficult times.
John Suchet is the patron of Dementia UK who provide the Admiral Nurses (named after the gentleman with dementia who left a legacy to start the service and who was a keen sailor) and he has just written a new book about his experience with his wife, Bonnie, who has Alzheimers. Interestingly, Rachel reported that many men have come forward recognising that they need help as a carer following John Suchet's public declaration of his wife's dementia and highlighting the support he has had from his local Admiral Nurse.
Rachel and her team have recently received an award for their innovative work in the field of pallative dementia care and their work needs our support in the future. Really pleased that we will be donating the proceeds from our concert recital in September to the Admiral Nurses. We need more of Rachel and her colleagues in Warwickshire!
On Friday 9th July we celebrated our 72nd Annual dinner - in grand style with a visit by our very special guest Queen Elizabeth I AKA Lesley Smith, curator of Tutbury castle. In front of the mayor of Rugby Cllr Don Williams, many distinguished guests from all over our region, she gave the most amazing performance as the ghost of QE I. The whole room was spellbound by the story of her father King Henry and his wives and her own facinating story of how she held the throne of England for over 45 years and brought peace and prosperity to England. All told with great wit and humour. We even got a peek under those voluminous skirts (weight of dress - 56 lbs!) and learned more about Elizabethan underwear and hygiene than we'd bargained for! At the end we all got to have our picture taken with her majesty as well. My own favourite was my son Kyle being presented to the "Queen" on bended knee! Oh and I must say that the food was fabulous too - Louis and team at the Masonic rooms did us proud. Above is a picture of QEI and below is a video clip of the Queen in action. 
