Soroptimusings March 2014

Soroptimusings
March 2014
Soroptimist International of Glendale
P.O. Box 826 - Glendale, CA 91209
www.soroptimistglendale.org
Chartered April 16, 1943 - Club # 112411
S.I.G.
“Working to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.”
2013-2014 OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Susan Hunt
818-240-0897
siglendale@soroptimist.net
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Paula Devine
1st VICE PRESIDENT
(Programs)
Carol Ann Burton
Margo Bottcher, Assistant
2nd VICE PRESIDENT
(Fundraising)
Kathy Lefkovits
Lola Abrahamian, Assistant
3rd VICE PRESIDENT
(Membership)
Sandy Doughty
Leila Otey, Assistant
RECORDING SECRETARY
Lola Abrahamian
Mary Lotz, Assistant
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Jill Lewis
Sue Wilder, Assistant
TREASURER
Denise Michele
Gayle Craig, Assistant
2 YEAR DIRECTOR
Kathy Lefkovits
(Vacant), Alternate
1 YEAR DIRECTOR
Margo Bottcher
Mona Marcos, Alternate
IMMEDIATE
PAST PRESIDENT
Gayle Craig
“Women — Our History and Our Future”
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Busy time of year right now!
I went to the clearance rack at Marshalls, and came
away with another 3 sets of jammies for PJ Day…
this time funded by a donation from another friend.
It’s fun to spend other people’s money like this!
AND we’re getting ready for Accolades next month.
We have outstanding women to celebrate – this is a
good time to invite potential members to join us.
They need to see the wonderful things we do so they
can join us in the fun.
AND of course, I’m gathering things together for silent auction items for BFAC.
Remember, each SIG member is responsible for 2 donations. Gift cards for the
Mystery Board are good too. Kathy and her team are working hard to make this
another successful event – but we need all of you on the team. I know her Saturday
meeting drew members who cannot attend in the evening – a great idea!
I’ll be at PJ Day… in my pj’s!
— President Susan
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
January and February brought a flurry of activity as SI
Glendale members gathered canned goods for SIG
Can Help, gathering 10 bags of food and collecting
over $1,000. Members were also busy preparing for
PJ Day as well as our upcoming Accolades Luncheon
in March and signature fundraiser, Bras for a Cause,
coming in April.
Who are SI Glendale members? Well starting with
this issue of Soroptimusings, we will begin a new
feature “Getting to Know You.” Bobbie Brundige will
be the first member profiled. I sat down with her
recently after we finished packaging pajamas for PJ
Day. Learn more about Bobbie on page 4.
Speaking of PJ Day, what a fun event! We get to
wear our pajamas, eat good food, and visit while we
work sorting and packaging pajamas for women and
children in need. Read more about it to the right and
see the photos on page 3
Now we turn our attention to Accolades. The various
chairs for the Ruby Award (Cindy Miller), the Violet
Richardson Award (Jill Lewis) and the Women’s
Opportunity Awards (Miryam Finkelberg) … yes, we
will award two WOAs this year … have been hard at
work with judges to select the winners. Accolades
Chair Janet Hamilton and her committee have been
planning an outstanding awards luncheon, which will
be held Thursday, March 20th at the Embassy Suites
at 11:30 a.m.
Planning for Bras for a Cause has been going on
since at least the Planning Retreat held in August.
This major fundraising event, really our signature
event, takes the participation of every member to help
make it a success.
Kathy Lefkovits and the
fundraising committee will be tapping every resource.
Think about what you can do to help – invite friends
and family, donate items for the auction, apply your
unique talent towards some of the many tasks.
I hope you enjoy this issue
of Soroptimusings!
— Debbie Mallon
March 2014
PJ Day
It was pouring rain as a dozen and a half SIG
members arrived to Janet Hamilton’s house – some
of us in our pajamas as is tradition for our annual PJ
Day held on Saturday, March 1st. Members scurried
in from the rain carrying bag after bag of donated new
jammies for women and children.
Travel-sized
toiletries collected throughout the year – shampoos,
conditioners, lotions, shower gels, soaps, shower
caps, toothbrushes and toothpaste – were also
brought by members to add to the pajama packages
we would put together.
Janet’s home was a welcome refuge with fires going
in the fireplaces and mimosa’s at the ready.
Members brought an array of food for the delicious
brunch that would provide fuel for the work ahead.
The house became a buzz of activity as some
headed off to one room to sort and package the
children’s PJs, others headed off to another room to
organize the pajamas for women, and still others
went to the kitchen to set up the brunch.
Members did not disappoint with the selection of food.
We had everything – bagels and breads, a selection
of salads, casseroles, desserts and a sliced ham. It
is always a pleasure to sit down to a meal in Janet’s
lovely home where she had the main dining table set
as well as some satellite tables to accommodate
everyone. The day was heavy with fog, clouds and
rain, but the mood inside was light and cheery as we
ate and chatted.
When it was all said and done, three hours of work
led to hundreds of pajamas being sorted, labeled and
individually packaged along with the baggies of
toiletries and a sweet card from Soroptimist. At the
end of the party, members carted the packaged and
bagged pajamas off to the requesting agencies –
agencies like Ascencia, Salvation Army, Glendale
YWCA, and the Walter Hoving Home. Our efforts will
help women and children realize that people, people
like Soroptimists, care about them. It warmed our
hearts on a cold, wintry day to think of the smiles and
comfort our donations would bring. See photos from
our very fun PJ Day on page 3.
Page 2
PJ DAY
March 2014
Page 3
Getting to Know You
Bobbie Brundige
by Debbie Mallon
Recently I sat down with SI Glendale member Roberta “Bobbie” Brundige for a chat after packaging pajamas on PJ Day.
Bobbie has been a member of our club since January 2009. Following is what I learned about her.
Bobbie is originally from Colorado. She came west to California in 1963 because Cal Tech had hired her husband. Bobbie is
a widow now, but her husband Maurice was an attorney. He was in the military, then went to law school, and was in the
reserves where he reached the rank of Lt. Colonel in JAG. When he retired from the military, he had 37 years of combined
active and reserve service. Maurice passed away seven years ago, but their marriage brought them 4 children – 2 boys and 2
girls. Bobbie has 4 grandchildren – 2 boys and 2 adopted girls.
Besides raising a family, Bobbie taught reading for 7 years. When the district pulled the funding for the program, she went on
to a State program involving being a liaison between the district and the school. She worked for Georgia McAninch, another
of our beloved Soroptimists. Bobbie took the job working in the business office at the board of education where she worked
on permits for after-hours use of school facilities, including filming permits.
Bobbie and Maurice both retired, bought a truck and travel trailer and spent 14 months on the road. They drove up to
Canada, down the East coast to the Florida Keys and then back up the Southern coast. 2 years later, they took another road
trip to cover the states located in the interior of the U.S. that they had missed on their first trip. They took a third trip to pick up
the state of Alaska and were there all summer. Later, they purchased a Honda Goldwing Touring motorcycle and toured the
western United States and Canada on it. They even flew the bike over to Italy to tour Italy! In Italy they met up with a man
they knew. This man was the son of a WWII Italian General and he really helped them with their exploration of Italy.
After talking about her general background, I asked Bobbie a few questions.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in life? Bobbie said she had learned that being honest and having
respect for other people were important. She said her grandmother probably had an influence on her learning that lesson.
What woman past or present inspires you and why? Bobbie mentioned several women as inspirational to her. First
was Aimee Semple McPherson in her earlier years when she was credited for much work that saved Los Angeles from the
worst effects of the Depression and for her charitable work. Secondly, Bobbie mentioned Eleanor Roosevelt because she
was an “icebreaker” – she stood up and had a voice at a time when it wasn’t that acceptable for women. Barbara Bush also
came to mind. Bobbie said she just loved her because she always said what was on her mind. Last, Bobbie mentioned
Juliette Gordon Lowe, founder of the Girl Scouts in the U.S. Bobbie said she had been involved with Girl Scouts in her youth,
but she has been very involved since one of her daughters expressed that she wanted to be a Girl Scout leader. This same
daughter adopted a girl from China and 10 years later adopted another girl from China. Both girls and their mother are
involved in Girl Scouts. One girl received the highest award available from Girl Scouts – The Gold Award. The other currently
has a goal to sell 500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies this year. She is 10 years old.
What was the happiest moment of your life? Bobbie immediately said that there
had been many wonderful moments in her life, but the happiest moments that really
stood out were when each of her children were born and they were all okay.
What do you do with your time now that you are retired? Bobbie did her
traveling early on in retirement, as we learned earlier. She said she had been
fortunate to have travelled to all 7 continents and to 43 countries. Now she enjoys
belonging to Soroptimist, embroidery, crocheting, reading good books and spending
time with good friends. She also plays bridge.
What does the perfect day look like to you? Bobbie said a perfect day would be
getting up and feeling good, looking forward to seeing a friend or going to the movies
on a sunny day.
What is your favorite Soroptimist event and why? Bobbie quickly replied PJ Day
— the very event where this interview took place. She said she particularly enjoys PJ
Day because it is a lot of fun. You get to look for deals and buy jammies all year long
in anticipation of PJ Day. PJ Day is just a relaxed, fun time to be together while doing
good work to benefit the community.
March 2014
Bobbie Brundige, Chair of Remembrances
Page 4
CALL TO
CONFERENCE
Dump Cake ingredients assembled and ready for dumping!
It couldn’t be easier to make dessert.
DUMP CAKE
Submitted by Debbie Mallon
One of my friends gave me this recipe back in
the 1980s. It is called “Dump Cake” because all
you do is dump the ingredients one on top of the
other and then bake. No mixing!
INGREDIENTS:
1 can of Cherry Pie Filling (approx. 1 lb. can)
1 2 lb. can crushed pineapple
1 box dry yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter or margarine
3 1/2 oz. shredded coconut
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray to grease pan
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 13” x 9” x 2” pan
Line bottom of the greased pan with the
cherry pie filling
Add a layer of the 2 lbs. of crushed pineapple
on top of the cherry pie filling
Sprinkle the whole box of dry yellow cake mix
on top of the layer of pineapple.
Melt the one stick of butter or margarine and
pour over the layer of cake mix.
Spread the 3 1/2 ounces of shredded coconut
over the layer of cake mix.
Put the 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts on top
Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
March 2014
CAMINO REAL REGION
SPRING CONFERENCE
2014
HYATT REGENCY HOTEL VALENCIA
APRIL 25 - 27, 2014
We register as a group for Spring Conference so please
see President Susan’s e-mail dated 2/16/14 to club
members for more information and the registration form.
On Friday night, April 25th, members celebrating 5, 10, 15,
20 and 25+ years of membership will be recognized. SIG
members on that list are: Julie Beers, Margo Bottcher,
Lynda Burlison, Kathy Lefkovits and Sue Wilder! SIG pays
for part of your registration fee, but the costs for food and
room are up to individual members.
Page 5
Program Meeting Presentation:
Women Veteran Issues
The program meeting of February 20th featured speaker Ret. Col. Nancy Sumner on the topic of issues facing
women veterans. First some background on Col. Sumner. Col. Sumner has been a member of the California
National Guard since 1981. She spent 31 years in the military including as the commander of the 146th Medical
Group, 146th Airlift Wing. Her service awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Medal, Aerial Achievement
Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement, Army Achievement
Medal, and various service and overseas campaign medals. Col. Sumner was honored in 2013 by Senator Carol
Liu as one of five “Women of the Year” selected for their outstanding accomplishments in the 25th Senate District.
Col. Sumner relayed that transitioning from the military to civilian is more difficult than people think and this is true
for women veterans as well. She said that being a really good listener is an important trait when dealing with
veterans. She told us that there are 400,000 veterans in Los Angeles County, many of whom need housing, legal
services, employment, education and health care. Indeed, women are the fastest growing population of veterans.
Some of the challenges facing people deployed in the military are things such as sand, dust and wind (the #1
complaint), venomous animals (snakes, bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, centipedes,
and scorpions), and environmental considerations (such as hazardous materials,
hazardous waste, medical waste, wastewater discharge, latrine issues, burn pits,
and the noise from generators). Injury prevention is also a challenge as military are
subject to slips, trips, falls, electrical safety issues, vehicle safety issues and more.
There are many stresses that come to bear on those serving. These stressors are
of different types and intensities, but they can lead to depression. Many times those
in post deployment need to seek counseling. Some of the stressors Col. Sumner
witnessed were the challenges of rooming. Often times there are 9 to 12 people
assigned to share small quarters, sometimes coed. Col. Sumner had pictures to
share of the primitive shower and toilet facilities, including a picture of her using a
washboard to wash her clothes.
Another stressor has to do with children. Col. Sumner said that every day they were losing 3 to 4 children to
sepsis. She relayed, “It impacts you. It changes you.” She said it can become a situation where it is hard to get
close to children because of what the veteran has witnessed. Veterans suffer not only brain injuries and
amputations – the more physical signs of trauma – but they often suffer from “silent” injuries due to these stressors.
Because of that, veterans are forever different. As Col. Sumner put it, “We can neither get the old self back nor
return to a state of innocence.” For instance, many veterans experience hyper vigilance. Col. Sumner said, “You
can never take the warrior out of a veteran.”
Naturally many veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A lot experience “survivor’s guilt.”
However, it is important for veterans to know about the resources available to
them. Col. Sumner said, “There are a lot more resources out there, if you can
get the veteran to them.” She called Glendale a ground breaking City in this
regard. She named Wellness Works, the Glendale Y, Veteran’s Coalition as
some of the resources available. Additionally there is the Red Cross, MIL
Tree, Soldier’s Project and Veteran’s Administration (VA). These resources
are important, especially when one considers the statistic that 1 in 3 women
will experience sexual trauma in the military.
Col. Sumner closed with special note of Women’s Airforce Service Pilots
(WASPs). She said she was honored to recently participate in the 2014 Rose
Parade where she walked alongside the Wingtip to Wingtip Association’s float
entry “Our Eyes Are On The Stars” winner of the National Trophy Award. She
spoke reverently about the women pilots, now in their 80s and 90s that
participated in the parade. She observed, “They went from being pilots to
housewives – talk about a transition.” And they really didn’t get “Thank Yous”
for that service. Col. Sumner called them heroes that should never be
forgotten. In closing, she reminded us to honor our military, our men and
women who are currently serving and those who have served.
March 2014
Ret. Col. Nancy Sumner
Page 6
Soroptimist International of Glendale
15th Annual
Accolades
Live Your Dream
Awards Luncheon
Save the Date!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Hilton Hotel Glendale
Sponsorship Opportunities
Diamond $5,000
Full-page color ad on back or inside front cover
(3 available)
10 tickets to event (full table with champagne)
Women —
Our History and Our Future
Corporate logo and link to your website on our
website for one year
Recognition from the podium at the event
Emerald $3,000
Thursday, March 20th
2014
11:30 a.m.
Full-page ad in program
8 tickets to event
Corporate logo and link to your website on our
website for one year
Recognition from the podium at the event
Ruby $1,500
Half-page ad in program
4 tickets to event
The Embassy Suites Hotel
Recognition from the podium
800 North Central Avenue
Sapphire $750
Glendale, California
Quarter-page ad in program
2 tickets to event
Recognition from the podium at event
Pearl $500
1 business card-sized advertisement
2 tickets to event
March 2014
Page 7
Get Inspired
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Decorate a bra for Bras for a Cause
MARCH:
1 - PJ Day at Janet Hamilton’s House
3 - Ascencia Guest Chef Program
Ascencia at 5:30 p.m.
6 - Business Meeting
Clancy’s Crab Broiler at 12:00 p.m.
12 - Service Committee Meeting
Home of Sandy Schultz at 6:00 p.m.
13 - Fundraising Committee Meeting
Glendale Police Dept. at 6:00 p.m.
20 - Accolades Luncheon
Embassy Suites at 11:30 a.m.
27 - Board Meeting
Glendale Unified School District at 6:00 p.m.
APRIL:
3 - Business Meeting
Clancy’s Crab Broiler at 12:00 p.m.
5 - Bras for a Cause
Hilton Hotel (all day for members)
7 - Ascencia Guest Chef Program
Ascencia at 5:30 p.m.
9 - Service Committee Meeting
Home of Sandy Schultz at 6:00 p.m.
10 - Fundraising Committee Meeting
Glendale Police Dept. at 6:00 p.m.
16 - SIG’s 71st Birthday
17 - Program Meeting
Clancy’s Crab Broiler at 12:00 p.m.
24 - Board Meeting
Glendale Unified School District at 6:00 p.m.
25—27 - Spring Conference
Hyatt Regency, Valencia
SI GLENDALE
Membership Meetings
1st and 3rd Thursdays
12:00 noon
Clancy’s Crab Broiler
219 N. Central Ave., Glendale, CA
(free parking in rear)
R.S.V.P.
Mary Lotz
818-863-1326
mlotz@glenoaksescrow.com
March 2014
Soroptimusings
Editor
Debbie Mallon
661-254-8482
AhwahneeDM@aol.com
Assistant Editor
Julie G. Beers
JGBeers@aol.com
Publication Schedule
September; November;
January; March; May.
Printed on recycled paper
For further information
about Soroptimist go to:
Soroptimist International of Glendale:
www.soroptimistglendale.org
Camino Real Region:
www.caminorealregion.org
Soroptimist International of
the Americas:
www.soroptimist.org
Soroptimist International:
www.soroptimistinternational.org
Page 8