August State Meeting Details Confirmed

BPW Travels Ohio in 2008. Look for a board meeting coming to a location near your local. Our first state meeting of the year will be held on August 2, 2008 at Lakeside, Ohio. The Lakeside Hotel is a historic hotel. This meeting is open to all members. However, there will be a board meeting (one hour) as required under our organizational structure. Thus, all board members are required to attend. However, the meeting is open to all and all are invited. After the board meeting, we will try to finish our long range planning process. This is each member's opportunity to comment directly on their vision for the future of BPW. We will also have a Suffragette's Luncheon Tea. A few of your favorite suffragettes will pay tribute to their important role in the lives of women. We will also pay tribute to the Past State Presidents for their important role in the life of BPW.

While I recognize that this will involve more travelling for some but I think you will enjoy it. I'll be posting more information on the hotel and how to make reservations in the near future.

Region Meetings are Scheduled

At this point, I think all of the region meetings are at least tentatively scheduled. I will be visiting Region 3 first next weekend. LG, Recording Secretary, will also be travelling with me. I am very excited to get to work on two things at the region level: (1) feedback regarding long range planning and (2) presentation of the 08-09 membership, legislative and issues management platforms. The membership, legislation and issues management chairs have been working very hard to put together a solid, fun, practical, platform for 08-09. I think you will enjoy receiving all of the information.

I would note that I have received very few local and region officer forms. I have maybe a half dozen local forms. The directory needs to be completed and published by the August meeting. In order to accomplish this, we need the information.

I would also ask that you forward to me the name of your local YC chair and ID chair for forwarding to the BPW/OH chairs so that they can provide important information to the local organizations.

Lastly, the BPW/OH fundraiser is a cookbook this year. Details are attached. Please help with this project as it is the one and only fundraiser that I will do this year. Proceeds go to BPW/OH and help defray our costs. I think this is going to be a fun project and I hope you will participate.

Beginning the Journey

For the past week, I have been trying to get my BPW President bearings. I could spend a good 20 hours a day on BPW. Actually, I would love to be able to do that. I am enjoying this as much as I thought I would. But before my staff and clients go on strike in front of my office, I must make some compromises regarding my TIME. I have set aside 3 hours on each Monday morning for the summer to work on BPW things. I will also be working almost daily on BPW as my schedule permits but this is the definite period I have set aside. I check my email daily unless I am in court or out of town. I try to on these days as well either from hotels or my phone but I may not have a chance to respond. Please place bpw in your email header. This will help me distinguish between work and BPW. If I do not get back to you right away, I will respond during the Monday time period. If you would like to call me regarding BPW matters, Monday morning would be a good time as well.

For the last week, LM (I will be using initials for internet purposes/feel free to do this in your posts as well) has been working diligently on rolling out an Issues Management campaign that is going to be great. Also, PR is working on a Membership campaign that will be challenging but she has faith in us.

On my front, I have already made a great contact at the Ohio National Guard. She has good comments about BPW's leadership role with the Women Joining Forces campaign. I hope to be able to collaborate with her on some other things in the next year which I will pass on as soon as more details are available. I saw a special last night on national tv on 3 sisters that have joined the Ohio National Guard - does anyone know them?

Please look for your electronic Insider soon. It will be out within the next week. If you would like to receive it and you do not, please let me know. Also, the OBW will be out in July as well.

BPW Ohio 08 Travels Back to the Future

BPW Ohio is going Back to the Future this year. We are starting with a look back at the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement will hopefully inspire us to Get Out The Vote this year. Also, as we look forward in the political arena over the next few months, I hope we will also be inspired to move the long range planning of BPW Ohio forward.