Janet Miller Steury is chairman of the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship.

Special note: This is a part of a P.E.O. series to radiate light during this unprecedented time. New content is posted every Sunday

on the P.E.O International Facebook page.

WISDOM CAN BE FOUND IN MANY PLACES INCLUDING A PIECE OF RED, FOIL-WRAPPED DARK CHOCOLATE – “DON’T TALK ABOUT IT BUT JUST BE ABOUT IT.”

This “wisdom” came to me while reading a book from the Missouri State Chapter historian’s collection. Toward the end of the book, mention was made of a sister in Chapter DW, Nevada, Missouri, who sponsored a woman in her late 70s for membership. After her initiation in March of 1926, the new sister was very interested in the educational purpose of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. At a chapter program in November, she learned of the extent of the Sisterhood’s purpose in their aid to girls who needed education.

The new sister was Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard, and her story was told by Helen DeRusha Troesch, Ph.D., a professor of drama and speech at Cottey College for Women, Nevada, Missouri. The Life of Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard was copyrighted in 1955 by the P.E.O. Sisterhood and is a wonderful read.

I doubt the sister in Chapter DW had any idea of the far-reaching effects her new sister would have on the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Each of us has the same opportunity as we reach out to bring new sisters into our chapters.

As we consider the meaning of the theme for this biennium: Build Your Legacy, Make History, remember the future of our organization rests in our hands. Now is our time “to just be about it.” Are there names to be presented for membership?

GO FORWARD … MAKE HISTORY. IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME.

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