PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Happy October WCO Members!

I've had a very busy month getting delivery people going

to every school in Thurston County to delivery Weekend

food bags to each school that the Food Bank doesn't cover.

A big Thank you to all those who helped make that

happen.

September 26th from 4 to 7 pm, Homeless Back Packs is having an Open

House to have everyone see our new facility. It's inside the Columbia Bank

Building, 665 Woodland Square Loop SE in Lacey. Please come join us, to see

what we do! Costco is donating refreshments so we love to share!

It's been 8 days since my Stem Cell injections into my knees and while I'm

doing pretty well, I need to pace myself. I wanted to go to the Grand Opening

of the "Ahead of the Curve" exhibit yesterday but I didn't think my knees could

take the Capital stairs but I will get together a field trip to see this exhibit on

Women's Suffrage.

My flowers are loving all the rain, and I'm finally feeling like I'll get to garden

again soon so don't forget to turn in your gardening hours, HBP visiting hours,

and the hours to the Women's history and continue to be my "Keys to Success".

Sincerely, Your President, Linda Wolfe

FALL MEETING OF

GFWC PENINSULA DISTRICT

AT ABIGAIL STUART HOUSE

WCO Members....... It is our turn (out of 8 clubs) to

host the Peninsula District Meeting on October 26th from 9:30 to 2:30. We

could be hosting anywhere from 30 to 50 guests. The reservations sent out by

the Peninsula District President, Kim Skagen, will give us an accurate number

to plan on!

Our club provides breakfast snacks (rolls, quick breads, fruit, coffee and tea)

and the lunch $14 + $1 for registration. We also choose the speaker, and the

Charity for the day's donation. This time it will be Socks for the Little Red

School House, and all 8 clubs will be donating socks for our charity. There

will be shopping, a book sale and flower bouquets for sale by Dianna Davis.

PLANNER

NEXT MEETINGS

October 1, 2019 at NOON

Program: Thurston County

Auditor’s Office - Voting

$10 Fundraising Lunch

Committee: Denise Laflamme,

Anita Quintana, Shirley Atwater

October 9, 2019

Evening Meeting (7:00 pm.)

October 15, 2019

Board Meeting (10:30 a.m.)

Contact Us:

The Woman’s Club of Olympia

1002 Washington Street SE

Olympia, Washington 98501-1352

(360) 753-9921

www.womansclubofolympia.org

Search Facebook for: Abigail Stuart House-Woman's Club of Olympia

Newsletter Editor: Sandra Groves sandragroves10@gmail.com

The Woman’s Club of Olympia

JOURNAL October 2019 Issue

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 2 of 8

We will need many helpers/hostesses so please come join us. I will have a sign -up sheet at the October 1st meeting.

If you have never been to a Peninsula District Meeting, the Key Stone Club pays the $14 lunch fee for you. First

timers only pay the $1 registration fee.

If you have any questions, or want to help us, please give me a call.

Thank you for supporting me and making our club look great by attending and working at this event!

Let's make it memorable! Your President, Linda Wolfe

NEW MEMBER JOINS WCO

Membership Chairperson, Ann Finn (right) initiated new member Susan Kibby at

the September meeting. We welcome Susan to WCO and know she will find her

membership fulfilling.

HANDS ON PROJECT SPURS TEAMWORK AND CONVERSATION

The hands on project at our September meeting was designed to help members engage with each other and promote

teamwork in preparing a story board about what the Woman’s Club means to them. Magazines, scissors, glue sticks,

pens, and imagination was all it took to have our members talking, laughing, and making works of art. This idea

came from the LEADS classes held in Austin, Texas at the International Convention of GFWC and it proved to fulfil

its purpose as seen in the photos below!

PENINSULA DISTRICT NOMINATIONS – Mary Siddell

WCO is proud to endorse two of our members for Board positions for GFWC Peninsula District. Sandra

Groves is nominated for Secretary and Linda Wolfe is nominated for Vice President. We will be well

represented at Peninsula District meetings.

HOUSE REPORT – Mary Siddell

We are on the verge of beginning our grant projects. Once we are reimbursed for our kitchen remodel, we will have

funds to start the next projects. We have two years to use these funds. Our House committee members include Mary

Siddell, Linda Wolfe, Sandra Groves, Pat Keith, Sandy Peltola, Luellen Charneski, Margo Anderson and Anita

Quintana. Since the fall is a very busy time for clubhouse use, we will delay starting the major projects until

January, giving us time to organize our plans for proceeding on this exciting adventure.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 3 of 8

We have two potlucks and two fundraising luncheons scheduled this year. Michelle Robinson, our custodian, has

agreed to wash our dishes following these occasions. What a help! Hostesses who work on these luncheons will be

able to participate in the meetings without worrying about cleanup. Thank you, Michelle.

Security to our building is of upmost importance. Please make sure you lock up the building completely, double

checking after each use. The front door has been left unlocked twice in the past month. Just a reminder, when you

use the clubhouse, please leave it as it was when you arrived. That way, it is ready for the next gathering or tour of

future renters. Thank you for your help with this.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"September is dressing herself in showy dahlias and splendid

marigolds and starry zinnias. October, the extravagant sister,

has ordered an immense amount of the most gorgeous forest

tapestry for her grand reception." — Oliver Wendell Holmes

DO NOT FORGET ABOUT OUR

UPCOMING HOLIDAY BAZAAR!!

WE ARE FILLING UP WITH

VENDORS AND LOOK FORWARD

TO ANOTHER FUN EXPERIENCE

WITH OUR WONDERFUL

BAKED GOODS AND WHITE

ELEPHANT ITEMS.

YOU WILL BE ASKED TO SIGN UP

AS AN ELF AT THE OCTOBER

MEETING.

EDUCATION REPORT – Mary Siddell

As a club, we support all volunteer activities working with children, especially in a learning environment. If you volunteer

in classrooms, work with teachers or teach youth in general, we encourage you to report these hours. If you teach or attend

any classes for adults, we support these activities, as well. Together, we make a difference. Please continue to save Labels

for Education and bring them to our General Meetings. Schools receive 10 cents per label and are able to use these funds

for projects specific to their school needs.

The ESO bookclub will meet on Monday, September 23, at 1:30 at the clubhouse. All are welcome. Recently, the Evening

Group read The Priority List by David Menasche, a very moving book written by a dedicated teacher who was battling

cancer. David traveled over 8,000 miles to meet former students and discover how their lives have developed since he

knew them in high school. It is a book worth reading. We will place a copy in the lending library for you to enjoy.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 4 of 8

INTERNATIONAL GRAND INITIATIVES REPORT

International President Mary Ellen Brock started her two year term of office with a goal of achieving 7 Grand Initiatives

during her term. Those included the following:

1. 1,000 projects to be done for Martin Luther King Day of Service. With only 1 year into her administration, 789

projects are already reported.

2. 1,000 projects would be done for Women in the Military. After 1 year, 799 projects are completed.

3. 1,000 members donate $1,000 to the Capital Account for GFWC and become members of the Million Dollar Club.

After 1 year, 99 members have donated $1,000.

4. 2,500 members join the Legislative Action Center through the GFWC website. To date, 1,594 members have joined.

5. That 20,000 trees be planted on Federation and Arbor Days. After only one year, 17,811 trees have been planted.

6. 40,000 pairs of shoes be donated to Soles4Souls and Nike Reuse-a-Shoe program. To date, 36,763 pairs of shoes have

been donated.

7. 55,000 Dr. Seuss books be donated with 500 going to local city schools and day care centers and 500 going to DC

schools and day care. To date, 509,716 Dr. Seuss books have been donated. Stacked up, they would be taller than the

Empire State Building in New York City!

SEE WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AS A GROUP

WHEN WE JOIN TOGETHER ACROSS THE COUNTRY!!!

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

The meeting was called to order at 12:05 by President Linda Wolfe followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a group

reading of the Collect. Guests were introduced: Linda Bishop and Alyssa Wiseman

INITIATION:

Susan Kibby was initiated by Ann Finn. Together, they read the Club Obligation and Susan received a rose and a GFWC

pin. Susan signed the membership book and we all greeted her, welcoming her to WCO.

PROGRAM: Sandra Groves

Our program today was a project organized by Sandra. We chose pictures and words from magazines that represent what

WCO means to us. Each table made a story board and presented it to the group.

MINUTES

The minutes from the June 4, 2019 General Meeting were approved.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Priscilla Quinton

Denise Laflamme and Dianne Weaver were nominated to our scholarship committee. Priscilla read notes sent to us by

former scholarship recipients.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 5 of 8

TREASURER’S REPORT: Dianne Weaver and Heather Avery

Dianne Weaver and Heather Avery work together on the financial reports. Heather gave us the Profit and Loss report for

June and July, 2019 and the Balance Sheet as of August 27, 2019. Rentals have been very quiet this summer. A good

goal for this year would be to increase rentals of the Abigail Stuart House. The Treasurer’s Report was approved for

audit.

MEMBERSHIP: Sandra Groves

Yearbooks and Membership packets were given to all members present at this meeting. The pages with members Q – S

were left out. This includes Anita Quintana, Mary Siddell, Dody Saeger and Priscilla Quinton. We have 32 members.

GRANT: Sandra Groves

We have a signed contract at the Department of Commerce. We are ready to begin our House projects as part of our

grant. The first step is to submit all the kitchen receipts for reimbursement. This $30,000 will be used for new projects.

WCO must pay the contractors, submit cancelled checks for reimbursement, and with that money in hand, new projects

can begin.

HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Sandra Groves

Our Holiday Bazaar will be held on November 9, 2019 from 9 to 4. 15 vendors have signed up to participate. Next

month at the General Meeting, Sandra will ask for volunteers. Please consider helping make this important fundraiser a

success.

PUBLICITY: Sandra Groves

Sandra publishes our WCO newsletter. Please send committee notes for the newsletter by the end of the third week of the

month. Sandra also encourages us to submit dates for other clubs or community events that are connected with our goals,

such as Homeless Backpacks, Arts events, Children’s Hospital fundraisers, Friendly Waters, Lectures, garden cleanups,

Homeless supports, etc.

BLANKET COLLECTION: Linda Wolfe

Children’s Hospital had a shortfall of 10,000 blankets this year. They give cozy blankets to children who are in trauma.

Please consider making or purchasing blankets for this important cause.

MEMBER RECOGNITION:

Sandra Groves recognized Linda Wolfe for her 26 years of membership and service to WCO. Linda presented Sandra

with a flower bouquet for her amazing work on our grant.

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE: Carol Valley

We will be collecting socks this year for the Little Red Schoolhouse distribution day in August. Our goal will be 500

pairs. The Evening Group is contributing and the Peninsula clubs will be invited to bring socks to the district meeting in

October.

REMEMBRANCE: Dody Saeger

Dody sent cards to Sandy Peltola and Frances Hanna over the summer. Please call Dody with names of folks who are

facing trauma or sadness so we can support them.

HOMELESS BACKPACKS:

We contribute our support to Homeless Backpacks by packing the food items in the backpacks and distributing them to

the schools. Linda Wolfe is the delivery coordinator. Members of WCO are asked to pack foods on the first Wednesday

of every month from 1-3 at the new headquarters. Our next packing meeting is October 2nd. The new location for HBP is

Columbia Bank. 665 Woodland Square Loop, by Seamar, the DMV, Ricardos off of College St. This building is

unlocked from 9 – 5. Homeless Backpacks will be holding an auction on October 5. All are welcome.

LIBRARIAN: Luellen Charneski

Shana Stevenson was recently looking for photos of our founding members. The pictures on our walls are not labeled.

Luellen would like to add nameplates. These original photos need to be digitized and the originals sent to the state

archives. WCO was started in 1883. We bought our clubhouse for $6,000 by selling bonds and holding fundraisers.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 6 of 8

PROGRAMS: Priscilla Quinton

At our October General Meeting, auditors will talk to us about the importance of voting. At our November meeting, the

new captain and his wife from The Salvation Army will speak to us about their homeless projects. Please bring pajamas

to support this cause. We will present the speakers with our collection at this meeting.

ART: Anita Quintana

WCO will hold an art contest this year for all Thurston County high school students.

EDUCATION: Mary Siddell

The ESO Book Club will be held at 1:30 on Sept. 16 at the Abigail Stuart House. All are welcome. Remember to collect

Labels for Education.

HOUSE COMMITTEE: Mary Siddell

The new house committee includes Mary Siddell, Pat Keith, Luellen Charneski, Linda Wolfe, Sandra Groves, Sandy

Peltola, Margo Anderson, Anita Quintana.

TEA COMMITTEE: Sandy Peltola

Thank you to Margo Anderson, Janet Lewis and Sandy Peltola for a lovely tea today. Next moth Denise Laflamme, Anita

Quintana and Shirley Atwood will host a fundraiser luncheon. Donation: $10.00.

GFWC PENINSULA DISTRICT MEETING: Linda Wolfe

The Peninsula District Fall General Meeting will be held at our clubhouse on October 26 from 9 – 3. Please consider

attending and participating in the organization of this meeting. We will need greeters, baked goods, luncheon and clean-

up workers. The GFWC-WS Board Meeting will meet held in Yakima on September 27 – 29. Would someone be willing

to fill a purple purse with women’s necessities for one of their causes? All are welcome to attend.

The 50/50 Raffle winner was Betty Brinkman. $32.00 went into the club treasury

Next General Meeting will be held on October 1, 2019 at 12:00. It is a luncheon fundraiser.

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 23 ESO Book club, 1:30 at the clubhouse

September 27 – 29 GFWC-WS Board Meeting in Yakima

October 2 Homeless Backpacks at Columbia Bank from 1 – 3

October 5 Homeless Backpacks auction

October 26 Peninsula District Meeting hosted by WCO at our clubhouse

ITEMS WE COLLECT

Box Tops for Education; aluminum pull tabs; diapers, wipes and purple hats for the Family Education and Support

Services; Socks for Little Red School House; Food for the Thurston County Food Bank; books for our lending library,

pajamas for Salvation Army, Blankets for Children’s Hospital

The meeting was adjourned at 2:00.

Submitted by Mary Siddell, Secretary

PLEASE BRING A WRITTEN DOWN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE WCO TO DO OR HOW YOU THINK WE CAN IMPROVE WHAT WE DO. THE FIRST PERSON TO PROVIDE THIS TO SANDRA GROVES AT THE OCTOBER

MEETING WILL RECEIVE A SPECIAL SURPRISE.

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 7 of 8

NEW TABLES AND CHAIRS The Woman’s Club of Olympia has ordered new round 72” tables – lighter ones than those heavy and cumbersome

ones we now use at our meetings. We have also ordered new chairs to replace the maroon chairs in the main room.

The new ones will be lighter and easier to clean and come with racks for easy storage and moving around. The next

project will be to order new rectangle tables to replace the old heavy wood and metal tables now stored in the

basement. The old tables are too heavy to move up and down the stairs for bazaars and other events or fundraisers.

The money for these tables and chairs will be reimbursed from the grant funds from the legislature.

UPCOMING PROJECTS FOR THE GRANT FUNDS

Our grant funds are now available and we have a signed contract from the Department of Commerce. Sandra Groves has been

working with the project manager assigned to our grant in order to complete the paperwork required to access the funds. The

following is a list of the projects identified by the committee that we will be undertaking over the next two years.

Kitchen $30,500.00

Interior Projects $20,000.00

Electrical Upgrade $15,000.00

Let in Light Project $52,500.00

Floor Refinishing $17,000.00

Parking Lot $15,000.00

Painting Interior $25,000.00

Emergency Stairwell $20,000.00

Access to 2nd Floor $50,000.00

TOTAL $245,000.00

The kitchen is finished and the funds we have expended

will be reimbursed within the next month. The other

projects are being prioritized by committee and the

amounts noted have been rounded up from our actual

estimates and quotes to allow for cost overages and

unforeseen circumstances. We added excess funding to

the Interior Projects to allow for additional items we may

want to look at (i.e. air conditioning downstairs, etc.).

The Committee spent considerable time identifying items

needed to be accomplished and adding in items we could

only have dreamed of without the funds available (i.e.

elevator to the second floor).

The next project will be the “Let in the Light Project” where we intend to remove the cabinets to uncover the

windows in the main room and install new cabinetry and a buffet with electrical outlets for food service needs. This

project can be started after the November 9th bazaar and after we meet with the contractor to determine specifics. We

are very excited about beginning.

Below are before and after pictures of the kitchen project: Wow! What a difference!

THE WOMAN’S CLUB OF OLYMPIA REPORTER October 2019 Page 8 of 8

2019 Woman's Club of Olympia Member Name

Community Service Volunteer Hours and Contributions Enter your total hours and contributions. We will report these projects to the State GFWC. Bring this form to the monthly meeting, email to msiddell@comcast.net or mail to Mary Siddell, 7723 Cooper Point Rd. NW, Olympia WA 98502.

PROJECT NOTES VOLUNTEER HOURS

DOLLARS DONATED

IN KIND DONATIONS

ARTS Attended concerts or plays Arts Walk

CONSERVATION Federation Forest Recycling Gardening

EDUCATION Scholarship Program Attended Classes Little Red Schoolhouse Volunteer with kids Labels for Education Homeless Backpacks ESO or Reading Teach Classes

GFWC SIGNATURE PROJECT

Domestic violence awareness and prevention

Period of Purple Crying (purple hats) Relay for Life

HOME LIFE Food Bank

Baby Layettes and Blankets; diapers

Exercise

PUBLIC ISSUES Fisher House Preservation of Abigail Stuart House

MEMBERSHIP Yearbook Tea Initiation

FUNDRAISING Holiday Bazaar

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Friendly Waters for the World

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

WOMEN’S HISTORY

LEADERSHIP