Bee the Dream

It has been such an honor and a privilege to be Founder Region Governor these past two years. Together we all helped to “Bee the Dream!” for ourselves and the women and girls we have supported this biennium.

When I began my biennium two years ago, a past governor told me to enjoy every minute of it because it will go by so quickly. I HAVE really enjoyed it and the past two years have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined.

After two years of Covid virtual meetings, I wanted as many in-person meetings as we could manage. I encouraged the board to hold their PRTs in-person, although some went hybrid and some continued-on Zoom. We gathered together again for District Meetings and I only had to cover one Zoom Leadership Training. We traveled to Guam, which was a wonderful experience and the District V clubs were so gracious in making sure we had a wonderful time. It was important to me to have our members return to the fun and fellowship that can only be had by being together.

Our clubs returned to regular meetings, community fundraisers, and in-person awards programs. I could only attend a few of these gatherings, but when I did, it was clear that our members had missed being together. And I always appreciated your invitations to your events.

I am very proud of the work the Founder Region clubs have accomplished in these past two years. The message got through that we needed to give more Live Year Dream awards than we had in the past, and we did increase those awards during the biennium. Dream It, Be It events continued, we had an increase in the number of “S” Clubs, and reporting on Big Goal Accelerator projects increased.

The success in Founder Region takes effort from all. You are all awesome Founder Region!!
As my biennium winds down, I wish to personally thank many who have made it memorable for me. First, I wish to thank my team, the 2022-2024 board.

Director Lenore – Your laughter is infectious. You always have wonderful ideas and you’ve been dedicated to your clubs. I thank you for working so hard for the clubs in District I.
Director Jackie – When you are asked to do something, you are immediately “on it!” It’s as though you know in advance what I would ask you to do because you are like “no sooner said, than done!” You are clever and creative and come up with amazing ideas.

Director Colleen – You led the district with the most clubs spread over the largest geographical area. What a feat! You have had a great rapport with your clubs and always responded quickly when asked to get things from them.

Director Elaine – What a great carpool buddy you have been. We would get in the car and you would begin telling me all these wonderful ideas you had from fundraising, to membership, to increasing public awareness. Technology was a bit of a challenge, but you managed to make hybrid PRTs work really well and the presidents were appreciative.
Director Teri – You seem to be the quiet one, but you really have a wonderful relationship with the clubs in your district. And more than Colleen, I guess your district really does cover a larger geographical area. Because of this, you are not able to personally visit all your clubs, but you are always in communication with them.

Treasurer Tess - Thank you for all your hard work to ensure the finances and membership numbers of the region were accurate.  Since I have been in your position, I really appreciate all that you have done to keep the region finances on track. And you were always willing to take on additional projects, like the cybercrime presentations at District Meetings and the region fundraising sales tables - who else would haul that stuff all over? Your energy is amazing!

Secretary Kristal – You have been a really amazing secretary. Your attention to details, deadlines, and your proofreading skills have always been “right on!” Whenever I questioned a decision made by the board, you had the answers at your fingertips. You were such a vital part of the team.

Governor-elect Elise –Your experience as District Director was really helpful in my understanding of how to interact with the clubs. You have always been supportive of my ideas and were there when I needed someone to talk to.

Thank you to Parliamentarian Sylvia for your guidance on all things bylaws and procedures. I was honored to have your expertise as past governor and parliamentarian. You were always there with answers when I needed your assistance.

To my region committee chairs –Debbie, Bev, Sheila, Linda, Joy, Dyann, Debbie, and Debbie (yes, there are three Debbie’s)- Pillar Chairs Lyn, Gina, Elise, and Kris, you were all instrumental in the success of the business of the region. I thank you all for your commitment to Soroptimist and for your invaluable leadership this biennium.

Conference Coordinator Dona – I am so grateful for your guidance and organization. You kept me on top of things so this conference (and last year’s as well) could flow smoothly. You were instrumental in organizing all the people necessary to keep the events running seamlessly.

Thank you Past Governor/President  Kris for your leadership, mentorship, and supportiveness. You were a wonderful teacher, and continued to guide me when I needed help with technical issues. You are an absolute treasure! To you, I will be forever grateful and in you I have a friendship that is endless. Your commitment to the region and the organization is truly inspiring.

As I say farewell as Region Governor at the end of this month, I want you to always remember, we can all Bee anything! We can Bee Kind, Bee Helpful, Bee Courageous, you can fill in the blank with just about any positive word. Just continue to “Bee the Dream!”.

Thank you!