Slide 1: Convention of International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood took place in Indianapolis October 14 -17, 2015. The Hoosier state rolled out their red carpet and hospitality. Slide 2: Most of our delegation stayed at the JW Marriott. The Indianapolis Convention Center was adjacent - and welcomed us with their big neon sign! Slide 3: There were airport greeters, street signs and many Indiana sisters welcoming us. Slide 4: After our state dinner, we started early the next morning with workshops on Membership, the Amendments to be voted on and the finances of the sisterhood. The information we gained was informative and interesting. As you can see from the chart, for the last ten years there have been a significant decrease annually. Make sure your chapter uses the Membership tools on the International website to help your chapter continue to be healthy and grow. Cottey presented a very informative slide showing percentages of sources for the income. The vast majority of the operating capital comes from tuition and investment income. P.E.O.s only contribute 4% of the revenue. Slide 5: Optional Seminars were offered on everything including Abraham Lincoln’s family, Leadership, Social Media and the Indianapolis 500. One speaker was Josh Biell a veteran who was an inspiration to all of us motivating us to keep a positive attitude. Jane Pauley the TV commentator and writer from Indianapolis, discussed how women influence others even when they are not aware of it. Jane invited us all to “see yourself in positive and powerful new ways into the future.” She wants us to reimagine and reinvent ourselves as we gain experiences, grow and change. Slide 6: It was great to see sisters from all over North America! Slide 7: Opening Night festivities started with the parade of flags and then we got to hear from some wonderful Project recipients. Did you watch the streaming? It’s available on the International website and worth a look! Slide 8: And speaking of our Projects, they were all well represented. There were fabulous displays for each one, as well as for membership and electronic media. Slide 9: Convention convened with a final tally of 1477 voting delegates, 838 out of state visitors, 850 in state visitors and volunteers and 308 BILs. Alaska formed Chapter R during the last biennium and was presented their charter. International Organizer Brenda Atchison announced plans for Alaska to form a state chapter leaving on Hawaii as the only state in subordinate status. All officers moved up and the new board member is Cathy Moss a PSP from Texas Beth Ledbetter from Tennessee was installed as our new President. Beth will preside at the convention in Charlotte. In her remarks, she said that we all need to take a break from all our hard work. We need to realize that we are “Becoming what we are to become” and need to revel in that prospect. Beth has a great sense of humor and is going to lead our sisterhood in a positive direction.
Slide 10: We represented South Carolina well. It is so awe inspiring to sing the Opening Ode with 1500 of your closest sisters! We learned that there is now an option to accept credit or debit cards for dues and fundraising paid to International. Other streamlining included the option to now use a printable template for Membership Cards used by the Treasurer each year when they collect the dues. International has listened when members commented that the Annual Report of the Treasurer was complicated and they are working on refining those forms. Slide 11: Look at all of us paying really good attention! PEO has introduced some new leadership tools on the International website. The redesigned International website should allow additional useful information for all members. The leadership tools were developed originally for State officers but they are now offering these to all members to develop future leaders both inside of the chapter and beyond. Also introduced is a section of the website called “My PEO Connect.” This new tool will allow each member to sign up like you do on Facebook and connect with other sisters in your chapter, in your state and across the US. It will offer helpful links to officer forms for chapter officers and membership information for local chapters as well as serve as a message board for chapters and their meetings, loving concern and announcements. To sign up, you will need your PEO Membership ID number to use as your User Name (found on the back of your Record) and your password will be your chapter letters and state. Once you log in, you can and should change your password. P.E.O. has carefully introduced some new media streams for P.E.O.’s and are now on Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In. In the next year they plan to start using Instagram and Pintrest. This might make a good program for a tech savvy person in your chapter to do an introduction to all the new information and websites available on the web for P.E.Os. Did you know that the Project Night program was live streamed on the internet? International promises to do more of this type of thing and encourages chapters and groups of women to get together to watch. This could also be an event to bring prospective members so they could see the bigger picture of P.E.O. Slide 12: All the Amendments proposed at International passed with the exception of two. The Amendment to change the word designating chapters not included into a state chapter from “subordinate” to “affiliated” did not pass because members felt that the word affiliated was already used in P.E.O. and it would be confusing. The other amendment not passing concerned sending minutes via the internet. It is not allowed because security is a concern. All amendments take effect at the end of convention, but information about implementation will be included in the next Record and sent to the chapter Presidents in the winter mailing. Slide 13: The South Carolina delegation listened to the new Cottey President detail her plans for a wonderful future for Cottey. Dr. Jan Weitzel is a 25 year member of P.E.O. and so she totally understands the mission of P.E.O. and is 100% in support of our educational endeavors. She is very enthusiastic about Cottey and the strides forward that it is making under the outstanding faculty on campus. The Defining Moment Campaign reached and exceeded the goal. It raised $40.4 Million. The Fine Arts Building was constructed and dedicated and is totally debt free. Also discussed was the continuing decline of membership.
Slide 14: There are many things that happen at convention. In an effort to encourage unaffiliates throughout the US to find a new home chapter, the Membership Committee had listings of thousands of Unaffiliated members and before the end of convention, over 2000 were called. Slide 15: Indianapolis rolled out the red carpet and had some wonderful “Kodak” moments for us. The project displays all had race car themes and several of them had news for us. The STAR Scholarship has new dates for the Chapter recommendation and the applicant will have to complete their portion in just 30 days. Please review the new guidelines on the International website so your applicant may be awarded the scholarship. PCE has included all their new information in the September/October Record. Elf has changed their catagories. ELF used to have two loans available – undergraduate and graduate amounts. Now there is a third category. Associate and Undergraduates are still eligible to apply for a loan up to $12,000. Masters Degree candidates may apply for up to $15,000 and Doctoral degree candidates may apply for up to $20,000. There is now 8 years payback on the $15,000 and 10 years to payback for loans over $15,000. And loan repayment begins 6 months after graduation and the interest remains at 2%. Please make sure the chairman reads all the new information so you can offer these terms to new candidates. None of these terms are retroactive. Slide 16: There were celebrities from Indiana and they were more than willing to pose for a photo op. Both of these characters were written by Indiana authors. Slide 17: PEOs enjoyed shopping for all the fun things that were offered in Indiana store. There will be an on line store starting in early 2016 to help finance the Charlotte convention. Watch for the links and information so you can get your favorite P.E.O./Carolina item. Slide 18: International announced that plans are underway for a 150 year celebration to culminate at the 2019 convention in Iowa. They have designed a logo and are planning to use the Iowa convention to take us all back to our roots. The celebration will kick off in Charlotte and climax in 2019. Watch for all the history and pageantry to be disseminated over the next few years. Slide 19: Last but certainly not least, the Carolinas invited the P.E.O. sisterhood to join us in Charlotte for the next convention in 2017. Our skit included Carolina belles, hoop skirts and the song “Carolina in the Morning” If you have the opportunity, check out the 2017 website because the entire skit will be posted when we get the copy from International. You’re sure to enjoy the humor and songs. Slide 20: Please remember that this year Indiana said they used around 900 volunteers before and during convention. There are only about 1500 members in South Carolina. We need you to use your time and talents. Please go to the International website and sign up even if you want to be an airport greeter and nothing else. We need to know we have your support and cooperation!
Recommend
More recommend
