Welcome to BPW 2021-2022

 "Never Stop Dreaming"

Greetings, Sisters. This month is National Volunteer Appreciation Month! It has been my goal since my very first day as president, to make sure each and every member feels valued and appreciated. Each of you brings a unique and special quality to our organization, and I hope that you genuinely feel  the appreciation and the affection I have for each of you serving in your own way!  Even those who are unable to attend meetings in person, or volunteer at this time, play an important role to keep our organization thriving. Maya Angelou said that, “At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel,” Your selfless above and beyond gestures and deeds for others will always be remembered. 

We have been very busy working on locations for our meetings and preparing for the 95th Anniversary Celebration. What a fun and exciting night we have planned for April. I hope most of you are planning on attending. My vision for this event was a celebration of all the ladies who came before us to make our organization what it is today. To honor those who have left us, those who are making their mark now, and those who will carry on into the future. I'm so proud of us, and I'm also proud to share our accomplishments with our community. While this is not necessarily a formal event, I will be dressing up. But that's just me. I never want to miss an opportunity to glam it up! Feel free to come as you are, or dress it up a bit. 

Registration for the Annual Convention is still available. I am so excited for this convention being our 100th, and being installed as president of the IFBWC. There will be swag bags, games, a visit to Pheasant Hollow Winery (no shuttle we are driving on our own-it's less than two miles), food, pajama party and loads of fun. We will also be voting on the Legislative Platform and you have to be registered to be able to vote. You can also attend by Zoom, but you must be registered to attend by Zoom and you will be able to vote by Zoom as well. If you haven't registered yet you can go to the IFBWC website at  http://www.ifbwc.org/  Just use your email to log in. 

The Board is trying to schedule an outing this year to visit the Peony Hill Farm in Harrisburg. It appears that late April or early May might be the best time to visit. If you are interested in joining us for a day trip to see these beautiful flowers, please let Melodie Ainsley know. She can probably answer any questions you may have as well. Here's a link for more information on the venue:
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/peony-farm-il/

In closing I'm so grateful that we've been able to meet in person this year. We did an amazing job staying connected during the pandemic and our genuine care and selflessness has had a domino effect that will help us to continue to grow our organization and our community. It is an honor to be in service alongside all of you!    

Until we meet again, 
Carrie Perkins-Schnicker, President