Dear Zontians,
November is an important month for Zonta International. November 8th marked the 92nd anniversary of the founding of Zonta International, and three of our Zonta clubs celebrated 90 years of club service to advance the status of women in their local communities and around the world. Congratulations to the members of the Zonta Clubs of Cleveland, Jamestown, NY and Toledo I on this remarkable milestone for their clubs. As we look to the future and the celebration of our centennial anniversary in 2019, I encourage clubs and districts to use the resources that have been produced and shared by the Centennial Anniversary Committee on the Zonta International website.
In November, we also focus on raising awareness of the issue of violence against women on 25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign, which runs from 25 November through International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Ending violence against women and girls is a priority for Zonta International throughout the year; however, please read my President's Message to commemorate these two important events. I look forward to hearing about events and activities throughout the Zonta world.
Zontians around the world dedicate countless hours in personal service to Zonta and our mission to advance the status of women worldwide; however, occasionally, the Zonta International Board recognizes Zontians for exceptional service contributions at the international level with the Zonta International Meritorious Service Award. The Award was recently presented to Ulla Ljungh-Hoff of Sweden and Irene Wiese-von Ofen of Germany. There will be an official award presentation at the 2012 Convention in Torino; however, you can read about some of Ulla and Irene's contributions in this issue of the e-Newsletter.
Finally, members of the Zonta International Board and Headquarters Staff participated in a membership retreat at Headquarters last month. A brief recap and pictures from the retreat are provided below.
As always, thank you for your commitment to Zonta International and the Zonta International Foundation and our mission to advance the status of women worldwide.
Warm regards,
Dianne K. Curtis
Zonta International President
Zonta International Foundation President |
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| Meritorious Service Awards |
Two members were recently awarded the Zonta International Meritorious Service Award. The Award, whose recipients are determined by the Zonta International Board upon nomination, recognizes members for exceptional Zonta service at the international level, including outstanding Zonta leadership and remarkable, successful efforts in O&E, service, public relations or other Zonta activities at the international level.
Irene Wiese-von Ofen has been a member of Zonta for 38 years. Her commitment to Zonta service has included serving as Vice President of the Zonta International Foundation, International Director and member of the International Nominating Committee. In addition to these international roles she has continued her commitment to District 29 and the Zonta Club of Essen.
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| Ulla Ljungh-Hoff receives the Meritorious Service Award from Past International President Beryl Sten |
Ulla Ljungh-Hoff has served Zonta as a member of the Zonta Club of Stockholm II in Sweden for 45 years. She has held the roles of International Director, member of the International Nominating Committee and Chairman and member of the International Bylaws and Resolutions Committee. Along with these roles, she has continued her commitment to District 21 and the Zonta Club of Stockholm II.
These women will be recognized at the 2012 Convention in Torino, Italy. We thank them for their many years of service and hope they continue to serve as an inspiration for others. Back to top |
| Membership Retreat |
During the most recent Board meeting at Zonta International Headquarters, members of  the Zonta International Board and Headquarters staff participated in an all-day membership retreat. Facilitated by Susanne Bowman of The Haefer Group Ltd., a membership marketing consulting firm, the retreat examined generational differences, widespread challenges facing membership organizations, and the unique challenges Zonta faces in expanding its membership. The collaboration between the Board and staff generated healthy debates and cultivated new ideas for addressing the issues of membership retention and recruitment.
Results of the retreat are currently being compiled and will include strategies  for consideration and implementation in the future. We will keep the membership updated as those plans unfold; however, in the meantime, please consider dedicating one of your club meetings and/or district or area meetings to a discussion of membership. Also, if you are attending the 2012 Zonta International Convention, join us for a special membership discussion during the Open Forum on Saturday, 7 July. Growing and maintaining our membership is a responsibility we all share, and we appreciate those members who have already taken an active role in recruiting new members and strengthening their clubs. |
| Torino 2012 Convention Website |
 The website for the 2012 Zonta International Convention in Torino, Italy is now live. Everything you need to know about the 2012 ZI Convention is only a click away, including registration fees, optional convention events, pre- and post-convention travel tours and general information about the city of Torino.
We hope to see you in Torino in July 2012!
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| Zonta International Foundation |
To mark its 64th year of service to the UN community, UNFCU (the United Nations Federal Credit Union) is recognizing the work of eight organizations whose work and exemplary service are answering UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Zonta International Foundation (ZIF) was highlighted by UNFCU for our work to further gender equality. Members of UNFCU were asked to vote for the organization who is contributing most to important development benchmarks, with the organization with the most votes receiving US$5,000 from UNFCU. Although Zonta International Foundation was not selected by the voters, the Foundation did receive a US$1,000 donation in recognition of our work.
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| Women in the News |
| Zonta International celebrates the achievements and accomplishments, big and small, of women around the world every day. Here are a few women who have recently made the news. - The Argentinian president, Cristina Kirchner, has been re-elected with one of the widest victory margins in the country's history. Kirchner had nearly 54% of the votes cast in Sunday's election after almost 97% of polling stations had reported. Her nearest challenger got just under 17%.
- Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and Africa's only female president, was re-elected by an overwhelming margin earlier this month
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| Message from the Centennial Anniversary Committee |
OUR CLUB SECRETARY HAS A VERY SPECIAL ROLE TO PLAY!
We all respect the work of our club secretary, one of our most hardworking members.
Now, as we look ahead to our Centennial celebration s in 2019, we understand that our secretary has an additional and vital role to play - as primary archivist of our club's history. Is it difficult? - no! It means sourcing, sorting, listing and storing the 'everyday' records which form the basis of our archives collection - the agendas, minutes of meetings, annual reports, newsletters, event posters and flyers. "Today's records are tomorrow's archives."
Once clubs have a well-documented inventory of their archival materials, it is possible for historians to begin their work. Historians interpret the materials and write the story.
PICTURE PERFECT
If you are fortunate enough to have a photographer in your club, you will have an equally valuable collection of images to illustrate that story.
On the ZI website under Centennial Anniversary Tools, you will find Zonta photographic tips with sound advice on management of your visual images, written by Sally Gordon, the official photographer for District 23.
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| ZI Membership |
Z and Golden Z Club Contact Information If your club sponsors a Z and/or Golden Z club(s), please send any new or updated general email addresses for the Z and Golden Z clubs to memberrecords@zonta.org to assist our communications with Z and Golden Z clubs and their members.
Dues Payment Please submit your dues payment and club officer contact information forms to memberrecords@zonta.org if you have not already done so. Half year dues begin on 1 December 2011. A chart of international dues and fees can be found on the website.
*Special Note about Dues Payments to Euro Account* Please note that if you are submitting dues to the new Zonta International Euro account, dues must be sent in Euros and not US dollars. European clubs can use the existing US accounts to send US dollars if their club chooses. Instructions can be found on the back of Form C. The three versions of Form C can be found on the website under Club Tools.
· European (uses Euros) · North American (uses US dollars) · Non-European/Non-North American (uses US dollars) Membership Incentive Program Recruit 2 or more new members before 31 May 2012 and receive special recognition at the Zonta International Convention in Torino in July 2012. More information and forms can be found on the ZI website. Thank you to those members who have already participated.
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| New on the Zonta International Website |
| See what's new on the Zonta International website:
If you have problems or questions related to the Zonta International website, please contact webmaster@zonta.org.
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| Member Profile |
Sakineh (Simin) M. Redjali, Ph.D. FAAIDD Educ ation has always been an important part of Sakineh (Simin) Redjali's life. Simin received her Ph.D. Magna Cum Laude in Education and Clinical Psychology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany after graduating from the University of Tehran with a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Science and Philosophy. While studying in Germany, she met her musician husband, Dr. Sa'id Khadiri, at an Iranian Culture and Art presentation she gave at the university. Upon returning to Iran, she taught as an associate professor at the Teachers Training University. A year later, she was awarded a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of London and spent time learning about the education system in England, Wales and Scotland.
After she returned to Iran in 1963, she was offered a job as Professor of Psychology at the National University of Iran, the first woman professor to reach the highest-grade position at the university. In 1966, Simin was given a National Science Foundation Fellowship at the University of Michigan; and, in 1967, she became a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Illinois. As a professional woman in Iran, she worked tirelessly to promote the social status of women. She was the Secretary General of the Women's Organization of Iran from 1969 to 1971 and established more than 150 Family Welfare Centers (Houses for Women) throughout the country. Read more...
If you would like to nominate a Zontian to be profiled in a future e-newsletter, please send the member's name and a brief reason why they should be profiled to pr@zonta.org. Please note that depending upon the volume of submissions received, not all members may be profiled. |
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