By: Sondra Nunez
NFBPWC Secretary 2022-2024

I Am SHE (for Women’s Day) 

Poem by Butch Decatoria 

 

I am she 

Who compliments & completes The dream-lover and wishes Made when he is asleep. 

I am she 

 

Who suffers the most, 

Giving birth, cradling ghosts, 

As the crone or maid, 

(Once and always) 

Sister, mother, daughter, wife.  

 

I am she 

Who waits through the night. 

I am she 

Who equals the strength Of his light. 

 

"See me with your loving eyes, 

See me more than the tears I've cried!" 

 

I am she 

Who is willing 

To go with him to war, 

Not a man but as an equal, 

(I'm both soft yet hard) 

I am she 

To whom he'll give his heart 

I am the tunnel's bright end 

I am where 

The family starts, 

The breast which nurse small men. 

 

I am she 

The twin, 

The Juliet, 

The Goddess divine! 

I am she 

Who deserves the same in life, and for all time. 

(Peace be…) 

I am she 

I am you 

I am her 

I am the one besides 

And inside 

She is I… 

The romance in the dress, 

Patient Partner to the ends, 

Tiny dancer on the floor 

I am 

The one that loves you Forever & Evermore. 

By: Daneene Monroe Rusnak
2^nd Vice President of Advocacy, NFBPWC 2020-2024 

On Saturday, February 24, I had the opportunity to spend a little time virtually attending the California Federation’s Winter Board and Public Policy Forum. As always, I was impressed with the quality of presenters, the efficiency of the organization, and the enthusiasm the federation has for advocacy. Many thanks to CFBPW for the invitation. 

During the event, Linda Wilson presented an excellent history and overview of the Equal Rights Amendment. With her permission, I’m sharing some of it here. It’s a great reminder of what we are fighting for……and how long we’ve been fighting!  

Linda writes:     Just a little history –  

Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was introduced in Congress on December 13, 1923. In 1937 the National Federation of Business and Professional Women voted to support it becoming the first organization after Alice Paul’s Women’s Party to work for its passage. The House approved it in October 1971 and the Senate in March 1972. Congress set a deadline of March 22, 1979 for ratification. It was then sent to the States for ratification. In the late 1970s members on BPW contributed $250,000 to its ratification. By the deadline only 35 States had ratified. Congress then extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Since 1978 there have been efforts in Congress to remove the deadline. It was thought the ERA was dead as only 35 States had ratified by the new deadline, but in 2017 Nevada ratified the amendment, in 2018 Illinois ratified it, and in 2020 Virginia ratified it, which made the 38th State needed for ratification.  

Who is responsible for ratification of amendments? 

According to Article V of the Constitution it is Congress and the States who are responsible for ratification of amendments. The Executive Branch is not involved. It is Congress that needs to make sure the U. S. Archivist publishes amendments.  

Where are we? 

Two bills have been introduced in Congress to express that the Equal Rights Amendment has been validly ratified and that it is enforceable as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. The bills also call on the U. S. Archivist to certify and publish it without delay. The House Bill is HJ Res 82 Bush, Cori (D-MO-1). It has 70 co-sponsors – all Democrats. Of these 12 are from California. If your representative is not on the list, contact her or him to be a co-sponsor. The Senate Bill is SJ Res 39 Gillibrand, Kristen (D-NY). It has 22 co-sponsors – 21 Democrats and 1 Independent Sanders from Vermont. Both California Senators are co-sponsors.  

The House bill to remove the deadline for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment is H.J. Res. 25 Pressley, Avanna (D-MA-7). It has 209 co-sponsors – 208 Democrats and one Republican Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania. Of these 40 are from California. July 18th Rep. Pressley moved to discharge the bill from the House Judiciary Committee. To do this she needs 218 votes. After the discharge there would be a vote of the full House. By the way the discharge route was the way that the ERA was able to get out of Committee in 1971 and to then have a vote of the House.  

The comparable Senate bill is SJ Res 4 Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD) It has 53 co-sponsors – 48 Democrats, 3 

Independents (King from Maine, Sanders from Vermont and Sinema from Arizona) and 2 Republicans (Murkowski from Alaska and Collins from Maine). Both California Senators are co-sponsors. Because of the Filibuster rule, it needs 70 co-sponsors. 

The NFBPWC website nfbpwc.org has OneClickPolitics and can be used to contact your Senators to co-sponsor these bills. You can also sign up to join NFBPWC Advocacy alert by texting advocate1919 to 313131. 

Pressure needs to be put on Congress. All House members are up for re-election. Ask them in person and/or via Social Media or phone where they stand on the ERA. In California one Senator position is up for election. Ask those running in person and/or via Social Media or phone where they stand on the ERA. Write letters to the editor and post on Social Media why the ERA needs to be ratified and urge your followers to contact their Congress members to support the previously mentioned bills. 

The world is watching the United States’ inaction on ratification of the ERA. November 3, 2023 the United Nations Human Rights Committee urged the United States to ratify the ERA. We have been trying to pass the ERA for 100+ years, let’s get it done! 

Discharge Petition Tracking 

Which legislators have signed the discharge petition and which legislators do we need to call, and demand sign the discharge petition? You can check this list for all signatories.   

Check the list for all signatories here. 

Here’s some suggested verbiage when connecting with your representative about the Discharge Petition for 

HJ Res 4 => Suggested Verbiage for Discharge Petition Support 

View the table above to see which MOC are viable targets for signature. If you see your MOC reach out and encourage them! Share this information with folks you know who are constituents of these representatives.  Link to the full document here.

By: Kathy Kelly
1st Vice President of Membership, NFBPWC (2021-2024)

WELCOME 22 NEW AND 7 RENEWING MEMBERS IN FEBRUARY!

(And Happy International Women’s Day from From the National Membership Committee.)

Renew	Karina Ketter	Colorado - Denver
Renew	Kathleen Ray	Virtual / Illinois
Renew	Dina Fesler	Virtual / Minnesota
New	Bridget Hildebrandt	Student / Idaho
New	Kayla Marthaler	Virtual / Minnesota YBPW
Renew	Barbara Eichorn	Momentum / Maryland
Renew	Lenita Walker	Momentum / Maryland
New	Greta Davis	Momentum /Maryland
New	Irene Carter	Washington
New	Mary Sweet	Washington
New	Kathryn Burke	Washington
New	Bridgett Law	Washington
New	Barbara Luddon	Washington
New	Terressa Montgomery	Washington
New	Bonnie O'Leary	Washington
New	Roberta (Bobbi) Weller	Washington
New	Sharon Hartjes	Colorado - Boulder
Renew	Dr. Yasmin Darwich	Virtual
Renew	Yasmin el Sayah	Virtual
New	Alicia Hannon	Momentum / Maryland
New	Josephine Rhonor	Virtual
New	Dr. Angel Miller	North Carolina
Renew	Lisa Ling	Virtual
New	Linda C. Martin	Pennsylvania
New	Charmin Jacobs	Virtual / Florida
New	Lorena Alvarez	El Paso del Norte
New	Gloria Merlin	El Paso del Norte
New	Summer Pan	Virtual / Virginia
New	Caroline Poarch	Colorado - Boulder
New	Aubrey Powell	Colorado - Boulder

The National Membership Committee meets on the first and third Mondays of each month, holidays excluded.  In March we will meet on the 4^th and 18th.  We welcome members to join us and learn more about the tools and events NFBPWC offers that can support your club to “Double or More in ’24!” Contact Kathy Kelly, vpmembership@nfbpwc.org for more information.

Let’s DOUBLE or MORE in ’24!

Join us for our BIG membership drive!  

GOAL:  200 new members by December 31, 2024. Ladies, NFBPWC grew by 235 new members in 2022.  We can do it again (We’re already at 36 new members so far in 2024)!  We need strength in numbers to tackle the many advocacy issues facing women in the United States today.  And yes, Heritage sisters count!   

Chances to win BPW Bling. Check out our beautiful new lapel pin design below.  Prizes awarded mid-year at the NFBPWC Biennial Conference in July and again in January of 2025.

Rules of the contest:

•       The Affiliate or Club President (or Membership VP/Chair) will verify and forward the information to the NFBPWC VP Membership before the first deadline of JULY 15, 2024  (vpmembership@nfbpwc.org).  Please do not have individual members forward the information.  It’s okay to send the information as you receive it.  We need it by Affiliate/Club so we can keep better records, verify payment by new members, and we will reconcile our information with yours before Convention and again during the January 2025 membership reconciliations.  Prizes will be given at Convention and/or mailed to Affiliate/Club contact for local distribution in July and January 2025. 

•       Example of entry (Excel spreadsheet, email or Word) o NEW MEMBER NAME, Club, sponsored by (current member) and date.

o Ex: Dr. Jane Wonderwoman, Boulder, sponsored by Sharon Simmons, 2-14-24 

•       Prizes for Everyone!

1 member: Small NFBPWC lapel pin ($10 value)

3 members: Large NFBPWC Bling lapel pin ($20 value)

5 members: Large lapel pin + NFBPWC scarf ($45 value)       

•       Affiliate/Club levels awarded at July Biennial Conference:

Top prize: Large Nike statue and NFBPWC Bling pins for executive team

Second prize: Small Nike statue and small lapel pins for executive team             

Third prize: Small Nike statue

Our thanks again to Bessie Hironimus, BPW California, for the great idea!

By: Sandra Thompson
NFBPWC’s Immediate Past President 

Have you ever been to King of Prussia?   Do you know where King of Prussia is?  

You will have the opportunity to visit King of Prussia this coming July.   NFBPWC Biennial Conference will be held there.    Registration is now open and there is information on the National website about the conference.

If you haven’t figured out where it is, I will tell you that it is just outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Steeped in the history and lore of the American Revolution, the King of Prussia area is next to Valley Forge National Park, where George Washington and the Continental Army camped in the winter of 1777, readying themselves to fight British Redcoats for the nation’s independence.

More than 250 years later, the area has also become known as the site of the country’s third-largest shopping mall and a massive business park with hundreds of shops, restaurants and offices.

The King of Prussia name refers to an inn built in the area in the early 1700s and is now occupied by the local Chamber of Commerce. Centuries later, the area is renowned for its hospitality and the numerous diversions at the namesake mall and contemporary town center. The mall opened in the 1960s and remains anchored by old-school department stores, including Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Primark. The town center, completed in 2016, is a prime example of new mixed-use development. 

King of Prussia is considered to be an edge city of Philadelphia, consisting of large amounts of retail and office space situated at the convergence of four highways.

Many events are being planned.   So please mark your calendars and plan on attending our Biennial Conference as this is a wonderful time to get to know your BPW sisters from around the country.   

Main Street King of Prussia

By: Sondra Nunez

NFBPWC Secretary 2022-2024

Kindness

Naomi Shihab Nye -1952

Before you know what kindness really is

you must lose things,

feel the future dissolve in a moment

like salt in a weakened broth.

What you held in your hand,

what you counted and carefully saved,

all this must go so you know

how desolate the landscape can be

between the regions of kindness.

How you ride and ride

thinking the bus will never stop,

the passengers eating maize and chicken

will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness

you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho

lies dead by the side of the road.

You must see how this could be you,

how he too was someone

who journeyed through the night with plans

and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice

catches the thread of all sorrows

and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

only kindness that ties your shoes

and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,

only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

It is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend.

By: Daneene Monroe Rusnak
2^nd Vice President of Advocacy, NFBPWC 2020-2024

 

As we work towards achieving gender equality, we must take concrete steps to support the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). To help in this effort, we have put together a checklist of action items that can make a real difference in advancing women's rights. We encourage you to review these action items and consider how you can contribute to the cause. Let's work together to ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, have equal rights and opportunities under the law.

 Use our One Click Politics widget to tell your members of Congress to support SJ Res 4 and HJ Res 25 to remove the arbitrary deadline on the ERA

• Bonus points if you use the widget to make calls to your MOC

• Extra bonus points if you use the social sharing buttons to post the campaign on social media

• Extra, Extra bonus points if you record and send a video.

Consider using this virtual background for your submission (and anytime you're in a virtual meeting!)

QReview the Republican Cosponsor/Discharge Petition Targets. lf you reside in the states of Representative on these lists or have organizational members, family or friends who do, please reach out to them

OThe Discharge Petition for H.3. Res. 25 will move the bill out of committee without action by the committee chair onto the House floor for a vote. It needs 218 signatures, as oL176/24, 203 blouse members had signed the Petition. We are 15 signatures away from getting the bill to the floor. Adding seven or eight of these Representatives shouldn’t be that hard, but they need to know that our ERA advocates are watching: Discharge Petition Outreach list of  current cosponsors.

QSign the national student-led Sign4ERA petition 

OThis national petition campaign supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, initiated by Hunter College students, now has nearly 8O,000 individuals signed up supporting the ERA. The Petition Campaign is an easy way to get members, friends, colleagues and members more involved in getting the ERA Across the harsh line

NFBPWC members are invited to join the A-Team for the next Advocacy Committee Meeting on February 8, 2024.

Vice President of Advocacy, Daneene Monroe Rusnak, will preside as the Committee Chair as we discuss current and future issues, initiatives and goals.

Time Zones:7pm ET | 6pm CT | 5pm MT | 4pm PT

How: Online via Zoom. Details will be provided upon registration.

Who:All interested members are welcome.

Helpful Links:

• Committee webpage

• Projects we are currently focused on 

• View the 2022-2024 Advocacy Platform Flyer

Register at:  https://nfbpwc.wildapricot.org/event-5485102

By: Kathy Kelly
1^st Vice President of Membership, NFBPWC (2021-2024)

Welcome BPW Washington!

It’s official!  We have a new Affiliate charter for Washington state.  We want to congratulate President Rosalind Scott and the 17 Founding Members and welcome them back to BPW National and International.  We are looking forward to many more BPW WA joining us in the months ahead.

Patrice Beckwith	Judith Johnson-Keyt
Betty Buckley	Milly Lewendon
Katerina Canyon	Katherine Meade
Diane Duranti	Jacqueline Petrick-Lee
Peggy Harris	Patty Slagle
Michael Healy	Nancy Sorensen
Evelyn Hinken	Sylvia E. Valine
Jayne Huston	Margaret Way

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS IN JANUARY

RENEW	Dr. Trish Knight	Virtual (Gypsy)
RENEW	Michele Guarino	Virtual (Maine)
RENEW	Barbara Schmouder	Virtual (PA)
RENEW	Titilola Adisa	Virtual (Georgia)
RENEW	Daneene Monroe Rusnak	Virtual (Ohio
New	Roberta Sexton	Michigan
New	Dana Brown	Michigan
New	Patrizia Hironimus	California - Chico
RENEW	Carolyn Grady	Virtual (Wisconsin)
New	Carolina Flores-Helizon	California - El Monte
New/Renew	Betty Allums	California - Berkeley
New/Renew	Theresa Amador	California - East LA Montebello
New	Lalwani Muskan	California - Burbank
New	Stacy Gonyou	Colorado - Boulder
New	Frances August	Colorado - Boulder
New	Tracey MacDermott	Colorado - Denver
RENEW	Linda Miller	Virtual (Ohio)
New	Denise Stepanik	Pennsylvania
New	Beth Gibson Lilja	VPennsylvania
New	Elizabeth (Anne Marie) Mitchell	California - East LA Montebello

2023 Membership Reconciliations

I want to personally thank the Federation and Affiliate presidents, membership chairs and others who supported the process to report our year-end membership numbers to BPW International.  Although we did experience some attrition with two clubs folding, we are so excited to report that, at this writing, we are reporting 439 NFBPWC members, 24 students for a total of 463 members.  The 2023 official count was 342 members. That is an official 35% increasein our overall NFBPWC membership.  Well done ladies!

In a time when most community service organizations are declining, BPW continues to attract amazing women from all over the United States who share our mission to be the leading advocate for working women.

We continue to reach out to lapsed members with the hope of converting them back to active membership. To support this effort, the Membership Committee developed a lapsed-member survey to (1) re-engage that member, (2) discover what brought them to BPW initially and (3) support them in finding their BPW niche.  Please find that survey in the Member Resources section (Members Only login) on the NFBPWC website.

We did need to add some members who were missed in the National database.  Be sure to forward your new member’s name, email and club to newmember@nfbpwc.org so we can get welcome them and give them access to all our benefits of membership.

The Membership Committee wishes each of our BPW Sisters a Happy 2024! We have some big plans for this year!

Next, get ready for our BIG membership drive: 

Double or More in 24 

with a chance to win fabulous prizes with every new member you bring in before the National Convention next summer.  More details will follow shortly via email.

The National Membership Committee usually meets on the first and third Mondays of each month, holidays excluded.  In February, we plan to meet on the 5^th and 19^th.  We welcome members to join us and learn more about the tools and events NFBPWC offers that can support your club to “Double or More by ’24!”

Contact Kathy Kelly, vpmembership@nfbpwc.org for more information.

CSW 68 March 11-22, 2024

If you missed our January 23^rd webinar on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) please contact Kathy Kelly for the recording or check out the CSW portal on our website.  Also, Kathy is collecting NFBPWC members’ names who want to attend and share a room with another member (or 2 or 3) to save on hotel costs.

We have two options in New York City with excellent room rates.  Djenabou Bou is serving as our NFBPWC Travel Agent.  Contact Kathy or Djenabou for more information.

Leadership through Collaboration

NFBPWC offers innumerable leadership opportunities for members at the local, national, and international levels. On February 17^th, NFBPWC and BPW International leaders will be participating in a program to support growth, understanding, and comfort zone for members of organizations, to take positions of leadership, set a clear vision, and make informed decisions for different levels of leadership (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5523806). This is an opportunity for members to learn more about being a leader in our organization as we approach the NFBPWC Biennial Conference where nominated members will run for National office. Looking forward to March, BPW International is offering all members the opportunity to apply for the Leaders’ Summit, an in-person event in NYC that will be held immediately prior to the 68^th Commission on the Status of Women (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5554512).

We are excited to announce that the partnership between BPW Canada and NFBPWC will bring our organization back to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) with an approved Parallel Event for the 4^th year in a row! The hybrid event will take place on March 13, 2024, and is a collaboration between the two BPW International Federations (BPW Canada and NFBPWC). NFBPWC Young BPW Emily VanVleck and BPW Canada Past National President Karin Gorgerat are collaborating to bring us another excellent event titled “Global Collaboration to Tackle Period Poverty” (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5585243). As we receive more information about other CSW68 events hosted by international members, you will be able to find that information here: https://www.nfbpwc.org/UN-CSW/.

It is my pleasure to formally announce that registration is open for the 2024 NFBPWC Biennial Conference: Equality Has No Deadline! July 18-21, 2024, in King of Prussia, PA. Advanced registration for both members and guests will be available through March 15, 2024. Hotel registration links are also available. This event will offer you the opportunity to connect with other National and International members in Pennsylvania with an incredible schedule already set and continuing to grow. Register here: https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5451639. The Executive Committee has worked very hard to provide members with the best possible rate for registration by offering Sponsorship Opportunities which can be accessed through this link: https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5577085. We are pleased to let you know that we have already procured four sponsors to help fund this summer’s event! There are sponsorship opportunities from $100 - $10,000 and EC Secretary, Sondra Nunez, will be leading this effort.

We continue to create programming for our members and guests that increases our propensity for connection and our ability to empower women. There is more to come during the last six months of this term and we cannot wait to share our community with our current and future members!

I look forward to celebrating and honoring one another, as each member brings their own gifts to the conversation.  The women of today need to hear us. The women of tomorrow want to see us standing strong against misogyny, racism, violence, and injustice. We have the power to make a difference as we continue to honor our interconnectedness as humans, more specifically as women.

NFBPWC will continue to light a path for our future that promotes justice, solidarity, diversity, inclusion, innovation, and celebration in 2024. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe!

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard, NBPWC President (2020-2024)

By:  Sandra Thompson
NFBPWC’s Immediate Past President

We have lost another female trailblazer, Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day

O’Connor. She was the FIRST woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.

She was born in 1930, in El Paso, Texas. She was the daughter of a rancher and was raised on a 198,000-acre ranch in Arizona. At the age of 16 she enrolled in Stanford University. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in economics in 1950. She remained at Stanford Law School. She served on the Stanford Law Review. Day received the Order of the Coif, indicating she was in the top 10 percent of her class.

Upon graduation from law school in 1952, O'Connor had difficulty finding a paying job as an attorney in a law firm because of her gender. O'Connor found employment as a deputy county attorney in San Mateo, California, after she offered to work for no salary and without an office, sharing space with a secretary. After a few months, she began drawing a small salary as she performed legal research and wrote memos.

When her husband John Jay O’Connor was drafted, she decided to go with him to work in Germany as a civilian attorney for the Army's Quartermaster Corps. They remained there for three years before returning to the States where they settled in Maricopa County, Arizona, to begin their family. They had three sons: Scott (born 1958), Brian (born 1960), and Jay (born 1962). Following Brian's birth, O'Connor took a five-year hiatus from the practice of law.

O'Connor served as assistant Attorney General of Arizonafrom 1965 to 1969. In 1969, the governor of Arizona appointed O'Connor to fill a vacancy in the Arizona Senate. She ran for and won the election for the seat the following year. By 1973, she became the first woman to serve as Arizona's or any state's Majority Leader. She developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator and a moderate. After serving two full terms, O'Connor decided to leave the Senate.

In 1974, O'Connor was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court, serving from 1975 to 1979, when she was elevated to the Arizona State Court of Appeals. She served on the Court of Appeals-Division One until 1981 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan. She retired in 2006. When she first arrived at the Supreme Court there was not even a women’s bathroom.

According to her son, Jay’s, eulogy that she brought a formidable energy to her personal life as well, her son noted that her way of relaxing after a long day at work was “three rounds of tennis or 18 holes of golf.” She was a voracious reader and a dancer along with her husband. She even took disco lessons. Her son also said that she honed her skills questioning attorneys by grilling her sons why they were out late on a Saturday night. Her son said that her final message to her three sons was “Our purpose in life is to help others along the way.” He continued “What a beautiful, powerful and totally Sandra Day O’Connor sentiment.”

Wishing you all a happy, joyful, peaceful and healthy 2024!

By:Sondra Nunez
NFBPWC Secretary 2022-2024

NFBPWC National Board Meeting:

New Date: January 30, 2024

Time: 5PM PST | 6PM MT | 7PM CT | 8PM EST

Time zone tool: Convert Time ZoneInstantly | Time Difference Calculator

Main Topic: 2024 Budget

We will be sending an email requesting a written report from each officer, committee chair, and affiliate president. Please be prepared to submit your written reportby January 20, 2024, to secretary@nfbpwc.org.

All members are welcome and guests are encouraged for this Board of Directors meeting. We continue to highlight this term's theme to "Cultivate Connections, Create Community" with the focus issue of Women on the Move.

• Zoom details to be sent after registration.

BPW International Theme 2021-2024: New Actions through Cooperation