By: Suzette Cotto 

NFBPWC Public Relations Chair

Engage with NFBPWC on Social Media

Organization Page:   https://www.facebook.com/NatlFedBPWC/

Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/NatlFedBPWC/

Organization Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nfbpwc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2l_ciIxLyvbu1dbBOsV9Tg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nfbpwc_usa/

By: Susan E. Oser, NFBPWC Rapid Response Committee Chair

Issues that will need your attention and need to be addressed. 

As Rapid Response chair, it is my job to keep my ear to the ground and eyes to the screen or otherwise on issues that I feel should not only be an issue for us personally but also for your locals to discuss or have a special educational presentation on.  The following are a few that I recommend (please note that these are my opinions and do not necessarily represent NFBPWC views or advocacy platform) we all need to pay attention to…especially during this election year: 

Voting Rights –  

With primaries, local elections and local issues already being voted on, some places have already had issues.  This will be of big concern during our key presidential election this year.   There are also issues with gerrymandering and changing voting districts.  Some of these have already seen court dates with more to come. 

Reproductive Rights – 

We have already seen in Alabama the concern of what life is defined as and how this issue affects IVF treatment.  There have been calls on various fronts to block access to abortion rights, IVF, and other reproductive health care that if passed can have detrimental consequences to women’s health.  Reproductive Freedom is a hot issue that is bringing out the vote and should be a hot issue bringing our voices to the table. 

LGBTQIA+ Issues – 

The LGBTQIA+ community has become the latest political football and excuse to discriminate for no reason, other than political points from one side of the aisle. This is especially true of our transgender brothers and sisters.  The recent news of Nex Benedict’s tragedy and the over 300+ anti-trans legislation laws should give us pause to not only educate ourselves but also support a community that has really faced a lot within the last year. 

Please connect with Sue Oser at rapidresponse@nfbpwc.org if you have any ideas on topics that should be focused on and discussed as we get into the big election cycle or you feel have not been addressed in this article.  In future articles, I’ll be focusing on each of these (and any others suggested by you) for a better understanding and education of the issues.)

Keri Hess Laursen, NFBPWC Health Committee Chair, Downtown Sacramento Member Health@NFBPWC.org 

The Health Committee is seeking a co-chair, no experience required! 

The Health Committee currently meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 5pm PDT.   

Please email Keri at:  health@nfbpwc.org to inquire about serving as co-chair or to get on the Health Committee listserv.   

By: Sher Singh, NFBPWC’s JDEI Chair, dei@nfbpwc.org  

This Report covers all that this committee has done so far. The JDEI committee has met every month in 2023 with two workshops. We have had meeting and presentations in 2024 also listed below: 

• February 2, 2023, Resilience: Conflict Resolution, Financial & Security in Life.  

• Then we began the series of presentations using the acronym JDEI one letter at a time. We did - JUSTICE: Violence Against Women – Under the Light of Justice. 

• August 28, 2023, we did – Looking at the D in Diversity – The Pillars of Diversity. 

• January 11, 2024, Equity for Women in the Workplace. 

• February 2, 2024, we did a workshop on Grief – No Time Limit – Stages are Phases of Acceptance and Hope. 

• May 9, 2024, we plan to present our final letter in the acronym Inclusion - (to be named) 

• June 4, 2024, will be our JDEI final presentation – A celebration of Committees. 

By: Trudy Waldroop, Bylaws & Resolutions Chair, NFBPWC 2022-2024 (Email: ILoveBPW@yahoo.com) Bylaws@NFBPWC.org  

B Y L A W S Part 3 

What is the difference between bylaws amendments and a bylaws revision? 

Amendments 

Amendments are the changes made to words or sentences, or entire paragraphs, sections or an Article in your organization’s bylaws. 

There is a separate Article in every organization’s bylaws titled Amendments.  In it are the procedures to propose a bylaws change, who can propose a change, at what meeting they will be voted upon, how many days before they are to be voted upon, to whom the proposed change goes to, and that every member must directly receive a copy of the proposed change along with the rationale. 

Revision 

A revision is a major change in bylaws.  Preparation of a proposed revision is ordered by an organization when the amendments needed are so extensive that they warrant redo of a major portion of, or all of, the bylaws.  Consideration of the committee’s proposed revision requires the same notice that amendments do.  Everything in the proposed revision is subject to amendment by the assembly.  The amended proposal, if adopted, replaces the “old” bylaws. 

Bylaw amendments can be found in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised sec 57, page 560. 

Reminder:  

Deadline to submit proposed amendment/s to the NF Bylaws is May 20, 2024  

Also amendments to the Policy and Procedures Manual are due by May 20, 2024.  

Send to the Bylaws Chair Trudy Waldroop at (ILoveBPW@yahoo.com) 

By: Nancy Werner, NFBPWC Advocacy Team ERA Lead 
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT  100^th ANNIVERSARY MARCH  

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment.  “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex” needs to be placed into our Constitution. While most states have laws prohibiting discrimination of any kind based on sex, proponents of the E.R.A. say laws can be reversed or eliminated. Having a Constitutional Amendment would cement those rights.  

The latest news on the Equal Rights Amendment would be with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand-D New York. She has placed into the Senate bills - SJRes 39 calling for the Archivist to publish the ERA. On March 3, she spoke at a luncheon for the need for the ERA because of its ability to protect repro rights. She was wearing the “Biden Publish the ERA” button for the second half of the luncheon. 

She has shared that she is working very carefully to have President Biden instruct the Archivist to publish. Publication needs to happen ASAP to stem the flood of cases rolling back women’s rights. 

The Archivist is Collen Joy Shogan, and she took office on May 17, 2023. She succeeds Mr. Ferrerio upon his retirement in 2022. We need to be sending our messages to our President Biden encouraging him to tell our Archivist to sign the ERA amendment as our 28^th amendment to the Constitution. 

SIGN4ERA– May I encourage you AGAIN to take the time 

RIGHT NOW to sign onto this link. http://www.sign4ERA.org When you visit this site, there is much information given to you from the history to the current work and why it is so important to all of us. 

I just received my correspondence from this group as they share the urgency of telling all our families, neighbors, coworkers to sign on. Presently there are 91,000 signatures but we need more! Lots more. 

Please keep in touch with your Senators using the NFBPWC “One Click.”   

 

By: Susan Oser, NFBPWC Advocacy Team LGBTQIA+ Lead 
LGBTQ+ Icon of the Month:  Dorian CoreyWhy highlight? 

Dorian Corey was a prominent black fashion designer in the 1970s and 80s.  She was drag

queen who sought to find a way to bring the drag queen style to what we know of it today: big, bold, and beautiful.  She was infamously known for using feathers, beads, and sequins in her designs.  As result, these designs inspired other women’s fashion that are seen as big and bold on the runway today.  Her message was that it’s ok to create a story with your fashion no matter who you are and if you are performing in front of the crowd or not. 

 

Source(s): 

This trans drag ball superstar revolutionized queer fashion.  She also hid a body in her closet. - https://tinyurl.com/yfy73yjy 

Sh!t Dorian Corey Says - Paris is Burning -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3CXj9_Z_mk 

A Famous Drag Queen, a Mummy in the Closet, and a Baffling Mystery @atlasobscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-famous-drag-queen-a-mummy-in-the-closet-and-a-bafflingmystery 

Good LGBTQ+ News for April -  

• 'Don't Say Gay' settlement allows Florida students and teachers discuss sexual orientation, gender ID - https://tinyurl.com/8x9fb8cb 

• Three Years Ago, Detroit Techno Icon DJ Minx Came Out. Now, She's Living a Life She Never Thought She Could. -https://tinyurl.com/42x32kru 

• Massive Defeat For Anti-Trans And Anti-LGBTQ+ Riders In Spending Bill As Dems Hold Firm, by @ErinInTheMorn -https://tinyurl.com/bdheeywb And now for the BAD news: 

• Debunked: This misleading NYT anti-trans column relies on pseudoscience -  https://www.advocate.com/transgender/nyt-trans-article-debunked 

• LGBTQ+ activists are fighting a Manhattan school district's plan to ban trans athletes - LGBTQ Nation -https://tinyurl.com/y96ke2k 

• Southern States Pushing Forward With Bills Ending Legal Recognition For Trans People, by @ErinInTheMorn -https://tinyurl.com/4jb5zwx9 

• Statement from The Trevor Project in response to Nex Benedict https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/statement-from-the-trevor-project-in-response-to-nexbenedict/ 

If you have any news or leads on anything related to LGBTQ+ news, issues, and organizations, please contact Sue Oser at soser@nfbpwc.org

The National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (NFBPWC) and Business and Professional Women of Canada are proud to be co-hosting a hybrid parallel event at the 2024 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). 

Register soon for:   CSW68 Parallel Event: Global Collaboration to Tackle Period Poverty Date:  March 13, 2022 

Time:  2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (note time change/spring forward on March 12th) 

[Use thistime difference calculatorto determine the time in your area. Note that the time will change for some countries when the U.S. moves to Daylight Time] REGISTRATION DETAILS: 

To register for this online Zoom event only please register here using this event registration form on nfbpwc.org within this event.  https://nfbpwc.wildapricot.org/event-5585243 This is a Hybrid event. 

In-person has a limit of 250 attendees at the Salvation Army Auditorium in New York City. 

Virtual has a limit of 400 attendees and it will be held on Zoom. 

CONTACT 

Please feel free to contact us at csw@nfbpwc.org if you have any questions! 

LEGAL NOTICES: 

• Consent to Public Posting of Photos and Video:  When you register for, and by entering a NFBPWC Zoom event online, you consent, individually and on behalf of your company, to be photographed or recorded by the meeting organizers and the NFBPWC organization. Participants consent to their images and video being reproduced for subsequent use in the media, webcasts, internal and external promotional purposes, and inclusion on websites and social media. Images are shared publicly with open access for use. 

• Information Consent:  By completing the registration form, you are agreeing to allow NFBPWC to store the personal information submitted. NFBPWC will use this information to provide you the content requested, as well as occasional organizational updates to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

The annual BPW International Leader's Summit in New York, March 8-9, 2024, is a meeting for BPW members from all over the world who are interested in developing our association and who take their findings back to their countries and disseminate them there.  

The Clare Fulcher Dinner, March 8, initiated as a meeting to acknowledge the UN Representatives, is open to all and brings the Leader's Summit to close in a festive setting. 

Leaders' Summit - Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, 2024, Harmonie Club, 4 East 60th Street, New York,https://www.harmonieclub.org/: 90 places available, Ticket: 300 Euros for the catering (breakfast upon arrival - coffee break - buffet lunch - coffee break) on both days (tickets for both days only). This price is lower than the cost price; BPW International is paying for the Leaders' Summit venue in full and for part of the catering costs; all speakers, moderators and contributors are working voluntarily and free of charge. 

Clare Fulcher Dinner - Friday, March 8, 2024, Reception with Aperitif Riche 17:00-19:00pm local time, Harmonie Club, 4 East 60th Street, New York,https://www.harmonieclub.org/: 90 places available. Ticket: 75 Euros. The program allows us to network and includes an Aperitif Riche and a Candle Lighting Ceremony.  

Registration is mandatory; participation in the Leaders' Summit does not include registration for the Clare Fulcher Dinner. 

Tickets have all been allocated, with BPW members holding an office having first priority. In addition, participants from as many countries as possible were considered. Registrations from Young BPW were also be accepted. A waitlist has been set-up for members still wanting to attend. 

The following forms must be filled out in order to be considered: 

Pre-Registration:https://form.jotform.com/bpwinternational/pre-registration-2024-NewYork 

Questionnaire:https://form.jotform.com/bpwinternational/questionnaire-LS-2024 

Full information can be found here:https://www.bpw-international.org/un/csw68-2024/Hotel in New York - Westgate New York Grand Central 

As in previous years, hotel rooms have been reserved for BPW members at the Westgate Hotel in 2024. All details can be found in the adjacent flyer from the Westgate Hotel.  

> Flyer as pdf 

> Booking Link 

> Website Hotel 

Booking Code on the website: 65-245

By: Sandra Thompson
NFBPWC’s International Chair, international@nfbpwc.org  

March 8 is International Women’s Day.   The theme this year is Inspire Inclusion.   

When women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.  With well over a century of history and change, the first International Women's Day (IWD) was held in March 1911. IWD isn't country, group or organization specific. It's a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women's equality.  

World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, Gloria Steinem,reportedly once explained: 

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights." 

The following is from the International Women’s Day Website - 

When women aren't present, we must ask: "If not, why not?" 

When women are discriminated against, we must call out poor practice. 

When the treatment of women is not equitable, we must take action. 

And we must do this each time, every time. 

To truly include women means to openly embrace their diversity of race, age, ability, faith, body image, and how they identify. Worldwide, women must be included in all fields of endeavor. 

On an organizational or group basis, there are many ways to ensure the needs, interests and aspirations of women and girls are valued and included. Organizations and groups can #InspireInclusion through action in areas such as: 

• forging women's economic empowerment 

• recruiting, retaining and developing female talent 

• supporting women and girls into leadership, decision-making, business and STEM 

• designing and building infrastructure meeting the needs of women and girls 

• helping women and girls make informed decisions about their health 

• involving women and girls in sustainable agriculture and food security 

• providing women and girls with access to quality education and training 

• elevating women and girl's participation and achievement in sport 

• promoting creative and artistic talent of women and girls 

• addressing further areas supporting the advancement of women and girls 

Are you in? Will you inspire inclusion? 

Strike the #InspireInclusion pose to show solidarity. When we truly value difference, inclusion comes from the heart. 

Inspire others to help forge an inclusive world by sharing your #InspireInclusion image across social media using #IWD2024 #InspireInclusion.