Tena koutou katoa
Summer and dry weather has well and truly arrived. Farmers paddocks are brown and desperately need some good slow and steady rain. Gardens too are looking parched and hand watering to preserve reservoirs is now the norm. Weather patterns continue to
change – that is the way of the world, climate change and political changes across the motu and globally cause us all to acknowledge that the only constant is change.
This upcoming AGM brings us resolutions to consider. One of the internal resolutions is
about changes to awards. The Pauline Gapper Nepal Literacy Award lately has been not for
purpose and difficult to administer getting funds into Nepal – it is recommended to retire
this award.
Another recommended change is that the Daphne Chapman award is awarded only once to
any recipient - awarded annually to the BPW member who best promotes the image of
BPWNZ. This includes actions, which may have been undertaken within the Club, local or
national community, which promote the vision of BPW New Zealand. Daphne Chapman was
elected in 1946 (the 2nd President in the BPW Dominion of NZ and served through to 1950.
Changes will be discussed, and your decision is needed to review the Margery Toulson
Award. The Margery Toulson Scholarship was established at the BPWNZ Conference in 2009
to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the New Zealand Federation of
Business and Professional Women. Margery Toulson was the founder President of BPW NZ,
and a Vice President of the International Federation, from April 1939 to October 1946. The
scholarship is awarded annually to a BPW member undertaking education and training
relating to senior leadership and governance. Currently the amount is $1500. We have not
awarded this in recent years, due to budget constraints. A recommendation is put forward
to accumulate funds annually toward a 4- or 5-year allocation to a successful BPW
nomination.
The awards also remind us of the women who have gone before us working as President’s
to improve the lives of women.
“Perhaps it is better to attempt too much and leave some cherished things undone than to
attempt too little” – a quote from Dr Lena Madesin Phillips, Founder President of the
International Federation of Business and Professional Women, just before she died so
tragically in Marseille on her way to Beirut to help put into action a huge piece of work for
the women of the Middle East.
Margery Toulson, in her message to BPW NZ, stated “I have sometimes been concerned to
hear members speak of the Federation as though it were something apart – something to
which we are simply attached, but we are the Federation – each individual member of
each club is a unit of the whole – we are the Federation. Each active member adds a part
to the whole work – work for the advancement of women.”
In 1939 – 86 years ago – these words were spoken and still ring true today. She continued to
say: “Whatever we achieve in the future, whatever advances we make, will only be by the
unity and individual effort of every member.”
I leave you with that thought – I look forward to all of you coming to the conference on May
3rd and 4th in Auckland, where in person and in unity we continue the work of the founding
International and New Zealand Presidents.
To know our history, helps us move forward into the future together.
Nga mihi nui
Janet