In honour of Women's History Month I wanted to feature Lena Madesin Phillips, founder of BPW. Lena Phillips (original name Anna Lena Phillips) was born in 1881 in Kentucky and was educated at female educational institutes. In 1917 Lena became a lawyer and soon started working for YWCA. In 1918 she organized the National Business Women’s Committee for war work. The war ended before any work could be done however the committee decided to continue as an organization dedicated to women in business.
In 1919 the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs was formed with Phillips as executive secretary. Phillips traveled extensively to promote the formation of local clubs and from 1926 until 1929 she served as President of the National Federation. She started the movement for the founding of the International Federation in 1930 and was its President until 1947.
Lena died in 1955 in Marseille France.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
September Dinner Meeting September 23, 2009
The Best Kept Secret in Town: What BPW Can Offer You!
The first meeting of the new season got off to a great start with BPW Durham members discussing some of the great benefits BPW offers its members.
Lorna Weston-Smyth discussed BPW advocacy and resolutions;
“Good Evening everyone. I’d like to welcome each and every one of you and thank all of you for coming to our first meeting of the 2009-2010 season. I see several new faces. I hope that after hearing more about BPW Durham—who we are and what we can do for you, that we will see you back again. In fact, I am so sure that we have something of value to offer you that I believe you will become a member.So what brought you here tonight? I came to my first meeting hoping to find some business prospects but joined because of the positive and supportive energy I found in the club. I soon found myself on the board and that’s a story for another day. In the beginning I didn’t take on any more than I absolutely had to. But membership is a lot like investing: the more you contribute, the greater your dividends; the more money you put in the more interest you make. So you have to ask yourself: how much do you want to get out of this experience? How many of you have a self-cleaning oven, raise your hands? Well, life is not a self-cleaning oven. You can’t just push a button and walk away and expect everything to be done for you. You have to participate and invest the time. In everyone’s life the two major driving forces are the desire for professional fulfillment and personal fulfillment. Success in one will foster success in the other because when you find a balance between the two, it will generate a renewed focus and energy in both.When asked, what do you think most people want today? What are they interested in becoming, and what do they want to be better at? Would you believe that the # 1 answer was being better at working with people co-operatively, especially as it relates to teams. Being better at business, in other words how to succeed, was #2 and being confident, and communicating and presenting with clarity and passion was #3. Regardless of why you came, be it for the networking (for business), a friend asked you to come (a relationship), you want to find out how BPW can improve your skills (for growth or development), or you want to be part of a group that has a direct influence in improving women’s lives (for more meaning in your life or to make a contribution), BPW offers you a chance at improving or developing many of these different areas and the skills needed for a truly successful life .Resolutions become our policy statements as a society and are the foundation of BPW. Understanding the issues increases awareness and being part of the process is a tremendous development opportunity and can be both interesting and fun. BPW was established in 1930 with the intention of fostering the improvement of economic, political, social and employment conditions for women in Canada and around the world. Today we work to develop the personal and professional skills and leadership potential of women in Canada through education, awareness, advocacy and mentoring within a supportive network. Our aim is to achieve a just and equal status of women in all levels and areas of society where decisions are taken in true partnership with men, based on mutual respect, for a more balanced and peaceful world. Pretty lofty stuff huh? Bottom line is we work to both educate and empower women and have a little fun while doing so.I’d like to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in a place far, far away… actually it wasn’t really that long ago or very far away either. It was 1916 and the place was Alberta. Among other discriminations, women still did not have the right to vote anywhere in Canada. A woman named Emily Murphy was appointed magistrate of the Women’s Court. However, her first decision was appealed by the Alberta courts on the grounds that she was not a “person” according to the meaning of the word in the British North America Act. Therefore, she was not eligible to sit as a Magistrate. Soon after, when women were granted the vote in federal elections and thus eligible to sit in the House of Commons, the Federal Government still refused to allow women to be appointed to the Senate as women were not persons within the meaning of the BNA Act. As the old Virginia Slims ads used to say: you’ve come a long way baby!Women were the instigators of modern social legislation in Canada. By 1930, the political parties, seeking to win the women’s vote, found it expedient to introduce laws and projects aimed at social well-being and social welfare as planks in their political platforms, and to look at life “from the woman’s point of view.” As might have been expected, that point of view included children – and men, too. Indeed, the improvements initiated in business and industry as concessions to women and young workers have, over the years, benefited men as well.In the first ten years, the Canadian Federation, adopted basic policies and instigated action dealing with:• Equal pay and opportunities for employment for both men and women;• Removal of discrimination against married women in employment;• Training for domestic service and removal of social prejudice against this occupation;• Appointment of trained women to the staff of the National Employment Commission;• Introduction of vocational training courses for the unemployed and• Studies by the clubs of wages and hours of work of women in CanadaIn 1938, the Canadian Federation arranged for the installation of a bronze plaque at the entrance of the Senate Chamber on Parliament Hill in recognition of the Famous Five. As BPW women, we must always remember our sisters who came before us, and the struggles they faced so that women could be where they are today.During World War II, the clubs supported war-time activities in their communities and the Federation undertook special projects, such as:• Adopting “Bundles for Britain” as a national project;Establishing a War Service Fund;• Contributing to the Caroline Hazlett Fund to provide educational opportunities for women in scientific, engineering and technological fields.At the international level since 1947, when BPW International first received its Category 1 Consultative Status to the UN, we have played major roles in initiating, lobbying and promoting the Formation of the Commission on the Status of Women, International Women’s Year in 1975, the Decade of Women from 1976 – 1985, and the First, Second, Third and Fourth Women World Conferences.Internationally-minded from the start, the Canadian Federation and its clubs supported the work of the League of Nations, later named the United Nations and BPW International’s affiliation with them. The Canadian Federation has supported and urged the government to support UN projects and in particular the activities and recommendations of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, on Human Rights and also UNESCO(Statistics Agency), UNICEF(Children’s Agency) and UNRWA(Works and Relief Agency). The Federation has contributed over the years to many UNESCO projects to help women in developing countries to improve their education and economic conditions.Our priority issues for the next two years are: childcare, income equity, women in politics, health, climate change and finally, answering the call of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to End the Violence Against Women worldwide. For more in depth information on any of these issues please visit the BPW Canada site at bpwcanada.com or the international site at bpw-international.org.So why should you care enough to get involved, besides the obvious reasons, of course? Well, remember what I told you earlier about what most people want today? Through working on resolutions and advocacy at BPW you will become better at working with people co-operatively, especially as it relates to teams. And you will become more confident at communicating and presenting with clarity and passion. This in turn will lead to being better at business, in other words how to succeed. But wait! There’s more! (Just like those late night infomercials) Yes! BPW offers you all this and more. All for the low, low price of just one membership.”
There was much to learn and members and visitors alike took away new ideas and inspirations for their personal and business lives.
Special thanks to Rose Cronin for donating door prizes!
The first meeting of the new season got off to a great start with BPW Durham members discussing some of the great benefits BPW offers its members.
Lorna Weston-Smyth discussed BPW advocacy and resolutions;
“Good Evening everyone. I’d like to welcome each and every one of you and thank all of you for coming to our first meeting of the 2009-2010 season. I see several new faces. I hope that after hearing more about BPW Durham—who we are and what we can do for you, that we will see you back again. In fact, I am so sure that we have something of value to offer you that I believe you will become a member.So what brought you here tonight? I came to my first meeting hoping to find some business prospects but joined because of the positive and supportive energy I found in the club. I soon found myself on the board and that’s a story for another day. In the beginning I didn’t take on any more than I absolutely had to. But membership is a lot like investing: the more you contribute, the greater your dividends; the more money you put in the more interest you make. So you have to ask yourself: how much do you want to get out of this experience? How many of you have a self-cleaning oven, raise your hands? Well, life is not a self-cleaning oven. You can’t just push a button and walk away and expect everything to be done for you. You have to participate and invest the time. In everyone’s life the two major driving forces are the desire for professional fulfillment and personal fulfillment. Success in one will foster success in the other because when you find a balance between the two, it will generate a renewed focus and energy in both.When asked, what do you think most people want today? What are they interested in becoming, and what do they want to be better at? Would you believe that the # 1 answer was being better at working with people co-operatively, especially as it relates to teams. Being better at business, in other words how to succeed, was #2 and being confident, and communicating and presenting with clarity and passion was #3. Regardless of why you came, be it for the networking (for business), a friend asked you to come (a relationship), you want to find out how BPW can improve your skills (for growth or development), or you want to be part of a group that has a direct influence in improving women’s lives (for more meaning in your life or to make a contribution), BPW offers you a chance at improving or developing many of these different areas and the skills needed for a truly successful life .Resolutions become our policy statements as a society and are the foundation of BPW. Understanding the issues increases awareness and being part of the process is a tremendous development opportunity and can be both interesting and fun. BPW was established in 1930 with the intention of fostering the improvement of economic, political, social and employment conditions for women in Canada and around the world. Today we work to develop the personal and professional skills and leadership potential of women in Canada through education, awareness, advocacy and mentoring within a supportive network. Our aim is to achieve a just and equal status of women in all levels and areas of society where decisions are taken in true partnership with men, based on mutual respect, for a more balanced and peaceful world. Pretty lofty stuff huh? Bottom line is we work to both educate and empower women and have a little fun while doing so.I’d like to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in a place far, far away… actually it wasn’t really that long ago or very far away either. It was 1916 and the place was Alberta. Among other discriminations, women still did not have the right to vote anywhere in Canada. A woman named Emily Murphy was appointed magistrate of the Women’s Court. However, her first decision was appealed by the Alberta courts on the grounds that she was not a “person” according to the meaning of the word in the British North America Act. Therefore, she was not eligible to sit as a Magistrate. Soon after, when women were granted the vote in federal elections and thus eligible to sit in the House of Commons, the Federal Government still refused to allow women to be appointed to the Senate as women were not persons within the meaning of the BNA Act. As the old Virginia Slims ads used to say: you’ve come a long way baby!Women were the instigators of modern social legislation in Canada. By 1930, the political parties, seeking to win the women’s vote, found it expedient to introduce laws and projects aimed at social well-being and social welfare as planks in their political platforms, and to look at life “from the woman’s point of view.” As might have been expected, that point of view included children – and men, too. Indeed, the improvements initiated in business and industry as concessions to women and young workers have, over the years, benefited men as well.In the first ten years, the Canadian Federation, adopted basic policies and instigated action dealing with:• Equal pay and opportunities for employment for both men and women;• Removal of discrimination against married women in employment;• Training for domestic service and removal of social prejudice against this occupation;• Appointment of trained women to the staff of the National Employment Commission;• Introduction of vocational training courses for the unemployed and• Studies by the clubs of wages and hours of work of women in CanadaIn 1938, the Canadian Federation arranged for the installation of a bronze plaque at the entrance of the Senate Chamber on Parliament Hill in recognition of the Famous Five. As BPW women, we must always remember our sisters who came before us, and the struggles they faced so that women could be where they are today.During World War II, the clubs supported war-time activities in their communities and the Federation undertook special projects, such as:• Adopting “Bundles for Britain” as a national project;Establishing a War Service Fund;• Contributing to the Caroline Hazlett Fund to provide educational opportunities for women in scientific, engineering and technological fields.At the international level since 1947, when BPW International first received its Category 1 Consultative Status to the UN, we have played major roles in initiating, lobbying and promoting the Formation of the Commission on the Status of Women, International Women’s Year in 1975, the Decade of Women from 1976 – 1985, and the First, Second, Third and Fourth Women World Conferences.Internationally-minded from the start, the Canadian Federation and its clubs supported the work of the League of Nations, later named the United Nations and BPW International’s affiliation with them. The Canadian Federation has supported and urged the government to support UN projects and in particular the activities and recommendations of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, on Human Rights and also UNESCO(Statistics Agency), UNICEF(Children’s Agency) and UNRWA(Works and Relief Agency). The Federation has contributed over the years to many UNESCO projects to help women in developing countries to improve their education and economic conditions.Our priority issues for the next two years are: childcare, income equity, women in politics, health, climate change and finally, answering the call of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to End the Violence Against Women worldwide. For more in depth information on any of these issues please visit the BPW Canada site at bpwcanada.com or the international site at bpw-international.org.So why should you care enough to get involved, besides the obvious reasons, of course? Well, remember what I told you earlier about what most people want today? Through working on resolutions and advocacy at BPW you will become better at working with people co-operatively, especially as it relates to teams. And you will become more confident at communicating and presenting with clarity and passion. This in turn will lead to being better at business, in other words how to succeed. But wait! There’s more! (Just like those late night infomercials) Yes! BPW offers you all this and more. All for the low, low price of just one membership.”
There was much to learn and members and visitors alike took away new ideas and inspirations for their personal and business lives.
Special thanks to Rose Cronin for donating door prizes!
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