Malaysia, India and more

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

Hi Everyone, I have really been a bit slack about getting to the blog lately but here I am again! After very busy and exciting board meeting in February PIP Beris and I set off for a visit to the Quota clubs and projects in Malaysia and India. The flights I am pleased to say were uneventful but the hospitality we enjoyed throughout was overwhelming.

Our first stop was Singapore where we caught the train to Kuala Lumpur. That was rather a long experience, especially as we had booked first class and they did not have a first class carriage that day as it was ‘broken’! We saw miles and miles of oil palms, bananas, monkeys and peoples back gardens for 7 plus hours along the way. It was an interesting experiment to be sure. The only problem was that we had to do the whole thing in reverse two days later. President Gaik Hong Khoo and members met us at the station and took us to our hotel to settle in and then off to see the project. I must say I am so proud to be a Quotarian when I see these emerging world projects! The dedication of the members to the cause is wonderful and the work the KL Quotarians are doing to improve the lives of women and children whose lives are devastated by domestic violence is to be admired. The shelter provides a place of safety for these women and their children. Various skills are shared and taught, school and day care centres are provided for the children and counselling is provided where needed. The time the families are allowed to stay is usually limited to 3-6 months and the shelter helps find work and safe housing to enable the women and children to get back to a normal lifestyle. We met women from all walks of life, including refugees. Just shows through Quota we can make a difference, a very worthy project to support.

The next day we visited Batu caves on the way to a delicious lunch with the members. After lunch we had a presentation from the leaders of the new project for QIKL re their hearing project. Great presentations from a brother and sister team who saw a need for education for the deaf and decided to do something about it. Truly inspiring! I then had the opportunity to present the Creating the Quota of Tomorrow proposal for structure and governance change to the members and to get their feedback. Thank you members of Q I Kuala Lumpur for your encouraging and thoughtful feedback.

We had dinner with some of the Quotarians in a food hall filled with local cuisine. Very nice! Back on that train in the morning to catch our connecting flight to Kolkata.

I had been to India mainly the northern triangle and Delhi before but that did not prepare me for Kolkata! What a bustling, busy place it is. Quita a different pace than New Delhi and quite a lot poorer and not so many cattle on the street. Here we visitted the project to educate the underprivileged children. We were surrounded by children from 10 months to 10 years all in their lovely red uniforms, all wanting to be in the pictures. I think it may have been here that I picked up my cold! The project is wonderful educating the children while the parents are working at menial service type jobs or begging. The children are fed and safe. It is a day care, pre-school and school centre to year five. The older children go to school outside the centre but come back to the centre to do homework and play in a safe environment until they can be collected by their parents later in the day. This is also a wonderful and worthwhile project saving these children from a life of scrabbling for a living on the dump sites and giving them hope for the future and reduced risk of crime. Thank you Kolkata Quotarians for your wonderful hospitality and for all you are doing to help in your community. You are small but mighty!

Next we flew to Delhi and were warmly welcomed by President Abha Kumar and PP Sushi. It was like coming home the welcome was so warm. We stayed at the wonderful Habitat Centre. Over the next 4 days we visitted all three clubs and projects in the Delhi area. We were privileged once again to visit the Quota Home and to see the wonderful work that goes on there. The sanitary towel project has 3 workers now and is going well but still needs your continued financial support. The vocational training is changing its focus to more popular training for the more modern woman emerging in India and they have a wonderful English language programme started for some of the students. The school children entertained us with poetry and song-always a delight. Many of the New Delhi Quotarians met us there for lunch. We went with Sushi to a pre wedding party where we were able to see the bride and her attendants getting the henna tattoos prior to the big event – so intricate! Thanks Sushi!

DLF City Quotarians took us to their projects and gave a very full update of their work. We visitted the dispensary and the children at the school also entertained us with dance and poetry. The change Quota makes in these lives one at a time is wonderful.

At Sainik farm we visitted the day care centre and met some of the most delightful small children ever. They too enjoyed seeing themselves in pictures!

The next day saw all the Delhi clubs come together for a general meeting and to hear the structure and governance proposal so that we could get their feedback as we have from all Quotarians. Thank you Quotarians for sharing your time and thoughts with us. We had a very elegant last evening hosted by JC jewelry and saw some exquisite jewelry displays and enjoyed wonderful cocktail food and drinks. Spoilt! Thanks President Abha for arranging this.

I came home from this adventure tired but inspired by what we as an organisation can do and continue to do to help our less fortunate neighbours. The “Hand in Hand” projects help to define who we are and I encourage you all to continue to support them all in any way you can. If you get the opportunity to travel to one of the countries where we have projects I encourage you to make contact and visit them. I promise you will be moved and not disappointed. I know I am a more passionate ambassador for Hand in Hand now that I have seen many of them first hand and hope in the future to manage to see them all.

Enjoy the pictures!

Chris

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Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

I am sitting here thinking how close it is to Christmas and all the hustle and bustle that is going on. Have I really purchased all the gifts I need to and is there enough food? It is a little anticlimactic for Peter and I as we had all our family with exception of one daughter in law with us last weekend and all the young cousins exchanged gifts as it is the “in law visitting year” this year. We had a great time catching up and feasting. Christmas day will be spent with daughter Judith and her family after church at midnight on Christmas Eve. For those of other faiths different traditions around the same time will be happening, it is a special time for all people. The New Year will see us travelling north to celebrate a special birthday for one of Peter’s uncles.

Nearly half my term has passed and passed so quickly that I am forced at this time to focus on the year ahead and reflect on the year past. So many things have happened in my world, our world and the Quota world. Currently there is a major disaster in the Philippines affecting the work of so many of our people there. It truly is a blessing that we can help in cases such as these. I have been blessed to be able to spend so much time with so many Quotarians these past months. We certainly have seen a slowing of the loss of membership. Healthy debate about our organisations future is going on. New clubs and branches are starting their Quota Journey. A lot to be grateful for!

The next challenge for us all is preparing for the midterm board meeting and all the important decisions to be made there. I know your board members have been listening to your discussions and will work to the best interests of all Quotarians and the future of our organisation at that meeting.

I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. Please take time out to reflect on all your blessings and enjoy this special time with family and friends.

Chris

“Through Quota-We can!”

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Area Meetings 3-6

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Hi Again,
Well the last three Area Meetings were as different and exciting as the first three. Congratulations to all the organisers! I was excited as I flew to Allentown having come from home via Sydney and Dallas and on the free shuttle to Bethlehem. I had long been curious about the place as the late PIP Janet Popyach was IP when I joined Quota and I had also had a Rotary exchange student from there stay with us in the eighties. The historic Bethlehem Hotel was a delight although I pulled my shoulder hefting by suitcase onto that high bed. Bliss to stretch out on that bed though to sleep after a 20 hour flight ! What a pretty town, I spent most of Thursday and some of Friday wandering in and out of the quaint little shops and walking part of the heritage trail. Bookshop and chocolate shop to die for!
EAM started with the most attendees they had had for years with a get to know you session. Members were allowed to bring snacks into this hotel and we enjoyed scrumptious snacks all weekend. The business sessions were well presented, informative and fun. Well done Michelle! Saturday night was an optional trip to the local casino or dinner in town. I met so many wonderful people my head is still reeling. Despite Michelle’s earlier misgiving she met all her targets and time lines and everyone enjoyed the meeting.
As the South Pacific Area meeting was the next weekend I flew to Dallas on Sunday afternoon did some outlet shopping Monday (A new coat for February!) and home.
SPAM was great too. With a sailing theme it really fitted with my Can Do Crew promotion although teaming me with all those long legged gals in the yacht race had me at somewhat of a disadvantage on Saturday night! The formal opening was on Friday night followed by dinner on our own. All the business sessions went well and the sales room was constantly busy. The numbers for this meeting were up on previous years too. This was wonderful. The venue was great for the event and being on the water at the Gold and Tweed Coasts the weather was balmy and the atmosphere relaxed.
A few days at home and back on the plane to Las Vegas for WAM. Had my halloween costume packed and we had a great time at the costume party reception on Friday night. The reception food was so plentiful that we really did not need to eat afterwards. Vicki’s themed tables thoughout the weekend were fun and the programme again did us all proud. We all know we are Wondrous Women and know much more about each and every club and each other. I managed to time my flight home after the Qanta strike had finished so all was well.
Have been a bit slow to get up and running again after the travels but it was a wonderful time and I certainly enjoyed meeting so many of you over all the meetings. Thank you so much for the way you all listened to the board’s presentation and for all the feedback and comments. Please be assured that we have heard you all and look forward to the next step on the journey of Creating the Quota of Tomorrow. Thanks again to the board members and staff who came along, your support was wonderful and the members really enjoyed meeting you. Laura was awesome at every meeting and I know Quota is in good hands with her enthusiasm and drive. I know Quota CAN be a force to be reckoned with now and a long way into the future!!

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Area Meetings 1-3

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

What a wonderful 3 weeks I had in the US and Canada. So sorry it has taken me so long to get to the blog but I have spent a lot of time in the air! I really enjoyed presenting at the meetings and meeting so many members. What a wonderful job each of the area directors did in their respective areas, congratulations to you all!
Peter came with me and we received some wonderful home hospitality between meetings – thank you Rosemary and Tom and Suzanne and Gary, you were very welcoming and made us feel at home!
The first stop was Ft Lauderdale, a part of the US we had not visitted before. Truly beautiful! We really enjoyed the trips on the sea ways and rivers. The area meeting was great. We learned more about the talents of those southern gals in their “got talent” show including the ‘peeps’ JQs. The members were all friendly and welcoming and the weather was kind. Quota is in good hands in the south with forward thinking members and those invigorating JQs!
Then afew days in Baton Rpuge catching our breath and catching up with more Quotarians with PIP Rosemary Hannie.
Canada Area meeting was at Mississauga and a wonderful dinner theatre ‘Move over Mrs Markham’ preceded it for those who could arrive early. We all had a really good laugh and probably overdid the scrumptious buffet. We also took the opportunity to go to Torontos CN Tower. It was, of course, much cooler than Ft Lauderdale, but the welcome was just as warm. The programme was interesting and the fund raising successful. QI Treasurer Karen and I were privileged to attend a combined meeting of the Orillia and Huronia clubs the following Monday and met some of the Quotarians who were not able to attend the area meeting. Great fun with the chinese auction! (didn’t win!) We then had a few days exploring Orillia, beautiful area!
For the Central Area Meeting Peter and I flew to Chicago and took a bus to Dubuque-a different but interesting experience – lots of cornfields and lakes! Friday night was a members matter meet and greet and Saturday night saw us all rolling on the river for a cocktail cruise. The programme was fun and informative and again it was great to catch up with all the old friends and to make new ones. Took the bus back to Chicago and then a leisurely train ride to Fort Worth before the flight home.
Thank you all for being the wonderful people you are and all you do for Quota. President elect Laura, QI Treasurer Karen and ED Kathleen were also at all the area meetings to lend a hand and I very much appreciated their presence. I really had a great time catching up with you all and meeting some new Quotarians. Your ideas as always were insprational and your friendship dear. A few days at home and work and then off to EAM. Til next time
Chris

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Time to Travel

Posted on September 3, 2011 by

What a wonderful technologic age we live in. It is almost area meeting season and I have been able to do almost all my bookings and accomodation easily on line, even Amtrack and grehound! It certainly makes it easy when the time one has for organising travel does not coincide with the times the agents are open! You can now book next years convention on line too, and all the pre and post convention tours thanks to our wonderful staff and I have heard from PIP Gwenn that it is easy. She has registered already, so get to it!

This last month has made the position of President of this great organisation more real to me. I have had some editing to do from headquarters but you have that in other board jobs. Maybe it’s the getting everything first that changes the perspective or maybe it’s the knowledge that at the area meetings getting our message right is really up to me and the rest of the board? Maybe it was being interviewed by the media and really having to have my thoughts and expectations in order to make sure what is printed is sensible and reflects well on our organisation? Whatever, It feels real now and not some nice idea! I am really excited about the coming year.

Last Saturday Q I District 30 held a luncheon to celebrate having 2 members from our district on the international board of directors. Q I Treasurer Karen and I were treated to a lovely lunch with members from all over district 30, PDG Janet Ahrens from D 24 and SPAD Denise. There was a power point prepared with our histories over time and so many nice things were said about us that when it was my turn I thought they were talking about someone else! Someone made the comment about changing fashions, hairstyles and colour but what struck me the most was the changing fashion in eyeglasses. How could we have thought that some of them were ever attractive!

Now I am not writing about that event just to boast about the great , caring and supportive district Karen and I are from but to tell you what I told them. We are a product of our clubs and districts and it is only through their support and encouragement that we are where we are in Quota today. There is nothing more important than a positive club experience for happy membership and developing and fostering leadership potential. I have been fortunate in my club to have had supportive fellow members right from the outset. The club has always been forward thinking and has an encouraging attitude. Not everyone is a global connector but there has always been a good mix of members looking for a different experience in Quota and we mostly manage to meet their expectations. Like other clubs our numbers rise and fall with members aging and moving. We all join for various reasons – those hot buttons!- but mostly we stay for the friendships and caring that develop over time. I have had some wonderful mentors from within the club and from the greater Quota world and I thank them for that legacy. Who are your Quota mentors?

Next week I fly out to Fort Lauderdale to commence the area meetings, I am so looking forward to sharing the new information with you and hearing first hand your feedback to the international board’s proposal. I am just hoping that PIP Gwenn did not leave me her travel legacy of delayed flights! I will try to blog while I am away to keep you up to date with the meetings as they unfold but it will depend on the amount of free time I have. We are trying to see a bit more on the ground of the USA and Canada this first 3 weeks rather than just be an expert on the airports. You have to spend so much time at the airports- sometimes almost as much or more than you spend in the air.

Safe travels to you all

Chris

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A New Beginning

Posted on August 3, 2011 by

Well hello everyone! Welcome to my first attempt at blogging as QI President. I have a hard act to follow after Gwenn’s wonderful posts! Firstly I want to thank everyone who made the effort to come to the installation of the 2011-2012 Quota International Board of Directors. It was great to have such a crowd and to have my husband, children and daughter in law there with me. We all had a great night and I look forward to working with this outstanding group of dedicated Quotarians over the next year. PIP Gwenn conducted the installation with dignity and humour and I will remember to wear my helmet and headlight through those stormy times to keep us focussed. I will have to refresh the literature though, to see if there is really any evidence for the the gingko!

Whilst we had a lovely time holidaying and at the board meetings and installation it was great to get home to normality and so Peter could get more rest and get better. He is very much improved now, thank you for all those good wishes!

Wow! A month has gone already! It has been good to have a meeting with my own club (what a great grounding!) and to see what great work they are continuing to do in my own community. Since the installation I have been invited to QI Jimboomba twice to celebrate their 20 year birthday in Quota. They held a great charity Race Day to celebrate, champagne, hats, great clothes-the works! Congratulations QI Jimboomba. Great press in the local paper and you continue to do such valuable work in your community.

Last week I had the privilege of having 13 beautiful young women presented to me and to President Marlene of QI Maleny at the Quota Debutante Ball. It was great fun and a wonderful night for all concerned. Yes, all of you out there; Debutante Balls continue to happen in country Australia and what great fun everyone had! The young women were stunning and their partners looked very dashing in their tuxedos. The Quotarians put on a wonderful supper. QI Maleny also had great press in their local paper and I have asked Governor Karen to send a copy to Nancy to put on the web. Quota is very well known and appreciated in this community thanks to their efforts. Congratulations to all concerned.

I have spent this week trying to co-ordinate all my travel arrangements for the six area meetings being held this year. I hope you all will support your Area Directors by attending in large numbers for information, fellowship, fun and some very important Quota information that I, along with President Elect Laura, will be bringing to you. I look forward to meeting many, many of you and sharing time and conversations over the next few months. All of the Area Meetings look to be fantastic and the directors have put a great deal of effort into ensuring a successful meeting. Remember, you do not have to limit yourself to just one area meeting, you are most welcome to attend them all, just as I am doing!

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