EWI of Spokane News

January marks not only a fresh start but also an opportunity to reflect on the successes we’ve achieved together and the goals we aspire to accomplish in the year ahead.

As the holiday season fills the air with a sense of joy and connection, I find myself reflecting on the meaningful moments that shaped this year. One of the highlights was our November meeting at the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. What a fitting time to celebrate the values of courage, confidence, and character—ideals that shine brightly during this season of giving and growth.

As we step into November, I am so thankful for the valuable insights we shared at last month’s Chapter meeting. Our guest speaker, and valued member, Bridget Walden from Merrill Lynch, provided a thorough analysis of the current state of our economy, offering perspectives that were both eye-opening and empowering.

After last month’s meeting I hope you all left as energized and inspired as I did! As I step into my role as President, I’m deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I’ve received from each of you. Our September meeting was a reminder of the incredible community we’ve built together, and I was honored to share my vision for the year ahead.

I started my journey as our Chapter President by focusing on gratitude, urging all of us to work together in a spirit of gratitude. I have been continuously amazed at how you have all responded. The enthusiasm for EWI our newer members bring to the table, together with the continuing labor of love by our more (ahem) mature members is truly something to be grateful for.

For this last president’s message, I had thought that I would share some words of wisdom that other people have shared with me. After a few runs at it, I realized that this exercise was going to turn into a series of vignettes that all somehow revolved around me. Nobody wants that, so I’m going to keep it to one word of wisdom, which is: “The law empowers women.”

Our Chapter bylaws require two business meetings each year, one of which must be our annual meeting. Our annual meeting includes a financial report of our current year, but primarily it looks to the future. It is at our annual meeting in August each year that we elect our officers and directors for the upcoming year and approve our budget. Although it has not been easy in our post-Covid world for civic groups to maintain their vibrancy, I see great things in our future.

I’ve been listening to a series called “Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman. I’m an easy target for anything that has “time management” in the title, but this series is different. It is not a tutorial on somehow squeezing more things into 24-hour blocks. It is about accepting our limitations. (He actually has a session called “The Joy of Missing Out.” I’m sorry, what?)

This month, I would like each of you to consider stepping into a leadership role on our board of directors—or just taking a more active role in one or more committees.

I was raised in an atmosphere of hospitality. We were the house on the block that frequently had a group of children gathered; we were the house where new people at church were invited to dinner; we were the house that had BIG, noisy family holiday gatherings. Much of this was because with four kids, it was a big ask to expect other families to host us. But, I think also that my parents intentionally cultivated hospitality.

If spring had a particular emotion assigned to it, I think it would be hope. There is something about the end of winter, days with more light than dark, the song of birds in the early morning that makes it very difficult to resist the sense that something good is right around the corner. In fact, it is right in front of us.

Raise your hand if you have way too much on your plate lately. Wow. That is a lot of us. I had a feeling I was not the only one feeling more than a little overwhelmed by life. No matter the industry, it just seems like there are not enough of us to do all the work that still needs to be done. And that’s not even counting all of our non-work obligations: family, exercise, community groups. When did “self-care” become on our to-do lists instead of something on our get-to lists?

Let’s take a minute to reflect on the leaders in our lives, as well as the people we love—the people who who have made us who we are.

I am writing this month’s message on New Year’s Day. And so, I find myself in a reflective mood—grateful the lessons and joy of 2023, and excited for what 2024 may bring.

My favorite holiday story is The Gift of the Magi. This is the tale of a young couple who each sell their most prized possession, so that they could give the other the perfect Christmas gift. Della sells her glorious cascade of hair to buy Jim a platinum chain for his grandfather’s gold pocket watch; and Jim sells his watch to buy tortoise shell combs for Della’s hair. From the opening line of “One dollar and eighty-seven cents“ to the moment when O. Henry tells us “these foolish children” gave the wisest of gifts, I am entranced by this classic tale of selflessness.

We preserve what we are grateful for. That was the closing message of one of the podcasts I listen to. The host and his guest were discussing the erosion in trust in our public institutions. The host opined on a number of factors at work, but what stuck with me was the host’s closing comments about the importance of institutions on civil society, and the general lack of gratitude for them as one possible reason for their disjunction. His closing line, “We preserve what we are grateful for”, has stuck with me, because I see it in the many institutions I am a part of.

As we step into the month of September, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of serving as the EWI Chapter President over the past year. It has been a remarkable journey filled with profound lessons, personal growth, and the invaluable bonds that make our EWI community so extraordinary.

As we step into the month of September, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of serving as the EWI Chapter President over the past year. It has been a remarkable journey filled with profound lessons, personal growth, and the invaluable bonds that make our EWI community so extraordinary.

As we enter the month of August, I cannot help but reflect on the wonderful evening we had at our July Chapter Meeting, hosted by our esteemed EWI past presidents. It was truly a night to remember, filled with inspiration, camaraderie, and laughter. Thank you all for making it such a memorable and fun-filled event!

June is upon us, and it brings with it the warmth of summer and the excitement of a new season. As we reflect on the past month, I cannot help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude for the success of our chapter meeting and scholarship celebration.

June is upon us, and it brings with it the warmth of summer and the excitement of a new season. As we reflect on the past month, I cannot help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude for the success of our chapter meeting and scholarship celebration.