My girls were visiting at the time of the fashion show, so naturally I had them with me on that wonderful Saturday. They were so impressed with all of you. They thought you were so professional, yet kind and thoughtful. Guess they just didn't believe me entirely when I ranted and raved to them over the years about Zonta and our extra special club members!

Our NewZ committee graduated Alicia Jones at our May meeting, but she convinced me that she needed to stay with the committee for two more months. She is taking her second class at UCCS for preparing business plans and it meets on Monday evenings so she will miss a couple of general meetings. This way she can keep in touch with Zonta goings-on.

We will be welcoming Michelle Bracewell at our next NewZ meeting. It will be great to get to know her better and to have her get to know the other newer members of our club.

Several of you have asked about the classification code of homemaker. I finally was able to track that down and received word from International that it is no longer used. Sometime for fun, review the listing of classifications on our Zonta web site. Some of the options are interesting, such as Aboriginal Ceremonial Celebrant, Cell Geneticist, Beef Cattle Grazier, Bookmaker, Deer Farmer, and Oenologist (wine maker).

Had a wonderful time all four weekends in April attending the area meetings. I was able to bring the latest numbers from International showing how we are doing on raising dollars to meet our International Service Projects goals. However, I have to admit that the most fun was getting a motorcycle ride with "Augie," a real-time biker, through the auspices of the Black Hills Club's president, Tracey Manning-Egge. She is the marketing director for Harley-Davidson - lucky me!

Hope to see many of you at the Interdistrict Seminar, June 25 and 26, in Denver. Our International President will be there and it is a super opportunity for you to meet her and other Zontians from around the hemisphere. The registration form is on the web site.

Latest news from Jillann Richardson-Rohrscheib, our Jefferson County Zonta Club - Afghanistan correspondent, is sobering. On May 13 she writes that she is in one of the safest places in Afghanistan, the Shamali Plains, according to many sources. The biggest question is are the attacks a well-planned series of events or merely isolated instances. The people are, in general, disheartened by the postponement of elections, things not happening, increased poverty, plus the residual anger against the USA and the Europeans for not stopping the Taliban sooner, etc. She reports they are moving ahead with plans for the loan tracking system and all in all, their spirits are fine.

On May 17, Jillann writes about Clementina, from CARE who was abducted the previous evening. She asks for our thoughts and prayers for her and her family, as well as her captors (for pity and humane treatment) during this difficult time. This incident has been in all our papers here in the States.

Guess I need to stop complaining about pot holes in the roads.

-Betty

Member Profile - Laura Stamp

I think of my life as a tapestry embroidered not by knights and mythical creatures but by incredibly strong women. In 1925, at the age of 17 and all alone, my grandmother came to the US from Germany via Ellis Island. She came to Wyoming on a sponsorship from an uncle and has lived there ever since. At 97, Marie still lives at home. She has outlived her husband of over 50 years and 2 of her three children. Her remaining child, my mother, is another strong woman woven into my tapestry. Johanna was brought up on the "good discipline" that could be defined only as abuse and neglect. She married my dad whose military intelligence career would take them far from home. After a stint in Germany, where I was born, my mom returned to Wyoming with two little kids and a third on the way, while my dad went to Vietnam. He was captured and remained a prisoner for over 5 years. My mother became actively involved with The Waiting Wives Association. It was she who, with other like-minded individuals, created the "Don't Let Them Be Forgotten" slogans and now famous graphics, as well as the POW bracelets which were distributed from our home. My mother attended the Paris Peace Talks and spent countless hours on the streets getting signatures on petitions to bring the POW's home and demand information of MIA's. I remember as a little girl manning petition tables, posing for photos and riding parade floats--all to put a face to those who were still waiting.

When my father did finally return, he was sick, mentally tormented and abusive. My mother, fearing for her children, left him. Between bouts of debilitating depression and just trying to make ends meet, she suffered a stroke at age 40. My older brother moved out and spent his last year of high school with our father's mother. My younger brother spent his last year of high school in jail and two years later, while working in Arizona, was killed in a car accident. Because the stroke prevented her from having a full time job my mother learned how to become a massage therapist and discovered that she has healing hands. When she learned that she could heal others, she healed herself.

My tapestry has a beautiful portrait of another amazing woman as well: my mother's sister, Elizabeth. An inspirational high school art teacher, she was my best friend, at times a mother that mine could not be, and a big sister all rolled into one. She, along with her husband, was also my role model of what a happy marriage could look like. At the age of 40, she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. I held her hand through chemo. sessions and stood by her as her hair fell out. We cried a lot and also laughed. She lost her battle after 7 amazing years of strength, humor and dignity.

My step-mother, too, is embroidered into my life. She saw the good that was left in my dad and made a commitment to him that astounded and bewildered us all. With her amazing strength and patience, she helped him recover and literally return to sanity. Jody also fought a terrifying and heroic battle with cancer. She was a true victor and remains healthy today. Together, she and my dad have become the best grandparents, bar none! My 2 sons adore them.

So I could tell you about my credentials in teaching, my love of Talented and Gifted education and my experiences working overseas. And I could go on about the homes, family and business my husband and I have created together or my hobbies of gourmet cooking, snorkeling, gardening. But those are only the elements and small details in the back and foreground of my tapestry's composition. And while my husband and sons are the silver and gold threads, it is the brilliant shades of these and other amazing women who are the main subjects of who I am. Of course at age 40, my tapestry is no where near to being completed. And as I search for new colors, new strands and pieces, it is only logical that I gravitate to an organization of strong women like Zonta.

A Guide to Stroke Prevention and Treatment What Every Woman Needs to Know from Woman's Day on-line Link courtesy of Gail Piper

June Birthdays 7 - Karen Pauley 8 - Rosalie Dorland 10 - Betty Hudson 12 - Kate Brewster 16 - Susie Nulty 17 - Ava Heinrichsdorff 20 - Sharon Roggy

Scrapbook from Intercept Graduation Dinner More Photos from Area Meeting Scrapbook from April 2005 General Meeting

Zonta Founders

General Meeting June 19, 2005 Our June speaker is Robin Doran, who will speak about her job for Homeland Security as well as about women in the military in other countries. This should prove to be a stimulating topic for all, and she will be happy to answer questions about her exciting profession! It is a great honor to have her, so please don't miss this meeting, and don't forget to bring a guest! - Liz G-C

Kudos Kolumn

KUDOS to Kate for an EXTRAORDINARY Fashion Show! Everything went so smoothly, it seemed like it was over before it started! We had the best turnout ever....hope everyone and their guests had a wonderful time. - from Teri

KUDOS to Kris for organizing the wonderful Intercept Graduation Dinner.

Here you have the opportunity to thank and/or praise your fellow Zontians for something above and beyond. Send all contributions to the newsletter editor - nulty@csdco.com.

Irish Family, Ellis Island, circa 1905	Featured Links of the Month! Ellis Island Foundation Search passenger arrival records, photographs, history. The Virtual Wall - Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Wine Seller
Click here for links from past newsletters!

Dates to Remember . . .

June 19	5:30 pm General Meeting
June 24-26	ZI: Interdistrict Membership Seminar of the Americas'

All General Meetings, unless otherwise notified, are at:
Gold Hills Substation
705 S. Nevada
5:30 pm for social and food
6-6:45pm-Speaker
6:45-7:45-Meeting

Please send comments and suggested information for the newsletter to nulty@csdco.com.

Pikes Peak Area Club Information www.zontadistrict12.org/pikespeak.html District 12 Information www.zontadistrict12.org Zonta International www.zonta.org

© 2005 Zonta International