Zonta Club of the Pikes Peak Area January 2002 Newsletter Volume II, Issue 1

PONDERINGS FROM THE PREZ!

Hello Ladies,

Happy New Year! We just returned from a delightful visit with 26 members of our immediate and extended families in Ohio. It was great fun to be together, celebrating this wondrous time of the year. Because of the September lesson on the fragility of life, I'll never take our families or friendships for granted.

Our holiday party celebrated our friendships and Zonta's mission. Phyllis was a perfect hostess, and everyone outdid themselves with outlandish food dishes and even better gifts than in the past. Chocolate was a theme, and the exchange was fast and furious. Thanks to Phyllis and Fran for keeping us organized. But the highlight of the evening was the induction of our three new members - Janet Fuehrer, Teri Hermes and Helen Smithwick. Thirteen of us were there for the ceremony and eight husbands (fondly referred to as Zontos), including the spouses of Janet, Teri and Helen. It was great to see the guys so involved in what we do. Thank them for attending! Their support is crucial to our success.

The yellow roses were beautiful and remind us that amidst the thorns of life there is always a rose waiting to bloom. Although we are all crunched for time, a smile, comforting words, and acts of kindness never go unnoticed. It was Mother Teresa who said, "In this world we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with greatness." Zonta is absolutely other-centered. Several of you brought a dozen coats, six purses and many toiletries for the Full Circle program - thanks to Kate for delivering them.

Before you discard those holiday greetings, please tear off the fronts for St. Jude's Ranch, a facility for the care of homeless children in Nevada. They recycle the picture onto preprinted cards and sell them. Bring ALL your card fronts - holiday, birthday, get well, etc. - to the January meeting. I'll mail them off together; I always get a thank you. Little things add up and also express Zonta's understanding and compassion. "You can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses," according to Ziggy.

January is Amelia Earhart month. She said she sought "a life of the mind, combined with a life of purpose and action." Her courage, determination and successes are inspirational for us all. Join us at our next general meeting on January 21, a day dedicated to another great American, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Birthday greetings this month to Rita Jones and Pam Sufak, and former members Lois Nesselhauf, Suzanne Spears and Lisa Walsh. See you on January 21 with your card fronts. Until then take care of yourself, and remember that the gift of your time is the most valuable act of kindness. You may even get a sticker for it! :)

Hugs,
Kris

Bits from Betty

Just finished reading a wonderful book that I got at last year's Christmas gift exchange - Amelia Earhart's Daughters by Leslie Haynsworth and David Toomey. Many thanks again to Phyllis Zell!

The writing was excellent and I found the story of women aviators awe-inspiring and --- depressing. Their continued efforts from 1942 through the end of WWII made me swell with pride and their constant rejection by Congress to make them legitimate members of the U.S. Army Air Force made me ill. They flew B-26s for the Ferrying Division when men were afraid to, flew every aircraft in the inventory of the U.S. Army Air Force, and logged over six million miles in all kinds of weather.

After the war, pilot positions were in short supply and they had few opportunities to fly. In 1961, a handful of top female pilots was solicitied to take part in a significant program - they were tested the same as Mercury astronauts. They passed with flying colors and in some cases performed better than the male astronaut candidates. Now, would NASA and the U.S. Congress allow them to go into space? - NO.

Russia proceeded in 1963 to orbit a woman in space for 48 orbits. The interesting thing was that the Soviet Union believed that women possessed the same abilities as men and were willing to act on that belief. The women in the U.S. program who had an everage of 4,500 hours, couldn't help but notice that Tershkova was not even a pilot!

Great reading - I'm happy to loan it out! But be warned, you'll want to go smack somebody!

Betty Edwards

Message from Adrian

Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 17:14:58 -0500
From: ald00@netscape.net
Subject: Adrian Lauren Davis scholarship update

Dear Friends,

I have been doing very well at the Colorado College, I hope you all are doing well and had a wonderful holiday. I will be leaving in two days for Europe for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest semester in London and Florence. I go to Florence first and will be there for three months then spend two months in London. From London I will continue on to India for the fall semester, also with ACM. I have been awarded generous scholarships that enable my participation in these programs. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to explore some of the most historically influential and beautiful places in the world; this has been made possible through your help! I have volunteered this past semester with the Colorado Springs Black Leadership Forum and Leadership Development Committee, the Season for Nonviolence, the Colorado Generation Y Panel and various other organizations. I am maximizing all opportunities available. I truly appreciate your support and I'll keep you posted!

Happy Holidays,
Adrian Lauren Davis

Dates to Remember . . .

**Please send comments and suggested information for the newsletter to Sufak1@aol.com or nulty@money.org or betlow@aol.com.