President’s Message

2004-2005
International President
Nicôl Lea

April 4, 2005

Dear Fellow Quotarians,

I attended the South Pacific Area Meeting in Rotorua, New Zealand, March 11 to 13, with Quotarian Judy Burrill from my home club. This meeting—a marvelous experience—was planned by South Pacific Area Director June Young and attended by approximately 210 Quotarians. Also joining us from the International Board were President-elect Carolyn Rice, Treasurer Enid Croes-Marugg, and Central Area Director Daryl Perrine Young. Executive Director Kathleen Treiber and South Pacific Area Liaison Officer Beris Pritchard also attended. The meeting was similar in nature to our convention but smaller in scope with reports from the districts, a South Pacific Area bylaws session, presentation of candidates for international office, an international service showcase, a look at Quota's financial picture, and more.

Some of the highlights of the meeting included being treated to a special traditional Maori welcome from the Rotorua community on Friday evening, which included rubbing noses with Maori members as a form of welcome.

We celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the South Pacific Area Meeting with a special dinner on Saturday evening, complete with cake!

And, on Sunday, we had the privilege of having New Zealand Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright address us and close the meeting.

Here is a wonderful photo of all attending past and current South Pacific Area Directors!

Finally, here are the South Pacific Area governors receiving a small gift.

After the meeting, I had the opportunity to visit some of the clubs in the local area. President Karla Hammond of Quota International of Whakatane organized a dinner with members of Quota International of Opotiki and her home club. Here I am pictured with members of both clubs:

QI of Opotiki

QI of Whakatane

We had a great time meeting the members of both clubs, and I had the honor of pinning a new member, Mary Jessop, who is joining the Whakatane club.

The next night we found ourselves in Auckland where Past District 37 Governor Jacque Kendall organized a dinner with Quotarians from the clubs of Auckland, Papakura, and Takapuna. Again, it was a joyous occasion to share Quota experiences with each other.

Thanks go to South Pacific Area Director June Young, District 37, and everyone else who made this trip an adventure with many memories!

District Conferences
The International Board of Directors is looking forward to meeting with members at 2005 district conferences, which have already begun. I will be traveling as the international representative to Districts 7, 20, and 42 in April. This is the perfect time to attend your district conference and connect with other Quotarians as we will not be having our convention this year. For more information on the dates and locations of 2005 District Conferences, please click here.

District Dynamo Winners Announced
Congratulations go to the winners of our 2004-2005 District Dynamo contest, which just ended on March 31. All winners will be honored at district conferences, and you can review the list on-line by clicking here. All winners reported the highest net membership gain in their respective districts over the past 12-month period. Our new District Dynamo Contest for 2005-2006 began April 1. If you have any new members in your club, now is the time to send their information to our offices.

New Club Charters in the Philippines

We welcome our newest Quota club into our family: Quota International of Parañaque, Philippines, which chartered on March 12, 2005, with 20 members! Letters of thanks and congratulations may be sent to:

Asuncion C. Aguilar—Organizer
President
Quota International of Las Piñas
1208 Tropical Avenue
BF International Village
Las Pinas City, 1750
Philippines
email: laspinas@quotadistrict41.org

Carolina M. Piad
Charter President
Quota International of Paranaque
988 Tropical Ave Cor. Elizalde St.
BF International
Las Pinas City, Metro Manila, 1740
Philippines
email: carolinampiad@yahoo.com

Volunteers in the Spotlight
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any organization, and Quota has many to be proud of. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and perform a myriad of services for their clubs and their communities. Why not recognize a deserving volunteer in your club? We are currently accepting applications for the "2005 Volunteer of the Year" program. Each club may nominate one volunteer of note. This program is free of charge, and your club's nominee will receive international recognition on the We Share Foundation Web Site. Do you have that special Quotarian who is deserving of this special We Share Foundation international award? Then click here for more information. To review profiles of 2004 winners, click here.

Elections
International election ballots for 2005 have been mailed out, and voted ballots must be received at the Quota International Office in Washington, D.C., or Australia by May 15. Your vote does count, and for a complete look at our nominees, please click here*.

Quota Living Legend Evelyn Horne Passes Away
I am deeply saddened to announce that on Monday, March 21, 2005, we lost a greatly loved and cherished member and past leader of Quota International—Evelyn Horne of QI of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Evelyn, who died at age 98, was a 42-year member of Quota and served as vice president on the Board of Directors. Just last year at Convention 2004, Evelyn received Mary Cotter's 2003-2004 Living Legend Award for her many contributions to the organization, both locally and globally. One of Evelyn's many legacies is the wonderful letter she wrote to Quota several years ago about what Quota International meant to her. Evelyn's letter has since been published on our Quota International membership brochure and on the "JOIN" page of our Quota Web site:

"I joined Quota without knowing about it simply because I admired the woman who asked me to join. She was President of the local club and Director of CARE Canada. I was caring for an invalid mother, and I knew when she left me, I would need something to fill the gap.

Now, if I should leave Quota, there would be a gap in my life impossible to fill. I know that I have helped to make a difference in the lives of many people; and at the same time I have extended my own horizons and made many cherished friends. For me, Quota is a way of life!"

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Throughout this year, I have encountered many ways in which Quotarians express their love. One of my favorite authors is Louise L. Hay, and I would like to share with you her 12 Commandments on How to Love Yourself:

1. Stop all criticism of yourself.
2. Forgive yourself and let the past go.
3. Don't scare yourself with terrorizing thoughts.
4. Be gentle, kind, and patient with yourself.
5. Be kind to your mind with good thoughts.
6. Praise yourself so you build up your inner spirit.
7. Support yourself by asking and allowing friends to help you.
8. Be loving to your negative thoughts by releasing them.
9. Take care of your body.
10. Express your love by mirroring the words, "I love you, I really love you!" while looking into a mirror.
11. Love yourself right now.
12. Have fun and express your joy of living.

Remember to live each day to the fullest, declare your love for Quota and all you do for others in your community, celebrate being a Quotarian, and share your joy with everyone you come in contact with!

With Love,

(click here for the previous President's Message)
(click here for the next President's Message)

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