United States

Brenda J. Chadwick, Lieutenant Governor, District 20, QI of Iosco County, Michigan

"My story starts out not much different from many Quotarians. I went to a fund-raiser, the local fashion show. I was fairly new to the community, and this was something to do on an October evening in Northern Michigan. A couple of the Quotarians who were at the fashion show were also patients in my husband's office, and they asked for me to come to a meeting. Needless to say, I was sucked in right away. At that very first meeting, someone suggested that I become the chairperson for the next fashion show, which was their biggest fund-raiser. I asked them, didn't they think I should become a member first? Well maybe, but it wasn't essential.

"So a month later, I was installed as a new member. After being in the club for about a year and a half, the nominating committee asked if I would be interested in running for first vice president. Of course, being a cautious individual, I asked what I would need to do as vice president and was told, oh, you might have to run a meeting once in a while if the president couldn't be there. I said, okay, I can do that. Well, what I didn't realize (being a newbie) was that the first vice president is the direct stepping stone to being president, and if the president couldn't fulfill her term, then the vice president would automatically ascend. Silly me, I guess that I should have figured that out. When five months after being installed as vice president the president had to step down, I accepted the position with what I am sure was a look of shock (and fear) on my face. I had been a member for less than two years and still didn't have all the names of the club members memorized. What was I thinking? What I didn't know at the time was that my Quota presidency would be one of the most wonderful and fulfilling times of my life.

"Our district conference was scheduled for just a couple of weeks after my president had to step down, so I attended my very first conference as club president. Of course, never having been to a conference before, I didn't know I had to give a club report to the conference body. I'm sure that I had a 'deer in the headlights' look on my face that very first time I got up there to speak, but I made it through.

"The lasting impact of that conference is still with me today. I urge (beg) members of my own club and district to attend conference so that they may experience the motivation, develop friendships, and gain knowledge the way I did at that very first one. I met many new friends there, but two people especially guided and inspired me. One was Daryl Perrine, from District 6, who was soon to be governor of that district and is now Central Area director. She taught me so much by just asking the one question—why? The international representative at that conference was then president-elect Beatriz Doran-Scoop. I didn't know how lucky I was to hear this wonderful, inspiring woman speak. She asked us to concentrate on membership and, through her inspiration, over the next year our club gained 11 new members and went on to win an international award for recruitment. At my first international convention in Pittsburgh, I was awestruck by the wonderful avenues of service being accomplished around the world by this amazing group of people. I knew our club did great things to help our community, but the perspective at convention gave a whole new meaning to just what Quota INTERNATIONAL means.

"Over the next couple of years, I was given wonderful opportunities to speak to Quotarians at two Central Area meetings and an international convention, and I can only hope that what I had to say was as motivational to others as the Quota leaders have been to me. In the fall of 2003, after a short break from having served two and a half years as club president, I was elected lieutenant governor of District 20.

"But, what you need to know is that the most important part of my story is the change that these opportunities have made in me. My husband commented just a short while ago that since becoming involved with Quota, and especially since being club president, I have become more confident and self-assured. In the past you could not have forced me to do any public speaking, but now I'm a ham. You have to yank the microphone out of my hand.

"The truth is, Quota has expanded my world, including my friendships and my personality, and I am forever grateful. What does Quota mean to me? More than I ever imagined it would. And so, my Quota story continues...."