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Celebration and Reflection |
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Written by Christine Slate
16 July 2010 |
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 We have so much to celebrate! Let's begin to celebrate as a Nation. According to Wikipedia, "Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1976, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States." I hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day with your family and friends! Now...let's celebrate as a Chapter! June 6, 1967, we charted the Richmond Chapter of Executive Women International. 43 years later, on June 12, EWI of Richmond held its first Richmond Symposium. In our own way, we were "Redefining Success in Today's Economy." It was a GRAND SLAM of a day! The Hilton Short Pump was a beautiful venue and the day had a great flow! There was plenty of training, shopping, laughter, nd the perfect lunch in between. A big thank you to the members of our Symposium Committee, chaired by Donna Edwards, Board Advisor. Thank you to Lori Giovanonni for a spectacular day of teaching, David Barrett, President/CEO of Barrett Capital Management for taking time out of his busy schedule to come spend a few hours with us, and of course, First Lady of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell. I hope many of you will help with some of The First Lady's Initiatives for our great Commonwealth of Virginia. I received so many e-mails and phone calls, from representatives and outside professionals, regarding how much they enjoyed it and learned from it. One of my favorite e-mails I received was from Lillie Stratton. "As a member of EWI for 43 years... I can tell you that it was one of the best events I have ever attended anywhere...and I have attended a few. Congratulations to everyone. First class all the way." Thank you Lillie! Leadership Reflection. Now that the Symposium is complete, what can we take away from this experience? It is so important to prepare to the best of your ability and time. We did that. The committee took notes and we will review what we did great and what would we do different. The committee will be reviewing these notes because I am sure this event will be repeated in the future. As we prepared, we had times of pain, progress, confusion, laughter, camaraderie, celebration, and fun! We had creative and innovative women on this committee and it was magnificent to watch them work, respecting their talents, and using their talents to the success of the event. We displayed the best EWI hospitality to our visitors. I am so proud of you! There is a song by Chris Tomlin that I have heard numerous times. I was still in "Symposium Cloud Mode" and I heard this song with a new perspective. We have raised the bar again as a Chapter and we must embrace our talents and abilities. We did a great job of getting the word out and I believe we will not be the "best kept secret" any longer. "For greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this City." For EWI of Richmond - I believe that greater things are still to come and greater things are still to be done in this Chapter and this City! EWI of Richmond will be a part of this movement. July is also one of our favorite events, as it is ASIST Scholarship Night! Adult Students in Scholastic Transition is always a special night for our Chapter. It is the night we give back and support these men and women that want to make a difference in their lives, the lives of their family, and their community. If you have never been to an ASIST night, it is a must. We help change people's lives, however, you will be changed forever from their stories. On September 23-25, 2010 in Kansas City, Missouri, EWI will hold its Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting. This is known as LCAM. LCAM is where you get the BIG PICTURE for EWI. I had been a representative for one year and I conveyed to my President/CEO that I was elected to the Board as Treasurer and I felt it was important that I go to Orlando. I also conveyed that if I did not see the value, I would not ask again. A conference is not a vacation. My firm was paying for me to go and come back with new information and leadership tools to use on the Board and to use at Barrett Capital Management. There are quality speakers and teachers at EWI Conferences. Lori G. is a testimony to that! This year's conference is titled "ReTink - Revitalize - Reach Out." Great title and don't worry, it is fun too! If you have never attended LCAM and you want to see the big picture, I am encouraging you to ASK! Did you know that the Chapter awards one free LAM Registration and AOL registration? There is also the Michelle Lovatt LCAM Award sponsored by Richmond Metropolitan Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau. This award is given to a representative committed tog o to LCAM for the FIRST TIME! Don't delay, early bird discounts end August 5, 2010. Please see Lauren Cordrey, VP/President-Elect's report for more details. I hope your 4th of July celebrations are fun and safe! I look forward to seeing you on July 8 at Dominion Resources. Christine M. Slate EWI Richmond President, 2009-2010
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