Inspiring Women Winter 2017

and author of a history of The Foundation.
committee; chair of nominating
committee; editor of the “Highlights”
magazine for 5 years; president; and
now counselor. In FAWCO itself, I
served as chair of the education
committee (did first study of education
abroad); founder and chair of the
transitions committee; chair and
member of nominating committee
various times; grant selection
committee; and Parliamentarian. I’ve
also been part of The FAWCO
Foundation: Awards committee
member, followed by chair for more
years than I can honestly remember;
bylaws committee; 2-term president;
I am most proud of my work with The Foundation. I became president during a crucial transition
time and during my two terms we overcame much of the opposition against it (yes, incredible
to even imagine such a thing now), and succeeded in make great strides in educating FAWCO
member clubs and their members as to the role of each sister branch. We also did a muchneeded
revision of the bylaws and administrative guidelines, as well as revise the awards and
grant processes. We hit an all-time high in the amount offered in awards and grants, both
monetary and in kind. We also initiated new fundraising initiatives: the quilt auction, live and
silent auctions, etc. We had a great board!
I could devote a few pages to what FAWCO means and has meant to me over the years. The
moment I joined AWA Rome, I became the FAWCO Rep. That first year I attended a
conference was the first time the interim meeting was opened to FAWCO members rather than
just the Reps and committee chairs. Not even club presidents had attended previously. At the
same conference, I was asked to join The Foundation awards committee, thus beginning my
very long history with The Foundation. I was amazed by the intelligence, experience, ideas, and
friendliness of the participants and, not surprisingly, I went home with FAWCO Fever. My first
impression was of the caliber of the women involved and the potential of FAWCO’s growth and
influence in the world and its importance to Americans living abroad. I became so involved that
much of my free time was spent working on FAWCO programs and The Foundation. It seemed
to be a career in itself rather
than just volunteering.
Because of conferences
and board meetings I
attended over those
decades, I was able to
travel (my first love) and
meet even more women
whose lives and stories I
found fascinating. I also was
able to learn new skills and
hone ones I already
possessed, and I learned so
much in general from the
various workshops. I also
learned more about the
history and culture of the
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