WWBA 2022 Dinner Journal Web

OUTGOING PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
“Women are going to form a chain, a greater sisterhood
than the world has ever known.”
– Nellie McClung
As much as I love the traditional “Wear Red” photo at
the Holiday Party, the WWBA Annual Dinner is my favorite
event of the year. After the date is chosen, the
guest list is solidified, and the invitations are printed,
the Annual Dinner Committee gathers for what’s known
as the “Stuffing Meeting.” We congregate at the home
of one of our Past Presidents, eat far too much, and
assemble the invitations for mailing – a few women fold,
a few women organize, a few women stuff, a few women
seal, and a few women stamp. If you’ve seen our board trying to gather for photos,
you will have heard the phrase “like herding cats” lovingly bandied about, but the
Stuffing Meeting is a thing of wonder. Our Committee efficiently creates their
assembly line, squeezing new members in between veterans at the dining room
table, sharing WWBA history as I imagine folk lore was once passed down around a
camp fire.
The next event is the “Seating Meeting,” where the Committee works magic to
create your table assignments, taking into account attendees’ submitted preferences,
legal practice areas, and known friendships and rivalries (you’re welcome, by
the way). Once again, our more seasoned Committee members suggest proper
table pairings, warn us about potential seating errors, and teach us what they believe
we must know. The newer participants add their own experiences to the blend,
suggesting new methods and sharing their unique expertise.
This is the beauty of the WWBA – generations, young and, well, less young,
passionate about our organization and devoted to its mission, respectful of the
significance of history while remaining dedicated to improvement. Each year, the
current WWBA President is dubbed “Queen,” and she does her best for the next
twelve months to lead this cherished organization. She is guided by those Queens
who came before her, who encourage and support her and serve as bright benchmarks
for her own successes. Each President’s year of reign has its own challenges,
and I have certainly felt the stress of them during mine. But, as the song goes, “I get
by with a little help from my friends.” So, to all those sitting in this beautiful room
tonight – WWBA members, Board members, Executive Committee members, Past
Queens, and in a few short moments when we pass the torch again, the current
Queen of the WWBA – thank you. I am so very grateful to be a link in this chain of
sisterhood, and I couldn’t be prouder to stand with my Past Presidents as we
continue the crucial work of the WWBA with the generations to come.