Greetings for the 2006 – 2008 Biennium
As
many of you know by now, District 3 is celebrating
its 60th
anniversary this year, a good time to look both backward
into history
and forward, peering into the future. What would the
founding
women of Zonta have hoped would be the “state of
the organization”
today? When District 3 was formed, what did the members
imagine our district would be like in the year 2007?
Over the course
of the rest of the biennium, we will be looking backward,
but always
looking forward, focusing on our mission to improve the
status of
women through service and advocacy.
In 1947, when District 3 was “born,” Zontians,
at the convention
at Mackinac Island, Michigan, voted to endorse a bill
to admit an
extra 100,000 war refugees into the United States,
half of whom
were children. Zonta International President Louise
Grace was a
delegate to many conferences convened to discuss the
role of social
justice, economic parity, and the responsible use of
atomic
weapons in the formation of world peace. The chair
of International
Relations wrote, “We have pinned our faith on the
work of the
United Nations, and our interests should center on
every stage of
their extensive programs.” President Grace initiated
Zonta’s first
international service project which articulated her
desire to make
“
world peace a reality rather than an ideal.” The
theme of her biennium was “Action for World Peace.” Under
her leadership, Zonta
expressed strong support for the fledgling organization,
the United
Nations.
Today we face many similar challenges. We face them
with the
same resolve that District 3 Zontians faced their
challenges in 1947,
and we hope that the founders of our great organization
would be
proud of our dedication and zeal.
In the pages of this, and future, newsletters, I
will chronicle the
history of District 3 in 2007 and 2008. We will
celebrate our successes and continue to work together
to build a better world.
Yours in Zonta,
Mary Ann Tarantula, D3 Governor
For further info, please contact webmaster below.
Webmaster and
Public Relations/Communications Chair
Nancy Patrissi
E-mail
