GFWC-MFWC President's Special Project

Theresa Buntyn, President
2022-2024 Administration

Our Theme

“Bloom Where You Are Planted, Getting Back To Our GFWC Roots by promoting public libraries, education, and literacy!”

Our Tagline

Bloom Where You Are Planted, Getting Back To Our GFWC Roots

President's Special Project

Our theme for the 2022-2024 administration is, “Bloom Where You Are Planted – Getting Back To Our GFWC Roots – by promoting public libraries, education and literacy!”

Throughout its history, GFWC has advanced education, partly through the establishment and support of public libraries. In the 1930s, the American Library Association credited the GFWC for establishing 75 percent of America's public libraries. Education remains a critical factor in how Americans learn and connect with communities. GFWC club women promote education in both children and adults. GFWC Education and Libraries Community Service Program's purpose is to ensure club projects in the Education and Libraries Community Service Program are designed to foster schools and other educational institutions and opportunities and promote libraries and literacy, and the love of a good book.

Mississippi Federated Woman's clubs have significantly impacted the establishment and supported libraries since 1925. Originally nationally known, Andrew Carnegie established the library system by developing the Carnegie Foundation to establish libraries. Mississippi benefited from this Foundation, and eleven libraries were erected in ten communities across the state from 1908 to 1916.  However, the Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs made a significant impact across the state for public libraries. Our Mississippi Library Commission noted the following quote "Without the support and steadfast resolve of the women in the various women's clubs in Mississippi, public libraries would have taken a back-row seat to many other community projects. However, in 1925, the state federation of women's clubs determined to ask for library service in every county in the state. In 1926 the Mississippi Library Commission was established and adopted the same goal as the women's clubs. It would take more than 50 years to accomplish this goal. Wow! Does what our club members do across our state make a difference?

Our public libraries are our educational institutions. These shared libraries, along with college libraries, and academic and educational opportunities, improve the literacy levels of individuals and support life -long learning for education.

Please join me in the next two years to promote public libraries, education, and literacy in our local communities and across our state for our President Special Project 2022-2024.

Let's get back to our GFWC Roots by promoting public libraries, education, and literacy.

Theresa

Here are some ideas for service projects for my PSP.  I would like to plan some type of service project for the clubs throughout the administration. Please feel free to tweak. Plan to put it in our club manual.  Laura, we can add ESO if you want to at Convention.  Thanks, Theresa

PRESIDENTS SPECIAL PROJECT
SERVICE PROJECTS FOR CLUBS 2022-2024

September 2022 
Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month in September with an event such as a Fall for Books Funfest for children with games, face painting, prizes, and a library card sign-up table. Increase sign-up for Library Cards at your Local Library

December 2022
Create a Christmas tree or decoration and donate it to the public library for the month. Or decorate a car or float and enter a Christmas parade with the club and public library.

March 2023
Decorate a chair for Dr. Suess Day and provide it to the local Library.

April 2023
State convention service project  "BIG HOUSE BOOKS" 

June 2023
Club participation in the summer reading program

September 2023
Organize literacy events to “get your school reading.” Organize book-themed events, such as a book walk, book fair, book bingo, book drive or swap, book reading challenge, a book club of “reading buddies,” or a book report contest on “My Favorite Book.” Donate or solicit prizes for awards

December 2023
Member read a Christmas Story o to a group of children from an elementary school, daycare etc. or club provide a Christmas stem activity during December. https://www.steamsational.com/christmas-science-experiments/

March 2024
Organize a Read Across America event in March during National Reading Month. Consult the Read Across America website (https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america) for suggested books, event ideas, and promotional materials for your local library or schools.

April 2024
State Convention - final service project to be determined 

 

President's Logo for 2022-2024 Administration