Dr. Patricia Tesoriero, a member of District 1 e-Club, discusses: what is climate change; human-made climate change causes; fracking impact; climate justice, gender inequality, and how climate change impacts women and girls.
The Zonta Says NOW Intercontinental Think Tank meets on the third Sunday of each month and members may register via the Zonta International Events page. Recordings of Intercontinental Think Tank meetings and meeting papers may be found here.
A Zonta Says NOW Think Tank is a group of Zontians from different clubs who meet online to share ideas about gender-equal climate action, learn from each other, be inspired, and have fun! Zonta Says NOW Think Tanks generally have a small team of Zontians who work behind the scenes to set up and publicize online meetings, manage the agenda, arrange speakers, and host online events. Districts and areas in Zonta International can include part of a country, a whole country, or many countries. By adopting a Think Tank approach, Zontians from different clubs, areas and districts in the same country can work together to find ways to improve national and state/provincial laws that impact women and girls.
Intercontinental Think Tank
The Intercontinental Think Tank started in 2022 to facilitate communication between Zontians in different countries. Members learn from a range of speakers how, globally, behaviour in one part of the world has a negative impact on other parts of the world and discuss issues in break-out rooms.
The Intercontinental Think Tank works closely with the United Nations Committee and the United Nations Environment Program.
The Intercontinental Think Tank is developing a growing list of fact sheets, leaflets and Action Guides to support Zonta clubs to take gender-equal climate action.
The Think Tank is also exploring a range of activities and events to show how to strengthen the role of women in the formation f disaster preparedness and response plans.… Read the rest
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is a global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission was established by an ECOSOC resolution in 1946 with a mandate to prepare recommendations on promoting women’s rights in the political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women’s rights.
Below are reports from Dr. Mary Ann Rubis (Quaboag Valley Club), Audrey Millgate (Northampton Area Club) and other Zontians who attended the CSW68 forum.
Mary Ann Rubis ~ Impressions from the Commission on the Status of Women 68 This year marked my 12th anniversary attending this annual event, all in person, with the exception of 2021’s virtual session due to COVID. My week in New York is always energizing, inspiring and uplifting!
Proud to be a Zontian Receiving a pass to attend sessions at the United Nations allowed me to not only participate in side events presented by Permanent Missions, intergovernmental organizations and United Nation entities, but to share information about Zonta International and the Zonta Foundation for Women. In addition, parallel events organized by non-governmental organizations, (like Zonta International), at locations around New York City, highlighted the work that is being done around the world on behalf of women and girls.It was obvious that Zonta International is held in high regard not only by our United Nations partnering organizations but other like-minded organizations as well.
Inspired and amazed
For me, any event hosted by or including teens is a highlight not to be missed. As a teenager, were you thinking about social issues, sharing your views and personal experiences with a room full of individuals of all ages and nationalities, reciting poetry and showing other works of art in public depicting your life? To hear young people, (girls and boys), share their experiences advocating for period products, serving as mentors/leaders to other teens, rising up against poverty or already making a positive impact in their corner of the world was poignant and inspiring.
Aparna Parthasarathy, a Young Women in Public Affairs Scholar and this year’s Zonta International Youth Representative joined Ute Scholz, Zonta International President, Natalia Winder Rossi, Director, Social Policy and Protection, UNICEF and Branda Ng, Manager, Global Partnership and Youth Development Department, Buddhist Tzy Chi Foundation USA as a panelist during the UNICEF USA and Zonta International co-hosted session entitled: “How Strengthening Systems Unlocks Potential to Achieve Gender Equity”. A shocking statistic shared with the audience: at the rate we are going in order for women to have equal status with men will require 131 more years! Social protection is a right!!!
Four event highlights
The Pad Project and Apne Aap: Putting the Last Girl First – Two organizations, women-founded and led. Melissa Berton, Oscar-winning Executive of The Pad Project “A period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education”. Ruchira Gupta, Emmy-winning journalist and Founder of Apne Aap Author of I Kick I Fly In North Hollywood, California in 2012/2013, high school students learned that girls their own age were missing school because of their periods.… Read the rest
It’s that time of the year to be thinking about the annual dues payments to Zonta International and Zonta District 1!
Below is dues information at both the ZI level and District level. You will also find some instruction information on how to pay the dues as well as where to send the District 1 payments.
2024-2025 ZONTA INTERNATIONAL DUES (from the ZI website)
Note:All Clubs: The US $15 new member/reinstatement/charter member fee is included in the dues amount listed above. North American Clubs Only: The US $3 club liability fee is included in the dues amount listed above.
Print out a copy of your Membership Roster at this time which should be sent to the District 1 Treasurer with your District 1 dues payment.
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**The next step is to pay your club’s annual District 1 dues either online through Square or by check in the amounts indicated below no later than May 31.
2024-2025 ZONTA DISTRICT 1 DUES
Full Year (existing member or new member as of June 1, 2024 = $28 per member
Half Year (any member who joins between December 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025) = $14 per member
To pay your dues online:
Log into https://zontadistrict1.org. Click on “Resource Center” then “Finance/Treasurer”. Half-way down the page you will see the “Online Payment to District 1” menu. You can process your $29pp (the extra dollar covers the processing fee) payment through Square there.
Please also mail or email a copy of your updated Membership Roster which you printed out following payment of your ZI dues.
To pay by check:
Send your $28pp check made payable to Zonta International District 1 to me at: Janice Severance, Zonta District 1 Treasurer, 14 South Spring St., Concord, NH 03301
Please also mail or email a copy of your updated Membership Roster which you printed out following payment of your ZI dues.
It is imperative that you send me a copy of your updated 2024-2025 Membership Roster so that your District Board can compile a list of all of the members of District 1.
I am here to help in any way that I can so don’t hesitate to contact me at zdist1treasurer@gmail.com or call me at 603.229.0211 (work #).
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Think spring!
We received good press from the Chelsea Record which spotlighted our November project. The club donated toiletries to the woman residing at a local shelter. We also donated money to help them out.
The second picture is one of our members presenting food gift cards to our local school department. We give each school in our area Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Saugus and Winthrop food gift cards for the holiday season for families in need.
ZC of South County RI
In January a first service project was done for the Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County in South Kingstown. The members of the Club responded to a request for paper goods; paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues for its shelter, donated and delivered them. The donation consisted of 111 rolls of toilet tissue, 18 boxes of tissues, 65 rolls of paper towels, and three packages of napkins. The club is starting a relationship with this organization after having had the Director of Development and Communications as our first guest speaker at our first meeting held in September.
ZC of Quaboag Valley MA
On February 14th, Venture Way Collaborative had an amazing time hosting Zonta Qaboag Valley Period Project. The Period Project assembly was a great event with at least 24 people joining to assemble, drop off or pick up supplies. They ran out of bags after making 600 kits! A huge thanks goes out to all the businesses that helped collect thousands of dollars worth of feminine products and to @alianzadv, @chdfoa, @girlsincvalley, @amherstsurvival @ccholyoke, and other food banks and volunteers who helped get the finished kits to women and girls who need them most.
Installation of club officers and directors This installation ceremony is often performed by a current or former district officer, but may also be performed by a former club president or a Zonta International representative.
The Zonta Club of <Name> has completed another year [or term] of service to the community and to the world. We are all proud of these accomplishments and turn now to the year [or term] ahead. Will the officers and directors of the club for the coming year [or term] please come forward? Director of the club. <name>, your duties are many, and they are important. You will actively participate in all club board meetings. It is important that you attend them regularly, and that you be punctual in doing so. All matters presented at these board meetings are to be carefully and seriously considered. Board decisions are to be made according to the merit of the question with consideration of the governing documents of this club and for the benefit of the entire club membership. You have been elected to an honorable and responsible position. Your work will reflect upon this club, this club’s relationship to the community, to the district and to Zonta International. Do you accept this responsibility? If so, please say I do.
<response> Secretary. Will the secretary, <name> please step forward? It will be your duty as secretary to keep a complete record of the proceedings of all meetings of this club and to keep an up-to-date list of the club membership. You will be expected to furnish pertinent information to committees upon request and will serve as the custodian of all club records, except the treasurer’s. You will also be responsible for such correspondence as may be required for the smooth operation of the club. Do you so pledge?
<response>
If the club has both a recording and a corresponding secretary, install the corresponding secretary first and then the recording secretary. Comment on their specific duties as they are outlined in the Zonta Club Manual.
Zonta International Club Manual under Governance/Manuals on the website Treasurer. Will the treasurer, <name> please step forward? It is your duty as treasurer to have custody of all funds, to make monthly reports to the club board of directors, and to make an annual financial report to the club at its annual meeting. Additionally, it is your responsibility to make timely payment of dues to Zonta International, the district and the area (if applicable) and to perform such other duties as may pertain to the finances of the club. Do you so pledge?
<response> Vice President. Will the vice president, <name>, please step forward? Your duties are special, for they are designated by the president. In addition, in case of the inability of the president to perform the responsibilities of office, it is your duty to preside and carry on the administrative obligations of the president. Do you so pledge?
<response>
If a club has both a 1st and a 2nd vice president, install the 1st vice president first and thereafter the 2nd Vice President.
The Commission on the Status of Women is the largest annual gathering on women’s rights worldwide, and is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Hundreds of sessions take place around the UN in New York City, it is a hybrid event and REGISTRATION IS FREE. Click on the Advocacy toolkit picture to open a PDF that will give you a great overview of CSW.
All are invited to a CSW Orientation session with the Zonta International and the United Nations Committees on Saturday, 24 February, at 8:00 a.m. Chicago time. As the CSW closes, join Zonta International to discuss events of the two-week sessions, what you saw and heard, and where Zonta can play a role post-CSW. The discussion will be held Friday, 22 March, at 8:00 a.m. Chicago time.
CSW is a great way to learn about how women and girls are impacted by current events and how we are doing in achieving the 17 Sustainable Goals by 2030.
As a reminder of the wonderful things our donations can accomplish, please check out this article, which appeared in Forbes: Zonta Partnership with UNICEF USA Here is a link to the article. Also, check out the bios of 2023 scholarship winners on the ZI member site! Thank you to all the clubs who participated in these programs. Consider inviting a scholar to speak at a district or club event.
As of January 30, 2023 donations to the Zonta Foundation for Women supporting international service projects, educational programs, and endowment funds totaled $3,558,359 for the 2022-2024 biennium! That is 78% of the biennium goal.
For District 1,
Total donations from seven of our eleven clubs total $34,823. Great work! Thank you to our amazing clubs!
Five of our members and 1 club have made donations to the endowment funds for a total of $1,541.
Individual donations so far total $9,840, from 37 of our 193 members. 19%
Our district ranks 28th out of 31 districts in donations from individuals. I know we can do better, especially when I look at the average donation per member ($179) compared to districts with many more members. Thank you to all who have donated to date. Let’s all remember the important work of the Foundation. Can we reach the goal of 100% of our members donating? I think we can. I know how much our District 1 Zontians care about the work the Foundation does.
If you have any questions about the work of the Zonta Foundation for Women or would like a speaker for your meeting, please feel free to contact Ambassador Donna Clifford at clifford.d22@gmail.com. Thank you all for your efforts to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.… Read the rest
Chloe was celebrated in January 2024 at an event hosted by the Zonta Club of Chelsea North Shore.
District 1 was proud to learn that the 2024 Amelia Earhart Fellowship was again awarded to an MIT graduate student. Chloe Gentgen is from France and is pursuing studies in Astronautical Aeronautics. She was presented with her “Wings“ and certificate by Club AE Co-Chair Theresa DiPietro and District Secretary Mary Knight, standing in for Governor Donna Sroka, at a special ceremony hosted by the Chelsea Club, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Logan Airport on January 18th. Thanks to Joan Lanzillo Hahesy and Janice Tartaka for coordinating this event.
Zonta District 1, one of 32 Districts around the world comprising Zonta International, includes all of the New England States USA, and Nova Scotia CA. We currently have 11 Clubs and three more Clubs in Formation, including an eClub which is open to anyone.
Zontians believe in making the world a better place by empowering women. We find joy in doing this in a supportive community of like-minded professionals from diverse countries and cultures. Join us in standing with women and girils worldwide.
MISSION Zonta International is a leading global organization of individuals working together to build a better world for women and girls.
VISION Zonta International envisions a world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.
ZC of Chelsea and No Shore MA
ZC of South County RI
ZC of Quaboag Valley MA
The Commission on the Status of Women is the largest annual gathering on women’s rights worldwide, and is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Hundreds of sessions take place around the UN in New York City, it is a hybrid event and REGISTRATION IS FREE. Click on the Advocacy toolkit picture to open a PDF that will give you a great overview of CSW.
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