Mary Knight

STEM

2023 Women in STEM

District 1 winner for the Women in Stem Scholarship 2023 award at the ZI level was Lily Chen, MIT. Her application was submitted by the Zonta Club of Berkshire Area Club.

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JMK

2024 JMK Women in Business Procedures

The application and guidelines for the 2024 JMK Women in Business is posted to the Zonta International Website and at www.zontadistrict1.org/resources/jmk.

A couple of important things to remember when selecting a candidate. One, they must assure that references submit a signed & dated recommendation form with their signed & dated reference letter. Secondly, they must assure that the updated verification of current enrollment, or an official statement from the university/college registrar stating enrollment and graduation information is signed/dated AND includes a legible school seal. Thirdly, according to ZI rules, the applicant must confirm that they are not a family member (ancestor, descendant, adoptee, sibling, niece or cousin) of a classified member (club member or individual with direct membership with Zonta International) or a family member of a classified member’s spouse or cohabiting partner, and/or employee of Zonta International. It is my understanding ZI is being very strict about this particular requirement.

In addition, it is imperative that when the Club President submits an application/materials to District 1 for consideration of moving on to the ZI level, they assure all of the required application documents are sent to me as the District 1 JMK Evaluation Committee Chair, along with the signed/dated Club- Application Cover Sheet. The email address for submission of JMK applications from District 1 Clubs is: JMK@districtI.org or directly to Lorraine Bartlett at 454tequila@gmail.com

This is a lot of information to digest so if any of you have any questions or need clarification about the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Individual Zonta Clubs determine their own deadline for submission of JMK applications to their Club.
Please be aware that the deadline to submit an application to District 1 for review by the District 1 JMK Evaluation Committee is August 15, 2024.

I hope you find the above information and the attached documents to be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Lorraine Bartlett, Chair
District 1 YWPA Evaluation Committee
Member, Zonta Club of Concord, NH

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Governance

Bylaw Update Instructions 2022

Every biennium after the Zonta International Convention, ZI provides an updated Club Bylaw Template that must be adopted by club members to be sure club bylaws are in sync with changes made by delegates at Convention. There are very few changes from the 2021 template. Review the Action Required and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

ACTION REQUIRED
If the club hasn’t updated the bylaws in the last 4 years, please customize the 2023 Template as directed on the 1st page. When completed, distribute to all members for review and approval. A 2/3 vote is required to adopt the Bylaws. Send an electronic copy of the approved Bylaws to info@ZontaDistrict1.org for the District Archive.

If the club updated the bylaws with the 2021 Template, please edit your document to reflect changes in the 2023 bylaw version. [For most of you the changes will be minimal – see below for the changes I found for my club.] When completed, distribute to all members for review and approval. A 2/3 vote is required to adopt the Bylaws. Send an electronic copy of the approved Bylaws to info@ZontaDistrict1.org for the District Archive.

IV Membership

Sec. 1 Remove “classification” from limitations on who can be a member
Sec. 2 Remove “experience in recognized business or profession” from who can be a member

VII Officers and Directors
Sec. 6 Remove the procedure language about removal from office and reference the Removal Policy on the Zonta website

XI Suspension or Expulsion
Remove the procedure language about suspension or expulsion and reference the Suspension/Expulsion Policy. (See Policy attached)

Throughout the document, check the following in your bylaws:

“INDIVIDUAL” replaces person or men/women

“CHAIRS” replaces chairperson or chairman… Read the rest

YWPA

2023 YWPA Winner

District 1 winner for the YWPA 2023 award at the ZI level was Morgan Casey from Concord, NH. Her application was submitted by the Zonta Club of Concord NH. 

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Membership

Belonging

If you ask 100 Zontians WHY they continue to be volunteers for this organization, the top 3 responses will be: “I joined for the cause, but stayed for the friendships.”
Belonging defined: a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome and accept you.  Doesn’t it make sense to capitalize on this fact as we work on attracting and retaining membership? Especially since this is a Membership-Driven organization!

The Zonta Spirit Working Group has been gathering and sharing ideas. Key takeaways on building a culture of community, fun, and friendship include:

  • People bond from the shared experience of working together on a project – service, fundraising, advocacy, etc.
  • Socializing outside of club meetings is where the magic happens – caring and sharing.
  • Celebrating each other’s achievements and being there for each other’s low points builds the resiliency we need to advocate for others.
  • Shared leadership ensures that we are inclusive, open to new, diverse ideas, and building capacity for succession planning.
  • Being a leader of an all-volunteer group is challenging; it is a team effort. The goal is to ensure each person feels valued and empowered.
  • Sharing our WHY stories with new members and getting them engaged from the start enhances the feeling of belonging

Click on brochure to open PDF

Click here to watch short videos of District 1 members speak about their why. Recorded at Fall Conference 2023.

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