Miss Mary Whitehead, President of the Co-ordinating Committee for the South West Pacific, chartered Soroptimist International of Mount Gambier in November 1977. In November 2002 the club celebrated its 25 years of charter and was proud to be able to celebrate with six of its charter members remaining members.
Since that time, club members have served the local community and worked to promote the status of women both locally and globally. Members of the club have been active at all levels of the organisation from club to international. Two delegates from the Mount Gambier Club attend the Soroptimist of South Australia Regional Council meetings, which are held four times per year in Adelaide. The Club is represented by a voting delegate to the biennial Soroptimist International South West Pacific Federation Conference of Clubs and some members have been fortunate enough to attend International Conventions and Board Meetings. The active participation of club members at various levels of Soroptimist International has kept the club involved in the wider world of Soroptimist International and helps ensure that our efforts in the local community help to make Soroptimist International an effective Global Voice for Women.
SI Mount Gambier President's Regalia was designed to represent the town and area. The tower on Mount Gambier is depicted with a pine tree, which represents the large forest plantations, with the blue lake in the foreground.
The regalia was embroidered by the late Mr Ralph Adams in petit point. The embroidery is backed and mounted in silver. A silver chain supports bars on which the President's names and years of office have been inscribed.
CLUB MEETINGS
Business meetings/dinner meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday evening of each month. Social Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The Club Executive meets monthly on the first Tuesday of each month and works hard to ensure that meetings are run efficiently and effectively, allowing time for social interaction (a cuppa and a chat) after the meeting.
Each member is invited to serve on at least one of the following committees:
FEES
Annual fees are currently $118.15. This covers payment of fees to the Federation and International levels of Soroptimist International, copies of the Federation and International magazines and club running costs (minutes, postage, newsletters etc.). There is also a one-off joining fee of $25, which covers the cost of the badge, constitution etc.
FRIENDSHIP LINKS
The club maintains Friendship Links with Griffith, NSW, Australia; Nelson New Zealand; Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia; Warrington, England and Northern Island; Freiburg, Germany and Rehovot, Israel.
FUN TIMES/SOCIAL EVENTS
Regular social events allow the members and their families to get to know each other and have fun together. In addition to the business meeting on the second Tuesday of each month the club also meets for a social meeting on the fourth Tuesday of the month. It is at the Social meeting that Guests are invited to speak. Some of these meetings are held in the homes of members who generously offer to host a meeting. The club calendar has come to include some regular events including a gathering early in the New Year at the home of the President.
MEMBERSHIP
Soroptimist members are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise. Membership is by invitation. To be eligible for membership, a woman must be active, or have been active, in business or profession or devote a significant amount of time to unpaid, voluntary work. Members are expected to attend business meetings of the club. Members can apply for leave of absence for up to one year should work, family or travel commitments make regular attendance difficult for an extended time.
Our current membership includes women with expertise in Office Administration, Nursing (including Theatre Nurse, Diabetes Adviser, Women's Health Adviser and Occupational Health & Safety), Education, Business Management, Accounting, Beef Cattle Production, Wool Production, Auto Parts Dismantling, Commerce, Social Work and Telecommunications.
Our current membership includes women with expertise in Office Administration, Nursing (including Theatre Nurse, Diabetes Adviser, Women's Health Adviser and Occupational Health & Safety), Education, Business Management, Accounting, Beef Cattle Production, Wool Production, Auto Parts Dismantling, Commerce, Social Work and Telecommunications.
Membership offers opportunities to:
President: Christine Plunkett
Secretary: Leonie Spehr
Treasurer: Joy Kirby
Immediate Past President: Kay Gilbertson
Committee Convenors: Jenny Hutchesson, Kay Gilbertson, Janet Kentish and Rosemary McCourt.
INVOLVEMENT IN SI AT OTHER THAN CLUB LEVEL
Members have the opportunity to participate in a number of levels of the organisation - Region, Federation and International - and to attend conferences and conventions.
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information, contact the Secretary at mountgambier@siswp.org