October 2017 Newsletter

NOTE FROM SSS

Good day,

I hope everyone is having a great Fall. We are well underway in planning for the Annual Retreat in Mexico and have over 100 members signed up! Sign up fast, as there are only 16 rooms left! We have also opened up the room block for the Mini Retreat in Seattle, read below for more details!

2018 Dues were due at the end of September, many people have still not paid. Please remember, you are not permitted to attend any retreats (even if you have signed up for them) unless you have paid your dues. Today (October 31) is the last day to pay your dues before you will be assessed a $200 late fee. There is a section in the newsletter below to click to pay your dues. You will also be excluded from the Face Book if you have not paid your dues.

If you have any updates you would like to share for future newsletters, please email me or Leslie Dube (leslie@belizeangrove.org).

Cheers,
Susan

2017 FACE BOOK

2018 Face Book

It’s time for us to put together the 2018 Face Book! To view your 2017 profile, click here. If you are a new member or if you want to update your bio, please fill out this template and email it to facebook@belizeangrove.org

SURVEY

2017 Belizean Grove Member Survey

Please click here to take the survey!

This survey will take only 5-10 minutes to fill out and will provide us with valuable feedback on how we can make the Grove, Retreats, and Mini Retreats the best experience for our members. We value and appreciate your feedback and opinions.

DUES 2018

If you haven’t yet… Pay your 2018 Dues NOW! Related image

Please click the link below that corresponds with your category to pay your 2018 dues. Starting November 1 is a $200 late fee.

GROVERS Click here to pay dues

NEW GROVERS Click here to pay dues

TARAS Click here to pay dues

NEW TARAS Click here to pay dues

NYOMIS Click here to pay dues

NEW NYOMIS Click here to pay dues

AFM

AFM Update

The AFM board met in October and voted to award the following organization grants:

2017 Funds Granted to date:

A.C. Trazando Espacios
Clear Eyes Clear Mind
International Folk Art Alliance
Mercado Global
Serving the Americas Foundation (America Solidaria)
Ten Times Ten, LLC (Girl Rising)
Kakenya’s Dream
Jack & Jill

AUCTION

2018 Adventures for the Mind Auction in Mexico

Thanks to amazing efforts of many Grove members, the Adventures for the Mind Foundation was able to donate over $70,000 in 2016 to various organizations that support disadvantaged women and girls.

Click HERE to view the list of these organizations.

Auction Chair, Rebecca Boenigk, is now accepting auction donations for the 2018 Annual Retreat Auction to benefit the Adventures for the Mind Foundation.
Please email Rebecca at auction@neutralposture.com if you have anything to donate for the 2018 Auction.

Donations can include items, home stays or even unique special services. For example, Cathy Allen donated her entire Santa Fe estate for the lucky bidder.

Thank you for your continued support of the Adventures for the Mind Foundation!

2018 MEXICO RETREAT

2018 Annual Retreat: Mayakoba, Mexico January 18-22, 2018

Program Registration: REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! The Annual Retreat registration fee is: $1885

Click here to register!

As a part of your registration fee, for the first time, all meals will be included, as well as 12 hours of call bar brands from 11am to 11pm at the resort. Included in your registration fee, along with all meals and 12 hour open bar, are: Retreat bag, BG notebook, program and all program materials, transportation to/from the airport on January 18 and January 22.

We are staying at the Andaz Mayakoba, built in an area of freshwater lagoons, mangroves, coral reefs and pristine beaches nearby, Mayakoba is its own well-maintained ecosystem thanks to an abundance of indigenous fish and bird species. With its stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters, with fresh water diving holes and world-class scuba diving nearby, miles of jogging track throughout the resort, access to El Camaleón Golf Club designed by Greg Norman and Mayakoba Tennis Centre, this resort truly has everything needed for a very special BG Retreat.

PlayadelcarmenbeachThe Program Committee is securing speakers and has some fantastic sessions planned. We will have four exciting dinners at different places in our resort and throughout the gated and secure resort complex, ranging from dinner by pool, a special dinner at one of the other resorts within the complex, a final night party hosted by Pamela O’Rourke—a luau by the beach, and more details to come! Please note that Room Registration is different than the Grove Program Registration, as usual. You will be required to register for both.

Room Reservations and Flights:

We are working with Deb Carr, with Cleveland Circle Travel-American Express, to book rooms at the hotel. BG cannot book your room for you. Deb is also able to book flights for members and has secured a discount with United for flights if booked through Deb Carr. United flies from everywhere to Cancun with a connection via Houston/Chicago/Washington Dulles/Newark/ San Francisco/LAX. To book your room, contact to Deb Carr (deb@cctravel.com), with the below information:

  1. Name as it appears on passports (Make sure Passports have at least 6 months validity upon the return date)
  2. Date of Birth
  3. City of origin / Preferred Carrier or Flights
  4. Departure Date and Return Date
  5. Room type desired
  6. Roommate if applicable
  7. Cell phone number

Click here for room rates and to read more about our exciting Retreat in Mexico.

2018 SEATTLE RETREAT

2018 Mini Retreat: Seattle, Washington September 13-15, 2018

The 2018 Mini Retreat will be in Seattle, September 13-15 with the opportunity for both pre and post trips. Our Seattle Mini Retreat committee is already hard at work planning the event securing high level speakers and exciting places to explore! We will be staying at the beautiful EdgewaterHotel, The “Best Hotel in Seattle” (as reported by CNBC).

With amazing views of the Olympic Mountains, the sparkling waters of Elliott Bay and breathtaking sunset views from your room while still staying at one of the best downtown Seattle hotels. You’ll be within walking distance to the city’s favorite sites.

Click here to book your room in our room block! Or call the number: 1-800-624-0670 14429271030_711c270b16_h

After you have selected the dates you are planning on staying, click on the Belizean Grove room option which will show you a few different room choices. We were able to negotiate great rates on both City View rooms and Water View rooms. We recommend the Water View rooms, which are updated and provide a breathtaking view of the Seattle waterfront and a spectacular “Seattle experience”. If you are looking to travel on a budget, however, the City View rooms provide a great budget friendly option and a wonderful view of the Seattle skyline.

As always, members are not permitted to attend any official Belizean Grove events if you have not paid your dues. If you do not think you have paid your dues, please contact Leslie Dube (leslie@belizeangrove.org)

COMMITTEE SIGN UP

Sign Up for a Committee!

The Executive Committee of the Grove met recently to review our current committee structure.  As part of Sisterhood’s our growth and evolution, we recognize the need for, and benefits of, creating a more inclusive Committee framework to provide expanded opportunities for broader and greater member participation.  Diversity of ideas and thinking within our sisterhood is, in large part, what makes The Grove, “The Grove” and we want to ensure that this unique, yet essential contribution, is more fully represented within and across our leadership committees.

We strongly encourage both Grovers and Taras interested in serving on a committee, as places become available, to let us know via the committee volunteer page on the website (Click here to visit the website).

Members of our newly-formed Nyomi class will be eligible to serve on all committees as of 2019. Going forward, there will be term limits on each of the general committees.

What follows is an overview of our new committee structure, which we encourage everyone to read.  We will update you as committee roles are confirmed and new opportunities open up.

Newly appointed committee members will serve a three-year term starting September ‘17 thru June ‘20.

Our new structure includes 5 formal committees: an Executive Committee, plus 4 other standing committees covering: Finance, Membership (Grovers/Taras); Membership (Nyomis) and Adventures of the Mind (BG Foundation). The BG Advisory Board will remain in place with a more streamlined structure and the Tara Ambassador role will end. Grovers and Taras will be equally represented on each of the five committees, as well as the Advisory Board.

  • The Executive Committee will comprise 6 members, plus Susan Stautberg who serves as Committee Chair, made up of Grovers and Taras. Members are appointed by Susan Stautberg, with consultation, and will be “refreshed” as appropriate.
  • Each of the remaining 4 committees will seat 6 members each (3 Grovers and 3 Taras), plus Susan Stautberg to serve a three-year rolling term with the option of serving an additional three years on the same, or a different committee, at the request of the Executive Committee.
  • Committee members will be appointed annually by the Executive Committee to fill the vacated seats. Each committee will be co-chaired by a member of the Executive Committee, along with a non-executive committee member. Every effort will be made to couple a Grover with a Tara in this shared leadership position.
  • The Advisory Board will have 12 members, plus Susan Stautberg, who serves as Chair. It will comprise the 8 serving co-chairs of the 4 standing committees, plus 4 at-large members. At large members will be appointed by the Executive Committee to a three-year term
  • Ex-Officios: Consistent with our goal of enriching the Grove with the broadest experiences and expertise, other Grovers may be invited to participate as ex-officio (non-voting) committee participants, with the approval of the Chairs, to provide input, share pertinent information and generally stay informed on the particular committee’s business.
  • Special Project Teams or Committees will be assembled in addition to our standing committees to take on specific tasks, assignments or activities such as the annual and mini retreats.  Special project teams will typically comprise 2 to 6 members preferably comprising Grovers, Taras and Nyomis. Information will be circulated to members as these special projects come on line. For instance, we are forming a planning committee for the Grove’s 20th Anniversary in 2020.

We very much hope you will consider signing up for committee or special project consideration. Each and every one within our sisterhood has her own unique contribution to make and we want to be as inclusive as possible while continuing to nourish and develop our Belizean Grove community.

MEMBER NEWS

What the Grovers and Taras Have been Up to Lately…

-The Committee of 200 (C200) Foundation is aiming to award three, $10,000.00 Scholar Awards in Pamela O’Rourke’s name. The Pamela Chambers O’Rourke Scholar Awards will be granted to women graduate business students at the University of Houston.

-Naomi McDougall Jones was the featured talk on TED’s homepage on October 24 for her talk What it’s like to be a Woman in Hollywood!

-Davia Temin wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal Don’t Let Your Girls Become Boy Scouts

Deborah Caplan was featured in the South Florida Business Journal as one of there Power Leaders in HR. View full list here.

-In the Spring, Camille Preston joined Blackhorn Ventures as the firm’s People Strategy Partner. Blackhorn invests in the companies redefining global resources by applying smart, disruptive technology to industrial processes and equipment. In addition to her work with Blackhorn Ventures, Camille continues her work with AIM Leadership and has recently launched a new site and a new book, Create More Flow.

What people are saying about Create More Flow:

The doctor is in! Through research, deep analysis and her own battle-tested techniques, Camille helps identify and create the conditions that lead to that magical combination of productivity, creativity and deep engagement—in other words, flow–in today’s over-wired, over-scheduled, hyper-distracted world. Leigh Gallagher, Editor, Fortune    

Create More Flow offers timely advice for leaders looking for effective strategies to navigate our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.” General George Casey U.S. Army (Retired)

-Rebecca Boenigk was the recipient of the WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy) Public Policy Award. This award recognizes a WIPP member who sets an example of the power each of us has by becoming actively engaged in the political process. Click here to read the full press release. A

dditionally, Rebecca Boenigk joined lawmakers, business owners and others at a press conference at the Capitol Thursday, urging Congress to address areas important to women entrepreneurs in comprehensive tax reform on September 28. Read more about it here.

Ways & Means Press Conference 092817 Kevin Brady & RB 092817

ALI HARVARD

Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative

Learn about the work coming out of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard and check out their form to nominate a Fellow. Their mission is to build knowledge about societal challenges requiring interdisciplinary leadership skills and to capitalize on demographic changes that create opportunities to educate and deploy accomplished leaders at later life stages in public service.

UPDATE YOUR PROFILE

Haven’t updated your profile on the website yet? Not sure what to do? Watch this short video for step-by-step instructions. (NOTE:  To make the video larger – click the small “4 arrows” icon at the bottom right of the video – to the right of the HD.) HOW TO EDIT YOUR PROFILE

Use what you’ve been through as fuel, believe in yourself and be unstoppable!”

-Yvonne Pierre

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