Our History

Our club was chartered on September 20 of 1993.  We had 30 original members and to date we have lost one, Winifred Fleming, with her passing. 

We have met for our regular meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, at Sands Tea Room on Newcastle Avenue.  This is courtesy of member Diane Turner, Manager at Sands Funeral Chapel.   We have met in this space for 13 years and enjoy free access to the lovely room at no cost. 

In 2003 we celebrated our Tenth Anniversary with a luncheon at the Dorchester Hotel, attended by our sister Zontians from Victoria’s Zonta Club; these members were our mentors and sponsored our club.

Our Charter Dinner was held at the Dorchester Hotel in March of 1994 and was attended by District Board members and many of our Past District Governors.  Representatives from the Zonta Club of St. Catharines , Ontario were also present. 

In 2008 we are celebrating our Fifteenth Anniversary and in this report we will attempt to outline many of the diverse activities that our members have initiated, supported or created. 

Our expenditures come from our administrative funds; no monies raised for charitable purposes or for projects are spent on the operation of the club’s business.   We are allowed a certain percentage to carry on our business but have been successful with careful and astute attention to income and disbursements  over the years to maintain a healthy financial statement.

An optimum number in a club is usually around 30 to 40 members, so we are told.  Since June of 2005,  when we numbered 16; we have grown to a membership of 26 in June of 2006.   This is a remarkable growth in one year and we have also distance members:  one in Calgary and one in Vancouver.  The members we are inducting are women of vision and commitment to their communities, locally and in a global sense.

We have been fortunate to have members transfer from other clubs when they relocated to Nanaimo.  Some of our members travel from Parksville and Nanoose for meetings. 

Two of our members will be involved in the District 8 Team for 2006-2008: they are:  Anna Reilly as Area 5 Director and Corinne Stewart as District 8 Secretary.   This affords our club first look at the latest District News.

Connections

Over the past two years we have reached out to connect with other clubs involved in the Five O project:  Zonta International’s partners are:  Soroptomist International; Canadian Federation of University Women, Business and Professional Women and the Council of Women. 

Our success with our close liaison with the Soroptomist Club of Courtenay has been a positive one;  They support our International Womens Day and we support their fund raisers for scholarships.  A member of the Vancouver Soroptomist Club spoke to our IWD Dinner this year:  on Human Trafficking. 

We are in contact with the University Women; exchanging attendance at one another’s meetings; and with the Business and Professional Women in Duncan, as well.  

As well: at these events we enjoyed a variety of entertainment:  champion young women competitors in tap dancing; the Mambo Moms and their babies; the harp by our lady musicians Ann and Gwyneth;  the list goes on as this event has been held for over 10 years.  It is one of the definitive occasions to be held in Nanaimo every March 8^th. 

Young Women in Public Affairs

This award was started in 1996 with the first award to Danielle Gauthier of Woodlands and the second to Diana Stech of Wellington Secondary.  This is a most successful program and this past year we had 2 young women from Wellington receive awards again. 

Race Relations

This program , a partnership with the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society is now in its 8^th year and there are now 3 awards to be handed out:  two young women from NDSS and one from Wellington will receive these at Multicultural’s AGM, June 21^st.

Citizenship Court

We have been involved for almost 10 years in this activity; our members solicit Nanaimo bars, maple cookies, juice from the Quality Foods operation in town.   We purchase tea and coffee when those are served.  There are usually 2 events in one day at Beban Park; and these celebrations take place 3 or 4 times a year.   Our club has been recognized by the Federal government’s Citizenship and Immigration Ministry for our work with new Canadians during this celebration. 

Antique Appraisal Show

Again, a partnership with the Nanaimo and District Museum; last year held at Port Place.  A most successful project and we have been holding this event for about 8 years.  This raises funds for our commitments to our local agencies and groups and particular awards.  It is an excellent publicity project for the club.  A most successful project and we have been holding this event for about 8 years.This raises funds for our commitments to our local agencies and groups and particular awards.It is an excellent publicity project for the club.

Easter Bunny Photo Shoot

First started in 1994 when we had our own members dress as bunnies and give out Purdy’s chocolate eggs; we have progressed and the Woodgrove Mall hires an individual to be the “bunny” while our members assist with the cashier and photo prep duties.  These funds are general earmarked for :   Kids Help Phone/ Children who witness Abuse and the Vancouver Island International Children’s Festival.

Pearson College of the Pacific

This is a District 8 project for the College situated  at Pedder Bay, near Metchosin , south of us.  This College is now in its 30^th year and the Board Chairman is Queen Mother Noor of Jordan.  She succeeded Nelson Mandela in this position.

Our club is usually given a house to connect with the students; we have been doing this since we chartered; we forward funds and gifts for the students and attend their One World concert in February.

October of this year we will be attending the Zonta District 8 Seminar in Victoria and visiting Pearson College for dinner and a tour on the Friday evening of Thanksgiving week end.   This is an inspiring philosophy and an inspiring setting for a school.   Students do not pay any fees to attend.  They come from all countries and 20% of the student body is Canadian. 
 
Malaspina University College

We have funded bursaries, scholarships and now we are increasing our commitment to our Zonta Endowment Fund.  This has been a long term goal; we are attacking this goal with determination and vision.   We hope to raise the amounts in all three programs.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup 

We started our involvement in 2003; we have always enjoyed good weather and fellowship with our Friends of Zonta when cleaning up at Pipers Lagoon Park.  The morning is spent working, the lunch time is then social hour.  This is our environmental project for the club.  This is co sponsored by the Vancouver Aquarium and the TD bank.  All supplies are sent to us; we return the data sheets to the aquarium.   This is definitely an interesting occasion.

Other Volunteer Activity

Our members have also volunteered at a large variety of local community events or ongoing programs.  We will list only a few so that we may have a flavour of what Zonta means to our community:  Hospice; the Port Theatre; the 7/10 Soup kitchen; the Childrens Festival; the Symphony’s efforts to raise funds for music for kids; Girl Talk at Georgia Avenue school; Unique Kids; Alianza; Prajna School; Malaspina Nursing students to Dominica and also to Thailand for their practicum training; autumn bazaars; RCMP Victims Services; Dragon boat activities are but a few.

We supplied help for the BC Summer Games and also the BC Disability Games held in Nanaimo.  At one time we hosted  hot dog sales  and sold books in front of the library.

A Story You Might Not Know

In our early days, not so long ago, we were instrumental in making a connection with the local Quaker group that approached us to find accommodation and a family for a teen age girl, Serbian and Muslim, who had lost her father to war and was separated from her mother and sister.   We were successful, as a new Zontian stepped to the fore and offered her home as a place of refuge and peace. 

This young woman , after 9 years, speaks perfect English, has gone on to her own career in pharmacy; bought a home and sent for her mother and sister; she also worked at a pharmacy and ran two businesses of her own. 

Her first words to her mother, when the telephone was connected after she arrived here in Nanaimo: “  I am safe; it is beautiful; I can see the Pacific Ocean.”

Zonta Red Gala

This event , the social spot to be in February every year; started out as Ladies in Red; this was often confused with another group; so we changed the name.   This is new; we only held our first evening of red fun and fantasy back in 2004!  Seems hard to believe, but we have had 3 of these occasions and our new member, Gwyn Amat, flies in from Calgary to be our Mistress of Ceremonies every year.

Each year attendance has doubled and in 2006 we were able to assist the Heart and Stroke Foundation with an amount raised for them of $6.000.   This is our health related project for the club and it is very good for raising the profile of the club in the community.

Alianza

A local nurse, Rebekah Shoop, has as her goal the building of health clinics in rural Guatemala; we have helped Rebekah , financially, since she was a student nurse at Malaspina.  We hope to see her this summer as Area 5 has some funds for her; Rebekah will be home in Nanaimo for the summer to work at NRGH and earn a salary for her return to Guatemala.
 
Chitralekha

This young lady is a student at Prajna School in Mangalore, India.   She was brought to our attention by a member of our club; she is studying commerce and business and is looking forward to a career in a year or so.   Chitralekha is now 18 years old and has an excellent command of the English language and is studying hard.  She had been selling beedies to earn money for her family; an additional burden is her orthopedic problems with her right foot following a  siege of polio when she was an infant.   She is positive and very appreciative and communicates often.  

With this connection to Mangalore; we hope to start a Zonta Club there; the District 25 Governor is very interested and we have some well educated and interested women in the city as well.  

Above All

Thanks to each and every one of our club members for all that you do for Zonta, the community, your families, your careers and your volunteer relationships.   Little did we know in 1993 just what we were starting and what incredible women would join us.  You are all smart cookies and, as we know: “ Smart cookies don’t crumble.”

Corinne Stewart, Charter President  1993-96;   President   2004-06