CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to all our members, friends and guests!  Because of you, who joined, connected, showed up, participated, gave time, gave money, spread the word, and just supported along the way helped make our first year an amazing one!

As we reflect back on this last year, I am filled with gratitude and extremely proud of all our great accomplishments. We chartered last April with 58 members when the requirement was only 15.  During our chartered year, we fulfilled all the SIA programs, achieved some extraordinary accomplishments and received the esteemed Victory Award at Camino Real Region's Spring Conference. (This award is given to the club with the highest percentage increase from July 1 to March 30.)

We also held two unique, fun and wonderful fundraisers, The Wine Affair and the High Heel A Thon; they were well received in the community and raised monies to support our service funds. Rose Chegwin and Jodi Stokes, fundraiser chairs and their committees, deserve a great big THANK YOU for their passion and commitment.  They both agreed to chair these events again, next year. 

It’s the energy and enthusiasm that we exude when we work together that makes things happen.  I believe that this is why we were able to have another great and exciting accomplishment, we chartered with Stacie House, as committee chair, the FIRST S-Club in Santa Clarita Valley.   The West Ranch S-Club is made up of 45 high school girls who wanted an opportunity to perform service and to further the goals of Soroptimist.  Isn’t that awesome?!

I am so excited about the year ahead because we held our first annual membership retreat to start executing our plans for our 2009-2010 year. We have learned so much from this past year and you have a Board that is committed to you, in keeping you connected and please know that your contribution as a member or by participating in one of the 20+committees makes a difference to our success. 

Thank you for making 2008-2009 year a beautiful bouquet of memories for me.  My hope is that we continue to share with one another, our community and beyond what we reach and see today… “We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship…”   So my theme this year is LIGHTING THE WAY TO LIVE YOUR DREAMS… A candle loses none of it’s light by lighting another… together we will help others live their dreams" So look up, light a candle, sip some wine and let your light shine…..

Always,