WHAT IS A DEPARTMENT?

The Departments are an important part of our club.  Chairmen are selected by the Incoming President for the following departments:  Art, Conservation, Education, Home Life, International Affairs, and Public Affairs.

 The President provides a chairman handbook, which has information about their department.  She will distribute informative materials that she receives from GFWC throughout the year to the Chairman to keep them informed of state projects as well as to give them new project ideas.  The President can also answer questions that the Chairman may have. 

 The chairman will meet with her committee to decide the different programs and projects that pertain to her department. (Arts, Conservation, Education, Home Life, International Affairs, and Public Affairs). The chairman along with her committee, are responsible for hosting one general meeting during the club year.  The chairman should assign an area of her department work to each member of her committee. If your committee would like to have a program at the meeting you are hosting, it is the committee person’s responsibility to contact the proposed speaker, inform them of the date and get a brief history of the program to use as an introduction before the program at the business meeting.  Introduce the speaker (Name and brief introduction of organization and person).  The Speaker should only present a program that is 15-20 minutes in length.  Please make this person aware of this upon contact.  After the speaker/program has been presented, the member should stand before the membership to thank our speaker.  Depending on the speaker, some require a stipend amount for speaking in front of a group and others do not.  So it is decided by the committee if a gift or donation to a charity is made in their honor. (You must give the Treasurer a receipt and a reimbursement request to be refunded for this expense).  Besides providing a program for your assigned month, the department is responsible to see that members are provided with refreshments and that a greeter is available to welcome new and prospective members.  That department committee should help the President set up and clean up the area where the business meeting will be held.

 It is the responsibility of the Chairman to provide service work or monetary donation to different organizations within her department’s area.  She should keep the general membership informed of her department’s activities through articles in our newsletter and through brief reports at our business meetings.

 Each department is responsible for the following expenses from their allocated budget:  photocopying, postage, phone, supplies (poster board, brochures, etc.), speakers and donations.

WHAT IS ART?

The Art Department encourages members to foster and support arts activities in all communities.

 Some Arts in the Community Projects or Program include: VSA arts (formerly Very Special Arts), Art For Youth - Support Youth Art Month observed each March, craft projects, decorations and face painting at our Breakfast with Santa, buying art supplies for local preschools or schools, Art Auction, Art-in-the-Park, Sun Foundation Scholarship (art scholarship), and Safe Kids Poster Contest.

Some Fostering Community Art include: decorating containers for the Snyder Village Auction, making items for residents at Snyder Village, decorate Christmas trees at Snyder Village, making and decorating a tree at the Court House in Metamora at Christmas time, supporting the Performing Arts Program at our local schools by informing members of upcoming events and fundraisers, and field trip with members to Lakeview, etc.

 The Arts have two Contests that they are promoting.  Photography Contests encourages members’ artistic expression and recognize and support members’ achievements in photography.  Short Story and Poetry Contests encourage members and youth to develop creative writing skills and to recognize their achievements.

WHAT IS CONSERVATION?

The Conservation Department has two programs that they are promoting.  The Beautification Program educates members about the importance of beautifying their communities and stimulate citizen action to address these concerns.  The Resource Conservation educates members and communities about the importance of preserving natural resources and stimulate citizen action to address these concerns.

 Some Community Beautification Projects or Program include: Celebrate Keep America Beautiful Month in April, Work with schools, scouts and other youth groups to encourage young people to beautify their surroundings, including playgrounds, home yards, and community parks, Coordinate a “Yard of the Month” event in the community, Celebrate Earth Day – April 22, Observe Earth Day with book donation to local schools or libraries, Donation to the Metamora Biking/Hiking Trail.  Some Research and Implement Tree-Planting/Preservation Projects are: Donation to Shawnee National Forest and donating a tree in honor of Arbor Day. Some Resource Conservation suggestions: Celebrate America Recycles Day – November 15, Adopt-an-Animal (Glen Oak Zoo and Wildlife Prairie Park), Smokey Bear Poster Contest, Making pinecone birdfeeders with local preschool children, Kids in Kindness Program is a subscription of Kind News to a teacher, and Providing information to club members on conservation issues. Participate in and/or Organize Litter Prevention Projects: Observe Keep America Beautiful’s “Great American Clean-Up” in April, Organize Highway Recycling Events, Present “Golden Broom” awards to local businesses that clean up or improve their buildings/surroundings, Recycling options, Collects soda tabs for Ronald McDonald House, and Magazine Recycling.

WHAT IS EDUCATION?

The Education Department has two programs that they are promoting.  The Lifelong Learning is to promote a commitment to lifelong learning by encouraging members and others to foster and support educational opportunities in their communities.  The Literacy Program educates members and others about literacy among adults, family and youth, and encourage citizen action to address literacy concerns.

 Some Lifelong Learning Projects or Programs include: projects to support libraries such as Library Story Hours, Book coding at local libraries, Book raffles during National Library Week and National Children’s Book Week, Donate book to local library in honor of new babies born to club members during the club year, Donate books to local or school libraries, Honor library staff at local libraries during National Library Week in April, “Be A Smartie – Read!” promotion during National Library Week in April, Initiate a Books for Babies Program which provides packets that contain a baby book and information on helping babies develop a love of books and reading to new parents/caregivers and Honor Teacher’s during National Education Week. 

 Some Literacy Programs include: Adult Literacy, Club/Community Education and Awareness, Identification, Recruitment and Training of Tutors and Volunteers, Identification and Recruitment of Students, Family Literacy, Youth Literacy, and Tutoring.

WHAT IS HOME LIFE?

The Home Life Department has three programs that they are promoting. The Dollars and Sense Program is to educate members and others about the value of and need for retirement planning and to provide valuable financial information regarding checking credit, giving wisely, identity theft and social security. The Helping Hands Program educates members and others about organizations that improve the lives of those in need; provide opportunities to offer support. The Women’s Health Program educates members and others about the most prevalent medical problems affecting women today, and encourage women to adopt proven methods for optimizing their own physical health and quality of life.

 Some Dollar and Sense Programs include: Planning Ahead:  Building Retirement Income. Checking Your Credit, Wise Giving, Avoid Online Identity Theft, Prevent Identity Theft, and Social Security.

 Some Helping Hands Programs include: Easter Seals, Heavenly Hats, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), March of Dimes (MOD), National Organization on Disability (NOD, Meals for Greg, Projects at Snyder Village, our retirement home in Metamora, such as Bingo, crafts, birthday parties, our children Trick or Treating residents, decorating a Christmas tree at the home, cards to residents, Support, donate, and work at the Community Holiday Basket Fund, Holiday Gift Certificates for a needy family, Work at a soup kitchen, Winning Wheels, and Coats for Kids.

 Some Women’s Health Programs include: Healthy Lifestyle – organize or participate in health fairs or forums; plan activities for Breast Cancer Month in October; educate members on illness by a program or give facts in the club newsletter, Shingles, Stroke, Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Women and Cancer, and Diabetes.

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS?

The International Affairs Department has two programs that they are promoting. The Reaching Out Internationally Program is to educate members and others about world needs and provide opportunities to offer support. The United Nations Program educates members and others about United National programs concerning women and children, and support GFWC’s presence as a UN Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Observer.

Some Reaching Out Internationally Programs include: CARE, Plan USA (formerly Childreach), Clowns Without Borders, Cure International, Heifer Project International (HPI), Global Volunteers, Operation Smile (OSI), Save The Children, Cultural Exchange, and World Food Day (WFD).

Some United Nations Programs include: Recognize and celebrate United Nations Day (October 24^th), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Trick of Treat for UNICEF, Campaign Against HIV/AIDS, and United Nations Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM).

WHAT IS PUBLIC AFFAIRS?

The Public Affairs Department has two programs that they are promoting. The Citizenship Program is to educate members and others about the importance of active citizenship, veteran’s affairs and historic preservation, and encourage participation in related activities. The Safety Program educates members and others about community, home and vehicle safety issues, and encourages citizen action on these issues.

Some Citizenship Programs include: Veterans Affairs - conducts projects that recognize and honor all veterans such as Donate items to the Danville V.A. Medical Center and Peoria Outpatient Clinic, Hold program at Snyder Village for Veteran’s on Veteran’s Day, Send cards to Veteran’s for holidays, Visit veteran’s during the year especially on Veteran’s Day and holidays, Honor local veterans during Veteran’s Day or at a local football game halftime, Collect good and clean used clothing to Veteran’s Hospitals, Make lap robes, bed jackets, wheel chair caddies, etc., Inquire about the needs of the female veteran’s, and Avenue of Flags display.  Soldiers and Their Families - Collect and send coupons to military families overseas, Support Homes for Our Troops, Support Fisher House, Send care packages to servicemen overseas. Citizenship Participation - Vote and encourage others to do the same, Invite candidates to speak at club meetings, Encourage members to become registrars, work at the polls, and give rides to voters in need and encourage qualified women to seek elected or appointed office. Historic Preservation is crucial to preserve America’s historic landmarks by working to preserve historic sites and artifacts, Celebrate Historic Preservation Week (second week in May), Promote a grassroots movement to preserve historic downtown areas, and create the club’s history.

Some Safety Programs include: Community Safety - Ensure Amber Alert emergency response system, Work with local law enforcement officials, neighborhood coalitions, and city/town councils to develop crime prevention programs.  Such as Child Lures and McGruff, Child Safety Clinic –fingerprinting, poisons, toys, firearms, sports, school and playground, Honor Fire Departments during Fire Prevention Week in October, Honor Crossing Guards, Operation Snowball, Operation STARS, D.A.R.E. Graduation Program and GFWC Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Burn Camp.

Home Safety - Work with local fire departments or hospital community liaison to hold a fire safety awareness day for children and parents, Reduce calls from telemarketers, Set up an awareness campaign to remind community to change batteries in smoke detectors, and Organize a Red Cross Babysitting Clinic. Vehicle Safety - Promote the use of booster seats for children between 40 and 80 pounds and less than 4’9” tall, Hold a fitting station for safety and booster seats., CHAD – children’s identification program, and Promote the use of seat belts.