DWC welcomes you to its Spring site!

Are you looking forward to gardening? Planting, pruning, or preparing vegetable or flower garden?

First, we thought to let winter season pass by and breathe energetically with delight at very beautiful white snow we’ve gotten! So far we had three snow storms compared to the past where we usually had more than four or so. Perhaps spring may arrive a little late this year.

News about our first annual Deaf Women Day’s Luncheon last January 13th, while we did not foresee a growing turnout but at first, we booked the Garden room for 40 people. And guess what? least 67 people attended! We have enjoyed both our special guest speaker, Sue Pedersen and Deaf woman comedienne, Vikee Waltrip. Plus the delicious food and excellent hospitality at Avon Old Farms Hotel. Big thanks to two wonderful women, Eileen Slater and Ileen Roth who assured us calmly and cheerfully which made our worry gone away by simply granting us another room on a very short notice to seat 100 people. Of course, we ordered a nice bouquet of tulips to their office as a graceful thank you for their terrific job.

Our keynote speaker, Sue Pedersen surprised us by displaying her bright smile when she came on, limping towards the podium with a cane from her recent knee surgery. Then teasingly she applied a reddish color lipstick to her lips in front of our audience!

On her excellent speech was based on the event’s theme, “Deaf Women’s Cup of Tea.” Sue inspired us by explaining to us her view on leadership attributes and Deaf women breaking etiquette rules in public, for example, Sue polishing her lips with red lipstick color. Her speech note is available for readers via Word.

After her presentation, Sue circulated some business cards about her own quote along with acronyms; CUP OF TEA. (See front and back of her card here).

After the keynote speech, a grand entrance was made by Vikee Waltrip with her white dog, as a rat terrier. Vikee expressed herself in satire, jokes and stories about her experience with her mother as being different than most women; including her early acting job in traveling to China, deaf small-town gossips, men versus women, deaf schools behaviors and culture bias. Sometimes her rat terrier aroused us with good laughs during her comedic performance.

Nearing the end of the luncheon, we awarded a our very first Deaf Woman of the Year silverware tray to Sue Pedersen in recognition of her exceptional leadership as well as her volunteerism in various deaf organizations and other groups for what Sue believes as noteworthy causes. Also during this special Deaf Women’s Tea event, DWC offered interesting door prizes. As souvenirs, everyone took home a gift of heart shaped tea infuser and program book. What a treat!

For making the luncheon become remarkably possible, we were grateful to have some sponsors and friends. (See the box for list of the sponsors).

During the morning on January 13th, Vikee Waltrip presented very good topic on types and styles of leadership, which was followed up by a group discussion about qualities of leadership, and the difference between management and leadership. Her presentation notes are available via Word.

An update on the three new board officers for 2007 – 2009, Cassandra, Alice and June wholeheartedly accepted DWC board positions which will allow us to continue working with you all about planning for future DWC events. At Alice's home we celebrated with one of our members for
her birthday by presenting a cake and
a gift. See our DWC gathering picture
here. (Please click on this picture for enlarged image).

At this present, there are two vacant positions available for Program Coordinator and Assistant Program Coordinator.

We would cordially invite you to DWC gathering at Cassandra’s home on May 5th, Saturday around 1 PM. (See the events page for more info).

Please feel free to drop a note in expressing your interest for which the available positions and if you are interested to volunteer, please say what you’d like to do for DWC!

“It is better for a woman to compete impersonally in society, as men do, than to compete for dominance in her own home with her husband, compete with her neighbors for empty status, and so smother her son that he cannot compete at all.”