Soroptimist
International
is the oldest and world's largest women's service organization. It comprises
a worldwide network of women of high integrity and status in their business
and professional capacities.
It
was founded in 1921 by a group of 80 women in Oakland California.
They chose their name from two Latin words meaning "best for women."
Today, Soroptimist International has 96,894 members in 3,149 clubs in
119 countries.
SOROPTIMIST
INTERNATIONAL consists of four Federations:
Our
Caribbean Region comprises 18 clubs in 9 countries and is affiliated
with Soroptimist International of Great Britain & Ireland. Mrs.
Leila Robinson of Grand Turk is the current President of the Caribbean
Region.
Soroptimist
members represent the diverse occupations found in the community. To
be eligible for membership one must be actively engaged in a management
or professional capacity, in the private or public sector, or in an
occupation with comparable status or responsibilities. Membership is
by invitation from the local club.
GRAND
TURK
The
Soroptimist International of Grand Turk was chartered on 20th of April,
1979. We have 30 members and hold meetings every second Monday in the
month.
Our
long term Project is our children's Day Care Center which opened in
May, 1984. We cater to children of working mothers, especially those
from lower income.
Other
short-term projects are:
- Assisting
the elderly and shut-ins
- Working
jointly with groups in preserving the environment
- Involvement
in rehabilitation programmes in the aftermath of natural disasters
Every
two years, a member club of the Caribbean Region hosts the Biennial
Conference where problems and concerns are aired and means are devised
to solve them. In the year 2001, the Conference will be held in
Grand Turk.
Following
this year's Biennial Conference, held in Tobago, our Grand Turk club
will focus on :
- The
family- emphasis on the girl child
- Teenage
pregnancy and rehabilitation
- Child
abuse eradication, identification and elimination of violence against
women