Upper Cape Cod BPW Bulletin - October 2010

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Our September Dinner Meeting's speaker, Dr. Meredith Harris, was inspiring and engaged all members with her stories of the work she has done and will be doing in South Africa at The Nelson Mandela University. The goal of her Fulbright Scholarship Award is to help as many AIDs patients as possible use physical exercise to obviate the need for drugs which for many have side effects. For many years Dr. Harris has worked with US children with AIDs.

October 18-22 is National Business Women's Week and the Cranberry District will be celebrating this event by honoring Women of Achievement at the October 20, 2010 event which is to be held at Alberto's Restaurant in Hyannis, MA. The Upper Cape Cod local is pleased to be honoring Juliane Soprano, Falmouth Attorney, as our Woman of Achievement.

On October 16, 2010 the State Fall Board is to be held at the Sturbridge Publick House, Sturbridge, MA. This should be an interesting meeting, and I encourage all who are able to attend.

"Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk" was the title of a lecture given by Dr.Margaret L. Kripke who was appointed to the President's Cancer Panel by President George W. Bush that I attended at Harvard Law School on September 21. The Panel dedicated its 2008-2009 activities to examining the impact of environmental factors on cancer risk. The Panel considered industrial, occupational, and agricultural expsosures as well as exposures related to medical practice, military activities, modern lifestyles, and natural sources.

Dr. Julia Brody, Director of Silent Spring Institute, introduced the speaker. Dr. Kripke admitted that she was skeptical of any environmental link to cancer when she was appointed, but after reviewing the research (the panel of three does not do any research;they review the research), she and the others were particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr.,also on the panel, vetted all research that was presented; no research was allowed to be presented if it had been funded by an industry. The Panel in its letter to the President said it "strongly urges you to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation's productivity, and devastate American lives". Dr. Kripke asked the audience to contact their Congressmen and to advocate for more environmental research.

CRANBERRY DISTRICT MEETING NOTES:

Your President attended the Cranberry District meeting which was held on September 16, 2010 at Uno's Restaurant in Hyannis,MA. We still do not have a list of current membership. President VJ will give it to us as soon as she has it. We discussed the advantages of a podium/lecturn and microphone for our Women of Achievement (WOA) speakers.We will try to find these.

The Board strongly feels that we need to have PACKAGES at our WOA event to hand out to guests to provide some information about joining BPW. Marsha Stout will work on this project most likely as efficiently and thoroughly as she has worked on many BPW projects. We suggested getting some information off the Foundation web. Possibly the history (some of which follows) of National Business Women's Week will be included.

Linda Stevens may speak about BPW for a few minutes at the event.

The concept of National Business Women's Week originated with Emma Dot Partridge, Executive Secretary of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs from 1924-1927. The first annual observance of NBWW was held April 15-22, 1928, when National President Lena Madesin Phillips opened the week with a nationally broadcast speech. She stated the purpose of the week was "to focus public attention upon a better business woman for a better business world". Personally I'm thankful that Elizabeth Warren has been appointed interim Director of the new Consumer Protection Agency. Let's hope she can advocate for a better business world.

The next District Meeting is to be held on October 13, 2010 at Uno's Restaurant in Hyannis,MA.

Sylvia A. Connor, President

WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT

On October 20, 2010 the Cranberry District will honor three women from the locals who have contributed to the advancement of women. The Upper Cape Cod /BPW has chosen a member of their local who has accomplished many achievements in an area which has been predominately male oriented. Juliane has been a member of BPW since 1997 and has served on many committees while a member of the previous Falmouth local as she continues to support all that BPW stands for may we wish her many successes in the years to follow. Attorney Soprano was recently honored by her peers when she was chosen as one of Boston’s best attorneys in the field of Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability law.

At this time Mid Cape will also be honoring Carol Sim, President and CEO of Rehabilitation Hospital of Cape Cod and Islands and Lower Cape Cod BPW will be honoring Dorothy Smith, Legislative Aide in the office of State Representative Sarah Peake.

Please make every attempt to attend this most enjoyable evening as we extend our Congratulations to these well deserved Women Of Achievement.

MEMBER NEWS
If you have a special occasion or a special event (good or bad) that you would like to share with us, please call Beverly at 508-566-1876 and give me the information for the next newsletter.

MEETING NOTES
Cranberry District Board Meeting is October 13th All are welcome

State Fall Board Meeting October 16th in Sturbridge at the Publick House Next Dinner Meeting October 20th at Albertos in Hyannis WOA Next Board Meeting:November 3rd @ 5:30 pm at Julianne Soprano’s office

REMINDER
December 15th is the Holiday Social with a Yankee Swap and we usually do “dress a doll” or do gifts for a family selected by the Service Center. Please let us know by email or phone what your preference is and I will pass it on to the Board. Beverly Wall-Cedrone, 508-566-1876