Have you wondered how WWHP works?

There is a Mission Statement. There is a Steering Committee and the officers of which are the Executive Committee. And, there are these subcommittees.

All Things Abby

All Things Abby provides assistance in the marketing of the Worcester Women’s History Project’s program – Yours for Humanity—Abby. The Commit-tee identifies and contacts potential venues for performances of the one-woman play or provides the specific contact information to the actor who then follows up on the lead. The ultimate goal is to book performances -- and in so doing, it promotes the Project itself. The Committee acts as a liaison between the Steering Committee and the actor. 

Events

Events organizes, plans and assists in the presentation of women-related events. Two annual events are Women in Print which is held in March and a women’s history bus trip usually held in June. This year brings new ideas for events and adds more community exposure and service. Much of our work is done through polling members for recommendations, researching them, and then building the event through contact and phone calls. We work closely with the Publicity committee to get it promoted. 

Lending Library

Lending Library is responsible for the WWHP library located in the office of the Project in the Worcester Historical Museum. Books are added to the collection from time to time and a system for checking them out is in place. 

Membership

Membership creates and implements recruitment and retention programs to increase and maintain membership. It is responsible for mailing the membership letter and the newsletter. It also maintains the Membership/Information table at all WWHP events and participates in other assignments necessary for the achievement of WWHP’s goals.

YOU ARE WANTED: The Membership chair will be vacated in October. I am reaching out to the Worcester Women's History Project membership for one of you to consider taking on this position. The functions of the Membership subcommittee are to ensure the membership letters and the newsletter are mailed and the Member-ship/Information table is maintained at all WWHP events. Most of my work was done through emails and phone calls. In the end, the truly wonderful benefits of this subcommittee are that you receive a greater knowledge of the functions and goals of WWHP and that you have an opportunity to influence the direction of the Project. But above all, you would be working with a phenomenally-dedicated group of women. Please give this position consideration. You can contact me, Louise Gleason, through the WWHP office wwhp.office@gmail.com or 508-767-1852 or 508-755-3301.

Publicity

Publicity furthers the work of the organization by increasing community awareness of WWHP’s mission, initiatives and events. It coordinates outreach to media outlets, manages the website and Facebook page, and acts as a sounding board to the executive assistant in preparation of the newsletter. New volunteers are welcome to help us best communicate with the membership and the community through social and traditional media. 

The Speakers’ Bureau

The Speakers’ Bureau was formed in 2014 in response to a number of requests from local groups requesting speakers on subjects relating to contributions by women. A flyer was developed and distributed in various public sites, including libraries. A contract form with the WWHP was developed stating terms and conditions for the host, the speaker, and the WWHP. Initial contact is made through the WWHP office with the speaker determining the amount of the honorarium and negotiating the date with the host group. Fifteen percent of the honorarium is given to the WWHP who works as the agent. The flyer currently lists thirteen topics available for presentation. If anyone wishes to make a presentation and have it listed in the flyer for next year, let us know. If anyone has suggestions concerning possible venues for these presentations, please let us know that too. 

Worcester Women’s Oral History Project

Worcester Women’s Oral History Project was founded in 2005 for the purpose of building community by sharing experiences through women’s stories. We aim to collect, preserve, and share the personal and historical memories of women throughout the greater Worcester community. Since its inception, WWOHP has collected over 300 interviews. The permanent repository for all the project's written transcripts and audio recordings is the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at the Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University. The sub-committee members assist in the collection, editing, and preservation of the oral histories; the maintenance of the OHP section of the website; and the planning of community workshops and annual pro-grams. 

For questions about any of the subcommittees, contact wwhp.office@gmail.com or call 508-767-1852. Volunteers are most welcome!