Letter from the President

Dear Members of WWHP, 

As the organization begins its third decade of existence, we thought a little review of our origins and purpose was in order. So, one afternoon in January, under the leadership of vice-president (and former president) Heather-Lyn Haley, new and veteran members of the Steering Committee met for an orientation to examine the history, the mission, and the structure of WWHP. That agenda was soon covered, and we found that the open discussion following sparked new ideas and new visions. 

The real work of the organization lies at the subcommittee level — Events, Speakers Bureau, Oral History, and so forth. As we reviewed the projects handled by individual subcommittees, — Women in Print, Oral History, Spring Day Trip, etc. — we realized that there were still a lot of areas that are worthy of development — education, research, grant-writing, strategic planning, etc. [See p10 for a complete list of subcommittees and their work.] And that led to brainstorming on proposals on specific activities — leadership workshops for women of all ages, re-view of by-laws, active efforts at diversification of general membership and Steering Committee. 

As the year goes on, the Steering Committee will be developing plans for transforming these visions into reality. Inclusion is the key to success, and we want to hear from a broad spectrum of the membership. The current WWHP members are the best agents of recruitment — talk up among your friends why you value your membership, and urge others to join. Be mindful that at the present time the Steering Committee and the general membership do not reflect the true demographics of the community. Diversity is an objective. We shall be working to strengthen our ties with other groups in the community whose work overlaps our mission — education, history, women’s welfare. We urge the entire membership to keep eyes and ears open for interesting potential presenters and programs. We shall soon be posting at the WWHP website, a form that any member can fill out, proposing an activity or program in keeping with the mission of the organization. 

In the spirit of women’s history in Worcester, we want to see the energy of the group generated from the membership, with the Steering Committee executing the will of the members. All members are invited to sit in on monthly Steering Committee meetings (fourth Thursday each month), to learn how these sessions operate . . . and perhaps to eventually offer to join a subcommittee or even to run for a seat at the table. 

Stay in touch between our semi-annual news-letters, by checking the website regularly — www.wwhp.org. You can always reach us at info@wwhp.org. 

Looking forward to seeing you all at our next public event, Women in Print, at the Worcester Public Library, Salem Square, on March 30, at 5:30pm, if not before. 

At your service, 
Ann Marie Shea, Ph. D.