Married with three children and six grandchildren.
My husband joined Rotary in 1982 and I was a Rotary Ann for 10 years. In 1992 he moved to a new Rotary Club and I was Charter President of the new Inner Wheel Club of Waterfront in Cape Town, which has just celebrated 25 years of service.
I am proud to be a member of Inner Wheel and it is an important part of my life. I have particularly enjoyed the friendship and especially contact with members overseas. Have served my Club as President and Secretary several times and ISO for 15 years. Took Office at Club, District and National level to increase knowledge of Inner Wheel. Attending the Inner Wheel Convention in Berlin was a highlight.
South Africa has a large indigent and rural population and my passion has been helping new mothers and babies, supporting Care Centres dealing with adult and child abuse; the elderly and Early Childhood Development.
Inner Wheel is very important for future welfare of the less fortunate. Encouraging children, especially girls, to maximise their education and training.
We need to promote our organisation using media, placing Inner Wheel logos in areas we serve and forming new Clubs in developing areas to grow our influence.
It is an honour to become a Board Director and I would do my best to work as a team member to fulfil any assigned duties.Belgium & LuxembourgI was a founding member of IW club Antwerpen-Singel, D217.
During those 36 years I had the opportunity to hold several functions in my club, in my district and in the Council of Belgium-Luxembourg.
I learned a lot about Inner Wheel during those years, but I am still learning. As Board Director I could share my knowledge of our Worldwide organization.
The friendship between members on National and International level is very important. During my membership I made a lot of new friends. I am proud to be a member of IW and to be part of this big family who has given me the opportunity to live unforgettable moments of friendship.
Fundraising is important but working together is more important.
We have to continue to find new members, not only by founding new clubs of young people, but especially by extending the existing clubs.
We have to continue to work for women, all over the world, who do not have the luck we have. There is so much to offer to the women of today: friendship, women rights and working together to help others. We have to take care to improve the situation of women in social and cultural matters. We also have to work for children, especially for those who live in poverty.
We have to make Inner Wheel better known to the public, because many people are unaware of its existence.
As Board Director I want to cooperate on the future of Inner Wheel.Philippines
I was introduced to Inner Wheel at the age of 28 and got more actively engaged with Inner wheel clubs of the Philippines in the past 30 years, serving in various capacities in the club, district and national level. I have come to love and know Inner Wheel’s history, organizational structure, objectives, mission, constitution and ways of working.
I believe I will be able to share my learnings for the continual improvement of the management system of International Inner Wheel affairs.
As a practicing Certified Public accountant for more than 36 years now, my expertise and experience in Audit and Accounting will be of great help in reviewing, analysing and improving the Financial management Systems of IIW.
I envision International Inner Wheel as a sustainable Global Organisation, experiencing robust growth, responsive and relevant to the Diverse Needs of all Women Ages, where initial membership is extended to Young Girls aged 12-17, through the formation of Inner Wheel Youth Clubs in the High School and College Levels, to create awareness about our service mission; inspiring them to cross over to our Inner Wheel Clubs as regular members when they reach 18 years old.
I envision an IIW Global Management System that is able to create Leaders and Clubs who can share best Practices and optimise synergies across countries
As a member of Inner Wheel since 2001, I have had the greatest honour and privilege of working with some of the most incredible, strong and passionate women in my local club, district, national and international levels.
As President of the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India 2017-18, project Subala (Beauty and strength) was launched to focus on Women Empowerment; Maternal Health and Child Care; Menstrual Health and Hygiene; Safety and Protection; Cancer Detection and Care; and Vocational Training for women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
To promote collaboration and scale our impact significantly – Project Banks were launched in Districts. My faith in the power of collaboration and partnerships for greater impact can be achieved by providing members opportunities to come together to serve and execute community need based projects that align with the objectives of our organization. To grow Inner Wheel, we must focus on Strategic Planning, efficient training, promoting leadership opportunities and active participation of members in various programmes, at all levels.
Our world needs us now, more than ever. Confronted with the challenges of poverty, inequality, injustice and illiteracy, we must be messengers of hope and harbingers of change in the world. It is crucial that we move forward together by creating dynamic strategies to find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.BulgariaI have been a member of IW for almost 19 years, since its very beginning in 1999, when my club Varna was charted.
In 2000, we were just 4 clubs in Bulgaria, and I made the first translation of the IW Constitution and Handbook into Bulgarian in hand writing, as the computers and technologies were not so widespread then. It was really a great enthusiasm. I have served in all the offices at Club, District and National level and participated in 4 International Conventions.
I am really very proud with my club as we all travel intensively, got acquainted with a lot of new women, and we have succeeded in creating many new clubs, more than half of the clubs in Bulgaria.
My activity always led me to various international events. I made many new friends, learned a lot from different cultures, and found out that we are all the same everywhere, that we all have the same goals. I have redefined the values of our organisation in a new way, thinking more internationally and adapting my IW to the changes of today’s world.
I do believe that there is a bright future of IW, and it is up to us to face and conquer the challenges of the world with friendship, service of society and understanding. IW has encouraged me to learn a lot, to improve myself and motivate the others.
There is still much to be done for the development, extension and popularisation of IW.NETHERLANDS
International Inner Wheel is one of the largest women’s service organisations of which I am proud to be a member since 1981 when I was 29 years old and one of my three daughters was not yet born. In the beginning of my membership, being a working mother with three little children, it was difficult to attend all club events but it was always relaxing meeting fellow members. It was an honour to become president of my club in 1998 and to realize that work for Inner Wheel is always characterized by joyfulness and participation. When I stopped working in 2008 I was asked to enter the District Committee and became District Chairman in 2010. It forces you to think out of the box and develop yourself by helping others together in friendship. I am passionate about this organisation and I believe that it is vital to take steps to ensure IW’s continuity for generations of women to come. I am convinced that for our mothers it was a help in their emancipation and that there are still many parts in the world we can make the difference. A difference not only for the mothers but also for their children being the future IW members. Being National Representative in 2016/2017 and president of the National Board I feel equipped to bring my economic and legal skills into IIW in the position of a Board Director. I want to support happiness worldwide by creating a strong, modern and global Inner Wheel.
My first motivation to join Inner wheel was for friendship. I had shifted back to my home town of Invercargill, New Zealand, to take up a teaching position.
In 1995 I joined the Invercargill east Club and in the following years was Editor, Secretary, Vice President and President.
On moving to Dunedin, I joined the Dunedin South Inner Wheel club and became their President in 2010 and Editor, Past President and Committee members with membership as my present role.
In 2014-2015 I was District Chairman in NZ298.
In 2016-2017 I accepted nomination as New Zealand Vice President and New Zealand President and National representative in 2017-2018. My current position is Past President and Membership chairman.
I attended Convention in Copenhagen, Australian conference in Lismore and the International convention in Melbourne. This has given me experience and knowledge of Inner Wheel on an International scale and I would be very excited to be part of the International Board.
I would also like to learn from Board Members from other countries to find out how Inner Wheel works for their members.
Membership in many countries is decreasing and this I see as our biggest challenge. We have opened the membership but don’t have strong strategies in place to find another pathway to make our organisation well known and attractive to join.
I am an excellent team member and bring 40 years of teaching skills to my leadership.
The world is becoming more restless, and more and more help is needed. We continuously read and see messages about desperate people who have left or had to flee their home country. As an organization, Inner Wheel is very current. Every member and every club offer help, in their own vicinity and in their own ways, to persons, families, and even large groups of people who have ended up in dire need for assistance. Various natural disasters and forms of persecution have become more everyday phenomena. Human distress seems to grow each day.
In my work as a special education teacher I have faced many of these issues every school term. I have taught children with various degrees of learning and focusing difficulties, and increasingly also social and emotional issues. In recent years, particularly behavioural problems and difficulties in acting empathetically towards others have been increasing. Bullying and self-centeredness have become more commonplace.
I have heard about reasons that have forced families to leave their home countries. In my school there have been students whose families have sent them to search for a better life, hoping that one day the family, or even just a part of the family, could be together again and start a new life together. In my classroom I have also had children of refugee families who have had one thing in common: their mothers’ inability to read and write. The fathers, if they are still in the picture, have known how to read and write. We can only imagine what these mothers have felt like in a strange country, without these basic skills. They have had to rely on their children whose skills have also been insufficient.
The best way to help everyone is education. Inner Wheel is a worldwide women’s organization and I want to be a part of developing its activities to help those in need. Girls’ and women’s reading and writing skills, as well as basic mathematical skills, are the issue closest to my heart. Teaching these skills will be key for helping girls and women, as well as for improving the living situation of their families.
My own family includes my husband and our three adult children, two daughters and one son, and our first grandchild. We live in the countryside and farm the family estate together.PakistanWhen I joined Inner Wheel in 1991, I entered a new realm. This new realm has been full of friends and lots of heavenly works.
From fund raising to salvation of people in catastrophes, from assisting medical patients to consolation of heart broken and from educating children to feeding the hungry; every project and activity has led to stronger bonds between our members and communities.
While I cherished bringing a smile to every person we helped or a kudos from organisation we helped, I found myself making new friends across my community, country and even internationally. I have attended all Inner Wheel Conventions since 2004-5 to keep our clubs abreast of latest trends and goals of or organisation. I’m proud to acknowledge that all these friendships only increased my ability to assist those in needs. It is a self-fulfilling phenomenon that has led to more excitement, more enthusiasm and an unabated passion to further the cause of our organisation.
If I am elected I will work to increase membership, help young girls in their education, work for the empowerment of women without discrimination of culture or creed and work towards making Inner Wheel even more popular organisation.Bangladesh
My mission statement is a reflection of core values that act as pillars supporting and strengthening the structure of Inner Wheel
i) Unity
Ii) Promoting human welfare
Iii) Globality
Cultivate a community of inclusion and support:
Voices are often drowned out by the loudest ones in a room. That is why I want to reinforce the feeling of unity through inclusion by providing a platform which allows all members to voice out their opinions without fear of judgement. Inclusion decreases percentage of “silent” members, thereby increasing productivity and the will to contribute towards improving society.
Women empowerment
Women rights still pose to be a controversial topic in many third world countries. Fostering these rights would entail discouraging the practice of child marriage, educating women regarding their own rights, helping them combat oppression and domestic violence, and ensuring equal pay. A special feature of Inner wheel is that it is an all women’s organisation and this fact should act as a constant reminder that we women must continue fighting relentlessly against injustice in order for other women to evolve into strong personalities. I want to work in association with educational institutions, non-profit organisations, scholarly and influential individuals to conduct seminars and awareness programmes regarding various issues, implement scholarship programmes to aid abused/deprived women and children of this world.
Promoting social diversity
International Inner Wheel consists of diverse groups of individuals originating from over 104 countries. Encouraging and fostering social diversity will not only inspire members to search for novel information and perspectives but also allow them to develop better leadership qualities through empathy because I believe that leaders do not care to be right, they care to understand. I will try to uphold these ideals by organising various events and meets where members of different nationalities, cultures, race are able to interact, educate themselves regarding the rich heritage of their fellow Inner wheel members and form new bonds while strengthening existing ones.
Soon after when I dove in IW history I was impressed with so much energy, dedication and keen of Mrs Margarette Golding. We should always keep in our minds that energy and strength and keep walking on today and future path.
Simply put, we should preserve our identity linking our past to the present and hopefully to the bright future of our organization. We are the sum of our past and if we know where we came from we can direct past flaws out and seek better solutions for our organization.
I had the privilege of being elected as the first Croatia’s National Representative in 2015/16 and 2016/17 which brings me to several European meetings and allowed me to experience the IW international dimension. After I was elected as IIW Editor / MM in 2017/18 and again 2018/19 I deepened that experience and after the IIW Convention I was deeply moved by the friendship and commitment of IW members around the world.
From the beginning, international understanding as one of our three basic goals is very important to me. And today, modern technologies know no borders and enables us to communicate with members separate by great distances. Social media is not just a technology for communicating or entertainment. It’s now an online “home.”
When people are far apart, they are able to create the sense of proximity of living together in the same place exchanging friendship and ideas.ITALYI joined Inner Wheel in 1984. I have been an Inner Wheel member for 33 years now.
I have always committed myself to serve Inner Wheel at the best of my capacities and will continue to do so. Our Association is spread all over the world, but we need to make it better known.
Effective communication including website and social media is one of the main targets to let people know who we are and the service we provide on a local, national and international level. Team work is a must if we want to achieve our goals, each of us offering her own uniqueness, enthusiasm, energy, new ideas to strengthen our Association and ensuring its future by inviting new, younger members to join and by retaining the existing membership.
GERMANY
I am honoured to be nominated for my country to serve as Board Director 2018-19. Inner Wheel has increased to a bigger part of my life. My knowledge about the work worldwide has grown and my commitment has been even bigger. I want to help Inner Wheel growing because I really stand for our ideas and try to live it. I am convinced that Inner Wheel Friendship is a good way to help people getting a better life. I am ready to take responsibility being a Board Director. I was born in Sweden and came to Germany to study Medicine and Dentistry. After Examinations I stayed in Germany. Since 1997 I joined Inner Wheel Club Tecklenburger Land as a charter member. As Club member and Club Chairman I have worked with local projects. Also for Rumania I had a big commitment with a house for street children, a boarding school for poor but intelligent children but also for elderly people in the mountains I was collecting money, clothes and food. I was involved for many years and also had the possibility to see the effect of our help. As Extension Manager from District 87 I had the opportunity to found 2 new Clubs and as National Representative I made friends with lots of women in Germany and abroad. My opportunity to help has grown and I had the chance to support Projects in Ethiopia, Kenia and Nigeria. I have represented Germany at European Meeting in 2015 and 2016. I have visited three World Conventions, three times Rally Charlemagne and once Nordic Rally in Denmark.
Among many other activities, I was also involved in organising the 30th birthday of our district. These roles reaffirmed my conviction that international exchanges are of vital importance.
In a world full of drastic changes and enormous challenges for individuals and for societies, our organisation represents stability, friendship and mutual understanding.
Inner Wheel friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given. It is of great importance for us as members of Inner Wheel, and as women, to demonstrate and to live the values, which govern the spirit of International Inner Wheel. Through understanding and working together, we can achieve bigger results and maybe a better life for people in need.
Right from the very beginning of my membership I have connected closely with the ideals and the international atmosphere of Inner Wheel. This together with my active interest in the social and moral welfare of the community, especially of women and children, as well as my strong commitment for Inner Wheel provides me the motivation to apply for a term as IIW Board Director.
I would be honoured to support the Board in their future efforts.Australia
Since becoming a member of Inner Wheel when my Club was chartered in 2002 I have immersed myself in learning more about our organisation, with a focus on membership, and communication.
All aspects of membership is a passion of mine, I believe that Inner Wheel offers a place in our communities for women to engage with each other, not just as friends, but as contributors to these communities. With membership we have the ability to empower each other, encourage each other to reach our personal potential and to build on our strengths together, women supporting women.
With an ever changing world which is full of the busyness of life, Inner wheel offers women a place to work together for a common good. We need to look at who we are hoping to attract to Inner Wheel and make ourselves relevant to our catchment of women. In some countries our membership is aging, and with age and the loss of our members brings instability to our Clubs. It is time for us to make changes marketing ourselves as a relevant and vibrant organisation for those women we are hoping to attract.
As we head towards our 100th year as an organisation I believe that we still have much to offer women and that the ideals of long ago as still relevant today. Together we can learn from each other at all levels of Inner Wheel be it Club, District, National or IIW levels and that together we will continue to develop new and exciting ways to promote Inner Wheel. Great communication, through social media, websites and e-magazines are attractive tools to be using when reaching out to women in our communities. Attendance at International Conventions has enabled me to learn more about how globally our members engage in their Inner Wheel journey. These moments in time, enable us to share cooperatively together and learn from each other, which is vital for the future planning and the continuity of Inner Wheel. I would welcome the challenge and opportunity to be part of that planning.
Inner Wheel with its core values is important for women today and in the future. Our challenge is to recruit new members and retain longstanding members. In all previous positions I have committed myself to vitalize clubs by making members involved and active. Happy, well informed members are our best ambassadors for attracting potential members.
Finding new members is constructive and joyful. Enabling struggling clubs to survive by implementing new and practical ideas is also a great experience. In European Meetings I have focused on our need for a strategy and a group has now presented a first suggestion to a future strategy, aiming at re-vitalizing such clubs.
I am a team builder and for the benefits of recipients and IW I have initiated contacts for co-operating over the boarders in finding social projects suitable for more than one country. We need to raise our profile, enhance our image and be visible through NGOs, our fantastic projects and member contributions.
As a language teacher I have worked for more than 15 years in multinational, multicultural British and Swedish schools in South America, Singapore and Sweden and feel deep respect and joy when experiencing diversity in nationalities and cultures.
If elected, I will do my very best to contribute making our dynamic network grow, develop and prosper.