Joliet Zonta Club Helps Create New Club
“This is a dream I had, and it’s come true,” said Zonta International President Dianne Curtis as she stood before a group of Zonta members at the International Headquarters. Curtis was referring to the chartering of the new Zonta Club of Oak Brook on January 26, 2012. With 20 new members, the club was formed with the help of the Joliet Zonta Club as their SOM Club (Sponsoring, Organizing and Mentoring).
The Zonta Club of Joliet worked hard over nine months to bring this new club to fruition. “As the SOM Chair,” said Mary Baudino, immediate past president of the Joliet Club, “I reached out to possible members and presented them with information so they could develop a real understanding of Zonta and their opportunity to make a difference at a local level to advance the status of women through service and advocacy.”
The new members met on January 31 at Zonta International, along with guests from several clubs, including the Zonta International Board, for the formal Chartering Ceremony, in which the club was presented with its official charter, the president, Jodie Needham, was presented with the gavel, and all members were presented with membership pins.
“We are proud to become members of this great organization,” said Needham, Assistant Dean for Academic Services at John Marshall Law School. She was a member of the Joliet Club for a short time, and was eager to renew her membership.
Members of the new Zonta Club of Oak Brook will have the opportunity to participate in service and advocacy efforts through fundraising projects in the local community. They’ll meet and work with other business and professional people who share a commitment to working for women’s rights and gender equality. The Zonta Club of Oak Brook joins six other Zonta clubs in the northeastern area of Illinois.
For more information about the Zonta Club of Oak Brook, please visit www.zontadistrict6.org and for more information about Zonta and its projects, please visit www.zonta.org.