GFWC Southern Region Conference

Dear Southern Region Members,

It is with great pleasure that I invite each of you to attend the 2017 Annual Meeting of the GFWC Southern Region to be held at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center in Atlanta, Georgia on October 26-29, 2017.   The Board of Directors will meet and dine together on Thursday night.  I am so excited about our Friday tour- designed as a "fix" for all our football fans who will be missing the "Friday Night Lights" and their favorite team on Saturday- a Tour of the College Football Hall of Fame!!!   I hope that you are looking forward to it.  The Offical Opening will be held Friday evening at the Georgia State Dinner and State Photos will be made during the social time this evening.  At this meal, you will receive a Welcome from the host state and Offical Greetings from our International GFWC Officers.  A Fun Night of Bunco (great prizes I hear) will follow, benefitting my President's Special Project "Just Two Sweet"- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Saturday will begin with an Official Welcome and Georgia member Mary Harmon singing and playing her original arrangement of The Collect.  In the Business Session to follow, we will hear the Report of our Officers and the Nomination Committee, followed by the election of our 2018-2020 officers. 

The Officers nominated are:
President-Kay Chadwick-Georgia

Vice President- Cynthia Geis-Alabama

Secretary- Joyce Johnston- Florida

Treasurer- Laurie O'Kelley- South Carolina

Special recognition will be given to the LEADS participants, followed by GFWC platform workshops of interest to all.  Our luncheon will feature GFWC President-elect Mary Ellen Brock as speaker and in the afternoon session we look forward to reports from our GFWC and Region Chairmen.  This afternoon will conclude with a community service project benefitting Battered Women's Shelters in the area. Each state is asked to bring different items and we will "fill the bags" at the conclusion of the afternoon session!  There will be a special collection area for them when you register.  The items are:

Alabama-individual snack crackers, fruit cups and pudding cups

Florida- wash cloths, soap, and paper napkins wrapped around a plastic fork, knife and spoon

Georgia- combs, hairbrushes, tooth brushes and toothpaste

Mississippi-individual packs of peanut butter, saltines and socks

South Carolina- individual packs of cereal, small cans of tuna and crackers

Aruba- just choose whichever of these is easiest for you to bring!

The Saturday banquet will feature our GFWC International President Shelia Shea as speaker, recognition of our five state Jennie Award winners and the invitation by GFWC Mississippi to the 2018 Southern Region Annual Meeting.

Sunday will feature Annabelle Bunch speaking on her experiences as Mississippi's representative in Washington D.C. for THE JDRF CHILDREN'S CONGRESS- Advocating for a World without Type 1 Diabetes, and bring you up to date on current needs, new developments and how you can help!

Interspersed throughout the meeting will be the highly anticipated reports from our State Presidents and Directors of Junior Clubs, Health Checks, and WOW moments- Words of Wisdom from our Past Region Presidents.

Suggested dress is: 

Thursday PM- dressy casual

Friday tour- casual GFWC apparel/favorite team!

Friday night- dressy casual

Saturday daytime- business casual

Saturday evening- cocktail/after 5

Sunday- headed home/GFWC casual.

We've planned it ALL for you and worked hard to keep the costs low and the interest level high!  Come join your SOUTHERN SISTERS October 26-29, 2017 for the 2017 GFWC Southern Region Annual Meeting!

ONLINE REGISTRATION
We are happy to announce that we are now offering online registration!   The system will email you a receipt after you have completed your registration.

We understand that not every club member has a computer, but you know who those ladies are, please assist them with registering online.

TWO STEPS
Registration is a two step process.

Step One- Click on the blue Register Now! button below and complete your registration to attend.

Step Two- Click on the Book Your Hotel link     or call 404.325.0000 and ask for the block called Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs Southern Region to reserve your hotel room.  The rates begin at $125 plus taxes and fees and includes complimentary parking.

ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM

When you click on the blue Register Now! button below the registration form will display.  All of the required fields have an asterisk beside them.  You will complete the registration form by entering the information into the fields. 

The middle section of the form is where you will purchase your meals by entering the number 1 in the quantity field beside each meal you want to buy.  The description and price of each meal displays in that meal block. 

Under the payment section you will see you have two options for payment-credit card or check. 

Then all you have to do is click the Register button and the system will process your registration and email you a confirmation.

HOTEL LINK

Using this link to       reserve the type of hotel room you desire.  It is a simple process. The hotel system will also send you an email confirmation.

DEADLINES
Deadline to register to attend without a late fee is October 12.  After that, you can register but there will be a late fee of $25.

Deadline to register (and pay the late fee of $25) and purchase meals is October 19.  After October 19, you will not be able to purchase meals.

Deadline to reserve your hotel room in October 5.

So, all of this to say...do not delay, register today!

We look forward to seeing you in October in Atlanta.

Jo Anne Reid- GFWC Southern Region President

Register Now!