Thursday, August 15th, was the Chehalem Valley chapter’s Officer Installation Dinner.  The theme this year was Italy.  The tables had beautiful, creative Italian-themed centerpieces.  We had a wonderful slide show of pictures that Sally Dallas took on her photo tours of Tuscany.  The peaceful background music was courtesy of Sally Dallas and Karen Jones.

Special Guests and New Friends

Our guests included several members of the McMinnville chapter, some of whom are also district officers, and spouses of our members.  It was a nice size group – 24 attendees – large enough to represent well, but small enough for us to have a chance to meet and get to know each other.  Dinner included lasagna, salad, specialty cheeses, wine and cakes from a local bakery.

Passing the Torch

Jackie Lane, our outgoing President, spoke of the community spirit of the people of Italy; how they spend leisurely dinners with family and friends and later take long strolls to enjoy time with their neighbors.  This same sense of community is at the heart of our Soroptimist values to support and empower girls and women.  Jackie then passed the torch of leadership to Maggie Perkin, our new President. Jackie presented Maggie with a copy of the book “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown.  We thank Jackie for all her hard work and look forward to Maggie being at the helm.

​Maggie’s first order of business was to welcome two new members to the organization – Megan Anderson and Mary Galloway.  It’s always exciting to see a chapter grow!

Our New Board

Marti Crook, Regional Governor, installed the new Board of Directors.  They are: Maggie Perkin – President, Debbie Liew – Treasurer, Sally Rice – Communications Officer, Sally Dallas – Secretary, Carol McCausland and Megan Anderson – co-Presidents Elect, Mary Galloway – Member at Large.

Soup’s On!

Debbie Liew gave an update on our major fundraiser – Soup’s On!  Local home and professional chefs bring their favorite soups for tasting and judging.  There is an auction featuring an apron loaded with gift cards and many themed baskets.  If you have a favorite soup recipe, we encourage you to enter. It is not unheard of for the home chefs to beat the professional chefs in the tasting competitions!  If you are not an accomplished cook/chef, we invite you to join us in tasting the delicious soups and bidding on the wonderful prizes.  The proceeds support our mission of empowering girls and women.  Please visit sicv.org and click on the Soup’s On! Tab to learn more.

Interested?

If you would like to be part of the Soroptimist community, have fun and help support girls and women to become their best, we would love you to be our guest.  We meet the first Thursday of the month at First Federal Savings and Loan, Community Room , 121 N Edwards, Newberg, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Our next meeting is in September.  See you then!

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SUBTERRA, CHEF MARTíN AND SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL CHEHALEM VALLEY JOIN TOGETHER TO SUPPORT SOUP’S ON
 
Subterra restaurant and Chef Martín Bleck are supporting Soroptimist International of Chehalem Valley’s October fundraiser, Soup’s On, by giving away soup samples and selling tickets for the event during this month’s First Friday in downtown Newberg. The free soup samples and tickets sales will be located in front of Coldwell Banker, 616 E First Street.
 
Everyone who buys early bird tickets will be entered to win a beautiful soup tureen, ladle and table runner.

Soup’s On, held October 12th, from 5-8 pm at the Dundee Community Center, will feature soups from local professional and home chefs.  Guests and a panel of judges will taste the various soups and vote for their favorite.  Last year a home chef, Dorian Herrick, won both the Judge’s and People’s Choice Awards.  The night will be rounded out with a silent auction, door prizes and appetizers. Tickets can also be purchased through the SICV.org website.

If you are a local professional chef and would like to showcase your business and your favorite soup, please contact Monica Colombi at mcolombi@firstfedweb.com.

Proceeds from Soup’s On will support projects that improve the lives of women and girls, including “Dream it be it” career support for girls and “Live your dream” educational scholarships. 
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Soroptimist International is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.  If you or someone you know would like to learn more about joining or supporting Soroptimist International of Chehalem Valley, please visit SICV.org.

Ah, Lavender!

Just thinking about lavender brings up thoughts of beautiful fragrance and feelings of calm.  The Lavender Festival in Newberg, Oregon, celebrated all aspects of this lovely plant.  The festival featured art, and all things lavender, from lavender lemonade and ice cream to lavender essential oils to decorative pillows depicting lavender themes.

 Fund Raising Success
At the Chehalem Valley chapter booth, we chatted with visitors about our purpose as Sorpotomists and sold gifts made or donated by our members and supporters.  Items included throw pillows with a lavender theme, lavender bath salts, soup bowl caddies, hand-made soaps and local jams and spice mixes. We raised over $1000 toward our projects – an impressive amount to be sure!


Fun and Learning

Members learned how to promote the items and process payments. We had opportunities between visitors to get to know each other better, to learn about each other’s talents and passions.  And we had fun!
It’s Your Turn!

If you missed the Lavender Festival and would like to purchase any of the items featured in this article, please visit our website at www.sicv.org and click on the “Help Us Help Others” tab.
 
Interested?

If you would like to be part of the fun and help support girls and women to become their best, we would love you to be our guest.  We meet the first Thursday of the month at First Federal, 121 N Edwards, Newberg, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Our next meeting is in September.  See you then!