OUR BEGINNING
NORTHEAST DISTRICT CHAPTER
P.E.O. SISTERHOOD
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
This copy is to be kept in files of each board member.
OUR BEGINNING
NORTHEAST DISTRICT CHAPTER, P.E.O. SISTERHOOD
MAINE, NEW HAMPSIDRE, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT
Organized at Convocation November 2 & 3, 1990
At
Samoset Resort -- Rockland, Maine
FORWARD BY JANET WENTWORTH, CHAPTER C, BELFAST, MAINE
It is so easy for any organization to lose pertinent facts about how it began. Our district is
still very new and in the years to come the NEDC board will be helped by knowing what
took place leading up to convocation and immediately thereafter. I completed six years of
board service as president in 1996, and later felt it was important that our beginning
history be documented. Those elected to the first board with me agreed. I did some
badgering and cajoling (lovingly, of course) over the past few years but busy lives and
procrastination prevented each personal account from being completed.
The summer of 2002, board president, Betsy Silcox, requested me to have this completed
by the 2003 convention to be held in Rhode Island. It is for the present board members
and all who follow that we have diligently strived to give the best account possible
without presenting you with reams of paper. Pictures and memorabilia are with the
district historian and will not be duplicated here.
We who were elected and appointed to the first board were pretty much strangers, but we
formed a bond through hard work and a lot of fun that is even stronger today. We are not
any more special than any of our other sisters. Fate just afforded us a special place in our
history to learn and grow in this sisterhood.
How do we feel about the succeeding boards and the whole district in this year, 2003?
Oh, we take such pleasure in watching you shine! We are thrilled that you have time to
think through decisions for new policies and just progress and progress. For most of you,
our words here will not be news, but I suspect 20 years from now they will be
worthwhile. That is our hope. So, we began ••••...
But, before Northeast District formally began, there were many discussions
over a period of years.
The following information was gleaned from the files of Betty Anderson,
Chapter A, Rhode Island. She was active on the Study Committee which
functioned in the 1970's. The following pages were written by Bette
Taverner, Chapter D, Rhode Island and completed in April, 1988.
1 - subordinate
RHODE ISLAND P.E.O. CHAPTERS - TO BE OR NOT TO BE SUBORDINATE
A Twenty Year Perspective
This paper has been prompted by the fact that in late 1987 Connecticut State Chapter
extended an invitation to the five Rhode Island chapters in subordinate territory to merge
and become the Connecticut/Rhode Island State Chapter. The Rhode Island chapters felt
that they needed to look into the matter thoroughly, and declined the invitation with the
intent to study the situation during 1988 to learn more about the options available and
the ramifications of any changes. The information that follows is part of the effort to
reach a more informed position. Though the officers of International Chapter indicate
that Rhode Island is not currently under pressure to make a change, there may come a
time when this will be the case.
P.E.O. chapters in subordinate territory exist in states where there are not enough (9)
chapters to form a state chapter. Without a state chapter to be answerable to, these
chapters report directly to International Chapter, which in return, assumes certain
financial responsibilities relative to convention and for the organization of any new
chapters which may be organized in subordinate territory. The organizer of International
Chapter must travel to subordinate territory to organize a new chapter, whereas an
organizer of a state chapter could assume this duty. The difference in cost is apparent.
For a P.E.O. member to serve in an office at the international level, she must first have
served at the state level, an experience which a member in subordinate territory cannot
have. Thus, all of those members are cut off from a broader experience and sharing in
P.E.O.
For reasons which have not been researched, the growth ofP.E.O. in New England has
been slow. Hence, chapters in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island have
been in subordinate territory throughout their P.E.O. history, which started in 1935 with
the organization of Chapter A, Bangor, Maine.
In 1966 a meeting was held in Jefferson, NH, to discuss the possibility of forming a
Northeast District Chapter which would have the same relationship to International
Chapter (then called Supreme) that a state chapter has. Since Quebec was geographically
close to the northern tier of New England states, it was also included as a possible
member. At that time there were 12 chapters in the entire area.
In 1968 a second meeting was held at Squam Lake, NH, for further discussion, the matter
having been taken under consideration by the various chapters.
2 - subordinate
In 1970 a third meeting was held, and by that time International Chapter (Supreme), with
Irene Kerr as president, was ready to grant a dispensation for a biennial Northeast District
Conference, with the hope that it would eventually become the basis for a Northeast
District Chapter. There was a requirement that a full report be made to the executive
board of Supreme Chapter.
In 1972 a fourth meeting was held in Maine, without too much headway having been
made.
In 1974 at Newport, RI, a fifth meeting was held and all the officers of Supreme chapter
came. There was a very strong suggestion from them that a NED Chapter should be
formed. Following this meeting, a questionnaire formulated by Supreme was received
and studied and answered by all chapters.
Mary Bowen, organizer of Supreme Chapter, wrote in December, 1974:
"It seems constitutionally sound that.. ..a district chapter may be formed ....with certain
ramifications considered, such as identification of chapter letters (A-Maine NED, ARhode Island NED, etc) ....and there would need to be constitutional provision for
withdrawing from the district chapter should a member state wish to form its own state
chapter. The states of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire seem a natural nucleus for a
district chapter. On the other hand, Rhode Island and Quebec may feel too far
removed ....and we are considering the possibility of providing for the combining of two
states (or provinces) - one already organized - merging with one having chapters in
subordinate territory."
By March of 1975 Supreme Chapter had responses from the various chapters and the end
result was that a majority of the 15 chapters then existing were not in favor of forming a
New England District Chapter.
Apparently, Supreme Chapter was not ready to give up on the idea, for at Convention of
Supreme Chapter in Boston October, 1975, the possibility of a NED Chapter was reopened. A Study Committee, composed of members from all the New England and
Quebec chapters, was formed to pursue the matter further. This time research went into
finding out how other states with about the same number of chapters functioned Washington, D.C., and Connecticut were consulted, for instance. Lilas Brandhorst,
Supreme Organizer, wrote to the Study Committee chairman: "Supreme is not forcing
you to organize into a district chapter, nor do we want to discourage you." One Rhode
Island P.E.O. wrote to the Study Committee chairman: "We enjoy our present condition
of subordinate status. However, Supreme stated to us in Newport in 1974 that either we
grow toward a NED Chapter organization or affiliate with a neighboring state. Since we
are part of an international sisterhood, we must consider the total good."
3 - subordinate
In a letter to the New England and Quebec chapters written in May, 1976, Marie Busch,
then Supreme President, wrote:
"For several bienniums the members of the Executive Board of Supreme Chapter have
recognized that the chapters in subordinate territory would benefit if they could organize
into a chapter or affiliate with an already organized state chapter. It also has become
expensive for the Supreme Organizer or her proxy to visit the chapters in subordinate
territory. Our funds are provided by the dues of each P.E.O. and so, in a sense, all
P.E.O.s subsidize chapters in subordinate territory.
"Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, and South Carolina, either have, or will soon have, the
required number of chapters for a state chapter. It is only a question of time, a short time,
before each of these is organized into a state chapter. As for the remaining chapters, it
seems to us the ideal solution would be for Saskatchewan to affiliate with Manitoba
Provincial Chapter and for the chapters in the Northeast or organize formally as the
Northeast District Chapter, with Quebec having the option of affiliating with Ontario and
Rhode Island with Massachusetts."
The sixth meeting of NED was held in Vermont in October, 1976. There were then 16
chapters with a total membership of about 400. A report was submitted by the Study
Committee, headed by Sue Smith of chapter A, Vermont, with the bottom line saying:
• "By an eleven to one vote, with one abstention, the District Study Committe
recommends and requests approval of a continued in-depth exploration of the
feasibility of a district chapter.
• The committee is to keep in close touch with Supreme Executive Board at all times.
• Matters to be studied further were:
1. What constitutional changes are necessary and/or what enabling action would the
Executive Board have to take to make the formation of this kind of a district chapters
possible? And how much time would these changes take?
2. What about the rights of a chapter within a district chapter to be not involved or for a
group to withdraw once a state was ready to form a state chapter?
3. What would be the exact individual chapter responsibility to a district chapter?
4. What about the financial ramifications?"
4- subordinate
A meeting of the Study Committee was planned for February, 1977, but New England
weather caused a cancellation. In June, 1977, five Vermont P.E.O.s met in that state with
Lilas Brandhorst, Supreme organizer. The purpose was to discuss the future of the NED
Study Committee. Realization was expressed that in the ten years that NED had been
meeting, the growth ofP.E.O. in the four New England states was evident and that it was
ongoing. Lilas Brandhorst said: " The time has come for us to change the focus of the
Study Committee away from trying to form a NED chapter and toward helping each state
work toward a state chapter, to continue to have biennial NED meetings and have the
Study Committee (two members from each of the 16 chapters) meet on alternate years.
The purpose of the group would be to aid each state in chapter growth with the ultimate
goal of five new state or provincial chapters. THE NED MEETINGS HAVE
ACTUALL Y SPURRED THE GROWTH OF CHAPTERS IN THIS AREA."
In September, 1977, the Study Committee meeting originally scheduled for February, was
held in Portland, Maine. Twenty were present: Maine - 14, Rhode Island - 3, New
Hampshire - 2, and Vermont - 1. Quebec had withdrawn from the committee at that
point, indicating a desire to move toward joining with Ontario in a provincial chapter.
The CONSENSUS of those present was that there be a movement toward the formation
of more local chapters in each state, with the aim that each state eventually have a state
chapter. New Hampshire members said, "we feel that we are on the way to a state
chapter." Maine - "For us, a state chapter would be more feasible due to weather and
distances." Rhode Island - "Let's continue our biennial NED meetings, but keep them as
simple as possible and at the same time work within our states encouraging the growth of
P.E.O." Vermont - "It would be a good idea to have workshops at NED meetings with
such topics as formation of new chapters, how to increase membership, money making
ideas, communication, and publicity and program ideas."
In 1978 the seventh NED meeting was held in New Hampshire and the Study Committee
was officially disbanded with the resolve to "encourage growth in each state and for NED
meetings to continue biennially."
From 1978 to the present (1988) this has been the pattern, viz, to encourage growth in
each state and for NED meetings to continue biennially. In the early 1980's Quebec
began to find it difficult to attend - partly because of distances, and partly because of the
dollar exchange rate between our two countries. They voted in 1987 to join with Ontario
Provincial Chapter. Removing Quebec from the statistics, we find that where there were
9 chapters in New England in 1966, there are now 26, nearly a 300% increase. New
Hampshire has enough chapters (9) to form a state chapter. Maine has 7, while Rhode
Island and Vermont have 5 each.
Bette Taverner, Chapter D, Rhode Island
April, 1988
Newport. Rhode Island
5 - subordinate
NEW ENGLAND CHAPTERS IN SUBORDINATE TERRITORY IN 1988
(States and Year of Organization)
MAINE
A - Bangor
B - Bangor
C - Belfast
D - Portland
E - Kennebunk
F - Rockland
G - Brunswick
1935
1953
1955
1974
1979
1983
1987
NEW HAMPSHIRE
A - Hanover
B - Concord
C - Dover
D - Hampstead
E - Claremont
F - Amherst
G - Meredith
H - Keene
I - Hanover
1963
1964
1973
1976
1977
1978
1981
1983
1985
RHODE ISLAND
A - Providence
B - Kingston
C - North Kingstown
D - Newport
E - Barrington
1953
1953
1977
1983
1985
A - Burlington
B - Burlington
C - Burlington
D - Essex Junction
E - Richmond
1942
1950
1967
1977
1985
VERMONT
6 - subordinate