 These
are the true joys in life: the being used
for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a mighty one,
the being thoroughly worn out before you
are
thrown on the scrap heap,
the being a force of nature instead of a
selfish little clod of
ailments and grievances complaining that
the world
will not devote itself to making you happy.
Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw
Theme
for Triennium:
The Keyword is Communication
in
Technology |
........................1969 |
in
Trade |
........................1970 |
in
Relationships |
........................1971 |
 Patience
Thoms was elected as the eighth president
of the International Federation of Business
and Professional Women at the Eleventh International
Congress (1968) in London, England. She
was the first International President from
Australia or, for that matter, from the
Southern Hemisphere. During her previous
twenty-two years of membership, she had
held many positions of leadership in both
BPW Australia and the IFBPW and was well
qualified for leading the organization,
founded in 1930, into its fortieth year.
On
December 9, 1969, Frances Borzello, a reporter
for The Irish Times, interviewed the International
President while she was visiting members
in Ireland. The reporter described President
Thoms as "an elegant woman surrounded
by an unmistakable air of efficiency and
practicality." When asked how it was
possible to reconcile the demands of home,
her career in journalism and organizational
work, she answered, "through efficiency,
careful allocation of time, and clarity
of thought."
Keeping
in mind the triennial theme "The Keyword
is Communication," the President made
it a goal to visit as many affiliates as
possible to facilitate two-way communication.
In her first message as International President,
Patience Thoms said, "What is needed
most in the world today is for people of
different countries, of differing ideologies,
to meet face-to-face and begin to talk with
one another."
Although
it was a disadvantage to live 13,000 miles
from International Headquarters in London,
Australia's geographical location meant
that the President had to pass over or through
many countries in order to get to Headquarters.
She therefore made it a point to visit as
many affiliates as possible on her way to
and from Executive Committee meetings. Logging
over 200,000 miles during her term of office,
President Thoms visited members in twenty-nine
countries. The trip that was both the longest
in distance and shortest in duration covered
29,000 miles in fifteen days!
President
Thoms was often interviewed by the press.
A question that came up over and over again
was, "Are you a feminist?" Just
prior to giving a speech at the Nineteenth
Congress of BPW South Africa in April of
1971, she was again asked that question.
Her reply was, "Yes, of course I am."
While addressing the Congress, she told
members that "being called a feminist
these days is often derogatory, but if you
look it up in the dictionary, you will find
that it means 'one who advocates equality
for women.' "To her audience she said,
"We are all feminists and I, personally,
am proud to be one."
MARJORY
LACEY-BAKER BEQUEST
Marjory
Lacey-Baker (USA), longtime member of the
International Federation, left a generous
bequest to the organization upon her death
in 1971. Her association with the International
Federation can be traced back to its very
beginning. She first met Dr. Lena Madesin
Phillips, who later became IFBPW's Founder
President, in 1919 while both women were
working for the Young Women's Christian
Association (YWCA) in New York City. At
the time, her new friend was the YWCA’s
Executive Secretary of the National Business
Women's Committee. During that year Dr.
Lena Madesin Phillips initiated the founding
of the National Federation of Business and
Professional Women of the United States
of America and became its first Executive
Secretary; seven years later she was elected
President. As President of the United States
Federation, she led "Goodwill Tours"
to Europe in 1928 and 1929 with the goal
of establishing communication with business
and professional women abroad. Marjory Lacey-Baker
promoted the "Tours" and coordinated
the travel arrangements of hundreds of business
and professional women from the United States
Federation. These "Tours" laid
the groundwork for the founding of the International
Federation of Business and Professional
Women in 1930. Marjory Lacey-Baker later
served as Chairperson of the Trustees of
the Lena Madesin Phillips Endowment Fund
and as an administrator of the Silver Jubilee
Fund. Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips had begun
writing her autobiography before her sudden
death in 1955. Marjory Lacey-Baker worked
on the unfinished project until she died
in 1971 (Widening Horizons, 1971,40:5 p.
6). The project finally came to fruition
one year after her death with the publication
of A Measure Filled, The Life of Lena Madesin
Phillips, drawn from her autobiography by
Lisa Sergio, a member of the United States
Federation. The bequest left by Marjory
Lacey-Baker was named the Marjory Lacey-Baker
Trust/Madesin Phillips Fund to be used specifically
for "the advancement of the social,
economic and legal status of business and
professional women in the Middle East."
193O-19681FBPW
HISTORY IS PUBLISHED
In Pride and With Promise by Phyllis
Deakin
The
1968-1971 Executive Committee invited Phyllis
Deakin, first Honorary Secretary of BPW
UK, to write the history of IFBPW's first
thirty-eight years (1930-1968). Phyllis
Deakin had been the first female reporter
at The Times (London). She continued in
that capacity for fourteen years (1939-1953).
As one of the first six women to be accredited
as war correspondents by the British Army
during World War 11, she was given the honorary
rank of captain. The IFBPW history was published
in 1970 with the title In Pride and With
Promise. Phyllis Deakin was honored for
her work at IFBPW's Thirtieth Board Meeting
in 1970.
30th
BOARD MEETING
DUBLIN, IRELAND, April 6-11, 1970
A feature
of the opening ceremony of the Thirtieth
Board Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, was the
presentation of a flag made of Irish linen
with the official IFBPW emblem embroidered
in black on a yellow background. It was
presented by Maura O' Dwyer, President of
BPW Ireland, to the International President
for use as IFBPW's official flag. President
Thorns remarked that "this was a truly
historic occasion and the flag was a fitting
symbol to acknowledge the fortieth anniversary
of the founding of the International Federation."
The
theme of the Thirtieth Board Meeting was
"Economic Collaboration in World Communities."
Study of this theme led to the formation
of a new Ad Hoc Committee called the Working
Group on Economic Information.
REGIONAL
SEMINARS
Regional
seminars were held during the triennium
in the following locations: Lucerne, Switzerland;
Athens, Greece; Blantyre, Malawi; and in
Kingston, Jamaica. The first seminar had
as its theme, "Human Values in Today's
World." Held in Lucerne in June 1969,
it was attended by two hundred and fifty
people.
The
second seminar was organized by the Chairperson
of IFBPW's Educational and Cultural Committee,
Ada Someda (Italy), in July 1969. Helen
Skoura, President of the Hellenic Federation,
welcomed representatives from fourteen Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern countries to Athens,
Greece, for discussion on the theme "Education
and Culture: The Past, The Present, The
Future." All of the International Executive
Committee attended the seminar.
The
first All Africa Seminar was held in Blantyre,
Malawi, in September 1969 and was chaired
by International Vice President Nora Price
(Rhodesia). The theme was "Communication
is the Key - Communication between Business
and Professional Women in Africa."
Participants came from seven African countries.
The
fourth regional seminar sponsored by the
International Federation was held in November
1970 in Kingston, Jamaica, with Kingston
Club members and their President, Rita Humphries,
serving as hosts. Minnie C. Miles, International
Vice President and United Nations Committee
Chairperson, and Esther Hymer, the IFBPW
Representative to the United Nations in
New York, both from BPW /USA, worked together
to organize this seminar. It was planned
in recognition of the twenty-fifth anniversary
of the United Nations. The Chief of the
United Nations Commission on the Status
of Women, Margaret Bruce, attended the seminar
as a resource consultant. "Priorities
for the '70s in Relation to the Advancement
of Women in the Caribbean and the Americas"
was the theme. The seminar's goal was to
develop guidelines for political and legislative
action to improve the position of women
economically and in terms of education and
training.
MEMBERSHIP
COMMITTEE
Margaret
Thompson (UK) reported that there were affiliates
in 49 countries in 1971, 16 more countries
than in 1965 when she had become Chairperson
of the Membership Committee. The 1968-1971
triennium had been a period of growth and
expansion in membership with the addition
of 2 Federations and 6 Associate Clubs.
The
Membership Committee Chairperson paid personal
tribute to the following women for promoting
membership: Maude Baylay (Canada), Marie
Bowden (USA), Lucile Dunham (USA), Minnie
Miles (USA), Jonah Woods (Zambia), and Saira
Arias (Argentina).
President
Thoms thanked Margaret Thompson for six
years of splendid work as Chairperson of
the Membership Committee and also for recruiting
Beatrice Kyle in 1970 to fill the position
of General Secretary at International Headquarters.
HONORARY
TREASURER/FINANCE COMMITTEE
Eleanor
Godfrey (South Africa), Honorary Treasurer,
reported that current income was being used
to cover current expenses with almost no
reserve against contingencies. She added
that accurate budgeting was vitally important
as was the prompt payment of dues by affiliates.
The Finance Committee Chairperson, Katherine
King (USA), cited increased expenses for
salaries, rent, and services as the reason
for higher than anticipated costs which
had led to an excess of expen¬diture
over income during the triennium. Noting
that the expenditure for rent had increased
sevenfold in the last ten years, a Resolution
was passed at Congress in 1971 that established
an Ad Hoc Building Committee for the purpose
of considering the purchase of premises
for International Headquarters.
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE
Margaret
Lessing (South Africa), Chairperson of the
Publications Committee, reported an increase
in sales of the IFBPW magazine, Widening
Horizons. She congratulated the editor,
Isabel MacMillan (Canada), on the consistently
high quality of the magazine.
Through
the diligent effort of the Executive Committee
and "work and devotion above and beyond
the bounds of duty" on the part of
the Honorary Secretary, Jonah Woods (Zambia),
President Thoms took pleasure in announcing
the publication of the first edition of
the International Federation's Manual of
Procedures in 1971.
EDUCATIONAL
AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE
 A
priority theme of the Educational and Cultural
Committee under the leadership of Ada Someda
(Italy) was the advancement of women through
education. The Committee publicized International
Education Year proclaimed by the United
Nations in 1970; affiliates were encouraged
to celebrate UN Literacy Day annually on
September eighth.
The International Federation had been acknowledged
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Director-General,
Rene Maheu, at the Sixteenth Session of
the UNESCO General Conference. He stated
that "IFBPW, together with other non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), was instrumental in
the improvement of the status of women by
giving them broader access to education."
The
International Federation cooperated once
again in 1970, as it had since 1961, in
the UNESCO Study Tour program which granted
travel scholarships to leaders of women's
organizations. The purpose of the Study
Tour program was to nurture understanding
between people from different countries
and different cultures. A member of BPW
Argentina, Lelia Baigorria, was awarded
the 1970 grant from UNESCO. Her study tour
took her to Great Britain where she was
the guest of BPW UK. The program was subsequently
discontinued by UNESCO in favor of seminars
that would benefit larger numbers of people.
EMPLOYMENT
CONDITIONS COMMITTEE/ILO
The
Employment Conditions Committee Chairperson
and First Vice President, Marie van der
Ent (Netherlands), stated that in her six
years as Chairperson there had been real
improvement of the possibilities for women
as more and more governments ratified the
1951 ILO Convention on Equal Remuneration
and acceded to the Declaration on the Elimination
of Discrimination Against Women adopted
by the United Nations in 1967.
Marie
van der Ent was the ILO Representative as
well as the Employment Conditions Committee
Chairperson. During the triennium, IFBPW
had been asked by the International Labor
Organization (ILO) for input on wording
of a questionnaire being prepared to send
to governments on the subject of vocational
preparation for girls and women. Marie van
der Ent responded on behalf of the International
Federation and received a letter of thanks
stating that "this information [from
IFBPW] would be very useful indeed for the
study that we [ILO] intend to carry out
to define the guidelines for future policy
in this field."
REHABILITATION
AND REFUGEE COMMITTEE (AD HOC)
WOMEN and VOCATIONAL CENTRE at RAMALLAH
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM-UNRWA/UNESCO
Under
the leadership of the Chairpersons of the
Rehabilitation and Relief Committee, Elisabeth
Feller (Switzerland) and Isabel Menzies
(Canada), IFBPW continued its support of
a project operated by the United Nations
Rehabilitation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East
in cooperation with UNESCO. The project,
referred to by many members simply as "Ramallah,"
had been adopted by the International Federation
in 1962. Located in Ramallah, West Bank,
the Women and Vocational Centre specialized
in vocational training and teacher education
for girls from families living in refugee
camps.
Significant
financial support was provided by the International
Federation and its affiliates in the form
of scholarships. Each scholarship included
room and board and made it possible for
a young woman to enroll in a two year commercial
business course at the Centre. Six hundred
and forty students were enrolled at the
Centre in 1970. The first Director of the
Centre in Ramallah, In'am Mufti, served
in that position from 1962 through 1975.
She was also the Founder President of BPW
Jordan. Palestinian refugee girls who graduated
from the Centre were qualified to enter
the work force, thus raising their own standard
of living as well as that of their family.
Laurence
Michelmore, Commissioner General of UNRWA,
wrote a note of appreciation to the International
Federation in August 1970 saying, "The
long-term effect of the training program
of the Centre in Ramallah is to provide
a foundation for the progressive rehabilitation
of the refugee community, and the members
of the Business and Professional Women's
Clubs can feel justly proud of their long-term
association with this extremely worthwhile
program."
UNITED
NATIONS COMMITTEE
President
Thoms made the following comment about IFBPW/UN
relations to Congress in 1971. "The
International Federation attaches the greatest
importance to its consultative status with
the United Nations. We believe in internationalism;
we support the UN; and we work with its
commissions and agencies in promoting such
activities of the world organization as
come within our competence." A message
from U Thant, Secretary-General of the United
Nations, was read during the Opening Ceremony
of Congress by his personal representative,
Virginia Saurwein, of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP): "Let
me take this opportunity to express to your
members the high regard in which I hold
your organization which continues to give
effective support to the aims and activities
of the United Nations. Your education and
action programs contribute greatly towards
improving the status of women, a particular
concern to the United Nations during the
decade beginning in 1970."
Based
on resolutions adopted at the previous Congress,
a three-point program was developed by the
United Nations Committee under the leadership
of Chairperson Minnie Miles (USA) focusing
on development and utilization of human
resources, support of the Declaration on
the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women (DEDAW), and encouragement of women's
participation in economic and social development.
Esther
Hymer (USA), IFBPW Representative to the
UN in New York, reported that the advancement
of women and the elimination of discrimination
against women in coordination with the various
UN bodies was the major focus of the UN
Committee. The Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) of the United Nations renewed IFBPW's
consultative status, Category II in 1969.
President Thorns gave credit for this achievement
to Esther Hymer and all members concerned
with UN work. Collating information from
surveys received from affiliates, writing
reports, and participating in countless
consultations and debates had contributed
to the renewal.
Special
events and new achievements in relation
to the United Nations included the twenty-fifth
anniversary of its founding, the launching
of the United Nations Second Development
Decade, the International Year for Action
to Combat Racial Discrimination, the launching
of the unified long-term United Nations
Programme for the Advancement of Women,
establishment of the International Volunteer
Corps, founding of the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) and preparation for the 1972
United Nations Conference on Human Environment.
With
IFBPW's many new affiliates from recently
independent and developing countries as
well as new concerns reported by many of
its long-established affiliates, the United
Nations Committee noted many new areas of
concern. To keep members up-to-date about
IFBPW/UN issues, a publication called UN
News and Views was introduced during the
triennium with Esther Hymer as its editor.
An
ongoing concern of members was the environment.
Because of this interest and through the
efforts of Andree Travelletti (Switzerland),
UN Representative in Geneva, the International
Federation was invited to send a rep¬resentative
to attend the 1971 Symposium on Problems
Relating to the Environment in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
First Vice President Marie van der Ent (Netherlands)
represented IFBPW (the only women's organization
to be invited). Participation in this Symposium
led to an invitation to the first United
Nations Conference on the Environment in
1972.
President
Thoms thanked Minnie Miles (USA) for her
leadership of the UN Committee and also
paid tribute to the UN Representatives:
Esther Hymer (USA), New York; Andree Travelletti
(Switzerland), Geneva; and to Y. Cordillot,
S. Tiers, and Janine Micheau (France), UNESCO
Representatives, Paris.
A pre-Congress
UN seminar on July 4, 1971, was well attended
and provided information concerning the
United Nations Second Development Decade.
The theme was "Development: The Crucial
Role of Women." Keynote speakers were
Virginia Saurwein of the United Nations
Development Programme and Elena Mederos
de Gonzalez of UNICEF.
12th
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
EDMONTON, CANADA, July 5-10, 1971
"The
Significant Seventies" was the theme
of the Twelfth International Congress in
Edmonton, Canada. Charlotte I. VanDine,
President of BPW Canada, extended a cordial
welcome to 1,300 participants and recalled
that the Canadian Federation had hosted
the Seventh International Congress in Montreal
in 1956. Congress was officially opened
by His Excellency, the Governor General
of Canada, the Right Honourable Roland Michener,
who welcomed everyone and noted with pride
that Canadian women had attended the founding
conference of the International Federation
in 1930.
All
of the living Past International Presidents
were present at the Twelfth Congress and
were specially honored. They were Sally
Butler (USA) 1947-1950, Margaret P. Hyndman
(Canada) 1956-1959, Elisabeth Feller (Switzerland)
1959-1962, Helen G. Irwin (USA) 1962-1965,
and Lady Littlewood (UK) 1965-1968.
Workshops
on the Congress theme, "BPW in the
Significant Seventies," were convened
by Lady Littlewood (UK), Immediate Past
International President. Topics and questions
for the workshops had been prepared by Past
International President, Margaret P. Hyndman
(Canada).
Patience
Thorns took every opportunity during her
term as International President to encourage
members to "step toward the platform
and a period of service with the International
Federation." This call was heeded;
there were an unprecedented number of nominations
submitted in 1971.
President's
Address
President
Thorns began her Address by explaining to
the membership that "the aims of the
International Federation are crystallized
in many aspects by presentation of resolutions
at Congress followed by delegates voting
for or against them. We, your International
Officers, cannot implement a Congress resolution
in a particular country. When you return
to your own countries, methods of translating
these resolutions into action must be considered."
In
relation to the theme of Congress, "The
Significant Seventies," President Thorns
remarked, "there is one thing of which
we can be sure, that the seventies will
be a decade of change, of even greater change
than that which we experienced in the sixties."
 The
President emphasized that "the most
important word in the Constitution of the
International Federation and in the Constitutions
of all affiliates is NON PARTISAN. It is
this word which is the safeguard that ensures
that the organization will not become immersed
in the bitterness of national and international
politics." She said that "the
International Federation is frequently approached
to sign statements, make representations
and take action on matters of all kinds;
when it is a general statement of principle,
we sign, but when it is a matter of supporting
one nation or group of nations against the
action of another nation or group of nations,
we do not sign even though we as individuals,
may be in sympathy with the statement or
declaration. Although the organization is
nonpartisan, individual members are expected
to be politically active." Concluding
her Presidential Address, Patience Thorns
said:
The
links between member countries have been
forged in the fire of high idealism and
tempered with trust. We can maintain a dialogue,
we can go on working when national and international
politicians have given up. This is our strength,
this is our hope, this is our significance
in the new decade!
Patience
Thoms corresponded with the editors of this
book in 1995 and said, "I wrote the
preceding words twenty-four years ago and
it seems to me that they express what the
International Federation has always done,
is doing and will, I hope, continue to do."
She concluded her letter with these words:
I see
the International Federation as a balancing
agent
as it seeks to implement its aims.
It provides a balance between ignorance
and disinterest
on the one side and extremism on the other.
It espouses the highest possible standards
in everything it does,
and it holds fast to the ideals of equal
opportunity and justice for all people,
women and men.
Long may it do so! |
