Soroptimist International Sierra Nevada Region held its fabulous in-person 46th Annual Region Conference April 1-3, 2022 at the Atlantis in Reno.
It was heart-warming to finally be able to connect in person rather than looking at faces in tiny little squares for our virtual meetings. The energy in our conference room was stirring and infectious.The conference formally opened Friday evening with a Grand March for 2020-2022 Region Board and Club Presidents. Five presidents from District 5 (the Fabulous Five from District Five) marched in the opening ceremony: Stephanie Alexander, SI Fallon; Nancy Muller, SI Tahoe Sierra, Lisa Saqui, SI Truckee Donner; Valerie Hahn, SI Truckee Meadows; and Chris Wells, SI Washoe County. President Julie Hagwood, SI Quincy, joined us Saturday morning. We also had club representatives from SI Fernley and SI South Lake Tahoe for a total of eight of our ten clubs from District 5 being in attendance. District 5 also had more participants than any other District in our Region with a total of 50 participants, a full 25% of the total conference attendees. 55 of those in attendance were first time attendees, a record for our region. SITD had seven members present. Congratulations on this wonderful show of support.
The agenda was chuck full of reports from Federation Chairs and Keynote Speakers. Significant business included the adoption of a bylaw amendment allowing clubs to extend membership without territorial limitations. This was a ‘hands-on lesson’ in active discussion and protocol for amendments to motions. Another ‘hands-on lesson’ occurred with a nomination from the floor for a District Director candidate and the subsequent balloting. Also, the Region adopted an international project in support of Ukraine refugees thanks to the courage of one member asking to speak to the room.
Congratulations go to Governor Sarah on such a successful conference that created a seamless transition back to in-person meetings, to a new SNR Board and most importantly, to a renewed Soroptimist vision. Governor Sarah’s motto for her biennium as ‘Courage and curiosity lead to dreaming, learning and doing.’ Governor Sarah was truly the epitome of this as she courageously led us through the Pandemic and beyond.
