Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S CORNER 

Hello and Welcome to our 45th year of service!  We are very excited about this ministry and how far we have come since 1967.  And, we are excited about where we are headed.  We hope you will join us as we continue to seek ways to improve life on the campus of PLNU and touch the lives of the students who walk through its gates.  Here’s a little more information about what’s been happening this year and how you can join us.

LUNCHEON 2012 and PROJECT UPDATE

Our luncheon this year was held on Sunday, April 22nd at the beautiful Talega Golf Club in San Clemente.  Our theme was “A Golf Tee” and was attended by almost 100 men and women.  Yes…many men joined us this year and we all had an amazing time!

The lovely Signature room we were in was perfect for our day.  It is a 2600 sq ft Spanish colonial style banquet room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking  the golf course.  Tables were elegantly adorned with hydrangeas, candles and birdhouses.  (Thank you to Susan and Elizabeth for the beautiful flowers you added to our day!! Great job!)  The caterer at Talega (thanks Michael) set up drink tables and food tables along some of the windows that rivaled any wedding I’ve ever been to and blew everyone away when they walked in.  We added a candy table full of tasty treats, gift tables and personalized Women’s Auxiliary golf balls for each guest to take home.  Talega provided a very tasty and plentiful “early supper” or heavy Hor d oeuvres  meal and everyone seemed pleased with taste, selection and presentation.  Many attenders commented on how impressed they were with the location, the beauty and the ambience of the afternoon.  And, we all walked away very well fed to boot!

Our devotional speaker this year was Dr. Ron Benefiel.  He brought along his wife Janet and the two of them gave us a heartfelt, emotional talk about the helpful, necessary, God-given community of believers who walk along side of us during tragedy, sorrow and difficult times.  They shared their sweet, moving story together, taking turns adding thoughts and comments.  They spoke of cancer, fear, hope and love.  We laughed.  We cried.  We sat spell bound as we watched something very special happening for them-with them-to them.  Everyone felt like this was a once in a lifetime experience that they would not soon forget.  Thank you Dr. Ron and Janet.  Our prayers continue to be with you both.

The highlight of the day had to be the first ever PLNUWA Golf Ball Drop!  What fun that was!  Not only did this even help us to MAKE money for the first time at a luncheon of this kind, but it was fun to watch.  We couldn’t wait to see whose golf ball would win a prize and IF there would be a hole in one.  Each person in attendance was given one numbered golf ball with their ticket purchase and many who attended gave extra money towards our project allowing them to receive more numbered balls.  We had some great prizes donated to give away-A $250 grand prize for a hole in one, 4 rounds of golf at Talega, Talega brunches and gift basket,  a stay at the Dana hotel on Mission Bay, Sea World family pass, gifts cards and cash.  Our own Myrna May won the grand prize with the only hole in one ball from the drop.  Other prizes were given for closest balls to the hole and farthest from the hole.

We were blessed to have several staff members in attendance and so appreciated hearing from each one of them.  Dr. Bob Brower, Dr. Joe Watkins, Dr. Caye Smith and Sheryl Smee all talked about WA’s contribution to PLNU and were very complimentary of our over $1.8 million given in projects so far.  It’s an honor to have them and their spouses join us and we really appreciate all of their constant support.  Our Treasurer Susan Brownlee presented Dr. Brower with a check for $8000 bringing our total given to the RESIDENTIAL LIFE ENHANCEMENT PROJECT to $20,000.  Our commitment and goal is $30,000.  Myrna May, our project chairman, presented a story board of pictures explaining how important this project is and a little more about it.  Each dorm was asked for a “wish list” of needed items-things they would not be able to get through funding or other sources.  Students, RA’s and RD’s voted on the items needed and wanted.  Our hope is to give each dorm at least $3000 and meet as many of these items as possible.  The Executive Board was recently given the lists to begin considering how we hope our dollars will be spent.  It will be hard not to come up with money for every need but we will do our best with what we have to give.

One sweet part of the afternoon was being able to honor and recognize Jonnie Gregory.  She has chosen to retire after being on the Executive Board in some position (from President to hospitality chairman) for the entire life of this ministry-45 years!  What a beautiful, precious, giving and talented lady she is and how very hard it was to see her retire.  She was given a corsage, flowers and a special personalized gift which seemed barely adequate to thank her for all her love for Women’s Auxiliary, for PLNU and its students, and for her dedication to this ministry during these many years.  Thanks again, Jonnie.  We love you and will miss you.  No one can do the job you did and no one will have your history.  We will try to remember your words and keep holding up the tradition to faith, God and ministry that you exampled before us.

There was much initial concern about this year’s luncheon.  Many were worried about it being at a new and different type of location.  Some were concerned about it being on a Sunday afternoon.  But, when all was said and done, it was a wonderful day.  There was a sense of anticipation, beauty and fun, a moving devotional and great opportunities for fellowship.  We haven’t seen or felt this kind of excitement in years-making all our initial fear, prayers and hope worthwhile.  God blessed us with a great, successful day.  And, our hardworking luncheon team blessed us with much to be thankful for.  Thank you goes out to Barbara Kennedy and her leadership.  Her vision and ideas for this event really paid off.  And, thanks to her hardworking luncheon team.  You need a great group of workers to pull off a great event like this.  Well done!

Click Here to see photos of the beautiful luncheon event!

ONLINE ORDERING, MEMBERSHIP, DONATION NEWS

We are very excited to be able to continue to offer online ordering for cakes and cookies, memberships, ticket sales and donations.  Please feel free to utilize these tools and the ease of one stop shopping-PLUS the benefit of paying with a credit card!  This is still very new to us but we are glad we can offer this to you and grateful that we have this opportunity through PLNU.  Thanks continue to go to the Alumni Office and University Advancement for all the help that they give.  We continue to be humbled by this gift of their time and hard work.  Links are available on the first page of our site.   Click Here to check it out!

HOMECOMING 2012

All of our chapters are looking forward to a beautiful, RAIN FREE Homecoming Saturday.  We will be doing our booths a bit differently this year, combining types of items we will sell and gathering together to sell them.  We are hoping and praying for success, great fellowship and fun as we continue to raise money for our project and for the students.  Come join us.  Read the information about what “Wish List” items each dorm is requesting that we will have displayed.   Help us raise funds to meet the needs.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Women’s Auxiliary is in the midst of change.  We are not redefining who we are or what we do, but HOW we do it.  The economy is different.  What we can and should sell is different.  How we sell items or what events we have or take part in to raise money is different.  Add to this most of the ladies who carried this ministry on their shoulders for 45 years are retiring and sadly, dying, and you have a tough place to be.  We are trying our best to slowly replace roles and fill difficult shoes.  We are striving to find what works best in this market and how best to market ourselves.  These things are quite a challenge but not impossible. The important thing for those of us still on the board is that we continue to believe in what Women’s Auxiliary stands for.   We still want to see it be successful-for PLNU-for the students- for those who came before us and for those who will come behind us.  We want to give back and carry on this amazing ministry.  We WANT to continue to make a difference.  

And, I believe we can. We have always been a great team-a beautiful blend of talented, dedicated, hard-working women.  And, we are STILL a great team of women AND men now.  We are people who pray and seek God’s face.  We are people who love PLNU and care about its students.  We are workers committed to seeing each project through to completion and forging ahead to new ones.

Thank you to those of you still hanging with us today.  Thank you to those just joining us and seeing how fun it is to be a part of us.  Thank you to my amazing executive board and chapter chairman and committee chairman.  I feel so blessed to be working alongside of you.  We have much to do and probably much more change ahead but I believe we can do this and I believe in you.  Let’s continue to trust in the Lord together.  Let’s continue to ask Him to multiply our gifts and offerings.  Let’s continue to push towards that goal of $2,000,000 and then keep going!  We can do this.  Hang in there and hold on.  And, may God richly bless the work of our hands and our task ahead.

And, one more thing, thanks for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity for another year.  I love working with each one of you and can’t wait to see where this New Year will take us.  Blessings to all.

Kathryn Kietzke