Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S CORNER 

Hello and welcome to the highlights for Women’s Auxiliary 2011! We are very excited for this year ahead-our 44th year in this ministry. We hope you will join with us as we continue to seek ways to improve life on the campus of PLNU- for the many students who will walk through its gates. It is an honor and privilege to serve, to pray and to do what we can do to make a difference.

HOMECOMING 2010 RECAP

A check for $14,000 was presented to Dr. Brower during the Friday night Homecoming Variety Show by Susan Brownlee and me.  At the same time, we announced our contest to “Vote for your favorite professor of all time” (to be given a donated chair in the Ryan Library with a plaque stating this fact).  We had the help of our very handsome escort “Flat Stanley”.  Saturday, during the extravaganza, we had a booth where people could vote and hoped it would draw attention to our other booths at the same time.  We collected over 200 votes, cash donations of $58.00 and one new membership!  Dr. Rueben Welch won hands down and will be giving the chair and the “favorite professor of all time” nod.

Orange, San Diego, Whittier, Baldy View and Long Beach participated in Homecoming booths that day as well.  It was the first rainy Homecoming day that anyone can remember in a very long time and we were moved to the “Rain Contingency Plan”….. under the parking garage!  It was COLD, wet, damp and dark, but somehow it turned out to be a very good day for us.  We had good crowds that were able to linger and move around-which is nearly impossible in our usual location.  People visited with friends, enjoyed coffee and treats, shared stories and laughter-and purchased from our booths.  And, even with the horrible weather and poor lighting situation, our booths all reported good sales!

We are grateful, once again, to Physical Plant for all of their help-unloading and loading-getting us set up in record time after our location change-and for helping our ladies stay as dry as possible.  You guys were Awesome!  Thanks also go out to Bethany Denney from the Alumni office.  She made sure each booth was set up to our individual request and configurations and that we had everything we asked for.  This is a huge task normally, but even bigger under these cold, wet circumstances.  And, she does it all with a beautiful smile!  Thanks, Beth!  You are the best!

Our day was cut short due to the extreme wind and cold flowing through the garage and heavy rain in the afternoon but, all in all, it was a good day.  We loved watching people “connect” more than we have in years and having them linger really helped our sales.  Thank you to each and every one who participated in this day and for hanging in there during these unusual circumstances.

PROJECT UPDATE

Our Project Vice President, Myrna May, announces that we have actually provided all the chairs that the Library needs at this time-225 of them, to be exact!  That is great news!  Congratulations to each and every one of you for all that you did to make this project happen….in less than 1 ½ years!  That’s a total of $45,000 worth of furniture for the Ryan Library and the new chairs look great in there.  Thank you and check them out if you get a chance.

LUNCHEON 2011 UPDATE

Click Here for the Luncheon Highlights and a Special Tribute to Barbara Hornbeck Welch.   

Click Here to see photos of the beautiful luncheon event!

ONLINE ORDERING, MEMBERSHIP, DONATION NEWS

We are LIVE with the ability to join as a new member, rejoin, order cakes, make a donation AND buy a luncheon ticket.  This is huge and exciting news for our Auxiliary!  Thank you goes to Susan Brownlee for having this idea and to the Alumni office (Sheryl, Beth, Catherine) and University Advancement (Lindsay) for making this happen.  They all put in countless hours, worked overtime and went above and beyond the call of duty to see that this could work.  We are grateful and humbled by their willingness, ability and gift of this for our ministry.  Links are available on the first page of our site!  Click Here to check it out!

FINAL THOUGHTS

It has been a difficult year for many of us-a year of much loss and grief-of change and health decline.  We lost our treasurer of over 30 years and good friend, Barbara Hornbeck-Welch just a few weeks ago.  Her presence, her love for this ministry, her gifts and talents, will be greatly missed.  We lost two husbands this year-Marge Fisher’s husband, Bill and Barb Kennedy’s husband, Roger.  Nelda Sanders retired from her long time position of Membership Chairman due to health concerns.  We have ached for ladies who have given their time and strength to ailing husbands or children.  Some have lost parents or close relatives.  We have ached.  We have grieved.  We are missing these loved ones and the voids they have created.  But, through all of this, these women remain ever faithful to this cause and faithful to their Lord.  What a great example they are setting for the generations that come behind. 

We are a great team.  This ministry continues to do great and wonderful things-even in this difficult economy.  Women have stepped up to new positions and some have even added positions-just to fill the holes and make sure this work continues.  I am constantly amazed at how dedicated and committed these women are-no matter what they are going through.  And, we will survive these hard times and continue to do good work-for our Lord and Savior, for the University, and for its students.  I believe that.  I believe in them. 

Thank you for this opportunity that you give me to serve with you.  I am blessed to know you all and blessed to be walking this journey with such amazing women.  Keep up the good work and know that nothing is too little in this ministry.  God is the Multiplier of all of our offerings and gifts.  We are pushing, with His help, towards the $2,000,000 mark.  Keep going.  Keep pushing.  Keep trusting.  And, thanks for hanging in there with me!!  You are the best!!

Kathryn Kietzke