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It’s That Wonderful Time of the Year!

It’s that wonderful time of the year that we gather with relatives and friends to view and celebrate accomplishments. So far I have been to one band concert, one dance recital, one piano recital, received graduation invitations from four people and have a wedding in Dallas next weekend.

I know many of you have double or quadruple that number of events. What a blessing! In our technical world it still means a lot to go in person and support people. It may be a little inconvenient for you to make the effort but you need to be there. You never know how that might be remembered in the future or appreciated in the present. It’s also a great time to remind those with whom you are celebrating that God has blessed them with special gifts and will give them opportunities to use those gifts in service to His people. They are special! You are special!

It’s also a wonderful time of our LWML year as we get ready to have our LWML convention in Mobile, Alabama. The Host Committee is made up of intrepid volunteers from the three hosting districts, LWML Gulf States, LWML Louisiana-Mississippi and LWML Florida-Georgia. It takes about 500 volunteers to put on the convention doing pre-convention, convention, and post-convention work on everything from airport greeters to banquet seating ushers. We met via Zoom meeting this past Saturday for a Host Committee leaders’ last meeting before convention for 3.5 hours.

These hard-working, dedicated LWML volunteers will want you to come and view and celebrate their accomplishments at the Mobile Convention June 20-23. Your presence will mean a lot to them and will encourage them in their LWML mission work long after convention is over. They are special! You are special as a delegate, a YWR, a Heart to Heart Sister, a first-timer, an exhibitor, a mission speaker, or a general registrant.

I had an Erma Bombeck quote on my frig while raising my kids. “Being a mother means you have to show up”. Could we also say, “Being an LWML woman in mission means you have to show up”?

Enjoy all your celebrations and come celebrate the works of the Lord in Mobile as we meet “In Praise to the LORD!”

Love, Patti

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A Little History Quiz

At the two Vicar, Deaconess Intern, and Fourth Year seminary events that LWML hosted I told them that the LWML groups at the congregations they were going to were waiting for them. Waiting to welcome them and their families, waiting to learn from them, waiting to include them in LWML happenings, waiting to partner with them, and waiting to love and support them. Those of you getting one of these fresh-out-of-seminary church workers, don’t let me down! Be there for them!

I love history. I come by it genetically from my father who was a history professor at Oklahoma State University after getting his PhD. From University of Nebraska (I throw that in for Linda Reiser and Virginia Von Seggern). Here are some interesting notes about national LWML conventions. By the way, come to Mobile and experience and also, help make history!

Before convention bags
  1. There have been two LWML conventions held in Canada. When and where were they held?
  2. What convention attraction made its first appearance at the Charlotte, NC, 1997 convention?
  3. When was the first Biennial Convention?
  4. Mobile is one of four cities who have hosted more than one convention. (Mobile 1973). What other cities have hosted more than one convention?
  5. What convention had the highest attendance? What year?
  6. Have we ever had to cancel a convention?
  7. Is your delegate’s vote important?
  8. What part of convention is always rated the highest on evaluation forms?

Answers below:

There were several “firsts” at Mobile in 1973.

  • The first time a Native American addressed the convention.
  • Five district brought the first 8 youth representatives to convention.
  • Women led the convention Bible study for the first time: Pauline Groerich, Minte Brohm and Carrie Wright, who by the way, was the first black woman to address an LWML convention.
  • A Mission Goal of $500,000 was adopted.
1973 Mobile Convention Manual

I had lunch with our Archivist-Historian, Caroline Honeycutt, last week and she has a great “then and now” exhibit you will want to visit in the Jubilee Junction Exhibit Hall in Mobile! Come and join with your brothers and sisters, “In Praise to the LORD!”

Love, Patti

Answers:

  1. 1959 – 8th Biennial – Toronto, Ontario, Canada “Labor With More Love” and 1993 — 25th Biennial – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada “One in Spirit-One in Purpose.
  2. Humorous Interrupter – At the “Hold up the Light” convention, Linda Reiser portrayed “Sparky”.
  3. 1943 – 1st Biennial – Ft. Wayne, Indiana “Serve the Lord with Gladness”. (1942 Chicago was organizing convention).
  4. Portland, Oregon (1953, 2009); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1961, 2013); Cleveland, Ohio (1949, 1991).
  5. Ames, Iowa, 1985. Registration: 8,023.
  6. Yes. 1945 was not held due to wartime conditions. 1955, New Orleans, Louisiana, was canceled when LWML heard that our black delegates would not be allowed to stay in the convention hotel. A “delegates only” convention was convened in Denver in 1956. The schedule was resumed with Minneapolis in 1957.
  7. Yes! I was elected VP of Christian Life in Portland by only 9 votes and in Albuquerque, officer voting saw differences of 4 and 7 votes in two of the offices.
  8. Thursday evening Opening Worship.
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Looking Ahead Toward Convention

We have a convention every two years as prescribed in our LWML Bylaws. We meet to conduct business by our delegates who represent our membership from our 40 districts. Over the years it has grown into much more than that. We now enjoy servant events, tours around the convention city area, entertainment, mission speakers, worship services, and exhibits. You can learn a lot at convention.

This June 20-23 in Mobile, Alabama we are going to have a couple special recognition opportunities. We need your help getting the word out. LWML would like to honor our overseas missionaries, those currently serving and those who have served in the past, and give them an opportunity to visit with old friends and be recognized for their service. A Friday night reception will be held for overseas missionaries. There will be a table in the registration area for them to sign up for the reception and to receive a special recognition ribbon for their name badge so that they can be recognized by convention goers.

The other special group we would like to recognize is our LWML women active duty and veteran military. As I traveled to different district conventions I found we had quite a number of LWML women who had served in the military or were currently serving. We’d like to hear from them and are asking them to check in at a special table near the registration area at convention and receive a special ribbon for their convention badge.

We need your help to spread the word that we are looking for these people attending the convention and that we have special sign up tables for them to find when they register. Thanks for your help!

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24).

Love, Patti