Sharing Reports - May, 2010

Rose Keefe moved we vote for one of the following options:

Option #1. Members send email to olp@yahoogroups.com using the subject field to post attendance (i.e. Jane Doe, Preceptor - Present). Personal information and updates may be included in the body of the email but not reported in the minutes.

Option #2. Members sign into an attendance poll. Personal information and updates may be posted after the close of the meeting (during chapter chatter) and not included in the minutes.” Motion moved by Rose:
Option # 1 seconded by: Kimberly
Option #2 seconded by: Carole
Marcia set the poll up and all will receive the results when the polls close on Monday, April 19, 2010.

Election of Officers:
Cheryl-Nom. Committee Chair, Presented the slate of Candidates running for each office of President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer.
There are several sisters running in each position. Marcia set up the polls with the following results:
On Line Psi Election Results:
The officers for Online Psi are as follows:

President: Cheryl
Vice-President: Rose
Recording Secretary: Beth
Treasurer: Marcia
Corresponding Secy: Jean

Rose reported she updated the OLP Website to include our 2010-2011 Woman of the Year, Marcia H. and our Newly elected Officers.

Marcia submitted the Courtesy Report for May:

May Courtesy Report
May Birthdays:
Rose Keefe, 5-9
Laurie Rizzo, 5-23

May Anniversaries & Special Day:
Denise and Leo Elkin, 5-16

Joining OLP anniversary:
Denise Elkin, 5-04

Vicki Skinner reported on the Recipe Group:
For Warm Molten center Chocolate Cupcakes:

4 T. SOFT MARGARINE
GENEROUS 1/4 C. SUPERFINE SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
SCANT 5/8 C. SELF RISING FLOUR
1 T. UNSWEETENED COCOA
2 2oz./55g. SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE
CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR FOR DUSTING
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees 2. Put 8 paper baking cases in a muffin pan, or put 8 double-layer paper cases on a baking sheet.

2) Put margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, and cocoa in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat together until just smooth.

3) Spoon half of the batter into the paper cases. Using a teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each cake. Break the chocolate evenly into 8 squares and place a piece in each indentation, then spoon the remaining cake batter on top.

4) Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave the cupcake for 2-3 minutes before serving warm, dusted with the sifted confectioner's sugar.

FROM THE BOOK, "CUPCAKES" BY, SUSANNA TEE

Polls were set for Woman of the Year, results sent to Rose K as chr. Marcia Hamm was chosen as OLP Woman of the Year. Election of Officers, results sent to President. Attendance, a poll with Option 1 and Option 2 for the attendance. Results sent to the group as Option 1 carried.

March program in April, was presented by Rose K., on the Liver and Its function and what happens when it is invaded by cancer. Terminal since it is one of the organs, which does not regenerate.

Rose also shared a "Bit of Sunshine" from Cyber Council, The Beta Journal. She also noted we can get a copy of Yardstick Form for 2009-2010 for on line submission or print, fill-out and mail to International by June 20, 2010.

We also enjoyed our Mother's Day Invitation to On Line Beta's Social for May.

It was held at the Nosh and Ganache Tea Room in old Eau Gallie, Melbourne, Australia.

We ate outside in the stair-stepped patio amid tropical plants and flowers. With the table holding glass vases with a yellow rose in the bottom, while a candle was suspended halfway up. The setting was beautiful and romantic. Our server was attentive and happy to explain items on the menu.

Upon arrival we were offered bottled water, along with a choice of a red or white wine. A delicious, buttery roll started things off. Followed by a choice of soup or salad; we chose the soup, a cream shrimp bisque. It was thinner than expected, but nicely flavored with a touch of nutmeg and Old Bay, and it was served with a tasty, bite-size sour cream biscuit. We chose Crab Cakes Mornay and Cabernet-Braised Beef Short Ribs from four offered entrees; the others were Avocado Pollo Con Queso and Portabella Aubergine.

I really enjoyed my crabby crab cake in its Dijon mayonnaise sauce, along with the scrumptious pecan rice pilaf, which was flavored with bits of red and white grapes. The green and yellow beans were buttery-good, too. My husband's short ribs fell off the bone, melting in the mouth with hints of rosemary and sweetness. The twice-baked mashed potatoes were wonderfully sour-creamy as well.

I got the Peachy Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce, which was served hot and sweet, totally fulfilling its comfort-food mission. The Chocolate French Silk Pie, complemented by fresh whipped cream, was a cloud of chocolaty goodness.

(Think I'm gaining as I'm writing this down.)

Happy Mother's Day
"Happy Mother's Day" Means More

"Happy Mother's Day" means more
Than have a happy day.
Within those words lie lots of things
We never get to say.
It means I love you first of all,
Then thanks for all you do.
It means you mean a lot to me,
And that I honor you.

But most of all, I guess it means
That I am thinking of
Your happiness on this, your day,
With pleasure and with love.
Nicholas Gordon

Then followed more information on Mom's special holiday with more on Mother's Day page, crafts, and recipes. The special flower for Mom's is the White Carnation, chosen to represent the sweetness, purity and endurance of a mothers love. However, the red carnation has since become the symbol of a living mother while white signifies that one's mother has died.

With more questions and ideas to do for your mother on Mother's Day.

Thank you OLB Chapter for the Wonderful Social for Mother's Day.

Beta Hugs,

Marcia
OLP Rep

On Line Eta enjoyed visiting On Line Beta's Founder's Day this year. It was quite a lovely experience and members hope to be able to return next year along with other on line chapters.

Stacy and Cindy will be hosting the Florida Convention this weekend, and everyone wishes them the very best!

The chapter welcomed another new member, Ann from Blue Springs, MO

The chapter voted to APPROVE the additional Endowment Fund.

_*Additional Endowment Fund Proposal*_

The late Bill Ross requested a proposal for the Endowment Fund. He wished to form the "Beta Sigma Phi Cardiovascular Nurses Continuing Education at the University of Kansas Hospital Endowment Fund." The heart surgeons and their surgical teams at the only academic medical center in the State of Kansas are considered the top in their profession and possibly top in the nation in a particular surgical procedure. The UKH Heart surgeons are involved in research that has advanced heart care and are published in medical journals and speak about their expertise at national and international conferences. The hospital also cares for more than 232,000 individuals throughout the State of Kansas with their health care needs.

A one time endowment of $20,000 would be granted to the UKH to be placed into a fund that would be interest bearing. The interest earned will be granted by the team to a qualified nurse for continuing education in the cardiovascular field yearly.

Please circle either APPROVE or OPPOSE and return to the International Office as soon as possible. Thank you.

APPROVE/ OPPOSE
CHAPTER NAME/NUMBER STATE/PROVINCE

====================PROGRAM=====================

Trish conducted a recycling program that members enjoyed and thought others would like:

APRIL PROGRAM - By Trish

This first item is an article from the November 2009 Ladies Home Journal. I found it extremely valuable and wanted to share it with all of you.

Don't Dump It, Donate It!

Give your old stuff new life by contributing it to worthy organizations.

Confession time: How much of the stuff that's crammed into your closets, attic, and basement do you actually need or use? We're talking about the bridesmaid dress the bride swore you'd wear again, the books your kid never read, and the inline skates you bought on a whim. But before you haul your random clutter to the dump, find out if there's a greener way to get rid of it. These organizations will take all that junk off your hands and recycle it or give it to those in need.

HOME GOODS

Animal shelters are often desperate for donations of soft blankets, thick towels, and linens to use in the animal cages. To find a shelter near you, visit pets911.com.

Contribute your used furniture, such as beds, couches, and dining room tables, to your local chapter of the National Furniture Bank Association (nationalfurnitureb

ank.org). The organization provides furniture to victims of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. It also helps families living below the poverty level and women and children who are starting over after fleeing violent homes.

ELECTRONICS

The World Computer Exchange is a nonprofit that aims to keep computers out of landfills by giving them to disadvantaged kids in more than 65 countries. Visit worldcomputerexchange.org to learn how to donate your unwanted laptops and desktops.

To find local organizations that accept used computers, televisions, cell phones, and empty ink cartridges (which can be refilled or recycled), visit earth911.com/electronics.

Donate your old computers, printers, and software to the National Cristina Foundation (cristina.org), which supplies electronics to charities across the country that support at-risk children, people with disabilities, and the underprivileged.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ncadv.org) accepts used cell phones and gives them to women who might need one in an emergency.

Handheld electronic gaming systems are one of the items most requested by troops stationed abroad. If you have one to donate, visit Games for Heroes (gamesforheroes.com); the group will send it to U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Get-Well Gamers Foundation (getwellgamers.org) collects video-game systems and games and distributes them to a network of more than 40 children's hospitals and treatment facilities across the country.

CLOTHING

Donate old suits, dresses, work-appropriate clothes, and accessories to Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org), a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged women find and maintain employment. Clients receive one suit when they get an interview and are eligible for another after they land a job. Career Gear (careergear.org) is a similar program that collects used men's clothes.

Visit donatemydress.org to find locations in your area where you can donate prom dresses and formal wear for underprivileged young women.

Brides Against Breast Cancer (bridesagainstbreastcancer.org) accepts wedding gowns, slips, and veils and sells them at events across the country. All proceeds go to makingmemories.org, a foundation that grants final wishes to women who have terminal breast cancer.

You can donate worn-out fleece clothing to Patagonia's Common Threads Garment Recycling program (patagonia.com). Drop them off at a local Patagonia store and they'll be recycled into new clothes.

The charity Soles4Souls (soles4souls.org) was formed after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004 in order to provide shoes to people who had lost everything in the storm. Today the nonprofit accepts gently used footwear and sends it to people in need here and around the world.

SPORTS EQUIPMENT

At iloveschools.com, teachers post wish lists for items they need that are beyond their school's budget; many request sporting goods such as jump ropes, hula hoops, and basketballs

You can contribute just about any type of sports equipment -- from tennis ball hoppers to old team uniforms -- to sportsgift.org. The group uses your donations to create community sports programs for under privileged children worldwide.

Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe campaign collects all brands of used athletic shoes, which are recycled and turned into everything from basketball courts and running tracks to new athletic shoes and gear. To find drop-off locations, visit nikereuseashoe.com.

One World Running (oneworldrunning.blogspot.com) accepts gently used running sneakers and sends them to people in need. You can also visit recycledrunners.com to find other organizations in your area that will benefit from your used sneakers.

BOOKS AND MEDIA

The Global Literacy Project collects used books for its worldwide literacy programs; read up on donation guidelines at glpinc.org. Or bring your old books to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill thrift store.

Donate gently used kids' books to projectnightnight.org. The reading material will be added to the organization's "Night Night" tote bags -- along with a security blanket and stuffed animal -- which are given to homeless children.

Before you recycle that stack of magazines, pass them along to someone else. Local hospitals, women's shelters, and retirement homes may be happy to take them off your hands.

If you have DVDs your kids no longer watch, contribute them to children's hospitals and pediatric wards via kidflicks.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

If you have a big-ticket item to give, such as a car or truck, consider donating it to Big Brothers Big Sisters' Cars for Kids' Sake (bbbs.org). The group will pick it up (even if it doesn't work!) and resell it; the proceeds will benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in your community. Other charities that accept vehicle donations include Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org) and the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org).

Uniteforsight.org accepts nonprescription sunglasses and sends them to people in Africa who don't have access to eye care.

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, inspired by the movie about a dedicated music teacher, refurbishes used instruments and gives them to underfunded school music programs. Visit mhopus.org to learn more.

Deductions Made Simple Get a tax break for doing good! Follow these tips from Amy McAnarney, executive director of the Tax institute at H&R Block, to write off your contributions the right way.

Do a background check. Before you donate to a charity, make sure it has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Visit irs.gov or charitynavigator.org. Record every item you contribute and its fair-market value, which is the amount you'd typically pay for it at a thrift store. "The IRS keeps a close eye on charitable deductions, so be careful not to overstate yours," warns McAnarney. Publication 561, located on irs.gov, can help you figure out the value of various items.

Get a receipt or a letter of acknowledgment from the charity you give to that includes its name, the date of the donation, and a list of contributed items. If you donate something valued at $5,000 or more (such as jewelry), you must get an appraisal before you can claim it.

Use the right forms. If you make a non-cash donation totaling more than $500 in value, file it using Form 8283 ("noncash Charitable Contributions"). Report items of lesser value on lines 16 through 19 of Schedule A on Form 1040.

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, November 2009.

************************************************************************************************************************************ The organization below is a great place to donate items that are still in usable condition, but, for whatever reason, you can't seem to find a home for them. This organization exists to keep usable items out of landfills. There are chapters everywhere!

www.freecycle.org The Freecycle Network^(TM) is made up of 4,775 groups with 7,090,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box on the web page or by clicking on "Browse Groups" above the search box. Have fun!

Beta hugs,

Karen
OLEta Rep

What a pleasure to join OLB for Founder's Day. What an emotional feeling it was to watch their FD presentation. Thank you so much OLB for making a virtual Founder's Day feel so real!

We elected new officer's in April and installed in May. President, Arlene: VPres, Billie: Treasurer, Krissie; Recording secretary, Carolyn W; Corresponding Secretary, Vivian B. Our cc rep is Vivian B.

OLT has been very busy. Lovely social during cherry blossom season in Macon, Georgia. Last week end, we celebrated our 11th birthday at the home of our first member, Juanita. Juanita lives in Steinhatchee, Florida. As we drank fresh Texas peach margaritas, we enjoyed Jimmy Buffett's music. Thanks to Facebook, we were able to see a lot of pictures of the restaurant where we had dinner. And thanks to You Tube, Elvis sang Happy Birthday and Guy Lombardo saw us off to our helicopterr with Auld Lang Syne.

We have had a tradition for many years of exchanging $1 gifts for the chapter birthday. The postage usually costs more than the gift. Amazing what the creative sisters of OLT can find for a dollar! We look forward all year to what our ss will find for a $!

On the business side, we have been busy updating our standing rules and traditions.

Respectfully submitted,

Arlene
OLT President

April & May have been busy months for the OLD Darlings.

Election of Officers was held and committee positions filled by the incoming President.

Masters Ritual was held for Susan and Lisa and Laureate Ritual for Pat.

For our April program Val shared photos she had taken on her trip to India. We were to view her photos and think about trips we had taken. Program response was on the effect on us of travel.

Gina has had reconstruction on her ankle and is now home and healing.

Sue R. and Theryl were able to meet and have lunch together. Since our members are so geographically disbursed any two of us getting together is a rare treat.

Norma's husband Bob has now been diagnosed with bone cancer so we are sending our prayers and good thoughts to them.

Our April Koffee Klatch (the social portion of our meetings) we wrote about when and from whom we had learned cooking, sewing, gardening and other domestic skills.

Program assignments for 2010-2011 were discussed. Our Chapter Program theme will be "Our National Parks or State/Provincial Parks"

We celebrated Founders Day with a virtual gathering in the Sunken Garden at Buchart Gardens in Victoria, BC. Susan R. was chosen as our Woman of the Year.

Linda asked for our prayers for her tiny (3 ½ mo old) granddaughter, Abigale Grace. She was born with downs Syndrome and a hole in her heart that will need to be repaired soon as she is strong enough.

Beverly enjoyed a two week trip to Scotland.

Social Chairman Marie announced theme for our Chapter socials will be " Building Pathways to Friendship, through Sports and Leisure".

We worried about Evelyn when we heard about the floods in Nashville but she was able to report that her home escaped the worst of the damage but did have about an inch of water in the basement.

Hilda was in charge of our May Program all about reactions to Chocolate. If we liked it then What flavor we liked. Would we go to extremes to get a "hit" or could we leave it alone.

Kathleen M and Susan and Susan's friend Kathy, were able to meet for Dinner at Downtown Disney prior to the California State convention.

Norma was in charge of our May Koffee Klatch and asked us to respond to: WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE FOR THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN OR HAVE ACHIEVED IN BETA SIGMA PHI CHAPTER LIFE OR OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS WE BELONG TO?

Shirley is attending the Toronto convention and was looking for other chapter sisters to meet up with but no one else was planning to attend this year.

Meanwhile we heard that Susan had met and had a visit with Marilyn E from OnLine Kappa when they were both at the California convention.

Linda and husband Jim are planning a trip to Alaska and hoping to meet Ann & Stoney while there. Ann has managed to survive another year of her tax preparation business. We are so glad to have her actively participating again.

Nola
OLD Rep