Origin of Hats, Gloves, and Bags Campaign

At one time, popular opinion had it that women's clubs were really card groups made up of wealthy society matrons. Not for the first time, popular opinion had it wrong!

As members of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, you are well aware that the work done by woman's clubs across the world is significant and has a real impact on communities, states, and countries, and clubwomen can point to libraries, legislation, and a legacy of community service to prove it!

In order to turn popular opinion on its head, GFWC is implementing a new outreach campaign to confirm that "Hats, gloves, and bags are still part of our tradition." Of course, the irony is that the hats aren't always feathered and the gloves aren't always white-they are usually hard hats and work gloves, used in service to the communities where our more than 100,000 members live and work. It's time for GFWC to share a new vision of women's clubs and their members with the world!

As part of the outreach campaign, you can expect feature articles in GFWC Clubwoman magazine and on the GFWC website as well posters, brochures, and emblematic merchandise. We will involve members at every level in photo contests, publicity materials, and community and media outreach.

This is not just a national campaign, though; we will have tools and resources available to members to implement similar campaigns in their own communities across the country, with methods of demonstrating our diversity while also embracing our unity as a Federation. Initial information will appear in the December 2007/January 2008 issue of GFWC Clubwoman, with resource information available on our website at the same time.

This campaign is sure to motivate and energize GFWC members, as well as capture the attention of community members and media contacts. Part of the initiative includes strategic rollout of information on an incremental basis, so be sure that you subscribe to our electronic newsletter (you can sign up on our website). We hope that you will contribute your ideas, and that you will take pride in helping GFWC create a powerful outreach campaign that we can reveal in full at the 117th GFWC Annual International Convention in Chicago.

If you have questions or need additional information, please let us know. And look for the debut of "Hats, gloves, and bags" in the near future!

(January 2008)