Rose Dory

After moving several times with her husband, Rose Dory eventually found herself in Granger, Iowa. There, Rose discovered the Granger Woman’s Club when she was invited to a club meeting by the vice president in 2015.

“I jumped at the chance and went to one of the meetings and ended up joining,” she said.

Since volunteering had always been an important part of Rose’s life, and she frequently helped people through her church and other nonprofit organizations, GFWC was a natural fit.

“Volunteering is about giving back to your community and at the same time it broadens your horizons,” she said. “You meet people and get new experiences as well.”

As club president in 2021, Rose encouraged others to share in her love of volunteering by focusing on attracting new members. She said she always tries to emphasize GFWC’s international reach and how the organization is so much more than just a local club.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize in small towns that GFWC is not just local. What we concentrate on is our local area as far as fundraising and doing things for our immediate area, but I also want them to realize that this club reaches internationally. That is a big part of what we do,” Rose said.

Rose explained her focus for the local community has been on scholarships, education, and libraries.

Since starting as club president, Rose said she has been expanding on the past vice president’s idea to put up Free Little Libraries in the area. As of November 2021, the club installed four libraries with new and used books, including two at a local park adjacent to the club, one in the town, and another in a neighboring community.

“That is one of the bigger projects that has been instrumental in the time that I have been president,” she said.

Rose said she is also looking toward the future to come up with new projects with a focus on improved literacy, such as creating a story book trail through a park. She added education-based projects can help anyone of any age.

“We all need to keep learning, not just when we are in school, but on an everyday basis we need to be open to new ideas and thoughts and to keep growing as an individual throughout our lives,” Rose said. “But if you don’t start when you are young and in school, it’s probably not going to continue as it should.”

Although being club president has presented its own challenges, Rose said she has appreciated the position and ultimately loves being a GFWC clubwoman.

“I enjoy being club president. I try to stay on top of everything, to always let people know as much as I can what is happening every month, and I try to get them involved if I can,” she said.