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10 Lovely 2018 Chevy 2500 Midnight Edition – Chevrolet, colloquially Called Chevy and the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company, is an American Auto Branch of the American Producer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet and General Motors creator William C. Durant started the company about November 3, 1911 as the Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Company. Durant applied the Chevrolet Motor Car Company to acquire a controlling stake in General Motors having a reverse merger occurring on May 2, 1918 and steered back himself into the GM presidency. Right after Durant's next ousting in 1919, Alfred Sloan, with his maxim"a car for every purse and purpose", could choose the Chevrolet brand to become the amount leader at the General Motors family members, attempting to sell main-stream autos to compete together with Henry Ford's Model T 1919 and overtaking Ford because the best selling car in the USA by 1929.
Conner Golden, Source : automobilemag.com
Chevrolet-branded autos are sold in most automotive markets globally, In Oceania, Chevrolet is represented by its Australian subsidiary, Holden, with came back into the region at 2018 after a 50-year shortage together with the launch of this Camaro and also Silverado pickup truck. Back in 2005, Chevrolet was relaunched in Europe, primarily selling vehicles built by GM Daewoo of South Korea together with the tagline"Daewoo was risen enough to eventually become Chevrolet", a move rooted in General Motors' attempt to construct a worldwide fresh around Chevrolet. With the reintroduction of Chevrolet to Europe, GM planned Chevrolet for a mainstream worth brand name, whereas GM's conventional European standard-bearers, Opel of Germany, and also Vauxhall of the great britain would be transferred upmarket. However, GM reversed this move in late 2013, announcing that the brand could be withdrawn from Europe, together with the exclusion of the Camaro and Corvette in 20-16. Chevrolet autos will probably last to be promoted from the CIS states, including Russia. After normal Motors entirely acquired GM Daewoo in 2011 to develop GM Korea, the last using the Daewoo automotive model had been discontinued in its native South Korea and succeeded by Chevrolet.
maxresdefault, Source : youtube.com
2019 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition New Chevy 2500 Diesel for Sale, Source : weddingpostcardinvitations.com
New 2018 Nissan Titan XD SV Diesel Midnight Edition, Source : scottevansnissanusa.com
2019 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition Awesome 2018 Chevy Silverado Hd File Chevrolet Silverado Z71 Wikimedia Mons, Source : weddingpostcardinvitations.com
In the united states, Chevrolet sells and produces a vast array of motor vehicles, from sub-compact vehicles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the prominence and name-recognition of Chevrolet as truly one of General Motors' world wide marques, Chevrolet, Chevy or Chev is used sometimes being a synonym for standard Motors or its own products, one example being the GM LS1 engine, popularly known by the title or some variant thereof of its progenitor, the Chevrolet small block motor.


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Department of state: statement Tillerson about the dialogue with North Korea does not mean a change in US policy
Earlier, the state Secretary said that Washington is ready to conduct the first round of dialogue with Pyongyang without preconditions
A few hours after U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday that the U.S. is ready "to hold the first meeting (with North Korea) without pre-conditions", which attracted worldwide attention, the White house released a statement that cooled hopes for the emergence of new opportunities for diplomatic work.
"The President's view on North Korea have not changed. North Korea is engaged in unsafe actions not only in relation to Japan, China and South Korea, but also around the world. North Korea's actions do not bring benefits to anyone, including, of course, the North Korea", – said the press Secretary of the President Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
On Wednesday, state Department spokesman Heather Nauert denied that U.S. policy toward North Korea has changed.
"The Secretary of state has not formed any new policy. Our policy remains the same as it was, it's the same policy, which we discussed in this chamber for many months. The most important thing is that diplomacy is our top priority," said Neuert reporters.
"Period of silence"
According to Nauert, Tillerson and the White house agree that now is not the time to talk with North Korea. She noted that the Secretary of state added on Tuesday that serious negotiations can begin only after the "period of silence" without new nuclear and missile tests.
In recent months, North Korea conducted a series of tests of ballistic missiles, including in November when, according to statements of Pyongyang, has been tested a missile capable of reaching any point on the U.S. mainland.
Neuert stressed that the purpose of the United States and the international coalition, their allies – the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, what strongly agree North Korea.
China was quick to welcome the statement, Tillerson about the possibility of talks with North Korea without preconditions, which was made in a time when the President of South Korea, moon Jae-In began a four-day state visit to China.
Speaking at a regular press briefing Wednesday, foreign Ministry spokesman of China Lou Kahn said that Beijing welcomes any efforts to reduce tensions and promote dialogue.
China made a proposal of "double suspension" or "freeze in exchange for freezing", according to which North Korea stop all nuclear testing and ballistic missile tests, the US and South Korea cease all military exercises.
"We hope that the U.S. and North Korea can meet each other halfway and take serious steps to dialogue and contact," said Lou Kahn.
Russia also welcomed the prospective initiative Tillerson.
Russian support
Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov told the news Agency "Interfax" that Russia supports this approach and considers it the only true.
Ryabkov added that after these statements, Russia would like to see practical action.
Speaking on Tuesday, Tillerson gave to understand that diplomacy could be successful only because the us military is fully ready for action in the event of the failure of diplomacy.
"I will continue our diplomatic efforts, until you dropped the first bomb, said Tillerson. I am confident that we will succeed, but I'm also sure that (defence Minister Jim) Mattis will be successful, if it turns out that his turn will come".
On Wednesday evening the state Department announced that Tillerson take part in the Ministerial briefing to the UN security Council on non-proliferation and North Korea. The briefing will be held on Friday in new York.
"The Secretary of state Tillerson will once again declare that the United States and the international community will not stand idly by while North Korea continues to build nuclear and missile potential, which openly threatens international peace and security, said in a statement. – (Tillerson) will continue to encourage all member States (UN) to work together to exert maximum pressure on North Korea to force North Korea to abandon its programmes for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles."
In addition, on Friday Tillerson will meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guerison.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dark Dynasties #1
by Kendra Leigh Castle
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published June 28th 2011 by Forever
Courtesy of publisher
Enter the world of the Dark Dynasties . . . For centuries, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray has prowled the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer-a human woman with a special gift-who can secure victory for their clan. Ty's search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he's never known . . . Lily Quinn has always been different. Since childhood, she's had vivid nightmares and an eerie sixth sense. When a sexy, silver-eyed stranger demands her help, Lily plunges into a new world of danger and sensuality. With Ty, she discovers sizzling passions she cannot deny and powers she cannot control. Soon, it is clear that Lily is much more than a Seer-she holds the key to ancient secrets and unthinkable destruction. But will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop these evil forces . . . or unleash her dark destiny?
My Thoughts:
Dark Awakening is a dark & sexy novel that exceeded all my expectations, and what a sensational start to a new series!
Tynan MacGillivray is a Lowblood, a Cait Sith, and a hunter for a Highblood faction. When he is sent on a mission to find a seerer to help save his Queen's dying race he finds Lily Quinn. Ty is determined to bring her to his Queen no matter what, but when he sees Lily's strange tattoo and realizes that she is more than just a seerer Ty knows that he must find out the truth behind her mark before he can deliver her.
Lily has always been aware of the strange presence inside of her but has fought the darkness with in her entire life. She knows that it can only lead to destruction. When Lily meets Ty she knows that he is something more and feels an instant connection with him, but she also knows that she cannot trust him, especially with the secrets she carries. When assassins threaten her life though and war beckons Lily must put herself in Ty's strong hands and go on the run with him. Navigating the vampire world and skirting danger these two set out on a quest for answers while discovering a passion that cannot be denied.
If you like Urban Fantasy but tend to shy away from it because of it's lack of romance, then this is the book for you. Dark Awakening is dark, gritty and suspenseful, but with plenty of sexual tension and romance to keep you emotionally involved with the characters. The story arc that Kendra Leigh Castle has created is unique and interesting. There are several vampire factions that consist of Highbloods and Lowbloods, but the author provides a glossary at the front and I for one very much appreciate when authors do this. The world building is complex and action packed but seamlessly woven together, leaving the plot to flow smoothly.
I loved the main characters of Ty and Lily. Ty has been labeled as gutter trash his entire life but has learned how to survive on his wits and fighting skills, rising to the top of his bloodline. Angst ridden and sexy, he strives to protect those of his blood and later Lily. Lily is strong and independent, weary of letting others get to close though because of the secrets she carries. Together, these two not only learn to love each other, but to love themselves as well.
My only complaint would be that the ending felt rushed. There was all this building up to it and when everything finally came to it's climax it was over within 20 pages (of a 300+ page novel), I wanted more! This is a great start to a new series though and the ending left it open for many more stories centered on secondary characters. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us!
Quote: If she could only find a well-educated, Shakespeare-quoting bad boy who still had a thing for sexy tattoos and maybe a mild leather fetish, she might at least have a shot at avoiding her probable future as a crazy old cat lady. -pg 15
Quote: If she could only find a well-educated, Shakespeare-quoting bad boy who still had a thing for sexy tattoos and maybe a mild leather fetish, she might at least have a shot at avoiding her probable future as a crazy old cat lady. -pg 15


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The deterioration of medical equipment at hospitals has emerged as a serious problem.
Rep. Kim Sang-hoon of the opposition Liberty Korea Party made the revelation based on data released by Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA)건강보험심사평가원.
According to the data, the number of medical equipment used by Korean hospitals reached 832,063 as of July 31, and 207,585, or 24.9 percent of the total, were too obsolete to know their manufacturing date and the period of use.
Specifically, relatively new equipment whose period of use was less than five years accounted for 25.4 percent, with 211,599, devices with the service life of five to 10 years were 3.4 percent (194,810) and those with 10-20 years were 24.1 percent (200,164).
The obsolescence of expensive specialized medical devices such as CT and MRI is especially severe, it said.
These special medical devices are used so frequently that their functions rapidly depreciate, and hospitals experience difficulties securing parts and components for the imported machine, the report said. All this lead to the severe deterioration of the equipment compared to other devices, it added.
The obsoleted medical devices pull down the quality of medical checkup and increase the ratio of reshooting.
In the case of CT with high examination cost, for example, 18.4 percent of patients who took a picture at one hospital and visit another institution within a month have to retake their pictures, swelling their financial burdens.
"Because health insurance gives the same amount of insurance benefits to checkups using special equipment regardless of the degree of their deterioration, medical institutions tend to buy secondhand equipment rather than buying expensive new devices," Rep. Kim said.
According to data on the introduction of used special medical devices such as CT, MRI and Mammo, 2,032 out of 6,452 devices were old equipment.
"France reduces 28.6 percent of medical costs for CT and 13.7 percent for MRI, respectively, when medical institutions use devices seven years old or more. It applies different medical expenses by the period of use and their performances. Australia also reduces 40 percent of medical fees for devices with more than 10 years, and Japan set the costs according to their functions," Kim said.
It is necessary to introduce a system to enhance the checkup quality of medical equipment, such as the automatic exit of devices, if the level of obsolescence is getting worse, and to apply different medical costs to manage and regulate the spending of medical checkup costs in more efficient ways, he added.
<© Korea Biomedical Review, All rights reserved.>


text: I am interested in breeding my pony, and while conformation and tempermant are important I love interesting colors and patterns. I was wondering about the different coats that she could possibly throw to a foal. She's heterozygous silver, and homozygous black I believe. Love to hear feedback, thank you in advance


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Are your kids going to college now or in the next few weeks? This is the time of year when families take their children to distant schools and drop them off for nine months. It can be very hard on you, the parent, as well as the student. You may be putting on a brave face, but in reality, the presence of loss is real and powerful at this transitional time in your life. You may not equate this with other losses, such as death or relationship breakups, but some of the dynamics of grief are the same:
• Depression may present itself
• Physically you may have uncomfortable symptoms, such as sleep changes or weight loss
• You may feel helpless
• Anger may come and go
• Loneliness is to be expected
So, do not ignore these important signs or shrug them off. These reactions to your child leaving are common and widespread but minimizing your feelings of loss at this time can make things worse. Perspective and unbiased understanding are needed to help you through the difficult weeks or months ahead. Professional help may be needed. Grief can become an actual clinical depression if not treated!
Call Becker Counseling now for help at 732.406.4422 or contact us via our website.


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Preparation time:
Cooking time:
Serves: 3 3/4 cups
2 cups plain sour cream OR plain yogurt
2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
1/4 cup minced green onions
Combine cream cheese and next 8 ingredients (cream cheese through hot sauce), stirring well with a whisk. Stir in sour cream. Add crabmeat and remaining ingredients; stir gently to combine.


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Two nights ago, I arrived at the grocery store just as the merchant pulled down the accordion-iron gate. "Desolé," he said, pointing to his watch. I planned to go back last night, but things--important things, things involving mixed beverages--came up.
Which left me opening my refrigerator this morning to find nothing more suitable than beets and some fiercely ripe goat cheese staring back, neither of which seemed an appropriate complement for café au lait. In desperate moments like these, I cross the hall in my slippers to retrieve some toast and confiture from Jeanne's refrigerator, all the while whispering prayers of gratitude for my apartment's "other wing," as Jason recently dubbed it.
Of course, it's Jeanne's freezer that is by far the more interesting half of her frigo. It's composed almost exclusively of plastic butter containers--dozens of them. Their contents are labeled in red sharpie, and the words scrawled on the plastic are equally direct--porc chataignes, poisson riz, blanquette, or sauce champignons.
A simple exterior belies the home-cooked heaven inside--they are the vestiges of my aunt's phenomenal meals.
After a visit home, the last thing Jeanne will do before getting into her tiny Peugeot and careening through the countryside to the train station--(I'm telling you, my knuckles are white after every ride, even with France's new speeding laws)--is to stock a small cooler with these leftovers.
I have been known to reap the benefits of my tata Marie-Line's butter containers from time to time.
My aunt and uncle, Roger and Marie-Line, operate a dairy farm in a tiny village outside of Le Mans. When I say tiny, I mean less than 100 people, tiny. My father was born on this farm. So was my grandmother. (Talk about attachment to la terre, my family's got it. Big time). Every weekend that my cousin doesn't go home, she heats one of her mother's dishes. I know that it means a hell of a lot more to her than just convenience.
For me, even though my aunt's cooking is certainly not my mother's, and the farm is certainly not my home, the existence of both makes this experience abroad somehow less rocky. I am living 5,000 miles away from my friends and immediate family, but at the same time, an hour's TGV-ride from the place where my father spent his boyhood. The farm is my beacon.
I'll probably visit my aunt and uncle next month. Until then, there is the stock of home cooking in the freezer next door. Although obviously not useful for breakfast emergencies.


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Obamacare subsidies were dealt a legal blow today by a judge appointed by the Bush Administration. U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled that the subsidies, which she called "cost-sharing reduction payments" that are paid directly to insurers, cannot continue without a congressional appropriation.
[graphiq id="15JJAB5pxC5″ title="Percentage of People Eligible for an Obamacare Marketplace Plan Who Are Signed Up for 2016″ width="600″ height="620″ url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/15JJAB5pxC5″ link="http://affordable-care-act.healthgrove.com" link_text="Percentage of People Eligible for an Obamacare Marketplace Plan Who Are Signed Up for 2016 | HealthGrove"]
Millions of Americans have come to depend on these subsidies to afford their insurance premiums. When you purchase health insurance on the exchange, if you meet certain income requirements, you automatically are entitled to subsidies from the federal government. Now, there are doubts as to whether this system can continue to function under its present arrangement. The Obama Administration has maintained that the Affordable Care Act created a perpetual appropriation for these subsidies, and will appeal this decision.
Up until this ruling, the Obama administration circumvented the traditional appropriations process for funding these subsidies, something that many Republicans on Capitol Hill have long believed is unconstitutional. This ruling confirms what many have suspected for quite some time — that administration's tactics run afoul of our nation's constitutional principles.
"The historic ruling reaffirms the foundational "power of the purse" that was given to the legislative branch by the Framers," said Jonathan Turley, lead counsel for the United States House of Representatives in this case (United States House of Representatives v. Burwell). The ruling will not have an immediate effect, as the subsidies will be allowed to continue pending appeal.
Leaders on the right are claiming victory, even though ordinary Americans won't see any changes in the near future. House Speaker Paul Ryan called the ruling "a historic win for the Constitution."
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus called the ruling "another rebuke by the courts to a president who has routinely flouted the Constitution." The Obama Administration and its supporters are expecting a win upon appeal.
Experts in the field of healthcare are mostly in agreement that this decision, even if it holds up after appeal, is not as potent of a threat to Obamacare as past challenges. The most often-cited study by the Urban Institute regarding changes to healthcare subsidies found that there would be some disruptions, but that those changes would not doom Obamacare to certain failure. In sum, there are several policy options at the administration's disposal that could work around this ruling.
David is the Editor of Bold. He's especially passionate about millennial economic empowerment. A former local news reporter, David is originally from the Little Havana area in Miami, and later became a pioneer resident of the Disney-inspired town of Celebration, Florida. David holds a Master's in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Continue reading...


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Grant Thornton replaces Ernst & Young as Cipla auditors
Wednesday August 14 2019
KAMPALA-Grant Thornton Uganda, an audit firm, has been appointed as new external auditors for Cipla Quality Chemicals Limited, a pharmaceutical company, replacing Ernst & Young, which has served the company since inception.
The decision was confirmed on Wednesday by shareholders during the annual general meeting at the company's factory in Luzira, Kampala.
Unlike Ernst & Young which enjoyed an uninterrupted tenure,-Grant Thornton Uganda's contract will be reviewed at the end of Cipla's current financial year in March 2020.
The directors agreed that external auditors will be rotated to ensure independence.
But Mr Emmanuel Katongole, the Cipla Quality Chemicals executive director, said had it not been the will of his fellow directors, he would have continued working with the auditing firm.
During the meeting, Cipla Quality Chemicals Limited also told shareholders that the company's revenue reduced significantly because the Global Fund, their biggest client for malarial and antiretroviral drugs, resorted to preventive measures and cut its consumption from Shs92.3 billion
$25 million to Shs9 billion ($2.5 million) in the previous financial year.
However, the company's chief executive officer, Mr Nevin Bradford, assured shareholders of a better year because in 2019, Global Fund has already made orders worth Shs29.2 million ($8 million).
Cipla Quality Chemicals Limited has also sealed a deal with the US President's Malaria Initiative to supply malarial drugs to Rwanda and Myanmar for the next three years.


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With their military offensive into the Anbar Province yielding mixed results, at best, the Maliki government is turning back to the same strategy the United States used during their occupation of Iraq: recruiting Sunni tribal fighters as irregulars to target al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).
The recruitment drive has managed to attracted thousands of fighters, with promises of weapons and money from the central government attracting many back, but opening new questions about the way these "Awakening Forces" were unceremoniously dropped by the government after the US pullout.
"The problem in Anbar goes far beyond funds or services. It is a problem of mistrust and marginalization," warned Anbar MP Hamid al-Mutlaq. The Maliki government indeed made a point to distance itself from the Awakening Forces almost the moment they were transferred control from the US, accusing them of being terrorists and reneging on promises to integrate them into the military.
The government has set aside $20 million to subsidies to new Awakening fighters, and while many see fighting AQI as a top priority, many see another inevitable conflict with the Maliki government as soon as they've again outstayed their usefulness.


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Should it stay or should it go? Controversy builds over fate of Norwich's final Victorian gas holder
PUBLISHED: 15:27 06 February 2018 | UPDATED: 15:27 06 February 2018
Copyright: Archant 2018
Controversy is building over the potential tearing down of Norwich's landmark Victorian gas holder - with City Hall's own conservation department saying it cannot support its demolition.
The 16-sided Victorian gas holder, off Gas Hill, which dates back to 1880, is earmarked for removal by the National Grid, along with an underground one nearby.
The Victorian one is locally listed and Norwich City Council's local plan - a blueprint for development in the city - wanted consideration to keeping it as part of a potential development of up to 15 homes at the site.
Yet, in their application to City Hall, the National Grid says: "It is not viable to retain the existing gas holder structure on the southern parcel of land as part of the design of future housing development."
But officers at Norwich City Council are not convinced the case has been made to show such a development would not be viable.
Christopher Brownhill, assistant conservation and design officer at Norwich City Council, said: "Norwich City Council conservation and design cannot support the demolition of the two structures, one of which has been identified as locally significant and described by Historic England as having 'regional importance' based on the information supplied.
"The gas holders are a significant element of the aesthetic associated with the city skyline.
"Although they are not in a conservation area they are prominent in the views too, and from two conservation areas, one of which is defined as a 'High significance' character area in the local management plan.
The impact of the gas holders on the skyline is illustrative of the industrial heritage of this country and the brief but important impact technical innovation has had.
"They are a highly visible link between the present and the past, which is a fundamental element of historic value as defined by Historic England. By association, they also benefit from communal/social value as a reminder of the above."
Civic watchdog the Norwich Society has also signalled it is likely to oppose the bid to demolish the Victorian gas holder. Vice chairman Paul Burall said: "It's part of our history and we need to retain Norwich's industrial heritage."
Here's some reaction to the potential demolition.
Martin Halstaed: "So now a disused gas tank is part of an 'industrial heritage' that requires preservation? It's odd. On the one hand, everyone is constantly annoyed at the lack of housing, and on the other, every time someone tries to free up a building site, it has to be prevented because an medieval midden or an old safety-pin factory once stood on the site."
Martin Kentish: "Keep it, do something amazing with it and make it a landmark that keeps the industrial heritage and fulfils some other purpose. Else, we all know what's coming in the shape of more bland, dull, uninspiring houses."
Richard Jennings: "I'm oddly surprised that people object to the removal of this redundant ironwork. I'm sure they'd be upset if there was a planning application to build it new."
Gasometer Gal: "Surely you can't demolish the one on Gas Hill."
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Note From Carolyn: The "Light The World" initiative is thrilling to be a part of! Reading my article today will fulfill several of the objectives in Week 1. For me, it's a chance to share the incredible good works and Christlike service of my sister and friend, Kristin Van Wey, of the Jackson, Tennessee Ward. Her volunteer work with women, families, and babies in Haiti is remarkable.
"Light The World" Week 1 encourages us to learn about another country and perhaps find a way to serve. There are many ways to serve after learning about this need: locally in your "Days For Girls" programs, or in purchasing and wearing (or giving) the beautiful little bead bracelets you'll learn about in the article. Proceeds from the bracelet provide a dignified life of choice for women in Haiti. (Kristin says there are plenty in stock and ready to ship to you.)
This article was published one year ago here at Meridian Magazine and much has transpired for Kristin and her work in Haiti since then. We'll do a complete interview with her soon, but the highlights of 2018 include the fact that 50 women are now experiencing the blessings of full-time employment making the bracelets. A large-scale "train the trainers" program for expanding the number of teachers and classes for instruction about the bracelets and the reproductive cycle is now expanding far into other parts of Haiti. Next year it goes global into Kenya!
Kristin's work and vision empowers women and families to make responsible decisions around fertility. The results are a decrease in poverty, sex traffic, abortions and teen pregnancies. It opens communities and instills respect. She lights the world for so many and I am honored to share her Christlike service with Meridian readers.
Babies … and mothers. Tears of joy… and pain. Destiny … and delivery, through childbirth and from bondage. The priceless gift of giving … and receiving.
It's what Christmas is all about!
We marvel at the birth of our Savior, the tiny King, born in a humble cave to a young, newlywed couple who delivered this infant; possibly (or even probably) without a midwife or attendants to help. We are left on our own to imagine the childbirth and delivery experience of little Jesus, He who was sent to deliver us from the bonds of death and sin.
We know little about the childbirth and delivery practices at that time, other than the fact that childbirth is the most basic natural experience for women. It started with Eve and it is ever the same. Our modern medicine and practices have made it infinitely better and safer. Our lovely hospitals, trained physicians and midwives, expert prenatal and medical care for mothers and newborns are the norm for most us in 2017.
But not all.
There are many women at this very time, in impoverished countries, who do experience childbirth in a way that is similar to Mary's in Biblical times. It is without the aid of medicine or trained attendants. It is without sufficient housing or sanitation. It is without adequate clothing, diapers or supplies for their newborns and infants. or even enough milk to nourish them.
This is hard to believe until one visits with someone who has been there to witness, observe and help. Yes, it's almost impossible to fathom that this is the reality of many women and babies in this very day and age. Especially in Haiti.
Haiti is a small, impoverished country where the devastating earthquake of 2010 left upwards of 230,000 dead and a half million homeless. Illness, scarcity, ignorance, death and desperate times are the norm. (Meridian sent a large team to help in that time of immediate, greatest need. It was a life-changing experience for the whole team of medical and service volunteers. It's something they'll never forget.) The Gospel is being taught and an LDS Temple is being built. There are a couple of beautiful, somewhat modern cities, but the majority of Haitians live in densely populated villages, without medical help, education, adequate housing or food.
Kristin Van Wey, a member of the Church in the Jackson, Tennessee Ward (Memphis North Stake) knows it all firsthand. Her first trip to Haiti was in 2013. It was born out of a need of non-profit teams seeking immune support and holistic options while volunteering in Haiti. Kristin educates teams and individuals in holistic preparation and immune and emotional support for international travel.
She went eagerly and returned having discovered what our Heavenly Father's life plan is for her in order to fulfill the measure of her own creation. It is to help the men, women and children in Haiti. Since then she has made many trips and has created a non-profit organization that I'll tell you more about in a future article.
As the tender-hearted mother of seven children, she, of course, saw first the impoverished babies and children of all ages. She donated countless hours in the Tree of Life Orphanage and saw both sides of a terrible problem: mothers and how little they could do for their oh-so-many, way-too many babies. It broke her heart and deeply affected her. It is not uncommon for a Haitian woman, starting in her teens, to bear up to six or more children. Conceived in generation lack, there is simply no way to care for, protect or even feed the little ones they have brought into the world. The mortality rate is high in these areas.
While it is hard for us to imagine that in this day and age, men and women have not been taught the facts of life and reproduction, a visit with Kristin is a wake-up call to the contrary.
"These beautiful people have no knowledge of how their bodies work. Abstinence, though taught, is not a cultural value. It may take years (or generations) to change that mindset. There is little in the way of education or recreation, and the result is babies, babies and more babies. Family units are not always the norm and a woman may have multiple fathers for her children. Unable to support their many children, they are often forced to turning them over to overflowing orphanages, giving them away or selling them into lives of servitude, or the worst of all, the rampant sex-trafficking industry." In Haiti these children are called "restaveks."
This is a hard thing for most of us to read shortly before Christmas as we marvel at the birth of the Savior, who was also a tiny helpless baby, infant and child. Then we add to that tenderness, the love we have for our own well-cared for and much wanted little ones.
Yet this is a story for Christmas! It is a story of how we can love and help!
From that time forward, Kristin has gone back again and again to Haiti, determined to help and find new ways to create sustainable change. Foremost among her goals was a way to educate women and the men they love in such a clear way that they would understand how to plan and manage their pregnancies. She knew this would be a primary route to impacting poverty and the restavek culture.
"Protecting children and preserving families is possible with team work and by using easy tools to help these very fertile women who often have their first babies as teens and do not stop until they reach menopause," she says earnestly.
"Education is greatly lacking in every subject, including health and human reproduction. Since poverty is rampant, Haitian women in the villages have no money for monthly sanitation needs, even if it were available. That alone causes them to miss school, work opportunities, etc. as they deal in any way possible with menstruation. Sometimes it means living on a piece of cardboard or using old rags or t-shirts for those days of the month. There are large misconceptions, fear, embarrassment and very little communication around this topic. It's the goal of the Renand Foundation (Kristin's non-profit organization) to take the mystery out of menstruation and fertility.
"I was introduced to Days For Girls, an organization that provides unique and practical hygiene kits and immediately began bringing some with me on every trip. These are luxuries that provide dignity and allow women to continue to go to work and school. They come with soap and the women are taught how to care for the kits so they last up to three years. Seeing the difference these kits and my training were making with the women defined where my passion would be: striving to help women understand their bodies, how to better manage conception, and how to live lives of dignity every day of the month.
(You can learn more at www.Daysforgirls.org and even get involved as a seamstress there.)
Knowing the culture and education level, Kristin sought for something tangible that would help them conceptualize what she was teaching with the goal to empower them.
She went to her Heavenly Father in prayer. She soon had a vivid recollection of an article she had read many years prior about a natural family planning method and a string of 32 beads. (The method works with cycles ranging between 26-32 days.)
On the bracelet is a little charm that moves each day to the next bead throughout the cycle. On her wrist, with the bracelet, the woman and her partner can easily see the exact days of when she is most likely to conceive a child. The bracelets empower awareness, wiser choices and better lives! And fewer children born into abject poverty and lives of servitude.
As a delightful bonus, the bracelets are pretty and lovely to wear. These women, as all women everywhere do, love wearing anything that makes them feel special and pretty.
Kristin was thrilled with this revelation and went to work. Where could she get these bracelets? Could she create them herself? Bring the supplies from the United States and let the women help? The first trip with this idea, she did just that. She had the women make their own bracelet after the class. This took a very long time, was difficult to explain, and as the classes grew to up to 100 women, it just wasn't practical.
One day she and Andis, her non-profit partner, were talking about it and they realized that this was a perfect opportunity to create industry in Haiti and to use the local resources. Kristin again prayed and almost immediately found the Haitian Bead Project, www.HaitianBeads.org. Gina Watham, Co-director, saw the potential and the need. She was excited to participate and assigned 50 of her artists in Haiti to take on the job.
Haiti is overflowing in trash since there is not a system for recycling. "Trash, cans, plastic bottles, cardboard and other trash is everywhere since there are few places to put it!" says Kristin. "It's staggering how much recyclable trash abounds. "
The good news for Kristin and the Haitians is that converting those recyclables into something useful through art has started to become profitable. For Kristin and the Haitian Bead Project, it means an unending supply of the gorgeous colorful, hand-rolled beads made from recycled trash.
The women from the Haitian Bead Project collect cardboard from their local area. It is cut into long triangles and then rolled like croissants. The rolled beads are covered with glue and set to dry. Sometimes cardstock is donated and sent from the United States. With the addition of tiny glass beads, a bracelet is created. The colors all vary and make each bracelet unique and individual. The income this provides for these women and families (newly able to feed, care for and provide education and health care for their children) makes this entire project worth it.
But it doesn't end there! As the bracelets themselves are changing lives across Haiti and America with the stories they tell.
As her plan and passion evolved, Kristin merged her non-profit with that of the Renand Foundation. Andis Tamayo had created a non-profit that perfectly aligned with Kristin's own goals of protecting families and empowering individuals through educational opportunities and programs. The Renand Foundation is funded through the love and donations of many volunteers, family sponsors and a full-time volunteer staff. One hundred percent of everything they do goes into serving their village of Bassinbleu, Source Matelas, Jacmel, (Jacmel for short) and eventually all of Haiti. There are no fancy offices or salaries. It is operated from their homes with volunteer time and service.
Her own family has become involved, even with her teen sons helping to create a special teen-ambassador program that provides resources and jobs for families in dire need. They choose one family at a time for educating and providing work skills. Each of the original seven teens fundraises for $21 a month which provides enough income to hire a parent and provide a full time job. Since August, this amazing group of teens has earned enough to buy land, build a house, pay for three kids' education and provide food for two meals a day for one family. On December 27, 15 youth and their families will travel to Haiti to serve their selected families, including painting the new house.
"For our own young people to experience first-hand the reality of poverty and servitude and to be able to make a difference by working with the teens and families in Jacmel is incredible and life-changing for all of them! They will never see 'first world' problems the same way," she says with enthusiasm. They have also connected with the LDS Ward in Jacmel and are serving together on projects as well as attending local Sunday meetings.
But for Kristin, it's all about the bracelets that serve her dear sisters in Haiti not just now, but into the next generation as they gain respect and understanding of their bodies. The men are catching on too, and it's a joy to see them listen and respect their partners, Kristin, the classes, the bracelets and the principle of what it all means.
The bracelets are the path through which she can provide powerful tools (i.e., the bracelet itself , hygiene kit and the education) that make a daily and a lifetime difference that truly empowers.
"I thought these classes would be for women only, but soon I had men and boys listening in the windows and at the doors! They want to know. They need to know! So I began asking the women to invite all males and females over the age of 12 to the classes. It has proven to be one of the best program decisions I've made. When you take the mystery out of it and start healthy communication, all relationships are positively impacted."
Her classes cover what it looks like to have a healthy mind, body, spirit and planet. As a passionate teacher, educating men and women on health and reproduction, she provides knowledge, empowerment and dignity. And freedom.
"I will never forget the day after teaching a class, when a tall and beautiful woman stood and said, 'I am 40 years old! I have six children. Five of them daughters. This is the first time that someone has explained to me about how my body works. I feel angry, frustrated — and yet so grateful! I feel like I can go home and empower my daughters and son so they won't continue this pattern of poverty!'
This was a profound moment for me as I realized that the work we were doing could literally change poverty, abortion rates, as well as slave and sex trafficking. I felt personally overwhelmed with the amount that needed to be done and the help I would need to accomplish it. It's humbling work. With the realizations of the difference it makes, it drives me every day."
Kristin has a vision that is much bigger than classes today. For her, it's the next generation that she is also hoping and praying to help. "Our Haitian staff is now able to teach the classes independently so the work continues when we are unable to be present," she reports.
"We have to look beyond the seemingly endless task on what is right now before us and break the cycle to create a better future for these families and their children, both born and unborn. That is our goal. The fact is that the work will span the globe and we are deeply impacted by this topic here in the United States. As I began to sell the bracelets and educate on what we're doing in Haiti, I learned that there are at-risk individuals right here in the United States that need this.
"While I was not the original creator of these bracelets that have the power to change the days and the future for these dear people, I have been blessed to turn them into something very special with mass manufacturing and a website that makes it easy for anyone to learn about and purchase them for their own personal use. The purchase price of the bracelet funds a very meaningful donation to some of the world's neediest individuals.
"With these bracelets, I can teach the Haitian women how to count the days of their cycles. They love how pretty they are! They will wear them, pay attention in the classes and be proud to use them every day. They've become a symbol of education and empowerment for both men and women.
By purchasing a $20 bracelet you get to keep one for yourself (or to give away) and we have the funds to provide a bracelet, 'Days For Girls' Hygiene Kit and a two hour class."
You can learn more at www.letsempower.org. and their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/letsbracelet/.
As I learned about it all in a special presentation from Kristin, I was overwhelmed with our Heavenly Father's plan and love for each of us. These little bracelets are beautiful, charming and fun to wear for every woman who loves pretty things! Whether you're from the United States or Haiti! I quickly bought five to give to my sisters. What a wonderful thing it is to know that to wear (or give) this little bracelet is a gift that gives in many ways. It's a gift that changes a day and changes the life of a woman who will receive the bracelet, sanitation kit, knowledge, choices and power!
I'll be doing another article in the near future about Kristin, her work and how to volunteer and even go to Haiti, but the important part today is that it's CHRISTMAS!
It's not too late to order a bracelet for a loved one right now! Kristin and her team are standing by to fulfill orders immediately from her website. If it doesn't arrive in time for Christmas Day, then it's a lovely story and message to provide in a greeting card with the promise that the bracelet itself is on its way … to both you and a very fortunate woman in Haiti.
Please note that the hygiene kits are greatly needed and prized by the women in these villages. They aren't available unless others bring them in from outside the country, and most women cannot afford them anyway.
Of course, you can always buy for yourself or for gifts throughout the year.
So, this is a story for Christmas! For it is in giving that we receive. And in loving, that we are loved.
Once again, the website to learn more and order bracelets is: www.letsempower.org. and their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/letsbracelet/.
Merry Christmas!
Carolyn Allen is the Author of 60 Seconds to Weight Loss Success, One Minute Inspirations to Change Your Thinking, Your Weight and Your Life. She has been a columnist for Meridian Magazine for 11 years, providing mental and spiritual approaches for weight loss success and happy living both online and in the Washington, DC community since 1999. She has presented for Weight Watchers, First Class, Fairfax County Adult Education and other community groups. She and her husband, Bob, are the parents of five children and grandparents of a growing number of darling little ones. They are now happy empty nesters in Jackson, Tennessee, close to Memphis, where they center their online business for an amazing herbal detox. CLICK HERE


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Enhancing your cherished bedroom as attractive as feasible is certainly a must. It's not just how the area will resemble and also surprise everyone, however likewise concerning the environment that you will certainly get. A good decor should have the ability to make your room look praiseworthy and really feel comfortable at the same time.
Without a doubt, there are lots of decorating style that you can pick to decorate a bed room. Every one of them has a particular quality that will figure out the style of your bed room. Some might go with straightforward design or the others might like the one with a much more ornamental nuance.
French enhancing design is just one of the excellent options that you can bear in mind to style up your extremely own bed room. It has a distinctively lovely character which will certainly improve the beauty and also convenience of the room at the same time.
This kind of decor is filled with a lot of furnishings, decoration things, and also accessories with catchy detail that makes a room has a great deal of statements. The natural element is additionally the fundamental character of the French embellishing design which gives a comfortably reassuring atmosphere around.
Consequently, the French enhancing design is so worth to be the top choice when you are about to embellish or revamp your bed room. It will do such a very good task in developing a room which looks and feels so welcoming.
Here, we have chosen lots of interesting contemporary french bedroom decorating ideas that will completely inspire you to have one. The method these suggestions blend all the elements of the room is so appealing to duplicate.
The neural tones will be the top solution when it comes to the prominent colors of modern-day design. Consequently, making those shades as the main general appearance of a modern French room is never ever a bad factor to consider, similar to this suggestion program.
The white ceiling, grey walls, and also beige rug flow magnificently to create a neutral overall appearance. The bed linens as the prime focus also can be found in white bed linens and beige French head board. After that, a traditional lounge, side tables, and also crystal chandelier complete the design.
If one chandelier is insufficient for you, why don't you just bring extra? Right here, two sensational crystal light fixtures take over all the attention of the area that makes it look so glamorous.
The bed linens as one more prime focus features a tufted bedding with extravagant gold trim with detail. 2 huge European mirrors then mirror the light perfectly.
Including a cover to your bedding will definitely make it look method a lot more eye-catching. In this modern-day French bed room, a stylish canopy with stunning drapes designs up the bed linen in a timeless design. The color matches really well with the bedding itself as well as the walls.
To include a much more French ambiance, some classic paintings decorate the wall. After that, gold table lights, crystal light fixture, as well as curvy bench add a much more elegant touch.
This modern French room looks even more nation with great deals of Tartan print around the space. It also develops an extra fun atmosphere for those classic bed linens, dressers, and bench. A chandelier in conventional style provides an extremely vintage touch to the decor. (Read also: Excellent quality Economical Bedroom Establishes Under $500).
The beadboard ceiling, significant whitewashed beadboard, distressed wood feceses, and wood floor covering blend gorgeously in producing this modern-day French bedroom. Its grey wall gives a minimal touch which matches well with the bedding. Floral sheer curtain includes a much more textured and also attractive search in a really easy way.
Tones of brownish dominate this attractive modern-day French bed room which immediately provides it a warm cozy ambience. The bedding with its textured bed linen also makes the room look so welcoming. For the vintage touch, distressed dresser, traditional curved chandelier, as well as vintage paint do the job very well.
As the focal point, the bed linens looks so striking with its natural timber coating. A cover made of silky bed linen with gold information then makes it look a lot more extravagant.
It's always a great suggestion to dominate a modern-day French Bed room with the neutral tones much like this concept shows. The combination of white as well as grey takes control of the room that makes it soothingly brilliant with a modern-day vibe.
The Victorian-inspired wallpaper as well as wood slab floor covering are selected to make the design look even more ornamental. An all-white bed linens is the centerpiece of the area which integrates all the components magnificently.
This modern-day French bedroom looks much less complex with its minimalist furniture option. A queen-sized bed linen with a significant head board as well as enchanting detail in grey becomes the piece de resistance of the area which matches the color of the wall surface as well as rug. Two mirrored drawers full with 2 mirrors glamorize the decor flawlessly.
Who claims that you should constantly opt for the neutral or soft color to develop a modern French Room? Well, this concept suitables for you that want the one with a much more vibrant appearance.
The wall is repainted with navy, the bed linens with the red as well as white combination, pink ottoman, off-white bench, as well as grey drawer are blended magnificently below. The tufted curved headboard as well as crystal chandelier are the major elements which bring the French ambiance to the area's decoration.
A gorgeous modern French bedroom which fits well for the ladies. The soft pink stood out up flawlessly amongst the space which is dominated by white.
This set is for you who are looking for a modern French bedroom with a masculine decor. With its black accented wall surfaces, the space looks so elegantly macho which is then boosted with the clean-line bedding. Though it's made with a manly vibe, the glam is still there because of some gold touch in bed canopy, table light, mirror, and also the striking contemporary light fixture.


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For people who are supposed to be highly educated, lawyers really can be incredibly dim.
Take, for example, the head of a practice group at a top 10 firm who thought it would be a brilliant idea to send an extremely saucy and lurid email to a lady with whom he was having a fling.
Tulkinghorn is told that not only did he tell his paramour exactly how he wanted to tie her up, but also what he wanted to do to her next and with what implements.
Perhaps someone should have told the witless fool that emails have a nasty way of resurfacing. Let's hope the dunce has learnt his lesson. Then again, perhaps the plan was to be
Which IT lawyer is known by one of his clients as 'The Gnome'?
caught and severely reprimanded by his managing partner…
The practice of having separate contracts for the sale of flights and accommodation, thereby avoiding the need to hold an Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) licence, will shortly be ending. But this still leaves many gaps in consumer protection.The ATOL Regulations were introduced in 1972 to protect the public if a travel company goes bust. Operated […]


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The Elected Directors Policy and Procedures was approved by the Board of Directors on October 11, 2015 and ratified, with an amendment, at the General Membership Meeting on Nov. 7, 2015.
Subject: Elected Directors
To describe the duties of the six Elected Directors to optimize their role on the Board of Directors.
By-Laws, Article 4, Section 4.4. Board of Directors.
1. The Elected Directors shall be a part of the ACUW Board of Directors, serving as advisors to the president and standing committees.
2. The Elected Directors' duties shall include developing long-range goals, establishing policies and procedures, reviewing fiscal operations, and overseeing special projects.
1. The six Elected Directors shall elect leadership within their group. At a minimum, a chair and secretary should be named.
2. The Elected Directors shall name a liaison for each standing committee, including the Finance Committee.
The Elected Directors shall submit articles to the Bulletin and report at the General Membership meetings.
The Elected Directors, Maura Yee (co-chair), Lynnae Lee (co-chair), Lynette Yuen, Canossa Choy, Lori Kam and Susan Wong met on August 2nd to discuss various ACUW matters. The Elected Directors oversee and direct long-range goals, policies and procedures. The Elected Directors will be reviewing Policies and Procedure guidelines for Elected Directors, Membership, Scholarship and Community Service Committees in October and hope to present guidelines that the Board will approve for ratification by the membership in November.
The Elected Directors recommended, and the Board of Directors subsequently accepted, a suggestion that President Ruth Hirai appoint an Ad Hoc Book Fund Committee to determine disbursement of monies raised through ACUW publications. The amount of approximately $34,000 has been reserved for a number of years and May Lee Chung suggested that dispersal at this time for various ACUW activities may be appropriate.
The Ad Hoc Committee should consist of members from past or present committees: cultural, scholarship, community service, an elected director and a member from general membership for a report back to the General Membership in January.
The Elected Directors considered a request from the Community Service Committee to fund a donation to Pālolo Chinese Home to support their capital campaign to renovate the Victoria Ward Hall and construct a New Skilled Nursing Complex. The construction is part of a Master Plan to build a Progressive Care Complex adjacent to the Victoria Ward Hall Building.
The Elected Directors reviewed the history of ACUW donations to Pālolo Chinese Home over the years since 2002 to present; the continuing service relationship between ACUW members and Pālolo Chinese Home residents and staff; and proposed Community Service Donation Criteria (to be considered by the Directors in October) that recipient organizations for money should share ACUW's goals to participate in cultural, educational and/or charitable endeavors. As a result, the Elected Directors recommended funding the request to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors approved the Community Service request and on behalf of Community Service Committee Susan Wong presented a motion at the General Membership Meeting on September 4th, that:
ACUW shall donate $2,500 to the Pālolo Chinese Home Capital Fund Drive, such donation shall be from the Scholarship Fund.
The motion was passed by the membership. The donation was announced at the Community Service project at Pālolo Chinese Home on September 12th.
The ACUW Board is considering helping Wei Zhang, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. She is conducting a research to understand elderly Chinese community member's perception of "successful aging." The purpose of this project is to evaluate how Chinese culture, immigration, and acculturation influence your perception and view of successful aging.
Eligibility Requirement to Participate: All Chinese ACUW members that are 60 years and above.
Risks: There will be no risk to you in participating in this research project. Response to item B5 in the survey is optional. All information will be kept confidential.
Benefit: Upon volunteering to help with this survey, some of you will also be selected to participate in a focus group at another time and location convenient for you to respond to around 10 additional open-ended questions. For your participation in the second phase, you will receive a Longs Drug gift certificate.
At our Sept. General Meeting a table will be set aside to obtain this survey, and to answer any further questions that you may have about this survey.
ACUW would like all members to participate. It would be most helpful if all surveys could be turned in at the end of the meeting to help to expedite this survey in understanding the harmonious and healthy aging among Chinese elders in Hawai'i.
On behalf of Wei Zhang, she would like to express her gratitude in helping her with this project.
As we continue to settle in under the current Bylaws (amended in 2012), some questions arose regarding ACUW's organizational structure. The mission of ACUW is overseen by its Board of Directors. The Board is comprised of its eight Officers and six elected Directors who do not hold officer positions [See Bylaws, Section 4.2]. All Officers are also Directors by virtue of their position [See Bylaws, Section 4.3]. For convenience, we can refer to the non-officer Directors as the "Elected Directors" as they were elected as directors only [See Bylaws, Section 4.4]. Directors are unable to act alone, unlike officers who actually have specific duties for their position and are expected to fulfill their individual duties. Directors work as a group called the Board of Directors. Any official action that an individual Director may wish to take must be approved by the Board of Directors once quorum has been attained.
President Hirai has chosen to work with the Elected Directors on specific issues that do not fall within the duties of any specific officers. These topics may include long-range planning, organizational management, and concerns raised by the membership. Meetings of Elected Directors are not official business. They are akin to a committee. Any decisions that come out of an Elected Directors meeting are in the nature of recommendations only, and still require approval by the Board. This year, the Elected Directors are meeting a couple of weeks before each regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting to address any issues that should be brought to the Board for a vote.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your Member Representative and/or Directors. We are here to serve you.
Here's a volunteer opportunity some of our members may wish to participate in: The Friends of the Library of Hawai'i is gearing up for their Annual Booksale at McKinley High School Cafeteria. They are seeking volunteers for the weekday shifts from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on June 22-26, 2015. Lunch will be provided. Volunteers are asked to stay for the entire shift. There are some spots available for the second shift, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., but the greater need is during the earlier shift. This is a great way to support Hawaii's 50 public libraries. For more information and to register, please visit www.friendsofthelibraryofHawaii.org or call 536-4174.
The elected directors held their first meeting in December to set plans and goals for 2015. A dedicated group with diverse backgrounds, the directors discussed current issues as well as ways to meet the challenges of ACUW's future.
Lynnae Lee and Maura Yee, both serving their final year of a three-year term, will serve as co-chairmen. Lynnae will work with the legislative and publications committees, while Maura is assigned to nominations and scholarship.
Returning second-year directors are Canossa Choy and Lynette Yuen. Canossa will work with the cultural committee and record keeping. Lynette will continue as the directors' recording secretary and also help with membership.
Newly elected directors Susan Wong and Lori Kam, will be helping with community service and finance, respectively.
The directors look forward to serving the organization as we continue to carry out our mission and legacy in the community.
Holiday Greetings, ACUW Members!
ACUW is now a 501(C)(3) nonprofit, great incentive for members to renew our sense of purpose and commitment to carry out our mission into our 85th year and beyond! With the US Internal Revenue Service approval of our application for this preferred tax status, retroactive to November 28, 2012, our future is indeed bright, and the potential for successful endeavors is limitless as we work together, led by 2015 ACUW President Ruth Hirai and our elected officers and directors toward achieving our goals. The new status promises to translate into increased monetary support and donations, now tax-deductible, to support our activities and events to serve the community. Kudos and mahalo nui loa to all those members who worked diligently, with perseverance and patience to make this dream a reality!
Many members gave countless hours in research and the development of restated Articles and Bylaws that would be acceptable for the IRS to approve ACUW as a 501(C)(3) nonprofit. We'd be remiss in not recognizing with appreciation Susan Lee, Canossa Choy, Susan Wong, Patricia Lau, Betty Jong, Lois Mui and Loretta Tuan for their vision, effort and leadership from the earliest days; to Dorothy Mau, president when ACUW members overwhelmingly voted to pursue improved tax status; and to "worker bee" directors and members Marjorie Lau, Sybil Kyi, Lynnae Lee, Jerilyn Jeffryes, Maura Yee, Ruth Hirai, Lori Kam, Beverly Mau and Marilyn Wong for their wisdom and valuable assistance.
Special thanks to 2014 President Blossom Mau, and the Officers and Directors of ACUW for their perseverance and effort. It was a year of challenges without a full complement of officers and committee chairs. The Directors carried out many operational duties and responsibilities, helping to lead, plan and sustain ACUW. A noteworthy achievement is the ACUW Cookbook Project, chaired by Dorothy Mau and May Lee Chung. The cookbook sales will continue to need members' support.
Dear 2015 ACUW Officers, Directors and Members, you have reaffirmed that ACUW is indeed a worthy organization and a source of pride and fellowship. The outgoing Directors thank you for your demonstration of support, validating our optimism and hope for a promising future for beloved, respected organization and its relevant mission and worthwhile purposes. We appreciate and need members who share their talents, skills, experience, enthusiasm and time to provide leadership and energy in planning and participating in educational cultural events to share our Chinese heritage and provide meaningful community service, collaborating with other agencies and organizations as appropriate.
Together, led by President Ruth Hirai and ACUW's team of 2015 Officers, Directors and Committee Chairs, we know ACUW will capitalize on the camaraderie of kindred spirits working cooperatively to benefit our community as we elevate our own spirits as pacesetters. Together let's create new ways to carry out our legacy of education and service. Here's to joy and great success in the future of our ACUW!
Best wishes for the blessings of the Season and love, peace, joy, prosperity and good health in the coming New Year!
Your 2014 ACUW Directors
Jerilyn Jeffryes, MauraYee, Lynnae Lee, Canossa Choy, Lynette Yuen and Lois Mui
Greetings, ACUW Members!
Mahalo nui for reaffirming that ACUW is indeed a worthy organization and a source of pride for members! The Directors and Officers are gratified at the show of support from members who have indicated their desire to maintain ACUW's legacy of promoting education and service for our community. Members of ACUW, you are validating our optimism and hope for a promising future for ACUW as a respected organization with a relevant mission and worthwhile purposes. We especially appreciate members who are willing to share their talents, skills, experience, energy and time to provide leadership to renew our "Can do!" spirit. We believe that Nominating Chair Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock and her committee will be able to present to the membership a slate of outstanding Officers and Directors for the election to be held at our Annual Meeting on November 1 at the Oahu Country Club. In addition to the leadership team forming, members are pledging their willingness to lead key committees and activities, including the essential fundraiser to support and promote scholarships and academic awards, educational cultural events to share our Chinese heritage and meaningful community service projects, collaborating with other agencies and organizations as appropriate.
On a more mundane note, your Board of Directors (BOD) will be presenting for ratification at the Annual Meeting the Finance Policies & Procedures recently approved. We are also presenting a draft of the Standing Committees Policies & Procedures (P&P) which, with possible minor changes, may be approved by the BOD in October and ready for ratification by members. Both P&P are printed in this ACUW Bulletin.
Together, we will revitalize the camaraderie of kindred spirits working cooperatively with unity of purpose on projects that benefit our community amidst joy, fun and laughter to elevate our own spirits as pacesetters. This is the ACUW we know and love!
Aloha pumehana,
Your ACUW Elected Directors
Dear Members of ACUW,
Your Directors are concerned about the future of ACUW. We believe the time has come for all ACUW MEMBERS to reflect and discuss "The Future of ACUW" as a nonprofit organization, addressing the issue of an uncertain future due to the difficulty of getting leaders in an organization comprised of well-educated, capable, talented women, all with leadership qualities. Our mission and purposes were reaffirmed with the adoption of the Restated Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws in 2012. If we value ACUW and want to maintain it as the vital organization it is intended to be, we will need committed members, willing to assume positions of leadership and share their time and talents. We need all members to participate fully, focused on why we belong to ACUW, an organization with a mission:
Do you believe our time as a nonprofit educational, service-oriented organization has run its course? We hope not! However, without committed leaders, we may be forced to go inactive or even cease to be. Circumstances now require ACUW members to make a decision or arrive at a solution, deliberately, thoughtfully and with great care: to be or not to be? We must not allow ACUW to simply slide into oblivion for lack of members willing to lead.
Please reflect on this issue and share your thoughts. You may email email@example.com or any of us Directors. We will set aside time to discuss key issues and possible solutions at the Sept. 13 GM meeting as part of "A Past President's Message." In the meantime, please gather your thoughts and ideas, and prepare to share around your table, guided by a few trigger questions.
Actually, the solution to our dilemma is simple: we need a few good people to step forward! Will you be one? You are ALL potential leaders, and ACUW needs you now! Mahalo nui loa for your kokua in sustaining ACUW and serving our association's best interests!
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Directors Canossa Choy, Jerilyn Jeffryes, Lynnae Lee, Maura Yee, Lynette Yuen and Lois Mui, Chair
Greetings, ACUW Members!
ACUW has received word that the application to the IRS for 501(c)(3) tax status, filed in November 2012, has been reviewed at long last. The IRS is requesting additional information and ACUW's response to some specific questions. This formality is an anticipated part of the review process before final approval is granted by the IRS. ACUW Director Lynnae Lee, an attorney, has graciously consented to write the response required.
In exercising due diligence, Elected Directors met on April 8 to gain a better understanding of the IRS review and how we might assist with a timely response to facilitate final approval of ACUW's application. Director Lynnae reviewed the IRS Inquiry questions and presented a draft response for discussion and further information. The Directors greatly appreciate the active participation, knowledge and intelligent exchange of ideas with two officers and several members who played key roles in the preparation of the 501(c)(3) application packet. Special thanks to Treasurer Patricia Moberly, Member Representative Frances Kramer, 2012 President Susan Lee, Marilyn Wong, Ruth Hirai and Sybil Kyi for their continuing support of ACUW in its quest!
The new tax status will mean ACUW members and friends may take deductions for gifts made to our not-for-profit organization. The expected boost in revenues will enable ACUW to carry out our stated mission and purposes more effectively.
Elected Directors will continue to assist in drafting Policies & Procedures (P&P), looking toward the future and ACUW's best interests. Work in progress for Board of Directors (BOD) consideration include: 1) a draft to identify the duties of Standing and Special Committees since they are not stated in the revised Bylaws; 2) identifying specifically who comprise the new composite committees, Communications and Record Keeping; 3) further refining of the Finance P&P. Existing guidelines and P&P in Committees' Red Books will continue to be in effect unless in conflict with the Bylaws or until a need to change is determined by BOD action.
Aloha a hui hou, until our June 7 general membership meeting! For most of us, it's been too long a time away from the fun and fellowship that is at the heart of ACUW!
Happy Chinese New Year! Sun nien fai lok! Here's wishing all of you joy, love, peace, good health and prosperity in the Year of the Horse!
Directors have assigned themselves special areas of focus to support and oversee ACUW's activities and events, planned by Officers and Committee Chairmen to carry out the mission and goals of our nonprofit corporation, focusing on education and community service. The Directors and their areas of responsibility in 2014 are:
· Jerilyn Jeffryes, Vice-Chairman, finance
· Maura Yee, Vice-Chairman, standing committees
· Lynnae Lee, legal issues
· Canossa Choy, Records Management
· Lynette Yuen, Secretary
· Lois Mui, Chairman, long-range planning and general oversight
Directors are committed to supporting activities, and we encourage active participation of members to ensure ACUW has a vibrant program of work that offers fun and fellowship for members as we work on worthwhile projects that contribute to the community.
Policies & Procedures (P&P) will be developed by directors in collaboration with appropriate key leaders to clarify or define areas not specified in the revised Bylaws. A concern was raised regarding criteria for what and when P&P need to be written. Directors will attend first to areas where financial and legal issues are involved, then to areas where details are lacking. Operational guidelines already established as standard will remain in place if they do not conflict with the current Bylaws. Directors believe that guidelines for committees are best developed or modified by each committee to provide relevance and flexibility to respond to changing needs. Directors will help write or revise P&P and present drafts for Board consideration and action. All members are encouraged to share concerns and ideas for improved P&P. Ad hoc task forces may be organized to address issues that are of major import to ACUW.
Directors are continuing to refine P&P regarding Finance, working with the Treasurer and Finance Chair and Committee. Still to be determined are the composition and duties of the two new "composite" committees, Records Management and Communications. A document to define the role and responsibilities of all committees, named in our Bylaws but without specific duties assigned, is in progress.
We appreciate and need YOU and your many talents and skills to sustain ACUW as a pace-setting organization that continues to make a difference in our multicultural community!
The Season's Aloha to all! ACUW Directors Jerilyn Jeffryes, Maura Yee, Lynnae Lee, Canossa Choy, Lynette Yuen and I extend our congratulations and best wishes to 2014 ACUW President Blossom Mau and the newly installed Officers and Chairs of Standing and Special Committees. We look forward to a rewarding year. Our heartfelt mahalo nui to outgoing 2013 ACUW President Beverly Mau and the Board of Directors, especially outgoing Directors Chair Sybil Kyi and Betty Jong and other Directors for their leadership in successfully navigating ACUW through "uncharted waters", as we progress steadily along to comply with our new Bylaws and federal and state laws.
In keeping with ACUW's mission and goals and 501(C)(3) requirements, ACUW's program of work and activities will place even greater emphasis on educational and charitable projects. Fun and fellowship are of course part of the plan, too! The role of Directors is primarily one of oversight to ensure ACUW meets its legal and fiduciary obligations. Toward this end, Directors will continue to work on long range planning and establishing Policies & Procedures (P&P) for activities or committees where guidelines are not already in place or which require significant change to comply with the new Bylaws. P&P are a supplemental document to the Bylaws, but more readily amended than the Bylaws to adapt to changing needs. Although we are still awaiting approval of our 501(C)(3) application to the IRS, we will endeavor to hold to higher standards in our current 501(C)(4) status as a nonprofit.
It should be understood the P&P will continue to be a work in progress to respond to ACUW's desire to be dynamic, productive and thriving. P&P already completed and approved by the membership in 2013 include: Membership and Records Management; Scholarship P&P have been restated. Directors are continuing to refine P&P regarding Finance and the composition and duties of the "composite" new committees, Records Management and Communications. Consideration will be given to a document to define the role and responsibilities of committees named in our Bylaws but without duties mentioned.
We Directors pledge to work hard in collaboration with President Blossom and the rest of the Board of Directors to sustain ACUW as an organization to which all members are proud to belong!
On behalf of the ACUW Directors, Betty Jong, Lois Mui, Jerilyn Jeffryes, Maura Yee, Lynnae Lee and myself, we thank the members of ACUW for their interest, questions and suggestions on the Policies and Procedures (P & P) we shared with you at the September meeting. After considering some revisions, they will be placed in ACUW's website for easy access. Members who do not have access to a computer and wish to have copies of the P & P, may place their names on a sign-up sheet that will be set up by the registration table at the coming November meeting. We anticipate more P & Ps will be addressed in the future such as for academic awards, community services and participation in cultural events.
The Board of Directors (Officers and Directors) approved the Policies and Procedures at their August Board meeting except for the Finance P & P that will be finalized at the October Board meeting. The P & Ps serve as administrative directives for the Directors, Officers and Committee Chairs and can be changed at any time according to changing needs in ACUW. We hope that the P & Ps will clarify why and how ACUW carries out its activities and expedites the tasks of ACUW leaders whom ACUW members elect and trust to manage our programs. The purpose of the presentation of the P & Ps at the September meeting was to inform members and provide the opportunity for their questions and suggestions. There is no need for members' ratification of the P & Ps as they are the Board's management responsibilities. (By-laws, Article V, Sections 5.4-5.7).
Since I am in my last year as Director, I want to thank each one of you for your participation in ACUW. As a senior member who has served in many different positions in ACUW, I have enjoyed the "sisterhood" of our organization and would like us to maintain above all, the bonds of friendship and consideration for others that were modeled by ACUW's founders.
Celebrating ACUW's 82nd Anniversary and Recognizing ACUW Past Presidents
In 1931 a small group of University of Hawaii Chinese women graduates formed an organization to maintain their bonds of friendship and "render good services" for the Honolulu community. Now in 2013, that group has grown to over 200 members and is a recognized non-profit organization open to women college graduates who have an interest in Chinese culture and its activities.
It may be said that ACUW has stood the test of time. The bonds of friendship have flourished and several generations of members are participating in college scholarship fund-raising events and a range of community service activities from science and history student competitions to programs for seniors and public art fairs for families. The linchpin for any organization is its leadership and ACUW has 82 Presidents, one for every one of its 82 years.
We call our members to join in our September 7, 2013 general meeting festivities to celebrate ACUW's 82nd anniversary and to recognize the services of our past Presidents!
HAPPY 82nd BIRTHDAY!
This year, ACUW celebrates its 82nd birthday anniversary! In the beginning there were twelve women founders and now there are 210 members. They range in age from experienced seniors and those in their middle years to young energetic neophytes. We are rich in the diversity of our members with some representing several generations of their family in ACUW. We are blessed in the growing number of retirees who share their knowledge and experience in giving services to our communities. ACUW benefits from having women professionals who are business entrepreneurs, lawyers, financial advisors, teachers, health workers and many other occupations that were not imagined in the depression year of 1931 when ACUW's founders began our organization.
ACUW continues to improve its success as a non-profit corporation supported by members who contribute hundreds of volunteer hours for educational and charitable programs. Members also raise funds to support ACUW scholarship recipients, science and history student awardees and sponsor and participate in charitable community events with partners such as the Palolo Chinese Home and the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Our ACUW founders emphasized the fellowship of members and providing time for social and intellectual program opportunities. The larger an organization grows, the more challenging it may become to engage members in responsibilities and activities. ACUW is fortunate to always have many willing hands, hearts and minds to do what needs to be done. May this spirit continue into the next century! CONGRATULATIONS, ACUW members! Thank you for your diligence, talents and contributions through 82 years and especially remember those who came before us.
On behalf of the 6 Directors who are Betty Jong, Vice-Chair, Lois Mui, Jerilyn Jeffryes, Maura Yee, Lynnae Lee and myself), we congratulate the ACUW membership on achieving consensus in finalizing the Amended and Restated ACUW Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws. We also applaud the leadership of 2012 President Susan Louie Lee and 2012 Legislative Chair Lynnae Lee in this quest to obtain 501(c)(3) status.
The application to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to become a 501(c)(3) corporation was recently submitted. We hope for approval in 4-6months, after which we will submit the state application to the Hawai'i State Tax Department. We are proceeding to develop and implement a plan to insure that ACUW will meet the requirements as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization according to U.S. and Hawaii tax laws. We will also be developing policies and procedures to support and stimulate the activities and programs of ACUW.
2013 will be a year of transition for ACUW as Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairs learn to operate in an enhanced non-profit corporate organization. For example, we will have the opportunity to look at long-range goals, consider other ways of fund-raising, and modernizing records to transmit our history of 83 years to future generations to know and build upon.
We will continue to update you on the work ahead in future newsletters, such as meeting dates for the Board of Directors (includes Officers), plan summaries and policy drafts. We welcome your questions and suggestions that you can also convey to Ruth Hirai, the 2013 Member Representative.
As Directors Chair, I would like you to know the six elected Directors and their assigned areas of responsibility for policy and procedures development and guidance. My primary duty is to give overall direction to planning the work in preparing a new draft document on Policies and Procedures for the anticipated ACUW 501(c)(3) Corporation. I also propose the agendas for the Directors meetings, conduct the meetings and lead recommended results to the Board of Directors for appropriate action. I hope to work with the Communications Committee to encourage improvements in website development and expand email communication with members.
Betty Jong, the Vice Chair, substitutes for the Chair in the latter's absence. She will also work with the Records Management Committee to develop policies and procedures to access, select and store current and historic ACUW records. The annual transition of ACUW administration from one year to the next is experiencing serious gaps in information transfer, i.e. the red binders, and historic files have been lost due to past storage practices.
Lois Mui, Director Recorder, summarizes the minutes of Directors' meetings and works with the three Outreach Committees, Community Service, Cultural Events and Scholarship Awards. Policies and procedures for these committees are important in enhancing and guiding the charitable and educational objectives of a 501(c)(3) corporation.
Jerilyn Jeffryes, Director Representative on the Finance Committee, works in this committee to ensure that financial policies and procedures are in order and required reports are made to the Board of Directors. As a member of the Finance Committee, she will also monitor compliance reports to be filed with the State of Hawai'i and the Internal Revenue Service and audit reports, as necessary.
Maura Yee, Director, works with the Member Services Committees that includes Courtesy, Interest, and Membership. She is currently focusing on policies and procedures for year-round recruitment of members and such provisions as new member orientation and sponsor responsibilities.
Lynnae Lee, Director, because of her extensive work in completing the revised ACUW Charter of Incorporation and By-Laws for the 501(c)(3) IRS application, will guide the Legislative Committee to complete the process of printing the above documents when the application is approved. She will also advise the Directors, as needed, in their respective areas of policy and procedures development.


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O.F. Mandala of Power - Orange Sunburst
O.F. Mandala of Power - Orange Sunburst
O.F. Mandala of Power - Orange Sunburst
O.F. Mandala of Power - Orange Sunburst
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This mandala design is for the USA extreme fitness team, Operation Feathers. Designed to bring out a hearty "KACAWWWW" from the inner depths of your soul while you workout. Show your pride in being "Feathers Strong"!
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