Membership
The Membership Committee, under the leadership of Golda Basta, contacted a number of individuals and families, including retired UN and Specialized Agencies staff living in Sarasota and Manatee County, exploring their interest in joining UNA. The results were significant. In fact, the total number of members has increased by 24, from 279 in June 1997 to 303 in May 1998. Details are given below. It should be noted that two members are counted for each family membership, according to UNA (National) guidelines. A number of members passed away in 1997-1998.Their names are listed in In Memory.
Number of members and family memberships in 1998
Individual memberships...............165
Family memberships......................69
(Total memberships).....................234
Total members...............................303
Hospitality
In 1997-98, the Cooperative Organizations Committee, under the leadership of Rose Walker, carried out a number of activities including nine monthly luncheons, one reception, one breakfast (in the honor of the 1998 President of the UN General Assembly), and one fund raising concert..These gatherings were organized in various country clubs (Bird Key Yacht Club, Sarasota Country Club, Palm Aire Country Club, Stoneybrook Country Club), and in some well known restaurants (The Red Lobter Restaurant, Walt's Restaurant and Cafe of the Arts), and one reception was held at the Sudakoff Student Center. The fund raising concert was organized at the Unity Church.
All meetings were well attended by members and guests, with the active participation of the following members of the Committee: Janine Willem for making reservations and preparing name tags , Olive Scancarella, Thelma Sachs and Doris Low for their valuable assistance and support. Details of these gatherings are given in Seminars
Tree planting
During 1997-98, tree planting related activities were carried out in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. In Sarasota, with the coordination of Elisabeth Ethal, a ceremony was organized on July 7, 1997 at Gillespie Park, in which ten oak trees were presented to the Sarasota County Park and Recreation Department. The site selected was near the children's playground. The ceremony was well attended by members of the Board and other UNA members. The President of the Gillespie Neighborhood Association, the President of Habitat for Humanity and the President of Sarasota Bay Rotary were among official guests at the ceremony. Invitations were also sent by the Sarasota Park and Recreation to community leaders. Both TV channels 40 and SNN6 were present at the ceremony which was aired on evening programs. The ceremony was enhanced by the presence of a large number of children in the playground. A plaque commemorating the occasion was placed on a rock in front of one of the live oaks
. Another tree planting was held in Manatee County through Habitat for Humanity, with the coordination of Jo Williams and Irma Fuller. A tangerine tree and an orange tree were planted in the backyard of the home of Linda Pitts and her family. The tree planting ceremony was held on January 24, 1998. Members of the Board and a number of UNA members, were present at the ceremony.
Tribute was paid, at both occasions, to Irwin and Bernita Franzel, who first proposed the tree planting idea.
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