Delegates Nancy Loudon, Chapter AZ, and Marcia Riley, Chapter LG, attended the 123rd annual Convention of Iowa State Chapter P.E.O. Sisterhood held May 30-31 in Des Moines. With the theme "Nurturing Renaissance Women," Liz Bunnell, Chapter OO,
Fairfield, presided over 700 delegates and visitors. Twenty chapters from southeast Iowa
served as the hostess group for the convention. This committee was headed by Annette
Scieszinski, H, of Albia; Jean Ann Ross, HR, of Ottumwa; and Mindi Rees, OC, of Washington.
Attendees participated in workshops and heard from recipients of P.E.O.’s six philanthropies and the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund, Inc. The convention concluded with the installation of the 2015-16 executive board officers headed by president Kathy Wilke, DS, of Odebolt; vice president, Cathi Fonts, AO, of Newton; organizer, Pat Shipley, CH, of Villisca; treasurer, Kate Raun, OR, of Norwalk; and secretary, Bev Templeton, FN, of Garner.
P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans and stewardship of Cottey College; and motivate each other to achieve their highest aspirations. Locally, Chapters AZ and LG gave $3,000 in scholarships to students. There are approximately 6,000 chapters in the United States and Canada with nearly 250,000 members. Iowa is the second largest state chapter with 383 chapters and nearly 18,000 members.
P.E.O. is on the pinoeer societies for women and was founded on Jan. 21, 1869, by seven young women at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant. Originally a small campus freindship society, P.E.O. soon blossomed to include women off campus. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women. The sisterhood proudly makes a difference in women’s lives with six international philanthropies: P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund; P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund; P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education; P.E.O. Scholar Awards; P.E.O. STAR Scholarship, and the ownership of Cottey College in Nevada, Mo. The International headquarters of the P.E.O. Sisterhood is in Des Moines.