Soroptimist season opens with party

The Soroptimists in the Bow Valley are opening their season this month with a wine and cheese evening, Tuesday (Sept. 18) at 7 p.m. at the Banff Park Lodge.

Club President Sheran Pavey said the club is always looking for new recruits and guarantees all members an enjoyable and rewarding experience as a Soroptimist. The club is an international one and Pavey invites women to Google the club name and see online what clubs all over the world are achieving.

Education is an issue and the local club in Canmore and Banff is supporting girl students in Guatemala and Somalia by paying for their education. The local club also supports families in need in the Bow Valley, donates money to both hospitals and to cancer research.

The mandate for the local club is to spend all the money raised at the annual March fundraiser within the following 12 months.

The club will have a mother/daughter conference at Banff Community High School on a Saturday in October. The conference calls on mothers and their daughters, aged between 14 and 17, to attend, with speakers talking about health, sex education, self awareness, finance, career and more.

Pavey said mothers and their daughters will go away with a wealth of knowledge to help them with their future careers and life skills. These conferences also help cement the bond between mother and daughter as they attend sessions together.

“The wine and cheese evening on Sept. 18,” said Pavey, “will be a great way for ladies to come and learn more about the club.”