ESA Wonderful Wednesday - September 4, 2013

Happy Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!

Owen and I often "Pay It Forward" when we are able to do so... Just what is it? Pay it forward is a term describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor. The concept is old. We enjoy anonymously picking up the meal tab for someone in a restaurant. I am not telling you this to get kudos, but to explain the joy we feel when we have done a random act of kindness. It really is fun. We wonder about the person's reaction, perhaps the happiness, the relief, the gratefulness, and the recognition, whatever it might be. Service we do in ESA is not random, but it is done joyfully, the same feeling we experience paying it forward. There as well we may wonder about the recipient's happiness, relief, gratitude, and recognition. Paying it forward is part of a leadership role, showing by example to the recipient. Hopefully, that recipient will take the lead and pay it forward to another, and so on down life's road. If you you have the opportunity to pay it forward, do so as a random act of kindness for others and for yourself. Just some thoughts...

While the weather may still be on the warm side, school has started, football season has started, and I am beginning to plan for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! Now one might ask, how does this affect Texas ESA? Well, first in my mind is the November Craft Fair associated with our November State Board Meeting. Second will be the First Holiday Sweater Contest during the have thought of some “rules”… Here they are:

1.   Safety first – no electrical supported sweaters; in other words, participants cannot be connected to an extension cord.

2.   Cordless battery operated designs are allowed.

3.   Sweaters must be worn by the participant, no hanging the sweater on a hanger and must be worn during the craft fair to allow those in attendance to view and vote.

4.   All participants must take their sweater home at the end of the competition… I have plenty of my own!

5.   Pictures taken may be posted on our Texas State Council Web Site, FaceBook Page, ESA Wonderful Wednesday Blog/Email, TESAN and/or Jonquil.

6.   Categories and prizes are under development. Just know that monetary prizes are not available…

We are looking for fun, creativity, cute, ugly, outlandish, colorful, and interactive between members… and so much more! PLEASE let me know if you are planning to enter the contest. Just send me an email with your intentions to wearing a Holiday Sweater. This will help me prepare for voting and results tabulation. My deadline is November 1^st to hear from you!

The November Board Meeting will be supporting our US Troops. With that said, our Caring and Sharing Team Advocate for the Hope for Heroes Program, Joyce Kotzur. When we have more information to share, I will post in my weekly Blog/Email. Stay posted.  

I just learned today that September is National Literacy Month. This fits perfectly with our IC President’s focus of Literacy. ESA Headquarters has information and ideas of what you and your chapter can do to promote literacy in America. Our Literacy for Life Advocate, part of the Caring and Sharing Team, LeeAnn Henderson is just the right person to contact for more information as well. One of the Board Meetings, likely February 2014, will be dedicated to Literacy. I will have more information about that after the first of the year.

Convention City has asked me to pass along this directive when submitting your checks for May 2014 Convention Registration. Checks must be made out exactly like this – “Texas ESA State Convention”. The financial institution requires this to process the checks into the Convention City bank account. District Presidents, please pass this requirement onto the members of your district. A corrected form has been submitted for posting on the Web Site and in the TESAN.

Donna Carter, Caring and Sharing Team advocate for Warm Welcome, has asked me to forward this message:
“I will be delivering our collection of donations from the August State Board meeting on Saturday, September 7.  Project Linus Blanketeers will be meeting from 2 pm to 9 pm.  I would love to have ESA Sisters assist me with the delivery and maybe help Project Linus prepare fabric for quilts and blankets.  No one has to stay the whole time.  I haven’t been to a workday since they changed the time to 2 pm.  The calendar requests you bring something for a potluck lunch.  I plan to be there at 2 pm. Any one interested can contact me at dcartermail@verizon.net or 972-412-8067.  The meeting is at: Midway Hills Christian Church, 11001 Midway Rd., Dallas, which is just north of Royal Lane on the west side of Midway.”

Now for our IAWL Trivia Question from last week: The actor played a police officer in the movie. Who is he and what was his character’s name? The same actor went on to play in a classic and popular television series. Can you name that show? He also, starred with John Wayne in westerns, war, and drama/romance (believe or not) movies. I had a few responses this week.  Yes, the actor was Ward Bond who played Bert in the movie. There is a popular “rumor” that his character name and that of Ernie was the original Bert and Ernie used in Sesame Street. However, from my research, that is merely a rumor. Ward Bond portrayed the wagon master in the television series – “Wagon Train”. From my research, Ward Bond was in 23 movies with John Wayne.  Apparently, they played football together at USC and both were asked to be in their first movie in 1929. Moreover, that is where they both got their starts in Hollywood.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to the following sisters for the next week:

Jamye Wilson – September 9 of Epsilon Pi, District 5

Marjorie Phipps – September 9 of Delta Zeta, District 5

Regarding the State Roster CD: if you desire to change any of the demographics of officers and chairmen/committee members, the excel document must be saved over to your computer first. The file came to you on the CD or folder as a “read only”. I believe this is how it works on a CD when copying and pasting. Should you have any questions, please contact me.

If you desire to get the blog postings sooner than later, please let me know by email at sueannesa@yahoo.com and I will add you to a mailing group list I have set up. To see the blog, click on the following address: http://esawonderwednesday.blogspot.com/.

Remember, ESA's . . . A Wonderful Life!

Love and hugs to all Every Day Angels,

sue ann

(aka – susieQ)