District 4 Women of Steel Celebrating Our History and Our Future

District 4 Director John Shinn had a vision – to bring the most active and experienced Women of Steel (WOS) together to celebrate women’s history in the birthplace of women’s rights, Seneca Falls, N.Y.

This city, in our own District 4, hosted the very first Women’s Rights Conference in 1848, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and hundreds of their supporters launched the fight for equal rights with the presentation of their Declaration of Sentiments. 

From April 13 – 16 2014, Director Shinn, Assistant Director Al Polk, Sub Directors Steve Finnigan, Del Vitale, Richard Knowles and James Shaughnessy, District 4 WOS Coordinator Tammie Botelho and 14 key District 4 WOS members engaged in a discussion on education after a presentation of women in history by Guillermo Perez. 

Nancy Lessin, of District 4, who helped found WOS in the U.S., gave a brief history of bringing the WOS course into the U.S. from Canada.

District 1 WOS Coordinator Michele Erwin presented a unique education program for WOS in her district.

Lessin and Erwin facilitated brainstorming sessions targeted at the future of the WOS program in the district.

The sessions were so engaging that we spent hours after our sessions sharing our experiences.

A big thank you went out to District 4 Administrative Assistant Lisa Husami, who coordinated this meeting and set up tours of the Women’s Rights Hall of Fame and Museums.

Submitted by Tammie Botelho