Focus on Women

To contact the FOW/C Program Manager, click here

The Focus on Women programming area is designed to inform, educate, and update our members concerning a wide variety of topics. 

This area stresses four areas of concern to women:  Health and Personal Concerns, Careers & Economics, American Involvement, and Women's Issues.  Members are encouraged to certify in Focus on Women by completing 5 different activities, with at least one in each area.  There is also a Focus On Women written essay contest that is held at National Convention.  The Focus on Women PM is also Chaplain.  She promotes the spiritual side of women, as well as sends out notes, upon request, to those who need a life, or words of congratulations or sympathy.

What can Focus on Women mean to you?

Focus on your growth as a member of the United States Women of Today.  Have you taken advantage of the programming opportunities? This organization has given many of us the ability to be different people than we were when we first joined.  How many times have you heard someone say, "I could never have stood up here today without my experience in the Women of Today"?  Take advantage of the Personal Enrichment programming-it works!

Focus on Women who are not members.  Why?  Let other women know about our great organization!  Share your growth and experiences with them. Ask them to join!  Bring them into the fold!

Focus on yourself! Focus on your strengths and refocus on areas that are not your strengths. Take a look at the Focus on Women certification form-are there areas that you are unfamiliar with?  If so, have your chapter schedule some Focus on Women lectures for the year.  Have a series-you could include a financial planner, a homeopathic healer, a minister, a local businesswoman, a local historian or just about anyone who is telling her story.

How Does One Certify?

Take a look at the certification form.  It includes requirements in four different areas of concern to women:

• Health and Personal Concerns

• Careers and Economics
• American Involvement
• Women's Issues

Under each of these four areas are at least five activities that members can pursue to increase their knowledge and strength.  To receive credit for certifying in Focus on Women, members are asked to complete five (5) activities: one in each of the four areas, plus one additional.  Many of the activities can be done individually, but others may require involvement with others, i.e. attending a self-improvement seminar, presenting a careers or economic program to local/district/ or state organization; or presenting a program to your chapter on Women in History. The requirements need to be completed between May 1st through April 30th. A member may certify for Focus on Women each year.

Once a member has certified by completing five requirements, the certification form is submitted to the local program manager; she submits the names and chapter to the State Program Manager-- who then sends the name to the National FOW Program Manager.  All members certifying in Focus on Women receive a certificate from the USWT.

Historical FOW Certification Numbers 

The Essay Contest

The Focus on Women essay contest is an annual event with the winner announced at National Convention. The topic is chosen each year by the current USWT FOW program manager.  Details of the essay contest are  included in mailings throughout the year, i.e. the quarterly newsletter to state contacts and the US WT national newsletter, Today's Leader.

Essays are due postmarked by May 1.  Each entry must be between 800-1200 words, double-spaced.  Please include a stat sheet and a entry fee of $5 payable to the United States Women of Today.

Focus on Women Incentives
The Program Manager has the option to offer other incentives throughout the year, but there are two "standing" incentive opportunities:

• Emphasis month: Each month the USWT emphasizes one or two specific areas.  November is Focus on Women emphasis month.  Members who certify in Focus on during this month receive special recognition from the US FOW Program Manager.
• Outstanding State Program Managers: Nominations are encouraged from the states who feel they have a FOW program manager who has done outstanding work to promote the area in their state throughout the year.  An Outstanding State Program Manager(s) for the year is recognized at the Year-End convention in June each year. (They may also be recognized at Mid-year or quarterly, at the discretion of the USWT FOW Program Manager).  Nomination forms are located in the Operations Manual.

Ideas For Focus On Women Projects

These ideas can be used to create your own FOW project or to be copied.  Please send suggestions for new ideas to the current USWT FOW program manager.

1. Healthy Eating/Low-Fat Cooking Class:
   A cooking class will help members certify in either A1 or A5 on the Focus on Women form.

2. Breast Self-Examination (BSE):
   BSE is part of the Focus on Women form, under Health, A4.

   Your chapter can hold a demonstration by a local medical person on how to perform the breast self-examination. There are special rubber breast models that are used to show women what the breast should feel like with and without a lump. Here are some suggestions for a successful BSE presentation:
   
   

   • Contact a local medical center to see if they have BSE speakers, ask your ob/gyn, or maybe one of your members is a experienced medical person with access to the breast models.
     
     
   • Have the speaker come before a meeting for a half-hour talk (or longer). Advertise to your members in the newsletter or via their director phone calls!

3. Surf the Web:
   Any Internet lectures or classes will qualify for B5 on the form.

You know how to get here, now show someone else! Present it at at meeting! Show how to get to the USWT page! Definitely go to the States section and see what other states and chapters are doing throughout the US.

For those of you who are more advanced on the computer, how about setting up a class on "How to use the Internet."  Your members will benefit from learning how to use this important media tool for themselves, their family, work and their chapter. You can do research on genealogy, look for shopping pages, talk to friends, and many more exciting activities on the computer. Some suggestions for a computer class:

• Don't try and cover too much ground in a short period.  Focus on how to connect and how to send email or how to use search engines.
  
  
• If you have a series of Internet lectures, you could start out with how to get a provider and end up having attendees learn how to write their own web pages!
  
  
• Give handouts outlining the material that will be covered.

4. Voting in An Election:
   Voting qualifies for C1 on the Focus on Women form.

5. Girls Self-Esteem:
   You can knock off another requirement, D5, with is event.

6. Review the Women of Today History
   Then, check off D1 on your Focus on Women form.