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Club Secretary News September 2024

Important information for club secretaries and members

The name change of Soroptimist International South West Pacific to Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific affected what is termed the domain name. A domain name is our website address, which was changed from siswp.org to siseap.org.  A business email account would be the same as the domain name, ours at present is still @siswp.org. It is planned to change our email accounts from @siswp.org to @siseap.org. This is a major piece of work, and does involve the clubs being prepared for this change.

It is planned to prepare for this work during September.  Clubs will receive important communications from HQ during September. It is important that club elected position holders, President, Secretary, Treasurer are aware of these communications, read them thoroughly, inform their members and undertake the actions required of them. 

Club email accounts will change from SI<CLUBNAME>@siswp.org to SI<CLUBNAME>@siseap.org.

Updated Documents

We are pleased to inform you that the following four policy and procedure documents have been approved by the Directors and are now available for your review in the Downloads area under Governance:
  • SISEAP Position Holders Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure
  • SISEAP Anti-Fraud and Anti Corruption Policy
  • SISEAP Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure for Internal Conduct
  • SISEAP Cybersecurity Policy
We encourage all members to familiarise themselves with these important documents.

DOWNLOAD HERE

SWOT Form Review for Strategic Plan

We invite you to complete the attached survey, which is designed to conduct a SWOT analysis to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats facing our organisation. Your honest and thoughtful responses are crucial in helping us shape our strategic direction and maximize our impact.

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights!

Position Available

Programme Zone Coordinator 4

Expressions of Interest are called for from eligible members to take on the role of Programme Zone Coordinator 4, this is a 2 year term of office (2024 to 2026).  Successful applicant will be able to take up the position for the remainder of this biennium. 

The role involves supporting up to 35 clubs across the Federation with reporting on their actions. There is opportunity for progression, and participating regularly in some exciting events with the full Programme Team. Please complete the Federation Programme Convenors CV Template, please send your completed application to Federation Secretary Berice at  swpsecretary2020@siswp.org  and HQ at hq@siswp.org.

Zoom Virtual Meetings

Virtual communications platforms play a vital role in keeping our members connected, engaged, and informed. Acknowledging this and in response to member feedback on the GoTo Meeting platform and requests for Zoom, the Federation has acquired Zoom Pro for clubs, regions, and Federation use. This decision has been validated with 70% of members preferring Zoom, according to a survey by Hanaa Abdullah, our Federation Communications Convenor. We believe these changes will bolster our leadership and further our mission of empowering women and girls.

For access to Federation Zoom Pro, please contact Federation Secretary Berice at swpsecretary2020@siswp.org

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SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY, 2026 - 2027


Call for Applications:
Soroptimist International Director of Advocacy
Term of Office: 01 January 2026 – 31 December 2027
Start of term: 01 January 2025 (as Soroptimist International Director of Advocacy Elect)

Dear Soroptimists

On behalf of Soroptimist International I am pleased to announce that we are inviting applications for the volunteer role, SI Director of Advocacy for the 2026–2027 biennium.

The successful candidate will commence in role on 01 January 2026, having first served as SI Director of Advocacy Elect during 2025 when she will shadow and work with the current post holder. This is a multifaceted role, leading the work of the SI Global Impact Committee and supporting the work of the Global Policy Committee. Experience of advocacy, recording and showcasing impact and the United Nations will be advantageous.

The SI Director of Advocacy works with many teams at SI, noting that these teams comprise Soroptimists and staff from around the globe. Understanding both cultural and language diversity will assist the post holder as she works with these groups to deliver key events including CSW and reach consensus on many global issues which SI addresses. As such the post holder does need to be IT literate and at ease with daily use of email, documents and presentations.

The SI Director of Advocacy is a voting member of the SI Board and a member of the SI Executive Team. She will be a member of the Soroptimist International Foundation Committee helping to guide this new charitable Foundation forward for SI. The role is key for SI and will simultaneously bring challenges and rewards. We look forward to receiving your application, details of how to apply and key dates in the process are contained in the recruitment pack.

Best Wishes to all Applicants,

Deborah Thomas

SI Global Executive Director

deborah.thomas@soroptimistinternational.org

Recruitment Pack

How to Apply:
Candidates should demonstrate their ability to execute the role by submission of their CV and supporting statement and follow the timeline given below. Please indicate your consent for your application documents to be stored on SI system (encrypted) and forwarded to the SI selection panel appointed for the process. Please include the names and contact details for references (ideally one professional and one Soroptimist) who may be contacted to provide a reference for you. Please indicate your consent to being contacted. Your application should be sent to your Federation HQ Officer by 13 November 2024.

SISEAP HQ Officer: Gabbi Kearney: hq@siswp.org

Important Dates:

Applications open: 09 September 2024

Candidates to submit applications to their Federation HQ Officer by: 13 November 2024

Interview dates: December - dates to be advised

Ratification of appointment: December 2024/ January 2025 by SI Board

Final Appointment: Succesful candidtae will be notified no later than 15 January 2025

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Tutorial: Accessing SISEAP Branding Resources

In this video tutorial, we'll take you step-by-step through accessing the SISEAP branding guide and resources. Discover how to navigate our SISEAP Trello board, where you'll find a wealth of materials designed to enhance your branding efforts. We’ll also show you how to easily download and save these resources for immediate use. Whether you're a new member or just need a refresher, this guide will ensure you have everything you need to effectively represent SISEAP. 

WATCH THE TUTORIAL

SISEAP TRELLO BOARD

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SISEAP is preparing for the migration of our google accounts URL which is the generic email accounts, currently @siswp.org which will be moving to @siswp.org. This migration will be for directors, head office staff, position holders, clubs, Regions and National Presidents.    

Dear Members
We are excited to announce that, effective October 15th, Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific will be updating our email URL @siswp.org  to @siseap.org.  The new email now reflects the name change which occurred last year to Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific, to meet our expanded geographical focus and diverse membership.
 
This change aligns with our ongoing commitment to Educate, Empower, and Enable women and girls across the Asia Pacific region. While our name is evolving, our vision and mission remain steadfast.

This information is important,  please use the Select Language option to translate into your desired language. 

This is planned for Friday 11th of October commencing at  6pm AEST. 

Whilst the migration is occurring you will be unable to access your siseap email account, the organisation will potentially be without email for up to 48 hours (according to Google).  For some this will be less for others more. 

Important information for all members, and actions which will need to be taken ASAP. 

For the full list of SISEAP generic email accounts download the document.  Email accounts for clubs,  regions and National Presidents will change to:

si<clubname>@siswp.org to si<clubname>@siseap.org

si<regionname>@siswp.org to si<regionname>@siseap.org

swp<country name>@siswp.org to si<country name>@siseap.org

For all other position holders see attached  list. 

When we make the change to the new @siseap.org you will NO LONGER have access to the old email account of for example - siclubname@siswp.org, all emails will be transfered to the new account. You will need to log into this new account using your existing password.  You will need to know your existing password. 
 
You will need to monitor the siseap website for notification of when the migration is completed to know when to log into the account. 

What impact will this have on you?

Emails:  All of your emails will be copied over.

Drive:  All of your drive files and folders will be copied over.

Contacts:   Your contacts will be copied over,  you will need to set up new labels and groups. 

Password:  The password to your current email account will be copied over to the new email account. It is important that you know your current password, as after the changeover you will need to log into your email account using the @siseap address and password.   

Accounts you work with

You need to write down all of the social media platforms, services and newsletters which you use your @siswp email account to log into and the password that you use to log into these services. An example document has been prepared to assist you with known platforms.   document Download here  (122 KB)

Why do I need to list all of the accounts associated with our @siswp.org email account.?

After the change from @siswp.org to @siseap.org  you will need to log into all of these services and go to settings and change the email account connected with the service. This is important, as you will not be able to recover the account if you cannot reset password or authenticate yourself.  If you request a password reset, or forgotten password, this email authentication will go to the old email account and not the new one, you will be locked out. 

Notify all the contacts in your @siswp.org accounts deal with.

Without notification of the email change, people whom your club has dealings with will not be able to contact you. Prior to the email address change, you should send out a general notification to all contacts in your contacts list. Stating the existing email address is being replaced and this change will take effect on or after the 11 October. This action will ensure that you continue to receive communications from your contacts. You will also follow up with another email after the 11th of October confirming the change.  Example notification email has been prepared to assist you.  document Download Here  (352 KB)

Actions:

Begin immediately to identify all the accounts your @siswp.org is associated with and note down the password used to log into these accounts, use the list prepared to assist you, complete the list with additional ones you identify. 

30 September  - Send out an announcement letter  Example Below. 

14h October  -  Perform the following tasks:

  • Log into your club email account, using the new club email address and the existing password.  
  • Change the club email signature.    
  • Go to Contacts and edit any email accounts for other SISEAP clubs which you regularly have email contact with, update from @siswp.org to @siseap.org
  • Send out an announcement letter to all your contacts informing them of the new email account. 
  • In your contacts lists, edit any contacts for other siseap clubs, regions or associations you contact, update their accounts by changing the @siswp to @siseap.org, or delete the account and create a new contact.
  • Clubs will need to email all their club members that the new email account is now active,  tell them to go to their contacts list in their personal email accounts and search for and delete siclubname@siswp.org and add in the new email account of siclubname@siseap.org, they will also have to do this for any other siseap email accounts they have had previous dealings with. 
  • Locate the list of accounts/platforms already prepared and noted on the list, log into each of these accounts using the @siswp.org email address and password, locate the settings for the account and update the email account to the new xxx@siseap.org  address. 

Stationery / Brochures

Over time, update all of your clubs stationary, brochures and social media material you use with the new email account. Or alternatively, you can get some stickers printed with your new email account, website details, facebook details etc and use this to place over your existing brochures etc. 

Download these documents

document List of generic SISEAP email address (70 KB)

image Email address change (121 KB)  image

document List of all social media and other platforms (122 KB)

document Example notification email letter to contacts  (352 KB)

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Dear Soroptimists,

I hope you are all well. I’m writing today to say a warm hello, introduce myself and share some plans for fundraising moving forward.

I’m Jemma Arundel and I’ve been brought on by SISEAP into the role of Fundraising Manager. It’s a privilege to be here working with so many amazing woman who are passionate about, and committed to, transforming the lives of women and girls.

 Over the last 20 years I’ve worked with more than 40 national and international organisations helping them grow their income, enabling them to increase their crucial work and make an even greater impact in the world.

This is exactly what I’m excited to do here at SISEAP.

The overarching goal is to create sustainable income streams to enable the organisation to run as effectively as possible, to grow, to fund more projects and ultimately make an even bigger difference in the lives of women and girls

In addition to running fundraising campaigns and activities across the region, I’m here to help clubs with their own fundraising initiatives by sharing resources, ideas and tools, and collaborating to raise more funds for the incredible work you do in your areas.

I’ve recently developed a fundraising strategy and would like to share some exciting upcoming campaigns and activities which it would be amazing for everyone to get involved in.

Firstly, over the coming weeks we will be launching the Brilliant Future Fund appeal. The more we can grow this area, the more projects we can fund for clubs, increasing our impact across the region. Other exciting initiatives include:

  • 16 Days of Activism webinar event with inspiring guest speakers sharing their stories of impact
  • Christmas/Holiday Campaign – giving gifts of opportunity to women and girls
  • International Women’s Day Community Challenge

I’m so excited to be joining you on this journey and would be grateful if you could share these exciting plans with your members. Together we can scale up our incredible work and increase our impact in the world for more women and girls.

Please reach out to me anytime for any assistance you need with current fundraising activities and ideas for future ones – jemmaarundel@siswp.org

I look forward to working with you all.

Kind regards,

Jemma Arundel
SISEAP Fundraising Consultant
jemmaarundel@siswp.org

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Club Secretary News August 2024

Company Secretary

We are pleased to announce Theresa Lyford has been appointed as Company Secretary for SISEAP.  Theresa has held many roles with SISEAP including Federation President 2016-2018, Director of SISEAP 2022-2023 and National President of SI Australia 2022-2024, with all these roles exposing her to the requirements of Australian Company Law.  Theresa is also currently SISEAP’s representative on the Soroptimist International (SI) Board.

VIEW FULL LEADERSHIP TEAM

Fundraising Consultant

We are pleased to welcome Jemma Arundel, an experienced fundraising consultant, who will be working with SISEAP for the next 12 months. Jemma will be developing long-term revenue generation through the development and implementation of a SISEAP fundraising strategy.

Jemma is a passionate fundraiser with over 20 years’ experience within the NFP sector. She has worked with many national and international organisations helping them to substantially grow their income across the whole range of fundraising channels. She has run her own fundraising and marketing agency, and social enterprise, providing fundraising and business development services enabling organisations to grow exponentially in order to increase their impact in the world. Over her career she has raised over $126 million for non-profit organisations.

Positions Available

Call for Nomination:
SISEAP Director for Soroptimist International (SI) for 2025-2027
Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific is seeking applications from interested and qualified Soroptimists for a SI Director position for a 2-year term, commencing 1st January 2025 and concluding on 31st December 2027.

The appointed Director will need to have been approved and appointed by the Federation prior to 30th September 2024, and will be responsible for making SI the primary focus, operating independently of the Federation, while maintaining their role as a Director representing SISEAP.

We invite suitably qualified financial members of Clubs within our Federation to apply for this esteemed position. The successful candidate will take up the role on 1st January 2025.

DIRECTOR APPLICATION FORM

You will need to upload your CV, photo and supporting documents.

Programme Zone Coordinator 4

Expressions of Interest are called for from eligible members to take on the role of Programme Zone Coordinator 4, this is a 2 year term of office (2024 to 2026).  Successful applicant will be able to take up the position for the remainder of this biennium. 

The role involves supporting up to 35 clubs across the Federation with reporting on their actions. There is opportunity for progression, and participating regularly in some exciting events with the full Programme Team. Please complete the Federation Programme Convenors CV Template, please send your completed application to Federation Secretary Berice at  swpsecretary2020@siswp.org  and HQ at hq@siswp.org.

You must be logged into the SISEAP website to view the pages above.

Zoom Virtual Meetings

Virtual communications platforms play a vital role in keeping our members connected, engaged, and informed. Acknowledging this and in response to member feedback on the GoTo Meeting platform and requests for Zoom, the Federation has acquired Zoom Pro for clubs, regions, and Federation use. This decision has been validated with 70% of members preferring Zoom, according to a survey by Hanaa Abdullah, our Federation Communications Convenor.  We believe these changes will bolster our leadership and further our mission of empowering women and girls.

For access to Federation Zoom Pro, please contact Federation Secretary Berice at swpsecretary2020@siswp.org

Club Straplines

We are delighted to announce that the new SI Emblem club straplines are now available to download for club use!

These straplines are designed to help you promote your club and our mission, and can be used on flyers, posters, documents and more. 

To access the straplines, simply visit the downloads section on the SISEAP website or via the SISEAP Trello Board and start downloading today! If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to HQ.

SISEAP TRELLO BOARD

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It is with great sadness that Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific advises that after a short illness in hospital, Past SISEAP President Carolyn Hudson died peacefully on Tuesday 23rd July 2024, surrounded by her family.

Carolyn was a dedicated Soroptimist who made significant contributions through our organisation to enable women and girls in her local community, the Federation and through our International organisation, with the opportunities to realise their full potential in our society.

We are deeply grateful for her unwavering dedication and her legacy that she leaves behind.

We send sincere condolences to Carolyn's family and loved ones.

Her funeral will be held at H Parsons Funeral Directors Chapel, 34 Belmore Street, Wollongong on Saturday 3 August 2024 at 12 noon.
Scroll towards the end of the notice and click the button ‘Watch live stream here.’ You will then see a webpage with a picture of H. Parson's chapel. This confirms that the link is working.

Joanne Yeoh

SISEAP President 2024-2026

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How to use the Club Events module

When you're organizing an event on the SISEAP website, there's an important detail to take note of regarding the image for your event. The specifications for the image size should be 375 pixels in width and 220 pixels in height. These dimensions ensure that your image fits perfectly into the designated space on the site, making your event look professional and appealing. Remember, adhering to these image dimensions is crucial to maintain the SI branding.

Tip
To effectively promote your event, it is recommended to create two images: a thumbnail and a larger image. The thumbnail will be displayed on the event front page and should feature a concise description, such as:

  • "Invitation to [Event Name]"
  • Date or Club Name

This brief summary should be concise and easy to read. The larger image, which will be inserted in the event description, can provide more detailed information about the event. Please avoid overloading the thumbnail with too much information, as this can result in a cluttered and unreadable display.  Tip Sheet can be found HERE.

Video Tutorial

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CLUB SECRETARY NEWS JULY 2024

Soroptimist International AGM
SI President Siew Yong Gnanalingham is pleased to invite all Soroptimists to the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Soroptimist International as silent observers. The meeting will take place by Zoom on Saturday 13 July 2024 commencing at 11:00 BST., 8.OO pm Sydney (AEST).   It will include formal business of the company under which we operate, SI (Soroptimist International) Limited being reviewed by the members of the company; the five Soroptimist Federations.

There will also be presentations on SI Global Advocacy work, a Getting to Know SI Directors session and a review of the projects undertaken by Soroptimist International Foundation during 2023. Soroptimists will be able to join the AGM as silent observers but towards the end of the meeting there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

REGISTER HERE

SISEAP, SI Director

Call for Nomination: SISEAP Director for Soroptimist International (SI) for 2025-2027
Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific is seeking applications from interested and qualified Soroptimists for a SI Director position for a 2-year term, commencing on January 1st, 2025, and concluding on December 31st, 2027.
The appointed Director will need to have been approved and appointed by the Federation prior to September 30th, 2024, and will be responsible for making SI the primary focus, operating independently of the Federation, while maintaining their role as a Director representing SISEAP.

We invite suitably qualified financial members of Clubs within our Federation to apply for this esteemed position. The successful candidate will take up the role on January 1st, 2025.

Nominate Now

Communication Survey

Stay Connected with Us!

The communication team want to make sure we're reaching you in the way that works best! To help us improve our communication, we're conducting a quick survey to gather your feedback on your preferred methods of communication.

Take 2 minutes to let us know how you'd like to stay informed. Your input will help us tailor our communications to meet your needs and preferences.

Complete the survey

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Inspiring Change -  SI President Maureen Maguire hosted this webinar with the other members of the Communications Committee, Open Design Agency and SIHQ to explain the processes behind the evolved branding, which was launched at the 2023 Dublin Convention.

To view the webinar follow this LINK 

 

SISEAP Membership

Soroptimist International is a global movement of women, with members belonging to more than 3,000 clubs in 126 countries/territories, spread over 5 Federations