MELROSE AREA WOMEN OF TODAY

 

  In 2002, the chapter's first president, Syndie Studanski, read an article about a group called the Women of Today.  She remembers thinking, "Wow, I'd like to do that in Melrose."  A short time later, she encountered who would become the chapter's second president, Wendy DeCann, and mentioned the Women of Today.  Wendy enthusiastically told Syndie about her experience with her old chapter, the Montevideo Women of Today.  Two years later, they were ready to start a chapter and rounded up eleven more women.  The chartering members were Andrea Bussman, Kristie Heinze, Wendy DeCann, Mary Gebeke, Kelly Hinenkamp, Mindy Janson, Tina Kulzer, Mona Marthaler, Sharon Neuman, Dottie Pallansch, Melissa Poepping, Lynn Scherping and Syndie Studanski.  A few months later Jean McDonald and Lois Thielen transferred from the Holdingford Women of Today into the Melrose chapter.

  Officers that year were Syndie Studanski, president; Kristie Heinze, state delegate; Sharon Neuman, membership vice-president; Wendy DeCann, programming vice-president; Dottie Pallansch, secretary; and Melissa Poepping, treasurer.

  The first chapter meeting was held May 18, 2004, and chapter meetings ever since have been the third Tuesday of each month at the Melrose City Center.

  One of the chapter's first community service projects was their first Meet the Candidates NIght, which Lois Thielen and Jean McDonald brought from their old chapter of Holdingford and have continued to chair every election since.

 

  In their second year, the chapter expanded their community service projects to include organzing the Independence Day parade, holding a bake sale in conjunction with the town's Holiday Boutique and with Anna Marie's women's shelter of St. Cloud sponsoring a Family Violence Awareness Walk in which other Melrose community groups also participated.  By their third year, they were participating in Night to Unite, twice-a-year Adopt-a-Highway pick-up, an Oktoberfest celebration for Park View Assisted Living  residents and publishing an ethnic heritage cookbook as part of Melrose's sesquicentennial celebration in 2007.The chapter's fourth year (2007-08) marked the start of the chapter's annual cookie sake as part of the town's Holiday Kick-Off celebration after the Holiday Boutique's ending also meant the chapter's bake sale ended.  A sad occurrence  in March 2008 was the death of charter member Sharon Neuman.  The chapter would the next year begin the Sharon Neuman Memorial Scholarship Luncheon with the proceeds going to scholarships to outstanding high school graduates.

  A new challenge for the Melrose Area Women of Today in 2008-09 was entering a candidate in the Minnesota Women of Today People With Developmental Challenges competition.  The chapter entered local resident Joann Ritter, who did not place among the three winners but nonetheless enjoyed attending the Winter Convention banquet with family members  to receive recognition for her accomplishments.

The following year the chapter entered another state competition, that of Women Who Impact, honoring women making a difference in their community.  The chapter entered Project Give-a-Gift founder Rae Kuzma.  Although she did not place at the state level, the chapter recognized her achievements at that spring's Sharon Neuman Memorial Scholarship Luncheon.

  That same year saw another first, that of member Kelly Neu holding the position of district director with the theme of "The PRIDE of District 6."

  Chapter members faced new challenges the next year when incoming president had to put her position on hold for a year to deal with two deaths in her family.  Chapter members stepped up to the challenge, starting with members Kelly Neu, Lois Thielen and Cara Norling each taking on the role of president for one trimester.  A new chapter project was a mini-expo for Melrose area vendors that would earn the Project of the Trimester statewide award.

  In 2012-13, the Melrose chapter saw another first as Kelly Neu became the state program manager for Isaac's Journey (later to become Isaac's Foundation.)  It encourages involvement with the foundation  to serve children with cancer and was started by Isaac's mother, Linda Lieser of Spring Hill, after the toddler's death from cancer in 2008.

  Never one to turn down a new project, the Melrose Area Women of Today in their 2013-14 year began working with the Melrose food shelf, taking turns working there to hand out food and other supplies to needy area residents.  This also was the year the chapter held a non-election year Meet the Candidates Night for a county commissioner race in western Stearns County.  Over 100 area residents attended to hear the five candidates' positions.