‘The Only Important Issue We Should Be Concerned With Is the Future of the Moose’

Fregulia outlines an aggressively forward-thinking path for WOTM

Women of the Moose Grand Chancellor Janet Fregulia

By DARRYL MELLEMA

> She began her address wearing a wireless microphone, and so Grand Chancellor Janet Fregulia took the opportunity to stroll the open areas of the Rosen Centre Hotel Grand Ballroom floor, amid her audience.

The style of delivery for her opening remarks in the Women of the Moose opening session on Saturday allowed her to get close to the women who filled the ballroom to capacity.

Fregulia wanted to make sure everyone heard what she had to say, even after she returned to the lectern to complete her speech.

Fregulia had some very good news to deliver. From May 1, 2006 to this past April 30, Women of the Moose membership increased by 34,393, to 420,078.

Leading the way was Convention host Florida, which saw a membership increase of 3,769.

But Fregulia said there is hard work ahead to ensure such gains can be repeated beyond one year.

“Throughout our history, our organization has experienced change,” Fregulia said. “What worked in 1913, 1945, 1971 and 1997 no longer works today, and today’s program will probably not work 10 years from now.”

But change was exactly what Fregulia had on her mind, and she outlined a series of changes, some large and some small, as the Women of the Moose take on the challenging years ahead.

“You and I must be willing to change if our organization is to survive,” Fregulia said. “Anything less is totally unacceptable.”

Fregulia admitted some of the changes she was about to outline would not be popular--and that others might seem difficult to implement. But she said the steps she outlined were necessary to keep the Women of the Moose a thriving, growing organization.

“I ask you to listen carefully,” Fregulia said. “I believe that, as members, the only important issue we should be concerned with is the future of the Moose. We must continue to increase our membership, for it is only through membership growth that we will continue to exist.”

Fregulia reminded her audience of the organization’s twin responsibilities, the care of children at Mooseheart and of seniors at Moosehaven.

“I believe we must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the future of the Women of the Moose,” Fregulia said. “I believe we must set aside our own personal agendas, our likes and our dislikes if we are to have a future. I believe new procedures must be implemented if we are to appeal to the women of today and tomorrow.”

As she told the Women of the Moose to “revere the past” but “embrace the future,” Fregulia set forth several changes in procedure for 2007-08. Key among them:

• Applicants no longer need attend a formal enrollment ceremony to gain full WOTM membership, once an applicant has been favorably voted upon.
  
  
• Applications will be taken along with the applicant’s first-year dues.

After the Application Review Committee approves of the application, the applicant is balloted upon. At this point, the applicant is given an orientation and is a member of the Women of the Moose.

Fregulia announced that the final WOTM International Ritual Competition as we know it was taking place that week in Orlando.

Fregulia said that questionnaires were sent to all 1,600 chapters. Of those, 236 responded, only 93 reported the existence of a Ritual team, and just 55 of those were competing teams. Only 49 teams competed in the 2007 International Ritual Competition.

The full text of Fregulia’s remarks can be found at www.mooseintl.org/portal/
WomenOfTheMoose/NewsBrief.asp.

The Women of the Moose presented a series of checks to Director General William B. Airey and Chief Operating Officer Leonard Solfa.

The checks totaled $4,546,883.

These included checks totaling:

• $556,324 to Moosehaven for improvements at the Katherine Smith Residence Home, Beauty Shop and for Christmas in October.
  
  
• $300,139 to Mooseheart for donations to the Music Department and for Christmas in October.
  
  
• $66,310 in Scholarship funds.
  
  
• $426,748 to be added to the Mooseheart/Moosehaven Endowment Fund.
  
  
• $1,655,020 to be submitted for 2007-08 operational expenses at the Mooseheart School.