Thank God For Technology! Virtual Options Let Meetings Continue
Regular book discussions remain the norm for some members of the Preston Hollow Women’s Club.
Conducting them online? That’s what’s novel for the PHWC Happy Bookers.
“All but two or three of the 10 on the call had never done video conferencing before,” Kitty Galvin said.
“Our group is made up of very active – socially, community, and professionally – women, so this was a great way to stay connected while staying home,” she said. “It will certainly be interesting going forward to see if this method of ‘meeting’ becomes a more normal part of our daily lives.”
More normal, or not, social media and other technologies have become go-to tools for such organizations as the women’s club, Rotary, and the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce for keeping members updated and connected during this time of social distancing.
On a recent Monday afternoon, Happy Bookers discussed Dear Edward, a novel by Ann Napolitano about the lone survivor of a plane crash.
“It will certainly be interesting going forward to see if this method of ‘meeting’ becomes a more normal part of our daily lives.” -Kitty Galvin
Galvin described it as “an interesting read, especially at this crazy, scary time, since it was about a 12 year old trying to maneuver his way in life after a trauma.”
The North Dallas Chamber is helping its financially-strapped members manage by deferring their renewal payments through September.
Chamber operations, however, continue as the organization works with local, state, and federal partners to bring the “information and other resources needed to support employers, workers, and residents,” officials announced.
Committee meetings, workshops, and other programs moved online, including leadership briefings with the likes of Dallas ISD Trustees Edwin Flores and Dustin Marshall.
Weekly meetings of the Rotary Club of Park Cities no longer come with the flavors of Maggiano’s, but they still begin with prayer and the national anthem.
(IMAGES ABOVE – FROM LEFT: Jill Spear and Carole Levine participate in the PHWC Happy Bookers online discussion of ‘Dear Edward’, a novel by Ann Napolitano.)
“Father, we give thanks today for technology,” club president Richard Standford said in a Facebook from the Synclab Media studio. “Twenty-five years ago, we would not have been as linked as we are today.”
The club draws members from Preston Hollow as well as Highland Park, University Park, and elsewhere. Key partners include the North Texas Food Bank and the Salvation Army.
Stanford said the club would soon come up with a project to help the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center on Harry Hines Boulevard. The center relies on sales from its area thrift stores, which closed after the “shelter in place” orders.
Stanford also reported on the food truck the club gave NTFB. On a recent Thursday, it set up at Dallas Fair Park and served 6,300 meals.
The PHWC also has supported the food bank, recently sending $5,000 to address increased needs from the COVID-19 response.
The women’s club typically focuses its fundraising on helping Preston Hollow Elementary School and so far this year has collected $35,000 to provide Smart Boards for classrooms and a variety of athletic equipment, publicity chair Elaine Walter said. “The members of the PHWC are so excited to help the children at our neighborhood school be the very best that they can be.”
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