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Soroptimist CNMI relaxes membership rules
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Posted on Jun 06 2017
Soroptimist International Club NMI Chapter used to be exclusive, but the organization has relaxed and opened its rules for membership.
Jessica Castro from Soroptimist International formed the local chapter in October 2013 when she came to Saipan. It is a volunteer organization established to widen the vision of Soroptimist Worldwide to empower women through education.
“We started with 12 members. We have grown since then and currently, the three charter members from the beginning—Pam Brown, Pacific Ombudsman for Humanitarian Law executive; Tanya David from Bank of Guam; and myself—are still very much involved,” said former Soroptimist president and charter member Jill Arenovski.
The club’s members have different cultural backgrounds, a fact that Arenovski celebrates. “We remain diverse and embrace it. We find that better decisions come from different opinions. We are open for membership with women who shares the club’s vision. We require them to attend three different meetings, whether business meeting, fund raiser and mixer just so they know what we are.”
The club’s main program is the Live Your Dream Awards, where in they award $1,000 to a woman who is the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education.
“The award is not limited for someone who starting school. One can be in their last year in school and still get the award. They can spend the award not only for tuition but also in childcare, medical, etc.”
