Chapter Hosts Astronaut Hero
On September 23, 2021, Chapter IN, Southlake, Texas, was honored to host Wally Funk, aviator, astronaut, hometown hero and friend. Wally “launched” a lively and interesting program sharing experiences of her youth, lifetime “pearls of wisdom” and, of course, her most recent experience in a flight to space. Pioneering aviator Wally Funk joined Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon and three others on their first flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket near Van Horn, Texas, on July 20, 2021. After landing at the conclusion of the successful space flight, Wally exited the capsule exuding pure joy with arms outstretched. She had accomplished her lifelong dream of viewing the earth from space.
Chapter LH, Davenport, Iowa, celebrated Mary Hanson’s 50 years in P.E.O. with a “Pot of Gold” donation fundraiser
Astronaut Wally Funk presented a program to Chapter IN, Southlake, Texas
Wally was quick to tell the sisters of Chapter IN that her mother was a faithful member of P.E.O. in Taos, New Mexico. She was a lovely lady of refinement and culture and always encouraged Wally to have faith, to be brave, well mannered and to never lose sight of her goals. At 82 years old, Wally Funk is full of energy and love for the world around her. She is an inspiration! As the members of Chapter IN, Southlake, Texas, left the meeting that day they knew they had met a delightful, skilled and unique individual! Wally says, “Always look up! The view is endless and there is more out there for us to explore!”
FINDING GOLDWITH 50 Years in P.E.O. How do you have a fundraiser in the time of COVID-19? How do you celebrate a beloved member’s 50 years of active membership in P.E.O.? Can you combine the two? Mary Hanson, LH, Davenport, Iowa, has always been a passionate leader in her chapter’s fundraising efforts, served many terms as treasurer and is the core of the budget and auditing committees. At the chapter’s first in-person meeting held in August in the backyard gardens of Ruth Ottesen, they set out “Mary’s Pot of Gold” and asked members to donate in her honor. Mary’s daughters, both P.E.O.s, joined via Zoom and shared childhood memories of meetings in their home. As members dropped their cards and checks in the “pot” and shared stories, the pile grew. More cards arrived in the mail and the fund grew to $1,400. Mary said P.E.O. was the greatest gift a friend ever gave her but there was one more surprise. Her husband said he has seen for all these years how much P.E.O. has meant to her and he would match the money that her sisters had donated! Mary has figured out how much will go to each project and how much we love her and appreciate her years of service to P.E.O. And she is not finished yet!
CELEBRATING FOUNDERS: International and Local
We all know about the Founders of P.E.O., but there are also founders of our individual chapters. A Mother’s Day picture on Facebook inspired members of Chapter UB in Sunnyvale, California, to honor the founder of their chapter, Marylyn Camphouse.
Chapter UB was organized in 1967 after more than a year of meeting and fulfilling the requirements to become a new chapter. Marylyn recruited unaffiliates in the area, many of whom had been initiated into their mother’s chapters and had not been active in P.E.O. Susan Foster and Judy Wakeman, both charter members of Chapter UB, asked current members to write a note to Marylyn, thanking her for being the charter holder. Lovely notes were written, with some members who knew Marylyn, and others who had not met her—all expressing the positive effect Chapter UB has had on their lives and expressing their thanks to her. The notes, along with pictures gleaned from the historian’s albums, were put into a book that was sent to Marylyn, who now resides in Wisconsin, where she is near her children. When the book arrived, Marylyn, who is now 93, was in the hospital. Her daughter took the book to her and videotaped her as she went through the pages—each one expressing thanks for making Chapter UB possible. Marylyn was moved by the tribute and soon was out of the hospital. Since the founding of P.E.O. in 1869, nearly 6,000 chapters have been formed— each of those chapters also has a founder who took it upon herself to create a new chapter. We owe a debt of gratitude to each of these wonderful sisters.
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January–February 2022 | THE P.E.O. RECORD
WWW.PEOINTERNATIONAL.ORG
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