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Dear Auxiliary Members,
As I write this note to you, another summer convention has come to an end. We were blessed with a wonderful venue, fabulous food, memorable meetings and events and most importantly, friends. I missed many of you in Boston, and want to take this opportunity to thank you for your membership and service to the Auxiliary over this past year. As you know all too well, Alpha Zeta Omega is an organization that epitomizes diversity and forward thinking. When pharmacy schools would not allow the group to form early in the 20th century, students moved underground and then re-emerged and incorporated as AZO after graduation. When times began to change in the 60's, and increasing numbers of females entered schools of pharmacy, the fraternity opened its membership to women in the 70's.
Our story begins in 1940. The Auxiliary continues to live up to the founding members' dreams for the group with philanthropic endeavors since the beginning. Fast forward 73 years and the Auxiliary continues to adapt to changing times with the initiation of bi-annual walks supporting the Directorum's Charity. We raised $370 with a dozen individuals walking for the American Diabetes Association in Alexandria, Virginia, $400 in West Palm Beach and $625 in Boston for Ronald McDonald Charities with even more walkers. Although raising this money is a wonderful accomplishment, nothing can compare to the words of a recipient of our donation: "The Ronald McDonald House has provided our family with boarding as well as meals while our youngest son, Daniel, underwent a bone marrow transplant this past year. It was a tremendous help that we were able to stay so close to the hospital so that Daniel could easily access all the care required during a very lengthy stay." As many of us who are parents know, keeping a family together during a crisis such as this is so very important not only to the health of the child, but to the health of the entire family.
As we look forward to 2015 and our 75th anniversary, once again we are thinking forward. We have remained true with the original objectives of the Auxiliary however; decreasing membership and changes in Fraternity membership have raised concerns for the continued life of our organization. This decrease in our membership and recognized need for change mirrors the Fraternity's experience and action in the 1960's and 70's resulting in the inclusion of female fraters.
Prior to our Boston convention, there was confusion amongst some of us regarding the interpretation of a quorum as per our constitution. Because of this we chose to hold informal meetings and not transact any official business including an election. Ideas to address the dwindling membership were circulated at our informal gathering and a plan was put in place for a few of the Auxiliary members to meet with a few of the Fraternity members the following day for a brainstorming session. This group included Joy Pollock, Jeanne-Marie Holly, Diane Medeiros, Steve Brooks, Steve Imperato and me. Subsequently I met with the PNP's at breakfast Saturday morning and shared the results of joint meeting. With so few of us in attendance, the group felt strongly that the primary focus must be to disseminate the results of our discussions to those Board members unable to join us and to all the PNP's. I am in the process of doing this and will then have information out to all members as we continue to make our way through this process. Please be on the lookout for an email or letter!
Best,
Cheryl Monturo
National Auxiliary President
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