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President Rita Worster

A new year is starting and many people make New Year resolutions. I don’t make resolutions, but this is a great time to reflect on 2011 and think about plans for 2012. Our EWI chapter had a wonderful 2011—we had great meetings, a successful golf tournament, awarded four scholarships, welcomed new firms and representatives, shared a meeting with our Denver chapter and had nine women attend LCAM. In our personal lives I know there were ups and downs, weddings and grandchildren to celebrate but the loss of loved ones to mourn. I hope 2012 is filled with more celebrating than sadness.

As we begin 2012 here are my musings that may inspire some of your own:

• Spend time with the ones you love and care about
• Tell them that you love them, often!           
• Spend time on the projects that bring meaning to your life
• Smile—it is contagious
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Savor the wonderful moments, both big and small

A new year, a new budget with a meeting fee increase
The board approved our budget at the December board meeting. The budgeted revenues are $63,630 and budgeted expenses $65,623. Cathie John has the detailed budget, and if you would like a detailed copy please contact Cathie. Included in the budget is an increase in the monthly meeting fee to $40 for representatives and $45 for guests. This increase will take effect in February. Chapter dues were last increased in 2007, and the meeting fee increase from $30 to $35 was approved in 2007. Our program committee has worked very hard to find facilities, food, speakers, and AV equipment to provide the quality meetings we have enjoyed. All of those costs are considered to determine the meeting fee. With the rising prices, an increase in the meeting fee is needed to maintain quality programs. Remember, you can take advantage of the 12 for 11 meeting special when you pay your annual dues. If you have any questions please contact Rita Worster at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 719.685.7328.

Click on the Company names to view the member's website.

Chapter Meeting Information:

Mirror Mirror on the wall……
What are these wrinkles and what are these spots?
What is this sagging, what are these red dots?
Which products to use, I’m oily!…I’m dry!
It’s time to get answers, let’s give it a try!

Join us January 11^th at 5:30 as we kick off our New 2012 Year! Dr. Lisa Jenks talks about the health and wellness of your skin. Learn all about all the different techniques and treatments as well as state of the art laser procedures available to rejuvenate your skin. It’s a new year and a new you!

Time:   5:30
Place:   Hilton Garden Inn (I-25 and Briargate)
            1810 Briargate Parkway, Colorado Springs
            719-598-6866
Menu:
Assorted Appetizers
Garden Salad with a Variety of Dressings
Grilled Marinated Steak Tips
Lemon Herb Chicken
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Rice Pilaf
Fresh Vegetables
Dessert – Lemon Bars and Chocolate Layer Cake

RSVP: Please RSVP by January 6th. Click here to RSVP. WWW.SPRINGSEWI.COM

Door Prizes - Please bring a door prize to add to the fun.

Sergeant at Arms (SAA):

Meeting Requirements and RSVP

Everyone must RSVP Yes or No. No later than the Friday prior to the meeting date!
EWI Program Coordinators must confirm attendance numbers with the hotel or other catering company in advance.

• No shows are charged -- we need to have timely RSVPs into the Sergeant-at-Arms the Friday before the monthly meeting which is the second Wednesday of each month.

• It costs EWI to pay for those that RSVP and don’t show. Once our numbers are confirmed with the hotel or other catering company, any no shows and any late cancellations must be charged in full.

• EWI is required to pay for all of its registered guests, whether or not they attend.

Should you need to cancel your reservation by the Friday before the meeting, you MUST receive a confirming email from the SAA that your cancellation is received.  If you do not get a confirming email from SAA, your reservation is still in effect and you will need to pay for the dinner that was reserved for you.

Please remember to go online to http://www.springsewi.com/ and submit your RSVP or your Regrets. You may pay online if you like (this helps us tremendously too).  Please remember to do so NO LATER than the Friday prior to the meeting.

Nominating Committee:

Please assist Carol Bryant by volunteering or with a nomination for the 2012-2013 EWI of Colorado Springs Board.

Ways & Means Committee:

Hoping that all had a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to an amazing New Year!

Mark your calendars!! The EWI 10th Annual Scholastic Classic Golf Tournament will be held Friday, June 1, 2011 at The Broadmoor Resort.

So the push is on, be sure and talk it up now! We are ready to start collecting silent auction items, secure all levels of sponsorships and even golf registrations. The sooner the better!

We are going to have online information available starting in January and are preparing brochures you can have on hand and give out along with registration forms and sponsorship opportunities.

There are some new and exciting ideas brewing so please join us at our next committee meeting, Tuesday, December 27, 2011, 5:30 p.m., at The Springs Funeral Services. Bring munchies, drinks will be provided. If you think you might make it drop us a note, the more the merrier……….

Any questions please contact:
Terri Flores-Brown, 328-1793,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or AnnMcNeil, 495-0702,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Terri Flores-Brown, Ways & Means Director
Ann McNeill, Way & Means Co-Chair

Philanthropic Adhoc Committee of Ways & Means:
by Pat Cooper

Thank you sponsors who provided the items to our raffle in 2010, EWI’s who made the time to have their non-profits submit their applications and the Philanthropic committee members including: Rita Worster, Carol Bryant, Eileen Wolff, MaryGood Forsythe, Barb Winters and Brandy Merriam.

Membership Committee:

EWI Reps - Please Read This - for your information. Look at some of the cash prizes and incentives. We can do this!! Bring on some new member firms!

EVERYONE WINS!

Membership Incentive Program

The Corporate Board is pleased to announce a new incentive program for the remainder of 2011!  We have designed the incentive to include all parties ... you, the new member firm, the existing firms and of course, the Chapter!  Everyone has a chance to win and help grow our EWI network of members.  The incentive plan will run from  July 1 thru December 31, 2011.  This incentive plan will take the place of the traditional 15 for 12 campaign.

Firms  - New
Every New Member Firm that joins an EWI Chapter between July 1 and December 31, 2011, will have the $50 Corporate administrative fee waived and will be entered into a drawing for a free 2012 EWI membership (Chapter and Corporate dues for all New Member Firms and their Representatives who joined during this time period)

Firms - Additional Representatives
Every Member Firm that adds an additional representative (maximum of three) between July 1 and December 31, 2011, will receive entrance into a drawing for a free 2012 EWI membership (Chapter and Corporate dues for all Representatives who joined during this time period)  

Representatives

Every Representative who successfully recruits a new member firm (Complete membership application and funds must be received at the Corporate Office between July 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011) will receive an entry into a drawing for $1,000 cash! (Representative's name can be entered multiple times - once for each new member firm recruited during this time period)

Chapters
The Chapter that recruits the most new member firms between July 1 and December 31, 2011, will receive a customized EWI Chapter banner stand or $450 credit in the EWI Merchandise Shoppe. In the case of a tie, a drawing will be held to determine the one Chapter winner.

All winners will be announced in the January 18, 2012 EWI Connect.

Robin Patterson
Membership Director

Scholarship Committee:

The next Scholarship Committee meeting is set for Tuesday, January 24th, from 11:30-1:00 p.m. at the Applebee's located at Garden of the Gods and I-25. Come enjoy some lunch and help our scholarship program reach out to the people in need in our community.

Address: 495 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, 80907

Contact Jennifer with any questions: (719) 271-9663.

Yours in Health,

Jennifer Doherty, MBA, RMT
Unlimited Bodywork, LLC

Notes From Your Chapter Treasurer

We had some BIG news at LCAM this year! Based on a review of procedures by EWI Corporate attorneys and accountants, it has been determined that LCAM expenses are no longer allowed to be paid out of BCDP funds. They must be paid from operating funds. This is a complete turnaround from prior practice and took all the Chapters by surprise. Corporate is recommending that all monies raised through fundraisers be deposited into the operating account and then the net proceeds (or a portion thereof) be transferred over to the BCDP account once the final net income from an event has been determined and all related bills paid.

What that means for us go forward is that the net proceeds from the golf tournament will now be allocated between operating (to fund LCAM expenses) and BCDP (to fund scholarships). Only the portion allocated to BCDP will be considered a donation for tax purposes so all literature used to solicit sponsorships for the golf tournament will be revised accordingly.

If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact President Rita Worster or Treasurer Cathie John.

Renewals are coming! Renewals are coming!

It’s that time of year again – renewal invoices for 2012 will be mailed out shortly after the end of the year. The amount for dues (both corporate and chapter) has not changed from last year. All renewal funds and a full accounting of member firms, sustaining members, life members, etc. are due to the corporate office by February 15, 2012. After that date, the chapter will be subject to a fine so please do your part to see that your invoices are paid to us on time!

Corporate EWI has adopted an anniversary date renewal system beginning in 2012. That means new firms joining in 2012 will be billed for their dues annually from the month they joined. For example, if a new firm joins in April 2012, they will pay dues for an entire year and then be invoiced in April 2013 for the next year’s dues. All firms that are members as of the end of 2011 are “grandfathered” in and their anniversary date will always be January 1^st.

Again, please be on the lookout for your renewal notice and get your dues in on time! There will be no exceptions and late paying firms will be subject to the new member firm fee from corporate of $50.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Cathie John, Treasurer

This is a letter that was sent to New Horizons Band members announcing the EWI grant.

The Excitement of NHBCOS Continues While We're on Break!

Hello Everyone!

It is with much excitement that we announce to you our organization has received yet another 'vote of confidence' as the Executive Women's International (local chapter) just yesterday awarded us a grant for $1,000. We are bursting with pride as there are a ton of non-profit groups that need assistance these days--and we were one of few that received money and we were among the very few that received the top award.

It goes without saying, we will spend the money wisely--likely using some for member financial aid, venue costs, and/or a needed instrument. We thank Audrey Shrive and the other members not only for considering us--but for selecting us as a finalist in the competition. We are forever grateful to her.

Mary and I will be attending a meeting on December 14th at the Broadmoor Hotel to officially accept the grant money. We thought you should know about our good fortune and how we as a 501(c)(3) will be utilizing the monetary stipend that has come our way.

Very appreciatively,

Ed & Mary

December cheer and holiday spirit brought our EWI’s out in full force.  This year we were located in the spectacular Ross Room above the golf course with breath taking views not seen by the main ballrooms.  The chapter was entertained by a lively and humorous quartet the Velvet Choirs led by Robin Petrich.  The Colorado Springs professional firefighter 2012 calendar models were on site to sell and autograph as well as take pictures with our ladies.  They were such good sports they even allowed themselves to be tagged with glitter tattoos by guest Denise Davis.  Each fire fighter was sponsored for lunch by and EWI member.  Thank You Ladies!  For their generosity those ladies were granted a fire fighter at their table to share the holiday spirits with.  The philanthropic committee led by Pat Cooper Wallace Vision presented to 5 charities the grants from the raffle sale.  You may recall that EWI collected over $800 worth of gifts that were arranged into a fabulous basket.  The raffle tickets were sold for $20 each.  Our winner was none other than Cathie John Front Range Orthopedics.  Keep an eye on the local press for the release of what our chapter has given this year.  

The EWI ladies brought un-wrapped toys for Christmas Unlimited and the fire stations are the drop off locations through out our city.  There were so many that Brandi Walters Service Engineering had to assist the fire fighters back to their station and over-filled the area with toys.  WAY TO GO!!  Thank you Brandi for the extra time you spent with the fire fighters.

After announcements the Sexy Santa’s (Fire Fighters) helped hand out the gift exchange presents.  Kudos to Michele Pribble Genesis Med Spa, for keeping control of our group.  That is quite a task with all that was going on.  We were prepared this year for anything by inviting these generous sexy professionals.

For those of you who are community minded (all of us) here is where we have made an impact;

The money for the Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters 2012 calendars goes to assist their local community outreach programs and the firefighters when they support a fallen member.

Scholarships for 4 local women in need a car full of toys for Christmas Unlimited and 5 other local charities.

The volunteer hours, the multiple meetings and the tons of phone calls along with your personal financial support has made an Incredible difference in our community.  WAY TO GO!!!

This reporter is extremely blessed to be associated with such a Fabulous, Fun and Fiery Ladies.

Happy New Year Make 2012 more Marvelous

Respectfully submitted: Brandy Merriam Ameriprise Financial

Corporate is having a competition in December to see which Chapter can get the highest percentage of their chapter members to log in to MyEWI.  To confirm your participation in this competition, post a comment in the “Logged in” Competition Forum! (Instructions posted on the Welcome page of MyEWI).  Your MyEWI login is the same as your ewiconnect.com login.  If you need login information email Shannon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  The winning chapter will receive a gift card.

Wednesday, December 14th at 1:00 p.m. MST Jim Rhodes will present a webinar “Establishing the New Frontier – QR Codes”  Registration and additional information is available on the website and from the November Corporate Connect.

EWI Online Program

Upcoming webinar on Tuesday, January 12, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. MT, Leadership as it Relates to Change, presented by Colette Carlson.