P.E.O. Chapter LQ
San Pedro, California
Appreciating P.E.O. and appreciating our sisters
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Robin Stirling
I have been a P.E.O. for 50 years! From a very early age I was part of a “P.E.O. Family”, because my Mother’s chapter, KU, Glendale, celebrated P.E.O. with their families. They had picnics in the park. They had talent shows, when all eligible, musically inclined children would perform. My Grandma, Daddy, and I knew what to do when it was P.E.O. night. If the meeting was at our home we observed the preparations and then stayed out of sight! We were well-trained! This made it easy for me when I was invited to join P.E.O.- I already knew what I was getting into, what it meant.
When I came home for Christmas during my freshman year at UCSB, there was a letter waiting for me. Looking back, my Mother was waiting excitedly for my reaction to the invitation to join chapter KU. I was surprised and thrilled. I had the privilege of waiting for my own daughter to open that invitation and be excited. After all, her first P.E.O. meeting was in 1972, when, at 2 months, after successfully finding and being found by chapter SQ, Lompoc, I took her to the meeting!
If your Mother was a member, you somehow knew what it meant, how much that camaraderie, that sisterly love, really means! I wish that everyone could feel that excitement about P.E.O. from the beginning. But, I realize that, largely because of our busy lives and our concerns about our valuable time, feeling the spirit of P.E.O. may take more time. Here is where long-time members can give support to new members by keeping them informed and showing them what ‘sisterhood’ means.
I’ve thought a lot, lately, about what makes P.E.O. special. Besides sisterhood, we have a wonderful legacy to protect and nurture. We all are working toward a common goal- the education of women! I believe that knowing about the many philanthropies we provide will give us a sense of pride, and a realization that we are working together in our
accomplishment of this goal.
I see, in LQ, how we are living that P.E.O. spirit to help foster those wonderful feelings about P.E.O.- the friendship, fellowship, and philanthropic goals.
P.E.O.
Philanthropic Educational Organization- Women Helping Women
P.E.O. is like a ‘sisterhood’. You could call it a lifetime sorority. It’s women caring about each other. It’s big, it’s International! It’s made of women of all ages, diversities. Our common bond begins with our belief in God. We are united by our common goal, which is a legacy that has lasted over 150 years. We believe in the power of education, and want to foster those goals in women. This is why we have six major philanthropies internationally, giving women a chance to pursue their education with grants, loans, and scholarships. Many of the states have their own programs, as well. And California, the state that has more members than any other state, has over 29 additional scholarships. Since 1907, 45,000 women have been given loans totaling $160million, scholarships have totaled $104million, serving over 51,000 students. All, close to 400,000 members support these philanthropies with our gifts, time, and talents. We are a great example of women helping women…of women showing our potential to accomplish many lofty goals and ideals. One example is our college, Cottey, now a four-year university in Nevada, Missouri. We are the only women’s organization who own, operate, and support an institution of higher learning. Since it’s opening Cottey has served 95,000 students, with $264million assistance. Among our philanthropic projects is the International Peace Scholarship. Recipients use their scholarship to get an advanced degree. Upon completion, they are tasked to return to their country to use their educational experience to foster peace and women’s rights.