ASHLAND — Ashland Business and Professional Women met March 4, 2024 at The Inn at Ashland Woods for the monthly dinner meeting. President Rachael Yoder welcomed everyone to the National Women’s History Month observance.
The program featured three eighth grade girls who presented women in history.
Brooklyn Martin told about Anne Frank, who was born June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. She was a Jewish victim of the Holocaust. Anne, her older sister, and parents were in hiding for two years to avoid Nazi persecution. On her 13th birthday, she received a diary, which she named Kitty. The diary was her imaginary friend in which she could confide and find comfort.
The family was betrayed and taken to a concentration camp. Anne died at age 15 of typhus fever in 1945. The Diary of Anne Frank was published in 1947. It was later made into a play and movie.
Brooklyn Martin is the daughter of Jonathan and Evelyn Martin.
Sydney Spellman shared information about Princess Diana. She was born, July 1, 1961, in Norfolk, England, the youngest of 5 children. She was educated in England and Switzerland. She was employed as a babysitter and a teacher before her famous wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. She became well known for supporting over 100 charities, including helping the homeless and AIDS patients.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles were divorced in 1986. They had two children: William and Harry. Princess Diana died after a car accident in Paris in 1997. She was undervalued when she was alive for her charity work.
Sydney’s parents are Mike and Amanda Spellman.
Alexis Sheppard’s woman in history was Helen Keller. She was the first deaf and blind person to obtain a college degree. She went to Harvard. Keller was born in 1880 and lost her sight and hearing after an illness when she was 19 months old. She attended an institute for the blind and then she was taught by Anne Sullivan. By age 7, Helen learned 60 hand signals. By age 9, she began to speak, which improved her quality of life.
Helen Keller was an author, disability rights advocate, a political activist and a lecturer. She worked for the woman’s right to vote. Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama and died at age 87 in Westport Connecticut.
Alexis Sheppard is the daughter of Scott Shepperd.
Brooklyn, Sydney, and Alexis are eighth graders in Carolyn Labay’s English class at the Ashland Middle School. The girls were each given a certificate. All four were given gift bags.
During the business meeting, Rachael Yoder distributed flyers for the April 1 Equal Pay Day event at Ohio Fire. The public is invited to share in the “UnHappy Happy Hour.”
Voted to award a $500 scholarship to Breena Plank who will be attending Bluffton College and the $200 grant to Paige Green who will attend Ashland County West Holmes Vocational School.
Also voted to have a vendor table to sell BPW notepads and candy at the conference in May.
Special guest was Charisse Kellums, BPW/OHIO Vice President. She told the girls about how well they did with their presentations. And they should remember Ashland BPW when they need scholarships to further their education. She reminded members to apply for awards. Winners will be announced at the state conference.
Since Charisse is also the state conference chair, she told highlights of all the events planned for the conference, May 17-19, at the Best Western Plus in Strongsville.
Assisting with the program were Beth Wood, Susan McClure, Lori Marsh-Lykins. Everyone received Information about Equal Pay Day taped to miniature PayDay candy bars provided by Beth Wood, Nancy Young and Karen McCready.