Ambassador - March 2009
This is an abbreviated version of the printed Ambassador distributed each month.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS
March 5  Business  Meeting
March 12  Committee Meeting
March 17  Foundation Board Meeting
March 18  Altrusa Board Meeting
March 19  Program Meeting
March Program Meeting
Past President Presents the Principles of Altrusa Anne Condran, President 1995-96, presented the ninth Principle of Altrusa: Altrusa expresses goodwill for all mankind. It emphasized the good and lets the evil sink into the oblivion it merits. From the President   Dear Altrusans: We will be finalizing our Budget for the upcoming year at the March Business meeting. With the increasing needs in our community, the Board had a long discussion about encouraging each of our service committees to identity areas in the community they could make a difference if the project funds were distributed evenly. This should more evenly distribute the duties of each of our service committees and give a stronger sense of importance to each. Please give some consideration to this idea as a club member for a discussion at the upcoming meeting. We will be finalizing our Budget for 2009/2010 year at the March Business meeting. Our Club has submitted applications for consideration for the Letha H. Brown Literacy Award and the Mamie L. Bass Service Award to District. Toni Estep will read the Letha H. Brown Award submission and Linda Barb the Mamie L. Bass. These ladies worked very hard on preparing the reports. Thanks to Susan Danner for her work in preparing a submission for Governor’s Award. Will keep you posted on the outcome. See you Thursday, March 5th.   Judy Polson , President
COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT The Youth Development Committee is busy planning the Senior Recognition Program to be held on April 23rd. A favorite of many members, the program honors an outstanding young lady from each of our area high schools: Burris, Cowan, Daleville, Delta, Heritage Hall, Indiana Academy, Muncie Central, Muncie Southside, Wapahani, Wes-Del, and Yorktown. In early February, letters were sent to the high school counselors to select their school’s recipient. The ladies will be honored at an April program meeting and presented with a bracelet. In addition, their name is added to their school’s plaque to be displayed at the school. I think that everyone who has ever attended this program realizes how important this honor is to the ladies, their parents, and their school when they see the pride on the faces of the guests of the honorees as each of the young ladies shares their goals and accomplishments. I know that more than one tear has been shed by Altrusan’s as they listen to these incredible young ladies….for each one of them is truly amazing. Another activity, of the Committee is the gift card program where gift cards are provided to community youth organizations for use in their programs. In May 2008, gift cards were presented to the Boys and Girls Club, Unity Center, Big Brother/Big Sisters, and Huffer Memorial Children’s Center for use as incentives for their youth programs. In October 2008, the Committee hosted a program meeting where the directors from the agencies shared with the club the unique way that each agency uses the cards. Each director expressed heartfelt appreciation for Altrusa’s generous support of their programs. I think that every Altrusan who heard the presentations realized that we were really making a difference by providing this program. In May 2009, the committee will once again be presenting gift cards to four agencies for use in their youth programs. This year the Youth Development Committee also participated in some new endeavors. In September and October, the Committee met with the Service Committee and did some brainstorming on areas of Service that involved youth. The result was adding a youth activity to the Service Committee’s event for the ladies of A Better Way. At the December party, while the ladies were enjoying the Service Committee’s program, a pizza party was held for the children. The children then enjoyed crafts consisting of making cards and plastic bead trinkets. Unfortunately, while about 40 children were participating in the activities, a gas leak occurred at the building, so the party disbursed quickly. However, the staff of A Better Way picked up the craft supplies, as well as the gift bags that had been prepared for the children, so the children were still able to enjoy the projects and gift bags. In January the Committee held their meeting at the Back to School Teachers Store. After a tour of the new facility, we spent some time assisting with projects at the Store. It was great to see how the Store is impacting the teachers in our community, and we learned ways that we could help by providing donations that might be thrown in the trash. (Like egg cartons, shoe boxes, nature magazines….yarn.) If you have stuff that you think a teacher might use, be sure and check with them! Remember the Senior Recognition Program will be held on April 23rd. Mark your calendar for a meeting that you won’t want to miss.
ALTRUSA ANNIVERSARIES
K. Brown	1957
L. Edmundson	1992
B. Harrah	1974
L. Hendrickson	2005
M. Middleton	2007
A. Prettyman	1993
E. Witbeck	2001
Happy Anniversary Altrusans!