SITS News June 11, 2026

President Paula opened our meeting on this beautiful Tahoe morning. Some people think we’re a little crazy as our meetings begin at 7:30 AM, but honestly, it’s the best way to get your day going. We are all so grateful for the past year of stewardship by Paula. Thank you for all you’ve done for our club. Only a couple more meetings to go!

Invocation by Lydia were about the summer’s golden glow and all that it brings with it. Let’s all enjoy the moment and relish in all the strange and wonderous things that occur. Did you know that the Eiffe; Tower actually gets taller by 6″ in the summer as the steel expands? Who knew? Well, Lydia did!

Sunshine today focused on the Enterline family with the recent lost of their little angel. There is an online fundraiser for the family, details here. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

SNR Update

This past weekend, SITS Leadership attended the Soroptimist Sierra Nevada Region (SNR) Conference in Reno. Our Region is made up of 6 Districts, 46 Clubs, and we are part of a very large area. The purpose of this gathering is to gain more skills as Soroptimist leadership and to recognize the good work we are all doing.

We want to congratulate the SNR New Officers and we look forward to your guidance: President-Kathy Dunbar, President Elect-Evie Wright, Secretary-Lisa Fitzgerald, Treasurer-Liesl Schmidt, and District 5 Director-Shenae Strader.

Our club works to accomplish projects in our community, and to inform our community about what Soroptimist has to offer. Under President Paula’s leadership this past year, our club received several award at conference.

The Sierra Nevada Region (SNR) Five Star Award is a prestigious recognition given to local Soroptimist clubs that excel in public awareness and communications. To achieve the overall Five Star distinction, clubs must successfully submit entries across five distinct categories: Website, Social Media, Newsletter, Innovative Public Awareness, and Best Overall Public Awareness. SITS earned 3rd Place!

1. Innovative Public Awareness Award. This initiative honors clubs that execute highly creative, non-traditional strategies to promote the Soroptimist mission. SITS earned 2nd Place!
2. The Website Star Award where clubs submit their site for evaluation to promote club objectives and community awareness. SITS earned 3rd Place!
3. Eblast & News Award which is in recognition of an outstanding newsletter to inform, involve, and inspire members. Our WEEKLY newsletter goes beyond our membership. We have a readership of 370 with a 75% open rate!
4. AND…. we received an Honorable Mention for the Evelyn Holland Recognition for SOLT, Soroptimist Orientation and Leadership Training.

And a final shout out to Jeanne P and the wonderful raffle basket she created for the conference raffle!

Well done everyone!

At conference, attendees paid honor to those sisters we lost during the year. One of our amazing lights, Julie Nelson, was lifted up at this year’s meeting. We miss you lady!

And a final shout out to Jeanne P. She was in charge of conference elections and everything went smoothly! She will be bringing the whole process to digital voting in the future! And she also created a wonderful raffle basket for the conference raffle!

Well done everyone!

Today’s business meeting was a busy one! President Elect Lois Downy provided members with our May dashboard regarding our clubs earnings and expenditures. Our treasurer team is top notch and that division of our club is running like clockwork. As we near our year’s end, the club prepares for expenditures that will occur ahead of the next fiscal year. Thank you ladies and thank you to the many hours put in by the Board and members to ensure that every penny of SITS money, entrusted to us, is accounted for.

Here are more highlights from the meeting:

• Things are still settling out from our fundraiser, but we are so excited that the hard work done this year, will benefit so many in our community beginning in July!
• Correspondence: Julie C shared a lovely thank you note from Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and Karen H shared thank you letters from our youth at Mt. Tallac.

• Our Meet and Greet Happy Hour will be at The Woods, this Monday from 4:30 – 6:30 and we are very excited. We have about 30 ladies coming, with 14 of those being members, to see what our club is all about.
• Our sister club, SISLT is having a beach party on June 24, 2026 at Round Hill Pines. This informal affair will be a time to socialize and laugh, so get it on your calendars ladies. The fun is 11:30 – 1:30 and you know some will linger on!
• SITS Installation will be on June 25 beginning at 5 PM at the home of Wendy David. Please let Shelly and Kim know if you are bringing guests. This is our opportunity to thank our outgoing Board and to welcome in the new one. And of course, there’s a wonderful potluck and libations. Jean P emailed members for food signup.
• The American Century Golf Tournament (Celebrity Golf) is in a few short weeks. This is an excellent way for our club to raise more awareness as to who we are AND to raise more money. We earn a wage for all of the time we work the event and our TIP Jar is one designated for student scholarships. So, if you’re a member, we need you to sign up for two shifts if possible here. Your spouse can also sign up. If you are a community member who wants to WORK the event on behalf of SITS, email President Paula here and she will be in touch! And if you’re an individual who will be attending the event, please buy your food and libations at our tent at the 17th hole! See you there!
• SITS Retreat…..get it on your calendar for Aug. 1 at the home of Cookie Rork.

COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS

We’re a busy group!

Installation Committee

• We can’t wait! Our Installation will be on June 25 at 5 PM at the home of Wendy David. The theme of the presentations that evening will be Harry Potter. Please contact Shelly if you’d like to help out with the planning!
• This is a great time to invite prospective members. It gives them a chance to meet our members!

Technology Committee

• It’s never too late to gain more skills! The Tech team is available to our ladies to learn more about our google account, our mail, and whatever else you need to help you be more efficient. Technology isn’t a fad, so get the amazing assistance that you need! Get a hold of one of the ladies at [email protected]

Education Committee

• The Summer Reading Program will be another huge success thanks to the Education Committee and the SITS members who joined Cookie at STMS following today’s meeting. They worked hard on organizing the thousands of books that will be distributed to all kids K – 8 in our school districts prior to the end of school. Thank you ladies.

SITS Member Reminders

2026-2027 dues

Annual SITS Member Dues: Invoices have been sent out. Payment is due June 15 and late after June 30. Please check your email for link to pay electronically. If you didn’t receive yours by email, please contact Lois or Andie asap.

Quarterly Member Dues for April -June and Happy Dollars: These funds are how we pay for our overhead expenses, so they are very important. Thanks to our Tech team and Treasurers, we continue to evolve into the most efficient payment and accounting methods. Use THIS LINK or QR Code to PAY YOUR WEEKLY, QUARTERLY, or YEARLY DUES AND HAPPY DOLLARS! *Be sure to use the drop down menu on the service charge and click “Other”, then type in “0”. You will not pay a service fee in doing this.

Happy 50th Board Installation to us! Next year on March 8, 2027, we will celebrate our 50th Anniversary as a club and it will be this new Board that swings us in to this celebration.

Our Installation will be on Thursday, June 25, 2026 at the home of Wendy David beginning at 5 PM. The theme of our festivities is Harry Potter so get outside and find a stick on the forest floor to be your magic wand. More details to follow. In the meantime, think of a fun and interesting woman to join in on our fun and invite them to our party of the year!

Our Soroptimist apparel line is ready for purchase! Liz Prestella’s Torq’d clothing line for women is our supporter of this endeavor. Members and appreciators of SITS are now able to purchase apparel and items from her website. See what items are offered and to order go here. Thank you to the SITS team and to Torq’d for all of the hard work.

SOROPTIMIST CONFERENCES!

• Biennial Soroptimist International conference will be held in Incheon, South Korea from July 22-25, 2026.

NON-SITS

Fun and Opportunities in Tahoe

There’s actually so much going on so you’re going to want to check out the EVENTS tab on www.southtahoenow.com, but here’s a few to get you started!

Rotary Mobility Program

Rotary of South Lake Tahoe is asking the community to help expand its Rotary Mobility Program. The club is seeking donations of wheelchairs, knee scooters, canes, walkers with seats, and shower chairs.. Donations of gently used mobility and medical equipment are appreciated. Rotary Mobility is a free community program. Community members interested in donating equipment or learning more about the program are encouraged to contact David Kurtzman at 530-545-3283.

Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids is working with the schools to promote bike safety and also to come up with new rules for school cell phone use.

Community Safety Tidbit: South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue is linked into a program purchased by El Dorado County. It’s the SMART911 program. Go https://ready.edso.org and create an account. Emergency services can gain important information on your home and who is in it as they are responding. You can provide as much or as little information as you want. Things like an elderly parent, pets, family members, Oxygen tanks in the home, etc., help first responders help you. Please take the time to check it out and SHARE.

Vista Rise Collective (previously Live Violence Free) is always looking for volunteers. There are many opportunities, for both direct and indirect services. Cash donations are always welcome, but every Tuesday they accept non cash donations such as furniture, clothing, etc. For more information about volunteering, donations and/or services provided click here.

PETAL KINDNESS is a non-profit organization that rescues flowers to uplift others and helps divert green waste from landfills. They are in desperate need of vases. Drop them off at 2941 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Leave behind wooden pallet wall.

Petal Kindness rescues these flowers from the landfill and provides them to non-profits, hospitals, senior centers, and community-based organizations to bring comfort, joy, and healing to our local community members. Donations and volunteers are always needed!

Blood donations are desperately needed . Please see details here and make your appointment today!

Looking for up to date resources in our community? Barton Health has a list for all of us and it is actively updated! SHARE this link with others!

ALL YEAR LONG!

LTCC Basic Needs Center is looking for food donations. A variety of foods and basic need items are on the list. Click here for full list and drop off details

If you’d like to donate through our club, please bring your donations to the monthly business meeting and Lisa C. or Andie will make sure they are delivered to the college. Please include an estimate on the value as LTCC needs to keep records of that information.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue has a quarterly newsletter to keep us all updated on fire safety info. Their goal is to help people learn about the fuels reduction products they are working on, seasonal fire safety info and other fire dept related news. Click here to sign up for the newsletter

Saint Joseph Community Land Trust has changed their Motel to Home (MTH) program from a loan program to a grant program and we’re hoping this will attract families living in substandard housing, who would like to live in a more permanent and adequate home. Please click here for more details

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless seeks community support in keeping people cared for.

Our South Shore community has been able to sleep better knowing that our homeless population has an indoor option. This winter season marked the 10th anniversary of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) providing warm beds to the most vulnerable in our community.

The office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12-4 at the Red Lodge, 1137 Emerald Bay Rd.

More details here

Between Horses and Humans continues to grow! If you’re a lover of youth and a lover of horses, this is a program for you! You can keep up on their information by reading their newsletters here! Volunteers and donations are always needed. BHH Update-they are soon relocating to the Amacker Ranch!

Food Assistance Guide for So. Lake Tahoe. If you know of anyone in need, please share this information. Click and print!