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Enhancing the lives of women and youth in our community
and around the world.
Rise and Shine with us on Thursday mornings!
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Published March 26, 2026
Our meeting this morning was opened by President Paula at the Lisa Maloff Center.
Invocation: Lydia reminded us that saying “I know how you feel” is not always helpful when talking with a friend who is going through some hard times. It puts the emphasis on you, not the friend who may feel minimized. Truthfully, you can’t really understand how someone else feels. A better strategy is to listen and ask questions. Today we listened and learned from the experience of a young black boy of his experiences in the Revolutionary War.
Guests: Ernie Claudio joined us this morning.
Sunshine: Sunshine goes out to Lois and George as they help his sister; to Ron and Claudia Elkins, to Laurie’s brother in law with heart issues; to Colleen and Rick for his successful surgery. We are thankful for Shelly’s grandniece, born yesterday; and that Jeanne and Paula are feeling better.
Program: This morning we had the privilege of enjoying a Living Voices Performance. Tahoe Arts Project has brought Living Voice experiences to Tahoe schools every year since 1994. Living Voices-Bringing Life to History is a multimedia presentation using archival footage of real events along with an actor interacting with the film. Peggy Blowney, Executive director of TAP introduced the actor, Jessie Smith who portrayed a young black colonist, Peter Freeman.
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Our Revolution looks at the experience of being a Patriot and a soldier in the Continental Army from a rarely considered point of view: a young free Black colonist. In 1775, Peter Freeman and his father enlist in the Concord patriot militia during the colonial rebellion. While his brother joins the Loyalists serving the British, Peter chooses to fight for freedom for himself and his land, participating in the birth of a new country and a new people: the first generation of African Americans. As a youth, Peter carries water and digs ditches for the army. As he grows older and more experiences, he is put to work in the drum corp. And finally he is given a musket and fights alongside other soldiers in Washington’s Continental Army. During the eight years of the war, his father is captured and dies in prison, his brother is sold back into slavery and escapes to fight with the British, and his mother dies of small pox. But as the war ends, he is hopeful that the freedom he has fought for will soon be granted to all men.
The presentation highlights the complex personal and political divisions of the era:
- A Divided Family: While Peter joins the Patriots to fight for his own liberty and the birth of a new nation, his brother chooses to side with the Loyalists serving the British. At the time, the British were offering freedom to any black man who fought against the colonists. Many slaves and free black men answered this call to a better life.
- The Pursuit of Liberty: Peter’s journey examines the central irony of the Revolution—the founding of a nation on the principle that “all men are created equal” while many remained enslaved or marginalized. Even those who were promised freedom, were not always granted it. Many blacks were sold back into slavery when the armies reached the southern states. It took another hundred years for the United States to abolish slavery.
- Identity: The performance portrays Peter as part of the “first generation of African Americans,” struggling to define his place in a country fighting for a freedom that was not yet fully guaranteed to him.
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A discussion with Jessie followed, centering on the polarizing of the revolutionary era compared to today and how similar they are. People felt they had to choose sides and even households were divided as shown in the presentation. Also, Black people were promised freedom that many did not experience, even though the new constitution guaranteed equality and the “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Thank you TAP and sponsors Robert and Jennifer Chester for offering this experience to the community.
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SITS Nominations are Open!
Nominations for Board positions are open for the 2026-27 year. If you want to nominate someone, or volunteer yourself, let Wendy, Kim, or Shelly know. The nominating committee would like to present a slate to the Board on April 7 and to the Membership on April 9.
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Wishing a very happy birthday month to our SITSters!
Lois Downy and Joanne Shope – March 2
Cookie Rork – March 4
Jean Bergner – March 24
Jennifer Stafford – March 26
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We love to celebrate when our members joined Soroptimist each month.
Hellen Barclay – 3/11/2004 (22 years)
Jeanne Prestella – 3/14/2013 (13 years)
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Thought for the Day
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” — Nelson Mandela
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Consider beginning your Thursday with us!
Meet us at the Lisa Maloff University Center at LTCC.
Join us for inspiration at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays!
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2025-2026 Board of Directors
- President-Paula Peterson
- Treasurer-Andrea Solis
- Treasurer-Lois Downy
- Recording Secretary-Nancy Muller
- Corresponding Secretary-Julie Cary
- Delegate-Lydia Rogers
- Delegate-Jeanne Prestella
- Director-Laurie Flesher
- Director-Vanna Bells
- Immediate Past President-LIsa Cali
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Laurel Society Members
- Norma Poole (in memory)
- Irene Morris (In memory)
- Irene Radford (2006)
- Lucille Holmlund (In memory)
- Joanne Shope
- Dilys Evans (in memory)
- Kathy Southern
- Teruyo (Terry) Kunibe (in memory)
- Marilyn Milholland (in memory)
- Doris Groelz (2011)
- Wendy David (2012)
- Pat Papp (2013)
- Lydia Rogers (2014)
- Trudy Mills (2015)
- Cookie Rork (2015)
- Diane Imbach (2016)
- Lisa Huard (2017)
- Nancy Muller (2023)
- Shelly Martinez (2024)
- Jeanne Prestella (2024)
- Paula Peterson (2025)
What is the Laurel Society? Go here to learn about it!
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