When Service Leads to Civics

The elections in the United States in November remind us of many supporters of the We Share Foundation who serve in the political arena.

Take, for example, Glenice Coad, a past president of the Cobden Quota club in Victoria, Australia. When the mayor of Corangamite Shire resigned, Glenice was elected to complete his term. A former member of the School Council who had won a seat on the Shire Council, this grandmother is a dairy farmer with Stan, her husband of 37 years, and one of their four children. Congratulations, Mayor Coad!

Quota's Past Canada Area Director Isabelle Butters
was mayor of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada, in the 1970s. Elected as a city alderwoman in 1963, she
became mayor in 1975. "Weyburn has been everything
to me. Being mayor seemed to be a natural," says the successful businesswoman and Quotarian. "I firmly
believe that somebody has to provide leadership, and I'm not someone who says, 'Let George do it!' Besides,
some of the things I was doing as mayor complemented what I was doing in community work."

Isabelle has been honored for her commitment to democracy by being named to the Order of Canada and, in 1998, receiving the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the highest honor in the province.

In Louisiana, U.S.A., Quotarian Jane Smith (right), a member of the Bossier City club, represents her area in the state House of Representatives. "General Jane," as she is known for her commanding presence and ability to rally others in a battle, became a recognized leader as a school principal, then as a member of the local school board. She later became Superintendent of Schools, a powerful job in a unified school district that covers the entire parish (the name for local government districts in the Bayou State).

General Jane's successful tenure as a leading educator provided a springboard to run for office. She represents Bossier City in the state capital of Baton Rouge.

On a national level, Beatriz Doran-Scoop (left), the treasurer of Quota International's Board of Directors, is the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles. The sociologist and management consultant, who hosted a popular radio talk show in Curaçao for five years, has served as the president of her political party, an island councilwoman and majority whip, a senator, and the Minister of Health and Environment. She was elected as deputy prime minister in 1998 and recently completed her term.

Beatriz says she entered politics to make a difference for women. And she says political work works well together with Quota International service. "I joined politics and Quota for the same reason," explains the former chess champion of Curacao. "I need to be directly involved in making the environment better for all, whether through political action or humanitarian and volunteer work. The latter is more rewarding. It is less grand with less limelight, but immediate results are more visible, and it is closer to the people."

And the political future for Beatriz? "We have to look at the timing," she says.

—Mary Margaret Yodzis, Senior Writer
© 2000