LUDLOW, Vt. – The GFWC Okemo Valley Women’s Club met Monday evening, Oct. 11, 2021. Twenty-seven women were present including four guests and a guest speaker. Following cancellation of last month’s September meeting due to Covid concerns, this was the first in-person meeting in a year. All of last year’s meetings from October 2020 on were by Zoom.
October’s speaker was Dr. Linda Thompson, Ph.D., APRN, approved consultant in clinical hypnosis. Linda is a local resident and international speaker who has been treating patients using hypnosis for many years. She worked for more than 40 years in Connecticut and Massachusetts, then 28 years with Pediatrics in the Springfield Medical Care Systems.
Linda specializes in working with children and athletes delving into the brain and body connection. She also does individual and group demonstrations in addition to speaking internationally about the benefits of hypnosis. Hypnosis is the treatment of choice for anxiety, panic, IBS, vocal chord dysfunction, habit disorders, thumb sucking, bedwetting, PTSD, and shell shock. It is also beneficial for pain reduction, relaxing patients before surgery, healing and treatment acceptance. Linda has retired but sees patients privately through her own business, Hypnosis for Health and Healing. After speaking, Linda performed a brief, intriguing, and entertaining demonstration for the club.
Following the speaker, a business meeting was held. The meeting was called to order by President Penny Trick. Old and new business included reviews of last year’s events and fundraising, including the annual volunteer Garden Project at Mountainside House, gardening at the Gill Odd Fellows Home, the summer picnic at Plymouth State Park, and the annual fundraising tag and bake sale. The club’s scholarship program was successful this year and, despite the pandemic, membership is increasing with several new members in 2020 and 2021.
The club reviewed and finalized the year’s meeting schedule, programs, and speakers. Also discussed was the Fall State Meeting to be held by the Okemo Valley Women’s Club at the Black River Senior Center in Ludlow where we will welcome clubs from the region.
The next meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 at 6:30 pm at the Black River Senior Center. Anyone wishing to attend may contact President Penny Trick at 802-975-0313 or Membership chairwoman Roxie Davis at 802-226-7417.
GFWC is the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.