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WORLD BANK VOLUNTEER .fERVICEf

RECOLLECTION.I OF TWENTY-FIVE YEAR.I

1972-1997

~-The World Bank Group

~Volunteer Seniees

Harriet Baldwin

Joanne Garrity

Gloria and Marcia Vetter, Que~t International

Judy Smith, Soleil Asso., Inc.

Kim Bieler, Graphic Design

Mona St. Leger

Michele lannacci

Editor

Production Coordinator

Design and Text Layout

Photo Editor

Cover Design

Proof Reader

World Bank Photos

First printing May 1998

THE WORLD BANK VOLUNTEER SERVICES THE WORLD BANK

Room G-1000 1818 H Street, N.W.

Washington, b.c. 20433

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface, Hada Zaidan .................................................................................................... vii

Part I. Recollections of Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents ................... 1

1970-1972 The Beginning, Sarah Greening ............................................................ 3

1972-1974 Ruth Isbister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1974-1977 Ruby Wingate············································'·········································· 11

1977-1978 Miliza Wright, Yvonne Kendall ..... .. .. ...... ... .. .. . .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ..... .. ... .... 15

1978-1981 Paula Jeffries ....................................................................................... 19

1981-1983 Miliza Wright, Anne Dickerson ............................................................ 21

1983-1985 Carla Peperzak .................................................................................... 23

1985-1988 Anne Dickerson .................................................................................... 25

1988-1991 Ruksana Mehta ..................................... ~ .............................................. 29

1991-1994 Caroline Berney ................................................................................... 31

1994-1996 Katy Doyen ........................................................................................... 35

1996- Hada Zaidan ......................................................................................... 37

Part II. Recollections of Selected Activities ........................................................... 39

Welcoming Harriet Baldwin, Gail Fuad, Lynn Forno ................................................................ 41

The Newsletter Caroline Berney, Claire Floyd ................................................................................ 45

Activities for Children and Youth Bandana Bose, Yvonne Kendall ............................................................................ 49

Weekend Activities and UNICEF Sales Carla Scearce ....................................................................................................... 51

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund Harriet Baldwin ..................................................................................................... 55

iii

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Table of Contents

The Book Project Elizabeth Fennell .................................................................................................. 59

The Newcomers Orientation Program Anne Burrows ....................................................................................................... 63

Spouse Employment Priscilla Linn ......................................................................................................... 67

The Overseas Briefing Daphne Spurling ................................................................................................... 71

Spouse Issues Ruksana Mehta ..................................................................................................... 75

Part Ill. Appendices ................................................................................................... 77

I. WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 - 1997 .......................................... 79

II. WBVS Organization Chart ........................................................................................ 95

Ill. WBVS Bylaws ........................................................................................................... 97

IV. WIVES/WBVS Personnel Chart ............. , ............................................................... 103

Part IV. Photographs .............................................................................................. 104

I. Honorary Presidents ............................................................................................... 107

II. WBVS Executive Committees, 1987 - 1997 ............................................................ 108

Ill. Members and Events - the 1970s ......................................................................... 110

IV. Members and Events - the 1980s ........................................................................... 112

V. Members and Events - the 1990s ......................................................................... 115

v

PREFACE Hada Zaidan

,·' .•• .. I;·.'. -

President, World Bank Volunteer Services

This book has been produced in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniver­sary of the World Bank Volunteer Services. It is a dream come true. Sev­eral times in the past, members of WBVS started to write our organization's history, but the task proved too difficult and time ran out. The idea of compiling a series of essays by varjous authors was born a year ago, and at once it promised to be "do-able."

We are indebted to a committee of five WBVS volunteers for planning this history and producing it. Caroline Berney kept alive for a long tinie the idea of writing a history. Her memories of many years of work in different roles with WBVS were a priceless resource. Joanne Garrity's presence as Office Administrator since 1986 endowed her with a vast pool of recollections. The longevity of both Caroline and Joanne in WBVS and their intimate knowledge of our volunteers helped them sort out and com­pile the photographic section of this history. Harriet Baldwin's experience in the early years of WIVES and her more recent service to the MMMF, together with her knowledge of publishing, were gifts uniquely valuable to this undertaking. She has been our editor and producer. Daisy Pee, long a member of WBVS and a historian by training, assisted Harriet with the text. Gloria and Marcia Vetter designed the text. Without these volun­teers, this book would not have been published.

Nor would the book have been possible without the volunteers - former Chairs and Presidents of the Executive Committee and leaders of some of our long-term activities - who wrote recollections of their work. They all responded enthusiastically to the History Committee's requests for manu­scripts and met their deadlines faithfully. Their support and interest in the cooperative plan for a book strengthened the History Committee's faith in it and kept our energy flowing.

Despite the effort to be comprehensive and accurate, errors and omis­sions are inevitable. We hope our readers will call them to our attention. We will correct our errors in the WBVS newsletter, Mosaic, and will print there any additional recollections that our readers send to us.

As the History Committee read the manuscripts that our authors wrote, certain trends in the history of our organization became visible.

The first of these was faithfulness to the original goals of the Founding Committee: helping newly arriving Bank families settle in their new com­

. munity. There has always been a Welcoming Committee among our com­mittees. Volunteers have always organized the reception for newcomers

vii

Preface

given by the wife of the President of the Bank, and many years ago they developed the Newcomers Orientation Program. Other early activities are still major program areas for us. Our newsletter communicates each month's activities to our membership. Committees still manage language groups, seminars, and cultural events.

Alongside these continuous activities are many interest groups: some lasted a long time, some faded quickly. The number of these groups dem­onstrates that WBVS has responded to the needs of its members through the years, the second of the trends the History Committee perceived.

Another trend is the increasingly powerful voice of WBVS as an advo­cate for families within the Bank. Our advocacy began with a letter from the first Executive Committee to department directors in the Bank re­questing that new staff not be sent on missions for three months after their arrival. The letter argued that staff travel earlier than that imposed a hardship on spouses and children who were getting settled in a new community. Throughout our history, Executive Committees have brought to the attention of the Bank issues that affect families. The work of the committee on Pension Rights on Divorce is an example. Another is the introduction of various services - family counseling, employment and career counseling - that were subsequently folded into the new Family Career Transition Service and the Child and Elder Care Resource Cen­ter. Also, WBVS volunteers invented the Overseas Briefing, which the Bank gradually duplicated. In the middle 1980s when the Bank, along with other large institutions, began to acknowledge responsibility for dealing with issues that affected staff families, the Bank had WBVS as a resource to call on.

A final trend is the effectiveness with which we maintained our organi­zation. Members of the Founding Committee recall vividly their struggles with the bylaws. Our bylaws have been revised periodically, but the same general principles still operate. Our officers are elected. Committees that run activities are represented on the Executive Committee. A Represen­tative Council brings our leaders together twice a year. We communicate with our membership regularly through our newsletter. The main geo­graphical areas of the Washington metropolitan area are represented in our nominating process. We celebrate the diversity of our membership in our language program and in the interest groups that probe the literature and culture of various regions of the world. We are truly an international organization.

In the middle 1990s, Claire Floyd, then our newsletter editor, spent many hours going through WBVS records and interviewing members in the hope of writing a history of WBVS. Alas, her dedicated work stopped when her husband retired and she moved away from Washington. She once wrote, "WBVS is a dynamic organization with a huge cast of characters and many activities."

This is as good a definition of WBVS as we are likely to have. The source of our dynamism lies in our huge cast of characters who create and carry out our many activities. It is surely the hope and determination of all of us that our cast of characters will grow and our many activities will re­flect our heritage and the changing times as we move into our second twenty-five years and the new millennium.

viii

-

RECOLLECTION.f OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CHAIR.I AND PREflDENT.f

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

2

1970 - 1972

THE BEGINNING Sarah Greening

The following narrative is composed from both written records and recollections of those who were there. I was on the Ex­ecutive Committee at the changeover froin WIVES to WBVS, and, as newsletter and Annual Report editor, I chronicled that transition. My belief then is reinforced now that we -whether active or passive members of WIVES/WBVS - owe a debt of gratitude to the founders, whose wisdom and te­nacity sowed the seeds of today's influential and supportive entity. Their achievement warrants our tribute to them as intelligent, courageous, and independent individuals, dif­fering from those who succeeded them only by the cultural environment in which they operated.

It is easy to assume that ai1 institution the size of the World Bank has always had a volunteer organization providing services to the families of its staff members. Not so. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the prevailing attitude of most employers towards the families of their staff was largely one of indifference. The World Bank was not alone in believing that only their employees were their concern. In addition to this feature of society was the pre-feminist one determining that, among World Bank families (indeed, all families), few wives worked outside the home. American mar­ried women had not yet entered the labor force in large numbers, and the non-American wives were further restricted from employment by the rules of the G-IV visa. Women sought outlets for their abilities and interests through socializing with each other and in volunteer activities. These factors provide the background for the origin of WBVS, the sociocultural landscape wherein its founders perceived a need, took the initiative, and finally achieved their goals.

In the middle 1960s, the Bank's official role in helping families settle in Washington was performed by the Staff Relations Division of the Personnel Department. Marjorie Billings and Lacy Carter helped newcomers find hous­ing and assisted when problems arose. Unofficially, various wives of staff members added their welcome through informal hospitality. Everyone in­volved became familiar with stories of resettlement. These stories increased both in number and poignancy with the rapid expansion of the Bank that occurred with the presidency of Robert McNamara in 1968, when new staff began arriving at the rate of more than 50 per month. Two months of post­ing letters in a street-corner trash bin may have elicited a smile. But sto­ries of wives whose husbands were sent almost immediately on mission,

3

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

leaving them in a hotel room, perhaps pregnant, with small children, little English, less money, no transportation, and no family or friends for sup­port - these stories demanded action. The resources of the Staff Relations Division became severely strained. Fortunately, certain well-placed and sympathetic wives of senior staff decided they must do something.

Ruth Isbister and Babs Knox were among those who became worried by the plight of newly arrived Bank wives. They knew Margaret McNamara, wife of the newly appointed president, and shared their concerns with her. She had been instrumental in founding THIS, The Hospitality and Informa­tion Service, a volunteer organization that assisted families of foreign dip­lomats. Its president, Paula Jeffries, a World Bank wife, was soon drawn into the discussion. Ruth, Babs, Paula, and Mrs. McNamara agreed that an organization might be formed at the World Bank to operate as THIS did for the diplomatic corps. They were confident that many Bank wives would be willing to help with such an undertaking. They expressed their thoughts to the Bank's Director of Personnel in January, 1970, but he objected strongly, not wanting to add families to his list of responsibilities.

Undaunted, the women continued planning. Before long, the group ex­panded into a variety of nationalities, a diversity that fitted their purpose ·even as it aroused emotional argument. Members of this original group were Sarra Chernick (Canadian), Ruth Isbister (Canadian), Paula Jeffries (American), Babs Knox (English), Peggy Lind (Swedish), Samala Navaratnam (Malaysian), Carmen Votaw (Puerto Rican), Ann Wieczorowski (American), and Miliza Wright (Yugoslavian).

They considered combining with THIS but dismissed the idea as un­workable due to the sheer numbers of Bank families, by now over 3,000. Therefore, they had to hammer out the mechanics of a new organization, which meant bylaws, roles for an executive committee and a paid em­ployee as well as policies and responsibilities for programs and services. The fundamental principle of "wives helping wives" had to be carefully balanced against anticipated skepticism of amateur help by volunteers. And the autonomy of their creation had to be preserved while somehow fitting it into the overall administration of the World Bank. Disagreement was frequent and often intense. Even the definition of democracy itself entered their arguments. But compromise and their sense of purpose held them together. When finally they agreed to a framework, one of them de­scribed it as "a constitution of Magna Carta proportions," thereby encapsu­lating the labor involved.

In November, 1971, more than two years after the initial brainstorming sessions, the women were ready for their first formal meeting. They called themselves the WIVES Committee, the acronym WIVES evolving from "Women's Information and Volunteer Services" and "World Bank Group Volunteer Services," and wives being coincidentally what they were. Ruth Isbister became Chair and Margaret McNamara Honorary Chair. Their agenda reflected how far they had come. They talked about holding large single-issue seminars similar to the seminars sponsored by Mrs. McNamara in 1970 and 1971 for new staff wives. They proposed a system for orienting families to the Washington area. And they decided their ambitions would require a paid administrator to run an office for the organization.

We can surmise that throughout these many months of planning, infor­mal lobbying of the highest levels of the Bank's hierarchy would have taken place, as the women exercised their persuasive skills both socially and per­sonally. It finally had its effect when, at their December meeting, Mrs. McNamara advised the committee to submit a proposal to her husband

4

The Beginning

stating their goals, their needs, and their budget. Hurried consultations ensued, and by early January, 1972, the final draft was ready for Mr. McNamara just before he left for India. The draft explained that the com­mittee was responding to a "widely felt and growing need for greater assis­tance to families" and "widespread interest" in forming a volunteer organi­zation to help meet this need. It outlined the services to be offered. Mindful of the previous attitudes of the Personnel Department, however, the com­mittee was careful to stress. that they were not trying to "duplicate the services provided by Staff Relations, but to ease their overburdened job." Finally, they asked for office space and an administrator responsible to both the Personnel Department and the Executive Committee, and a mod­est budget to cover personnel and operating expenses, mostly mailings and hospitality costs.

Margaret McNamara and Ruth Isbister

Mr. McNamara's reply came a week later. He wrote, "I share your views as to the urgency and importance of meeting these needs. I have therefore asked (Vice President) Mr. Mohamed Shoaib to follow up on your ideas without delay." As promised, Mr. Shoaib convened a meeting with mem­bers of the Personnel Department for February 2, 1972. Ruth Isbister and Babs Knox represented the WIVES Committee and emerged from the meet­ing certain that Bank management was at last ready to facilitate their plans. Momentum gathered at another meeting two days later, the first of several to work on details. The responsibilities of Staff Relations and WIVES were delineated. WIVES would recruit volunteers for welcoming. Personnel would retain certain tasks related to settlement and train the volunteers, at least in the beginning. The Administrative Officer would not be a Bank wife. She would be under the direction of the Executive Committee and would liaise regularly with the Personnel Department.

Meanwhile, across the Potomac River in Virginia, a related development was taking place. Unaware of the activities of the WIVES Committee, a similarly sensitive group of women were organizing to address the needs of neighboring Bank wives. Led by Aida Habib and Irene Mould, they called themselves the Virginia Committee. They put pins in a map of Northern Virginia to show where World Bank families lived and arranged a coffee morning at a local church. Three hundred eighty women attended. De­lighted by this enthusiastic response, the Virginia Committee plunged

5

6

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

into forming activity groups, planning excursions, providing baby sitters, and seeking other ways to ease the lot of newcomers. They sometimes had to dip into their own pockets for expenses, as they, too, met resistance from the Personnel Department, who said they could not charge for their activities because "they were not a fund-raising entity."

The Virginia Committee and the WIVES Committee both recognized the value of organized action to reduce the hardship and isolation of new staff families. While there was some tension between them when each began to hear about the other's activities, they soon put aside competition and worked together. With the concept of WIVES fully accepted by the Bank and a program already in operation in Virginia, the two groups could now direct their full attention to carrying out their shared objective. They organized seminars on population and education, and neigborhood discussion groups followed.

By June, 1972, WIVES had an office in the D Building, a budget of just under $2,000, and an Office Administrator, Barbara Shaw-Gheorghiu, who had been recruited from THIS and was experienced in working with volun­teers. The committee sent a letter to all Bank wives announcing the cre­ation of WIVES and its endorsement by the Bank. It stated that bylaws were being developed that would provide for electing leaders at an early date. It explained the purpose and location of the office, listed various pro­posed activities and enclosed a questionnaire. Within weeks over 400 re­plies had come to the office from speakers of 4 7 languages. Three-quar­ters of the respondents indicated a willingness to help with welcoming and other programs. This response was validation indeed of the concept finally brought to fruition by dedicated and resourceful women. "Wives helping wives" was now a reality.

. !I

1972 - 1974

RUTH ISBISTER

In the beginning, the primary concern of WIVES was to help the wives of new Bank staff to settle in the Washington area and to find meaningful participation in their new community. Bank families came to Washington from many countries and cultures, speaking many different languages. Their husbands came to do important work that often took them out of the United States, making life difficult and often lonely for their families. Our initial goal was to make newcomers feel at home. Gradually, we added other ac­tivities as the need for them became apparent.

By the time we moved into our office in the spring of 1972, the WIVES Executive Committee had ejght members: Sarra Chernick, myself, Paula Jeffries, Babs Knox, Samala Navaratnam, Carmen Votaw, Ann Wieczorowski, and Miliza Wright. Peggy Lind had just moved with her husband to the U.N. in New York. In September, Samala Navaratnam resigned to return to Ma­laysia, reducing the committee to seven. We wanted to keep the committee small because we planned to hold an election in the spring of1973 in which new members would be elected. We asked Harriet Baldwin to organize pub­licity for us. She attended several meetings and became a member of the committee in February, 1973, when Ann Wieczorowski resigned.

We spent a great deal of energy on the bylaws in the winter of 1972-73. When completed, they called for an elected Executive Committee of 12 mem­bers, including Mrs. McNamara as Honorary Chair. Committee members would serve two years and could be reelected to a second term. They would be actively involved in managing the activities of WIVES. New members would be elected each year. The committee would elect its chair at its first meeting. An elected Nominating Committee would consist of representa­tives from Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. Elections, conducted by ballot, would be held in the spring of the year, and the results would be announced at an Annual Meeting of the membership. To ensure continuity, special arrangements were made for the election of 1973, but by 1974 the entire leadership of WIVES would be elected.

The first group of volunteers was trained as welcomers in the summer and fall of 1972. From then on, training workshops were held periodically. Welcomers made calls at hotels, and others called when families moved to their new neighborhoods. Neighborhood coffees became a regular feature of the WIVES program. Materials for distribution to newcomers were devel­oped and distributed.

We held our first seminar in the Bank's Board Room; Suvira Kapur, a philosopher, historian, and Bank wife, lectured about India. Somehow and somewhere (I forget the details), we provided baby-sitting. Other seminars followed, highlighting the World Bank's work. Leaders of English language groups were trained by Bank staff, and language groups soon flourished.

7

8

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

Twenty-three women from 17 countries took part. Soon a French group was added. We arranged for excursions to art galleries. Articles about our activities and announcements of our meetings were published in Bank Notes, the internal newspaper that was distributed to all staff. A group headed by Joy Dunkerly organized the "Opportunities Information Service" that helped women find employment or volunteer service. Interest groups sprang up: international cookery, needlecraft, sculpture.

The bylaws were submitted to the membership for approval in the spring ofl973, and the first elections were held at the same time using the special arrangements I mentioned above. Six members of the original committee continued as members and were joined by five newly elected ones. They are listed in the section of this history entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees." I was elected Chair at the first meeting of the new Executive Committee. Each member selected a task and recruited a committee.

We published our first newsletter in the fall of 1973. Open Houses were held in each region each month. Seminars and cultural activities contin.:. ued. Our welcoming materials were translated into French, German, and Spanish. Interest groups flourished. I started a family life discussion group. We encouraged our members to volunteer with community service agen­cies. Barbara Shaw managed our office well, and it was a very busy place.

After the election ofl974, all the members of the original Executive Com­mittee were gone. The origh1al committee had always looked forward to the time when they would be replaced by elected members, and that transition had now been made. It was a proud moment for us.

We all worked very hard in those early years of WIVES, now so long ago. We learned that the more we gave to WIVES of our unique skills; the more we enjoyed the opportunities it offered. I think we are all proud of the orga­nization we set in motion. It met the needs of its members at that time and has adapted as needs have changed. It will, I am sure, continue to do so in the future.

---- ------------- ----------------- --

The WIVES Executive Committee, 1973-74, the first Executive Committee of which all members were elected. Seated, left to right: Margaret McNamara, Sarra Chernick, Paula Jeffries, Ruth Isbister, Harriet Baldwin, Babs Knox, Miliza Wright. Standing, left to right: Barbara Shaw-Georghiu, Rita Clark, Cristina King, Jeanine Loos, Mathilde Zetterstrom, Ruby Wingate.

------ ---------- - - --- -- ----- ------

.. :.I

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

10

1974 - 1977 RUBY WINGATE

In 1984, I was elected to the Executive Committee by the membership­at-large and then Chair by the committee. The membership-at-large had now elected the entire Executive Committee. I had served on the commit­tee the previous year under the leadership of Ruth Isbister. We spent a great deal of time discussing bylaws, guidelines, and the services we would offer. My first involvement on that committee had been the responsibility for our "Opportunities and Information Service," the "OIS." Our aim was to provide Bank wives with information regarding employment, volunteer work in the community and educational opportunities. A small office in the C Building, and then a small room down the hall from the WIVES office, housed the OIS every Tuesday. There were few employment opportuni­ties, but out of this service a need was recognized, and a study group was formed to research the used and unused resources of World Bank wives with a view to appealing for a relaxation of the Bank's employment rules of that time. We recognized it would be a long process, and indeed it was.

We were a committee of 11 members. They are listed in the section of this history entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees." Each mem­ber had an area of responsibility. We had eight committees: Language, Cultural Committee, Seminars, Communications, Opportunities & Infor­mation, Youth, and Children. The Weekend Activities Committee was added in October, 1975.

Budget matters were always a problem. Our Administrative Officer was Barbara Shaw, and by 1975 she had a secretary, Mary Lawrence. Extra expenditures were difficult. We were allowed three newsletter mailings a year, one 8" x 11" page, but it used expensive colored paper! My requests for more help were acknowledged, and in 1976 our spendable budget was increased by $100.00. Our mailing allowance was increased to permit a monthly newsletter. Our activities were always listed in Bank Notes. Spe­cial services, such as printing, utilization of conference and meeting rooms and other facilities, were all included in our overall budget. It is with amuse­ment that one can now read a heated response we had sent to Staff Rela­tions comparing the cost of our hard working volunteers to the cost of World Bank interest groups such as the Chorus, Chamber Music Group, and others. Nonetheless, we had to give up serving coffee at our meetings in order to cut our costs.

In 197 4 we were given permission to have a children's Christmas party in the Eugene Black Auditorium. Having no budget, we all made cookies, a Bank wife volunteer worked her puppets, a group of Swedish children, beau­tifully arrayed, paraded with their lighted-candle headdresses, and sang carols. Three hundred children attended. Each child brought a toy which went to the Children's Hospital. All went well until the cookies appeared!

11

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

They were dropped, walked on and left wherever they fell. The next year we had the Christmas party in the D Building cafeteria and were given a bud­get to cover it.

The Youth Group had disco­theques in one of the cafeterias and then graduated to the E Building lobby. In 1975, they had a Novem­ber masquerade discotheque, and they all had a good time, including the chaperones. The highlight of the evening was having to make punch in the ladies' room, lacking any other source of water. Our young people were always invited to the State Department Holiday Ball for youth, and the British Embassy in­cluded them in its Christmas party. Dinners beforehand were given by volunteer parents. In September, 1976, a request was made for per­mission to have a Christmas Ball on Bank premises. The permission was not granted, but a suggestion was made that a symposium might be planned for the young people, to be given by senior staff, that would give young people a better understanding of the role of the Bank and the work of their parents.

Ruby Wingate Not exactly a replacement for a ball, we felt, but we accepted the sug­

gestion. The symposium was held the following April. We had our first Annual Meeting of WIVES on Tuesday, March 25, 1975.

Coffee was served at 9 a.m. in the Executive Dining Room of the D Building followed by the meeting in the Eugene Black Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Our Honorary Chair, Mrs. Robert S. McNamara, was in atten­dance. The Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee were introduced. Questions and suggestions were invited from the floor. There were many. It was a simple but informative first Annual Meeting.

We kept in touch with Staff Relations by inviting them to our monthly meetings at which we discussed areas of responsibility. We reported com­plaints about husbands being sent on lengthy missions when families had not yet been in residence a month; difficulties when husbands left and did not leave their wives with access to sufficient funds to cover the period of absence; and difficulties when a husband and wife separated. We were told that Staff Relations alone was concerned with such issues. Staff Relations organized leadership and teamwork workshops for us, and we gradually felt we were being recognized as a worthwhile entity.

Seminars were given on diverse subjects - from oriental rugs to the temples of Angkor Wat. The Executive Committee organized such a suc­cessful International Fashion Show that we were invited to present it at the State Department during the Bank/Fund Annual Meeting in 1975. The Cultural Committee led us around special art shows at the local gal­leries. Members even made a visit to the United Nations in New York.

12

.. ·"\" ... "

Ruby Wingate

Among our most popular functions were our Open Houses in Washing­ton, Maryland, and Virginia. These grew out of our welcoming activities. The Publications Committee had worked diligently organizing a welcoming kit, and in April, 1976, we received a request from the IMF wives for per­mission to use the information contained in our kit. Permission was granted.

By December, 1976, we were receiving requests to consider a change in the name of the organization, especially from younger wives. Executive Committee members brought suggestions to the January meeting: World Bank Family Society, World Bank Volunteer Services, World Bank Family Association, World Bank Cultural and Social Volunteer Service. In a vote taken at the next meeting of the committee, World Bank Volunteer Services tied with not changing the name. A mailing was sent to the membership, and we found that a majority was not ready for a name change.

Mr. Eugenio Lari of the Personnel Department attended our meeting in February, 1975, to review the relationship between WIVES and Staff Rela­tions. He invited WIVES to take on the sale of UNICEF cards at the Bank on a one-year trial basis. Carla Scearce became the UNICEF Chair and the activity became a continuing one. Carla and her committee received recog­nition in the 1980s from UNICEF's New York headquarters for the largest sales in the country, except for those of United Nations Association groups.

Wf? spent much time considering nominating procedures and changes to our bylaws, as every new organization does.

In the WIVES Annual Meeting of my presidency in May, 1977, I ended my comments with: "I think we are growing in the right direction. In our en­thusiasm, it is possible that we may try to do too much. Let us always keep in mind that we are a service group to World Bank families; and, with continued support and initiative, we will fulfill our original goal."

13

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

14

19'77 - 1978

MILIZA WRIGHT Yvonne Kendall

Miliza Wright died in 1983. Devoted to WIVES, she had been a member of the group that founded the organization and was a member of the first Executive Committee. She served as Chair in 1977-1978 and again in 1981-1983. Yvonne Kendall, a member of the Executive Committee during Miliza's first term as Chair, consented to write about that period.

Writing about Miliza Wright's first term as Chair of the WIVES Executive Committee, after almost twenty years, brings back fond memories.

Our offices had recently been moved to a pleasant suite in what was then the F Building and is now part of the Main Complex. For want of a better acronym, we were still called "WIVES." It seemed suitable enough in the beginning as our members were Bank wives. The unisex term "spouses" was only beginning to gain a foothold and seemed part of a somewhat strange degenderizing trend. Barbara Shaw in our own office and Monique Roche­Rainhorn in Staff Relations ministered very efficiently to our needs. The 11 members of the Executive Committee are listed in the section of this history "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees." Complying with our bylaws, we elected Miliza Chair and Irene Mould Vice Chair at our first meeting.

The Welcoming Committee held three workshops for newcomers on ad­justing to life in Washington. We concluded that future workshops should be smaller to make it easier for newcomers to become acquainted, and that follow-up workshops might sometimes be needed. Language Conversation Groups were originally organized to help newcomers who wished to learn English or improve it. With requests for classes in other languages, Eunice Buky expanded the program to include conversation groups in French, German, and Spanish.

During our discussions of newsletter enhancement, Kay Ewing suggested that the cover page feature the work of one committee each month. This would enlighten the membership about a particular committee's activities, composition, and functioning. The WIVES Art Exhibit, now an annual event, was organized by the Arts and Crafts Committee and was well attended, as were the various arts and crafts demonstrations and workshops. Monthly international cooking demonstrations and needlework groups continued to bring members together in each region.

Especially helpful to newcomers were the Children's Committee's coffee mornings for mothers with young children during which topics of specific interest were discussed. Much networking took place. Programs were de-

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16

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

veloped around the interests expressed at the coffees. Funds for these gath­erings were included in our budget.

The Cultural Committee secured a block of tick­ets to the Folger Theatre's production of "Two Gentlemen of Verona," and an elegant buffet was held for WIVES ticket holders. Among others, tours were offered to both the Ladew Topiary Garden and Professor A.B. Griswold's collection of Thai antiquities. Free tickets to the Kennedy Center were obtained when Dr. Spock lectured.

The Seminar Committee held an informative panel discussion on Canadian university educa­tion. Weekend Activities were very popular and attracted staff members as well as wives. Memo­rable were the viSits to Hillwood and to Easton, MD, for the annual waterfowl festival. A talk on Matisse and his cut outs was followed by a visit to the National Gallery. A block of tickets obtained for "The Nutcracker" at the Kennedy Center sold quickly.

Activities for youth ages 9 through 21 had to meet a wide range of interests. Many dependents were in Washington only during school vacations

Miliza Wright and had no local friends. Activities were orga-nized around seasonal sports. Discos, very popu­

lar for those 16 and over, were held in the E Building mezzanine. All youth activities paid for themselves.

The Eugene Black Auditorium was often the only venue available at the Bank for rriany WIVES activities. Committees had to find new locations when programs and dates conflicted. This led committees to organize some events jointly. In those pre-Metro days, parking downtown was expensive, and many members were hesitant to attend WIVES programs without car pooling.

Carla Scearce chaired the UNICEF Christmas sales in 1977. The Bank provided storage and selling space. Each day, Carla moved the merchan­dise to and from the stock room and deposited the day's receipts. Volun­teers were in charge of sales. Irene Mould and Shirley Trott helped with inventory-taking. When Carla gave her report at the end of the sale, she said that the UNICEF project was an appropriate one for WIVES, and re­minded the Executive Committee that WIVES had not yet sponsored a char­ity. The UNICEF project became a watershed in volunteer participation. Volunteers were enthusiastic because they appreciated the vruue ofUNICEF's work. Many friendships were formed, and volunteers became involved in other WIVES activities and started new ones. · Miliza attended the United Nations Women's Forum in New York. She

was in touch with the IMF, IDB, and PARO wives' groups as well as the recently established Foreign Service Women's As.sociation of the State De­partment.

Various matters came up for discussion by the Executive Committee: preparation of a flier on WIVES history, a change in the organization's name, changes in the bylaws, the formation of a children's choir. All these matters p~ed in comparison with the issue of spouse employment. The Bank was unwilling to hire spouses regardless of their qualifications. The

Miliza Wright

Bank was unwilling to hire spouses regardless of their qualifications. The rules eased when the Bank began to hire more female professionals, and a few spouses were among them.

We felt that the main task of the Executive Committee was to coordinate WIVES programs. But we also saw ourselves as a clearing house for infor­mation about problems Bank families were encountering, and we brought them to the attention of Bank management. We were always deeply con­cerned about stafffamilies who lacked their traditional support groups when husbands were on mission for many weeks.

In the years since I served on the Executive Committee, many things have changed: our name, the structure of the committee, election proce­dures, and the scope of our activities. Our simple newslett~r has adopted a magazine format and changed its name. Many things now taken for granted came about over the years, often one painful step at a time. We have come a long way and much remains to be done. Miliza would be very pleased. Let us pause a moment and reflect about those whose vision and dedication started us on this journey.

17

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

Paula Jeffries

18

1978 - 1981

PAULA JEFFRIES

In 1978, I was asked by the WIVES Nominating Committee to be a candi­date for the Executive Committee for a two-year term. According to the bylaws at that time, the members of the Executive Committee were elected by the membership and then appointed by the committee to specific jobs. I was elected Chair and Kay Ewing was elected Vice Chair. Mrs. McNamara was, of course, the Honorary Chair.

In 1980, a Bylaws Committee with Francoise Chadenet as Chair sug­gested several changes in the election process. These changes were adopted. Previously, the Nominating Committee had submitted a list of candidates for the Executive Committee consisting of "at least three more" than the number of seats available on the committee. In addition, the Chair and Vice Chair had been elected by the newly constituted Executive Committee. Under the changes adopted in 1980, the terms "President" and "Vice President" replaced "Chair" and "Vice Chair." The Nominating Committee submitted a slate consisting of one nominee for President and Vice President and for each position available on the Executive Commit­tee. Candidates were elected by the membership for two-year terms and could be elected for an additional one-year term.

Having served two years by 1980 as "Chair," I then served a one-year term as "President," with Ursula Revuelta as "Vice President." The mem­bers of the Executive Committee in these years are listed in the section of this history entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees."

During these years many changes and much growth took place. Barbara Shaw-Gheorghiu had been our Administrative Officer since 1971 and de­cided to retire. She had contributed much to the organization and was greatly missed. Her successor was Natalie Whitney, a Bank employee. For many years before she went to work at the Bank, Natalie was an active volunteer in "Welcome to Washington," so she had a great deal of experi­ence in activities with international residents. The office moved to the newly completed I Building where it remained until the transfer to the G Building in 1993. The staff of the Bank continued to grow. Our programs and services to families expanded, and WIVES as an organization became more useful.

At the Bank-Fund Annual Meetings in the fall of 1980, Mr. McNamara announced that he would retire in June, 1981. There followed much dis­cussion of what to do to honor Margaret McNamara, who was then very ill, and without whom WIVES would never have gone forward as quickly as it did. A number of members wrote letters of thanks as a tribute to her. They were bound and presented to her shortly before she died in February, 1981.

Another idea, much more long-range, was to raise money to establish a fund which would support women from developing countries who were study-

19

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

ing in the United States. Mrs. McNamara was very much in favor of such a fund, as was her husband. A committee was formed to arrange financing of the MMMF scholarships. We worked with Davidson Sommers, then the Legal Counsel of the Bank. On his recommendation, the monies earned for the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund were deposited with the Commu­nity Foundation of Greater Washington. The Foundation managed the mon­ies and paid the scholarships at the direction of the MMMF. This arrange­ment has since been changed. WIVES supported the fund-raising activities of the MMMF from the beginning. The MMMF is a magnificent achieve­ment, and it is covered in a separate section of this history.

As an organization, WIVES has been lucky in the support of World Bank Presidents since its beginning. Their wives have been especially helpful. Margaret McNamara took hold of the idea of the organization and was in­strumental in getting it going. Peggy Clausen, a very different person, con­tributed tremendously to the development of WIVES and especially the Book Project. Their successors, Charlotte Conable, Patsy Preston, and Elaine Wolfensohn, have contributed greatly to our success and usefulness.

As someone once said to me, "No one succeeds like a successor." As the first to carry the title of President of WIVES, I want to pay tribute to my predecessors. I wish to pay tribute also to my successors and to the hun­dreds of volunteers who have produced our flourishing organization.

20

1981 - 1983

MILIZA WRIGHT Anne Dickerson

When Miliza Wright agreed in 1981 to step in and be President ofWBVS for the second time, I was elected to serve as Vice President. Getting to know Miliza and to work with her, even briefly, was ·a pleasure. Whenever we met over coffee in her lovely home, we dispensed with the weighty matters before us and talked about our lives up to that point.

Miliza's life had been far, far more exciting than mine - her recollec­tions were more like a very good novel. Her experiences before, during, and after the Second World War may have been similar to those of many others, but for me they were living history. We had fun together, we listened to each other's concerns about rearing children, and we managed to keep WBVS on track. Toward the end of her term, signs began to appear that we would later realize were symptoms of her illness.

Miliza's life was indeed tragically short. I do believe she lived it to the fullest. And we who worked with her were all the better for the experience. Her flair, imagination, beauty, good humor, and dedication to WBVS were her hallmarks. She made her place in our history.

21

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

Carla Peperzak

22

1983 - 1985

CARLA PEPERZAK

My first memory of WIVES is seeing Mrs. McNamara standing on a chair in the beautiful dining room of the D building. She was a slight person, and this was the only way people could see her. She was directing Bank wives, most of them newcomers, from the dining room to the Eugene Black Audi­torium. Welcoming newcomers was the number one priority of WIVES. Once in the Auditorium, Bank staff would share their experiences and explain the Bank's work.

When I became President of WIVES, welcoming was still the number one priority, though there were many more activities. During the years of my presidency, the Book Project came into its own. So did Career Networking under Waafas Ofusu-Amaah and Margaret Nissen. Renuka Chander, Ingeborg Elz, and Helen Podolski started the Evening Group. Nel Stam and Guusje van der Lugt formed the African Literature and Culture Group.

The first Arts & Crafts Bazaar was held in 1984. In the November, 1984, newsletter, I wrote:

In July, 1983, at Bretton Woods, it' is a wonderful summer day. At the poolside, Carla Scearce and Babs Knox, both in their swimming attire, are having lunch together. Projects to raise money for the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund are being discussed. Carla's suggestion: " How about an art bazaar?" This was the relaxed beginning of many months of planning and working. The end result was the huge suc­cess we saw last Saturday.

The Bank staff was growing and a younger generation was arriving. We felt that our name was becoming a hindrance. Besides, we were also try­ing to encourage male spouses to join the organization. What man wants to join an organization called WIVES? The time was ripe for a name change. It took us several meetings and many discussions, and in the end we did not come up with a real name change. Instead we only changed the acro­nym WIVES to WBVS.

The next change was in the composition of the Executive Committee. The bylaws provided that each activity group was to be represented on the Executive Committee. This was difficult to manage when the number of activities increased. So we changed the bylaws to distribute activities among three members-at-large. An amendment to the bylaws was adopted at the 1984 Annual Meeting and went into effect the next year.

The Executive Committee had 13 members. Their names are listed in the section of this history entitled, "WIVES and WBVS Executive Commit­tees." The newsletter was published monthly and the Welcoming Commit­tee and Language Groups flourished. In 1984 there were 18 activity groups and in 1985 there were 27! Mrs. Clausen revived the wonderful coffees for

23

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

newcomers that had been discontinued following Mrs. McNamara's death. A Discussion Group was formed with Dr. Sandra Finzi as the moderator. Other activities were Bible Study, Arts and Crafts, Cultural Events, Semi­nars, International Cooking, and Gardening.

May Payne, an active WBVS member who was also a physician, was in­vited to attend meetings of the Joint Staff Health Advisory Committee to represent WBVS. I sometimes substituted for her, and I also attended oc­casional Bank staff committee meetings when items of interest to fami­lies were discussed. We had several meetings with the Bank's Benefits Department. We were concerned about spouses' rights to insurance and pension benefits and about medical insurance when husbands were away on mission. The Bank's policy was that medical insurance had to be re­quested and pre-approval signed by a staff member. We also tried to make it easier for spouses to get Bank ID cards.

Occasionally WBVS was contacted by a desperate spouse whose husband was .on mission leaving her without funds, or by women who were being abused by their husbands. We were often able to help by contacting the Personnel Department on their behalf. We were able to help when the son of the Lorenzo Odones was critically ill (remember the movie, "Lorenzo's Oil"?). Since the boy could not be left alone for even a few minutes, Yvonne Kendall organized some WBVS members to take turns in relieving his mother from her awesome task. For a while we had the monthly service of one of the Bank attorneys, who held a legal clinic in our office. A spouse could walk in without an appointment, discuss a problem, and no names were asked.

The Spouse Orientation Program began during my presidency. Rose Theodores led this program, heading a committee of twelve. The first pre­sentation was made in the spring ofl985. It was fun to watch the skits that portrayed everyday life in the United States: dealing with plumbers and other trades people, buying groceries in the supermarket, and shaking hands.

We updated the overseas pre-departure information package of 83 pages; we updated the welcoming materials regularly. We prepared an annual budget that we submitted to the Bank for approval. In 1984, we were the happy recipients of a used Wang computer, which made many jobs a lot easier, especially the job of the newsletter editor.

We did all our work in very limited office space in the I Building. The Conference Room was a beehive of activity. Natalie Whitney was our Office Administrator and was assisted by a secretary. Both of them left in March, 1985. The Bank allowed us to do our own interviewing and hiring for the position, and Joanne Garrity joined us a few months later.

I have many happy memories of those years. Of course there were also problems, sometimes difficult and frustrating. But the years were exciting and rewarding. We all shared something unique and special. For me, per­sonally, it-was an extraordinary experience. No other volunteering I had done before or have done since comes close to having been part ofWBVS. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to become so deeply involved. I loved it. I miss it still and always will.

Allow me to end with a very personal story. The Annual Christmas Ball for young adults sponsored by the State Department, the Diplomatic Corps, and WIVES, was held annually in the beautiful Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the State Department. In 1973, our three daughters attended, after some prodding from their parents. Our daughter Joan met a young man there she liked instantly and later married. Now, 24 years later, they are living happily in Kansas with their five wonderful children.

24

1985 - 1988

ANNE DICKERSON

Looking back, for whatever reason, is not something I do easily. Over the years I have, unconsciously or otherwise, decided to live in the present and look to the future. So you can imagine my feelings when asked to think back thirteen years. Because I believe that this history project is so valuable I am exercising discipline in "looking back,'' and in doing so comes the realization of how much happened that has impacted the present.

My first challenge as WBVS President was to oversee the hiring of a new Office Administrator. An interview process was designed that permit­ted WBVS a great deal of autonomy. We worked closely with Bank manage­ment, and the exercise was very successful: we found Joanne Garrity. And with her appointment came the opportunity to organize the systems and procedures in the office to enable the volunteers to work in a framework that functioned smoothly and efficiently. It was a delight during my terms of office to see growth and development in our staff, with both Joanne Garrity and Marie Favis becoming such an integral part of WBVS. All of us relied on their professionalism and tremendous good humor- and still do.

Since the concept of volunteerism is to some extent an American phe­nomenon, we faced the task during my presidency of interpreting the value and satisfaction derived from using one's talents without monetary re­ward. Voluntary agencies in this country were trying to deal with the femi­nist view that work without pay was somehow demeaning. In this context, we plowed ahead with a restructuring of the Executive Committee to em­phasize programs. We created Members-at-Large positions, and gave the hard-working secretary the right to vote. A workshop on communications was held using outside resources with the goal of establishing a way of working that allowed for our wonderful diversity. To further extend partici­pation and a sense of belonging, a Representative Council was formed. Our idea was to have members meet periodically to get to know each other and exchange ideas. The Council continues to the present, as does the basic structure of the Executive Committee. Bylaws were revamped to be more useful. Concepts were initiated that have stood the test of time. It was my belief (and still is) that a sound structure is the ideal environment for ideas to flourish and for flexibility to be possible.

Working closely with our Honorary President, Charlotte Conable, was always a special pleasure for me. At a time when women were seeking "rooms of their own" (to borrow from Virginia Woolf) - that is, equality, identity, self esteem, or whatever was important to them - Charlotte brought an understanding of the importance of these beliefs for Bank spouses. She worked closely with WBVS on any number of issues affecting women, and for that we are so grateful.

25

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

My second year brought the beginning of the reorganization that was to create such upset in Bank families. Stress levels were unbelievably high with uncertainty, misunderstanding, and real fear running rampant. It was apparent that WBVS needed to respond to the concerns of its members. We set up a forum in which Bank staff involved in the reorganization process participated in a question-and-answer session. Spouses were encouraged to attend - which they did - and they made their views known. I was the moderator, and it was probably the hardest task I had to undertake during my presidency. I believe that Bank staff became more aware of the impact seemingly radical changes had on the family unit, and spouses heard di­rectly what the reasons and justifications for these changes were. As I read of the changes in the Bank today, I can only hope that Bank management is more aware than it was in 1988 of the effects of change on families.

In the years of my presidency, increasing numbers of spouses arrived as highly trained professionals and faced the prospect of limited employ­ment in Washington. Bank employment was not yet a viable option. WBVS initiated seminars, workshops, and assistance at every level possible to help spouses through the maze of living and trying to work in a different culture. Reviewing the issues that had to be faced - visas, children's edu­cation, retraining, recertification, language barriers - I see that we had our hands full. We were in an era of good relations with Bank management, and we were listened to with some degree of understanding. Major social issues were surfacing, many of which are still with us, and action was needed. I was first introduced during my presidency to domestic violence and unbelievable attitudes that were not only prevalent but accepted. We tried to confront this problem and were, sad to say, not really successful. This problem remains a minefield in any culture, but especially in a multicultural society such as the Bank. The realization that such problems needed urgent attention set in motion the idea of counseling services.

Anne Dickerson

26

It is also interesting to remember the tugs and pulls that existed in WBVS during this period when the ideas and needs of newer spouses met those of members who represented a different and equally valid time. Was the function of the organization to stay away from controversy and tend to the uncomplicated needs of spouses, or to enter the fray with very legitimate concerns? As I follow WBVS today, I think the deci­sions of the 1980s were the right ones. In my President's message for 1987 I com­mented that for WBVS it was "a time of tran­sition and perhaps of redefinition of its goals and mission to respond to change."

It is gratifying to recall the expertise of the volunteers who took responsibility for the Orientation of New Spouses, the Over­seas Briefing, the newsletter, seminars, Cul­tural Activities - all of which, in one form or another still exist. I wish to thank all the dedicated and committed women who served with me. The members of the Executive Committee are listed elsewhere in this book.

Anne Dickerson

And it is equally gratifying to see the changes that have evolved to meet the needs of the 1990s. The strength of an organization like WBVS is its ability to adapt to the times while still retaining the core values of caring, nurtur­ing, challenging, and responding.

In the ten years since I finished my presidency, I have watched WBVS continue to grow to improve in many ways while retaining its vitality. What the next 25 years will bring I really cannot predict, but for now I am very, very proud to have played a part in this organization's history.

27

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

Ruksana Mehta

28

1988 - 1991

RUKSANA MEHTA

My term as President of WBVS was a learning, enriching, and satisfying experience. It gave meaning to a quotation I chanced upon which said, "What I can give is never as much as I get from giving."

I inherited an organization with a sound basic foundation, which was run efficiently and professionally. My executive committee consisted of ten members who are listed in the section of this history entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees." We designed a visual graph, the first of it's kind in WBVS, that showed the lines of reporting and responsibility as well as where we fitted into the Bank. The same format has been used since then. We reviewed the bylaws and made important changes.

When my term began, WBVS had 30 monthly programs in place. These were increased to 42 as more members' needs were perceived. Our aim was to achieve a more participatory and involved membership. The main issues we focused on were achieving rectification of spouse vulnerability and inequality, especially the financial insecurities when divorce occurred. Also vital was securing a firm legal position for WBVS within the Bank Group.

Interactions between Bank management and WBVS were challenging, productive, and cooperative. Bank management began to consult with us whenever policy changes affecting families were discussed. The data base for the newly formed spouse "Skills Bank" became operative, and our ef­forts to make the Bank staff aware of the availability of this resource were successful. The spouse directory of skills was made available in the form of the "Yellow Pages." We formulated a "membership survey." The question­naire was devised to obtain information from respondents as well as impart it to them.

At a cost borne by the Bank we obtained outside legal assistance, and redefined the relationship between the Bank and WBVS. The memoran­dum of understanding that resulted settled basic issues such as insurance coverage, areas of responsibility, and financial coverage from the Bank. We made an audiovisual presentation of the organization's history that used music, a commentary, and visuals.

WBVS became a strong forum for bringing spouse issues to the attentiOn of Bank management. Spouses became eligible for computer training and the use of the Bank-IMF Joint Library. Review of facilities to families re­turning from resident missions was promised, as was more relevant infor­mation to new incoming spouses. We assisted in the appointment of an emergency officer for the Bank. Forms were developed that made it easier for spouses to have access to benefits information. When a staff member signed concurrence, health insurance claims signed by spouses were ac­cepted and honored. We met with representatives of organizations that

29

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

employed personnel with G-IV visas. As a result of our efforts, the Bank agreed to grant to qualifying divorced spouses a return ticket to the home country along with partial payment for resettlement and shipment of house­hold goods. A confidential consultation and referral service by telephone (COPE) was created for counseling families. Most importantly, the Bank worked actively with us to make changes in the rules under which divorc­ing spouses could secure pension rights. This step alerted them to their own financial futures.

Our office was located on the ground floor of the I Building. We were ably assisted during my term in office by the Office Administrator, Joanne Garrity, and the Office Assistant, Marie Favis. It was clear that they were heavily burdened with the work of our expanding program, and we per­suaded the Bank to give us a full-time temporary Bank employee. Agnes Aviante and Charina Garcia joined us in this capacity.

I would like to recognize the encouragement and support of our Honorary President, Charlotte Conable, during the years of my presidency.

Looking ahead, I wish the organization strength and growth. I hope that WBVS will continue to be relevant to all spouses, in all times to come.

30

1991 - 1994

CAROLINE BERNEY

When I became President of WBVS in 1991, an invitation was waiting on my desk to join a newly formed committee that was to propose a progres­sive Work/Family Agenda for the Bank and the Fund. Initially, this group met once a month for a full day to consider new policies to make the Bank and the Fund more family-friendly places to work. Piles of reading matter landed on my desk daily, all of it fascinating. Among the issues we consid­ered were sick leave, maternal and paternal leave, child care, elder care, relocation, flextime and flexplace, and the stress on staff, spouses, and children caused by frequent travel at short notice. Looming largest was spouse employment.

By including the President of WBVS in this committee, Bank manage­ment recognized the importance ofWBVS's work and the contribution our members have made - and continue to make - to the stability and well­being of the Bank as a whole. When I was asked to be part of the delegation presenting the Work-Family Agenda to the Board of Directors, I felt all the hours of reading and attending meetings were rewarded.

One of the most important achievements of the Work/Family Agenda was the creation of the Family Career Transition Center, designed specifically to help spouses find jobs in the Washington area. WBVS worked hard to es­tablish this center, and many of our members have taken advantage of its seminars - on writing a resume for the American job market, improving interview skills, using networking, and so forth. Another achievement was the Child and Elder Care Resource Center created at the same time. Most important, the Bank appointed a full time manager to coordinate and imple­ment the recommendations in the Work/Family Agenda.

Before the creation of the Family Career Transition Center, Helen Frick of the Bank's Career Advisory Program and her staff helped our members prepare for the Washington job market. When possible, she provided ad­vice and counseling. Later we were able to organize word-processing com­puter classes in the Bank. We were fortunate in finding volunteer spouses who were professional trainers to run the courses. These classes have be­come one of the most popular offerings ofWBVS. Special thanks are due to Gloria Vetter for her hard work with these classes.

With so many activities and the increasing number of meetings, the WBVS office in the I Building had long been pushed beyond its limit. When I first asked for larger offices, I was told that space was a major problem for everyone, and we would be lucky to keep what we had. But negotiations had begun. The first spaces we were offered were too small or buried deep inside an outlying Bank building. Sometimes more suitable offices were offered and inspected, only to be snatched away at the last minute. Dead­lock loomed. Then came the lucky break: Thomas Cook needed our I Build-

31

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

ing offices, and suddenly we found ourselves in a bargaining position. The day in early 1993 when we were shown offices in the G Building was a red letter day for WBVS. After the cramped conditions we had been used to, it felt like a palace. Our negotiations proved that perseverance (or was it obstinacy?) pays off.

It was wonderful to be able to spread out in our new office and have several activities going on concurrently. The newsletter, the Overseas Briefing Com­mittee, MMMF meetings, a planning meeting of the New Spouse Orienta­tion Committee, and conversations in the Office Administrator's and the President's offices could all take place simultaneously without interfering with each other. Almost immediately, there was an enthusiastic increase in participation by WBVS members. We were able to start monthly "Office Wel­coming Coffees."

In 1991, the Bank was trying to in­crease the number of women staff. We wanted to encourage their husbands to become active in WBVS, so we set up a special group for them. It rapidly became clear that this group is prima­rily interested in job hunting and has few other interests we can meet. This

Caroline Berney group has always been small, and WBVS is still looking for ways to en­

courage men to participate. We are, after all, a family organization, and we would very much like to see more men playing an active role.

While she was WBVS President, Ruksana Mehta had taken up the cause of pension rights for divorced spouses. This battle was still being fought when I succeeded her, and I was very grateful that she was willing to con­tinue to chair the Pension Rights on Divorce group. Eventually the group achieved its primary goal - the agreement of Bank management to con­sider court orders when dealing with staff pensions.

Many international organizations with G-IV visa staff had expressed in­terest in learning more about the activities of WBVS. In March, 1992, the Executive Committee invited representatives from five multinational or­ganizations and the State Department to share ideas and strategies for helping families cope with expatriate life. All of these organizations have families in similar situations throughout the world. A conference of these organizations has become an annual event.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding ofWBVS, Vim Maguire and an excellent committee organized the "WBVS Carnival" in the fall of 1991 at the Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was a huge suc­cess, and there have been many requests for a repeat performance.

After much discussion, Dr. Bernard Liese, Director of the Health Ser­vices Department, opened the exercise facilities at the Bank to spouses on weekends for a trial run. Once it became clear that a horde of spouses would not overrun the facility, these privileges were extended to off-peak times during the week.

32

Caroline Berney

Janet Geli became newsletter editor at the same time that I became President. She and I agreed that it was time to jettison the blue paper on which the newsletter had been printed for some years. Some members of the Executive Committee argued that the blue newsletter was easily rec­ognizable to recipients and might get lost among their mail if the color were changed. But we agreed to a trial run, and the new format proved successful.

During my tenure, Melvina Metzger became our "Bank temp." We needed more office help at the time of the WBVS Annual Meeting and the MMMF's Benefit Raffle. The Bank responded to our pleas, and ever since we have additional temporary help for two months during the spring.

Lewis Preston was appointed President of the World Bank in the summer of 1991, just before I became President of WBVS. Although the Prestons' time with the Bank was filled with family tragedy, Patsy Preston was al­ways a strong supporter ofWBVS and took her responsibilities as Honorary President very seriously. On many occasions, she courageously put aside deep personal grief to attend our functions. All of us who worked with her during those years admired her strength and dignity.

I thoroughly enjoyed being President of WBVS, and I was fortunate to have the support of the Vice President of Personnel, Bilsel Alisbah. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to serve and to have had the support and encouragement of so many of the members of a remarkable organiza­tion, especially those who served on the Executive Committee with me. They are listed in the section of this history entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees."

33

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

Katy Doyen

34

I

I

1994 - 1996

KATY DOYEN

When I became President of the World Bank Volunteer Services in 1994, the Bank was going through a reorganization under President Preston. I remember the low morale of staff and WBVS spouses as redundancies of the staff were announced. Redundancy? I hadn't thought of this word until then, and we were hearing it every day. One of the first meetings the Executive Committee organized was a conference called "Changes in the Bank - Why me?" We invited senior managers from Human Resources to help clarify what was happening.

I was very fortunate to inherit from Caroline Berney a strong, structur­ally sound WBVS. She had paved the way to a good relationship with the Personnel Department, now called Human Resources.

I felt that Bank management was supportive of our programs that re­lated to family issues. The invitation to join a Bank committee working on ways to improve Bank services seemed to me to be a real commitment on the Bank's part. I also participated in discussions about Resident Missions and family health issues.

We had a close working relationship with the Staff Association. Eric Swanson always listened to us and raised matters we cared about with the Staff Association. Our Executive Committee was invited to participate in various workshops and programs sponsored by the association.

I was very fortunate to have a wonderful energetic, enthusiastic, and devoted Executive Committee to work with. Although each one had strong ideas, we always managed to pull together and reach consensus. Our re­treat together at St. Michael's was the highlight of my two years as Presi­dent of the Executive Committee. The committee's names are listed in the section of this book entitled "WIVES and WBVS Executive Committees."

We made no major changes in the structure or bylaws of the Executive Committee. A few new programs were added and a few were reactivated.

• We launched the Schools Outreach Community Program. This pro­gram received an enthusiastic response from area schools that re­quested our members to come and share their cultural heritage.

• Neeta Datt, a newcomer, revitalized youth activities by starting a Youth Club. Our young people had fun together and started a maga­zine called "Fun Times."

• For years, our newsletter had been nameless. Our newsletter editor Claire Floyd and contributing editor Radhika Narayan suggested "Mo­saic," a name which reflected our multicultural and varied organi­zation. The editors also improved the layout. We received positive responses to the new format from members in Washington and at Resident Missions. I have always believed that our WBVS newslet-

35

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

ter is in fact the most widely read publication in the Bank. Another publication that received a face-lift was the WBVS brochure that we send to newcomers as part of the Welcoming Kit. Kris Martin and her committee did the revision. ·

A major achievement was the approval of an amendment to the Staff Retirement Plan that provides for the payment of a pension directly to former or divorced spouses. Ruksana Mehta initiated Pension Rights on Divorce (PROD) during her term as President. She continued to work unselfishly and devotedly for this cause. The interests of her group have broadened and its name is now Spouse Issues.

The Book Project relocated from the warehouse in Laurel, MD, to the nearby J Building. Our Honorary President, Patsy Preston, intervened per­sonally to ensure this move, and WBVS is ever grateful to her for her help. The move resulted in a 30 percent increase in volunteers and a dramatic increase in shipments. Barry Mclsaac, president of the Book Project, and her volunteers ran the project efficiently and celebrated the achievement of one million books sent overseas. The IMF Civic Club donated $10,000 for the purchase of dictionaries.

The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund reached its fund-raising goal of $600,000 and celebrated its 15th Anniversary. To honor the retirement of Sukriye Karaosmanoglu and in appreciation for her outstanding leadership and dedication as President of the MMMF, the Executive Committee con­tributed $1,000 to the MMMF. We were sorry to see Sukriye leave us, but we warmly welcomed Priscilla Rachun Linn as the new President and Carla Scearce as the new Vice President. Carla continued to chair the Interna­tional Arts and Crafts Fair with flair and zeal. Harriet Baldwin completed a history of the MMMF entitled The Story of The Margaret McNamara Memo­rial Fund and a longer book, The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund.: A Reference History, for internal distribution.

Memories of my two short years are still alive. To me, being President of WBVS was a rewarding and challenging learning process. Working with dedicated people of various nationalities and cultures was indeed enrich­ing. Every hour spent at the office was worthwhile. Joanne Garrity, the Office Administrator, was not only a true friend but a tireless worker al­ways there to answer every question. I learned from her professionalism and her deep understanding of the persons of many backgrounds with whom she dealt every day. Marie Favis was always cooperative and cheerful, and Melvina Metzger always greeted us with a warm welcome and smile.

I would have welcomed my third year as President of WBVS, but - as we all know - the Bank is a place of surprises, and my husband was assigned to the Resident Mission in Nairobi. I was indeed sorry to say goodbye to my wonderful friends, but my husband and I love working in the field, and we love Africa, so we were happy to make the move.

36

1996 -

HADAZAIDAN

1972 was the year of my initial and very limited contact with the na­scent World Bank Volunteer Services, known then as WIVES. I had just arrived in the United States as a young bride and had joined the larger Bank family. That same year, the Bank was undergoing the first large-scale reorganization in its history.

In contrast, in 1996-1997, I found myself deeply involved with WBVS as it was celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and the Bank was undergoing its third large-scale reorganization in ten years. It promised to be the most sweeping and the longest-lasting in its history. I was elected President of WBVS in August, 1996, after the premature transfer to an overseas mis­sion in Kenya of the then President, Katy Doyen, and her family.

The first year of my presidency has been an exciting, exhilarating, and heartbreaking year. The excitement and exhilaration come from the cel­ebration ofWBVS's 25th Anniversary, and from the realization of the strides it has made since 1972 and the secure place it now occupies within the Bank's structure. The heartbreak comes from the uncertainties many Bank families find themselves grappling with while the Bank downsizes and reorganizes. In one regional office after another, staff are being asked to resign and reapply for their jobs, an experience that is reflected in an increased level of stress ~nd anxiety in family life.

On the other hand, there is a big push to hire more females, younger staff, and persons with a wider range of expertise. More staff are being hired for shorter terms and as consultants. Thus, WBVS's membership profile ' and needs are quickly and dramatically changing. We now have more iii.ale spouses, more spouses seeking full-time employment, and more turnoyer of members, with "lifers" decreasing in numbers.

As the Bank evolves and changes, WBVS's role as an anchor and re­sourc~ for Bank families becomes both harder and more important. To prep~re for these changes, the Executive Committee has implemented sev­eral ~oals for fiscal 1998.

•.' The welcoming kit has been revised and updated, and the Welcom­ing Committee has doubled its efforts to reach new members, in­

, eluding spouses of consultants working six months or more. • The results of the 25th Anniversary Survey are being implemented { to further develop and adjust WBVS's programs to respond directly to

our members' needs and priorities. i • The support group, "Spouse Rights on Divorce," has been expanded

. · to deal with issues of concern to all spouses. It has been renamed \ "Spouse Issues," and its leadership has expanded to include a law­yer, a counselor, and a former Bank staff member. Also, several issuesi concerning access to benefits information, medical reim-

37

Executive Committee Chairs and Presidents

bursement, and retirement benefit payments to separated or divorced spouses - to name a few - have been brought to the attention of the Bank's Vice President of Human Resources. These issues are being dealt with in making changes in the Bank's benefit policies.

• Planning Makes a Difference, the long-promised booklet on legal, fi­nancial, and bereavement issues is finally a reality. Also a reality is the history of WBVS, after many earlier starts.

• A new outreach program to benefit the greater Washington commu­nity is being developed in cooperation with the External Affairs and Community Outreach Department of the Bank and with the active support and strong encouragement of our Honorary President, Elaine Wolfensohn. I am deeply grateful to Mrs. Wolfensohn, who has al­ways found time in her grueling schedule to support WBVS's en­deavors.

As we approach the new millennium, we can be proud of the achieve­ments ofWBVS and its dedicated volunteers. In addition to our basic man­date of welcoming newcomers, the organization has become a strong advo­cate for its members with Bank management. Internally, it has spawned

many support groups and has helped shape the Work/Family Agenda, ·includ­ing the Family Career Transition and Child and Elder Care Centers at the Bank. Externally, its outreach programs - the MMMF, the Book Project, and the UNICEF card and gift sales - have become very successful and highly respected by both Bank staff and management. The Book Project, celebrating its fifteenth year, re­ceives $10,000 a year from the IMF Civic Club to purchase dictionaries for ship­ment overseas. Readers Digest, Inc. and the National Geographic Society regularly don.ate books. The Charitable Fund for Books for Africa in Minneapolis, MN, pays for the inland transport of books shipped to Africa.

It is said, "Those who seek to achieve spend a lifetime toiling." Indeed, the vol­unteers of WBVS have, collectively, spent much more than one lifetime toiling. They have spent 25 years toiling collec­tively to get to where we are today. I want

Hada zaidan to salute each and every member of the army of loyal volunteers who make our

programs possible, all our past and present officers as listed elsewhere in this history, our Honorary Presidents, and especially our "Founding Moth­ers." They have all paved the road and laid a solid foundation for the next 25 years.

38

' '

--

RECOLLECTION.f OF .fELECTED ACTIVITI El

The WBVS welcoming kit in 1997-98 is a loose-leaf binder with many enclosures.

WELCOMING Harriet Baldwin Gail Fuad Lynn Forno

'' . '.,,!

The story of Welcoming is as old as WBVS. Instead of a con­tinuous narrative, we provide glimpses of welcoming activi­ties in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s.

Welcoming in the 1970s, Harriet Baldwin

This essay relies on the WBVS archives, especially a paper by Babs Knox, and my own recollections.

The desire to welcome newcomers to the W arid Bank and to offer them help was the main incentive for organizing World Bank Volunteer Services. In the earliest discussions among our founding members, the problems of newly arriving families dominated the agenda. Sometimes called "hospital­ity," sometimes invoking the ;:;logan "wives helping wives," from the be­ginning the main goal of the emerging organization was to ease the lot of newcomers.

A plan for welcoming took shape in the discussions of the founders in the early 1970s. The Staff Relations Division of the Personnel Department had official responsibility for welcoming new families. Their responsibili­ties and those of WIVES volunteers had to be carefully delineated. Staff Relations insisted that volunteers who engaged in welcoming should be trained, and the founders agreed. Gradually, a plan was developed in which both Staff Relations and volunteers participated. It was initiated in 1972.

Welcomers were organized into "hotel welcomers" and "neighborhood welcomers," and the latter into Washington, Maryland, and Virginia groups. The Staff Relations Division of the Personnel Department would inform the Welcoming Committee Chair of new families while they were still living in hotels. She would inform a hotel welcomer, preferably one from the same country and speaking the same language as the family, who would call on the wife and children and offer to help them with house-hunting and initial shopping. Once the new family was settled in a house, a neighborhood welcomer, from the same neighborhood, would call and offer further help. She would give the newcomer the names of women from her country who spoke her language and a packet of information that would be of immedi­ate use. She might arrange for the temporary loan of furniture and other household equipment until a shipment arrived from home or new items were purchased. And soon, the newcomer would be invited to a morning coffee at which she would meet other newcomers and Bank wives who had

41

Selected Activities

been settled in the neighborhood for some time. Neighborhood coffees and regional gatherings would be coordinated by the Welcoming Chairs for Mary­land, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The first welcoming kit was developed in 1972-3 by a committee of new­comers. It contained a letter of welcome from Margaret McNamara, emer­gency and other telephone numbers, advice about banking and charge ac­counts, the postal system, supermarket and department store shopping, and helpful hints about baby-sitting. It also included some material about the World Bank, especially its health services, and a map of the city of Washington and its suburbs. The packet was colorful and user-friendly.

An important feature of the welcoming program was a meeting held twice a year that introduced wives to the work of the World Bank. Mrs. McNamara was the hostess. Most of the arrangements were made by Staff Relations. Volunteers from WIVES helped to greet guests and make them feel at home.

In their meetings with new wives, welcomers often found that Bank staff were sent on mission very soon after their arrival. Wives and families were sometimes still in hotels, often in partly settled houses, and faced daunting financial and transportation problems. This finding led the WIVES Execu­tive Committee to send letters to department directors from time to time pointing to the difficulties early missions imposed on wives and children, and requesting that new staff be excused from missions for the first three months after arrival.

Welcoming came early in the life of WBVS and has continued to be a central activity. Every Executive Committee has included a Welcoming Chair who has always had a committee of volunteers. The World Bank has grown and changed and will continue to do so, and WBVS will continue its commitment to welcoming new staff families.

Welcoming in the 1980s, Gail Fuad

My entrance into the World Bank community occurred in 1983. Although I was a U.S. citizen and had lived in many developing countries, I felt some trepidation about moving to Washington, DC. My youngest child had just entered university and I was wondering what sort of life I would set up for myself. I had no acquaintances in Washington and no children at home.

I arrived on a Friday. My husband left on a seven-week mission on Mon­day. I could sightsee, I could unpack, I could read. What else? On Wednes­day, I got a call from someone on the Welcoming Committee ofWBVS. She invited me to lunch at her home. She picked me up, since traffic looked too hard for me to handle as yet. She introduced me to the wonderful English Literature Group, and the fascinating International Cooking Group. How's that for a warm welcome to a strange city?

Two years later, I was Welcoming Chair for WBVS, and I felt that my life was filled with warmth and fulfillment. My goal was that everyone who arrived at the Bank would be welcomed as warmly and quickly as I had been. Amazingly wonderful women were on the lists to do this welcoming.

Much of the welcoming program had been set up previously and contin­ued. New members were welcomed as soon as it was known they were in the country. Welcoming coffees were given monthly in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. We put on three pot luck luncheons each year. Orienta­tion meetings were held twice yearly and began in the middle 1980s. They became more sophisticated as the years rolled by. We brought in newcom­ers who had been in the U.S. for two to eight months. Through humorous

42

Welcoming

skits, the committee hoped to convey to them that their problems were shared by others and were solvable. At the end of the 1980s, male spouses began to attend some of the WBVS programs.

During this time, we began neighborhood coffees that were different from the area welcoming coffees. Invitations were sent to every WBVS member in a particular zip code, thus bringing together neighbors and mixing old comers with those newly arrived. At these gatherings, we often had speak­ers who were spouses themselves. They spoke on topics that ranged from the legal rights of foreigners to Persian carpets.

Welcoming activities brought to light thorny issues that we discussed at Executive Committee meetings. Welcomers realized that some families were in deep trouble. Sensitive to the power of family and national traditions, welcomers had to sort out when they could step in and help and when they had to let things be. The WBVS Executive Committee members began to invite representatives from the Bank to attend its meetings so that they might know some of the issues that made life difficult for spouses. Welcom­ers had discovered that family background took top priority over education concerning how people thought and acted. An example was the wife whose husband had a doctorate in genetics yet was continually angry with her for producing only girl babies.

The Welcoming Committee plugged along, trying to help, trying to com­fort, reaching out as much as it could, and generally having a very good time while doing its work. Certainly we felt badly for the families who needed us, but whom we could not reach for one reason or another.

Being a welcomer generally affects you for the rest of your life. No matter where you go after WBVS, you carry the gift to touch other people and, in so doing, to enrich their lives and your own.

Welcoming in the 1990s, Lynn Forno

Welcoming remains the cornerstone ofWBVS in the 1990s. Through this active program, the membership of WBVS is sustained and constantly revi­talized because newcomers bring with them a range of interesting experi­ences, ideas, cultures, and talents. It is this variety that makes participa­tion in the activities of WBVS so enjoyable for all.

Ever since welcoming was initiated in the early 1970s, the basic goals have remained the same: to provide a friendly voice soon after arrival and an open door for help in adjusting to life in Washington. But some things have changed. The Bank's Human Resources staff now make information available to WBVS only after families are settled in their houses, so hotel welcoming is less common. Even so, most staff and their families are con­tacted within a month of arrival. The welcoming kit today is a comprehen­sive package of resources and information covering a wide range of ser­vices. It directs newcomers to other information as needed, such as the Family Career Transition Program, Dependent Care Resource Program (Child Care and Elder Care), Family Consultation Service, and the School Coun­seling Office.

Today, welcoming usually begins with a telephone call from a volunteer and the sending of the welcoming kit. A brief biosheet is prepared on the newcomer giving the address, phone number, the names and number of children and their ages, and the particular interests and concerns of the newcomer. Specific information requested by the newcomer is sent along with the kit where possible, or suggestions are given by phone as to where

43

Selected Activities

additional information can be found. Newcomers are immediately added to the mailing list of the WBVS newsletter, Mosaic, which lists the many activities of WBVS that have proved so valuable in helping newcomers make new friends and establish contacts. About 100 families are welcomed annually by the Welcoming Committee, a band of enthusiastic volunteers.

Monthly Open Houses are still an important means of follow-up. Held in Washington, Maryland, and Virginia, these informal get-togethers are or­ganized by the Welcoming Committee members. There is also a monthly Welcoming Coffee at the WBVS offices, led by the Welcoming Chair. Both gatherings are opportunities to give more information about WBVS, the Bank, the greater Washington area, and - more important - exchange ideas and give assistance as needed. Three Area Luncheons are held every year to give newcomers a chance to meet other newcomers and WBVS mem­bers they might not meet at Open Houses. Two are potluck, organized by the committee, and are usually held in a rented facility. Since most Wash­ington members are in the workforce, the Washington Area Luncheon is now held in an ethnic restaurant or on a cruise on the Potomac. All these events are well attended.

A reception for newcomers is hosted twice annually at the Bank by the Honorary President of WBVS. In contrast to earlier years of WIVES/WBVS, a special committee of welcomers arranges these receptions. Their goals remain unchanged: to introduce newcomers to the Bank and to help them better understand its work. A New Spouse Orientation Program, organized by the Welcoming Committee, is also held twice a year at the Bank. This all-day program is both informative and fun. It brings together the cumula­tive experiences of spouses for the benefit of newcomers. A series of enter­taining skits are presented about situations familiar to all spouses - in­cluding Bank missions and stressed out staff - along with ways of coping.

While welcoming in the 1990s has much in common with the program of the 1970s, it continues to evolve. When Mr. Wolfensohn launched the Presi­dential Executive Exchange Program to enrich the Bank through staff ex­changes with the private sector, the Welcoming Committee was requested to give special attention to helping exchange staff and families adjust to life at the Bank and in Washington. Thus, the welcoming program of WBVS continues to change as the Bank's needs change. It remains rewarding and fun for both the newcomers and the welcomers.

44

THE NEWSLETTER Caroline Berney Claire Floyd

Since the earliest days of WIVES, communication with mem­bers has been a central concern of the Executive Commit­tee, and one of its members has always been a newsletter editor. Caroline Berney tells the story of the newsletter to the early 1990s, and Claire Floyd brings it up to date.

From the '70s to the '90s, Caroline Berney

In its fledgling days, news of WIVES activities was spread by word of mouth, occasional articles and notices in Bank Notes, the Bank's internal newspaper, and announcements in the Bank's Weekly Bulletin. The trouble with using the Bank's publications was that they were distributed to staff who might, or might not, pass ruong information to their wives. In addition, the inclusion of announcements was dependent_ on available space.

The first discussions of a newsletter involved negotiations with the Bank. The budget provided for an annual mailing to be sent directly to homes. A quarterly newsletter would require additional funds. The Executive Com­mittee and the Bank eventually agreed to four mailings a year; within a year of the agreement, funds were provided for monthly newsletters to be sent directly to homes.

The first newsletter was published in the fall of 1973. Alas, no copy re­mains in the WBVS files. Those responsible recall four pages, printed in the Bank's Print Shop and sent out from the Bank's Mail Room. Early copies were printed on white paper and carried a schedule of activities. Gradu­ally, front page articles of general interest were added - Halloween, Me­morial Day, fall colors. Instructions for reaching neighborhood coffees and regional gatherings were included, together with the telephone numbers of . hostesses or others who could give additional information. The Executive Committee members were somewhat reluctant to print their own tele­phone numbers and those of hostesses because the newsletter might "fall into the wrong hands."

In the 1980s, longer articles provided information of interest to Bank wives and discussion of issues that were important to them. The newsletter was printed on distinctive blue paper, making it easily recognizable to read­ers. In 1991, the use of higher quality white paper was resumed, making it possible to use colored ink on the front page. This step also allowed the editor to use many more photographs, because they could be reproduced

45

Selected Activities

with greater clarity. Also in the early 1990s, the WBVS office acquired an Apple Macintosh computer and desktop publishing software, and the news­letter entered the computing age.

The 1990s to date, Claire Floyd

Janet Geli, editor from 1992 to June, 1994, used to full advantage the skills she had acquired as a publications specialist in a course at George Washington University. Working in a cramped corner of the tiny WBVS office in the Bank's I Building, she created a new layout, expanded the newsletter to 16 to 20 pages, and used elaborate photo layouts. She added an attractive cover page, wrote one or two articles for every issue, some based on interviews, and started a regular letter from the WBVS President. Janet publicized Bank events of interest to spouses and families, lobbied for spouse exercise privileges, informed us of WBVS's computer classes, and introduced readers to the Bank's Family Career Transition Center when it opened in December, 1993.

I joined Janet in 1993 as contributing editor. My first assignment was an article for the March, 1993, newsletter publicizing the MMMF's Benefit Raffle. In the same issue, Janet and I announced the WBVS move from its I Build­ing office to our present office suite in the G Building. With this move to more spacious quarters, the newsletter entered a new era.

I was newsletter editor for a year, beginning in June, 1994. In November, Radhika Narayan joined me as contributing editor. A graduate of the Desk­top Publishing Program at George Washington University, Radhika gave the newsletter a bold, fresh layout, and suggested a new name, Mosaic, which the Executive Committee adopted enthusiastically. The new name reflected the varied nature of WBVS and the Bank.

My goals as editor were to attend and write about as many WBVS events as possible, to publicize Bank initiatives for families (e.g., the Family Ca­reer Transition Center and the Dependent Care Resource Center), and to make the newsletter an important source of information and discussion on issues of interest to WBVS members. I dashed from meeting to meeting, taking notes and photos. We published interviews with Ruksana Mehta, Liz Fennell, and others, and Marcia Sabeti's delightful account ofintercultural marriage. We reproduced a speech given by Armeane Choksi at Mrs. Preston's reception for new spouses in February, 1995. In the June, 1995, Mosaic, we published an interview with WBVS's new Honorary President, Elaine Wolfensohn.

In September, 1995, Prue Hill took over as editor of Mosaic. With the help of her contributing editors -Tonia Forster, Eileen Hayden, Cecelia Taufique, and Harriet Vidyasagar - she continued producing a professional publica­tion. Prue's term as editor ended with her imminent return to Australia. She was successful in persuading other WBVS members to write articles or produce visual materials so that the newsletter is truly a product by and for the members of WBVS.

I am sure I speak for all the editors of our newsletter when I say how much I enjoyed working with the President of WBVS - in my case, Katy Doyen - and the dynamic Executive Committee, Joanne Garrity, always a tireless promoter of WBVS, and others who worked directly with me on the newsletter.

46

The Newsletter

A concluding note, Caroline Berney

Over the last 25 years, thanks to a series of dedicated and able editors, the newsletter has developed from a brieflist of activities into a lively forum for airing issues of importance to Bank families. It has also become an effective vehicle for spreading news of WBVS activities as well as keeping people in touch with each other. Mosaic is now sent to all Bank staff spouses, to many staff members, and to many persons outside the Bank.

APRILt974 BANKNOTES PAGE7

.ES-Sons and daughters of llnnk Group' arc c'on:ilng to Washington tor the Easter vocal join in ~ocial activities organized by the y' WIVES. For further information, call the WIV

1

The Cultural Arts Committee Ims reservri cent off) for tl1c Opera Society of Washh/ by Massenc·t, sung in Eng!ish. on Saturdl Kennedy Center. ·Discount tickct"s· in lhcf ~ ~ailnbt.e Until·APritS. FOr·furthei" irl

·the w~~~-' oin.c~ -~f.Cri~~~~ Ki.~8 ~~~2-1.: /.

Bank Calendar I

The earliest communications from the WNES Executive Committee and members were carried in the Bank's internal publication, Bank Notes. The WIVES/WBVS newsletters have taken many forms over the years.

47

Selected Activities

48

A Christmas party in the Eugene Black Auditorium (above) and an Easter egg hunt (below).

'.t;'-\fM;':t\~li!:~?-.'lX·· ?,i··~: '\.~~~:f.~1· ;.t.:;:;. ·:-J:l~Z~ ~:'., '·f,1

' ' I ~... ' ·:;;' •"/;i"';

• . . ~. ~ I

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH Bandana Bose Yvonne Kendall

On most Executive Committees, one member - sometimes two - have been responsible for activities for children and youth. Their names are listed in the section of this history entitled "WNES and WBVS Executive Committees." The two accounts that follow give the flavor of those activities in the late 1970s and are based on notes by Bandarra Bose and Yvonne Kendall.

Bandana Bose

During my tenure on the WIVES Executive Committee (1977 -1980), I chaired a committee that sought to strengther:i..mothers and provide healthy entertainment for children. The committee to:hsisted of Linda Gamarra for Washington, D. C., Gretel Von Pische for Virginia, and myself for Maryland. We found that members of WIVES who had small children had many expe­riences in common: anxiety bred by the long absences of husbands, con­cern about the "on and off' role they played as single parents, children's schooling and their illnesses, the location of good playgrounds and librar­ies, and the need for baby-sitting. We held "coffee mornings" in the three regions that started with informal conversation and children's play groups; often we led a general discussion of issues that concerned the mothers. The children related well to each other. Once, one child announced that his father was on mission in Turkey, and another child laughed and said his father was on mission in "chicken." They took turns locating on a globe the countries where their fathers traveled.

We organized trips for the children. One was a visit to a fire house. We held an Easter egg hunt, a Valentine party, a Halloween party, and a visit to the White House to see the Christmas tree. A big event was always a Christmas party, usually held at the World Bimk. Children brought gifts to the party for underprivileged children, and we delivered the gifts to the House of Ruth, a shelter for battered mothers and children, and to the Northeast Washington YMCA/YWCA.

The Children's Committee tried to meet the needs of mothers and chil­dren who were newcomers and to give them a sense of belonging to each other, of being at home in a new place. "It takes a village" to raise a child, and we tried to provide some of the care a village provides.

49

Selected Activities

Yvonne Kendall

I was invited to join the Executive Committee in 1976 to manage activi­ties for young people; my appointment was legitimized at the next election. The age range to be served - 9 to 21 years - required a great variety of activities. To find out just how many young people our membership had, I went to regional coffees and became involved with Welcoming.

My committee conducted many activities. We took a bus load of young­sters to dig for fossils. We took a nature walk along the C & 0 Canal tow­path. During the long school holidays, we organized squash contests, ten­nis, ice skating, weekend ski trips, rap sessions for the oldest group, dis­cos and balls for those 15 and up. We held Christmas parties for the 9 to 14 year-olds. We took groups to the Sparrows Point steel mill in Baltimore, and others to the Naval Research Center in Carderock.

The discos were held in the E Building cafeteria and lobby and were ex­tremely popular. We asked the youngsters to book in advance so we would be able to plan, but they rarely did. Attendance grew in direct proportion to our difficulty in finding chaperones. Once there were three adults and 450 young people!

After four years, I decided to turn my attention elsewhere in WIVES. But my years with youth activities were rewarding, each activity a surprise.

50

'\.'

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES and UNICEF SALES Carla Scearce

The first Annual Meeting of WIVES was held at the World Bank in March, 1975, and was conducted as a business meeting. We reviewed and dis­cussed the activities of WIVES. I expressed the need for organized activities on weekends for women whose husbands were away on missions. I myself was lonely on weekends when my husband was away, and I suspected others would be, too. My idea was accepted and I was appointed to the Executive Committee as Chair for Weekend Activities. I served in that post for the following seven years.

The organizing meeting of the group was held on September 12, 1975. Twenty-one wives attended. We agreed to have two monthly activities, one for women only and the other for women and children. For the children, we organized visits to the Smithsonian museums led by docents. The National Institutes of Health showed movies for children, and we arranged for our children to attend them. The activities we planned for children were later taken over by the Youth Activities Committee, led by Yvonne Kendall.

For women, we organized get-togethers at the homes of various members of WIVES. A successful one was a party with a Mardi Gras theme at the home of Francoise Chadenet, who made crepes for the occasion. We visited museums and galleries and special exhibits, always with docents. The Tutankhamen exhibit drew 120 people. We arranged bus trips to historical places, such as Monticello, Winterthur-Longwood, the Amish country, and Redding, PA, where there were many discount stores. We made a three-day weekend trip to New Yark that included attendance at a theatre and a tour of the city. We also drove along the Skyline Drive and visited the Luray ·Caverns. Our bus trips often attracted husbands, Bank managers, secre­taries, and consultants.

When my seven years as Chair ended, we were unable to find a successor because the work of arranging activities was so demanding. The group dis­banded and its remaining funds - about $900.00 - were donated to UNICEF.

In the spring of 1977, Eugenio Lari of the Bank's Personnel Department attended a meeting of the WIVES Executive Committee and invited us to cooperate with a group from outside the Bank in selling UNICEF Christmas cards. The outside group had managed the sale for some time, and he felt that it would be appropriate for the Bank to be involved in some way. We all knew about UNICEF's work in promoting children's health in developing

51

Selected Activities

countries. Proceeds from the sale of Christmas cards supported that work. I suggested that conducting the sale would be an appropriate activity for WIVES. As a result of my interest, I became Chair of UNICEF sales. I con­tinued in this position until the spring of 1986.

We held our first UNICEF sale in 1977 in cooperation with the outside group. After ·that, we did the sale independently. Many volunteers took part. A critical job was that of the treasurer, who had to handle all the accounting. Several dedicated wives served in the post: Eunice Buky, Lilian Fisher, Yvonne Kendall, and Putzi Reitter.

Our sales in 1977 totaled $8,500. An article in Bank .Notes that year described our work:

Volunteers from WIVES serviced the stall in the E Building during the lunch period for four weeks. Mrs. Carla Scearce, who led the volunteers, told Bank Notes of some of their feelings and experiences. The management of stock gave an interesting insight into the daily life of a small street trader. Goods were unpacked each morning, the display set up, stocks replenished, and orders placed for new items. Each afternoon, everything was checked, accounted for, and packed away. Guessing what items would sell was difficult. Meeting specific requests for designs from particular coun­tries required a good knowledge of geography and regional culture.

Our proceeds increased every year. In 1980, the check to the U.S. Com­mittee for UNICEF amounted to $24,051. By 1986, when I retired as Chair, sales averaged $30,000. We sold for four weeks in October and November. At first our offerings were only Christmas and other holiday cards. But after a while, we also sold records, games, placemats, calendars, and other small gift items.

In May, 1984, WIVES was one of 13 organizations that were honored by the U.S. Committee for UNICEF "for distinguished service in selling UNICEF greeting cards." I represented our UNICEF Committee at a special lun­cheon in New York. I learned that WIVES had topped the sales of all sales groups in the country except United Nations Association groups. We re­ceived a citation that hangs in the WBVS offices.

The UNICEF sale continues to be part of the WBVS program. Many Bank staff count on us for their holiday greeting cards, and we feel that setting up our sales table begins the holiday season.

Our work has a festive quality and is a worthy enterprise.

52

Weekend Activities and UNICEF Sales

THE UNITED STATES COMMITTEE FOR UNICEF

To all w/;o s/;a/I see t/;csc presents, Greeting: 1ai.r i.< to ctrtifi' that h1 accordance wit/; the wishes of the Board of Directon

of t/;e Ut1itc1! State; Cor11mittct for UNICEF, this

onorary Citation is hereby gra11ted mid hstowed 11po11

World Bank WIVES~--/or tlistin;rttis/;ed eo111!11ct atNI jit!dity i11 the performance of

011/staniitJ!{ uroicc f() the worlrl's chiltlri'fl

April 24 1983

The UNICEF greeting cards sales project received several citations from the U.S. Committee for UNICEF for outstanding sales. The first citation was in 1983.

53

Selected Activities

54

Celebrating the MMMF's tenth anniversary, 1991. Left to right: founders Ruby Wingate and Babs Knox, Vice President Rosemarie Wapenhans, Honorary President Charlotte Conable, President Sukriye Karaosmanoglu.

Number and Amount of MMMF Grants, 1983 - 1997

Years Number of Grants Amount

per year of grants

1983-1987 $3,000 (1)

1988 2 $3,000

1989 2 $6,000

1990-1992 5 $6,000 (2)

1993 6 $5,000

1994 5 $6,000

1995 4 $6,000 2 $3,000

1996 6 $6,200 (3)

1997 6 $7,000 (3)

Totals 53 $294,700

(1) Supplementary grant of $2,500 in 1987. (2) Funds for two grants from the Asia Regional Office. (3) Funds for one grant from the Africa Regional Office.

THE MARGARET McNAMARA MEMORIAL FUND Harriet Baldwin

Margaret Craig McNamara played a key role in the early days of WIVES. She used her influence to defend and articulate the need for the organiza­tion to her husband and Bank management, and she participated directly in shaping its structure. Those who knew her in the early years feel keenly that the "WIVES idea" would not have survived without her help.

When Robert McNamara announced that he would retire from the World Bank in 1981, the women who had worked with Mrs. McNamara in WIVES wanted to express their appreciation of her support. Led by Babs Knox and Ruby Wingate and in consultation with Mrs. McNamara herself, they made plans for a fund that would bear her name. It would provide financial assis­tance for a woman from a developing country who was studying in the United States in a field related to women and children, and who was com­mitted to returning to her country when her studies were completed. Mrs. McNamara died a few weeks after the planning began, and the fund was named the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund.

For several years, a small committee raised money to fund a grant. Babs and Ruby were Co-chairs. Other members were Kitty Broches, Aida Habib, Yvonne Kendall, Irene Mould, and Carla Scearce. They solicited donations from Bank staff and arranged with the Community Foundation of Greater Washington to manage their funds. They wrote and sold a cookbook. They held raffles at the regional WIVES luncheons. At one, they raffled a silver ring designed and produced by a Bank wife, and at another a quilt made by the WIVES sewing group. One committee member collected a jar of pen­nies. The husband of another made some decorative wood boxes in which staff deposited foreign currency left over from missions that was exchanged for U.S. dollars. By 1983, the committee had raised $31,000, enough to support a grant of $3,000. Babs and Ruby visited the School of Nursing at Catholic University where they found a nursing student who was about to return to Liberia. The committee awarded her its first grant.

The committee grew and organized more formally in 1984. Their project was now widely known as "the MMMF." Fund-raising activities were grow­ing in scale. Spring Balls and Champagne Balls, held annually for six years, netted from $3,000 to $10,000 each. A bazaar held in a church in Virginia, followed by a sale of leftovers at the Bank, brought $7,600 in 1984. Trans­formed into an "International Arts and Crafts Fair'' two years later and held in the H Building Auditorium at the Bank, proceeds amounted to $21,000. The Fair became an annual event; earnings rose to $30,000 by 1990.

With the capability of raising $50,000 a year and assets approaching $150,000, the financial outlook of the Fund changed, and its governance changed, too.

55

Selected Activities

In the fall of 1989, the MMMF was incorporated as a nonprofit charity in Washington, D.C. and was awarded tax-exempt status in January, 1990. It was operated by a Board of Directors whose President was Sukriye Karaosmanoglu, who had succeeded Babs Knox as Chair of the MMMF Committee in 1987. Funds continued to be held by the Community Foun­dation of Greater Washington (later the Foundation for the National Capital Region), but most were held in accounts in the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union. The Board appointed a financial advisor, and the MMMF be­gan to build a portfolio of investments - part equities, part bonds, diversi­fied globally. Following the advisor's suggestion in 1992, the Board adopted a fund-raising goal of $600,000, enough to yield an income of $30,000 for use in grant funds.

The bylaws of the new corporation were written with the advice of the Legal Department of the World Bank. They provide for five officers, headed by a President, and seven directors. The Board has always designated the wife of the President of the World Bank as its Honorary President, a custom that began with Peggy Clausen. She and Charlotte Conable, Patsy Preston, and Elaine Wolfensohn have served the Board faithfully with their pres­ence and counsel. To fill Board vacancies, a Nominating Committee sug­gests candidates who have skills needed by the Board at the time of the vacancy; they have usually been active in MMMF fund-raising activities.

The early Board members natl been members of the MMMF Committee. Some of them have served for many years: Aida Habib, Margaret Lane, Carla Scearce, Aimee Warren, Ruby Wingate, Mathilde Zetterstrom. Others who have served on the Board are Lorenda Alispah, Caroline Beenhakker, Mary Ann Briggs, Ineke De Haan, Janet Geli, Beth Vergin, Rosemarie Wapenhans, and the author. Honorary life membership on the Board has been granted to Charlotte Conable and Sukriye Karaosmanoglu. A term of office of three years was initiated in 1996. Priscilla Rachun Linn became President of the Board in 1994. The president of WBVS has served as liai­son with the Board since 1984. In addition to its financial advisor, the Board has a legal advisor, a consultant accountant, and an auditor.

The Fund's assets increased rapidly after the incorporation. Donations over the years have taken many forms. Gifts have come from individuals, many of them as memorials. Bank staff have been very generous, directing lecture fees and book royalties to the MMMF; gifts have come from such groups as the African Cultural Group, the Asian Cultural Group, the India Club, the wives of Japanese staff. Many staff who are about to retire have requested that funds for retirement parties go instead to the MMMF. The Africa Regional Office raised money for two grants in honor Edward V. K. Jaycox, a retiring Vice President. The largest single gift received from staff has come through the Friends of the MMMF, organized in 1993, by the staff women who have served on the Selection Panel (see below). In four annual solicitations of Bank staff, the Friends had raised $74,000 by 1997. The WBVS UNICEF Committee has donated to the MMMF; the WBVS Executive Committee has done so on many occasions.

Fund-raising activities have been increasingly profitable. Income from the Annual International Arts and Crafts Fair now averages well over $30,000 each year. Annual Benefit Raffles began in 1991 and soon raised more than $20,000 each year. Income from investments also rises each year.

After the first grant recipient was selected in 1983, the MMMF Committee decided that a Selection Panel composed of women Bank staff should make the final decision among applicants, and 27 women staff have served in this capacity since then. In selections since 1987, wives of Bank staff have also been members of the panel.

56

t·,..•·:,···· '.

The Margaret MacNamara Memorial Fund

The selection process was managed by a single individual in the early years who reviewed all the applications and presented them to the Selec­tion Panel. By 1989, the number of applications had grown and the task of processing them required more personnel. A three-step process was de­veloped and a Selection Committee of volunteers was appointed who made preliminary selections and sent a short list to the Selection Panel. Writ­ten forms were prepared and point systems developed to use at all stages of the process to measure applicants against the main criteria they must meet: nationality in a developing country with a low GNP per capita (eli­gible countries are determined each year in consultation with Bank staff), a record of work that has benefitted women and children in her country, a strong commitment to return to her country, and financial need. Chairs of the Selection Committee have been May Payne, Lilian Silveira, Harriet Baldwin, Sigrid Blobel, and Karen Harrison . . Applications for grants now exceed 250 and come from more than 100

educational institutions. Since 1994, grant recipients have signed a con­tract with the MMMF in which they agree to repay their grant if they accept employment in the U.S. before serving for two years in their countries.

The number and amount of grants have increased over the years from a single grant for $3,000in1983 to six grants in 1997 for $7,000. Funds for a grant in 1996 and another in 1997 were raised by the Africa Regional Office (see above). Through 1997, the MMMF had awarded grants to 53 women from 33 developing countries for a total of$293,200 in grant funds.

Half of the grant recipients have returned to their countries and are working in health care, education, agricultural extension, and environmental sci­ence, and university teaching and research. Half of the others, most of them recent recipients, are completing their studies in the U.S. Of the re­maining recipients, one is a refugee and four are prevented from returning home by war or other hardships. Five are employed in the U.S., one is deceased, and two have not responded to MMMF communications.

In 1997, the net assets of the MMMF exceed $800,000. The amount of grant funds is determined annually by adding a percentage of the Fund's assets, averaged over three years, to a percentage of its earnings in the preceding year. This formula will allow for more grants in larger amounts as long as the MMMF continues to raise funds.

The Story of the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund, a history of the Fund published by the World Bank in 1995, is brought up to date annually in Annual Reports. The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund: A Reference History for limited circulation was also published by the Board in 1995.

The value of the MMMF is demonstrated each year when our grant re­cipients come to Washington and attend the Annual Meeting luncheon of WBVS. Their competence, poise, and commitment persuade us that they play leadership roles in the development of their countries. We are proud of them, of the work we did to create the MMMF, and of the work we will do in the future to sustain it.

57

Selected Activities

58

Children in Sierra Leone (above) and Pakistan (below) examine books sent by· the Book Project.

·I

THE BOOK PROJECT Elizabeth Fennell

On April 15, 1982, Peggy Clausen, the wife of the President of the World Bank, and Babs Knox, wife of the Vice President of the Africa Region, were stuck in a traffic jam in Lagos, Nigeria. They were returning from a visit to the SOS Children's Village that I had arranged. Mrs. Clausen commented on the almost complete lack of books and toys for the 350 children at the orphanage. Babs replied, "Perhaps WIVES can do something about this."· The heat and dust, the small boys on the roadside trying to sell everything from rat traps to watches, were forgotten by the women in their enthusi­asm as they discussed ideas. So the Book Project was born, a project that by May, 1997, had sent 1,476,750 books to 77 countries in the developing world.

Back in Washington, the foundations for the Bo.ok Project were laid. On June 17, 1982, the WBVS Executive Committee with Miliza Wright as Presi­dent, unanimously supported the launch of the project. A large room in the basement of the N Building that was shared with the boiler was turned over to WBVS volunteers by the Bank. The.first financial donations were received: a token $150 from WBVS, and $15,000 from the Vice President of External Affairs to cover shipping costs. The first large donation of books -six to eight tons - was promised by Fairfax County Schools. On July 25, 1983, the project was incorporated in the District of Columbia as a tax­exempt organization with a Board of Directors and Babs Knox as President.

The project's first shipment consisted of 750 books in 15 cartons air freighted, free of charge by British Caledonian Airways, to Lagos, Nigeria, in August, 1983. These books were distributed to nine schools, a resource center serving eight other schools, and, of course, the SOS Children's Vil­lage.

From the earliest days, Resident Mission staff and spouses were encour­aged to become distributors of books in their countries. They did this with great enthusiasm in spite of many difficulties. Peter and Sharon Morris moved all their furniture out of their sitting room, dining room, and guest bedroom for weeks on end to accommodate 400 boxes in their small house in Dar es Salaam. Also in Dar es Salaam, the British Deputy High Com­missioner moved out his car so that I could store a shipment in his ga­rage. I then moved 1 7 boxes to our house and stored them up the stairs and under the beds. Sorting took place in the dining room on days when there were no dinner parties. Mrs. Conable was amused to find boxes and books under her bed when she came to stay. Sbe was the first Bank President's wife to deliver books to schools.

In Nigeria, Patricia and John Ducker bought a Landrover so that they could deliver three shipments - a mind-boggling 60,750 books- to all 30 states in the country. Staff member Carol Stemp's account from Albania

59

Selected Activities

reads, "We started unloading at 10 a.m. and worked until 3.30 p.m. on a very hot day." In spite of the problems, the Resident Mission volunteers obviously enjoy their work. Jackie Poortman in Zimbabwe commented, "This project has taken me to remote parts of the country, given me an opportunity to visit rural schools and urban libraries, and brought me into contact with many impressive people who work very hard to make books more available."

During the presidencies of Betty Blackwell, Lou Neimann, and Liz Fennell, the project expanded rapidly. Many tertiary level institutions in Washing­ton DC, Maryland, and Virginia donated books for universities and medical schools, Each shipment improved in quality. Potential recipients were asked to fill in request lists and could specify subjects, academic level, and type of box (a series, a set of one book, or a mixture for library or teacher re­source). A sale was held annually to sell books unsuitable for shipment. The money was used to buy crayons or dictionaries to add to the boxes. Left over books were donated to local prisons or homeless shelters. Staff from the Bank and the IMF were encouraged to come to the boiler room to sort and advise on the specialist books at university level. New distributors were found to take responsibility for shipments, such as Rotary Interna­tional, Ministries of Education, universities, and the Peace Corps-. Ship­ments became increasingly ambitious, thanks to the assistance and ex­pertise of staff member, Peter Williams. Twenty-foot containers holding more than 20,000 books went to inland countries, such as Uganda and Zambia, and to eastern European countries, such as Albania and Romania.

The volunteers who sort and pack are vital for a successful shipment. The first volunteers worked in the N Building boiler room, expanding to the Bank's warehouse in Springfield, VA. In 1987, the work was switched to the Bank's new warehouse in Laurel, MD, where it remained until 1995. The volunteers ranged from students helping out during vacations to Clara Gordon, the longest serving volunteer who started in 1982 and is still pack­ing each week even though she is in her 80s. Jack Wilkerson organized tertiary level books and collected the valuable first editions and other books whose sale added so much to the project's income. Yvonne Kendall's popu­lar idea was to fill gaps in corners of boxes with tennis balls. From the beginning, we "cannibalized" old editions of encyclopedias to complete cur­rent sets. Elizabeth Willen and Lou Neimann had perhaps the hardest job: unpacking incoming donations while buried in the stacks in the hottest part of the warehouse.

The warehouse coordinators were key players. It was their responsibil­ity to keep accurate packing records of each box. This was not easy when boxes came fast and furiously from all sides. On May 20, 1992, over 100 boxes were packed in one day at that time a record. A record that stands to this day is the shipment to Sierra Leone in 1993. Under the guidance of Leonie Menezes, 21,700 books were packed in less than four and a half weeks between February 10 and March 11.

The presidencies of Barry Mcisaac (1994 to 1996) and Beth Shepherd ( 1996 to the present) started traumatically with the closure of the Laurel warehouse, an event that could have led to the demise of the whole project. Thanks to the intervention of Patsy Preston, however, the office and pack­ing operations were moved to new premises in the basement of the J Build­ing. The old hands adapted to the much smaller work area and welcomed the large number of new volunteers who came to the more convenient site. Shipments went to Ukraine, Hungary, Lithuania, India, and South Africa, among others. More Resident Missions took on the task of becom-

60

The Book Project

ing distributors. Ann and David Cook (Zimbabwe) and Jo and Brian Fal-coner (Uganda) each distributed over 40.000 books. New donors appeared such as the Readers Digest and the Prince Georges County Schools. The Civic Club of the IMF gave $10,000 in 1994 to buy dictionaries and has continued to do so each year.

It has not been all work for the volunteers. From the early days, an an-nual office thank-you party for staff and donors has been held. In May, '1992 a party celebrated the tenth anniversary of the founding of the project. On February 1, 1994, a happy group of volunteers, eating pizza and drink-ing wine i.n the warehouse, celebrated as the project's one millionth book

Number of Boxes Shipped by the J3ook Project by Region, 1983 - 1997

1 box = approximately 50 books Total books = 1,4 76, 750

Latin America & Years Africa The Caribbean Asia Europe Total

1983 29 0 26 0 55

1984 577 64 523 0 1,164

1985 777 12 628 0 1.417

1986 481 0 338 6 825

1987 1,331 448 496 0 2,315

1988 1,296 800 2 0 2,098

1989 1,211 392 400 0 2,003

1990 1,199 40 435 0 1,647

1991 789 770 809 0 2,368

1992 2,366 9 7 2 2,385

1993 2,146 5 436 6 2,593

1994 1,750 23 62 838 2,673

1995 1,732 78 401 502 2,713

1996 951 433 1,309 2,694

1997 1,727 0 831 2,559

Totals 18,362 3,114 5,395 2,664 29,535

61

Selected Activities

was placed in a shipment to Romania. This was followed by a large evening reception to thank all those who made it possible to reach the one million mark. Mrs. Preston presented certificates to Peace Corps representatives and others, including Babs Knox, who flew from England for the occasion. In May, 1997, a lunch party celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the project. Certificates were presented to volunteers and supporters.

Peggy Clausen's and Babs Knox's ideas and enthusiasm have created a great legacy. Three examples illustrate this well.

First, the Deputy Prime Minister of Tanzania, agreed to transport books to a girls' school on the island of Pemba. A year later he sent a handwritten letter informing those in charge of the project that in 1986 only 20 of the 40 students had passed the important national Form III exams, required of students who proceed to high school. In 1987, on the other hand, the girls did "superbly well: 39 out of 40 passed the Form III exams." He was kind enough to credit the great improvement to the arrival of the WBVS books.

Second, when the first five doctors to be trained in Sierra Leone gradu­ated in 1994, the Chancellor of the University Medical School gave special thanks to WBVS Book Project whose donation formed the basis of the medi­cal library.

Finally, in 1993, the volunteers received the Peace Corps "Partners for Peace Award" with a letter signed by President Bush. During a visit in June, 1996, the new Peace Corps Director, Mark Garan, presented the volunteers with a second award commemorating the project's support: "In grateful recognition of your generous book donations. The high level of success achieved by the Peace Corps Volunteers would not have been pos­sible without the help of the Book Project."

Over the past fifteen years, the Book Project has brought education and enjoyment to millions of students and assistance to their teachers, while at the same time enhancing the reputation of the World Bank. It has also brought satisfaction to its many volunteers.

Peggy and Babs, your project has brought education and enjoyment to millions of children and assistance to their teachers. We thank you.

62

'; •' : I'·. ~ » -" ..

THE NEWCOMERS ORIENTATION PROGRAM Anne Burrows

Twice a year, in the spring and the fall, the spouses of all new staff mem­bers are invited to attend a day-long orientation program. The idea began over 15 years ago when a series of cross-cultural workshops and seminars for World Bank staff were given by Pierre Casse. They were so valuable that they were extended to Bank families. A core group of interested spouses then formed a brainstorming committee, with the inspiration of an inter­national expert on cross-cultural communication. Thus, the New Spouse Orientation Committee came into being with Rose Theodores as chair and, since 1986, the author of this essay. Two founding members - Vim Maguire and Ileana De Geyndt - have served on the committee since its inception.

The program is based on the dynamics of cross-cultural interaction. The original committee included a Bank staff member acting as a consultant and a psychologist, who emphasized the psychological impact of relocation and cross-cultural conflict, themes which I have reinforced as chair. I am a clinical social worker with training in these areas.

Underlying the process of orientation are the changes a person experi­ences when moving to a new culture. These changes produce "culture shock,'' which has recognizable stages: the initial stage when a newly­arrived family is still excited by the novelty of a new country; the "busy stage" of settling in with all its challenges and crises; and the "this is it" stage of second thoughts and often disillusion, which can lead to depres­sion and abnormal behavior patterns.

Each orientation program tries to deal with the culture shock "curve" by presenting a series of skits which illustrate the problems newcomers face: how to learn to cope, how to come to terms with the new culture, and eventually how to enjoy life again. Over the years, different aspects of in­tercultural theory have been highlighted. At times, the program has in­cluded a relaxation and guided imagery component that introduces vari­ous coping skills. Recently, the program has included a discussion of the cultural values of participants' home countries.

The Newcomers Orientation Committee meets once or twice a week for a month before each orientation day. To an onlooker, the committee proceed­ings might seem disorganized. Issues and ideas for skits are discussed. When a good idea emerges, the Chair will say, "Go home and write that up as a skit." The skit is subsequently critiqued, rehearsed, and refined. A repertoire of skits has been built up gradually over the years.

Fortunately, the committee has attracted members with experience and understanding of diverse cultures. Members must be multi-talented to be effective. They need spontaneity, the capacity for empathy, organization skills, and dramatic flair. It is wonderful to watch the latter quality emerge, and it is not surprising that so much laughter can be heard in our meet-

63

Selected Activities

ings. After all, while working hard, we are also "playing." Of course, as responsible, intelligent adults, we can't be just playing: we are engaged in "sociodrama," which is "the enactment and exploration of a problem or a theme relevant to a specific group of people." In our case, the problem is exposure to the new cultures of the United States and the World Bank. Sociodrama involves stating a problem in life as if it were a play. Actually, "doing" the interaction, as if the problem were unfolding in reality, brings across a point more vividly than merely "talking about" it. Committee mem­bers rewrite their scripts so that an event "happens," and each one learns that more ideas and feelings are accessed through this method. The com­mittee also strives to keep up to date with current issues facing Bank fami­lies. It does so by recruiting newly arrived spouses.

The committee acts as a cross-cultural crucible, out of which many dif­ferent, and often surprising, points of view emerge. For example, one popu­lar skit depicts the different cultural expectations that underlie a visit to a physician and the confusion that ensues. Many of the skits revolve around the experience of the family:

• the child who misses his grandparents; he needs to have his sadness understood;

• the girl who is forced to wear a frilly dress to conform to cultural norms; she will eventually be heard;

• the lonely, previously confident woman who now finds it hard to reachout; she needs encouragement and a ride to an event, but above all she needs someone to hear how she feels.

The staff members are not forgotten. The "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles: I Have Troubles of My Own" skit illustrates the classic crisis of expectations, when couples are finding it hard to settle down and each looks for sympa­thy and understanding from the other. Each needs to re-cultivate the art of listening to the other, even if it means breath-holding to do so. Through this skit, the spouse is helped to see that the staff member, too, has some major adjustments to make: being a small fish in a large pond is a typical one. The most frequently performed skit is "Mission Blues" that depicts the ups and downs of staff travel and its impact on the family.

After planning and rehearsing for a month, the orientation day approaches. All new spouses are invited to attend. The committee compiles its list of newcomers from the previous six months ofWBVS newsletters. About 120 are invited, and 30 to 40 attend. We also write the invitations and stuff the envelopes. In 1997, new spouses number around 80, of whom 15 to 20 at­tend. Committee members telephone every invitee who does not respond to the invitation. In this way, they reach many newcomers who are lonely, shy, overwhelmed, or just absent-minded.

On the actual orientation day, the committee operates as a team. After each skit, they ask for feedback, and participants share their experiences. A lively discussion ensues, which can be happy or sad, tense or relaxed, funny or serious. The committee makes sure that newcomers become ac­quainted with the WBVS newsletter, Mosaic, and Executive Committee members briefly describe the many programs in which newcomers can par­ticipate. Talks by directors of various Bank services for families are also included.

64

The Newcomers Orientation Program

The day ends with small group discussions. The most frequent comments we hear are, "I am glad to know that these things happen to others as well as to me;" "I'm thankful that these things didn't all happen to me!", and "I made so many new friends today!" These comments are rewarding to mem­bers of the Newcomers Orientation Committee.

Anne Burrows and Olga van der Plas lead a session in the Newcomers Orientation Program.

65

Selected Activities

OIRECroav o, M£MDEltS. GOO~~ AN_() S~RVICES

The WBVS Yellow Pages is published annually. It lists goods and services offered by Bank spouses.

66

SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT Priscilla Rachun Linn

I joined the Job and Career Committee in 1985 when I needed some ad­vice about my own career choices. An announcement in the WBVS newslet­ter about a meeting on career needs assessment caught my eye. I attended the meeting with no intention of participating further, and - to my sur­prise - joined the committee. I think I took the step because I liked the people I met.

Participating in the Job and Career Committee was my first real experi­ence in WIVES\ WBVS. I had attended a few social meetings when my hus­band joined the Bank in 1973, but I did not know then that WIVES was concerned with spouse employment. I was aware, however, that many of the spouses I met wanted to work but were daunted by unfamiliar job­hunting strategies and by having to obtain the work permit required of G­IV visa holders. These women were frustrated in developing their career aspirations. I heard that the Bank had a high divorce rate and felt sure it was due in part to the thorny career issue for spouses.

Later on, I discovered another facet of the career dilemma for spouses. My husband wanted to hire an economist in the late 1970s and interviewed several promising candidates from several different countries. He found that none would take this attractive job. The reason? All of their spouses had good jobs and refused to relocate. I realized then that the issue of spouse employment was serious for the Bank.

In my work with the Job and Career Committee, I learned that obtaining work permits was the three-aspirin-headache for most G-IV visa holders. As a U.S. citizen, I was not directly involved with these hassles, but I could empathize with those who wrestled with this bureaucratic dragon.

I discovered that the issue of work permits had been one of the first concerns of WIVES in 1972. Ruth Isbister, then Chair of the WIVES Execu­tive Committee, and Joy Dunkerly, head of a WIVES committee on jobs and volunteering, met with the Bank's Director of Personnel and explained the frustrations wives encountered in obtaining permits. But the meeting had no result. Later - in 1984 - the Job and Career Committee prepared a how-to-do-it document about obtaining work permits. Staff member Mark Bowyer critiqued and revised it to make it accurate. It clarified procedures, but the issue remained alive.

In 1988, when I was a member of the Job and Career Committee, we sponsored a meeting with Pam Fluty, the staff member who helped Bank people obtain work permits. The meeting was a painful and explosive con­frontation. Pam understood the frustration: serious delays in securing per­mits were costing people jobs. Shortly afterward, Ruksana Mehta, then President of WIVES, Joanne Garrity, Office Administrator, Pam Fluty, and I, as Chair of the Job and Career Committee, met with World Bank Presi-

67

Selected Activities

dent Barber Conable, his advisor William Stanton, and Brian Crowe from the U.S. Executive Director's office. They listened attentively and promptlr wrote a letter to the U.S. State Department expressing the Bank's concern about the delay in processing permits. Pam Fluty later told us that the process speeded up after this letter.

When I firstjoined the Job and Career Committee in 1985, Waafas Ofosu­Amaah was Chair. Other members were Jo Alexander, Jenny Clad, and Marja Luode. Waafas had prepared a highly professional and detailed working paper on career networking. It outlined the committee's key endeavors: to provide a clearing house of information on establishing careers in the United States, to set up career networks for spouses, and to conduct a survey to assess spouses' career needs.

Waafas, Jenny, Marja and I worked on the survey. This was the first survey since one done by Bandarra Bose and Francoise Chadanet in 1975. We were well underway when Waafas told me that she was leaving to go to graduate school and handed me a fat, worn manila folder filled with the survey papers. "It's your turn now," she said with a big smile. "You take over the survey." Too startled to say no, I said yes. Jo Alexander became Chair of the committee and changed its name to Jobs, Career, and Per­sonal Development. (I later restored the earlier title.) When Jo returned to New Zealand, I took up where she had left off. My work spanned three WBVS presidencies, those of Anne Dickerson, Ruksana Mehta, and Caroline Berney. Monika Sergo was the Executive Committee member responsible for my committee. Her periodic calls kept our momentum going.

Active members on the committee were Jenny and Marja, along with Victoria Barres, Vera Polhmeier, and Nanny Poulinquen. (I apologize if! do not remember others who participated at this time.) The committee held monthly meetings on such topics as professional writing, drafting resumes, interviewing, careers in computing, part-time work, and volunteer work. Most were poorly attended, and I began to wonder whether WBVS needed a Job and Career Committee.

I thought the survey might reassure me. All of us were novices in writing surveys, and we learned a lot from Bank staff member, Ken Rosen. We finally distributed the survey form with the February, 1989, newsletter. The results indicated that spouses could use personal attention to their needs, rather than general presentations on skills. I decided that the com­mittee should redirect its energies to a more personal form of job advice.

We were very fortunate in finding Miriam Baskin, a retired job counse­lor in Montgomery County and a Bank spouse, who offered to conduct a weekly "Job Club." Miriam gave her time generously, and those who at­tended found helpful the role-paying, information sharing, and problem solving that took place during the 2-hour meetings. The cramped quarters of the WBVS offices were a problem, however. We did not have a regular place to meet, and attendees did not always know where to find us. Atten­dance waned, and we discontinued the club after about nine months.

Our next effort was to create a computerized bank of spouses' skills and qualifications. It would enable Bank group employers to search on-line for candidates for jobs. I worked on the "Skills Bank" with Ena Malhotra and Bavani Rajagopalan. (Again, I must apologize to those who helped whose names are buried in my murky memory.) We devised a form that included the applicants' employment history, talents, training, and skills. Bank staff members Jorge Ceniceros and Katherine Davis worked patiently and cheer­fully with us to develop a computer program for Skills Bank users. Senior Vice President David Hopper enthusiastically endorsed the project, but it

68

, ; _ ·. ·• .~, •c,· .,,,1 : .• , , ,•, ... ,-

Spouse Employment

needed a great deal of advertising to become a widely used resource. Five or six of the spouses who found employment through the Skills Bank de­cided it needed major adjustments. I now faced the serious illness of both my parents and had to pull back. Christiana Katsu, Ena Malhotra, Marcella Simon-Nair, and Deborah White took over the committee and shifted their attention from the Skills Bank to information seminars on job hunting, resume writing, and networking.

I still kept a toe in the door, however, by working on the WBVS Yellow Pages. Bavani Rajagopalan had the idea for this project. "Why not create our own 'Yellow Pages,' listing all the goods and services offered by WBVS members?" she asked. "Why not, indeed?" we replied. We developed forms that were published in the newsletter. I collated and categorized the infor­mation. We had everything - from medical doctors to caterers, couturiers to handymen, real estate agents to disk jockeys. The first WBVS Yellow Pages came out in 1990-91, a second edition (adding, among other things, a puppeteer) in 1991-92, and third and fourth editions in 1994-95 and 1995-96. Hilary Welch edited the 1996-97 edition. Without the dedicated and careful work of Marie Favis, WBVS Office Assistant, the WBVS Yellow Pages would still be only Bavani's idea, not the reality that it is.

Throughout the years when many volunteers kept the Job and Career Committee alive, we all felt that our advice was mostly amateurish. (The exception, of course, was Miriam Baskin.) We all hoped that one day we would be able to convince the Bank that spouses need professional em­ployment counselors, not the best efforts ofvolunteers. In 1994, we got our wish when the Bank set up the Family Career Transition Program. Today, professional counselors provide support, advice, and instruction for em­ployment-seeking spouses, and the Job and Career Committee no longer exists.

69

Selected Activities

The Overseas Briefing area in the WBVS Office.

70

THE OVERSEAS BRIEFING Daphne Spurling

In the winter of 1984-1985, World Bank management asked WBVS to assist with planning an improvement in the process of posting Bank staff to Resident Missions. Leading this initiative was Jim Theodores, the Bank's field coordinator in the office of the Senior Vice President Administration. His wife, Rose Theodores, was the Vice President of WBVS at that time. The Theodores family had lived overseas and understood the. problems involved. Jim recognized two major deficiencies in the existing process of posting. First, except for the compulsory medical, the Bank had little or no contact with the spouses and families of staff members who were taking up over­seas assignments. Second, briefings for staff members concentrated on the professional work to be done and on logistics of the move. Consequently, some staff and families were going out to Resident Missions with little idea of what to expect. He asked if the WBVS office could act as a clearing house for help and information for families.

At thattime, the WIVES Executive Committee was expanding its contacts with the mainstream of the Bank, and assisting in this project was in line with that effort. The author and Lou Neimann volunteered to do the work. Both had experience of intercontinental moves and living in other cultures, and Lou had just returned from the Resident Mission in Somalia. They set to work to design and develop a process; and to collect general information on moving overseas and specific information on individual countries. As Lou became increasingly involved with the Book Project, she withdrew from the project, but I continued with it.

We sought information about individual countries from embassies, the U.N. Development Programme, the U.S. State Department, and similar agen­cies. The "Welcome to ... " books produced by expatriate residents in many countries were a very good resource. But the most important information source was Bank families who were currently living in a country or had lived there recently. We sent out questionnaires to families in the field ask­ing for information on general country conditions (climate, security, dress codes, legal restrictions, and so forth), housing (types and availability, volt­age, fuel for cooking, and so forth), shopping (prices, availability of essen­tial items, what to bring), schools (from nursery to se.condary and the lan­guage of instruction), possibilities for spouse employment, family social and recreational opportunities (R&R, clubs, hobbies and. sporting facili­ties), religion, automobiles (buy or ship?). We collated the information we received into information sheets. A data base of spouses who had lived in the countries where the Bank had offices was developed, and "liaison spouses" were contacted in the larger Resident .Missions. A library was gradually built up from purchased and donated books. Various types of guide books were particularly useful as they are often written in a very lively mariner and provide a wealth of detail in a concise manner. How to

71

Selected Activities

Survive Lagos is one that springs to mind. More general books included some on culture shock. One on how-to- survive-without-a-doctor contained some very graphic illustrations which we hoped would never be used.

General information was gathered into a loose-leaf binder called The Over­seas Briefing Handbook. This volume owed an enormous debt to a similar publication from the U.S. State Department, but it was heavily edited to make it suitable for non-Americans and for Bank conditions of service. For example, it was felt that many Bank staff going overseas would not feel the lack of American bread to be as great a hardship as the State Department obviously did! The loose-leaf format enabled us to keep the handbook up­to-date with the addition, removal, and modification of information. Hand­book sections covered checklists of things to do before the move, electrical appliances, what to take with you, helpful hints when living overseas about food and nonfood, conversion charts, employing staff, and what to do prior to returning to Washington. Finally, it asked new arrivals to report back important information that we had missed or got wrong.

A process gradually developed over the next couple of years. When a staff member was selected for a posting, WBVS was one of the offices that the Bank would inform. We would then contact the spouse and send out a standard package consisting of The Overseas Briefing Handbook and xeroxed copies of whatever information we had available on the country. What hap­pened after that very much depended on how well a family knew the coun -try and the kind of help and support they needed. One difficulty in devel­oping the process and the information package was the very wide range of experience of families in moving overseas and living in other cultures, and the level of a family's knowledge of the country to which they were moving. Sometimes families were returning tQ countries where they had previously lived, sometimes the spouse had visited the country on a points trip, occa­sionally it was the spouse's home country. Usually, however, moving over­seas would be a new experience for the family. When required, we put people in touch with persons who had lived in the country and with others going to the same mission. As far as possible, we matched interests (chil­dren of the same age, for example), and specific questions were referred to a contact spouse in the country. In addition, families were given details of the language training available from the Bank.

Once established, the resources of information were advertised in the WBVS newsletter so that families could use then before deciding whether to accept a posting. Information was also available to spouses going on points trips. Later on, another activity was introduced: coffees for the spouses returning from overseas posts to help them make the transition back to Washington.

The WBVS Overseas Briefing became an integral part of the Bank's greatly enlarged briefing of staff going overseas. It was one of the first times that a WBVS member was a full participant in a Bank committee. The Overseas Briefing Handbook received high commendation from the Vice President for Personnel and Administration, who cited it as showing "the high stan­dard of professionalism in WBVS." When I gave up the job (appropriately, to move to a Resident Mission), there was considerable discussion about whether my replacement should be a Bank empfoyee or a volunteer (or volunteers) willing to devote to the work tlfe necessary one or two days a week throughout the year. A few years later, the program was duplicated by the Bank, and a paid employee managed the information system we had invented. ·

72

The Overseas Briefing

A concluding note, Hada Zaidan

Today, WBVS's Overseas Briefing team is staffed by several spouses who have themselves lived overseas and understand firsthand the needs of those who relocate. They have expanded their services to include two coffees a year at which returning spouses are de-briefed. The comments and sug­gestions of the returning spouses are passed on to the responsible parties at the Bank. The team also keeps track of returning families and contacts them six months prior to their return to Washington for comments on their experience.

The Overseas Briefing team, with Elizabeth Rothwell as coordinator, helps families who are relocating to and from the Bank's resident missions.

73

Selected Activities

THE WORLD BANK/IFC/MIGA

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

TO ALL STAFF FYI/94/029 November 15, 1994

STAFF RETIREMENT PLAN REVISIQNS

Support Payments for Ex-Spouses

1. I am pleased .to advise that the Executive ~irectors have approved an amendment to the Staff Retirement Plan to permit payments from the Plan for the support of divorced or legally separated spouses of retired Plan participants. The amendment, which becomes effective January 2, 1995, was supported by the Staff Association, the 1818 Society and the World Bank Volunteer Services.

2. The amendment provides for these payments as follows:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Support payments to former and legally separated spouses can be made out of normal or early retirement pensions and from lump sum commutations. Such payments become payable only if and when the pension or lump sum becomes payable to a retired participant, and their amounts may not exceed what would otherwise be payable to the retired participant.

These support payments may only be made in cases where the retired participant is under a legal obligation to provide support to the former or legally separated spouse. Payments can be authorized by either the written direction of the participant or retired participant or pursuant to a final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.

If the Bank is requested by a person other than the participant or retired participant to give effect to a final decree of a court ordering. support payment, it will notify the participant or retired participant. Where the Bank·is in doubt about direction to pay a decree, it will retain payments pending its resolution by the action of the principals, the retained sum to be paid without interest when the doubt is resolved. The Bank will not give effect to provisions of agreements, directions or decrees intended to convey an interest in the assets of the SRP, pensions or other benefits.

The Committee on Spouse Issues has influenced Bank policies over the years. The memoran­dum above announced changes in the Staff Retirement Plan effective January 2, 1995.

74

: : ',,

SPOUSE ISSUES Ruksana Mehta

The group called PROD, or "Pension Rights on Divorce," was born in 1993. It was initiated, on the one hand, to give support, knowledge, and informa­tion to spouses who were facing divorce, and, on the other, to persuade the Bank Group to change its rules to help enforce the financial agreement of a court ruling when a marriage terminates.

During my term as President of WBVS (1989 to 1991), it was brought repeatedly to the attention of the Executive Committee that Bank spouses had many difficulties when the family broke apart. The main difficulty for the spouses was the lack of financial security. Because the Bank is im­mune to U.S. court orders, a staff member could ignore a divorce order or decree granted by a court that required payment of alimony, child support, or a pension. When this happened, the spouse had little recourse to get the money due her. The staff member would stand in contempt of court and could be imprisoned, but these steps did not solve the spouse's financial difficulties. Other issues arose with divorce: the visa status of the spouse and medical insurance, among others.

WBVS forcefully highlighted to Bank management the injustice faced by divorced spouses. Initially, the Bank could not see a way of solving the difficulty. It took many years of convincing and negotiating with the Bank's Legal Department and other management representatives before a change was made. Today, the Bank Group is the only international organization that has amended its staff retirement rules so that it will accept a court order for the division of a pension, subject to certain requirements, and pay a spouse directly on the due date. We are delighted by the amendment, but it has some shortcomings which WBVS is working to resolve.

PROD was reincarnated as SROD, "Spouse Rights on Divorce," when we achieved our objective of having pension rights recognized. In 1996, the name was changed again to "Spouse Issues." We felt that the agenda of our group was very inclusive, and that the information being dispersed at our monthly meetings was relevant and important to all spouses, not only those facing divorce.

In keeping with the objective of being relevant and helpful, the Commit­tee on Spouse Issues was expanded. I have chaired the group since its inception and remain chair. Caryn Lennon, a qualified and experienced lawyer, Dr. Helene King, a psychologist, and Gail Pean, a Bank spouse, have joined the group. Their presence gives the group a broader knowledge base. Each member, in rotation, leads the monthly meetings. The Spouse Issues Committee is well equipped to deal with the multiple difficulties of Bank spouses.

75

Selected Activities

The WBVS Office in the G-Building.

The reception desk.

76

I • ', ,, ~ • ' '

---

APPEND ICE/

A endices

Work areas in the WBVS office.

78

APPENDIX I WIVES AND WBVS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES

1972 - 1997

Notes from the Editor

1. The story of the beginning of WIVES\ WBVS is told in the first essay in this history. A group of Bank staff wives met in late 1969 to consider the formation of an organization that would help newly arriving Bank fami­lies. Margaret McNamara, wife of the President of the World Bank, par­ticipated in the discussions and supported the group. For convenience, we call this group "The Founding Committee." It served from 1969 to 1972.

2. WBVS identifies June, 1972, as its birth date. By that time, the Found­ing Committee had formally constituted itself as the Executive Commit­tee of an organization called WIVES, an acronym for "World Bank Volun­teer Services." Margaret McNamara was Honorary Chair. WIVES had an office in the World Bank, an Office Administrator who was a World Bank employee, and a small budget. Three members of the committee resigned in the summer and fall of 1972, and Harriet Baldwin (United States) was appointed to the committee. That group was the first WIVES Executive Committee.

3. The practice of naming Executive Committee members as chairs of com­mittees began in 1976. Some committees have continued through the years, though their names have changed slightly. Some committees have come and gone. For convenience, we have omitted the word "committee" in the following list, and we have usually used the most recent commit­tee names.

4. In compiling this list, we have used WIVES files for the years 1970 to 1982. After 1983, we have used the WBVS Annual Reports. If errors have been made, we urge readers to identify them and send us corrections.

79

A endices

1969 - 1972 The Founding Committee

Acting Chair Ruth Isbister (Canada) Sarra Chernick (Canada) Paula Jeffries (United States) Beatrice Knox (United Kingdom) Peggy Lind (Sweden) Samala Navaratnam (Malaysia) Carmen Votaw (Puerto Rico) Ann Wieczorowski (United States) Miliza Wright (Yugoslavia)

1972-1973 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Acting Chair

Margaret McNamara Ruth Isbister Harriet Baldwin (from 1/73) Sarra Chernick Paula Jeffries Babs Knox Peggy Lind (to 8/72) Samala Navaratnam (to 9/72) Carmen Votaw Ann Wieczorowski (to 1/73) Miliza Wright

The committee used the term "Acting Chair" because it wanted the leadership of WIVES to be elected. In the first election, held in the spring of 1973, six members of the Founding Committee continued to serve, and five new members were elected from the membership-at-large.

1973-1974 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Chair

Margaret McNamara Ruth Isbister Harriet Baldwin Sarra Chernick Rita Clarke Paula Jeffries Cristina King Beatrice Knox Jeannine Loos Ruby Wingate Miliza Wright Mathilde Zetterstrom

In the election of 1974, members elected from the membership-at-large replaced the four remaining members of the Founding Committee. Thus, by 1974-1975, the entire Executive Committee was elected.

80

.,, ···~·; ,,,., · . .:'.

WJVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 -1997

1974-1975 WIVES Executive Committee

· Honorary Chair Chair, ex-officio

Chair

Margaret McNamara Ruth Isbister Ruby Wingate Rosemary Berrie Kitty Broches Rita Clarke Lena Gill Aida Habib. Cristina King Kehinde Mbanefo Veronica Milford Delphine Vuylsteke Mathilda Zetterstrom

1975-1976 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Chair

Margaret McNamara Ruby Wingate Rosemary Berrie Kitty Broches Rita Clarke Lena Gill Aida Habib Cristina King Keninde Mbanefo Veronica Milford Delphine Vuylsteke Mathilda Zetterstrom

1976-1977 WIVES Executive Committee

Executive Committee members were designated chairs of committees.

Honorary Chair Chair

Vice Chair Publications

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Events Hotel Welcoming

Seminars Weekend Activities

Youth Activities

Margaret McNamara Ruby Wingate Irene Mould Anne Marie Hicks Irene Mould Eunice Buk:y Marilyn Morris Bandana Bose Miliza Wright Shirley Trott Jane van Gigch Carla Scearce Yvonne Kendall

81

A endices

1977-1978 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Chair

Vice Chair Publications

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Even ts Hotel Welcoming

Seminars Weekend Activities

Youth Activities

Margaret McNamara Miliza Wright Irene Mould Kay Ewing Irene Mould Eunice Buky Marilyn Morris Bandarra Bose Shirley Trott Susan Gilpin Jane van Gigch Carla Scearce Yvonne Kendall

1978-1979 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Chair

Vice Chair Publications

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Events Fine Arts Seminars

Weekend Activities

Margaret McNamara Paula Jeffries Kay Ewing Kay Ewing Alison Pyatt Frances Brouard Helen Cooper Bandarra Bose Ursula Revuelta Mansoora Ayub Yvonne Kendall Carla Scearce

1979-1980 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary Chair Chair

Vice Chair Publications

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Events Fine Arts Seminars

Weekend Activities Youth Committee

Margaret McNamara Paula Jeffries Alison Pyatt Sarah Banerji Alison Pyatt Frances Brouard Helen Cooper Bandarra Bose Ursula Revuelta Mansoora Ayub Elizabeth Stern Carla Scearce Nel Stam

In a revision of the bylaws, the designations "Chair" and "Vice Chair" were changed to "President" and "Vice President."

82

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 - 1997

1980-1981 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Publications Nominating

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Events Seminars

Margaret McNamara Paula Jeffries Ursula Revuelta Sarah Banerji Kay Ewing Frances Brouard Caroline Berney Leela Krishna Linda Gamarra Ursula Revuelta Elizabeth Stern

1981-1982 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Publications Nominating

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Even ts Seminars

Youth Activities

Margaret McNamara Miliza Wright Anne Dickerson Sarah Greening Beverly Gafsi Frances Brouard Caroline Berney Leela Krishna Linda Gamarra Susan Baig Elizabeth Stern Margaret Lane

1982-1983 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President and Acting President

Publicatiqns Nominating

Welcoming Language Groups

Arts and Crafts Children's Activities

Cultural Events Seminars

Support Discussions

Volunteer Activities Youth Activities

Peggy Clausen Miliza Wright (to 1/83) Anne Dickerson

Sarah Greening Jean Schweighauser Patricia Ducker Caroline Berney Daphne Spurling Yvonne Kendall (to 10 / 82) Carla Peperzak Vim Maguire Jeanne Rosen Anne Dickerson Jeanne Rosen Jean Schweighauser Margaret Lane

83

A endices

In 1983, a secretary was elected for the first time. Minutes of meetings had been prepared previously by the Administrative Officer.

1983-1984 WIVES Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Publications Nominating Welcoming

Language/ Literature Arts and Crafts Cultural Events

Seminars

Spouse Orientation Youth Activities

Peggy Clausen Carla Peperzak Anne Dickerson Jean Schweighauser Sarah Greening Silvia Mathov Patricia Ducker Margaret Minch Daphne Spurling Ursula Revuelta Vim Maguire Jeanne Rosen Rose Theodores Katharine Davis Jo Falconer

The acronym "WIVES" was discontinued, and "WBVS" (standing for World Bank Volunteer Services) was adopted at the Annual Meeting in 1984.

1984-1985 WBVS Executive Committee

84

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Publications Nominating Welcoming

Language/ Literature Arts and Crafts Cultural Events

Seminars

Spouse Orientation Youth Activities

Peggy Clausen Carla Peperzak Cecilia Fremy Jean Schweighauser Neela D'Souza Monika Sergo Gunilla Stenberg (to 2/85) May Payne Margaret Minch Daphne Spurling Ursula Revuelta Vim Maguire Jeanne Rosen Rose Theodores Katharine Davis Jo Falconer

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972-1997

In a reorganization of the Executive Committee, three members were designated "Members-at-Large" with responsibility for representing a group of activities.

1985-1986 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Program Coordinator Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Bible Study

Discussion Group Mothers and Tots

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

Gardening International Cooking

Needlework Stitch-In

Member-at-Large Cultural Events

African Art and Literature Seminars

Evening Activities

Peggy Clausen Anne Dickerson Rose Theodores Barbara Wieseman

. Monika Sergo Margaret Minch May Payne Ina Pruntel Helen Maybury

Ileana de Geyndt

Inger Hegstad

Nel Stam

1986-1987 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Program Coordinator Newsletter Editor

Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Bible Study

Discussion Group Mothers and Tots

Youth Activities

Charlotte Conable Anne Dickerson Nel Stam Barbara Wieseman Moniko Sergo Catherine Ah-Sue May Payne Gail Fuad Helen Maybury

Ileana de Geyndt

(cont'd. next page)

85

A endices

1986-1987 WBVS Executive Committee (cont.)

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

Gardening International Cooking

Needlework Stitch-In

Member-at-Large African Art and Literature

Cultural Events Evening Activities

(' Seminars

1987-1988 WBVS Executive Committee

86

Honorary President President

Vice President

Program Coordinator Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Bible Study

Children's Christmas Party Discussion Group Mothers and Tots Support Network

Writers' Group Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Needlecraft

Needlework/ Dressmaking

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

African Literature and Culture Asian Cultural Group

Beyond Nairobi Cultural Events

Seminars

Inger Hegstad

Veronica Webb

Charlotte Conable Anne Dickerson Nel Stam (to 12/87) Ruksana Mehta Ruksana Mehta Barbara Wieseman Catherine Ah-Sue Carla Scearce Gail Fuad Helen Maybury

Ileana de Geyndt

Inger Hegstad

Veronica Webb

1988-1989 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

Beyond Nairobi Discussion Group

Informational Programs Support Network

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Needlecraft Writers' Group

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Bible Study

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Seminars

1989-1990 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Bible Study

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Seminars

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 - 1997

Charlotte Conable Ruksana Mehta Caroline Berney Carol Murphy Catherine Ah-Sue Carla Scearce Gail Fuad Nathalie Pechon (to 3/89) Elisabeth Ziller

Beatrice Hamilton

Jennifer Heggie

Veronica Webb

Charlotte Conable Ruksana Mehta Caroline Berney Carol Murphy Glenna Habayeb Aimee Warren May Payne Elisabeth Ziller

Silvia Domenge (to 10 / 89) Miriam Zijp-Koedijk

(cont'd. next page)

87

A endices

1989-1990 WBVS Executive Committee {cont.)

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

Beyond Nairobi Discussion Group

Informational Programs Support Network

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Needlecraft Writers' Group

Youth Activities

1990-1991 WBVS Executive Committee

88

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language /Literature

Member-at-Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Bible Study

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Seminars

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

Beyond Nairobi Discussion Group

Informational Programs Support Network

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Music Group Needlecraft

Singing Group Writers' Group

Youth Activities

Beatrice Hamilton

Jennifer Heggie

Charlotte Conable Ruksana Mehta Caroline Berney Mary Ann Briggs Glenna Habayeb Aimee Warren Ileana de Geyndt Elisabeth Ziller

Miriam Zijp-Koedijk Andrea Fishman-Ackermann

Beatrice Hamilton

Jennifer Heggie

1991-1992 WBVS Executive Committee Honorary President

President Vice President

Secretary Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Bible Study

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Weekend Activities

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Music Group Needlecraft

Singing Group Writers' Group

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Africa Connection Discussion Group

Duplicate Bridge Informational Programs

Partners in Development Seminars

1992-1993 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair· Welcoming Chair

Language/Literature,

Member-at-Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Children's Christmas Party

Cultural Events Weekend Activities

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972-1997

Patsy Preston Caroline Berney Katy Doyen Mary Ann Briggs Janet Geli Lilian Silveira Ileana de Geyndt Jacqueline Dodero

Andrea Fishman-Ackermann

Prue Hill

Maimouna Mills

Patsy Preston Caroline Berney Katy Doyen Mary Ann Briggs Janet Geli Lilian Silveira Etelvina Tyler Jacqueline Dodero

Andrea Fishman-Ackermann

(cont'd. next page)

89

A endices

1992-1993 WBVS Executive Committee (cont.)

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Needlecraft Singing Group Writers' Group

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Africa Connection Discussion Group

Duplicate Bridge Informational Programs

Partners in Development Seminars

1993-1994 WBVS Executive Committee

90

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Arts and Crafts

International Cooking Mothers and Tots

Needlecraft Writers' Group

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Africa Connection Discussion Group Duplicate Bridge

Informational Programs · Seminars

Member-at-Large African Literature and Culture

Asian Cultural Group Children's Christmas Party

Cultural Events

Prue Hill

Ompie Liebenthal

Patsy Preston Caroline Berney Katy Doyen Kristine Martin Janet Gell Alison Ordu Etelvina Tyler Jacqueline Dodero

Prue Hill

Ompie Liebenthal

Vim Maguire

•"' •',I

1994-1995 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Arts & Crafts

International Cooking Parents' and Tots

Needlecraft Patchwork

Weekend Activities Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

African Literature/ Culture Discussion Group

Duplicate Bridge Informational Programs

Member-at-Large Asian Cultural Group

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Seminars

1995-1996 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair ·Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Africa Connection

Africa Literature and Culture Bridge

Discussion Group Informational Programs

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 -1997

Patsy Pr.eston Katj Doyen Hada Zaidan Kristine Martin Claire Floyd Alison Ordu Etelvina Tyler Daniele Bach-Baouab

Na'ava Feder

Ompie Liebenthal

Vim Maguire

Elaine W olfensohn Katy Doyen Hada Zaidan Loes Lenglet Prue Hill Cuqui Paschke-Velez Lynn Forno Daniele Bach-Baouab

' Cathy Mut:Umbuka

(cont'd. next page)

91 .

A endices

1995-1996 WBVS Executive Committee (cont.)

Member-at-Large International Cooking

Needlecraft Parents and Tots

Patchwork Weekend Activities

Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Asian Cultural Group

Children's Christmas Party Cultural Events

Seminars

1996-1997 WBVS Executive Committee

92

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Annual ·Picnic

Children's Christmas Party Informational Programs

Parents & Tots Publid Relations

Seminars Youth Activities

Member-at-Large Arts & Crafts

Discussion Group International Cooking

Needlecraft Weekend Activities

Member-at-Large African Connection

African Culture and Literature Asian Cultural Group

Bridge Cultural Events

Latin American Group

Na'ava Feder

Vim Maguire

Elaine Wolfensohn Hada Zaidan Barry Mcisaac Loes Lenglet Prue Hill Cuqui Paschke-Velez Lynn Forno Daniele Bach-Baouab

Neeta Datt

Na'ava Feder

Cathy Mutumbuka

1997-1998 WBVS Executive Committee

Honorary President President

Vice President Secretary

Newsletter Editor Nominating Chair Welcoming Chair

Language/ Literature

Member-at-Large Children's Christmas Party

Informational Programs Parents and Tots

Seminars

Member-at-Large Discussion Group

Exhibitions Outreach

Public Relations

Member-at-Large Bridge

International Cultural Groups

WIVES/WBVS Executive Committees, 1972 -1997

Elaine W olfensohn HadaZaidan Barry Mclsaac Loes Lenglet (to 11/97) Maryagnes Kerr Carolyn Conway Maha Oteifa Lynn Forno Christine Saddington

Neeta Datt (to 1/98) Clare Scrimgeour

Nadine Passamonti (to 10/97) Chantale Holzmann

Helen Podolske

93

A endices

94

co C11

Vice President Human Resources

Manager Staff Services

Honorary President

Manager Work/Family

Services

,------------------- President

AGENDA COMMITTEE AND

FINANCE f OMMITTEE

I_

Welcoming Chairman

Area Welcoming Area Luncheons

Newcomers Onentations Office Welcomers

Open Houses

Vice President

Mosaic Editor

Book Project Contributing Editors FCS Advisory Committee

New Programs Overseas Bnefing Spouse Issues

UNICEF

Nominating Chairman

DC MD VD

Recniitment

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Secretary -r-I Language/

Literature Coordinator

Member-at-Large I Member-at-Large

I Finance

Committee

Language Groups Bndge Agenda Committee Literature Groups International Cultural Groups Annual Meeting

Annual Report

REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

WBVSMEMBERS

EC Alumnae TheMMMF

Representative Council Mrs. Wolfensohn's Receptions

Work Family Programs

Discussion Group Exhibitions Outreach

Public Relations

Member-at-Large

Children's Chnstmas Party Informational Programs

Parents and Tots Seminars

Office Administrator

Senior Staff Assistant

Office Assistant

Volunteer Office Assistants

0

= > ~

en dices

96

APPENDIX III WBVSBYLAWS Approved May 3, 1984

I. INTRODUCTION

a) The name of the organization is World Bank Volunteer Services (WBVS).

b) The headquarters of the organization will be at the principal offices of the World Bank/IFC. .

c) The membership of WBVS is open to any spouse of an employee or retired employee of the World Bank/IFC who wishes to participate in the activities organized by WBVS. All members are invited to contribute their time and abilities. ,.

II. OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTION

The objectives of WBVS will be:

a) To assist the families of World Bank employees to deal with some of the problems of adjusting to a new environment.

b) To encourage a better understanding and a closer relationship among World Bank families and between them and the Greater Washington Community.

c) To increase the understanding of the work of the World Bank.

WBVS will function on a volunteer basis within the organization of the world Bank and will serve the families of the employees.

Ill. SERVICES

The Services which WBVS offers include:

a) Providing a personal welcome to newly arrived families including hotel contacts and follow-up when installed in their new home.

97

A endices

b) Providing language assistance and training by volunteers.

c) Developing and fostering contracts between arrived and already settled families. ·

d) Providing World Bank families with information regarding services, re­sources and opportunities available in the Greater Washington area.

e) Providing assistance in case of family emergencies.

f) Organizing programs of common concern and interest to World Bank families.

g) Cooperating with hospfrality, information and cultural organization of similar aims.

IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

a) An Executive Committee will provide leadership in performing the ser­vices listed in section III above. It will ensure that programs and activi­ties reflect the changing needs and interests of the World Bank fami­lies.

b) The Executive Committee will be composed of a President, a Vice-presi­dent, a Nominating Committee, and not less than three and not more than nine other members. All will be involved in carrying out the ser­vices and programs listed in section III. The spouse of the President of the World Bank will be invited to serve as Honorary President.

c) The President, Vice-President, and all other rriembers of the Executive Committee will be elected by the membership-at-large.

d) All elected members of the Executive Committee will serve for an initial term of two years and, with the exception of the Nominating Committee Chairman, may be reelected by the membership-at-large for a second term of one year. The official year will be from July 1 to June 30.

e) A member who has served three consecutive years on the Executive Committee will not be eligible for any position on the Executive Com­mittee except that of President until at least one year has elapsed. No person will serve as President for more than two consecutive terms, i.e. three years.

f) The Nominating Committee Chairman will be elected for a term of two years. She may be considered for another position on the Executive Committee provided that her period of service will not exceed four con­secutive years.

98

WBVS Bylaws

g) If a vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee, a nonvoting member shall be appointed by the Nominating Committee in consultation with the Executive Committee to fill the position when the period is three months or less. Should the balance of the term be over three months, the period of the appointment will be considered the first year of a two­year term. In either case, the person appointed must be nominated and elected under the usual procedures at the next election.

h) The Executive Committee will meet monthly except July and August; special meetings may be scheduled when necessary. The quorum at all meetings will be a simple majority of the Executive Committee mem­bers present.

V. DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

a) Duties of the President will include, but not limited to:

(1) preparation of an agenda for and chairing of Executive Committee meetings regular and special;

(2) coordination and sharing of the information received concerning WBVS with other members of the Executive Committee;

(3) assistance to individual chairmen in their work;

(4) attendance at meetings and activities of the organization as often as possible;

(5) liaison be.tween WBVS and other organizations; and

(6) working with the Administrative Officer in carrying out programs of the organization.

b) Duties of the Vice-President will be:

(1) to carry out all the duties of the President in her absence; and

(2) .to perform those special tasks delegated to her by the President.

c) Members of the Executive Committee except the President and Vice­President will be chairmen of defined areas of activity or members-at-large. ·

(1) The duty of a chairman is to represent a committee(s) which plans and manages activities.

(2) The duty of a member-at-large will be assigned by the President.

99

A endices

Chairmen and members-at-large will report on their activities and at­tend as many WBVS functions as possible to ascertain the interests of the general membership. Activities of groups and committees should be consistent with the overall goals and policies of WBVS as determined by the Executive Committee.

VI. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

a) A Nominating Committee will be responsible for the annual selection of a slate of nominees who are eligible to fill the vacant positions of the Executive Committee and on the Committee for the following year.

b) The Nominating Committee will see to it that the nominees for the slate are persons participating in the various activities of WBVS or who have demonstrated leadership. An effort should be made to have all three geographical areas of Greater Washington represented on the Nominat­ing Committee.

c) The Nominating Committee will consist of a chairman (see Article IV.f) and three members elected by the membership-at-large for a two-year term.

d) The Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee will agree annually on the presentation of the slate to the membership-at-large and the election procedures. Elections of the slate will be decided by a simple majority of those voting.

VII. STAFF

The administrative Officer and any other remunerated employees assigned to the WBVS office will have the status of World Bank Employees but should not be related to any other World Bank employee. They will be responsible to the Executive Committee. The Administrative Officer will assist the Presi­dent and facilitate the carrying out of policies and programs initiated by the Executive Committee. In order to do this, she will attend Executive Com­mittee meetings and give professional support to individual chairmen. She will act as liaison with World Bank management. She will assist World Bank spouses and families according to the guidelines established for WBVS.

VIII. FINANCES

a) The World Bank will provide the organization with adequate office space, secretarial help, office equipment, supplies, services, and authorized expenses as may be required for the proper functioning ofWBVS, after submission and approval of budget estimates.

b) The fiscal year will be July 1 to June 30.

c) Subject to approval of the Executive Committee, WBVS may undertake fund-raising activities.

100

WBVS Bylaws

IX. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

An Annual General Meeting shall be held within the last quarter of the fiscal year. It shall include a business meeting at which time:

(1) An annual report, including a financial statement will be presented.

(2) Any amendments, resolutions, or matters requiring a vote will be submitted to the membership-at-large.

(3) New offices and members of the Executive Committee will be intro­duced.

X. AMENDMENTS AND RESOLUTIONS

Any proposal to amend the Bylaws or any resolution affecting WBVS must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee for its approval by a two thirds majority vote before being presented to the membership-at-large. It shall be circulated at least thirty days before the meeting at which it is to be considered. Approval shall require a two-thirds majority of those mem­bers'-at-large present and voting.

XI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order will govern the organiza­tion except where they are inconsistent with these Bylaws.

Amendment 1, approved at the Annual Meeting

Resolved that the members of the World Bank Volunteer Services, pursu­ant to section "g" of Article IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the WBVS Bylaws, hereby adopt the following amendment to become effective May 18, 1990.

"Section g of Article IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE is amended in its en-tirety to read: -

If vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee, a nonvoting member shall be appointed by the Nominating Committee in consultation with the Ex­ecutive Committee to fill the position when the period is three months or less. Should the balance of the term be over three months, the appointed member shall be a voting member of the Executive Committee; this pe­riod will be considered the first year of a two-year term. In either case the person appointed must be nominated and elected under the usual proce­dures at the next election."

101

A endices

Amendment 2, approved at the Annual Meeting.

102

Resolved that the members of the World Bank Volunteer Services, pur­suant to section "c" of Article VI of the WBVS Bylaws, hereby adopt the following amendment to become effective May 18, 1990.

"Section c of Article VI. NOMINATING AND ELECTIONS is amended to read:

The Nominating Committee will c:;onsist of a chairman (see Article IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE f) and three members elected by the mem­bership-at-large for a two-year term."

l

-, ...... ·. ,.::,

APPENDIX IV WIVES/WBVS PERSONNEL CHART

Years World Bank President WIVES Chair/ Office Office

Office Assistant "Bank Temp" Years WBVS Hon. Chair/Pres. WBVS President Location Administrator

Robert S. McNamara Ruth Isbister Barbara Shaw- Beverly Puentes 1972-3 (since 1968) D-1147 Gheorghiu 1972-3

Margaret

1973-4 Mary Lawrence 1973-4

1974-5 Ruby Wingate F-208 1974-5

1975-6 1975-6

1976-7 1976-7

1977-8 MilizaWright Monique Felix 1977-8

1978-9 Paula Jeffries 1978-9

1979-80 Annie Faure-Rowe 1979-80

1980-1 Natalie Whitney 1980-1

A. W. Clausen Miliza Wright 1-1-172 1981-2 (6/81) 1981-2

Peggy

1982-3 Brit Gardhner 1982-3

1983-4 Carla Peperzak 1983-4

1984-5 1984-5

1985-6 Anne Dickerson Joanne Garrity 1985-6

1986-7 Made Favis Jenny Penna 1986-7

1987-8 1987'8

1988-9 Ruksana Mehta Agnes Aviante 1988-9

1989-90 1989-90

1990-1 1990-1

Lewis T. Preston Caroline Berney Charina Garcia 1991-2 (6/91 - 4/94) 1991-2

Patsy

1992-3 Melvina Metzger 1992-3

1993-4 G-1000 1993-4

James Wolfensohn 1994-5 (8/94) Katy Doyen 1994-5

Elaine

1995-6 1995-6

1996-7 Hada Zaidan Lucy Bravo 1996-7

1997-8 1997-8

103

(;

A endices

104

WBVS 25th Anniversary Party at the Annual Meeting, 1997. Left to right: Katy Doyen, Caroline Berney, Ruksana Mehta, Elaine Wolfensohn, Charlotte Conable, Hada Zaidan,Carla Peperzak, Ruby Wingate, and Anne Dickerson.

> -

PHOTOGRAPH/

Photographs

106

WBVS 20th Anniversary Party at the Annual Meeting, 1992. Left to right: Ruby Wingate, Ruksana Mehta, Patsy Preston, Caroline Berney, Paula Jeffries, Anne Dickerson, Carla Peperzak.

Marie Favis, Barbara Shaw-Gheorghiu, and Joanne Garrity celebrate the 20th anniversary of the open­ing of the WBVS Office.

Annual Reports have been published since 1983.

b

'· Honora Presidents

I. HONORARY PRESIDENTS

Margaret McNamara 1972-1982.

Peggy Clausen 1982-1986.

Elaine Wolf ensohn 1994 to date.

Patsy Preston 1991-1994.

107

Photographs

II. WIVES and WBVS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES, 1987 TO 1993

1987-1988 Seated (l-r): Catherine Ah-Sue, Newsletter Editor; Arme Dickerson, President; Helen Maybwy, Language/Literature Coordinator; Gail FlLad, Welcoming Chairman; Standing (l-r): Inger Hegstad, Member-at-Large; Barbara Wieseman, Secretmy; Ileana De Geyndt, Member-at-Large; Carla Scearce, Nominating Chairman; Ruksana Mehtn, Vice President/Program Coordinator (Not shown; Nel Stam. Vice President and Veronica Webb, Member- at-Large).

1989-1990 Seated {l-r): Carol Murphy, Secretary; Ruksana Mehta, President; Caroline Berney, Vice President; Elisabeth Ziller, Language/Literature Coordinator; Standing (l-r): May Payne, Welcoming Chairman, Glenna Habayeb, Newsletter Editor; Beatrice Hamilton, Member-at-Large; Jennifer Heggie, Member- at-Large; Aimee Warren, Nominating Chairman (Not shown: Silvia Domenge, Member-at-Large).

1991-1992 (l-r): Prue Hill, Member-at-Large; Mainwuna Mills, Member-at­Large; Katy Doyen, Vice President; Caroline Berney, President; Patsy Preston, Honormy President; Jacquie Dodero, Language/Literature Coordinator; Mary Ann Briggs, Secretmy; Ileana de Geyndt, Welcoming Chairman; Lilian Silveira, Nominating Chinnan; Andrea Fishman Ackermann, Member-at-Large (Not shown; Janet Geli, Newsletter Editor).

108

1988-1989 Seated (l-r): Carol Murphy, Secretmy; Veronica Webb, Member-at­Large; Ruksana Mehtn, President; Caroline Berney, Vice President; Standing (l-r): Catherine Ah-Sue, Newsletter Editor; Elisabeth Ziller, Language/Literature Coordinator; Beatrice Hamilton, Member-at-Large; Gail FlLad, Welcoming Chatr­man; Jennifer Heggie, Member -at-Large; Carla Scearce, Nominating Chairman.

1990-1991 Seated (l-r): Mary Ann Briggs, Secretary; Ruksana Mehta, President; Caroline Berney, Vice President; Aimee Warren, Nominating Chairman,· Standing (l-r): Ileana de Geyndt, Welcoming Chairman; Andrea Fishman Ackermann, Member-at-Large; Glenna Habayeb, Newsletter Editor; Beatrice Hamilton, Member-at-Large; Elisabeth Ziller, Language/Literature Coordinator; Jennifer Heggie, Member-at-Large.

1992-1993 Seated (l-r): Mmy Ann Briggs, Secretmy; Janet Geli, Newsletter Editor; Prue Hill, Member-at-Large, Lilian Silveira, Nominating Chairman; Standing (l-r): Jacquie Dodero, Language-Literature Coordinator; Ompie Liebenthal, Member-at-Large; Caroline Berney, President; Katy Doyen, Vice President; Andrea Fishman Ackermann, Member-at-Large; Etelvina Tyler, Welcoming Chairman.

I }

i-

1993 TO 1998

1993-1994 Seated ([-r): Ompie Liebenthal Member-at-Large; Etelvina Tyler, Welcoming Chairman; Caroline Berney, President; Katy Doyen, Vice President; Standing ([-r): Jacquie Dodero, Language/Literature Coordinator; Prue Hill. Member-at-Large; Alison Ordu. Nominnting Chairman; Vim Maguire, Member­at-Large; Kris Martin, Secretnry (Not shown: Janet Geli, Newsletter Editor).

1994-1995 Seated ([-r): Etelvina Tyler, Welcoming Chairman; HadaZnidan, Vice President; Katy Doyen, President; Kris Martin, Secretnry; Vim Maguire, Member-at-Large; Standing ([-r): Na'01Ja Feder, Member-at-Large; Alison Ordu. Norminnting Chairman; Daniele Bach-Baouab, Language-Literature Coordi­nator; Ompie Liebenthal. Member-at-Large; Claire Flnyd, Mosaic Editnr.

1995-1996 Seated ([-r): Loes Leng/et, Secretnry; HadaZnidan, Vice President; Katy Doyen, President; Elaine Wo!fensohn, Honorary President.; Standing ([-r) : Daniele Bach-Baouab, Language-Literature Coordinator; Cathy Mutwnbuka, Member-at-Large; VimMaguire, Member-at-Large; CuquiPaschke-Velez, Nominnting Chairman; Lynn Forno, Welcoming Chairman; Na'= Feder. Member-at-Large. (Not shown: Prue Hill. Mosaic Editnr.)

Executive Committees

1996-1997 Seated ([-r): Bany Mclsaac, Vice President; HadaZnidan, President, Lynn Forno, Welcoming Chairman; Cuqui Paschke-Velez, Nominnting Chairman; Standing ([-r): Cathy Mutwnbuka, Member-at-Large; Prue Hill. Mosaic Editnr; Loes Leng/et, Secretnry; Daniele Bach-Baouab Language/ Literature Coordinator; NeetaDatt, Member-at-Large; Na'avaFeder, Member-at-Large.

1997-1998 Seated ([-r): Maha Oteifa, Nominnting Chairman; Bany Mclsaac, Vice President; Hada Znidan, President; Helen Podolske, Member-at-Large; Standing ([-r): Neeta Datt, Member-at-Large; Christine Saddington, Language/Literature Coordinator; Lynn Forno, Welcoming Chairman; Maryagnes Kerr, Secretnry; Carolyn Conway, Mosaic Editor.

109

Photographs

III. MEMBERS AND EVENTS -THE 1970s

110

Babs Knox, WIVES Founding Committee, co-founder of the MMMF, andfounder and President of the Book Project.

Carla Scearce, WIVES Executive Committee, Weekend Activities, UNICEF, and MMMF Founding Committees, MMMF Board member, V.P., and originator

Aida Habib, leader of the Virginia group, WIVES Executive Committee, MMMF Founding Committee, MMMFBoard.

of the International Arts and Crafts Fair.

A meeting at Miliza Wrighfs home. Left to right: Daphne Spurling Caroline Berney, Ursula Revuelta, Anne Dickerson, Miliza Wright' and Carla Peperzak. '

T?-ie Opportunities Information Service in the fall of 1973. Left to nght: Ruby Wingate, Joy Dunkerley, and Nel Jansen.

<

l

THE 1970s CONTINUED

Teel Zetterstrom, WIVES Executive Committee, MMMF Board, MMMF Secretary.

Yvonne Kendall, WIVES Executive Committee, MMMF Fowuiing Committee, MMMF Selection Committee.

The 1970's

Left to right: Miliza Wright, W1identifiable persons, Harold Graves of the Personnel Department, Ruby Wingate, Paula Jeffries, Carla Peperzalc.

Miliza Wright, WIVES Fowuiing Committee, WIVES Executive Committee Chair 1977-78 and 1981-83, with Ursula Revuelta, WIVES Executive Committee 1978-81 and 1983-85.

Sarra Chernick and Babs Knox, members of the WIVES Foimding Committee.

A youth disco held in the Bank in the 1970's.

111

Photo ra hs

IV. MEMBERS AND EVENTS -THE 1980s

Cecilia Fremy, WBVS Executive Committee 1984-85, MMMFChampagne Ball 1986-87, and Vim Maguire, WBVS Executive Corrunittee 1982-85, 1993-96.

May Payne, \VIVES Executive Committee member, Book PrQject volunteer, MMMF Selection Panel Chair, and WBVS repre­sentative to the Joint Sta.ff Health Advisory Committee.

Marian Subah (Liberia), the.first MMMF grant recipient, 1983. Mansoora Ayub, WIVES Executive Committee 1978-80, and others

at a fashion show at an Annual Meeting.

Natalie Whitney, OJfice Administrator, and Peggy Clausen. Marie Favis, Olfice Assistant, and Na'ava Feder; WBVS Executive Committee 1994-97.

112

,J

I

The 1980's

THE 1980s CONTINUED

Lilian Silveira, MMMF Selection Panel Chair, and Lucy Liuma, MMMF grant recipient, at the Annual Meeting, 1988.

Clara Gordon, long-time Book Project volunteer.

A Book Project shipment arrives in Dar es Salaam.

Charlntte Conable receives the .first MMMF Cook Book. Left to right: Genevieve Bailie; Hada Zaidan, editor; Babs Knox; Charlntte Conable.

Sandra Finzi led discussion groups beginning in the late 1980s.

Anne Dickerson and Babs Knox; Sukriye Karaosmanoglu in the backgrowtl

113

Photographs

THE 1980s CONTINUED

The H Building Auditorium was transformed annually for the International Arts and Crafts Fair beginning in 1986.

Olga van der Plas and Anne Burrows at a New­comers Orientation meeting, 1989.

The MMMF Table at the International Arts and Crafts Fair, 1990. Left to right: Ruby Wingate, Carla Scearce, Sukriye Karaosmanoglu, Charlotte Conable, Aimee Warren, and Carmen Gonzalez.

Etelvina Tyler, Vim Maguire, and Caroline Beenhakker serve lunch at Le Cafe at the Fair.

114

Barbara Wieseman, WBVS Executive Committee 1985-88, and Ruksana Mehta. WBVS Executive Committee 1987-88, President 1988-91.

Sarah Greening, WBVS Executive Committee 1981-84, and Liz Fennell, MMMF Selection Committee, Book Prqject President 1992-94.

V. MEMBERS AND EVENTS -THE 1990s

Bilsel Alisbah, the Bank's Vice President, Personnel and Administration, and Ruksana Mehta, WBVS President, sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bank and WBVS, December 20, 1990.

MMMF grant recipient, Neema Ngware (Tanzania), with Babs Knox at the AnnualMeeting, 1991.

Lynn Forno, Welcoming Chair 1995 to date.

Claire Floyd, Mosaic editor 1994-95.

Kaiy Doyen, A.ftican Literature and Culture Group, MMMF Selection Committee 1991, WBVS Executive Committee 1991-94, WBVS President 1994-96, and Helen Maybwy, WBVS Executive Committee 1985-88, English Language Groups, MMMF Selection Committee, Honorruy President's Receptionfor Newcomers Committee.

The 1990's

Glenna Habayeb, newsletter editor 1989-91.

115

Photographs

THE 1990s CONTINUED

116

A WBVS exhibit during Sta.ff Week. Left to right: Helen Maybwy, Carmen Gonzalez, Joanne Ganity, Susan Baig, Caroline Berney, Liz Fennell

Yvonne Kendall, Lou Niemann, Sandra Finzi, Joanne Ganity, Elisabeth Ziller, and Andrea Fishman-Ackermann at Ruksana Mehta's lwuse.

Vim Maguire and Ileana de Geyndt do a skit at ajoint meeting ofWBVS and the IMF's International Families of the Fund OjJice (INFFO).

The MMMF Selection Panel in 1993 included Harriet Baldwin, Chair; Sigrid BlobeL Vice-chair; Neeti Banerjee, Therese Bedwany-De Clercq, Jessie Baum, Shahida Lateef, Loes Lenglet, Priscilla Rachun Linn, Ena Mallwtra, Leonie Menezes, Gloria Scott, Lola Segura, Sally Skillings, Hada ZaidaJL

I (

THE 1990s CONTINUED

The Annual Meeting, 1992. Clockwise .from.front left: Peter Kwp, Director, Personnel; wiidentiflable person; Christine Ryrie, MMMF Board; MMMF grant recipient Josefina Bonilla (Nicaragua); Sukriye Karaosmanoglu, President MMMF Board of Directors; BilselAlisbah, Vice President, Personnel Administration; Caroline Berney, President, WBVS; Patsy Preston, Honorruy President, WBVS and MMMF.

Unknown revellers at the WBVS Carnival celebrating WBVS's 20th anniversruy in 1992.

The 1990's

Sukriye Karaosmanoglu, President MMMF Board of Directors 1987-1994, selling Bene.fit RajJle tickets.

A Welcoming Coffee at Lynn Forno's house.

Harriet Baldwin, WIVES Executive Committee, MMMF Selection PaneL MMMF Selection Committee Chair, and MMMFBoard member, with Hebret Behre (Eritrea), MMMF grant recipient, at the Annual Meeting 1995.

117

Photographs

THE 1990s CONTINUED

A thank-you letter from a Book Prqject recipient

118

The Bank's warehouse in Laurel, MD, where the Book Project stored and packed books. Seated: Nadia Attinost, Jack Wilkerson. Standing: Anna Dahlborg, Ineke de Haan, Liz Fennell.

Anna Dahlborg and Lillerrwr Schou in their booth at the International Arts and Crafts Fair.

The Bank's Vice Presidentfor Environmentally Sustainable Development, Ismail Serageldin, addressed newcomers at Mrs. Wolfensohn's Reception for Newcomers, 1995.

UNICEF coordinators Ingrid de Vries and Yumiko Miura, selling cards to two customers in 1997.

. ~

THE 1990s CONTINUED

Elaine Wo!fensohn helped at the MMMF Table at the International Arts and Crafts Fair in 1997 as Priscilla RachW1 Linn and Sukriye Karaosmmwglu looked on.

Mr. Wo!fensohn addressed a meeting ofWBVS in December. 1996. Left to right: Ruksana Mehta, Elaine Wo!fensohn, Mr. Wo!fensohn, Hada Zaidan, WBVS President.

The 1990's

Annual Meeting Committee 1997. Left to right: Caroline Berney, Chair; Ompie Liebenthal; Jacquie Dodero; Cleo Cruikshank; Ann Kerr; Shirley Scheyer; Hada Zaidan, President WBVS; Georgine Ahmad; Lilian Silveira.

In the Accounting Office at the Fair. Left to right: Ruby Wingate, Fair treasurer; Harriet Baldwin; Carla Scearce, Chair of the Fair; Ineke de Haan and Mary Ann Briggs, treasurers of the MMMF.

Representative Council meeting, October 1997. Left to right: Unni Moritz, Sandra Finzi, Ann Kerr; Maha Oteifa.

119

Photographs

THE 1990s CONTINUED

Sichan Siu, a newcomer, and Barry Mclsaac, WBVS Vice President, at Mrs. Wo!fensohn's Receptionfor Newcomers in 1997.

Carolyn Conway, Mosaic editor, in 1997.

Karen Harrison, Chair of the MMMF Selection Committee, in 1997.

Elaine Wo!fensohn and Hada Zaidan recognizing Aida Habib, Ruby Wingate, and Carla Scearce for the longest continuous period of active participation in WBVS.

120

Priscilla Rachun Linn, President of the MMMF Board of Directors, recognizing Sigrid BlobeL MMMF Selection Committee Chair, at the Annual Meeting in 1996.

Beth Shepherd, President of the Book PrQject, recognizing Elizabeth Willen, one of the Book Project's longest-serving vol11nteers.