Wow! ICAN

What a great day!

It was beautiful here in the PNW: sunshine-y and warm, for a change. It has been a wonderfully dreary winter here this year, so the sunshine was a welcome change of weather.

I had a BOD meeting with ICAN of Tacoma today, and it was just so awesome! Our BOD has drastically changed since last summer/fall, when our chapter was mentioned in USA Today. Our original Chapter Leader stepped down due to pregnancy related issues. Then, quite suddenly and without notice, our PR person quit via email. I was so stunned, I still haven't responded to her. Then, to make thing just a little more stressful, our treasurer quit after being asked by National for her 6-month financial report. She, too, was so considerate as to quit abruptly via email. What's that about, anyway? It's about pissing me off, I'll tell ya that much.

So, what was a board of 5 was quickly a board of two.

Well, we invited another woman to join our board as Secretary; the Chapter Leader is now the Treasurer, per her request, and I am the sole Chapter Leader. That's it. That's our board. We do have a consultant, but she's not technically on the BOD, even though she attends every BOD meeting and is very active in and supportive of our chapter.

We have so much to do in our chapter; we came out swinging with our VBAC rallies and such, but we need to make a more lasting impression upon our community in ways that extend beyond activism. We would also like OBs, CNMs, LMs and FPMDs to see us as a resource and not as an adversary. We really need more members and donations to sustain our chapter and to continue our advocacy work.

I know that i feel really excited after today's meeting! I know that what we are doing is important and will have an effect on policies in our community. It will take a concerted and consistent effort by consumers and professionals in our area, but it can be done! We can make birth safer for mothers and babies!