The conference started with an award ceremony Friday night. The hosting Zonta Club of Brixen-Bressanone, my home club, for the first time awarded a scholarship to young women striving for higher education in the name of the first female city councillor and honorary member of the club, who has dedicated a part of her inheritance to the Zonta Club. Attendance was great with local politicians, representatives of several social groups and many Zontians from our District. Several press articles ensured broad visibility for Zonta International.

Saturday morning was dedicated to the must be Zonta business of reporting and introduction of candidates as well as to the possibility of gathering information at the “Market Place”, where Area Directors and Committee Chairs were presenting at their market tables.  After the key note on “We should all be feminist”, a look at the difficulties we seem to have with the term today, the afternoon offered six different workshops.  The range of subjects was broad, from the topic of ” Innovation in Agriculture is Female” to ” Respect is Our Daily Bread – Men Against Violence” to ” Mysteries of CEDAW or how to use an international convention on local or regional level?; from a “Zonta International Projects Update” to “Wnet-networking women: Goals and effects of a regional network” to ” FEMBIO Writing biographies of women by women”. The feedback mirrored the high level of interest of the attendees. The evening we spent in a very traditional setting with great food and local wine and music. Most importantly though enjoying Zonta company and friendship.

Sunday morning was entirely dedicated  Zonta as we learned about the Centennial Anniversary Endowment Campaign from Liaison International Director Sonia Albanese, followed by an introduction on the planning of events regarding 100 Years of Zonta International from D14 Committee Chair. The GMD Global Membership Drive with its fantastic materials to be used by clubs was presented before we could welcome Zonta e-Club Bavaria , the first of its kind in District 14. Two more firsts we welcomed with Golden Z Club Vienna, hows members presented their program, and lastly with Z Club DLSB Hungary, chartered this summer.

Before saying goodby we were introduced to the city and club of Erfurt, where the conference will be in two years and to Yokohama Japan, where we might all meet for the ZI Convention in 2018.

The feedback about the conference program from our Zonta sisters was very positive. Also the social program was very appreciated and enjoyed. Very positive was the notion how well all Zontians of the hosting ZC Brixen worked together as a tightly woven group. They admitted that though it was quite a bit of time and effort that they had to dedicate, it was an experience that brought them together on a different level. To get and be involved is key for Zonta club spirit.

Elisabeth Thaler

D 14 Governor 2016-2018 &

Service Committee Chair

ZC Brixen-Bressanone Italy