Dear Sister Dames,
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'd like to offer special thanks to each of you for all that you do for this chapter. And, if you are traveling for the holidays, I wish you safe travels and much joy with family and friends. I'm sure all of your tables will be bountiful with delicious foods. Take lots of photos and post on Instagram using #LddcTurkeyDay. Let's see how many gorgeous turkey photos we can get.
At our November 9 Autumn General Membership Meeting, I gave a state of the chapter with Treasurer Drew Faulkner's
help since I had an unfortunate case of laryngitis. (You can read the AGMM minutes on our chapter website under "chapter documents.") We reported that our chapter has a solid financial standing with our bank and investment accounts. We have about $160,000 in a variety of savings and investments. That being said, Drew and I have poured over our chapter finances, reorganized the data, and discovered that our income does not cover our operating expenses. Our current operating budget, which includes all administrative and membership expenses, is $20,420. The amount covered by our membership dues is $13,200. This leaves $7,220 that needs to be covered somehow. We found that about 20% of this year's shortfall can be attributed to more Dames than anticipated taking leaves of absences which have no dues requirement.
You might say, "Let's use some of our savings to cover our shortfall." Well, we have been doing that. We had to draw $23,000 down from our savings to balance our 2017-2018 budget. We again withdrew over $7,000 in the 2018-2019 fiscal year to balance that budget. This is without any disbursement for scholarships last year. I know that this is no way to run a business.
Please know that the board has cut expenses in every area of the budget it can find. We have now completed an audit and understand our financial position; so, we can structure our spending strategically and balance our operational budget to meet our mission. We WILL give scholarships this year.
Where, logically, should the income be drawn from?
We are considering two changes to ensure a balanced budget going forward.
Part of that structure will be to raise our dues for the first time in at least seven years. At the LDEI conference in Nashville last month, the counsel of delegates voted to increase the international dues by $15. We are considering an increase in our chapter dues, as well, to help balance our operating budget. But that alone will not cover the deficit.
Secondly, we are looking at various pricing models for our public programs which will take into consideration our LDE-DC administration costs for marketing the program and other expenses (guest meals, sound equipment, etc.), as well as donations for grants, scholarships or Green Tables initiatives. I expect most people, given a choice, would rather donate to our scholarships and grants program rather than our general funds. It's sexier. But there is a cost to doing business and, it seems to me, that if we offer extraordinary programs and price them accordingly, with our mission in mind, we can easily make this work.
Nothing has been put in motion as of yet but I do want to be completely transparent about the state of our chapter.
As I said in the meeting, this is not all doom and gloom. This is taking a good look under the hood to discover where we need to fix things. We've peeled back the layers, done the math and discovered the areas that need improvement. There are no more hidden surprises lurking out there. This is a good position to be in and, I promise the finance committee is doing everything to make this year a strong one.
On a more positive note, I'm pleased to report that we've had some successful programs thus far and we have two fundraisers planned for this year: our symposium at the end of March and a cocktail event at the French ambassador's residence in the first quarter of 2020 will support our grants and scholarship funding and our other community outreach programs.
Soon you'll receive an email about our Women In Gastronomy symposium which will lay out the committee's progress. There are areas of need; so, we will ask for your help to make this an extraordinary event.
Should you have a chapter question, concern or idea, please shoot me an email president@lesdamesdc.org or give me a call (410) 212-2224.
Stacey Adams
President Les Dames - Washington, DC |
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For those of you looking forward to a December holiday party, surprise, it will be in January! Details to come.
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Julia Rutland authored a cookbook and several food and travel articles that were published this fall: Squash: 50 Tried and True Recipes (Adventure Publications); Culinary Road Trip (Southern Living Magazine, December), Visit Williamsburg, and Chasing Fall Color (Southern Living Magazine, October); Devilishly Delicious Halloween Party Treats and Thanksgiving Pies (Bottom Line Personal Magazine). Click here for Southern Living December Issue, Leesburg. Click here for the Southern Living October Issue, Fall color.
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DAMES NEWS
PROCHILE ROADSHOW
Jodi Lehr, Cindy Kacher, Linda Roth, and Lori Gardner
at ProChile Roadshow promoting food & wine from Chile.
AUTUMN GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Dames gathered at Ris Restaurant for our Autumn General Membership Meeting on November 9, 2019. President Stacey Adams and Treasurer Drew Faulkner presented a number of issues surrounding our chapter finances and committee chairs reported to the group on their committee's activities. Parliamentarian Diane Neas participated virtually. The group enjoyed a delicious luncheon prepared by Ris's capable staff.
Treasurer Drew Faulkner and President Stacey Adams
Ris Lacoste addressing the audience while Julia Rutland takes notes in the background.
A virtual Diane Neas and Sandra Kay Miller at the meeting.
Dames gathered at the luncheon.
Les Dames was represented all over last weekend's Metro Cooking DC where more than 14,000 culinary enthusiasts shopped from hundreds of specialty food exhibitors, sampled and tasted at the Grand Tasting Pavilion and BBQ Bash, sat in on educational Taste Talks and saw demonstrations by the likes of Martha Stewart and Wolfgang Puck.
Amy Brandwein cooked to a packed house on the James Beard Foundation Stage.
Amy Riolo conducted a Taste Talk demonstration and shared some backstage time with Wolfgang Puck when she presented him a bottle of her just released and branded EVOO which he then proceeded to use on stage as he made risotto.
Maria Kopsidas did double duty as her Cookology Culinary School team presented two cooking classes and demonstrations in addition to her information booth.
Lidia Bastianich (NY) gave a talk moderated by Washington Life editor Catherine Trifeletti and she held a book signing session along with Martha Stewart. Amy Riolo and Jill Collins. Jill is the public relations coordinator for this event which is now in its 14th year.
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PROGRAMS
JUBILEE: A CELEBRATION OF THE RECIPES FROM TWO CENTURIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COOKING WITH TONI TIPTON-MARTIN - LAST DAYS TO SIGN UP
Join James Beard Award winning author, Toni Tipton-Martin, for a luncheon and presentation that celebrates unsung African-American cooks and the modern American cuisine they created. Toni Tipton-Martin, the first African-American food editor of a daily American newspaper (The Cleveland Plain Dealer), wrote the James Beard Award-winning The Jemima Code, a history of African-American cooking found in--and between--the lines of two centuries' worth of African-American cookbooks. Tipton-Martin builds on that research in Jubilee, adapting recipes from those historic texts for the modern kitchen. What we find is a world of African-American cuisine--made by enslaved master chefs, free caterers, and black entrepreneurs and culinary stars. It's a cuisine that was developed in the homes of the elite and middle class as well as in the living quarters of the enslaved; that takes inspiration from around the globe; that is a diverse, varied style of cooking that has created much of what we know of as American cuisine. Jubilee comes in a moment when the issue of African-American cultural ownership is a very relevant topic and Tipton-Martin's presentation will promote a lively discussion.
DATE: Saturday, November 23
TIME: 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: Gunther & Co., 3650 Toone Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
PRICE: Dames: $55; Non-Dames and Dames guests: $65 includes three-course luncheon and program, gratuity, welcome cocktail and a $15 donation to Les Dames d'Escoffier- Washington DC Chapter Scholarship Fund. If you wish to have a copy of Jubilee for Toni Tipton-Martin to sign, you can purchase a copy when you buy your ticket. The book will be waiting for you when you arrive for the luncheon.
PARKING: Ample parking just past the restaurant in the lot on the right.
MENU:
Liquified Soul
Champagne cocktail
The Welcoming Table and Food for Company
Peanut Soup
Curried Meat Pies
The Staff of Life
Sweet Potato Rolls
Spanish Cornbread
Comfort in Dining
Chicken and Hand Rolled Dumplings
A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That
Braised Celery (a.k.a. Celery Victor)
The Sweet Life
Lemon Tea Cake
DC DAMES MEMBER-TO-MEMBER KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
A series of Dames-Only events with our members sharing their skills INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS
If you have a business or product to promote, knowing how to use Instagram can help you grow. It is not just about selling; it is building a brand, telling a story and engaging with prospects. We are bringing in an expert to help us on this one. LaShondra Booker is the Founder and CEO of Raspberry Social, a Digital Marketing Consultancy dedicated to designing social media strategy and increasing engagement. She has over 10 years of experience implementing successful strategies for local restaurants, caterers and food industry professionals.
Instagram Tips and Tricks with LaShondra Booker
Light Snacks
DATE: December 2
TIME: 6:45 to 8:30 p.m.
Maximize the value of this program by including questions about Instagram when you RSVP, along with your Instagram handle.
PRICE: $10 (pay at the event)
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Entre News is our LDE-DC chapter e-newsletter. It is published on the first and third Wednesday of each month. It is on hiatus during the month of August. Deadline for HURRAH! and other news is the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Please send a BRIEF paragraph with your professional and personal news that you would like your sister Dames to know about in HURRAH!
HURRAH! is not meant as an advertising opportunity for a cooking class or event, rather it offers a shout out to members for recent accomplishments and honors. Please submit your HURRAH to eneditor@lesdamesdc.org in a succinct 75 words of less.
DAMES CORNER is a brief feature to help us get to know our sister Dames a bit better. We will randomly choose Dames to profile who have differing professional backgrounds so the coverage is more interesting.
OF INTEREST offers Dames a chance to let their sister chapter members know about events they are involved in that might be of interest to a majority of the membership. Its function is not to promote products, cooking classes, culinary trips, etc., rather to alert members to public programs that might be of professional interest, especially if Dames are featured. We request OF INTEREST entries to be no longer than 150 words. Less is always better.
JOB OPPS can open Dames networks to employment opportunities.
Thank you for you continued interest and participation.
Katherine Newell Smith
Founding Editor, Entre News
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Social Media Connections
Connect with Sister Dames
 LesDamesDC
 @LesDamesDC
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We need ALL members who have FB, Twitter and Instagram accounts to follow and actively re-tweet our members' tweets to spread the great news about our activities and programs!
Connect with Les Dames d'Escoffier International
Please share news, events and updates. Join the LDEI members-only LinkedIn Group to stay connected with other Dames.
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Join a Committee....
You were invited to join Dames because of your talents and achievements and you promised to be part of our chapter's committee work; so, now it is time to
Get Involved!
Our committees offer the perfect opportunity to get to know your sister Dames, share your skills and to give back to the community through service. Every committee needs dedicated participants. Please contact the committee chairs and offer your time and skills, now.
2019-2020 Committee Chairs
Membership - Dames Who Dine:
Karen Lippold
dameswhodine@lesdamesdc.org
Membership - Engagement:
Carole Sugarman
Women in Gastronomy:
Laurie Bell
Eileen Dykes
Grants:
Jessica Botta
Scholarships:
Nona Nielsen-Parker
Green Tables:
Karen Vartan
Edee Hogan
Global Culinary Initiatives:
Amy Riolo
Public Relations:
Jill Collins
Development:
Annie Boutin King
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2019-2020
Julia Rutland
Financial Officer
Drew Faulkner
Communications Officer
Jill Collins
Directors
Olga Boikess
(Programs)
Karen Lippold
(Dames Who Dine)
Diane Neas
(Parliamentarian)
Karen Vartan
(Green Tables)
Alternate:
Carole Sugarman
(Member Engagement)
Janet Yu
(Past President)
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To view the latest approved board meeting minutes, go to www.lesdamesdc.org and
click on the Members Only tab and enter the password. Click on the dropdown menu for LDE-DC Board and you will see a link to the board meeting minutes. During each monthly board meeting, the board approves the previous month's minutes and they are then posted to our website.
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It is easy to find chapter documents and resources, our event archives and past editions of Entre News.
We now have a single password that all Dames must use to access the Members Only section of the website. The password is ldedc2014. Please do not share this password with anyone outside of the Chapter. We are revising the members only section but the password remains as above. See Stacey's President's Letter for more information.
If you are having trouble logging into the website please contact our Communications Officer at communications@lesdamesdc.org
Under Member Login, you will see a revised menu where you can find:
- past and current Entre News issues posted under the Entre News Archives tab.
- archives of past chapter activities in the LDE-DC Dame Only Events menu along with upcoming events.
- helpful files including chapter letterhead, name tag template, LDEI logos and tax-exempt certificates under Documents and Forms.
- our chapter's standing rules, bylaws and membership roster under Bylaws, Roster & Minutes.
- A roster of Dames that can be printed out.
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LDEI Quarterly Deadlines:
The deadline for sending in Member Milestones and Chapter News for the SPRING issue of the LDEI Quarterly is JANUARY 20. Our archived Quarterly magazines are available online. If you are not receiving hard copies of Quarterly, please check your online contact information at www.ldei.org If it is correct, please contact Greg Jewell info@ldei.org to make sure you are on the mailing list.
Quarterly Guidelines:
Photography/Images-Electronic images must be properly focused, in color with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (TIFF or JPEG). Cell phone photos are acceptable if they meet resolution requirements. Do not send photos taken off the internet or embedded with text in Word files or PDF files. Identify individuals in photos from left to right in the message of your email. Include photo credits, if required. CAPTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION.
Member Milestones - Edited by Dorothy Koteski (Phil)
Share your professional news with Dames in all chapters in our LDEI Quarterly. Shout, don't whisper, about your accomplishments. We all want a chance to say "Brava!"
Submit Member Milestones by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-member-milestones. Any field marked with an asterisk (*) is required. Note that some forms have character limits due to space constraints. To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images.
Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received. Press releases and cookbook covers are not accepted. Entries received after the deadline may appear in a following issue.
Please know that you can also email your information, if you prefer. The email addresses listed under the Submission Guidelines will always be active and will forward to the correct person.
Submit Chapter News by filling out the interactive form at: http://link.ldei.org/ldei-chapter-programs.To submit a photo, reply "Yes" to "Would you like to submit a high resolution quality image?" Then click "Next". You will be taken to a second page where you can upload your images. Be sure to click the SUBMIT button to upload your responses. You will receive an email confirmation that your submission was received.
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