Scene Leader: Chapter IWNABE is getting ready for their program. This is a new chapter and they really want to be involved in promoting education and helping others. Let’s listen in on Susie Que (Chapter President), Melissa Sue, Lucy Lou and Mary Jane.
Chapter President: Melissa Sue, as program chairman are you ready to tell us all about our Iowa Project?
Melissa Sue: You mean IPPF? OK. So who can tell us what IPPF stands for? (Most sit with their hands on their laps, shrugging their shoulders. Lucy Lou raises her hand -- ) Lucy Lou?
Lucy Lou: Institute of Professional Printing Formats
Melissa Sue: Not really, how about you Mary Jane?
Mary Jane: Iowans Planting Pansies Forever
Melissa Sue: Actually it stands for Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc. It is the Iowa state project within the P.E.O. Sisterhood. It is comprised of 2 parts. The Sarah Porter Beckwith Friendship Fund and the Iowa Cottey College Scholarship Fund.
Lucy Lou: What is a Sarah Porter Beckwith?
Mary Jane: Lucy Lou, that is the name, not what.
Susie Que: That is actually the name of the retirement home that was originally established to help P.E.O. sisters like us.
Lucy Lou: You mean we have a home? Where?
Melissa Sue: The home was in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa a long time ago. It was established back in May 1931 and was created to help take care of P.E.O. sisters when they could no longer stay on their own. The home was sold in 2000 and the proceeds of the sale went to establish the fund that today we call the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc.
Mary Jane: So what does the fund do?
Melissa Sue: Remember I said there are 2 parts to the fund. Grants from the Sarah Porter Beckwith Friendship Fund help with medical payments, mortgage & rental payments, car loans, credit card debit and monthly living expenses. The maximum grant award is up to $5,000.
Lucy Lou: WOW – have I got bills that need to be paid!! I just bought these shoes and the matching purse and it was way over the top. Don’t tell my husband, he thinks I got them on sale.
Susie Que: Lucy Lou!!
Mary Jane: Really!! You just need to stop buying all those shoes, purses and hats. Half of them don’t match anything and then you have to go buy an outfit to match. You just like to shop.
Melissa Sue: Ladies please.
Lucy Lou: Sorry Melissa Sue.
Melissa Sue: The other part of the Sarah Porter Beckwith Friendship Fund is the option for Educational assistance. I heard at convention this year that they increased that the maximum grant award from $1,500. People can now apply for a grant up to $2,500 for help with education expenses. That could really help people who want to get an education but can’t afford it.
Mary Jane: Can anybody get the money?
Melissa Sue: Men, women or children. First time college students should apply. Even if someone went to school but had to drop out and now they want to go back, they should apply.
Lucy Lou: Is it guaranteed that they will get money?
Mary Jane: Nothing is guaranteed. Melissa Sue said you have to apply. But if you don’t apply, you won’t get anything.
Melissa Sue: Mary Jane is right. The application forms aren’t very hard to fill out. But we will talk about those in a minute. There is another part of the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc called the Iowa Cottey College Scholarship Fund. Cottey College is owned by the P.E.O. sisterhood. It is in Nevada.
Lucy Lou: Nevada? Nothing good comes out of Nevada except gambling.
Susie Que: Lucy Lou, behave!!
Melissa Sue: No Lucy Lou, Cottey College is in Nevada, Missouri. It is a women’s school, no men allowed.
Mary Jane: Sign my daughter up!! Better yet, sign Lucy Lou’s daughter up.
Lucy Lou: Heck, sign me up! Get me out of the house. Give me a place to rest my head, a book to read, feed me free food and I am one happy camper.
Susie Que: Lucy Lou if you don’t be quiet and listen, we might just send you!!
Melissa Sue: Speaking of food – they have a fabulous chief there too!! I went to one of those “see for yourself weekends” where you get to live as a Cottey student and tour the campus. It was awesome, I never wanted to leave.
Mary Jane: So why should we help?
Melissa Sue: Well, the Iowa girls that go to Cottey can get scholarships from the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund. Chapters support the fund with our financial gifts. They can’t do it alone.
Susie Que: Melissa Sue, can you explain about the forms? What are they, where do we find them?
Melissa Sue: All the forms are on the Iowa website at There is an Application Form – this is the one that is used to apply for up to $5,000. An Education Application and a Verification of Enrollment – these are used for tuition expenses. The Verification of Enrollment is new this year. If the application is approved the IPPF board will send money directly to the school or university – it is pretty neat. And a Financial Statement – that one is used for everything. The chapter also writes a letter explaining why we feel this person is qualified for an award, and the applicant can write a letter too. I brought copies of the forms for everyone to look at. (hand out copies of forms to everyone)
Lucy Lou: We expect people to fill all this out?
Melissa Sue: It looks like a lot but really it is just basic information.
Mary Jane: There is this lady I know at church. She sure is in a pickle. Her husband got laid off from work and hasn’t found another job. They have 2 kids in diapers and the only income is her salary at the grocery store and her husband’s unemployment that is about to run out. Could we use this to help her for a while?
Susie Que: Mary Jane that is an excellent idea.
Melissa Sue: A committee of 2 people helps the applicant fill out the paperwork to make sure everything is correct. Then the committee brings it back to the chapter and we vote on it and then send it in. It can take some time between meetings and things but it is worth our time if we can help someone financially. Mary Jane, would you like to be on the committee?
Mary Jane: Sure and maybe Lucy Lou could help?
Lucy Lou: Well what about Margaret Ann’s daughter, can’t we help her too? She wants to get her degree in Nursing but can’t find the money for school. Maybe we could do that one as well?
Susie Que: Those are both great ideas. See what we can do if we all try.
Melissa Sue: Let’s look at the Application form first and I can answer questions. We saw all this at convention, it was pretty easy to understand.
Lucy Lou: So do we just ask for the maximum amount?
Mary Jane: Shouldn’t we look at the need first and then determine the amount to ask for?
Melissa Sue: Yes we should. The Application Form is for collecting the basic information, who is applying, where they live, how the funds would be used, and where to send the money. The committee will be better able to fill in the blanks after they talk with the person. We record our chapter vote on this same form, after the committee comes back and explains the overall need.
Lucy Lou: Seems easy enough. What about the Educational Application, is that the same information?
Melissa Sue: Let’s see. It goes into more detail about if they are in school, where at, how long, and how much the school year will cost. When we do this one, we also fill out the new Verification of Enrollment.
Mary Jane: Why, don’t they trust us?
Melissa Sue: That’s not it at all. If approved the money will go directly to the school or university, and without having the enrollment verified the money could go into a wrong account and not for the person we are trying to help. This is a way of protecting our money.
Lucy Lou: You know - it is like if you get pulled over by the police for going too fast, they ask you for the registration of the car. They just want to make sure you didn’t steal anything. Happened to my brother-in-law last week, he just started…(get interrupted by Susie Que)
Susie Que: Lucy Lou!! The people who look at this aren’t police, they are P.E.O. Sisters. – they are trying to help. Pay attention.
Melissa Sue: The Financial Statement is the one that has the most information requested. You can’t just give this to the person and have them fill it out, you need to make sure you verify the information. No guessing allowed Lucy Lou…
Mary Jane: What if someone doesn’t want to give us the information?
Lucy Lou: Yeah, doesn’t anyone know the meaning of private?
Susie Que: Then the committee needs to explain that the information will remain confidential between the committee and the people that review these applications. Right Melissa Sue?
Melissa Sue: Right Susie Que. Only the committee and the Board of Directors of the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc see the financial statement. It helps them make decisions. Without that information, the application isn’t complete and can’t be processed.
Susie Que: It takes a lot of faith and trust to have someone apply for these funds. We as a Chapter need to make sure that we help them through the process and don’t walk away once the final decision has been made. We can send them caring notes, uplifting messages, encouragement along the way.
Lucy Lou: Chocolate wouldn’t hurt either.
Susie Que: Lucy Lou, that is the first good suggestion you have had tonight.
Melissa Sue: Let’s get together with our committee next week and get the application process started. Let’s use the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund to help these families.
Scene Leader: Chapter IWNABE has heard about the Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc, and it sounds like they already have some great suggestions for applicants. Let’s take what Chapter IWNABE has learned and go back to our chapters, tell about the changes we have heard today, and find our own applicants. The Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund Inc is there to help, let’s share the good news.