It is important to remember that all of our actions, no matter how small, make a difference in our community. Often times, it is a small action that touches someone’s life and makes a permanent impression. It is easy to get overwhelmed in today’s world and to feel like you just can’t do enough to make a difference.



A good story to think about to combat this feeling of "how much good can one person do" is the “Golden Starfish” story: While walking along a beach, a man saw someone in the distance bend down, pick something up, and throw it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that it was a young woman, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the ocean. The old man smiled and said, “I must ask, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” The woman replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” Upon hearing this, the man replied, “But do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!” The woman listened politely then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

The Juniors’ first project of the year, Special Olympics Bowling, was a great success and an extremely rewarding experience. The Juniors were assigned the duty of “lane monitor” in order to ensure that the bowlers knew which order they were bowling in, to assist those with severe handicaps in the actual process of bowling, to help the score keepers, and to act as cheerleaders. Everyone had a great time and the top scoring bowlers from this event will move on to the next level of competition.

Our second event was a chocolate party with Faces of Courage, a group that organizes camps for kids, women and families who have been affected by cancer or blood disorders. The Juniors have established a great relationship with Faces of Courage, and this is one of our favorite organizations to support.

I think it is safe to say that the GFWC Tampa Juniors are well on their way to “Making a Difference Everyday in Tampa Bay”!

New Member Iced Tea Party

Our new club year is starting, we will be hosting the New Member Iced Tea Party on Wednesday August 18th at the Clubhouse. If you have a friend or co-worker that you think would be interested in joining the Juniors please invite them to this event, if you don't ask they won't know!

The Individual Growth in Education Recipient - “TIGER”

The GFWC Tampa Junior Woman’s Club (TJWC) is proud to present The Ralph F. Schiller “TIGER” scholarship to our community.

Many individuals have a dream of going to college and continuing their education, however, with the rising costs of higher education; many cannot afford this luxury. The “TIGER” Scholarship was created in memory of Ralph F. Schiller. In 1926 his father abandoned the family and his mother realized that she could not handle the responsibility of a family. She dropped off the five children ranging in age from nine months to nine years old at the local orphanage. Being the oldest, Ralph was determined that his family would not be torn apart by these circumstances. He saved his food from his first meal, gathered up his four brothers and sisters and ran away to his grandparents’ home. His grandparents raised all five children as if they were their own. Because Ralph had made this decision, he also took on responsibility. He began a paper route before school and worked as a bag boy at the local grocery store after school. As his siblings grew Ralph saw that expenses were growing as well, so at 16 he dropped out of high school and joined the Army Air Corps.

Ralph had a successful career in the military. He served as a member of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers, World War II, Korea and was an adviser during the Vietnam War. Throughout this time his goal was to eventually return to school to complete his education. In February 1962 he learned that he would soon be a father. He began to plan his dreams and realized that with a limited education he would have a difficult time helping his child to do simple homework. With this realization, he went back to high school and earned his diploma. He then applied to Merced College, California, began the curriculum, and in 1972 received his college degree. This all began at the age of 44.

The goal of this scholarship is to provide assistance for continuing education to a Tampa Bay Area male and female. This is not restricted to high school students, simply anyone seriously looking to further their education by attaining a college degree.