HISTORY OF SI CARMEL BAY

The 28 women who signed the charter on November 20, 1982, a few of whom continue to live and work on the peninsula today, upheld the Soroptimist ideals in a superior fashion and grew the club into a fund raising powerhouse. Over the ensuing years the hard-working members succeeded in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the benefit of area charities as well as scholarships and grants for women.

Today all clubs struggle to raise funds and attract members, not just Soroptimist clubs. Happily we can report a recent element of new inquiries and interest, and our club continues to grow and thrive.

In March 2014, we granted four Live Your Dream Awards: Educational and Training Awards for Women (formerly known as the Women Opportunity Awards) to four very deserving re-entering, single head of household women.   It was the highlight of our year!

We have new women inquiring about supporting the mission of Soroptimist International and the goals and project we undertake at SICB, and they have been accepted into our club, as we continue to grow our membership.

Many members of all walks of life, feel compelled to ‘give back’  during this time when so many are in need. Our membership embraces that thought.

SI Carmel Bay was sponsored by SI of the Monterey Peninsula, which at the time was one of the oldest clubs in the world.  Sadly, it disbanded. Today the oldest club in our region, and one of the oldest in the world, is SI San Francisco, an active, thriving club that has held its charter since 1922.  Nearby SI Watsonville was chartered in 1928, and continues to be an active club and continues to advance the mission of Soroptimist.