Page 15 - WL-Winter-Magazine-2023

lEading thE Way
Peg Paradise has held a variety of leadership positions
along the way.
“Lady of ceremonies, junior supervisor, treasurer,
vice president, president — I’ve done every one of
them,” she says. “The older people had their offices,
and as we got older, we took over.”
She has been president of Chapter 59 for over 30
years. “I like to make the meetings interesting,” she
says. “We have a lot of fun.”
Paradise also served on the Woman’s Life board of
directors from 1998-2002. She made two trips to the
home office and enjoyed touring the historic building
and meeting people in the departments. She recalls
long days at board meetings followed by dinners out.
“I was so nervous at the meetings,” she says. “The
other board members knew so much about financ-
es, but I only knew about fraternal experiences. They
all welcomed me, and we became good friends, and
I learned what a wonderful organization it is. I’m so Top: Paradise’s dance class in the early 1940s. Bottom,
blessed to have had that gift.” left to right: her family at the 2002 National Convention,
and Paradise with her mother at a Lodge meeting.
giving Back
Paradise has led an array of Review 59 fundraisers — ba- Meetings and events are smaller now. Review meet-
zaars, dinners, raffles, picnics... “We did it all,” she says. ings used to be in a hall, but now Paradise hosts them
The Penny Fund, the review’s longest-running in her home with a handful of members. She and Viv-
annual fundraiser, donated thousands of dollars in ian Michel, 97, are among the last of what Paradise
pennies with Matching Funds from Woman’s Life refers to as the old guard.
to more than 40 hospices since 1992, and the project “We do two big takeout dinners a year now, which
continues today. my kids help lead, but we can’t do all those fundraisers
Other annual charitable events include serving we used to do,” she says. “There are just not enough
dinners at Meals and More soup kitchen, holding ba- of us anymore.”
zaars to benefit Ronald McDonald House (exceeding Paradise reminisces about the pomp and circum-
$13,000 in donations), and visiting nursing homes, stance of the past. “Our officer installations were all
where they brought a karaoke machine, and she took fancy,” she reflects. “We wore our formals, had fancy
residents’ photos. Members of the review also knitted little sandwiches, invited guests to come, and even
over 200 preemie hats for four hospitals in Rochester, brought in the national president.”
including one where a chapter member’s relative de- While Review 59 has scaled back, Paradise credits
livered a premature baby. her continued involvement with contributing to her
“The only way I think I can make a difference is by longevity. “I’ve been keeping the group together,” she
trying to do these things and keep the review going,” notes. “We try to stay active as much as we can. It
Paradise says. “It’s important for the volunteerism.” keeps me moving. It keeps me thinking and going.”
Of course, she’s not doing it for herself. “It’s import-
changing timEs ant for women to be together and do these things,”
Reflecting on Paradise’s early days in Woman’s Life, she says. “It’s important to keep these friends, and
times have changed. we’ve met so many people. I love the review, and I
“It is a lot different now,” she says. “We used to love Woman’s Life, and they do so many good things
have four meetings a month — a business meeting, for everybody. I wish other people could experience
a guard meeting, a social, and an officer’s meeting. something like it because that’s what the world needs
Back then, the women needed someplace for a night more of — these groups where people do things for
out, and we were there for that.” other people and not for themselves.”

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