President's Message

Welcome to NACOPRW-SoCal web site. We invite you to explore the myriad of opportunities that exist through our National Conference of Puerto Rican Women-Southern California Chapter. You are encouraged to engage with dedicated women of Puerto Rican and Latin American communities for the purpose of serving one another in areas of education, community service, mentoring of our youth, and the enrichment of life through friendships and cultural events.

This year will prove to be a challenging and exciting year for all of us, especially in the area of Community Engagement and Service. The enrichment of our common lives through keeping our island traditions and values will be one of our main efforts this year. Celebrating Puerto Rico's rich culture in California will be an invigorating and passionate goal in 2012.

Our goal is simple. We aspire to become a resource and partner in the enrichment of community involvement; to help in realizing your personal dreams; to create extended families through working together for the common good and to provide opportunities for new friendships with shared common roots. Join us for a fun-filled year!

Sincerely,

Darma Castro-Paden
NACOPRW-SoCal President 2012

President's Guanín

The guanín is a symbol of leadership used in the Taíno culture by the chief or cacique. NACOPRW-SoCal uses the guanín as a symbol of our heritage and leadership. It passes on from president to president in the tradition of the Taínos.

Taíno society was matrilineal. Name and status were inherited from one's mother and social standing was reckoned such that women might outrank men, even if men usually held political power. The caciques and their families were at the top of the social hierarchy. The mothers, sisters and grandmothers held especially high status. NACOPRW-SoCal's guanín is a design and creation of the chapter's co-founder, D.E. Castro Paden.

NACOPRW-SoCal Executive Board 2012



D. E. Castro-Paden, President
O. T. Howard, 1^st Vice President
S. Wooton, 2^nd Vice President
L. C. Almodóvar-Solé, Secretary
L. Vizcarrondo, Treasurer

NACOPRW-SoCal Purpose and Goals

The NACOPRW-SoCal chapter strives to:

1. Educate Puerto Rican and other Hispanic women of their rights; identify and develop leadership skills as a way to enhance their status as members of our society.



2. Assist its membership in taking responsibility for the development and maintenance of their Puerto Rican heritage by providing networking opportunities, enrichment activities and a supportive atmosphere.



3. Organize educational, social, and cultural events to: disseminate, promote and increase community awareness of the Puerto Rican culture (including but not limited to its manifestations in the arts, literature, economy, government, traditions, education, sports, history, geography, language); establish and maintain ties with other Puerto Ricans to maintain our ethnic identity; preserve and promote the use of the Spanish language as an essential part of our cultural heritage.



4. Provide unity, and cohesiveness within the Puerto Rican communities; develop awareness of our contribution to the welfare of the community.



5. Collaborate with other organizations, foster close ties among NACOPRW chapters, and establish a network for the accomplishment of our purpose and goals.