President's Message

Bienvenidos/Welcome! "Come One, Come All" and enjoy the readings, enjoy the pictures and help us celebrate our culture. It is my pleasure to welcome you all, returning members, new members and future members. As NACOPRW-SoCal enters its 13th anniversary, we begin this year with a burning desire to continue with our mission of mentoring and educating the women in our communities with an open heart and mind to expand and grow as opportunities present themselves. We not only want to share with you and your loved ones the warmth of our island, Puerto Rico, but also the strength and wisdom we've inherited from those before us.

Let us make 2011 the year to reconnect, regenerate and redefine ourselves. Let's do more, shine more, explore more and blossom, and in the process, enjoy life like we've never enjoyed it before. We look forward to seeing you all at our workshops, seminars, networking gatherings and most of all at our cultural celebrations.

We are blessed because of your undying support. Thank you for the past memories and for helping us create new ones.

Sincerely,

Luz Minelba Machado
NACOPRW-SoCal President 2011

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 2011



L. M. Machado, President
D. E. Castro-Paden, 1^st Vice President
A. Lugo, 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.