P.E.O. and Quilts

I attended the biennial convention of the P.E.O. Sisterhood earlier this month. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with other P.E.O. sisters that I've known through the years as well as an opportunity to meet new sisters and get updated on all that is going on in the organization.

Quilts show up in interesting places - like behind the registration desk at the St. Louis Marriott. I did ask about who made the quilts and was told a local quilter but they didn't know the background. They were visually striking, encased so they kept free from dust and behind the registration desk so it was hard to get a close look at them.

There were a total of four quilts, all made using the same technique. Lots of tiny scraps went into the piecing of these quilts. Looking at the quilt with green borders more closely, it appears a flange or some piping was inserted between the pieced center of the quilt and the borders. I didn't notice that when looking at them.


Here's the P.E.O. part of this post!

Opening night ceremonies features the Parade of Flags. Here are Susan and Mimi, who led the Indiana delegation, with the Indiana flag. One of the exciting things that happened during convention was the invitation to the 2015 convention which will be held in Indianapolis! Y'all come!

As always, the most moving part of the convention was listening to and meeting the women who have received a grant or loan from P.E.O. While they were all outstanding speakers, Dr. Shwayta Kukreti, the Scholar Award recipient, was a particularly eloquent speaker and talked about her involvement in a groundbreaking research and development project - a process using laser scanners to locate biochemical markers for tumors and be able to distinguish between benign and cancerous tumors. This would be an alternative to mammograms, a welcome change for many women. Not yet approved by the FDA, this should be coming in the near future.

One of the more exciting developments was Dr. Rogers' announcement of the three Bachelor degrees now available from Cottey College, the women's college owned by P.E.O. Cottey students participated in several of the workshops. Those young women are poised, articulate and going to do great things in life.

It was a great convention and I had a wonderful time.

Cheers!

Margaret