Sorosis of Orlando

Sorosis of Orlando is celebrating over 100 years as a member of the Florida General Federation of Women's Clubs. Dedicated to serving the community, Sorosis is honored to support local and national philanthropic organizations.

Who We Are

We invite you to consider joining our club in our efforts to fulfill our Mission Statement of enriching and inspiring the diverse community of Central Florida through the transformative power of Community Service.

Sorosis of Orlando Woman’s Club is dedicated to our commitment of granting college scholarships to Orange County High School seniors and supporting local charitable organizations through our Philanthropic Fund. Our Home Life Committee serves refreshments, entertains and gives birthday gifts to residents of a Nursing Home monthly. We enjoy opening our facilities to the public each month for card games where we offer lunch and door prizes. We hope to continue our legacy of the last 127 years well into the future. We have exciting plans for the coming year and hope you will join us.

The Collect

Keep us, O God, from pettiness;
let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
Let us be done with fault-finding
and leave off self-seeking.

May we put away all pretense
and meet each other face to face,
without self-pity and without prejudice.

May we never be hasty in judgment
and always generous.
Let us take time for all things;
make us grow calm, serene, gentle.

Teach us to put into action our better impulses,
straight forward and unafraid.

Grant that we may realize
it is the little things that create differences;
that in the big things of life we are at one.

And may we strive to touch
and to know the great, common woman’s heart of us all,
and, O Lord God, let us forget not to be kind.

-- Miss Mary Stewart

The collect was written as a personal prayer by Mary Stewart in 1904. She was just out of college and entering her first job as a high school principal.

The first printing was an obscure paragraph in Delineator magazine. A printer in Longmont, Colorado later made copies for a local federated club. The first organization to use the Collect or to print it in its yearbook was the General Federation of Women's Clubs. It has since been reprinted in many forms, in many lands. The Collect has also been set to music.

Mary Stewart said she offered the prayer for publication as a woman's Collect because she felt "women working together for large ends was something new," The Collect was not intended to be a creed. Every line of it is a petition, a prayer that is, a Collect.

A detailed history of Mary Stewart and the Collect is available from the General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters, 1734 N Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Sorosis Officers

President
1st Vice President
Recording Secretary
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Finance Chair

Susan Piner
Susan Barco
Jane Barry
Linda Erd
Gwen Wallace
Patricia Foster

National Organization

Sorosis of Orlando is a member of the The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), an international women's organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

In all 50 states and more than a dozen countries, GFWC members work locally to create global change. GFWC's roots can be traced back to 1868 when Jane Cunningham Croly (1829-1901), a professional New York journalist who wrote under the pen name of Jennie June, attempted to attend a dinner at an all-male press club honoring British novelist Charles Dickens. Croly was denied admittance based upon her gender, and, in response, she formed a club for women. She chose the name Sorosis, a Greek word meaning "an aggregation; a sweet flavor of many fruits."

Here is a link to GFWC national website.

State Organization

GFWC is organized into State Federations. We are in District 7.

With over 100 years of service to the communities of Florida, GFWC Florida holds a cherished position in the history of the state. Women of Florida have cared for the sick; hugged the lonely; fed the hungry; read to the children; built playgrounds; saved beaches; cleaned up landscapes; planted trees; built libraries; dressed up in costumes; built libraries; made bears; informed the public of WHALE; learned of health issues; encouraged one another all the while having a great time and feeling good about being of service.

Here is a link to GFWC Florida website.