Mission, Values and History

Our Mission

A global volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

Core Values

Gender Equality: Women and girls live free from discrimination.

Empowerment: Women and girls are free to act in their own best interest.

Education: Women and girls deserve to lead full and productive lives through access to education.

Diversity & Fellowship: Women from varied backgrounds and perspectives work together to improve the lives of women and girls.

History

Soroptimist International of Kansas City (Club #106110) was formed on May 19, 1926. Listing 101 members on its original charter, the Kansas City club has been and remains today one of the largest clubs in the Soroptimist organization.

Club archives can be found at the State Historical Society of Missouri UMKC  branch archives.  

We acknowledge and thank our past leaders for their dedication and efforts to improve the lives of women and girls, in Kansas City, in the Midwest, in the USA, and around the globe.

Past Presidents

Patience Hocker1926-1928
Edna Leritz1928
Louise Craven1929-31
Nettie Huff1931-33
Alice Steele1933-34
Tillie D. Specht1935
Genevieve M. Turk1936
Martha Franklin1937
Margaret Freeman1938
Tena May Dowd1939
Tiera Farrow (video summary of her career)1940
Margaret Jones1941
Myrtle Lee Miller1942
Beatrice Hovey Smith1943-44
Annetta Krauel1944-46
Helen Kerr Spalding1946-47
Edith Mills1947-48
Frances Schmidt1948-49
Veta Morgan1949-50
Marceline Weldon1950-51
Adalain Lee Taylor1951-52
Virginia Huntington1952-53
Louise Wells Clegg1953-54
Estelle B. Hamilton1954-55
June Austin Parrish (Memorial Library)1955-56
Barbara Pendleton1956-57
Bertha Nottberg1957-58
Virginia Lee Porth1958-59
Alice Lee Porth1959-60
Theris Winkler1960-61
Virginia Irvine1961-62
Jaunita Luthi (McKee)1962-63
Camilla H. Cooper1963-64
Marabelle Ebel1964-65
Florence Jones1965-66
Faye Anderson1966-67
Mary Lee Anderson1967-68
Lavonne Rukin1968-69
Marjory Farrell1969-70
Deanna Koutelas1970-71
Louise Lenahan1971-72
Elizabeth Bachman1972-73
Martha Hunt1973-74
Edith Brennan1974-75
Ruth Wilson1975-76
Adaline Marshall1976-77
June Watson1977-79
Stella Minturn1979-80
Olive Snyder1980-82
Belva Lee Berlekamp1982-83
Madge Myers1983-84
Jaunita Luthi-McKee 1984-85
Jo Ann Corles1985-86
Arleta Johnson1986-87
Joan Maul1987-88
Janet K. Ferguson1988-90
Dallie Miessner1990-92
Sandra Miller1992-93
Sandy Bostian1993-94
Elaine Fry1994-95
Joanne Collins1995-96
Kay Ludecke (Stewart)1996-97
Mary Hunt1997-98
Dianne Young1998-2000
Kay Wallick2000-01
Joni Martin Rauen2001-02
Dana Chatlin2002-03
Sheryl Rudy2003-04
Susanne Thompson-Wright2004-05
Jacqueline Bond2005-06
Celeste Lindell2006-07
Kay Stewart2007-09
Marie Parker2009-11
Susanne Thompson-Wright2011-12
Melanie Simpson2012-13
Grace Boswell2013-14
Colleen Truelsen2014-15
Jane Zelazny-Belz2015-16
Candy Routledge2016-17
Tanya Johannes2017-18
Kay Stewart2018-19
Norma McKelvy2019-20
Dianne Young2020-21
Heather Rollins2021-22
Melanie Simpson2022-23
Margaret Smith2023-24
Lynn LeCount2024-25