One of our goals for this Chapter Leader newsletter is to create a forum for chapter leaders to learn from each other and about each other. We’re calling this feature “A Rising Tide” because when one of our chapters succeeds, we all succeed – and we should share those strategies and successes with each other to lift all our boats, metaphorically speaking.  

This month, we’re featuring Mary Griesedieck, Chapter Leader of the CO, Cherry Creek – 1 chapter. Mary has been a Rise member for 10 years and has a lot of great advice on how to make meetings more engaging — including having a speaker from the featured country almost every month!  

Originally from St. Louis, Mary has spent most of her life in Colorado and loves it. She is an outdoor person and a people person! With her master’s in special education, Mary worked as a teacher. Her two granddaughters now take up much of her time.  

Kia: When did you first hear about Rise and how did you get involved? 

Mary: After 15 years away, my husband and I moved back to Colorado in 2013. We settled in Denver, instead of our previous home in Boulder. One day I was talking with an old friend from Boulder who mentioned Dining for Women. I started going to meetings with her in Boulder and enjoyed it. The chapter leader asked if I would consider starting a chapter in Denver and I said yes. There was one other chapter in the area, but the meeting times were not very convenient for me. I started my chapter about eight years ago and we first had about eight women attending from my building. It grew and grew as I met more people. 

Kia: How did you come up with your meeting format? 

Mary: At one of the Boulder meetings, we had a speaker from Starfish (now MAIA) in Guatemala, a young woman who went to school there and now was a teacher with the organization! It was so interesting to hear about her experiences. I loved the full circle that she embodied. I vowed that when I started my chapter that is what I would try to do. From the very beginning, I tried to have a guest speaker at every meeting. When COVID came, we went to Zoom, and it actually became easier because the speakers didn’t have to be local.  

The first half hour of the meeting we socialize, then we eat, I always show the video, and then we have our speaker. I want the speaker to see the video too because they don’t always know about the project. The speaker is usually a woman from the country we are featuring. They talk about their individual experiences, but it often connects with the project we talk about. We have a big group, so there is also a lot of discussion. Usually our meetings last about two hours.  

Right before COVID my biggest meeting was 36 and now I average about 25 people. We have a community room in my condo building, so that works out well.  

Kia: Let’s talk about your speakers! One member has said your meetings are “to die for” because you take such great care at curating a good event. 

Mary: In the beginning I was finding them from the speaker list. I am also lucky that there is a large international population in Denver. Many of these women come to the United States for their education, so I am lucky that some live nearby. For example, there is an African Center in Denver, and I called them, and that’s how I found a few women from Uganda. One of them is a representative of her tribe and she has helped me find other women from other countries. I’ve done a lot of research on how to find people, but the main way I get new speakers now is through suggestions from previous speakers!  

The speaker isn’t always familiar with the project, but I send them the materials so they can focus on that. Many of them wear traditional clothing from their home countries. I had three women once from Uganda with full traditional dress with headpieces and big sleeves and they were so wonderful and interesting. 

Kia: What would be your advice to chapters that want to have more engagement in their meetings? 

Mary: Well, obviously I am a big fan of having speakers, so I would recommend that. By having speakers, I find that my attendance is higher, but my donations are higher as well. I also think the discussions can be very meaningful. I enjoy the breakout groups that we have during the Together Women Rise Book Club events, so I recommend splitting up into smaller groups at your meetings if you have enough people. It is also great when members share their experiences visiting the featured country. I encourage people to bring slides or pictures of their travels. A member of ours once went to Rwanda and it was great to learn more about the country and look at the pictures of gorillas she took!  

Kia: How would you describe the “lift” of being a chapter leader? How much work does it take? 

Mary: People have asked me that. To me, it’s not that much time. Research on the speaker probably takes the most, an hour or two a month. Maybe an hour to get an email list prepared. I’m constantly recruiting for my chapter. Every time I meet someone new; I invite them to join us. I was hiking recently and invited some new women. It doesn’t feel like a lot of time. I also enjoy it, so that works. I love connecting people. I love the research into the countries. So, all of it is fun for me. I’m involved in other groups where that is my strength. If I were to volunteer more with Rise, I would be interested in the Ambassador role, but I now have two granddaughters who take up a lot of time!  

Kia: What are your future goals for your chapter? 

Mary: I want to continue to grow. I would also like to see younger people attend our meetings, bringing in as many people as we can with diverse backgrounds. I also try not to repeat speakers, so it’s always interesting to try to bring in someone new when we feature a country we have discussed before. This year we have four Kenyan grantees I believe, so it has been a fun challenge to get different speakers for those months.  

If you are interested in being featured on “A Rising Tide” or have a recommendation for a chapter or chapter leader who should be featured, please email Kia Hunter, our Volunteer Manager, at volunteer@togetherwomenrise.org.