Betty Loughhead Turland, who served as Soroptimist International President from 1983 to 1985, died peacefully last week in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In a message of sympathy to the Soroptimist International South West Pacific Federation, President Ann Garvie described her as "a
most delightful lady who served our organisation with dignity and pride".

Betty Loughhead Turland was a member of SI Christchurch and continued her connection with the club until her death. She served as SI South West Pacific Federation President before becoming the first International President from New Zealand in 1983.

Her name will live on thanks to the Betty Loughhead Soroptimist Scholarship Trust, which helps women in New Zealand obtain qualifications to help them enter the workforce or advance their careers.The Trust was founded in 1987 and supported by a  fundraising campaign by New Zealand Soroptimists; scholarships are awarded annually. 

"Betty was an inspiring woman who encouraged, and nurtured
younger members to take up roles of leadership", says SI President-Elect Yvonne Simpson, also from New Zealand.   

"I am grateful personally for her gentle humour, compassion, and
positive promotion of the opportunities that SI offers our members. Betty was our first New Zealand Soroptimist to hold international presidency. I
know she will be with me in spirit on my journey."

"Betty had balance – she had passion for our programme of
service, and she actioned her belief that there is no success without a
successor. There are many of us who were assisted towards realising our
potential because of Betty. Thank you for enriching so many lives. Be
at peace, Betty." 

 

Tributes and Memories

Jane Zimmerman AM   – International Past-President (1999-2001) writes:

"I first met PIP Betty when she was SISWP Federation
President. She came to Launceston in 1981 and spoke to potential members for
the George Town Club (chartered  the
following year by Federation President 
Joan Banks). I went to the meeting with a friend and really had no
intention of joining. However, I was so inspired by Betty’s presence and her
enthusiasm for Soroptimist International that I signed the petition that night!"

"I became a charter member of our Club and the rest is
history as I had the privilege to follow Betty’s illustrious footsteps. Over
the years we met at Conferences and Conventions and travelled together on
Soroptimist trips and I got to know the wonderful woman that she was. Her
memory will live on in the minds of Soroptimists and all the people whose lives
she so deeply touched."

Chris Knight, SI South West Pacific Friendship Link Co-ordinator, writes:

"My first knowledge of Betty was via the SI Bringing Safe
Water to Senegal Project and watching her dancing together with the village
women as a new water well was installed. I was only 27 when I first saw this
video which also featured the lovely SI PP Sadun Katipoğlu. As a young
Soroptimist Member I was so in awe that I belonged to an international
organisation of women that cared so much about improving the lives of women
around the world and that I could also make a contribution. At the time I was a
charter member of SI Caboolture & Districts a little country community
north of Brisbane in Queensland Australia. Never in my wildest dreams did I
ever imagine that one day I would meet International Presidents or travel to
Africa (SI Project SIerra) and other countries and have my own special
experiences visiting and working together with so many other Soroptimist
Members around the world."

"I was very fortunate to see Betty many many times over
the years and in May 2012, I stayed with Betty in her home in Christchurch and
had the opportunity to interview her on video. She gave me some copies of her
precious photo’s when she was International President as she was very keen to
contribute to and help me with the book Destined to Make a Difference that I am
currently compiling."

"When I shared with Betty my own story of how much it
meant watching the Bringing Safe Water to Senegal video and how I had met
Eveline from Belgium on our Study Tour to Sierra Leone in 2010. I was further
amazed to learn that Eveline helped to make the video on Bringing Safe Water to
Senegal. How does this happen? When we have over 80,000 members worldwide that
I could have this incredible experience. 
I also got to meet a Soroptimist Member from Senegal in Vienna in 2005
at the SIE Congress when Heidi Konrad was SIE President."

 

"Betty just smiled at me with that knowing and loving look
on her face then proceeded to go out onto her little patio and she brought back
a pot that was given to her by the SI members from Senegal during her visit
there . How could I have ever imagined that not only would
I get to meet this beautiful lady and share some special time with her but to
also hold a pot that was made in Senegal by the village women SI had helped!"

 Margaret Lobo, International Past-President (2007-9) writes:

"I can only echo what others have said about Betty.
I became a member of SI Perth (Western Australia) in 1975 when Federation was
being discussed and heard the name Betty Loughhead often at meetings. Soon
after we became a Federation in 1978 Betty hosted the Satellite Conference from
New Zealand – using the Peace Satellite that was hovering over New Zealand and
got members from Western Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and some other
countries to share their views and projects. It was ‘big news’ in Western
Australia as we could participate being within range and exciting to use this
technology. As a new member I was in awe at how technology was being used but
what was inspirational was the way Betty reached out to so many of us younger
members (then) nurturing and mentoring us with the stories of projects and what
can be achieved; later she wrote SPAN sharing programme and news on paper."

"I first met Betty in person in 1980 at my first SISWP
Conference in Canberra, her gentle manner and beautiful smile was capturing –
she made time to get to know me (a new member at her first meeting) asking many
questions about my background and family, listened and remembered. We met
several times after this at Conferences and Conventions and Betty was
interested to know updates about what I and my extended family were up to. On
one of my many trips to New Zealand Betty hosted a lunch for me at her
beautiful home sharing wonderful memories of her time as Federation and
International President."

"Betty was inspirational and regardless of distance was a
mentor to me. Her gentle and lovely presence will be missed but her memory will
live on. Thank you Betty for all you have done."  

Hilary Page, Past International President 1997-9

"It was sad to hear that
dear Betty had died.  She was a great mentor to those of us who followed
her in the position of SI President.   I shall always remember that
she encouraged me to stand for the position of  President Of SIGBI
Federation and further encouraged
me when I was unsuccessful at the first attempt!!! Betty always looked
into the future with enthusiasm and understood that we had to be a evolving organisation in the ever changing world and  needed to make
our voices heard in International gatherings of 
non governmental organisations (NGOs and within the UN."

"Thinking of her makes me smile and the happiness she found with Ted
in their  latter years was a joy to see  and I was delighted that they
were both able to  join Patsy Daniels and I as joint SI Presidents for
the Quadrennium Convention in Helsinki in 1999.

With fond memories of our times together."