Page 11 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 119 - February 2024 with Conference Flyer_Neat

Stella Rule

Stella Rule, BPW UK President 1977 – 1979
and the only Cornish woman to hold that post, was a
dedicated and inspiring leader of BPW achieving much
during her presidency, and afterwards as a mentor to
many of which I was privileged to be one. So, for the
many members who did not know her personally I would like to share many of
the achievements of her life.

A member of Camborne and Redruth Club, she served in many club and
divisional roles before being elected in 1975 as a National Vice President and then
at the 1977 conference in Bournemouth became President, at a time when our
organisation had 17,600 members.

Stella served in the era when BPW was a key member of the Women’s
National Commission gathering information for the Equal Opportunities commission
with our AGM motions being significantly represented to those bodies and govern-
ment. One motion at that time was voicing concern on the level of sewage being
dumped in the sea – so our work on that is possibly not finished.

Rights, responsibilities and recognition were the key words she followed for
her aims in her two-year term. She encouraged members to be involved in the
Federation project to direct formal, non-formal and long-term education towards
the evaluation of man and woman in order to ensure their full realisation as an
individual in the family, in society and policy-making decisions. This was proposed
to be included in the plan of action for women in the eighties and to form evidence
for both the Foreign Office and IFBPW for their presentations to the United Nations.

Although leading the battle to get women fully represented nationally and
internationally, she stressed the importance in members accepting responsibilities
and making a real difference in their local communities.

Some significant events fell in her term, including the late Queen’s Silver
Jubilee in 1977, which BPW celebrated with a luncheon at Grosvenor House, when
the speaker was Robert Lacey, author of a book on Her Majesty. It was also the
first time that BPW had been represented at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party,
when Stella, accompanied by Past President, Ivy Starkie, attended.

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