World Class
Ambassador
А Таг
Heel who rides herd on the
largest organization of volunlper
women on this planet.
Ky
ЛАМЕ
LEE SINGLETARY
From Boonvillc to Bangkok. Juanita
Martin Bryant has travelled around the
world learning about the problems and
aspirations of women everywhere.
As International president of the
General Federation of Women's
Clubs, this Yadkin County native has a
realm that embraces 10 million mem¬
bers in 46 countries, of which a half
million live in the United States.
From the grassroots of organizing a
Woman's Club in her small hometown
in 1953 and serving as its president.
Juanita has risen step by step in the
organization, holding office at local,
state, regional and national levels. She
has also held dozens of titles in civic
and educational work and will acquire
another one soon. "I am going to be a
grandmother." she announced with
pride at a recent meeting in Winston-
Salem. where she graduated from
Reynolds High School. She is also a
graduate of Catawba College.
Like the president, she lives in a
mansion in Washington during her
term of office. The International
GFWC headquarters was home of a
General before the organization ac¬
quired it and is "a beautiful place",
according to Juanita. Unfortunately,
she seldom has time to stay there and
enjoy it.
Around the World
Since her inauguration last year at
Bismarck. N.Dak.. her job has taken
her around the world from Guam to
London, as well as from Anchorage.
Alaska to Orlando. Fla.
"I slept with snakes and lizards in a
hut while visiting the border camps of
Cambodia. And I shared the meager
meals of refugees without daring to ask
what I was eating!" It was also re¬
ported that a dozen beheadings took
place in the vicinity of one camp that
she visited.
She has discussed problems and
club business with women in Hawaii,
the Philippines. Taiwan. Bombay.
Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia and on
both sides of the border in Korea,
where "my Southern accent gave the
interpreter a fit!"
Riding herd on members of the
largest organization of volunteer
women in the world is at least a 16-hour
a day job. Only a person with energy
and enthusiasm could manage it and
one who. like Juanita, thrives on the
excitement of doing things. Trim¬
looking in a blue ultrasuede suit with a
corsage on one shoulder and her badge
of office on the other, when inter¬
viewed. she admitted. “My daughter
once said that she didn't mean to dis¬
parage me but it seemed that my job
didn't depend on how intelligent I was
but how much stamina I had."
She and her husband. Frank, main¬
tain a home in Raleigh, as well as in
Boonville. And she did take time off to
enjoy the championship games of the
Wolfpack and Tarheel teams on TV.
She has a foot in each camp, so to
speak, with one son now at N.C. State
and another who is a graduate of
UNC-CH.
Voluntecrism Urged
When interviewed in Boonvillc
some years ago. Juanita's conversa¬
tion had a lot to do with farming and
canning and homemaking, but there is
little time for that now. A film has been
produced on the far-reaching volun¬
teer work of the Federation which
ranges from sweatshop reform to the
Marshall Plan and includes sponsor¬
ship of art in the schools, adult educa¬
tion. crafts, establishment of libraries
and museums, restoration of Indepen¬
dence Hall, juvenile, justice, mental
health, and Keep America Beautiful
projects, to mention only a few.
And she likes to remind her listen¬
ers. in urging them on to greater ac¬
complishments in the field of volun-
teerism. that it has been a way of life in
this country for a long time: the Con¬
stitution was written by volunteers and
the first flag was made by one.
She estimates that the thousands of
volunteer hours by clubwomen would
be. in one year, worth $45 million at the
minimum wage.
And she has not confined her ac¬
tivities to club work. She has served as
regional director for the N.C. School
of the Arts, as member of the N.C.
Historical Commission, the N.C.
Home Economics Foundation, the
board of the Medical College of
Pennsylvania, the Governor's Com¬
mission on Education, and the Yadkin
County Arts Council. Governor Hunt
named her Tarheel of the Week and
gave her the Distinguished Citizen
Award. The Methodist Church. Girl
Scouts, and Red Cross arc other or¬
ganizations that have benefited from
her unflagging zeal.
She enjoys entertaining in honor of
folks like Elizabeth Dole at headquar¬
ters and attending social events where
President and Mrs. Reagan and other
dignitaries arc often guests.
But her main efforts are directed to¬
ward carrying out her administration
goal of "Unity in Diversity" and that
requires diplomacy, preserverence —
and stamina. "You can't really know
anything at all about politics." she said
with a twinkle in her eye. "until you
get into it with a bunch of women!"
TAR HEEL
QUOTES
There's corn in the crib:
No money in the pocket—
But gravy in the dish
And yellow bread to sop it!
— J. A. Robinson.
Durham Sun (IK96)
THE STATE. DECEMBER 1983
19
