Patricia Arnett Fine Arts Contest 2013

The Arizona Chapter is looking for mothers in Arizona to enter their essays, short stories or poetry to our literature division of the Patricia Arnett Fine Arts Contest for 2013.

A cash prize of $25 will be awarded to the winner in each category. 

Eligibility rule:  Applicant must be a mother and an Arizona resident.

Entrants may submit one entry in each category.

All entries should reflect the aspects of family life and motherhood.

Deadline is January 25, 2013.  Submit to:
Joan Sowards
American Mothers Inc. Literature Contest
1437 N. Coleman Circle
Mesa, AZ  85201

Entries must not bear the author's name.  Please submit a cover letter that includes your name, email, address, phone #, and category with each entry.

Categories are:
Essay  (under 1000 words)
Short Story  (under 2000 words)
Poetry  (under 50 lines)

Nominate an Outstanding Mother

Nominations are being accepted for the Mother of the Year and Young Mother of the Year for 2013.  December 1, 2012 is the deadline to nominate an outstanding mother that you know.

Click here to nominate someone that you feel should be honored.
To qualify for Mother of the Year ®, the nominee's children must be over the age of eighteen.

Service Project Coming Up!

Last year's service project was so successful and rewarding, that we have decided to do it again this year.   We will be making baskets of supplies for pregnant women in a homeless shelter.

We will put the baskets together on Sat, Dec 8, 2012 at Janeen Wright’s home (3542 E. Fairfield Cir  Mesa, Az  85213) from 11:00-1:00.  A potluck luncheon will follow.  Everyone is invited!  Please bring a salad.  The luncheon will be for everyone attending the service project. 

Last year, notes of support and encouragement were written by the volunteers and included with each basket.  Many moms expressed their feelings that writing these notes were the best part of the service and made the baskets so much more personal and meaningful.  Please write and bring 2-3 short letters expressing your advice or support of these new mothers to be.

September - Literacy Month

September is International Literacy month!  What a great reminder about the importance of reading.

With school in full swing, children are studying and learning and reading.  But don't forget about reading as a family.  You can give your children fond memories and the gift of knowledge and success just by reading aloud.

This site has a list of 100 best books for children listed by age groups.

Jim Trelease, the advocate for reading aloud to children, has a great website with lots of information for parents.

This site offers a list of all the Newberry Award Books from 1922 to present.

Here is a list of all the Caldecott Winners 1938 to present.

The International Children's Digital Library is a digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world.

 May your children be able to say....."richer than I you can never be --I had a Mother who read to me.

New Mother of the Year and Young Mother of the Year 2012

            Newspaper Article Featuring AZAMI Gala

Announcing 2012 Mother of the Year, Young Mother of the Year, Mother of Education and Mother of Achievement

 The influence of mothers affects generations. It's nice to know there are mothers who are still taking a stand and making a difference.

Thursday evening, February 9, 2012, the Honors Gala for the Arizona Association of American Mothers, Inc. was held. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the new Arizona Mother of the Year and Arizona Young Mother of the Year.

View slideshow: 2012 Gala for the Arizona Association of American Mothers, Inc. 

Friends and family members of the honorees as well as other American Mothers and guests were in attendance at the elegant Garden Reception Center of the Wright House in Mesa, Greetings were given by Janeen Wright, President, followed by an invocation by Lynn Johnson. The American Mothers, Inc (AMI) Pledge was then led by Karen Kiene. After a delicious dinner, remarks were shared by the outgoing AZ American Mothers of 2011.

Myrna Shepperd, AZ Mother of the Year 2011, was introduced by Janeen Wright as being “a teacher and all-around American mother and grandmother.” Shepperd teaches at Heritage Academy in Mesa, AZ. In her down-to-earth, humorous style she quipped, “We go through a lot, but we put our kids through a lot, too.” Her year included being interviewed in several publications. She noted that her comments gravitated toward teaching children, and she revealed that it’s quite easy to tell the children who come to school to fool around from the youth who come to school to learn. Regarding the past year she stated, “It’s been fun. It’s been moving as I’ve gotten to know these fabulous women throughout the state.

Photo credit: Carolyn Murphy 

Shawni Pothier, AZ Young Mother of the Year 2011, spoke of the importance of “Deliberate Motherhood”. (Pothier also became the Mother of the Year at the National Level.) After relating how her simple choice to encourage her children to sing songs while they were getting ready in the morning helped create more harmony and less stress , she shared that it’s sometimes the small and simple things which all add up together that make the big difference. She said “…we can go forth and change things in the world. …We have the power to raise these generations, …to create peace in our homes, and we have the power to change the world.”

Linda Abbott, a teacher in the Gilbert Public schools (Mesquite Junior High), was then introduced as the year’s “Mother of Education”.

 Lucia Anderson was chosen as the “Mother of Accomplishment”. Of Lucia, it was said that she has “the kind of contagious energy that spreads joy.”

After a sweet lullaby, “All Through the Night”, by Cathy Shepherd’s family with Charity Peterson as the soloist, the new AZ Young Mother of the Year 2012 was announced. She is the beautiful and upbeat Melissa Bawden who was described as a “joyful and amazing single mother”. In 2007, when she had three children and was expecting her fourth, her husband passed away. She learned to grieve with and heal with her children, finding joy with them in their “new ordinary”. She’s a shining example of being “accepting of the life that comes our way”. She believes we can empower our children to do more than survive. We can teach them that they can do hard things. How did she do it? She remarked, “I knew God was with me, and I could go forward with grace.”

Cathy Shepherd was then announced as the AZ Mother of the Year 2012. Shepherd’s husband, Ed, passed away just six months ago. Born and raised in Mesa, AZ, Shepherd is a woman of many talents, especially in the areas of music and parenting. The audience was intrigued and delighted as she read from the book, The Pout-Pout Fish  by Deborah Diesen. She spoke of her families’ “Smile and Compliment Club”, and she invited others to help “spread the cherrie cheeries all over the place” as was stated in the book. She stands in the conviction that we can each give a smile, give a compliment, participate in anonymous acts of kindness and service and “make a difference one day at a time”.
President, Janeen Wright delivered the closing remarks and conducted some AZ AMI business, and a benediction on the night’s events was given by Leola Leavitt.
A silent auction was also a highlight of the evening.

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Note: Examiner Carolyn Murphy resides in Mesa, AZ. http://www.familytreequest.com/