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Santa Margarita Reciprocity P.E.O. remembers its founders

FALLBROOK – The Santa Margarita Reciprocity P.E.O. hosted a special event Jan. 20, at the Golf Club of Southern California to honor the seven founders.

P.E.O. is a philanthropic educational organization, whose mission is women helping women. Over 60 ladies attended the brunch, representing the five P.E.O. chapters in Fallbrook and many from the Temecula chapters.

Dr. Lydia Story Knopf spoke of her journey to attain her Ph.D. in organizational leadership with a concentration in entrepreneurial leadership and how it was accomplished with the help of the P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund she received. Knopf spoke of her gratitude to the P.E.O. sisterhood for their support, love and guidance through her journey.

Knopf grew up in Fallbrook, attended La Paloma Elementary School, Potter Junior High School and Fallbrook High School and graduated in 1983. She is the mother of four boys, who all attended college, and she said she appreciates the support she had from her husband and sons. She said she comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. Her parents, Jack and Shirley Story, began the Fallbrook Tennis Club, helped organize the Fallbrook Historical Society and were partners in opening the beautiful Grand Tradition.

She said that the P.E.O. founders were certainly entrepreneurs in their day. Vision, innovation and risk-taking are the marks of entrepreneurship, and they certainly displayed these qualities. P.E.O. began in 1869, when a woman's place in society was very different than it is today. Men's clubs were successful, but the time was ripe for women to emerge as leaders as well. Many, many years later, the P.E.O. sisterhood continues to improve the lives of women through education and philanthropy on an international level with over a quarter of a million P.E.O. chapters and over 102,000 women benefiting from the organization's educational grants, loans, awards, projects and the stewardship of Cottey College.

 

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