Doll News Fall 2019 - 157

Our Facebook page serves as an information center for our clubs and members to promote UFDC events
and enjoy and share their doll stories. We have nearly 5000 followers. UFDC acknowledges the importance of
privacy for our members and is very diligent on keeping abreast of any issues. Our technological consultants
keep us secure on a daily basis.
We have during my time as an officer provided a much more professional business management system.
All Officers and Regional Directors have unique UFDC email accounts in place of using one's private
email. This is a much safer and efficient means of communication with our members and business partners.
Contracts have been updated and, in some cases new contracts have been created. Officers and staff have
taken and will continue to attend training in areas that benefit the organization and better educate us to make
informed decisions.
The Collections Oversight Committee has worked diligently on organizing the museum collection. We now
have several local members on the committee who are able to spend more time working on the collection. The
displays have been cleaned, rearranged and changed.
The Archives and Library Committees were established to work with the Fundraising Committee to archive
and digitize every issue of DOLL NEWS. This project is in process and soon all issues of DOLL NEWS will be
available to our members for research and enjoyment. The Library Committee has made recommendations to
overhaul this department.
The Membership Committee has done an outstanding job in promoting UFDC. They have created new
promotional materials. Our brochure is now in its third reprint. Our Regional Directors continue to promote
UFDC through their newsletters and travels. Many attended Doll Shows and hold Meet and Greets. These
efforts are much appreciated. Our Regional Directors are your voice.
This year we added four new clubs. These clubs represent the diverse interests in doll collecting from
antique to vintage to modern proving all dolls are collectible. For UFDC to continue to grow it must celebrate its
diversity and acceptance of all types of collecting.
Improving UFDC's image as an inclusive organization and making our charity designation known are huge
steps in improving our image. In developing action plans to reach out to other doll organizations UFDC joined
NADDA in a joint project that benefited both organizations. Reaching out to local libraries and museums has
been an excellent source of recognition and collaboration for UFDC. Your Executive Committee has reached
out to several other doll-related organizations by attending their events and providing a UFDC presence. This
includes the Paper Doll Convention and later this summer the Barbie and the BJD conventions.
As I read through the club activity reports, I was inspired by the work of our clubs and their members.
Several clubs supported our members who lost their homes and collections in the Paradise, California fires by
sending dolls to club members to help them rebuild their collections. Many clubs donated dolls to homeless
shelters, hospitals and senior homes. Project Paper Doll provides paper dolls to children attending baseball
games while one member helped her granddaughter prepare a video on Monster High dolls for a junior
presentation. The BJD Club in Region 11 provided a virtual program for the new Region 6 club luncheon in
Colorado. One club is helping a historical society to conserve and document their doll collection. Clubs held
shows where appraisal clinics raised donations for UFDC. Many of our clubs have club Facebook pages where
dolls can be studied and shared. The importance of the role of clubs in UFDC is tantamount to the continued
growth of UFDC. Clubs are the reason for UFDC, and they are alive and growing.
Finally, there are many people to thank for their dedication and support of UFDC. The committee members
who gave of their time and talent, the various chairs, speakers, volunteers and the Banana Crew who at
convention provided the activities for all of you to enjoy and Ray Baker whose service to UFDC is legendary.
It has been a pleasure to have worked with an Executive Committee and staff, Sheryl, Jenny, Donna and Matt
as dedicated and supportive as anyone could ask for. They are all truly the "stars" of UFDC. I will always be
deeply grateful to the UFDC membership for their support during my UFDC journey.

Loretta Nardone
UFDC President

DOLL NEWS * UFDC.ORG

157

http://UFDC.org

Doll News Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Doll News Fall 2019