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HFCW History

A Brief History of Houston Focus on Concerns for Women (formerly Houston Financial Council for Women)
"The Story of the Phoenix is the story of Man and Woman and his or her environment. The Phoenix rises when there is a breakthrough of awareness, with life energy released in a new way. A new individual appears. Thus, the Phoenix rises and mankind is reborn out of the structure of the past in a peaceful evolution," said Joyce Steel, the founder of HFCW, during the first rebirths of this group in the early 1980’s. Houston Focus on Concerns for Women has seen the Phoenix arise, while watching the phenomenal growth of business and entrepreneurial women throughout the past 30 years.

Houston Financial Council for Women was founded on October 30, 1974. The original stated purpose was: To further by all proper and legitimate agencies and means the dissemination of information relating to financial awareness in women and to encourage, support and organize educational activities that further and promote financial awareness in women. Though not stated in the by-laws, underlying planning guidelines were: 1) to preserve individual integrity 2) to meet the needs of the human spirit 3) to promote a sense of individual responsibility in developing a satisfactory sense of values and 4) to encourage group consciousness of basic local, state, national and global relationships so that the world community may in fact function. Two local banks were the original sponsors - no membership dues were charged. One had to be invited to join and there was no lack of interest in the group.

Republic of Texas Bank assumed full sponsorship of the group in April 1975, and four months later HFCW achieved its first goal of 50 Charter Members.

HFCW’s first rebirth occurred when it reorganized and amended by-laws in after losing it’s corporate sponsorship. From then on there were no class distinctions and everyone would be a dues-paying member. That same year, after lunches, dinners and happy hours in various restaurants, the group settled into fourth Wednesday luncheons at one location. We still have active members (Leigh Owen and Marilyn Turner) from that pivotal year.

Everyone who has been around a few years has an anecdote or story to tell that reveals a warm, personal side of someone whom they so greatly admire. We have come together, exchanged knowledge and ideas and influenced lives in a variety of ways.

HFCW has been witness to and has helped to foster the education and professional growth of Houston-area executive and entrepreneurial women throughout the past 30 years. We have played an instrumental role in the growth of the Federation of Houston Professional Women by providing numerous directors and have had 7 members serve as FHPW President. The business world and women’s place in it is not the same as it was in 1974, thanks to the decades of women before us.

The charter members looked expectantly to the 1970’s, a reborn group looked to grow in the 1980’s, the 1990’s maintained an active and vibrant membership. The end of that decade saw some long-time members retirement. This new millennium, changes in the business world and our group bring us again to a rebirth.

Today our purpose is to further by all proper and legitimate agencies and means professional development and business ethics, to encourage personal and professional growth, to encourage global and financial awareness and to support activities that encourage professional, ethical, civic and fiscal responsibility for executive and entrepreneurial women. Our goal for the future will be build on the foundation of our foremothers but look for council from our current members.

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Bylaws

HOUSTON FOCUS ON CONCERNS FOR WOMEN BYLAWS

Amended October 26, 2006, September 24, 2008, and September 29, 2021

ARTICLE I NAME

Section 1 The original organization was founded on October 30, 1974, under the name of Houston Financial Council for Women, Inc., at a meeting called by Joyce Westmoreland Steel.

Section 2 The original corporation is no longer active.

Section 3 Effective October 26, 2005, the group shall be known as HOUSTON FOCUS ON CONCERNS FOR WOMEN (HFCW), a civic organization.

ARTICLE II PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization is to further by all proper and legitimate agencies and means professional development and business ethics, to encourage personal and professional growth, to encourage global and financial awareness and to support activities that encourage professional, ethical, civic, and fiscal responsibility for executive and entrepreneurial women.

ARTICLE III MEMBERS

Section 1 To qualify for membership, a candidate must be engaged in or retired from a business or profession at a decision-making level and must be interested in and actively supportive of the object of this organization as outlined in Article II.

Section 2 All prospective members must complete an application form. This completed form, together with a check for the current annual dues, must be submitted to the Board. All prospective members must be approved by the Officers. The check will be returned if membership is not approved.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 1 Officers

A. The elected Officers shall be President, Communications Vice President, Marketing Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

B. Any member, in good standing, shall be eligible for election to office.

C. The election of Officers shall be held annually in October.  

D. To fill a vacancy in an office, the President shall poll the Board to select a successor, unless it is the President who is unable to complete her term. If the President cannot complete her term, the remaining Officers will designate a person to serve as President until the next election.

E. The term of office shall be one year, from January through December.

Section 2 Duties of Officers

A. The President shall:

1. Be the principal executive officer of the organization.

2. In general, supervise and control all the business and affairs of the organization.

3. Preside at all the regular and special meetings of the members and Board of Directors meetings

4. Chair a committee for the selection of a slate of officers to be presented to the membership for the election.

5. Co-sign the bank authorization card and assist in the financial affairs if assistance is required by the Treasurer.

6. Act as parliamentarian for the group or appoint one.

B. The Communications Vice President shall:

1. Be responsible (or designate a person) for receiving reservations and notifying the meeting place of the guaranteed number of reservations and for communicating all information to the Treasurer, if necessary.

2. Handle all items having to do with the HFCW.org website.

3. Assist prospective members and present completed applications of eligible prospective members to the Board of Directors for approval (or designate a Membership Chairperson).

C. The Marketing Vice President shall:

1. Arrange for speakers or programs or designate a programs chairperson to choose speakers and maintain the calendar of speakers.

2. Write thank-you notes (or designate Secretary to do so) to outside speakers after their presentations.

3. Oversee the gathering and compilation of information for the website.

4. Send meeting notices to pertinent print and electronic media.

5. Create and distribute badges for members and guests.

6. Send meeting notices to members, guests, past speakers, and past members, via post, e-mail or other means.

D. The Treasurer who, along with the other Officers, will be bonded at the expense of HFCW, if the Board of Directors determines this will be done, shall:

1. Co-sign the bank authorization card, settle bills for HFCW functions, and make the bank deposits. Change the mailing address at the bank to her own address so that she may receive the bank statements and reconcile them.

2. Keep appropriate records of all expenditures and receipts and make reports at Board meetings. Maintain federal income tax records. The President may request a full, member audited, financial report annually.

3. Collect dues and send members who have not paid their dues a delinquent notice as outlined in Article VII, Sections 2 and 3 with authorization to remove delinquent members from the membership roll within 15 days of such notice.

E. The Secretary, who shall:

1. Take minutes of regular or special meetings of the membership and Board and prepare for presentation to the membership. If she cannot attend, she shall designate a substitute.  

2. Be custodian of the archives.

3. Handle correspondence deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.

F. In the absence of the President, the remaining Officers shall perform these duties, in the following order: Marketing Vice President, Communications Vice President, Treasurer, then Secretary.

ARTICLE V BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 Composition

The President, Communications Vice President, Marketing Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary shall serve as the Board of Directors.

Section 2 Duties

The Board of Directors shall vote on vacancies in office and on new members, transact the business of the organization in the interim between meetings, take such emergency action as is necessary and approve the appointment of committee chairs.

Section 3 Meetings

The Board of Directors shall meet as deemed necessary by the President or a quorum of the Board of Directors.

Section 4 Quorum

A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of three members.

ARTICLE VI COMMITTEES

Section 1 Committees

The President or a quorum of the Board of Directors may at any time appoint standing or special committees to perform such duties as the organization may direct. All appointed committees, whether standing or special, are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. No committee chairmanship shall take precedence over the Board of Directors.

Section 2 Term of Office

Directors and members of committees shall serve for one year or until their successors are appointed.

ARTICLE VII DUES

Section 1 The Board of Directors is empowered to set a nominal amount for annual dues to cover the expenses incurred by officers and committee members in the discharge of their duties.

Section 2 Annual dues for the year will be due by February 1, delinquent by March 1 and member dropped by April 1. Annual dues for members joining after July 1 will be one-half of annual dues.

Section 3 A member is automatically suspended and forfeits her dues if she makes a reservation for a meeting or other function, but fails to attend and does not reimburse HFCW for the cost of the function within 30 days or by the next regular meeting.

Section 4 A member, who has been a fully participating dues-paying member for at least five (5) years, but finds her situation has changed, may become an Associate Member. Associate Members pay half of the regular yearly dues and may attend up to half a year’s meetings. If they attend more than half of the meetings in one calendar year, they will again be considered a Regular Member and, as such, pay those dues.

ARTICLE VIII VALID VOTING

Section 1 Quorum

Fifteen (15) percent of the paid membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business during regular and called meetings. Three (3) members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2 Voting

Voting may be handled in person or electronically.

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

The by-laws of this organization may be amended, repealed, added to or replaced by a two-thirds vote of members present at a regular meeting, provided notice of such proposed change has been presented to the membership at least 30 days in advance of the vote on such amendments or changes.

A simple majority of members will qualify, if notice is transmitted at least 30 days prior to a mail balloting and at least 51% of the active members vote on the issue by completing and returning the ballot. Ballots may be sent and returned electronically.

Please download or view a pdf copy of our bylaws.

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Friendly Advice

Friendly Advice from HFCW Members.