Worldwide Sisterhood: One Journey at a Time
SI/Thunder Bay, ON (Eastern Canada Region) member, Lucy Doucette, started a trip to circumnavigate the globe in January 2026 with a goal to meet with the Soroptimist club, if one existed, in each city. Lucy’s Soroptimist story started in 2023 after moving to pursue her career as a carpenter. After inquiring about the Soroptimist International Friendship Gardens on Facebook, she learned about Soroptimist from former Eastern Canada Region Governor Rosemary Reid.
“I joined Soroptimists because only 4% of carpenters in Canada are women and I wanted to join an organization that would help me teach young women and girls that the trades are a viable career for them. Working in the trades is life changing, not just for the earning and learning potential, but for the leadership skills. Women in the trades learn to be strong, to be loud, and to not be afraid to take up space.”
Follow Lucy’s journey below!
Lucy spent a month in Vancouver visiting the clubs of the Tri-Cities, where members connected her with clubs across Asia. Her travels then took her to clubs in Bangkok and northern Thailand (South East Asia Pacific federation), followed by a month exploring Vietnam and a visit with the Soroptimist club in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
During a month of volunteering in rural Sabah, Malaysia, she even ran into a vacationing member of SI/Moreton North, a club in Queensland, Australia!
While in Sabah, Lucy attended the South East Asia Pacific conference in Kota Kinabalu on May 1, where she reconnected with fellow members and enjoyed dinner together. She experienced the Friendship Dinner complete with dancing to Abba and Boney M., inspiring plenary speeches, and the Gala Dinner showcasing local Malaysian dishes and performances by indigenous tribal dancers throughout the evening. Lucy then went with Michelle de la Harpe to help her repair a project on Gaya Island using her carpentry skills.
Final Stop: SIA’s 49th Biennial Convention
Lucy attended SIA’s 49th Biennial Convention in Incheon, South Korea, for her final stop! During the convention, she took over SIA’s Instagram stories to give followers a behind-the-scenes view of convention.
Do you have a story about traveling and meeting with other Soroptimists? Tell us in our story form!
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