About alba
Herstory
More than just a business organisation
alba is far more than just a business organisation, as a brief look at our herstory shows. alba provides one of the key meeting places for the lesbian community, and is an important part of the lives of many Auckland lesbians.
alba connects business with community. alba welcomes all lesbian women - young and older, visiting or living in Auckland, whether in business, or working in business, or women who want to connect with others in the lesbian community.
In spring 2008 alba will be seven years old!! That's quite a feat for a community with an emphasis on an organic approach to groups and activities - they simply pop up and work as needed and disappear if not.
alba is looking to the future. In May 2008 the new website was launched. The committee is looking for new ways to engage with alba's diverse membership, while building strongly on the strong legacy of the past.
alba's early beginnings
So what was the driving force that led to the creation of alba?
In the spring of 2000, a couple of lesbians were bemoaning the lack of places to meet other lesbians in an easy social setting. Some didn't want to just go to bars or clubs. They also wanted a networking space, possibly with speakers or around a theme. To meet other lesbian women, and to have conversations with women who enjoy their work, were possibly in business for themselves, or working in a wide range of organisations, or who simply want to meet other lesbians. They checked out the Gay Auckland Business Association (GABA) to see if GABA would consider setting up an affiliate group for lesbians. While GABA was very supportive, they preferred to work within their own existing organisation.
A small group met at Roasted Addiction in February 2001 to organise a public meeting for interested lesbians. That first meeting, convened at the Women's Centre in Warnock Street on 9 April 2001, was a great success with nearly 30 women supporting the idea of a lesbian business organisation.
So alba was born. That first meeting was followed by aLBa's successful inaugural dinner on 30 May 2001 at Tusk Thai on Dominion Road- alba even had its name by then!! - With each meeting the support and number of interested lesbians grew. The first Christmas dinner at the then Berlin restaurant in Mt Eden in 2001 had Yvonne as Mother Claus!!
2002 was the year of the constitution. It's quite a job putting a constitution together, but by December that year alba was an incorporated society with a set of aims (see below).
alba now has a long herstory of monthly meetings, a mid winter dinner and an end of year celebration. Meetings provide the space for lesbians to indicate what's on offer during the next month as well as the chance to hear a diverse range of speakers.
Stand out events and venues
There have been lots of standout events, so we only mention a few... Sara reckons the very best meeting was "Why god made me a better lesbian", a talk by two ex-nuns, with Pleasance, to a crowd of well over a 100 women at Chicane above the Sponge Bar in June 2004. It was filmed and for a while was available as a blog!! (do you have a copy? We¢â¡Ád love to hear from you if you do. We'll see if we can get it and put it on the members' section) There was the meeting packed to the gunnels to hear Deb Filler, the Mt Roskill born Jewish playwriter and comedian who now lives in North America. Amanda Fleming, a motivational speaker, attracted a crowd of 135 women in February 2004. Marilyn Waring gave an electrifying and frank telling account of her time in Parliament, and the leadup to the 1984 national election at Club 76. Charmaine Pountney spoke to a packed Monkey Bar audience on educational issues and her personal journey.
At times talks have had a business and work focus. These range from the May 2003 Rooms with a View, on lesbian bed and breakfasts, to a scientist speaking about the potential and risks associated with genetic engineering.
After starting at the Women's Centre, aLBa moved to Kamo. There Christina Anderson, a lawyer, spoke on the Property Relationship bill - a topic updated by Lisa Gerrard, another lawyer, at Diablos in late 2007.
There've also been some great mid winter dinners -at the Rice Queen in Newmarket in 2003, Erewhon Thai in 2004, and Diablo's in 2006. Christmas has seen us in a range of venues, including Kingsland Central in 2003 and Daiblo's in 2005 and 07.
ALBa's played musical chairs with venues - not necessarily out of choice mind!! Kamo was a good interim venue but not particularly suitable, so the next port of call was Club 76 on Pitt Street. aLBa was there for quite a while and attracted 60-80 women to meetings, so numbers again meant a new venue was needed. Toto was next, but somewhat pricey, so there was a quick shift to The Monkey Bar, then back to Club 76, and on to Diablo - its venue for a few years, up to February 2008.
alba's latest meeting location upstairs at Crest, in the old Naval Hotel on the corner of Pitt St and K Road was found at speed after Diablo's abrupt closure.
Supporting lesbian activities and groups
alba not only helps make lesbians visible to one another through its community notices, it celebrates the lesbian community through its diverse speakers, and the financial support it has over the years given to other lesbian activities, and organisations. There are a number of hub groups¢â¡Á that alba helped support the formation of: these range from the Chance to Dance, to games evenings.
A wide variety of organisations have benefited from alba's financial support. These range from Rainbow Youth, lesbian flood victims, the Charlotte Museum and support for the annual lesbian ball.
We celebrate those who made it happen
The initial committee included Sara and Wendy C, the initiators. They were joined by Cheryl, Faye, Jan, Maria, Pleasance and Yvonne. Later Fran and Wendy E joined the committee. Other past committee members include Linz, Pleasance and Robin.
Establishing, growing and maintaining an organisation is quite a job. It's easy to say - and takes a lot of ongoing effort. Finding speakers - and last minute replacements. Finding venues - and then finding the next venue, when the old one no longer suits.
The committee was a real mainstay for alba, and many kept working for years because of their passion for alba and its vision. There were ongoing discussions around perennial issues - how much is alba a business organisation? What does it do for its business members, and its wider diverse membership? What is its role in the lesbian community, and in linking business and community?
By 2006, and again in 2007 many of the mainstays decided it was time for them to move on. Some wondered whether there was enough energy in the lesbian community for alba to keep going, particularly given the range of lesbian activities available.
Keeping it happening
The community gave a resounding yes as its verdict. A new group of women joined up some of the existing committee to continue the alba vision. We acknowledge that's quite a challenge, as our community grows and changes. The current committee includes Catherine (on leave), Fiona, Jilly, Kathleen, Linde, Lisa, Megan, Nancy, Wendy E, and Yvonne.
The alba vision is an enduring one. It continues to stand aLBa in good stead. alba remains committed to being more than just a business organisation - to linking business and community.
alba will continue to be a group where lesbian women in business, working in diverse organisations, and lesbian women generally, can come together to network, meet like-minded and different women, talk about business and other issues, hear and respond to stimulating speakers and have a great time.
We hope you'll be there with us.
alba's Aims
- To provide support and networking for lesbians in business and lesbians working in organisations
- To offer support and encouragement to members and the opportunity for inclusion in the alba members directory
- To organise regular meetings on topics of interest to members
- To profile lesbians' achievements and activities for the purpose of inspiring fellow members
- To have the opportunity to form and express a position on issues impinging on the interests of lesbians in business or lesbians working in organisations
- To share social times, interests and experience and have fun.
Copyright 2008 alba