THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601250193
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
Last July five sisters in the Cason family sat sharing their memories of their mother. For each, the months since the death of Ruth Payne Cason in January had been long and hard.
Cason had been an active member of her community, her church and a broadcast ministry, but her primary role was as mother to her 12 children.
Through their grief, the daughters talked about her talents and how each of them had inherited a special part of their mother. When they began to discuss a special tribute to her memory, a donation to a charity didn't seem like enough.
Cason, they summarized, would have wanted something that would help a number of people and in some small way change their lives for the better.
In the end, they came up with a plan to honor the memory of their mother. The five daughters, ranging in age from 30 to 45, developed an educational course for women who wanted to re-enter the job market or simply wanted to improve their image and self-esteem.
After discussing their idea with Judith Vincent-Kline, the special interest program coordinator at the city's Adult Learning Center, ``The Total Woman'' course was created and first offered last fall.
The five three-hour sessions begin again Feb. 24 and meet every other Saturday after that. The curriculum includes special interest areas of each of Cason's daughters.
For example, last semester:
Deborah Etheridge, who shared her mother's love of education and is an assistant principal at Windsor Oaks Elementary School, presented sessions in such areas as career development and continuing education.
Warnette Cason developed a talent in the fashion industry and is working in that field today. Her presentations were on skin care, makeup and wardrobe planning.
Brenda Cason developed her mother's interest in serving others and is now working for a doctors group in Virginia Beach. She worked mostly behind the scenes last semester, helping get everything organized, tying up loose ends.
Andrea Cason shares her sisters' and mother's interest in helping others through her social work in Richmond. Her sessions dealt mainly with self-esteem issues.
And Valerie Cason followed a business career and is currently employed at the Old Dominion University Webb Center. She is the program coordinator, helped lead the classes, worked with students in the areas of public speaking and helped them start thinking in terms of ``being a total woman,'' she said.
`It was a joint effort,'' she added, although she is credited with the initial idea. ``We noticed that there were several seminars available to women in this area, but we wanted to develop a seminar series all in one class.''
When the first class opened, they weren't sure who would attend.
``We didn't put an age limit on the course because it was for anyone who wanted to develop their total image,'' said Valerie Cason. ``The first group of women who enrolled ranged in ages from their 30s to their 60s. It was a surprise because it was such a diverse group.''
In in the first class, a session on self-esteem, the sisters played a tape of singer Mariah Carey's ``Hero.'' They also handed out copies of the words to the song, which talks about finding a hero in yourself and believing in yourself.
``They read them as the music played and they cried,'' said Valerie Cason. ``We decided this time we're going to do that in a later session. It was too much for the first class.''
Although they didn't know what to expect, the sisters were pleased with the results.
``By the end of the course, we could see the changes in each individual and that's when we knew we'd succeeded,'' she said.
Each session of ``The Total Woman'' deals with a separate topic, although all are designed to enhance positive qualities in a woman's life. A major emphasis is on self-esteem.
``A majority of women in the class were just developing their own skills,'' said Valerie Cason, ``but a lot had a loss in their life that took them through some bad experiences. Some were even going through what we were, and we talked about our feelings.
``The course ended up being as much fun and helpful to the five of us as it did the students,'' she said.
Cason said the first course inspired them to make the next one even better.
``We had high expectations and were pleased at how it went over,'' she said.
``And it has helped me through my grieving process, because I know all I do is good and positive,'' she said. ``I know this is what my mother would have wanted us to do.''
Vincent-Kline agreed. ``It was extremely successful. We had only positive evaluations.''
As a result, she said, the Adult Learning Center has asked the women to participate in its basic skills program by presenting a multi-part program on such areas as job skills, interview skills, dressing professionally, interviewing and more. MEMO: For more information on The Total Woman class, call 456-2335. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Valerie Cason, left, and her sister Deborah Etheridge, check
material used in teaching a class called The Total Woman. They
started the class at Virginia Beach Adult Learning Center in memory
of their mother, Ruth Payne Cason. In the foreground is a Cason
family portrait, featuring her 12 children.
by CNB