Meet Vicki Bechet | Mother, Wife, Registered Nurse, and Award-Winning Community Volunteer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vicki Bechet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vicki, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
That I successfully juggled raising a family, thriving in my nursing career (beyond my wildest dreams), and volunteering for my community and beyond.

My children are wonderful human beings, I am so very proud of them. They are good friends to many, strive to be excellent participatory parents, are blessed with a strong work ethic, and have rewarding (albeit stressful) careers. They and my grandchildren are my best legacy.

I believe I have made a difference throughout my life, whether it was by teaching a frightened child how to swim, providing empathetic support and competent care to women in active labor, teaching and mentoring nursing students, working to improve patient outcomes locally and by serving on boards of professional organizations, collaborating with others in the design of functional healthcare facilities, and serving in leadership roles in numerous nonprofits.

My favorite and most rewarding community service project was the TRTL project, my GFWC of TN President’s special project. TRTL was an acronym for “Together, Replenishing Tennessee Libraries” We replaced most of the books in the Waverly Elementary School Library that were destroyed by the devastating and deadly August 2021 flash flood in Waverly, my home town. GFWC club members throughout the state and federation donated money and @8000 children’s books, which were collected, sorted, packed, and ultimately delivered to a storage facility, where they will remain until the replacement school is constructed. In addition, a $9000 check was given to the school, designated specifically for future book purchases. This project provided a significant positive impact in a time of great need. As a lifelong inveterate reader, I believe this will be my legacy for those school children who have been through so many challenges and trauma…

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a proud 4th-generation member of the GFWC, I followed in the footsteps of my paternal great-grandmother, paternal grandmother, and mother as a member of the organization. My father was also a dedicated community volunteer, serving as a school board member for over 20 years and was a member in the Lions Club for more than 60 years. So, volunteering is definitely a family tradition.

Participating in professional organizations and volunteering for community service clubs, especially while raising a family and working full time, requires one to set goals, focus on time management, and have a passion for making it all work in a mere 24 hours a day! However, having the support of my spouse, children, and employer, who each respected all my “extracurricular” activities, was paramount in my success.

I am passionate about the incredible history and successes of the GFWC since it was formed over 130 years ago. Did you know women’s clubs are credited with forming 75% of America’s Libraries? That’s my favorite accomplishment out of many, many successes.

I often say we are the “Best Kept Secret” because so many people have never heard of us. Many people know about a local women’s club but aren’t aware they are part of a large federation, mostly because clubs did not use GFWC in their club’s name. Everyone knows about Rotary and Lions, because the organization name is part of the club’s name.
In the 1990’s, our leadership made the decision to ask existing clubs to revise their name to include GFWC, but we have 100 years of relative obscurity to overcome.

It’s my mission to “Tell the Story” of the Federation to as many folks as possible so we can gain new members and form new clubs. I have several 30-second elevator speeches I can pull out when someone asks what the GFWC is. A huge challenge for all of us throughout the Federation is recruiting and retaining members, as there are so many volunteer opportunities for today’s woman to choose from. In addition, the majority of existing clubs met during the day, and as more women entered the work force, the organization has had to pivot and form clubs that not only met at night but also had a variety of community service programs that appealed to women of all ages and interests. I have gained amazing friendships from my participation in all levels of GFWC: local, district, state, regional, national, and international.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Middle TN since 1958, so I’m almost a native. I love talking about how there’s so much more to Nashville than country music. I tend to take company to diverse places, from Loretta Lynn’s Ranch (I grew up in Humphreys County), to Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, to Nashville jewels like Cheekwood, Belle Meade, and the Parthenon. I tend to suggest locally owned restaurants. Favorites include Edley’s Barbecue, Circa in Thompson’s Station, and Swett’s in Nashville. We also have Lane’s Motor Museum, the green and black Art Deco men’s bathroom in the gorgeous Hermitage Hotel, and all the cute murals that have sprung up around the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Let’s focus on being a community volunteer. Here’s information used to prepare the application for the Jennie Award. I updated it to reflect that I received the award at the GFWC International Convention in Chicago on June 30, 2024.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) is an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through community service. It was formed in 1890.

The GFWC Jennie Award honors one clubwoman from each GFWC Region for outstanding commitment to club, community, and family. This Award is the only national honor that recognizes individual members for personal excellence. In fact, it is the highest honor bestowed by GFWC.

Vicki Ross (Loose) Bechet, a fourth-generation member of GFWC, recently received a 2024 Jennie Award by the GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Clubs)
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Vicki has four children and five grandchildren in a blended family. The oldest of five siblings, Vicki grew up in a family that believed in volunteering and community service. Her father was in the Lions Club, on the county school board, and an active Boy Scout supporter until his death at 93. Her mother was a GFWC member, Red Cross water safety instructor, and city councilman.

As a child, Vicki organized fundraising activities like neighborhood dog shows and Kool-Aid sales. She participated in Girl Scouts and 4-H, served on the county High School 4-H council, state fair judging teams, and attended the Citizenship Short Course in Washington, DC.

She received numerous state and regional honors in science competitions and was active in various school organizations. Each summer, she worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor, specializing in scared beginner classes for children and adults.

In college, she was a “Big Sister” and worked at a local hospital. During school breaks, she drove from Knoxville to Richmond, VA to provide respite care for her grandmother with multiple myeloma and help her grandfather with household tasks.

Vicki and her (former) husband raised two busy and successful children. They attended the Presbyterian Church and were active soccer and scouting parents.

A nationally certified RN, Vicki’s professional focus was family and community health. She taught childbirth/breastfeeding classes, campaigned for infant car seat laws, and was a board member of several state & national professional organizations. She joined a GFWC Junior club in 1980, was club president, and TN Junior Director 1994-96.

After a divorce, Vicki relocated to Nashville and worked in Labor & Delivery until she left patient care to become a consultant and project manager in the hospital construction industry, specializing in medical equipment planning.

In 2018, while attending GFWC Convention in St. Louis, Vicki received an emotional call that her new granddaughter was admitted to NICU in Houston. She left convention, drove 775 miles, and stayed there until the baby stabilized. She flew back to Houston three times to provide emotional support. Reagan was finally discharged after 117 days and travelled home to Nashville. Now retired, Vicki commuted 1-2 days per week and provided care when her parents returned to work. She performed tube feedings through a g-tube (abdominal opening) and provided respiratory treatments and other supportive measures. Reagan is now healthy and a rising first-grader.

Remarried in 2006, in 2011 she started the GFWC Spring Station Woman’s Club, formed another GFWC club in 2019, and successfully reactivated a lapsed club in 2021. She held various positions in GFWC of TN, culminating in State President 2020-2022.

An extremely active member in our club, she was the first president, chaired projects and fundraisers, hosts membership activities at her home, and is an enthusiastic mentor and advocate for volunteering with GFWC, both locally and beyond.