Golf, business and women fit together quite well

I had the opportunity to visit a couple of events last week at which women, or girls, were the stars, and it was fun to witness.

The first was the annual Desert Aire Youth Golf Camp on Friday. Even though it was for boys and girls, the girls got my attention.

The second was the second annual Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Women's Day on Saturday. The Quincy Community Center was packed with women excited about their businesses and other women eager to hear more.

I watched several of the girls at the camp and was impressed. They held their clubs correctly, displayed proper posture and demonstrated proper swing form from take-away through follow-through.

Desert Aire PGA Pro Don Tracy called it an "athletic posture," and he said all of the girls in attendance were doing it.

I shouldn't have been surprised. As a father of three girls and two boys, I learned in the 1980s that girls are more eager to learn and willing to listen. They trust what you have to say. Boys usually know it all. I did.

The first girl to get my full attention on Friday was Savarah Larimore of Puyallup, about 10, on the driving range tee. She had just finished hitting a ball, and her form was perfect to my eye.

I asked the little left-hander to hit a ball for me. Her grand-dad Steve Pike handed it to her, and she drove a straight, arching 100-plus yard shot.

I asked her to do it again, and she did. And then again a third time. That was enough. I was convinced.

Shortly there after, I met Samantha Galluzzo of Newcastle. The dainty 14-year-old first picked up a club at age 5, and there is nothing dainty about her swing. She drives the ball 150-200 yards and scores 54 for nine holes.

At Quincy on Saturday I was pleasantly, but mildly surprised when I found the parking lot full for the opening bell.

"It was a much bigger attendance than I expected," said QVCC President Mara Jacobs of Crescent Bar. "They kept asking us to do it again next year, and we're going to do it."

Jacobs said the vendors were just as excited as the visitors and pledged their support to future Women's Days.

The QVCC Women's Day is designed to bring the women of the Quincy Valley together with businesses that cater to their needs.

It wasn't much different than a gathering of male business men, except the place smelled better, and the sales approaches were delivered with soft voices and friendly smiles.

One woman who got my attention was Debi Hill, a director with Tupperware. She has been doing her home-based business 19 years and is proud of it and her product.

Some people in the brick-and-mortar world look down on home-based businesses. I don't. I recognize them as real free enterprise opportunities, and it gives me joy to see someone like Debi happy in her chosen field.

Gabby Valenzuela, 22, of Quincy has been an independent distributor for body wraps, skin care products and supplements of the It Works company for one month.

Gabby is one enterprising young woman. She has a full-time job as a receptionist at Gillespie Eye Care. She also teaches Zumba two nights a week.

The rest of Gabby's waking hours are dedicated to her It Works business. Midnight is a normal bed time for her.

"I've had a lot of sales in less than a month," she said.

Gabby has 18 customers and one distributor. She plans to make a career of It Works.