The Missouri State Chapter of the P.E.O Sisterhood held its 131st convention June 6-8, 2025. More than 300 representatives of P.E.O chapters across Missouri attended including delegate Gina Richardson, President of the HV Butler chapter.
United by the theme Interlaced Lives of P.E.O., the convention attendees met and discussed several education and philanthropic topics and projects, Karen Kurtz, Chapter EZ, Bolivar, Mo, presided over the meeting and Selynn Barbour, Chapter LO in Camdenton served as general chair of the convention. Convention was held at the Wyndham Executive Center in Columbia, Mo.
Claudia Jervey of Chapter A in Unionville, Mo, was installed as the new president of the Missouri State Chapter during the convention. The theme for the 2025-2026 year will be P.E.O Leads the Way in Women's Education.
The P.E.O Sisterhood is a philanthropic educational organization were women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans and the stewardship of Cottey College in Nevada, Mo; and motivate each other to achieve their highest aspirations.. There are just over 5,500 chapters in the United States and Canada with over 190,000 members.
The purposes of P.E.O are educational and philanthropic, accomplished through projects on the local, state and international levels. The six international projects include:
-P.E.O Educational Loan Fund, a revolving loan fund program
-P.E.O International Peace Scholarship that funds graduate study for foreign women
-Cottey College in Nevada, Mo, a four-year liberal arts college for women
-P.E.O Program for Continuing Education, grant assistance for women to resume educational studies after a break
-P.E.O. Scholar awards, grants for women of the U.S. and Canada pursuing advanced degrees or are engaged in advanced study and research
-P.E.O. STAR Scholarship, a scholarship for high school seniors to attend college
In addition, Missouri chapters provide scholarships for women to attend Cottey College and fund the Missouri P.E.O. Outreach Fund, a state project to assist those either aged and infirm or needy and infirm.