Westport Woman's Club Bulletin
Westport Woman's Club
JANUARY 2020
Board of Directors 2019-2020
President  Christina McVaney;   1st VP Special Interests   Kim Reichert; 
2nd VP Finance   Maria Fraile;  3rd VP Ways & Means   Donna Pellittieri; 
Secretary   Donna Sedgwick; Treasurer   Wynne Abrams; 
Communications  Gloria Smithson;   Community Services Donna Richardson; 
Curio Cottage  Deb Fratino ;  Grounds  Ellen Hooker & Janette Duchnicki
House  Sarah Menchaca; Membership  Robin Clark; 
Parliamentary Advisor  Sharon Jones;   Programs Lauri Weiser; 
Rentals   Ana Hitri   YDF   TBD
Past President   Dorothy Packer
PRESIDENT'S LETTER



Dear Ladies,

Happy New Year!  I can't believe it's 2020 already!

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and have had a great December Club Day.  I'm not sure if anybody noticed, but I was not there.  I thank Kim for taking over for me at the last minute!

At the beginning of every year, I like to look back on the previous year and give thanks but also look forward to the coming year and all that it can be!

Looking back, our fundraising since August has generated good numbers:
       Clothing Sale:           $14,000
       Sip & Savor:             $4,200 (est.)
       Starry Night:             $3,200 (est.)

In total we have raised approximately $21,400.

We have an amazing group of ladies, very dedicated to our cause, working on our behalf!  I'm so honored to be a part of this organization!  Thanks to all our chairs and co-chairs of all the fundraisers.
 
I'm really looking forward to the next few months; the Fashion Show, the Art Show and Yankee Doodle Fair to round out the fiscal year! 

Although we love our tried and true fundraisers, we want some fresh ideas for new fundraisers. If you're a new member and have ideas for new fundraisers, or even if you're an old member and would like to get involved, please attend one of our Ways & Means meetings or contact Donna Pellittieri, our Ways & Means chair.  We would love to hear from you.

I wish you all a prosperous and joyful 2020 and I'm looking forward to another great year for the Westport Woman's Club.

With best wishes to all,
 
Christina McVaney 
203-293-5190

  IN THIS ISSUE

SUNSHINE GIRLS
Thanks to Dorothy Packer for being Sunshine Girl for December.

Our Sunshine Girl for January is Jo Luscombe, [email protected], 203-227-0393

Kim Reichert, 1st VP, [email protected]
203-362-8256
 
CONDOLENCES

 
Office Hours  
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ( Lunch)
Office Manager,
Elizabeth Greenawalt
  203-227-4240
Resident House Manager,
Erzsebet "Betty" Laurinyecz


January 2020

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday



1 2 3 4





BRIDGE
9:30 am




 
5 6 7 8 9 10 11

No January Club Day

UNDECK THE HALLS
10:00 am

CANASTA
1:00- 4:00 pm
YDF 
10:00 am

MAH JONGG
1:00-4:00 pm


BRIDGE
9:30 am



12 13 14 15 16 17 18


 CANASTA
 1:00- 4:00 pm
 
 BUNCO
 7:00 pm
  

WAYS & MEANS
10:30 am

MAH JONGG
1:00-4:00 pm
BRIDGE
9:30 am

BOOK REVIEW
1:00 pm



BYOB FRIDAY
4:00-5:30 pm

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

BOARD MEETING
10:00 am
COMMUNITY SERVICES
10:00 am
 
CANASTA
1:00- 4:00 pm

MAH JONGG
1:00-4:00 pm


BRIDGE
9:30 am




26 27 28 29 30 31


 LADIES WHO LUNCH
12:30 pm

CANASTA
1:00- 4:00 pm


 



















CLUB DAY

 
There will be  NO January Club Day due to the possibility of inclement weather.  The menu for our February 3rd luncheon will be published in the next Bulletin, which should be out around mid-January.


 
As Wendy McKeon announced, for February we are asking every member to bring in one jar, can, or bottle of any food that is RED. After all, we'll be celebrating Valentine's Day!  For more information on this, please see the Food Closet article.
 
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season and
the best of everything in 2020!
 
Kim Reichert , [email protected] , 203-227-4590

PROGRAM

Lauri Weiser, [email protected], 203-256-1973

BOOK REVIEW             
 
Date:     January 16
Time:     1:00 pm
Where:   Living Room
 
Book:      "The Woman's Hour" (The Great Fight To Win The Right To Vote) 
                by Elaine  Weiss

In her book, Ms. Weiss relates how the pivotal political battles in U.S. history unfolded in Nashville, Tennessee, as the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was on the cusp of victory or, possibly defeat.  We will read what it took for activists to win this crucial battle and how close they came to losing!
 
All are welcome to join us as we discuss this most important time in our history.  Kathleen Malloy from the Westport Library will lead the discussion.  Books are on order and should be available at the Library in a couple of weeks.


Heike Martin, [email protected] , (203) 227-2448
Pat Vezendy,  [email protected],   (203) 226-9869


BUNCO

Date:  Tuesday,  January 14
Time:  7:00 pm - Chat & Chew,   7:30 pm - Game begins
Place:  Kitchen/Bedford Hall
Cost:   $5.00 (Sign up on the board in the foyer)

Happy New Year!
Start the year off right by joining us for a night of fun!   Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020!

(Note - This is the second Tuesday - not our usual third Tuesday) 

Please bring a "snack" to share!   Hope to see you in the new year!


Come try your luck...No experience necessary!

Wendy McKeon, [email protected], 203-222-0038

BYOB FRIDAY

Date:    Friday,  January 17th (the 3rd Friday of January)
Time:   4:00 - 5:30 pm
Place:   Club Kitchen

"Bring something to sip and nibbles to share; it won't be the same if you're not there!"

WARM is the theme of our first BYOB Friday of Winter and the 2020 new year. What do YOU like to mull, boil, brew or steep to ward off the cold? Come gather and share in the WWC kitchen (we're "at home by the range")! Bring your favorite pot and ingredients: hot cider? mulled wine? Swedish
glögg? tea? toddy? OR, uncorking a bottle and making a warm toast to the new year also works well!

Just plan to Bring Yourself Over Briefly, to say hello (or linger longer), anytime 4:00 to 5:30 pm, and be sure to Bring Your Own Beverage of choice (plus pot, if needed) and nibbles to share. Whether you are new to the WWC or a Member since "forever," this is an easy and entertaining way to meet fellow members, share your holiday escapades, revise your new year's resolutions, guess whether the the Farmer's Almanac, the groundhog, AccuWeather or Alexa will be the best predictor of Spring, discover some new hors d'oeuvres ideas, or simply kick off the weekend.

As always, we operate picnic/tailgate style, bringing our own simple set-ups and serving implements, then disappearing without footprints or fingerprints

Dorothy Curran,  [email protected] ,   203-246-0543

CANASTA

Date:  Tuesdays
Time:  1:00 - 4:00 pm
Place:  Living Room

We play on Tuesdays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm - if there is a minimum of four players.  Emails are sent out at the beginning of each week to members who are interested in playing.  If you want to be included in these weekly emails, please contact me to put your name on that list.  

All players are welcome, regardless of skill level and experience.  You do not need to have your own Canasta cards and tray but, if you do, please bring them.

Lessons are given, also on Tuesdays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, to members who would like to learn to play the game or haven't played in years but want to brush up on their skills. Please contact me if you are interested.

Donna Richardson, [email protected], 203-354-8743


COMMUNITY SERVICES

Date:   Tuesday, January 21
Time:   10:00 am       
Location:  Living Room 
 
There will not be a meeting this month but we will meet Tuesday, January 21 ,  at 10:00 am in the living room. Everyone is invited to attend to help us make decisions on grant requests.
 
Thank you Leah Scherzer and Vivian Rosenberg for delivering Thanksgiving meals to those in need. We now need volunteers to help deliver meals on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.  We are lucky to have Leah Scherzer organize deliveries once again.  If you are interested in helping and was unable to sign-up at our luncheon, please contact Leah at [email protected].
 
I have contacted Anita Lai from the Domestic Violence Crisis Center about necessity bags. These bags are for women in crisis who have been placed in a "safe home."  Care bags can include:

FULL SIZE
Single toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Dental floss
Body wash or soap
Deodorant or antiperspirant
Comb/brush
Wipes
Hair gel/spray
ANY SIZE
Towels
Socks
 
We will be collecting until our February luncheon. Please start collecting these items and place your kind donations in the box outside the office. We will assemble and deliver the care bags in February.
 
Happy Holidays.
 
Best regards,
Donna Richardson ,  [email protected]203-354-8743  

CURIO COTTAGE  
 

The Curio Cottage will close on Wednesday, December 25,  and re-open on Thursday, January 2, 2020. 
 
As the year draws to a close, we want to thank everyone for all of the support you have given the Curio Cottage.  We appreciate all of the wonderful "treasures" you have donated and thank you for your love of shopping.  
 
A special thank you to all of our volunteers for your time, patience and dedication. 
 
Have a very Happy New Year!
 
Susan Loselle, [email protected] , 203-858-5989
Suzan Murphy, [email protected], 203-247-7726
Co-Chairs

GARDEN DEPARTMENT   
    

Time to "Undeck the Halls", Tuesday, January 7, 2020.  Fun begins at 10:00am. 

Many thanks to everyone who helped  turn our house into a beautiful home!

Please RSVP to Vivian.   Thank you

Vivian Rosenberg, Garden Chair, [email protected] , 203-227-4419
Leah Scherzer, Co-Program Chair, [email protected]203-856-6189

FOOD CLOSET


What a terrific response we had on December Club Day in response to our request for "The Fruits of our Labor"! The Food Closet will now have enough fruit to last through the winter and into spring, thanks to your generous donations.

On February Club Day, we will be celebrating Valentine's Day.  We are asking every WWC member to bring in one can, jar, or bottle of any RED food.  Some suggestions might be: spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes, catsup, cranberry sauce, cherry and strawberry jello, or beets.  Use your imagination!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday with good health and good cheer in the new year!


Wendy McKeon,  [email protected] 203-222-0038 
Kim Reichert, [email protected], 203-227-4590


GOURMET



Gourmet Group will not meet in January.  Or next meeting will be a restaurant outing on Tuesday, February 18th.



Lisa Allison, [email protected] , 203-227-9563
Barbara Gladnick, [email protected], 203-854-0424

LADIES WHO LUNCH


We start off the New Year with a visit to The Chelsea, a charming bistro in the heart of Fairfield. We've dined there several times, to everyone's enjoyment. They claim to have the best Lobster Roll in Connecticut, but I cannot vouch for it. You'll have to see for yourself!


Date:      Tuesday, January 28
Time:      12:30 pm
Address: 12 Unquowa Place, Fairfield

They offer a variety of dishes: apps, salads, soups, sandwiches and more substantial fare. You'll find their menu at http://thechelseaff.com/food-drink#lunch-menu

Please let me know by Friday, January 24, if you'd like to join us. And, as always, I ask that you email or call me, as I may not remember if you tell me in person.

Bobbie Herman,  s[email protected], 203-255-1577 

MAH JONGG

Time:  1:00 - 4:00 pm
Date:   Wednesdays
Place:  Living Room

Included in a yearly membership cost of $100, the Westport Woman's Club offers unlimited access to Mah Jongg classes year-round, plus unlimited playing time. This is a bargain compared to the classes offered by Westport Continuing Education, which charges $125-$135 for six 2-hour Mah Jongg classes, plus another $125 for six 2-hour playing time sessions. But a Woman's Club membership offers more than just Mah Jongg classes - it brings together women who are interested in serving their community, getting to know each other through volunteer and social activities. So, if you have any friends who are interested in Mah Jongg, but are not yet members, tell them about this offer that has extra benefits.

Mah Jongg is played every Wednesday from 1-4pm. Emails are sent out at the beginning of each week to members who are interested in playing. If you want to be included in these weekly emails, please contact me to put your name on that list. All players are welcome, regardless of skill level and experience. You do not have to own a Mah Jongg set, but if you have one, please bring it.

You do not need to make a commitment to play each week; come whenever you are available.
Do you want to learn a new skill? Lessons for beginners, and for those who want a refresher course, are given on Wednesdays, starting at 1pm. Please contact me if you are interested or have questions.

Audrey Rabinowitz, [email protected] ,  203-227-6010




WA YS & MEAN S

Date:  Wednesday, January 15
Time:  10:30 am

After very successful Sip and Savor and Starry Night events, we all look forward to our March Fashion Show.  Please come out to our January meeting so we can help Ana Hitri, our Fashion Show Chair, get organized for one of our biggest fundraisers of the Spring.  Models, sponsors & catering, all ideas are welcome!

See you January 15th at 10:30am.  New members encouraged to attend!
 
Donna Pellittieri, [email protected] 203-216-0821


YANKEE DOODLE FAIR

Date:  Wednesday,  January 8
Time:  10:00 am

We have to finalize the raffle prizes this month.  Raffle ticket application will be sent to the state and the printers by mid-February.

We'll get started on getting entertainment and food for the fair.  All hands on deck, join us to organize our biggest and best fundraiser!  We will be having the private party again this year on the Wednesday before the fair starts.  I'm really excited about the possibilities!  We need all members to be involved!

Christina McVaney, [email protected], 203-293-5190


The BULLETIN 
OF THE WESTPORT WOMAN'S CLUB 
44 Imperial Avenue 
Westport, CT 06880