signpost - Women`s Club of Glen Ridge

SIGNPOST
Newsletter of the
Women’s Club of Glen Ridge
September/October/November 2015
Volume 56 Number 1
BRACE YOURSELF, IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY!
HARVEST
FESTIVAL
You’re Invited!
Monday
October 12, 2015
1:00PM to 4:00PM
Member Child $17
Mon-Member Child $22
See Page 2 for Details
The Women’s Club of Glen Ridge began serving our
community 110 years ago in 1905. Our Club House
opened its doors 90 years ago in 1925, smack in the
middle of the Roaring Twenties. We are going back to
that exciting era to celebrate these special occasions by
transforming our Club House into the WCGR Speakeasy! So, all you dames, grab your guys and buzz into
the WCGR Speakeasy on Saturday, October 24th from
6:00-8:30pm. Members $25/person and Non-Members $35/person. Enjoy giggle
juice, finger foods, jazz, and our history. After all, we are the “Bee’s Knees.”
October Luncheon & Program
Backstage at Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Tuesday, October 6th — Lunch at Noon — Program at 1PM
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Journey with theatre director, Susan Kerner, and cast members to a
bygone era before tweets and texts, when romance blossomed on
dance floors and on garden walks, in passionate conversation and in
heartfelt correspondence. Discover how the Montclair State University
artistic team prepares to produce Simon Reade’s breezy stage adaptation of this beloved classic. Learn how today’s college students relate
to Jane Austen’s witty and deeply human examination of 19th century
courtship rituals and marriage.
Presented by the Drama Department
Women’s Club of Glen Ridge
219 Ridgewood Avenue
Lunch & Program: Members $15, Non-Members $20
Non-Members Program Only $5, Member Program Only free!
Reservations Please! 973-748-5459
Online: www.womensclubglenridge.com
Email: [email protected]
Susan Kerner is a Professor at Montclair State University where her recent productions include Clybourne Park, The Big Meal, Equus, Stage Door, The
Grapes of Wrath, and Arcadia. Directing credits include productions in New York, London, Shanghai,
and at major regional theatres throughout the United
States. She was awarded Best Director at the 2014
Think Fast One-Act Play Competition for her direction
of Adulation by Elan Garonzik. She guest directed at
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts for 4 seasons. Theatre critic Peter Filichia named Ms. Kerner’s Luna Stage production of The Old Settler one of
NJ’s Top Ten in 2010. Ms. Kerner is a member of the
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. She was Head Acting Judge for the
NJPAC Star Ledger Scholarships, consults
for the National Advisory Committee for the
Theatre Praxis, and served on a National
Endowment for the Arts Theatre Panel. A
recipient of the New Jersey Governor’s Award
in Arts Education, Ms. Kerner holds graduate
degrees from Columbia University and Boston University, was a Fulbright Scholar in
India, and has recently taught in China, Korea, Austria, Greece, Italy, and England.
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President’s Post
Who doesn’t love birthdays? I’m certainly a fan. However, as the years gather, I’m finding
them to be a bit of a double-edged sword. A cause for celebration entwined with a feeling of
impending loss – children growing up, parents aging, remembering those who are no longer
with us.
Let’s
Celebrate!
It’s the Bee’s Knees
Join us in celebrating
The Women’s Club
of Glen Ridge
110 Years of Service
to the
Glen Ridge Community
and 90 years in our
Beautiful Club House
Step back in time for a
Cocktail Party at the
WCGR Speakeasy
Drinks
Hors D’oeuvres
Music & History
Saturday, October 24th
6:00PM - 8:30PM
$25/Members
$35/Non-Members
Pay in advance at
www.womensclubglenridge.com
Or call Elizabeth at the
Club office: 973-748-5459
Anniversaries, on the other hand, come unencumbered – the greater the years, the more
cause for celebration. I recently celebrated my 30 th wedding anniversary, finding myself with
somewhat conflicting thoughts. Namely, “Wow! I’m way too young to have reached this
milestone!” coupled with “I can’t believe how far we’ve come. Yay us!” Anniversaries offer us
the opportunity to express the joy we find in longevity. There is no undercurrent of impending loss. The pure joy is the fact of survival. Be it a marriage, partnership, community organization or business, we recognize how difficult it is to keep going through both the good
times and the bad. The anniversary celebration is a public acknowledgment that we didn’t
give up even when it got tough. We honored our commitments and kept moving forward.
This fall the Women’s Club of Glen Ridge is celebrating our dual Club anniversaries – 110
years since our founding and the 90-year anniversary of our historic clubhouse. The
Women’s Club has honored our founding mothers by continuing to thrive for over a century.
The clubhouse itself is a gift of love from the husband of one of our founders, Emily Chapman, as a memorial to her life of service.
I feel great pride as a member of the Women‘s Club as I reflect on the great tradition of
stewardship that has been passed through generations of members. Our club continues to
be a beacon of community service and a center for arts and education in the community.
We have, for 110 years, been a sanctuary for women to come together to share ideas; expand our knowledge of the world, the arts, and literature; to lift our hands together in service
to our community; and most importantly, create a community among ourselves which recognizes the power and inherent worth of women.
Congratulations to every woman, past and present, who has been or still is a member of the
Women’s Club of Glen Ridge. You have made it possible for us to achieve these remarkable milestones through your longstanding service and commitment. We haven’t given up.
We honor our commitments and keep moving forward!
In closing, I am extending a personal invitation to each of you to come together at our beautiful, treasured clubhouse to celebrate our anniversaries. On Saturday, October 24 th from
6:00PM to 8:30PM, we will be transforming our Club into a 1920’s style speakeasy with period cocktails, music, and displays of our amazing history, artfully prepared by our historian,
Susan Griffith. I hope you will all come to celebrate the shared life and history of our very
own Women’s Club of Glen Ridge!
Yours in celebration,
Jill
Jill Simmons
Harvest Festival … October 12th, 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Join the fun and spend the afternoon with us at the Harvest Festival! This year’s event is a
fun-for-all ages family event especially appropriate for pre-school to elementary-aged
children. There will be Harvest themed games and crafts with pumpkins to paint, facepainting, pony rides and a petting zoo. The Women’s Club has proudly sponsored this
special event for the Glen Ridge community for many years. We promise there will be
something for everyone! Lunch will NOT be provided, but yummy snacks will be available.
Pay in advance at www.womensclubglenridge.com or pay on the day of the event. For
information and tickets, visit our website: www.womensclubglenridge.com or contact
Elizabeth at the Club office: 973-748-5459. Member Child $17/Non-member Child $22
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Women’s Club to Celebrate Two Milestones
110th Anniversary of the Women’s Club of Glen Ridge
Founded in 1905 as an outgrowth of a local Bible Study class, the Women’s Club of Glen
Ridge is celebrating its 110th Anniversary. The original 35 founding
members had a strong desire to broaden their activities. Their goal
was twofold; 1) to create a center for educational, cultural, and social
activities in town, and 2) to complete a mission of service to a still
young and growing Glen Ridge community. Word spread, and on April
4, 1905, 139 women were present to sign the original constitution.
Mrs. Charles Dodd of 25 Appleton Place was elected the Club’s first
President and the rest is history!
The Club pledge was adopted the first year – “As a member of The Woman’s Club of Glen
Ridge I give it my loyal support in all things that may further its usefulness to the members
and to the community, and to this end I will strive to be helpful in act, kind in spirit and charitable in judgment.” In 1906 the members voted to make “We live not to ourselves; our work is
life.” (Baily) the Club motto. The first Club yearbook was printed the same year.
90th Anniversary of the Clubhouse
The original Club met in various locations – church halls, the library, high school, Men’s Club
and in private homes. From the beginning
it was recognized that a clubhouse would
be essential to fulfilling the Club’s goals. A
fund was started in 1906 for that purpose.
Money was raised by members through
luncheons, lectures, concerts and other
events. The land was purchased in 1921 at
the corner of Ridgewood Avenue and
Snowden Place for $13,500.
It was through the efforts of charter member Mrs. Elizabeth Harris that the impossible dream of a clubhouse would come
true. Mrs. Harris was a lifelong friend of
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chapman whose Sunnycrest home was located at 204 Ridgewood Avenue where the Glen Ridge High
School now stands. After Mrs. Chapman’s
death, Mrs. Harris suggested that Mr.
Chapman erect a clubhouse as a memorial
to his wife. He found favor with the idea
and donated a total sum of $125,000 to the
project.
To Our New Members
Pru Borland
Alyssa Carlberg
Christina Gabriel
Kathleen Kreuzer
Michelle McKenna
Ann Overholtzer
Patricia Preston-Roberts
BobbiJo Ringe
It’s Your Choice.
If you would like to save
the trees and paper,
you can opt for
electronic “full color”
newsletters delivered
via email.
If you prefer to hold our
newsletters in your
hands, you can continue to receive the
newsletter by mail.
Please let us know!
Early postcard mailed in 1927.
Ground was broken in 1924 and the clubhouse was completed and dedicated in
March of 1925. A plaque remains on the
Postcard of ivy covered clubhouse. Date Unknown.
building today claiming it to be The Emily
M. Chapman Memorial. Our members are
eternally grateful for the persuasive powers of Mrs. Harris and generosity of Mr. Chapman!
Join the fun on October 24th and celebrate the double anniversary. There’ll be good fun,
friends and food. And more history to explore (but not enough to ruin a good party!). See you
there.
Submitted by Susan Griffith, Club Historian
New Fall Yoga Class
8-Week Session
Starting
September 9th
9:30AM to 10:45AM
Members $80
Non-Members $88
Walk-Ins $15 per Class
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Club Happenings Calendar
Do You Like to
Read? Join One of
Our Book Groups!
Novelties Book Group
Novelties is a book group for
busy moms. We meet every 68 weeks to discuss a book we
have collectively chosen. Our
meetings take place at the
Women's Club and are informal and fun. We are entering
our ninth year celebrating
books and friendship. Our
dates and selections are listed
on the Club's website. Hope
you can join us. We are currently reading “In the Unlikely
Event” by Judy Blume.
Scheduled Meetings:
September 30th, 8:00PM
November 11th, 8:00PM
Classics Book Group
Join the Classics Reading
Group! We meet on the 3rd
Wednesday (8pm) of each
month to discuss the classic
we have read. We select our
books by consensus (and post
them on the website) two
months prior to our next meeting so you can pick and
choose when you want to
attend by what we are reading. From Alcott to Austen,
Chaucer to Cheever and Stevenson to Steinbeck, we are a
fun and lively group. We look
forward to seeing you at our
group. For more information,
contact Barbara Kalemkerian
([email protected]).
Scheduled Meetings:
September 16th, 8:00PM
“Anne of Green Gables”
By Lucy Maud Montgomery
October 21st
November 18th
December 16th
September 2015
Day/Date
Time Event
Tues/1
Mon/7
Tues/8
Sat/12
7:30 pm
10:00am
Mon/14
Tues/15
Wed/16
7:30pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
Sun/20
Mon/28
Wed/30
4:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
Wednesdays Weekly Class
9:30-10:45AM
YOGA
Begins on September 9th.
Signpost Deadline
Club Closed
Finance Committee Meeting
Home & Garden Department Tour of
Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Girls’ Club Executive Board Meeting
Board of Trustees Meeting
Classics Book Group-Anne of Green Gables
by Lucy Laud Montgomery
Girls’ Club Freshman Reception
Girls’ Club General Meeting
Novelties Book Group – In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
October 2015
Day/Date
Tues/6
Mon/12
Mon/12
Tues/13
Tues/20
Wed/21
Fri/23
Sat/24
Mon/26
Time Event
12:00pm Monthly Meeting Luncheon and Drama Department Open House
“Backstage at Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”
1:00pm Children’s Harvest Festival
7:30pm Girls’ Club Executive Board Meeting
7:30pm Finance Committee Meeting
7:30pm Board of Trustees Meeting
8:00pm Classics Book Club - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
7:00pm Girls’ Club ManiCURE Night
6:00pm 110th Anniversary Celebration
7:30pm Girls’ Club General Meeting
November 2015
Day/Date
Time Event
Sat/1
Tues/3
12:00pm
Mon/9
Tues/10
Wed/11
Sun/15
7:30pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
7:00pm
Tues/17
7:30pm
Wed/18
8:00pm
Mon/23
7:30pm
Thurs-Fri 26 & 27
Signpost Deadline
Monthly Meeting Luncheon and Religion & Spirituality
Department Open House “Women--Gratitude & Thanksgiving
in our Country from 1621!”
Girls’ Club Executive Board Meeting
Finance Committee Meeting
Novelties Book Group - Wench: A Novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Music & More featuring Brett Deubner
in an eclectic program for solo viola
Board of Trustees Meeting
Classics Book Group - The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever
Girls’ Club General Meeting
Club Closed – Thanksgiving
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Girls’ Club
Music & More
vegetables picked go to those in need
through the Human Needs Food Pantry in
Montclair. In addition to just having a green
thumb, girls have been feeding the homeless and those in need at the Church on the
Green Soup Kitchen off Belleville Avenue in
Bloomfield.
The Girls’ Club of Glen Ridge is beyond
excited to start the 2015-2016 year of service. Our new officers are: President Ryanne Ege, Vice President Isabelle Olczak,
Treasurer Victoria Krovatin, Recording
Secretary Kate Lori, Corresponding Secretary Caroline Kinley, Technology Coordinator Madeline Valverde, and Historian Ali
Fuydal. The Junior Representatives are:
Erica Debalek, Emily Duffus, Galen Lew,
and Meghan Marhan. The Sophomore
Class Representatives are: Morgan Connaghan, Anna Hanson, Daphne Patton,
and Jessie Zuiderveld.
Eager to start the school year full of volunteering, the girls have been hard at work
helping the community throughout the
summer. Members have spent time weeding, picking, and planting vegetables at A
Lot to Grow on Benson Street. The fresh
Coming up this fall, we look forward to the
Girls’ Club car wash and our 10th Annual
ManiCURE Night. Given that this is such a
milestone for the Girls’ Club, we are ambitiously setting our goal as $10,000. All proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help find a cure for breast cancer.
The Freshman Reception is to be held on
Sunday, September 20th. All incoming
freshman looking to join the club will have
the opportunity to ask questions and talk
about what the Girls’ Club really is with the
officers and representatives. The Club’s
first general membership meeting is set for
Monday, September 28th at 7:30 pm.
SAVE THE DATE: Girls’ Club of Glen
Ridge’s 10th Annual maniCURE Night will
be on Friday, October 23rd at the Women’s
Club. We are incredibly excited to host such
a fun night and hope you can make it. Together we can raise 10k for our 10th annual
night to fight breast cancer!
Religion & Spirituality Luncheon
Women – Gratitude and Thanksgiving
in Our Country from 1621!
Come to the Women’s Club of Glen Ridge for a luncheon
featuring foods from the 1621 first Thanksgiving. Recognize the role of women in sharing gratitude, thanksgiving,
and spirituality. The “three sisters” (corn, beans, squash)
connected to Native Americans and the “environmental
offerings of fruit, fowl, fish” (cranberries, turkey, cod) of
the immigrant Pilgrims comprise the main
course. “Indian Pudding” for dessert tops off
a meal of thanksgiving.
Jane Eliasof of the Montclair Historical Society presents the tools, trades, and talents of
women who nurtured a spiritual life of service
during the earliest development of our country. Jane is Executive Director of the Mont-
The start of this season's
"Music and More” Concert
Series will feature series
founder/artistic director
violist Brett Deubner in an
eclectic program for solo
viola featuring the works of
J.S. Bach, Claudio
Santoro, Amanda Harberg,
Frank Levy, Bruno
Louchouarn and the world
premiere of Swedish
composer Tommie
Haglund. Everything from
acoustic viola to amplified
viola with projection art and
soundscape will make this
opening night an event not
to be missed! Sunday,
November 15th at 7 pm in
the Georgian Room at the
historic Women's Club of
Glen Ridge. Tickets: $20
Non-Members and $10
Members, Students and
Seniors.
clair Historical Society (MHS), an historical researcher,
storyteller, and spiritual leader. Jan Spoerl, chair of the
Religions and Spirituality Department, is also a docent
for the Montclair Historical Society specializing in openhearth cooking. She will be assisting Jane Eliasof in her
presentation. At the end of the program, each person
present will have the opportunity to reflect and participate on ways a woman shows spirituality today.
It’s an opportunity to extend
“Religions and Spirituality” in 2015!
Luncheon Noon & Program 1:00PM
Please make reservations online at
www.womensclubglenridge.com or by
calling the Women’s Club office at 973748-5459. Members $15, Non-Members
$20, Non-Members Program Only $5
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Thank You to Our Advertisers
For Your Support !
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Introducing This Year’s Board of Directors
President …………………………………………………………………………………………………. Jill Simmons
Vice President …………………………………………………………………………………………. Alyssa Collins
Finance Committee ………………………………………………………………………………... Sandra Lefkovits
Treasurer ………………………………………………………………………………………………… Marge Kallies
Assistant Treasurer …………………………………………………………………………………… Mary Toomey
Recording Secretary ………………………………………………………………………………………. Lori Lance
Corresponding Secretary …………………………………………………………………………………. Amy Luka
Girls’ Club Advisory ………………………………………………………………………………………… Beth Ege
Grounds Committee ………………………………………………………………………………………. Susan Cali
Hospitality Committee ……………………………………………………………………………... Laura Merriman
House Committee Co-Chairs …………………………………………………. Jula Cordeira & Deborah Lebow
Membership Committee ……………………………………………………………………………... Alyssa Collins
Nominating Committee …………………………………………………………………………………….. Anne Alix
Public Relations Committee …………………………………………………………………. Meredith Barrentine
Signpost Co-Editors ……………………………………………………………………. Amy Luka & Linda Potter
Social Committee Co-Chairs ………………………………………... Loretta Marchesi & Marianne Sweeney
Ways & Means Committee Co-Chairs …………………………………………. Gay Kraushar & Dayna Nicles
Art Department …………………………………………………………………………………... Patt Sullivan-Perry
Children’s Department …………………………………………………………………………………………. OPEN
Community Service Department ……………………………………………………………….. Megan Giulianelli
Drama Department ……………………………………………………………………………………. Kathleen Kelly
Home & Garden Department Co-Chairs …………………………………………… Kelley Forsyth & Nina Rue
International Affairs Department …………………………………………………………………. Nan Josephson
Literature Department Co-Chairs …………………………………. Barbara Kalemkerian & Ingrid Kozlowski
Music Department …………………………………………………………………………………... Margo Garrison
Religions & Spirituality Department ……………………………………………………………………. Jan Spoerl
Keep in Touch!
Visit Us on the Web:
Womensclubglenridge.com
Follow Us on Facebook!
Volunteers are welcomed
and encouraged for all
Committees. Please consider helping on the
Committee of your
Call us: 973-748-5459
choice…
eMail us:
meet new friends…
[email protected]
have fun!
SIGNPOST
Introducing...
A Warm Welcome to Elizabeth Shaw
Our New Office Manager
Save the Date!
December 8th, 2015
Holiday Greens
Workshop
(December is just
around the corner!)
Our Signpost Staff for
2015-2016 Club Year
Editors:
Linda Lee Potter
Amy Luka
Submissions:
Elizabeth Shaw
Design Layout:
Nan Josephson
Facebook:
Meredith Barrentine
Website:
Marge Kallies
Meredith Barrentine
Originally from a small town
in the Catskill Mountains of
upstate New York, Elizabeth moved to the New
York/New Jersey area to
attend the Fashion Institute
of Technology where she
graduated with a degree in
Marketing. Elizabeth and
her husband, David, bought
their first home in Glen Ridge 21 years ago,
when their oldest daughter Kate, now in her third
year at McGill University in Montreal, was about
to be born. Elizabeth’s younger daughter, Olivia,
will be a freshman at Glen Ridge High School
this year. Elizabeth and her family recently returned from an exciting trip to Guatemala where
they hiked a volcano, toured ancient Mayan ruins, and enjoyed the sights and the people of the
lovely city of Antigua. Elizabeth says she is excited to be working at the Women’s Club of Glen
Ridge, and would like to thank the members she
has had the chance to meet for making her feel
so welcomed. Please stop by the office and say
hello if you haven’t had the chance already.
Time to Pay Your Dues
Due to the recent change in our fiscal year,
September is now the time of year we
reach out to all of our members for continued support. In spite of increased expenses, basic dues remain at $75 to ensure that membership is affordable for all.
However, additional revenue from donations will allow us to provide even stronger
programs and services, and would be
greatly appreciated. All dues amounts in
excess of the Basic $75 membership are
tax-deductible. We hope you will consider
supporting us at a higher level. You should
have already received the renewal letter
and form through the mail. Thank you to all
of you who have renewed your membership for the 2015-16 Club year. For those
of you who have not yet had the chance,
we hope you will take the time to renew
your dues today.
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Community
Service
The Community Service Department is excited to begin our new
year of projects to help those in
need. Our first planning meeting
is in September when we will
choose the community service
projects we will put our energies
into this year. As in past years, we
will be meeting with the Human
Needs Pantry to determine their
most urgent needs and conduct
drives on their behalf to fill those
needs. We will also continue our
very successful Virtual Food Drive
with the Community Foodbank of
New Jersey. We will be hosting
several blood drives which we will
be announcing in the coming
months. And finally, this year we
hope to add 1-2 days of feeding
the homeless on the streets of
Manhattan.
We welcome all of you to join our
committee; just send an email to
the office to let us know. For
those who can’t join our committee due to other commitments, if
you have an idea of a needed
community service project, please
let us know.
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Thank You to Our Advertisers
For Your Support !
Page 9
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Women’s Club of Glen Ridge
219 Ridgewood Avenue
Glen Ridge, NJ 07028