Sep - Spouses Club of the Fort Sam Houston Area

September 2010
POSTSCRIPTS
SPOUSES’ CLUB
OF THE FORT SAM HOUSTON AREA
Find out the latest
details about Fort
Sam Houston’s
ongoing development
projects when
Garrison Commander
Col. Mary Garr, USA,
is our September
luncheon speaker.
There’s something happening here;
learn more at September luncheon
Luncheon programs
resume Tuesday, Sept. 21,
11 a.m., with our own
member Col. Mary Garr,
USA, as guest speaker.
As garrison
commander, Garr has the
inside scoop on the multiple
construction and
redevelopment projects
affecting virtually all of Fort
Sam Houston. She’ll share
that insider knowledge with
us in a comprehensive
briefing.
In addition, with a
Hawaiian luau theme, the
event promises to be both
informative and fun. Feel
free to dress up for the
occasion with your favorite
Hawaiian shirt or festive
wear. The $15 menu
includes:
• ham steak with pineapple
glaze,
• garden salad,
• rice pilaf,
• stir-fry vegetables, and
• dessert.
Please remember that
our reservation deadlines
fall on the Wednesday prior
to the luncheon. For this
month that means you’ll
need to contact
Reservations Chair Patsy
Burton by Wednesday,
Sept. 15, no later than 5
p.m.
Our Ways and Means
shop plus other vendors will
be on hand, so you can get
a head start on holiday
shopping while you’re at it.
Details, details
• Tuesday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m., $15
• Fort Sam Houston Golf Club,
1050 Harry Wurzbach Road
• RSVP by Wednesday, Sept. 15, 5
p.m., to Patsy Burton, 881-9219
or [email protected].
POSTSCRIPTS September 2010
Get in on the action
2010-2011 Board Members
By Carryn Sheehan, President
Officers
Hello, spouses!
Thanks to everyone who attended our Welcome
event in August! We had a great turnout, and I enjoyed
meeting so many new people. If I didn’t get a chance
to talk to you, please see me at the next luncheon or
activity so I can welcome you to our group. I also want
to thank Melanie Swan for opening her home to us
and letting us tour such a fine historic house. As usual,
the board members did a great job providing us with
plenty of delicious snacks — so many, in fact, that we
took leftovers to the Fisher House for those families to
enjoy.
We start off this year with a Hawaiian luauthemed luncheon at the Fort Sam Golf Club on
Tuesday, Sept. 21. (Grass skirts, anyone?) Garrison
Commander Col. Mary Garr will speak to us with an
update on the BRAC project and Joint Base San
Antonio. Fort Sam Houston is going through many
changes, and I’m looking forward to hearing her
perspective on these.
Our Spouses’ Night Out group has several
activities planned for the year. A list for the next few
months is found in this issue. I do want to point out the
main activity for September, which is set for Thursday,
Sept. 9. The group will be meeting at the McNay
museum to see a special “Women as Artists” exhibit,
then afterwards for dinner at Koi Kawa Japanese
Restaurant and Sushi Bar on Broadway.
If you or anyone you know wants to become a
member of the Spouses’ Club this year and has not yet
done so, this month is the best time. This month’s
luncheon is the deadline to be included in our
membership directory, which will be distributed in
October. Becoming a member also ensures you’ll
continue to have the newsletter e-mailed to you and
stay on the list to be informed of the Spouses’ Night
Out activities. I think the best reason to join the
Spouses’ Club is to keep connected to a group of
wonderful people who at one time or another have
probably shared similar situations and can share
stories, ideas, and advice.
Hope to see you soon!
Honorary President
Melanie Swan
703-220-0813
President
Carryn Sheehan
497-4996
1st Vice President
OPEN
2nd Vice President
Celena Smith
253-882-8390
Treasurer
Janet Bower
808-782-1757
Secretary
Michelle Battistini
Parliamentarian
Sarah Coats
455-2737
910-797-7664
Standing Committee Chairs
Bingo (Interim Coord.)
Bingo (Co-interim Coord.)
Historian
Hospitality
Membership
Newsletter
Publicity
Reservations
ROWWC/VAC/PX/Commissary
Scholarship
Spouses’ Night Out
Teena Larson
Barbara Bryant
Jennifer Swee
Elizabeth Latham
Christen Jensen
Donna Budjenska
Karla Seijas
Patsy Burton
Susie Tolman
Judith Markelz
Betsy Meyer
Melissa Mitchell
828-0341
828-1985
338-5241
979-229-7999
888-7808
223-5395
818-516-3442
881-9219
654-0351
655-0238
299-4073
830-608-1298
Ways & Means
Tracy Harvey
437-1000
Web site
Welfare
Kimberly Somarriba
Teresa Parker
603-531-3364
789-3861
BAMC
U.S. Army North
Lorraine Caravalho
Annette Wiggins
667-4885
781-4845
U.S. Army South
Kellie Trombitas
233-1805
Mission & Installation Contracting
Debbie Leisenring
834-1118
Book Club
Laurie Halverson
396-7801
Bunco: Daytime
Helen Harrison
659-4820
Bunco: Nighttime
Craft Club
Mary Ann Haun
OPEN
826-0890
Advisors
Activities
Looking ahead: 2010-2011 event schedule
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•
•
•
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•
Sept. 21: Luncheon
Oct. 19: Luncheon
Nov. 16: Luncheon
Dec. 14: Holiday Open House
Jan. 18, 2011: Luncheon
Feb. 15: Luncheon
March 22: Joint Services Luncheon
April 19: Luncheon
May 17: Luncheon
More details, plus dates and location information for other
activities, such as Spousesʼ Night Out, bunco or book club
gatherings, and other special events, will be listed in upcoming
issues of PostScripts, announced at monthly luncheons and on
our Web site (scfsh.com), and disseminated via e-mail.
What is a Bingo Angel?
SNO rolls out event schedule
By Teena Larson, Bingo Cochair
By Betsy Meyer and Melissa Mitchell, Spouses’ Night Out Cochairs
B = beautiful
I = intelligent
N = nice
G = giving
O = outgoing
Mark your calendars and come join us for SNO events! Tickets
for theater performances are selling quickly, and we only have a
limited supply left. Other events do not require advance
purchase of tickets but RSVP only if requested in the e-mail
announcements. Otherwise, just show up and stay for as long as
you can! All events are local unless otherwise noted.
A = amazing
N = noteworthy
G = golden
E = enterprising
L = loyal
Our summer bingo angels have been all these things! Due to
their valiant efforts from May through July, we raised $1,275 for
our welfare and scholarship funds.
Ten ladies were able to work 25 out of 27 times that bingo
was held at the Sam Houston Club. Thanks very much to Janet
Bower, Barbara Bryant, Donna Budjenska, Sarah Coats, Cathy
Collyer, Silvia Castleberry, Sue Ellen Hale, Mary Beth Nieves, and
Carryn Sheehan for finding time in their busy lives to sell our
bingo cards and support our fundraising efforts.
Bingo is played at Fort Sam every Friday night and Saturday
afternoon, so if you would like to help our club with this project,
please contact me right away (828-0341 or
[email protected]). We’ll train you on how to work our
table and you, too, can become a much needed bingo angel!
Theater Events
• Tuesday, Dec. 21: Rockettes Radio City Christmas
Spectacular (Austin)
• Friday, Jan. 14: Circque de la Symphonie
• Thursday, Feb. 24: Wicked
• Wednesday, March 23: West Side Story
Day/Over Night Trips (details to follow)
• Nov. 3-5: International Quilt Festival (Houston)
• April (dates TBA): Texas Hill Country Wildflower Trail
Lunch/Dinner and a Movie
Dates TBA as movies premiere. If you have a preference on
a theater location, please let us know. We can rotate our choices
of theater locations in the city to make it easier for members
who do not live close to Fort Sam Houston to attend.
Museum and Dinner
• Thursday, Sept. 9: The McNay: “Neither Model nor
Muse — Women as Artists,” Jeanne and Irving Matthews
Collection of Glass; 5:30 p.m. meet at museum entrance;
entrance is free. Dinner: 7:30 p.m. Koi Kawa Japanese
Restaurant/Sushi Bar
• October (date TBA): The McNay: “Landscapes from the
Age of Impression.” Dinner: TBA
Other
Members of the Spouses’ Club were on hand for a taping of “Great Day SA”
on May 24. Host Bridget Smith, back row on left, greeted us on camera and
included us in the episode’s hijinks.
College prep assistance
Want to go to college? Need help getting there? Education Service
Center, Region 20 will offer a free Adult College Preparatory course
Sept. 7-Oct. 26, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Marion
Dolford Learning Center in Cibolo. This course will include college
prep math, reading, and writing to boost college entrance exam
scores. Assistance with the college application and financial aid
process will also be provided. Call 370-5473 now to join the class!
Ask for Michael Collazo or Jazmine Martinez.
• Date TBA: Tower of the Americas for happy hour
(Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; cocktails and
hors d’oeuvres)
• Saturday, Oct. 23: Food and Wine Festival
(Fredericksburg)
• Friday, Nov. 12: Shopping and lunch (Boerne)
• Saturday, Dec. 4: Holiday Tour of Homes, King William
District, and lunch.
Be on the lookout for details on all events in PostScripts and
through e-mail. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Thanks from Betsy ([email protected]) and Melissa
([email protected]).
Volunteer of the Month
Congratulations to our Volunteer of the Month for September,
Janet Bower! Janet is a new board member who has started the year
with tremendous enthusiasm and a seemingly endless desire to help
anywhere she can. With her intelligence and attention to detail, she
is a perfect fit as our Treasurer for the year. Thank you, Janet!
POSTSCRIPTS September 2010
Nighttime bunco delivers
wow factor
Daytime bunco gets going
By Mary Ann Haun, Nighttime Bunco Chair
Wow, the final Day Time Bunco for the school year came up way
too fast in May. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good date for a lot of us
so only eight of us were in attendance. However, Christen Jensen
was the perfect hostess, and the
eight of us played hard and for
keeps. There was a lot of good
eats and good fun to go with it. Congrats to Christen Jensen
for the most buncos; Carryn
Sheehan ended up with the
bunco lizard. Celena Smith
came up with the most snake
eyes. Hmmm, that is always fun. Donna Budjenska went for the
big “L” as in the most losses. Patsy Gagnon had the most wins
so she was certainly happy that she could make it. Our first bunco of the fall will be Sept. 7 at Patsy
Gagnon’s, 310-0156. Come ready to play after our three-month
break. If you’d like to be added to our bunco roster be sure to
let me know — even if you’ve been playing, I need to know that
you want to continue.
If anyone would like to host, please contact me so I can
add you to a month. So far the only months taken are
September, December, and February.
See everyone soon. Questions? Contact me,
[email protected].
“Honey, we played bunco tonight in the swimming pool.”
“Shut the front door! You did not!” It’s true. Late on the sultry night of Aug. 10, 17 hubbies
learned that their wives sat at a table in Vicki’s pool to play
bunco. How many babes can say they’ve done that? A record
may have been set for the number of players trying to lose.
Shall we say that Cathe anchored herself in that shallow end
for a very long time? Janet kept saying the pool boy was
making her stay. Nobody else could see this pool boy, but that’s
unimportant. You go, girl! The night did not end after the dice and the bunco blood
drop stopped flying. We had a marathon dollar game. Would
that last dollar stay with Carryn? No! Would it be
Kathy’s? No! Now Cristi has it. It was hotter than a craps table
in Vegas! Kathy prevailed. Beginner’s luck won the jackpot. A
night at Vicki’s is more exciting than a trip to the water park.
Thank you, Vicki, for closing summer bunco with flair.
“I’m a babe. May I play?” you ask. “Got $5?” I ask. “I
even have $3 to play that dollar game,” you respond. “Then
come on over to my house on Sept. 14 so we can get to know
you. It’s potluck, too. Call me if you aren’t already on my Alist. I’ll give you the secret password. 826-0890” If you like us, you won’t want to miss October, either. Cathe
will be the hostess for a night of guaranteed hilarity. We don’t
normally discuss the evening this far in advance, but I want you
to have as much time as possible to plan. Keeping with the
tradition of the harvest, we will be celebrating The Gathering
of the Nuts. Yes, you are the nuts! Cathe wants us to dress in
costume, and Cathe can’t be refused! Contact your inner
muse. Consult all your alternate personalities and pick one to
represent you. Dress her in the most creative way. Be prepared
to explain your “self,” or make us guess. You might win a prize.
Who has fun? The Sisterhood of the Traveling Dice, baby!
H2O bunco: This group is just all wet.
BAMC Auxiliary hosts coffee
The Annual BAMC Auxiliary Welcome Coffee will be held
Thursday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historic Stilwell House
on Fort Sam Houston. Any adults with a military or DOD affiliation
— active or retiree — are invited, and friends are welcome too! No
RSVP is needed. Come enjoy some delicious food, mingle, and
learn more about the exciting events the Auxiliary has to offer.
By Helen Harrison, Daytime Bunco Chair
Book Club open to all
By Holly Smith
A number of spouses have shown an interest
in joining our Spouses’ Book Club for this
coming year, so the first meeting should be
interesting and fun. It is a very informal
group, so don’t feel shy; we love to see new
faces and hear fresh ideas and points of view.
The first gathering will be at the home
of Holly Smith on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 11
a.m. At this meeting we will discuss what to
read for the coming year. Please bring several book suggestions,
preferably with books in tow or a printed synopsis or review of
the book. Any book will be of interest: romance, fiction,
biography, history, science fiction, or fantasy. Lunch will be
served so please RSVP to Holly if attending,
[email protected].
Laurie Halverson will be the new book club organizer for
the year so if you have any questions, please contact her,
[email protected].
The Book Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month,
usually at 11 a.m. Members of the Book Club must also be
members of the Spouses’ Club of Fort Sam Houston.
James Jewelers this fall
Lackland AFB is the place to find James Jewelers as its OSC
hosts the Thai jewelry company Friday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. at the Kelly Field Club.
SPOUSES’ CLUB OF THE FORT SAM HOUSTON AREA
2010-2011 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name_______________________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________
Reminder:
Join by Sept. 21 to
be part of the
2010-2011 club directory
and stay on the mailing list
for all the latest and
greatest club news
and activities!
City______________________________________State________Zip code_______________
Home phone_________________________________Cell phone________________________
E-mail address_______________________________________________________________
Birthday (Month/Day)_____/_____ Are you a New or Returning member? (circle one)
Spouse’s name & rank______________________________Active Duty or Retired (circle one)
Spouse’s branch of service/unit/organization________________________________________
May we include the above information in our Membership Directory? ____Yes____No
(Members joining and paying dues after the October luncheon will not be included in this year’s membership directory.)
_____ Please check here if you are interested in receiving the newsletter via e-mail.
Please list any past spouses’ club experience:_______________________________________
Please check any of the following activities you would be interested in:
__Bingo Angels __Book Club __ BUNCO __Committee service __Spouses’ Night Out __Other
____________________________________________________________________________
Annual dues are:
___$25 for active and associate membership of E6 and above
___$20 for active and associate membership of E5 and below
___$20 for active and associate membership of 65 years and older
___$12.50 for half-year membership (students & members joining January-May)
_____ If you DO NOT want your photo to be featured in our newsletter or on our Web site, please initial.
Please send the application and check made payable to:
Spouses’ Club of the Fort Sam Houston Area
PO BOX 340209
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-0209
____________________________________________________________________________
CLUB USE ONLY — DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE
Date Rec’d__________Amt________Cash__Check#__________Rec’d by________________
The Spouses’ Club of the Fort Sam Houston area is a private organization. It is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its
components. The Spouses’ Club has no governmental status.
The Merry Maven communes with nature
By Mary Ann Haun
When I was a stay-at-home mommy, my boys and I enjoyed visiting
the park every week. Whenever Uncle Sam moved us to a new post
we always searched for a new place to feed the ducks, watch bugs,
and find strange plants. Those little boys are now having boys of
their own, but we are still going to the park. San Antonio has some
great parks to explore.
I recently discovered Phil Hardberger Park, 13203 Blanco
Road. It is going to be beautiful when it is fully developed. For now
there is an enticing playscape for children, large picnic tables, and
some wide, easy-to-navigate trails. These trails would be perfect for
practicing two-wheelers to build confidence. A good-sized section
of one trail is paved. Intersections have seating areas under
trees. Pets are welcome, and mutt mitts are provided at the trail
head. There is a calendar for nature classes offered each
month. What fun it would be for your family to make regular
visits to watch the seasons change and the park to grow.
Hiking, biking, picnicking, and stealing kisses under the
old oak tree are not the only fun you can have in a park. You
can play disc golf ! My youngest son got hooked in college and
tried to teach this willing, but totally unable, mom to play. I
think he really wanted someone to help carry his discs. Along
with the delightful bonding time, I discovered a couple parks
that have challenging disc courses hidden in lush surroundings.
Live Oak City Park is tucked away in a residential
neighborhood. A vicious water hazard that drowns favorite
POSTSCRIPTS
Spousesʼ Club
of the Fort Sam Houston Area*
PO Box 340209
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-0209
*Not affiliated with the Department of Defense
www.scfsh.com
September 2010
discs has been disguised as a meandering creek with water lilies. If
you play this course, invest in discs that float.
You don’t have to play disc golf to enjoy this park. There are
benches positioned along the creek so you can sit to admire those
lilies. Picture Monet studying the play of light on the water. They
have covered pavilions for picnics and a nice playground. The
bathrooms are clean and comfortable, too. I liked this park because
it has a family friendly atmosphere. Nobody laughed when I
couldn’t make that disc go where it should, either.
Check out www.sanantonio.gov to find a park that piques your
interest, and take those kids, young and old, out to visit Mother
Nature.
Welcome success
The Pershing House proved to be just the
right venue for our kick-off event of the
2010-2011 club year. Hostess Melanie Swan
welcomed everyone to tour her historic
quarters, and both returning and new
members had an opportunity to mingle and
sign up for events and activities.
Newcomer Mayumi Guermonprez won
the door prize — congratulations, Mayumi!