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Newcomers and Friends of San Gabriel Valley Celebrated 50th Anniversary With Champagne Brunch
Arcadia Weekly Apr 17, 2015
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The Newcomer Club of SGV celebrated their 50th anniversary with a champagne brunch. Ten former past presidents traveled to a Arcadia to help celebrate. 1st row (L-R) Chris Kucma, President Elena Paule, Farryl Weitzman and Carol York. Top row(L-R) Sandra Kasper, Sharon Townsend, MaryLou Krulisch, Jennie Supawong, Sue McCamy, Shary Devore and Sharon Romero. – Courtesy Photo
Over 50 members and past members attended, including Lucy Freeman, who joined in 1977, and Sharon Townsend, who traveled the farthest from Danville, CA, which is in the San Francisco area. Ten past presidents of the club attended and were honored by current President Elena Paules they were entertained by five members who spoke on each of the club’s five decades–regaling us with the history of the club, top news stories, inventions, music, TV, and movies. Before email the club kept their members in touch with a phone tree! Past events brought back happy memories (and some laughter) for many club members. Membership was mainly stay-at-home moms in the beginning and membership dropped when they had to go to work during the recession. Then in 1984 we started with 31 members and ended the year with 163! Presently we have over 130 members, mostly retired women as most of our activities are during the day. In between decades, raffle tickets were drawn with members winning great prizes donated by Albertson’s, the LA Arboretum, Armstrong Nursery, Bea’s Knees store, Claim Jumper, Cupcake Cuties, Havin’ A Ball Dance Studio in Arcadia, Home Street Bank (Smitty’s Restaurant), Landmark Trust Escrow Co. (Nordstrom certificate), Pasadena Playhouse, Santa Anita Mall, The Soup Kitchen in Pasadena and the Rose Parade. We wish to extend our thanks to these businesses for their generous gifts. The beautiful orchid centerpieces were also raffled off.
Club activities have changed over the years. In 1975 some of the activities were bingo, bowling, tennis, crafts, exercise, card games, mothers of young children group, and golf, which is our longest running activity, with members continuing to golf weekly. Today we have a monthly coffee meetings for all members, with 30 to 50 members attending. A monthly email newsletter is sent detailing club events and activities including a book club, bridge, crafts, games, garden gals, golf, lunch bunch, mahjong, movie going, pinochle, scrabble, a wine tasting club, tours and travel. Most events take place monthly. A Ladies on the Go group (which aptly describes all of us!) plans monthly outings chosen by members. There are five or six luncheons held by the club yearly with programs for the entertainment or enlightenment of our members. Six tours are scheduled yearly and last year included Mount Wilson Observatory, Graber Olive House in Ontario, San Antonio Winery, Porto’s Bakery in Glendale, and the Nixon Library, with a tour of Norton Simon Museum coming in April. Members can attend as little or as much as they choose and there’s something for everyone! Membership dues are $25 yearly—not much of an increase from 1975’s $7 fee considering how much the cost of living has increased in the past 50 years. New members are always welcome!
For more information about SGV Newcomers and Friends visit us online at www.sgvnmewcomers.com or contact us at sgvnewcomersA@yahoo.com.
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