What do you do at your meetings? Do they involve guest speakers?
We’re redoing our bylaws right now, so things may change, but right now we try to alternate our business meetings with events, like the potluck “covered dish” supper in September and our picnic in June. In December, we go out to dinner and do a gift exchange between members, and we all bring a donation for the Food Pantry.
At many of our business meetings we have a program presented by the hostess or a speaker. The programs vary. The meeting is at my home tonight, so I’m going to speak on Key West and the years that Ernest Hemingway lived there. Last month we had a woman from Cottage on the Hudson who brought an angora rabbit and showed how she spins wool from it. We’ve had guest speakers on education, the ASPCA, a presentation on fraud and author Joanne Michaels discussing her book on towns in the Hudson Valley. Another time, one of our members, Pat Blundell, who is a judge at flower shows, did a flower-arranging demonstration. We had a program by Dr. Martin on “Health and Wellness” and one by Audrey Klinkenberg, the town historian, on the history of familiar buildings. In October, I had an organizational meeting to decide what we wanted to support this year, and in November we had an in-house fundraiser — a jewelry party — at our meeting.
Does your club have a particular focus in doing charitable works?
We do make sure we take care of the children in the community — we give money to the summer day camp program, the Boys & Girls Club, the Food Pantry and we donate anonymously to families in need by buying gift cards for groceries or gas and distribute those through the school nurses — they know who is in need. We never get the name so they’re not embarrassed. We also buy “milk coupons” from Stewart’s shops to give to the Food Pantry to give out. They can’t keep milk at the [food] pantry, so this way the people can take their coupon to Stewart’s and get free milk.
We give three graduation awards of $100 each year to high school seniors, and we give the Clifford Stein Award to one student– Cliff Stein was very active in the community, and [in his name] we give an award out to a girl who maybe didn’t get the best grades but is trying very hard and making an effort. We also donate to the junior and senior high post-prom party.
Is there a membership fee?
$20 annually.
What are some of the other contributions you make?
We donate to the ASPCA, and we get together with the two GFWC women’s groups in town and the League of Women Voters to sponsor a lighthouse — or whatever the town is sponsoring — for the Chamber of Commerce annual public art event. This year our artist is Peg Nau, who will paint each side of the lighthouse with the name of the four groups. And we donate anonymously each year to a local family or individual with a medical need.
How do you raise money?
The major fundraiser is the yearly bus trip to New York the first week of December. We rent a bus and you’re on your own in the city for the day; the bus drops you off right near Radio City Music Hall. This has been going on for many years and is very popular. We hold one or two other small fundraisers throughout the year and we’ll do things like the in-house jewelry party to raise funds, too.
For more information about joining the Girl’s Community Club of Saugerties, call Marilyn Bucher at (845) 246-1209. The group doesn’t maintain a website at this time.
