4 minute read
We don’t have to say goodbye for the summer!
By Susan Pittelman, WCA Publicity Coordinator, and Harriett Kleinman, WCA Membership Director
What a season it has been! These past few months, filled with friendship, learning and fun, seem to have flown by. Many of our members are now saying their goodbyes to friends who are staying in Florida, as they return to their homes up north.
The “Year Rounders,” WCA members who are permanent residents of Florida and are here over the summer, also said a “goodbye” of sorts to each other. With the exception of the Mahjong, Canasta, Bridge and Book groups, WCA activities pretty much came to a halt when “season” ended and our snowbirds left. Those of us who remained in Florida did not have planned opportunities to get together. But from now on, things will be different!
More and more WCA members are choosing to remain in “paradise” all year long — fun fact: approximately 35% of WCA members are full-time residents of Southwest Florida! As a result, the WCA Board of Directors wants to provide more programming during the summer to give members who are here a chance to be together.
In February, WCA Membership Chair Harriett Kleinman formed a committee of nearly 20 “Year Rounders” to create summer programming. The women who came to the meeting were most enthusiastic and created a long list of activities for consideration. The committee met twice again in March to further hone the list and select which events they each wanted to work on.
Planning is now underway for an exciting summer! A Summer Kickoff, under the leadership of Ronna Hain and Natalie Lewis and their committee, will be held Tuesday morning, May 22 at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center.
The tentative schedule has lots to offer. There will be many events centered around food — from luncheons to cooking classes and farmers sharing samples of their crops. Several speakers will impart their knowledge about what’s going on in Southwest Florida. Classic movies, games and dancing will keep members out of the heat. Year Rounders, watch your WCA newsletter for more details!
What about snowbird members who leave after season? Nearly 10 years ago, WCA created Summer Branches in response to requests by members who go north for the summer to “take WCA home with them.” There are currently WCA Summer Branches in nine geographical locations in North America. Each branch is led by a liaison (or two), who plan gatherings for the women in their geographical area. Some branches have one special event each summer; others plan several.
If you are returning north to one of the areas that has a WCA Summer Branch, be sure to register with the liaison so that you receive email notices about upcoming events. The list of Summer Branches is below. Liaison contact information is under “Groups” on the WCA website: www.wcanaples.org.
Our WCA Summer Branches, along with the new initiative to plan activities for our Year Rounders, will ensure that wherever a WCA member will be this summer, there is a good chance that WCA friends and fun will be nearby!
WCA SUMMER BRANCHES
Berkshires
Boston Metro
North Connecticut
DelVal (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware)
Illinois
Michigan
New York City Metro/New Jersey
Washington DC,
Virginia, Maryland
Oh Canada
Contact information for liaisons is under “Groups” on the WCA website: www.wcanaples.org.
