Woman's Club Gathers Honors & Accolades, Elects Officers
Womanâs Club Gathers
Honors & Accolades, Elects Officers
The Newtown Womanâs Club, GFWC, has been very busy recently, with members collecting awards and accolades.
On Thursday, May 17, new officers were installed at the clubâs general meeting. The new slate of officers stands as follows: Nina Morrison and Shirley Ferris, co-presidents; Joan Lavery, first vice president; Judy Rosentel, second vice president; Lana Patane, recording secretary; Layne Lescault, corresponding secretary; Carol Fullman, treasurer; Dot OâByrne, assistant treasurer; and Lorraine Vanderwende, historian.
The 150th Annual Convention of the General Federation of Womenâs Clubs of CT (GFWC/CT) took place May 18â19 at the Crown Plaza in Cromwell. Newtown Womanâs Club, GFWC, was presented with numerous prestigious awards.
First Place in large clubs was presented to Newtown for International Outreach, Communication and Identity, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, Veterans Awareness, and Education Partnership. Five Second Place awards were also bestowed.
The club also received the Ursula Kolb Casioppo Federation Awareness Gavel, which was first presented in 1978, in honor of this past state president. This award is presented at every GFWC/CT Annual Convention.
The club honored with this gavel award has demonstrated an exceptional effort to increase public awareness not only for its individual club, but for the state and international federation, through community service programs and projects during the previous calendar year. According to information presented in the reports for small, medium, and large clubs, the recipient is chosen by the Public Relations Committee from the top three first place winners in all three categories. The recipient is allowed to keep the gavel for a one year period.
Also during the state event, Jo Ann Bruno, NWC, GFWC member, and GFWC/CT member at large, received the GFWC/CT Volunteer Achievement Award. It is presented to an individual club member who is recognized for her history of volunteerism, participation, and active involvement in the sstate federation, her local club, as well as home and family activities. The recipient is by selection and endorsement of the GFWC/CT state president and her Executive Committee.
Mrs Bruno has more than 40 years of volunteer service through Junior League, Newcomers Clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Womanâs Clubs, and various other organizations in nine different communities. She has been involved for 27 years with GFWC/CT in three different Connecticut towns, serving as club president, two district directorships, four GFWC/CT state board positions, GFWCCT third vice president, GFWC/CT state membership chair, and GFWC/CT member at large.
The convention also included an Arts, Crafts and Photography show that began in each club, progressed to each region of GFWC/CT, and culminated with the state convention.
NWCâs Pat Denlinger won first place for a photo of her granddaughter playing in a fountain. Newtown had many first, second, and third place winners in all categories. Photography winners will move on to the national show.
The big winner of the conference was Peg Forbell who won Best In Show for her âAlphabetâ counted cross stitch.
(Please see this weekâs Newtown Bee Facebook album for additional photos from these recent events.)