Our Club

This year is the 75th Anniversary of The Carmel Valley Women's Club. The Club is a social, civic, and educational organization celebrating Friendship, Education, and Community. Through friendship, its members work to support the charitable and education purposes of the Carmel Valley Women's Club Foundation. Our monthly luncheons are the first Wednesday of the month from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm with the exception of our New Member Reception in September, our Holiday Extravaganza in December, and our spring fundraiser in April. We meet at various restaurants in the Carmel Valley area. We also hold other monthly events at varous times. Membership is open to all and not restricted to Carmel Valley residents.
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Become a member. Join the CVWC!

Memberships are $65 per year. You may join online HERE. If you have questions or would like to pay via check, contact our Membership Director HERE

If you are an existing member looking to renew, you must login to renew. If you need your login and password, contact our Web Mistress at web@cvwomensclub.org

A Message from our President

Hats off to Conne and Helayne for organizing a terrific luncheon at Hacienda Carmel. The food, venue and service were excellent. Our speaker was exuberant, enthusiastic and very entertaining. On top of all that, the performance was wonderful and we had a strong turnout!

October ‘s agenda continues with our new Zoom series opener featuring John McPherson from the Alliance on Aging. We hope that ‘Zooming’ from home, or at Melissa’s office, will enable more members to participate in this conversation. Continued...

November 6 - November Lunch at Earthbound Farms

Join us for November's Lunch at
Earthboud Farmstand Pavilion
Patricia Qualls
will speak on
"Honoring our Genius"

November 6, 2024
Earthbound Farmstand
7250 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel CA 93923
11:30 - 1:30

$45

Reservations may be made online HERE

or can be made by contacting Cynthia Rivera at 831-624-3757 or EMAIL.

Reservations must be made by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1...and remember, a reservation made is a reservation paid.

Aging Well - Part 2 - November 18 12:00 noon Zoom Call

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Our second zoom presentation in our Aging Well series will be with Christine Dawson, Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Giving at the Community Foundation for Monterey County. CFMC is well known for supporting nonprofits like us, but they also provide customized support to individuals, families and businesses in bequest, legacy and estate planning. Christine will cover their unique approach through personalized plans for giving with a focus on creating the greatest good for Monterey County.

To join the zoom call or find out how to participate in person, please contact Judy Tschirgi by EMAIL

Two Fun and Informative October Events

First "Aging Well" Zoom Presentation - 10/17
Alliance on Aging with John McPherson

Pumpkin Decor Event - 10/19

Our first of four sessions on Aging Well was a fun and informative event. We had 15 paricipants, mostly on Zoom and all went smoothly. John McPherson was an excellent speaker and the Alliance is a very impressive organization. They offer a myriad of free services for seniors in Monterey County. We encourage you to visit their site and learn how they might be able to help you, your loved ones or senior friends with taxes, Medicare choices, legal services and so much more. They also partner with numerous organizations who can help with transportation services and other important senior services.

Stay tuned for details about our next session!

What do 6 people and 12 pumpkins add up to on a gorgeous autumn morning? A fun-filled Pumpkin Decor "Instructional Event", of course. It was held at Conne Sutherland’s house on her beautiful patio. Six of us enjoyed coffee and pumpkin bread, (of course), while we created some beautiful, fall floral arrangements. A delightful morning for all involved.

October 2 Luncheon was a Musical Delight

Our first luncheon of the year was a delightful, and well-attended, affair. Nicola Reilly, President and CEO of the Monterey Symphony not only regaled us with stories of her fascinating life, but played several pieces on the violin with her long time piano accompanist. Nicola started life in a musical family and while thinking she wanted to play bass violin, realized at age 6 that violin was perhaps more appropriate for her petite size. With a vision of conquering the world in short order she became an accomplished musician, helped reorganize some government services, worked at a start-up, worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, founded two women's musical groups and then began the long arduous climb up the ladder of Arts Administration through numerous musical organizations including the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the Carmel Bach Festival, ultimately landing at the Monterey Symphony where she's been since 2016. They are lucky, indeed to have found this energetic, creative, resourceful leader who emphasizes partnership with other arts leaders in the region. Be sure to check out the schedule of events at MontereySymphony.org

Thanks to Helayne Williams for arranging for Nicola to speak and perform.

And Many Thanks to Conne Sutherland for obtaining the Hacienda Carmel venue with piano and for arranging for the lovely buffet luncheon.

Sept. 11 - Aloha Meet 'n Greet - some serious mana

The "Aloha" spirit was flowing at Conne
Sutherland's amidst the lei's and colorful
outfits as our members enjoyed pupus,
wine, and each other.

A little over 30 members gathered to
kick off our 76th year as a club and
start a fun-filled year of luncheons,
educational events, social gatherings,
and our second annual Hoedown
in April. We look forward to seeing
you all over the next 9 months.

Carmel Valley Fiesta 2024

The CVWClub and Foundation were well represented at the Kiwanis 2024 Carmel Valley Fiesta in the Community Park. We got our name out to the community, recruited some new members, and even sold one of our cool aprons we were wearing!!! (They were from the BBQ Cook-off from several years ago).

Deb Langley's Silent Auction she ran to benefit our organization was a big success. And Deb donated 2/3 of her proceeds which amounted to $2000 to the Foundation. So AWESOME!!! Thank you Deb.

Wednesday, June 5 Luncheon -We celebrated our
Scholars and Non-Profit Grantees

Our June luncheon is always a delight. Held in the lovely garden of Los Laureles Lodge, with delicious food and umbrellas to (barely) protect us from an unusually hot day, we celebrated the scholars and nonprofits who were recipients of our 2024 grants. The Foundation was able to grant $16,000 in tuition scholarships to 7 Carmel Valley area scholars and $9,500 in unrestricted grants to local nonprofits that serve Carmel Valley residents. We are thrilled to be able to provide this much support and thank all of our members and the community at large who supported our fund-raising efforts.

The Community Allocations Committee (June Dawson, Chair, plus members Linda Davey, Marilyn Kajs-Wyllie and Judi Zaches) selected the following nonprofits to receive grants: Rotacare Monterey Clinic ($2,000), Alliance on Aging ($1,500), CASA Monterey ($1,500), Friends of Cachagua Children's Center ($1,500), CV Community Youth Center ($1,500) and the CV Historical Society ($1,500).

The Scholarship Committee (Nancy Endriz, Chair, plus members Megan Mayer, Susan McFarland and Judy Tschirgi) selected 7 recipients for tuition scholarships: Adrienne Ranansky (Cal Poly - SLO), Azucena Martinez (Caly Poly - SLO), Maggie Short (Verto Education through University of New Haven), Lilyana Marciano (OSU), Lesslie de la Rosa (applying to graduate programs), and two awardees from last year who completed their first year at UCSB, Sophia Bone and Cassidy Bullas.

In addition to the celebration, our membership voted in new Club Officers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and thanked outgoing President, Renée Wagner for her service. Incoming Officers are: Brenda Davis, President; Helayne Williams, 1st VP Programs; Conne Sutherland, 2nd VP Venues; Deb Langley, 3rd VP Membership; Melissa Sterling, Secretary; and Sherie Dodsworth, Treasurer. Peggy Dickson, Chair of the Nominating Committee presented the slate, Marti Myszak made the motion to approve, Gale Paul seconded the motion, and the motion was carried.

New Member "Meet 'n Greet" - A Lovely Time

On May 23 the club hosted a 'Meet and Greet' for current and new members. The event was held at the home of Cynthia Hall, who very graciously welcomed 27 women to her spectacular hilltop residence. Thanks Cynthia!

Gale Paul brought Linda Coyne, who joined right away. Jani Quirinale brought Corrina Barrus, and Corrina Barrus brought Stacy Sonik, who had both joined the previous week. Hooray for new members, all.

The new members from this past year had a chance to introduce themselves, and we all enjoyed getting to know one another. Sweet and savory treats from Jerome's, donated wine from Bernardus and Hahn along with lemonade from Cynthia were appreciated by all.

75th Anniversary 'Diamond' Hoedown Party - An Amazing Celebration!

What a 75th Anniversary it was!! A Hoedown to beat all Hoedowns. There was music. There was incredibly delicious food. There was a Silent Auction that netted us over $9000. And there was DANCING! (we should have an amazing video soon). With 146 tickets sold (over our goal), we had over 130 attendees all dressed to the nines in cowboy and cowgirl attire - never seen so many hats and boots. Hidden Valley was turned into a Western Wonderland by our awesome Decorations Committee. We had lots of community members join our Club members for a truly wonderful Carmel Valley celebration of fun and philanthropy.

There are lots of people and companies to thank for helping to make this event so successful. Please take a little time to acknowledge all our Volunteers, Sponsors and Donors. Without their support we never could have pulled this off.

Volunteers

Donors

March 6 Luncheon -Who knew we lived in Hollywood's Playground?

Rio Grill provided an outstanding luncheon and venue as we gathered to hear Neal Hotelling, historian extraordinaire, tell us a fascinating account of the Monterey Peninsula's history through the eyes of the Hollywood celebrities who visited (and sometimes stayed).

From the silent film stars of the '20s (think Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Pola Negri), through the beginning of the talkies (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, Joan Crawford) on through the heyday in the 40's and 50's (Cary Grant, Doris Day, Mickey Rooney) and onto today (Brad Pitt), the lure of our sun, sand, ranches and hills has made Monterey a movie destination. Movies were filmed here, award ceremonies were held, celebrities events and galas were attended. The Hotel Del Monte was a huge draw in the early days as was Pebble Beach. The photos of all the stars enjoying themselves were delightful to view.

Deb Langley created a gorgeous St. Patrick's Day basket which raised $350 dollars from the raffle for the Foundation. Melissa Gilbert had the luck of the Irish and got to take it home.

February 7 Luncheon - Soggy, but ever so "Film"tastic

Well, the weather may have been for the "ducks", but inside the Garden Room of Quail Lodge (Thanks Gale and Renée) we were cozy and lunched on delicious salad and sandwiches with chef's wonderful cookies for dessert. The real dessert, however, was listening to Paula Joy MacNab's talk on her work with the Monterey County Film Commission. As the liaison organization working with film production companies worldwide, she and MCFC are responsible for attracting film work to our county as well as making their work as easy as possible once they're here. From scouting for cool locations, to finding supporting businesses (think hair salons to coif actors and restaurants to feed film staff), to even helping recruit extras for the sets, she and her small staff are very busy. Follow the MCFC website page to find out just what's going on...and if Big Little Lies really will return to our coastal communities.

Thanks to Deb Langley for the beautiful raffle basket that Gale Paul won. And thanks to all members present who voted for the motion to raise dues to $65. Motion was made by Judy Tschirgi, seconded by Jan Praisner and carried by a count of hands.

Such a fun and informative Fireside Chat in January

Your intrepid editor and photographer was just too engrossed in the Fireside Chat to take photographs!!! We had a nice turnout of members, and also a few residents of White Oaks (and maybe potential new members), for our Fireside Chat with Melissa Sterling. Melissa, a certified Financial Advisor with the Edward Jones branch in Carmel, provided a thought-provoking session on how women in any stage of life need to be thinking and planning for financial independence. While it's not always comfortable to think about planning for either life changes or end-stages of life, we need to be pro-active in taking some money matters into our own hands. Melissa makes the point that a good relationship with a Financial Advisor can assist with more than just the investment side of money. There are many important decisions that a Financial Advisor can assist with, from budgeting to long-term-care planning to ensuring philanthropic desires are met. And Melissa also introduced us to the Sarah Cook of Cafe Carmel, who provided lovely appetizers and desserts. And lots of wine flowed too. So all in all, it was another successful Fireside Chat. Many thanks to Robin Ornellas who helped organize the event and introduced Melissa.

January 10 Luncheon 's topic was timely and important

With a brisk ocean breeze, a fabulous view of the harbor and sail boats, and a nautical theme inside, we commenced the year by dining at the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club. We give a big thanks to Gale Paul for arranging lunch through her membership there.

Our speaker, Ashley Chesney, gave a heartfelt, and very informative talk on the issues of human sex trafficking in Monterey County. She covered how the nonprofit she founded, Set Free Monterey Bay, helps with both prevention (through education in concert with local school districts), and treatment (through a residential treatment program) of those women seeking to escape their coercive and traumatic situation. In particular, Ashley covered the detailed statistics of how internet ads are placed targeting visitors to Monterey during tourist events such as golf, Laguna Seca, music and other big draws. While trafficking is a problem in many places, it is a particular draw in our County because of the high tourism rate.

We had close to 45 members attend; a wonderful turnout to kick off the year. Deb Langley had created another beautiful raffle basket for us, and our lucky winner was Desiree Gillingham. And we raised $480 for the Foundation - truly a record for a raffle. Looking forward to seeing you in February.

Dec. Holiday Lunch - Always Festive

Our December luncheon was a wonderful, festive event at Woody's Del Mesa. The venue was so beautifully decorated by Tim Wood's wife, the staff (shout-out to Henry) were so friendly and helpful in getting us set up just right, and the food was delicious.. Our three vendors, Lulu's Chocolates, Valley Flores flowers, and Quail & Olive set up delightful pop-up stores for us, and Michael, our pianist, provided lovely seasonal music. We give a big thanks to Gale and Renée who arranged the event.

We had over 60 members attend, and over 10 guests included. We also solicited members to sign-up to volunteer for the April 28 Hoedown Fundraiser -- and the response was great. Finally, Deb Langley had created two beautiful raffle baskets for us. Our lucky winners were Rebecca Fuller and Stephanie Byrne. And we raised $330 for the Foundation - maybe a record for a raffle. Happy Holidays to everyone and see you next year.

Nov. 1 Luncheon - Local Government at its finest - it's all in the planning

Thirty three members attended lunch at the lovely Corral De Tierra Country. Club (thanks to Frankie Appling for sponsoring us and arranging the event!) to hear local government maven, Kate Daniels, speak on issues concerning Monterey County. Kate has been active civically since she was 14, following in the footsteps of her civically-engaged parents. She spoke knowledgeably about land use, water planning, transportation, homelessness and the state of housing development. She could impressively cite the long names of seemingly every agency in the County and the number of every legislative bill that's been passed that affects us. Her enthusiasm and optimism for our County, and particularly our District 5, was infectious. We all learned a lot.
Sherie Dodsworth won the raffle and a beautiful basket donated by Star Market (thanks to Renée for getting the donation). Our raffle this month raised $210 for the Foundation. Way to go members!!

October 27 Shopping and Wine Tasting in Carmel Valley - So much Fun

A lovely autumn afternoon spent sipping wine from three Carmel Valley wineries and shopping three Carmel Valley stores - what could be finer? Club members and the public invitees spent two hours on Friday enjoying the fine wines of Pelio Estates, I. Brand & Family, and Corral Wine Company, three of the newer wineries in the area. Each winery was paired with a shop on Center Street to entice shoppers to spend a little extra to benefit the Carmel Valley Women's Club Foundation. Olivia & Daisy Books hosted Pelio amidst their books and charming gifts. Avant Garden and Home hosted I. Brand at their little bar at the front of their store chock full of jewelry, clothing, homegoods and gifts. And Nick Leonoff, glass blower extraordinaire, hosted Corral Wine Co. outside of his studio and show-room full of beautiful glass objets d'art. CVWCF provided cheese and crackers to accompany the wine. Everyone attending thought it was a great event: we recruited some new members, got good exposure for our Club and Foundation, and raised some money too (amount to be reported soon). So a big Cheers! to all who participated.

October 4 Luncheon with Megan Mayer -We are so grateful!

Do you remember to thank your family, friends and colleagues for their kindnesses? Do you get a warm glow when someone thanks you for something? Well, that "Gratitude Bump" that increases your physical and mental well-being was the subject of Megan Mayer's presentation at our October luncheon. Members dined on a buffet of lovely organic food from Earthbound Farms in their beautifully decorated outdoor pavillion while listening to a captivating talk by Megan. We learned about the science behind gratitude, the 4 points of a good "thank-you" (Say "thank-you", use the person's name, say what the thanks are for, and say why it meant something to you), and the importance of training the next generations to systematically be grateful. Needless to say, we were very grateful to Megan for her talk, and to all the members who arranged this lovely event.

And we also thank our members for supporting the Foundation through purchasing raffle tickets. We made $205 through ticket sales this month. Gale Paul and Peggy Dickson walked away with lovely baskets (one donated by Deb Langley and one by Megan Mayer who also deserve big thanks).

September 28 Fireside Chat with Chef Wendy Brodie - What a delight!

11 Members joined host Brenda Davis at the White Oaks Community Center for an intimate gathering with Wendy Brodie as she reminisced about her amazing history a chef in the Carmel Area. We heard about her early time at Gardiner Tennis Club and The Preserve; about the many lessons she learned arranging huge events for Stonepine estates or a local winery; and about her later challenges in her business. The Q&A session ranged widely from thoughts on recent kitchen technology to why you should always eat wasabi with your sushi. And the gold-flecked chocolate fudge bars she brought were not to be missed. We thank Wendy for her generosity in spending time with us - and welcome her as the newest member in our Club.

Sept 2023 New Member Reception -75th Anniversary Kickoff

Our New Member Reception on September 6 at Morgan Winery at the Crossroads was a huge success. The lovely venue, a glorious day, terrific wine and excellent goodies from Reba's made for a special kickoff for our 75th anniversary. Approximately 30 members and 8 guests attended, and we hope to see some guests come back as members soon. Incoming President Renée Wagner welcomed all and highlighted some of the special luncheons and events, including a new "fun"draiser in April, that our members can expect this year. We thank outgoing President Kathy Kaminski for organizing and sponsoring this very special event for us.

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