Newcomers of San Antonio

News from The President

News from the President

Happy New Year Newcomers of San Antonio!!! We are past all the holidays and about to embark on a brand-new year full of possibilities. Are you one who makes a list of New Year Resolutions?  My resolution for Newcomers is that all feel welcome to the party!  We all play a part in this but as you’ll see from the Outstanding Member of the Month column, we do best when we do it together! My board sure showed this last month by the countless hours they put in to pull off our fabulous 40th Anniversary Luncheon.  Be sure to see the photos captured at that event here: https://danaann.passgallery.com/-_projects_22614785/gallery 

While things tend to slow down in January, Newcomers certainly has a full calendar, so for those looking for fun and friendship, I hope to see you out at the luncheon, coffee or at your favorite Interest Group offerings this month! Also, don’t forget to call Marcia Blalock to reserve a cabin to join us on the high seas for our May 13-18, 2022 cruise. 

Do you enjoy planning events? We are looking for volunteers to plan an April Fashion Show, so contact any board member if you are interested in working on this committee.

And, as always, if you don’t see your favorite activity offered, please know YOU can start a new group!!  That’s how we best Bloom Where We Are Planted.

Have a wonderful start to a healthy and happy 2022!! 

Cindy 

News from the President

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I feel like a little kid when I see the twinkling lights, the nativity scenes and the giving spirit everywhere I go. Newcomers is no exception! Contributions for Blessing Bags items and Community Involvement’s Toy Drive have been pouring in! It’s not too late to join in: Dec 2nd may be the Toy Drive cut-off but Blessing Bags & Mobile Loaves and Fishes will take Hats, Gloves and socks all winter long! Contact their Interest group leaders for how to give. Toys can be brought to the December 2nd 40th Anniversary Luncheon. I look forward to seeing so many of you there as we celebrate Christmas AND 40 years of this fabulous Newcomers of San Antonio group.

Our last coffee of the year will be at Lynne Govers’ home at 10am on December 16th and judging from the large number in November, it’ll be quite the gathering! Come join the fun! No reservation is necessary.

If you find holidays to be a difficult time of year, please know we’d like to be there for you! Our new leader for Helping Hands, Marcia Blalock (crusaway@yahoo.com) wants to know any way we can help our members. Helping Hands is an important part of Newcomers where members help their fellow members with a meal or a ride or a home visit after a surgery or difficult life circumstance. Please let Marcia know if you or another member needs our help in this kind of way.

I hope you saw the e-blast about our May 13-18th Cruise! Marcia (crusaway@yahoo.com) is the one to contact to answer any questions and to ultimately book your cabin to sail to Mexico with us in May!

On behalf of my fabulous board, we’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas / Holiday Season and A Happy New Year!

Peace, Joy & Love,

Cindy Richards

President

News from the President

How appropriate that I feel so thankful this Thanksgiving month! I am thankful for my faith, my family and my friends, including each and every one of you! I am also incredibly thankful for the founders of Newcomers of San Antonio for having the vision in 1981 to launch what is still this thriving recreational and charitable club of 220 members strong!! I have recently spoken to several of these founding members and they cannot wait to tell us all about our newcomer beginnings. Founder and Visionary, Elaine Van Buren, will do just that as our Key Note Speaker for the extraordinary December 2nd Fortieth Anniversary Luncheon at Aldos. Join us as we honor and celebrate our Founder and co-founders, our past 38 presidents and YOU, our current members!

I am also thankful that 66 of you came to our annual Interest Group Luncheon last month and not only signed up for your favorite groups but decided to start some new activities! I look forward to the various community involvement activities on the calendar as well as upcoming groups such as bowling and Learning the Arts with Shiny to name a few. Anyone can contact Michelle Plazek to start your own new interest group!

And I did receive that message in a bottle: Lucy Robinson volunteered to be our new coffee chair and already did a splendid job last month at our fun Oct coffee at Erin’s home overlooking the Riverwalk. Thank you Lucy!! We welcome you with open arms to the board!! You can find Lucy’s bio in this November newsletter. We still have one more Coffee Board position open with duties focusing on the emailing side of our monthly coffees – is that for you? We’d love to have you join our board that meets every 2nd Thursday and coffees that meet every 3rd Thursday. Contact me if interested!

I hope y’all have a chance to show your thankfulness to each other as you attend our activities this month! Maybe send your IG leader(s) a note of thanks. Enjoy this wonderful November of cooler weather, pretty fall sweaters and pumpkin spice everything while you gather, zoom, celebrate and give thanks with family and friends old & new this year!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Cindy Richards

News from the President

It’s October, and excitement is in the air! Not because of ghosts and goblins but because of so many wonderful happenings within Newcomers of San Antonio!

Did you hear we turn 40 this year!?! See the teaser article in this October Newsletter giving you a sneak peek at our 40th Anniversary Celebration plans for December 2nd. Be sure to mark your calendars and remember to reserve your luncheon early for that 12/2/21 Fortieth Anniversary Celebration Luncheon.

Our November Luncheon will be open for reservations on October 7th, and I will be first in line as I already peeked at our Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen menu, and I can’t decide between two of the entrees!

Speaking of luncheons: You probably noticed my excitement for the October Interest Group Luncheon, and now it is just days away! I cannot wait to see all of our Interest Groups on display and will have a blast watching so many of you go home with the amazing drawing prizes! BUY YOUR OPPORTUNITY DRAWING TICKETS – you’ll love all the amazing drawing prizes! I want to give a shout-out to the Corporations who donated gifts: Academy, Ancestry.com, Chicken N Pickle, REI, StoneWerks, Top Golf, and Whiskey Cake. Remember to thank them if you visit and thank your Interest Group Leaders who organize and host such fun things for us to do each month. Many leaders also donated AMAZING gift baskets for this luncheon. Thank you all! And, If you have an interest you’d like to lead or if you cannot participate in it on the day(s) offered or because its full, please find the What Group Do You Want to Start? table on October 7th as we will assist you in starting your very own group!

We have a new Board Member! Please join me in welcoming Susi Baylis-Powell to our Newcomers Board! She joined Newcomers and jumped right in. Check out her Bio in the Oct Newsletter. On that note, we still have two board vacancies: 2 Coffee Chairs. You can email, call, text, or send a message in a bottle if you’d like to join our board!! I think we’re rather fun!

I’ve never received so many positive comments, emails and texts thanking me for the final note in my September message, so I will reprint below as it certainly still applies:

While some of us have decided to stay away from gatherings, many are finding the need to make new friends and be active again. I support each group leader deciding how to run their groups in this difficult time and ask that we all respect each other’s decisions on gathering safely. When gathering in a private residence, it is up to the host to set the guidelines for their home. When we enter a restaurant, it is up to the restaurant owner. No one should feel pressured into participating, and I ask that no one ostracize those making decisions different from their own. My goal is to encourage you to bloom where you are planted in a friendly environment as you continue to make San Antonio your home.

Blessings,

Cindy Richards

News from the President

Welcome to Fall in San Antonio Y’all! While the weather doesn’t feel anything like Fall to me, seeing the kids go back to school sure does! And did you notice we are growing? I have met more new members this month than I met all last year. I applaud all who make our newest members feel welcome to our fabulous group. After a wonderful Interest Group Leader meeting led by our Coordinator, Michelle Plazek, I am bursting with excitement to spill the beans regarding our October 7th Luncheon highlighting our 30+ Interest Groups. (NOTE: our Interest Group Luncheon is a month later than in previous years) For the first time in 18 months, we will have a cocktail hour from 11 a.m. to noon as you stroll around the venue chatting, playing, munching and interactively getting to experience the activities each group has to offer. You can fill your complimentary bag with handouts and/or goodies from each table as you sip your drink of choice from the cash bar! Your leaders are so excited to share their activities with you that many are generously donating an Opportunity Drawing gift for this special occasion! Be sure to purchase those Opportunity Drawing tickets! At least 15 of you will go home with a prize! So, if choosing to gather, I hope you will make it a priority to join us for this October 7th Luncheon. By the time you read this, our Sept 2nd Luncheon at Silo will be upon us. Kudos to Jill & Christine for negotiating such an amazing menu even though food prices have skyrocketed this year!! It’s been no small feat finding restaurants within our budget and that require no minimums! Our brand new directories are hot off the presses and being given out at September 2nd Silo Luncheon and the September 16th coffee at Carol Palazzo’s home this month! Have someone attending pick yours up if you cannot attend.

A final note: While some of us have decided to stay away from gatherings, there are many that are finding the need to make new friends and be active again. I support each group leader deciding how to run their groups in this difficult time and ask that we all respect each other’s decisions on how to safely gather. When gathering in a private residence, it is up to the host to set the guidelines for their home. When we enter a restaurant, it is up to the restaurant owner. No one should feel pressured into participating, and I ask that no one ostracize those who are making decisions different than their own. My goal is to encourage each of you to bloom where you are planted in a friendly environment as you continue to make San Antonio your home.

Blessings,
Cindy Richards

News from the President

Happy August everyone! I hope you all are enjoying visiting family and friends this summer. I just returned from my mid-west roots visiting everyone I could. What a whirlwind! I missed Line Dancing and Pickleball while I was gone but cannot wait to get right back at it! I hope you are checking out our interest groups again and joining new ones. It is in these smaller settings we can make friendships that last. And remember, you can always start a new group that interests you – FORM IT AND THEY WILL COME! Michelle Plazek, our Interest Group Coordinator, is here to show you how. Huge applause to Christine Martin who is keeping Wine & Spirits Tasting alive! Stay tuned to hear more on when that will start-up as well as Learn the Arts with Shiny a brand new group starting later this Fall!

After no monthly luncheon last month, I am looking forward to seeing you at Luce’s on August 5th. I have never been, but hear it is delicious. Thank you Christine & Jill for arranging our wonderful Luncheons! Soon after our August Luncheon at Luce’s, be sure to make your September Luncheon reservation at Silo for our September 2nd monthly luncheon where we receive our NEW DIRECTORIES!! Thank you Carol Palazzo for all your hard work in getting our directories published this month. I so appreciate our Board and all the hard work they do to keep these activities going strong for us. We have a few board positions still open, so please call me if you’d like to know more about these openings to co-chair with Sheila on Coffees or with Suzy on Reservations. We’d love to have you join us!  Have a blessed rest of your summer and keep on blooming where you are planted! 

Cindy Richards

News from the President

On July 4th, our nation is 245 years old! Have a safe and wonderful time traveling and celebrating with your family and friends. That is why there is no luncheon in July. Newcomers of San Antonio turns 40 this year! WOW! That is remarkable! Let’s find ways to celebrate our wonderful club all year long!!

I’d first like to thank our past NOSA leaders who birthed and nurtured this club to become what it is today. I especially want to acknowledge Sue Ellen Smith and Margaret Kidd for keeping this club up and running throughout the pandemic – not an easy task! Likewise, I’d like to thank and encourage our newly elected/appointed board and over 25 Interest Groups and their leaders who are hitting the ground running to keep our wonderfully diverse activities going strong. Six brand new Interest Groups were started DURING the pandemic!! Interest Groups are the backbone of our club and I believe you bettered the mental wellness for those needing to meet whether on Zoom or in person.

As your president, I am determined we welcome each newcomer as she joins us for fun and friendship. I humbly ask you to reach out and do so whenever possible. Together we can do great things to serve our community, support and welcome newcomers, and form lasting friendships as we explore, play and eat our way through San Antonio. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in this 40th year of Newcomers of San Antonio. Let the celebrations begin!!

Cindy Richards

News from the President

It is said that all good things must come to an end. And this past year has been good, in spite of the pandemic, and this is the end of my monthly messages to you. It was good because our board met every month and continued with the work of Newcomers. Our interest groups continued to meet, some virtually, some face to face, and we added six new groups this year that are very active! We held luncheons each month, save one, and coffees each month except when snowmageddon interfered! So I think we had a good year as a group. A big thank you to the Board who worked tirelessly, to the Interest Group Leaders, to the Luncheon Chairs, to the Coffee Chairs, and to those who opened their homes for the coffees, and a huge thank you to all of you who have been participating all year. We could have thrown up our hands and quit everything, but we are stronger than that so we grew and flourished this year!

It is time to renew your membership for next year. You will find the form on our website. This year we are asking everyone to fill out the long-form so the interest groups membership will be correct. Dues have been held to $30 for the year. Renewal continues through June 30th. After that, dues will increase and there is a possibility that your information will not get included in the directory. Next year will be fabulous as there is an enthusiastic board who are full of ideas and energy. Please give them the same level of support you have given me!

So, the good year has come to an end for me but it is just the beginning of another good year for Newcomers! Have fun and enjoy each other!!!

Margaret Kidd

News from the President

Welcome to the merry month of May! For those of you new to south Texas, the difference between spring and summer is that it doesn’t get to 100 degrees in the spring, only 90!

It looks like we are finally coming out of the pandemic. More and more interest groups are meeting in person and we are getting back to normal numbers for luncheons. It’s wonderful to see each other in person!

The May luncheon will be a symbol of a return to normalcy. It is at the Tower of the Americas, a fabulous restaurant if you have not had a chance to eat there. All of the ladies are encouraged to wear their loveliest spring hat in deference to the Kentucky Derby and Mothers Day! Don’t forget your pearls, either! Prizes will be awarded for the best hats!

May is the time for membership renewal! This year we are asking you to fill out the complete form again. Since this was done in 2018, there are many more interest groups and some have outlived their purpose. A current version of who belongs to which interest group is needed. Also, some people neglect to notify NOSA when they move so we need current addresses and phone numbers.

To Renew, go to the Newcomers’ Website, newcomersofsanantonio.org and Membership is on the top right. Under that tab, you will find the form to fill out and Submit. Then the PayPal button is below that. You do not need PayPal to pay, but all of the choices are found there. Remember, you have to click on two buttons in order to renew!

The June luncheon will be at Meadows in the Alley, another wonderful restaurant. At that luncheon, the Board for 2021-2022 will be installed. However, we will not have coffees starting in July unless two people step up to be coffee chairs. We will also be discussing and voting on an amendment to the bylaws. This amendment would be to remove the three-year requirement to become a member. This requirement was included when there was a sister organization ladies joined after five years. Now that that organization is no longer in existence, ladies are staying as members for as long as thirty years, so of course, they are no longer new to the city like they were during the first five years.

I look forward to seeing more and more of you at Newcomers functions…especially in your hats and pearls!

Margaret

News from the President

Welcome to April! And I hope you have a very Happy Easter!

It is nice to have pleasant weather and to have restaurants and bars fully open! Vaccines are more readily available and it seems more and more of us are fully protected. So much different than the past year!

With that in mind, I’m hoping more and more of you will be able to attend our luncheons, at Tower of the Americas on May 6th and Meadow on June 3rd! Both establishments are extraordinary and we are fortunate that Pink has been able to secure them.

As for our coffees…we will have a redo of the snowed out February coffee at Sharon Gehr’s on April 15th and will be at Carole Palazzo’s on May 20th.

It’s difficult to believe we have survived and thrived this past year and it is almost time for our new year to start. Renewals will start May 1st and continue through June. The board is almost set for the new year, two chairwomen for the coffees are all that are needed.

Have a gorgeous spring and hopefully get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Margaret