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

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

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 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

News from the President

Whoever would imagine the circumstances we are still in! Almost a year ago we were told to isolate for two weeks and we would be fine! What a year it has been. Hopefully, with vaccines in greater supply and more readily available, businesses reopening we will be out of this soon. So, let’s look forward to next year. We will start renewing memberships the first of May and continue through June. Our new board will be elected in May and installed in June

Membership and Interest Groups continue to grow and meet, both virtually and in person. We continue to offer opportunities to our members including luncheons, coffees, girlfriends, bridge, walking, Pickleball, and an occasional On On The Road Again adventure! Everything is voluntary for those who are ready to get out and smell our springtime flowers!

Now that snowtopia is passed, we can look forward to nice warmer weather. I hope no one has any lasting damage from that terrible week!

We can look forward to Easter as a new beginning!

Stay safe and get vaccinated!

Margaret

News from the President

Welcome to February! The month of hearts and love. I am sending all of you lots of love this month.

With more of us receiving the Covid vaccination, hopefully, we will be able to get out more and finally give our friends a big hug!! It’s been a long time.

Newcomers of San Antonio is still having activities for those who are comfortable going out. None of our events are mandatory but are offered to those who need human contact. The reports of increasing depression demonstrate one of the results of the lockdown. Please reach out to any of the board members, if you just want to talk or hear a friendly voice. We are always here for you.

Speaking of the Board, it is time to start planning for next year. Cindy Richards, the 1st Vice-President, will be holding a nominating committee on February 18th. Please let her know if you would like to be a part of this fun and hard-working group next year prior to that time. Elsewhere in this newsletter is a list and description of the various offices. These are also found in the bylaws at the back of your directory. Being on the board is a great way to meet fellow newcomers in a smaller setting.

We are looking forward to lunch at Basil Mediterranean this Thursday and at Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen on March 4th. This month’s coffee will be held at Sharon Gehr’s lovely home on February 18th.

Stay safe, stay well, and spread lots of love this month!

Margaret

News from the President

Welcome, 2021! May you treat us better than 2020!

I hope you had an enjoyable, if low key, Christmas. With the new vaccines, we will hopefully be able to get out more soon!

Looking ahead, it is getting close to the time to select next year’s board. It’s hard to believe this year has gone by so fast!  Being a board member offers unique opportunities to get to know other members in a small group setting while doing the important work of keeping this organization going. The Nominating Committee will meet in February, so please let Cindy Richards know if you are interested in a position or willing to be on the Nominating Committee. The description of each position can be found elsewhere in this newsletter!

If you have seen any minor changes in the ByLaws, please contact Sue Ellen Smith. The ByLaws committee will be meeting in January.

Our next coffee will be on January 21 at Carole Laubach’s home.  Remember, all activities are voluntary, and all COVID guidelines will be in place. No one will be offended if you are still not going out. We want to stay as vibrant and inviting as we can!  We are looking forward to our coffees and luncheons growing again.

Until then, stay safe and keep well!

Margaret

News from the President

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Time seems to be passing so slowly this year with all of the cancellations. We, at Newcomers, are trying to offer some opportunities for those who do want to get out. Keep in mind, all health directives are followed and all of the events are strictly voluntary.

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and are looking forward to some positive events for Christmas, no matter how isolated or small. Looking forward to a Happy New Year!

We look forward to seeing you at our holiday luncheon at Chama Gaucha along with your spouse or significant other on December 3. The whole array of food will be served for the regular price of a luncheon…and there will be a surprise dessert!

Coats, hats, gloves, socks, and blankets will be collected at the luncheon and December coffee at Lorraine Verhagen’s home. These will be distributed to the homeless through our various charities.

If you haven’t heard, we have three new Interest Groups…Lunch Bunch has been revived, Puzzlers is in full swing and Genealogy will begin in January. I also am delighted to announce that Cherie Masters has volunteered to be the leader of Soldiers Angels, a group many of us enjoy helping out.

Stay safe, but have some fun over the holidays! And enjoy “winter” in South Texas!

Margaret
President