A local club has been connecting new residents with one another for 20 years.
The Okotoks Newcomers Club celebrated its 20th anniversary with a potluck luncheon on June 16, which saw upwards of 90 women in attendance. The response was overwhelming and a testament to the strength of the club, said party co-ordinator Gina Taddeo.
“It was so great to see everyone,” she said. “We were actually overbooked, so a lot of us had to be outside.”
Thankfully it was a beautiful day to eat lunch on the patio at Crystal Shores Beach House.
Taddeo said the original Newcomers Club, which was spearheaded by Barb Davenport, was made up of just a handful of women new to town. The club consisted of an executive and a couple of general members, she said.
By the end of its first year, the club had grown to nearly 20 women, and now boasts a membership of 55 in the Newcomers Club and 73 in the alumni group, she said.
The Newcomers Club is a way for women to meet one another and enjoy events or outings together, like golfing, going out for meals, playing cards or mahjong, or getting active with walks, she said. After three years, members are invited to continue their membership in the alumni group, and most opt to join rather than leave the club all together, she said.
“I’ve met so many lovely ladies, and I chose to stay with the Newcomers Club because I do enjoy their company and all the activities,” said Taddeo. “We’ve done it all together, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
There was no shortage of fun and laughter at the anniversary luncheon. Ladies from the original 1997 group, including those who did not continue into the alumni association, were in attendance and enjoying the company and fond memories.
“It was a great reunion,” said Taddeo. “Twenty years is a big thing for a club to keep going, and I don’t think it will ever dissolve.”
Joyce Landis was also one of the founding members, serving as the Newcomers Club’s second-vice-president in 1997. She had just moved to Okotoks and was looking for a way to be involved in the community when she heard about the new club forming.
“It was just to connect with new people, because we were new to the community,” said Landis. “It gave us some connections, and we’ve known each other for 20 years now.”
In fact, after moving away for six years, Landis returned to town – and the Newcomers alumni group.
Jean Phinney, who served as the club’s first secretary, was instrumental in getting the group up and running. She did a lot of the legwork alongside Davenport, collecting enough women to launch the Newcomers Club.
“It was basically Barb’s baby,” said Phinney. “She had known about the Newcomers Club in Winnipeg, and she wanted to start a group here in Okotoks.”
From hosting lunches at different homes to having dinners that included their husbands, the women quickly formed strong bonds, she said. It was a great way for women to get out and develop friendships, she said.
“A lot of the women were stay-at-home women too, so it was a good way to get them to connect and meet new people,” said Phinney.
For Nancy Tonn, the Newcomers Club’s most recent member, the group was a way to get out and be part of a new community.
She moved to Okotoks from Vancouver Island to be closer to grandchildren, but didn’t know anybody in town.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got to make one step or I’m not going to go anywhere,’” said Tonn.
Everyone new to town should come out to at least one meeting to check out the club and meet some people, she said. There are different speakers to hear from, goodies at the meetings, and events through the year to keep everyone busy and develop friendships, she said.
She said being part of the Newcomers Club has expanded her horizons.
“Everybody’s so social, and they’re always welcoming you to a different group,” said Tonn. “Meeting so many people who have the same interests as me is great. It’s sort of developed my courage.”
