VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN S CLUB NEWS Fall 2018 PO Box 10252, Blacksburg, VA 24062

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1 Friendship Education Scholarship Service VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN S CLUB NEWS Fall PO Box 10252, Blacksburg, VA Join Virginia Tech Women s Club on Facebook FROM THE PRESIDENT: TERRY ARTHUR Dear VTWC Members, Although we might savor the relative calm and quiet of summer in Blacksburg, there is nothing quite like the excitement and energy that comes each fall with the return of 30,000 Hokies. Their return is also a signal that it is time for another year of adventure, learning, and service for Virginia Tech Women s Club. This year s board members are a dedicated, creative, and energetic group. They have worked diligently this summer to plan another great year for VTWC members. I am so grateful to them for their commitment and vision! We are most grateful to Dr. Laura Sands for again hosting our traditional kick-off event, the Welcome Reception at the Grove. This event is an opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, and find out more about VTWC. You can also renew your membership, join interest groups, and donate to the VTWC Scholarships at the Reception. Please plan to join us on September 19. VTWC Interest Groups truly have something for everyone. We are especially proud of our Service Interest Group that was first formed last year. That first year was very productive and effective, and we are confident that this year will only get better. It is an excellent way to embrace the VT motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and to spend time with women who share a passion to make a difference in our community. This year we hope to feature our amazing scholarship winners in our newsletters. Please take time to read about these accomplished and talented young women. We will also be publishing special thank you notes from a few of these women so you can see just how our VTWC Scholarships are changing lives. As you renew your membership, please be generous with your donation to the VTWC Scholarship Fund. We want to continue to support and nurture these deserving VT students. I am just so excited to serve as President this year. It has been such a pleasure to work with our talented board, but please remember that we get our inspiration from you, our membership. Please feel free to contact me any time you have comments or questions. This is your club, and together we can assure that VTWC is a vibrant and relevant part of the VT and Blacksburg community. Looking forward to seeing you at the September reception, Terry Arthur Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. --Warren Buffet

2 EXECUTIVE BOARD* PRESIDENT: Terry Arthur HONORARY PRESIDENT: Dr. Laura Sands FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Open PAST PRESIDENT: Deb Call VP COMMUNICATIONS: Jennifer Kiwus VP INTEREST GROUPS: Phyllis Eschenmann VP MEMBERSHIP: Debra Leon TREASURER: Joan Bellis RECORDING SECRETARY: Tricia Ball EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Janet Rakes NEWSLETTER DIRECTOR: Deanie Heath STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS *In keeping with the VTWC commitment to cybersecurity, we do not include s or personal addresses in online posts. Please refer to the print copy of the Fall Newsletter or the Directory (which will be mailed in October) for individual contact information. If you send to it will be forwarded to the designated recipient(s). PROGRAMS/LUNCHEON: Heather Nicholson Lois Voss TRAVEL AND TOURS: Laura Hewitt, Suzi Austin DIRECTORY: Terry Carley HISTORIAN: Pat Ceperley FINANCE: By appointment SCHOLARSHIP: Gretchen Flynn, Nancy Warren SERVICE: Lisa Lloyd WAYS AND MEANS: June Stubbs, Diane Hoover DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE: Patti Connors, Terri Lynn Howard, Ellen Miele SPECIAL COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS CHAPLAIN: Sue Bentley SUNSHINE: Gloria Moses WEBMASTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Leslie Benson, Therese Walters AUDIT: By appointment NOMINATING COMMITTEE: By appointment 2

3 FROM VP COMMUNICATIONS: JENNIFER KIWUS Virginia Tech Women's Club Facebook Page: We have a closed VTWC Facebook page with 118 members. We use our page to communicate club events, interest group activity, and to share member and community news in keeping with our mission. Photos are organized by album, and requests to join our page are usually answered within an hour or two. Please join our page if you have not already and feel free to post VTWC-oriented news on our page, or send me your news/photo and I will post it for you. Virginia Tech Women's Club Website: Leslie Benson and Therese Walters have been working to update our website. Visit the newly designed resource where you will find posts about upcoming events, club documents, and archived newsletters. VTWC Shutterfly Share Site: We have 35 members. This is a resource for photo history, sharing, and purchasing. If you see a photo in the VTWC book or on Facebook that you would like to have, simply go to the VTWC Shutterfly Share Site, and you can order it from Shutterfly directly. Other Communication Resources: Last year, events and luncheons were advertised in Next Three Days and The VT Calendar. An article about our scholarship winners was also published in the Roanoke Times. Please VTWC65@gmail.com the dates and a brief description of your event, and your story will be forwarded to the right outlet. Interest Groups: Six Categories of Activities Tours and Travel: Six Great Trips Friday Forums: 5 Excellent Speakers Fall Reception at the Grove: Meet Dr. Laura Sands Scholarship Program: Growing Thanks to You Virginia Tech Women's Club Three Excellent Luncheons at Outstanding Venues 3

4 FROM WAYS AND MEANS CO-CHAIRS: DIANE HOOVER AND JUNE STUBBS The Ways and Means Committee is pleased to report Six Virginia Tech women were awarded $2,000 each in April of 2018, the highest number of scholarships given since the program began in Contributions from our members, the silent auction, the 50/50 raffle, sale of cookbooks, and the Give Big Event raised $14,235 for the scholarship fund for the year ending April 30. The Committee recognizes five levels of giving based on historical firsts associated with women at Virginia Tech. The five levels offer different amounts of giving: The 1925 Graduates Society $200+ The 1921 Society $150 to $199 The Turkey Hen Society $100 to $149 The Tin Horn Society $50 to $99 The Hillcrest Society Up to $49 Scholarship donations, which are tax deductible, may be made in one of four ways. Directions are on the VTWC MEMBERSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS, AND FEES form later in this newsletter. GETTING TO KNOW OUR SCHOLARS Alexandra Russell is a senior Mining Engineering major from Woodbridge, VA, and a 2018 VTWC Scholarship recipient. In addition to being an undergraduate researcher with the Center for Advanced Separation Technologies at Virginia Tech, Alexandra is an intern with Eriez Flotation Division where she aids in design and implementation of flotation technologies. This is the text of the thank you letter she recently sent to VTFW. To the Virginia Tech Women s Club Donors: I would formally like to thank you all for your generosity for awarding me this scholarship. I cannot begin to express how appreciative I am of this gift, and the impact it makes on my education. Since my parents cannot afford to support me through college, the past school year I maintained two jobs in order to pay for all my expenses. Thanks to scholarships like this, I will be able to work less and focus more on studying and my responsibilities as a student. I was happy and honored to meet many of the members of the VTWC at the luncheon in April. I will always value getting to meet and to know the people involved in supporting my future. Again, thank you to all the donors for such a kind gift. Sincerely, Alexandra Russell 4

5 FROM VP OF INTEREST GROUPS: PHYLLIS ESCHENMANN Interest groups are an integral component of the VTWC. They allow our membership opportunities to get to know each other in small, informal settings while spending time doing things they enjoy!! Some interest groups meet year-around; others follow our school-year approach and meet September through May. Our interest groups are listed on the membership form. Check the ones you want to join and you will be contacted by the leaders. Details about these groups will be included in our directory, outlined in the next newsletter, and showcased at the Welcome Reception at the Grove. Be sure to look at the club yearbook from last year to see how much fun belonging to an interest group is. If you have ideas for a new interest group you would like to begin, or if you have questions about the existing groups, please contact me Phyllis Eschenmann. All ideas are welcomed and considered. FROM SERVICE INTEREST GROUP LIAISON: LISA LLOYD The VTWC Service Group is ready to continue the projects begun in its inaugural year and expand its impact with new service initiatives within the Blacksburg and Virginia Tech communities. We will partner once again with VT Engage on a quarterly basis for its Dry Soup Program that benefits Meals on Wheels recipients. Also, we will continue our supply drives for Find Your Place Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Needlework Mah-Jongg Walking Bible Study Genealogy Hiking Book Club Thursday Morning Bridge Dine Around Lunch Around Third Tuesday Informal Cooking Beginning Kayaking Canasta Quilting Antiques Service Manna Ministries, a food pantry on campus available to VT students. In fact, since gathering donations for this drive worked well for the April luncheon, we plan to organize another drive for the upcoming October luncheon. Keep posted for more information on how you can participate! Continuing the Learn and Serve philosophy begun last year as well, the strategy team is planning monthly service group meetings that combine speakers from local non-profit organizations and discussions with members to outline service projects that can help meet community needs. Besides food insecurity, another focus will be childcare, as we learned last year is a growing unmet need as the university and town of Blacksburg continue to expand. We would like to also meet VTWC member needs by providing a mechanism to reach out to the VTWC community for help. Gloria Moses, our Sunshine designee, has agreed to be the point of contact for members. If you have a need for prepared meals due to an illness or a ride to the doctor or a VTWC event, contact Gloria via or phone and she will forward your request to the service group to organize what is needed. We want to be there for each other! The Service Group would also like to support the volunteer efforts of VTWC members. The initial phase will be to obtain feedback from members of the group and then expand to the entire VTWC membership. We hope to engage the entire VTWC in some form of service this year, as there is an endless supply of opportunities where we can brighten someone s day! Stay tuned for ongoing updates of how you can become involved. 5

6 FROM TRAVEL AND TOURS CO-CHAIRS: LAURA HEWITT AND SUZI AUSTIN The focus for this year will be to explore the interesting places in the New River Valley. Several trips will be in conjunction with the Blacksburg Recreation Center. The plans include: October 17, 2018: Tour of Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum in Wytheville followed by a wine-tasting and lunch at West Wind Farm December 6, 2018: Trip to Barter Theatre to see Elf: The Musical and lunch at The Martha Washington February 13, 2019: Tour of WDBJ-7 and shopping at Fresh Market in Roanoke followed by lunch at Wildflower March 27, 2019: Natural Bridge Caverns with lunch at Scotto s April 17, 2019: A day trip to Lexington with lunch at Sheridan Livery Inn and Restaurant May 3, 2019: Tour VT English Field and Rector Field House FROM FRIDAY FORUM CO-CHAIR: JULIE EARTHMAN Friday Forum events will be held in the Fellowship Hall at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 600 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg. All events begin with coffee and conversation at 10:00 a.m. on the designated Friday of selected months. Events, times and dates are subject to change. Special announcements will be distributed via social media and/or . October 5, 2018 George Bailey, Artistic Director Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, Wytheville, VA Topic: No Business Like Show Business! George Bailey will discuss his early career as an actor and how his education helped guide him to his career choice. In addition, George will talk about life decisions that helped him be where he is today and how his work at the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre has helped him change people s lives. November 2, 2018 Dr. Robert Denton, Professor and Department Head, Department of Communications. Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech Topic: The Battle for Congress in the 2020 Mid-Term Elections Dr. Denton will provide an overview and context of the national and statewide races of the November midterm elections, the results of which will have major implications for the Trump presidency. December 7, 2018 Rachel Doyle, chef & owner HazelBea Catering, Radford, Virginia 6

7 Topic: A Taste of Tapas! Chef Doyle will demonstrate a tapas-style holiday menu for everyone to enjoy. Participants will leave with all the tools they need to recreate the dishes at home. February 1, 2019 Suzanne Suni Mackall, Suni Mackall Law, Winchester, Virginia Topic: Guilty as Charged! A former 19-year elected Commonwealth s Attorney, Suni will weave you through the 14 cases she prosecuted and give a very personal, reflective, and riveting story of her journey as a prosecutor case by case. April Dr. Richard Masters Virginia Tech Music Department Topic: A Musical Tradition Lives On and On! Students from the Tech music department will present a spring musicale featuring delightful songs and sonatas, accompanied and introduced by music faculty member Dr. Richard Masters. Take a Chance and Give Someone a Chance Fundraising Activities Member Donations $20,000 for Scholarships Members and guests who donate to the 2018 VTWC Scholarship Fund between May 1, 2018 and 4:15 PM on September 19, 2018 will have their names entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate from Black Hen Restaurant in Blacksburg. As their website states, The Black Hen & Bar Blue has been serving contemporary American cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere in the heart of Downtown Blacksburg since August Led by two talented Cordon Bleu trained Chefs, Pastry Chef/Owner Linda West and Chef Joshua Harris are committed to offering our guests a memorable dining experience. Follow the directions on the membership form and see how easy it is to donate to this important scholarship fund. 7

8 THE VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN S CLUB Please Join Dr. Laura Sands, Honorary President and Terry Arthur, President for a Welcome Reception At The Grove Wednesday, September 19, :30-5:00 p.m. Bring a friend. All women are welcome. The Grove is handicap accessible and has several designated parking spaces. Contact Terry Arthur if the handicap lift is needed. Refer any additional questions to VTWC65@gmail.com. PARKING: Space has been reserved in the Litton-Reaves Extension Lot. Shuttle service will be provided. Limited parking is available at The Grove. DIRECTIONS: From Southgate Drive Roundabout Turn onto Duck Pond Drive. Follow Duck Pond Drive past Washington Street and take the next right into the Litton-Reaves Extension parking lot. From Main Street Turn onto Prices Fork Road. Proceed to second traffic light and turn left onto West Campus Drive. Follow West Campus Drive past the Holtzman Alumni Center and turn right onto Duck Pond Drive. Take the second left past The Grove driveway into the Litton-Reaves Extension Parking Lot. 8

9 VTWC MEMBERSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS, AND FEES OUR PURPOSE The Virginia Tech Women s Club (VTWC) was organized in 1965 with the purpose of expanding the intellectual and social horizons of its membership, providing scholarships for women at Virginia Tech, and promoting the interests of Virginia Tech. Members connect with one another through interest groups, luncheon programs featuring guest speakers or entertaining performances, and organized travel and tours to explore new places. Contributing to campus life through service is an integral part of the vision of VTWC. We welcome all women to join us in our mission! MEMBERSHIP FORM The form may be submitted in two ways: Mail the form to the VTWC Treasurer along with your checks for membership dues, scholarship donations, and luncheon fees. Bring the form to the Welcome Reception. ANNUAL DUES ($20) The VTWC fiscal year is May 1 through April 30. Dues must be paid by October 15 for information to be included in the VTWC Annual Directory. Dues are payable to VTWC and can be paid in one of three ways: Pay by check at the VTWC Welcome Reception. Remit a check payable to VTWC, along with this form, to the VTWC Treasurer, P.O. Box 10252, Blacksburg, Virginia Pay dues through PayPal. If using PayPal, please add $1.00 for transaction fee. Dues and luncheon fees may be combined as one transaction, but scholarship donations must be paid separately. The PayPal account is VTWC65@gmail.com. VTWC SCHOLARSHIP FUND Scholarship donations, which are tax deductible, may be made in one of four ways: Pay by check at the VTWC Welcome Reception in September. Remit to the VTWC treasurer a check payable to CFNRV (Community Foundation of the New River Valley) with VTWC Scholarship in the memo line. Scholarship donations and dues must be paid with separate checks, but they can be mailed together. Go to the CFNRV website ( click Donate Now and follow the links. Go to the VTWC website ( and follow the link to CFNRV. VTWC MEMBER CONTACT AND INTEREST INFORMATION Directory information is shared in the VTWC Annual Directory with members only and photos taken at VTWC events may be shared in the Annual VTWC Photobook and on VTWC Social Media. Members are asked to use the VTWC Directory for club purposes only, and solicitation is strictly forbidden. 9

10 Year VTWC MEMBERSHIP FORM * = Required New Member Renewing Member with changes Renewing Member with no changes (Fill in name only.) 1. First and Last Name* 2. Street Address* 3. City, State, and Zip* 4. Spouse s Name (if desired in Directory) 5. * (If you do not have an account, please write NO ACCOUNT on the line.) 6. Preferred Phone Number* and additional phone number (if applicable) 7. Interest Groups and Friday Forum Checklist Check all activities you wish to join. (For more information about membership and interest groups, contact VTWC65@gmail.com or visit our website.) Antiques Bible Study Book Club Bridge Ladies Morning Bridge Ladies Afternoon Canasta Canoeing/Whitewater Cooking 3 rd Tuesday Informal Dining Around Genealogy Friday Forum Hiking Kayaking Lunch Around Mah-jongg Mediterranean Cooking Needlework Quilting VT & Community Service Projects Walking for Fun 8. Serving and Leading Check all that apply. I would like to learn more about joining a committee. I would like to learn more about serving as a committee chair or in a leadership role. I have a special skill I d like to share: 9. Method of Receiving Newsletters I would like to receive newsletters by instead of regular mail to help VTWC conserve resources. I would like the newsletter mailed to me. 10

11 Fall 2018 VTWC FALL LUNCHEON AND RESERVATION The Venue October 23, 2018 at 11:30 AM Preston's at The River Course Fairlawn, VA The Program When Does Virtual Become Reality? The Future of Presence Dr. Sylvester A. Johnson, Asst. Vice Provost for the Humanities and Director of the Humanities Center at Virginia Tech The Menu Butternut Squash Soup House Salad Seared Chicken Breast with Spinach and Garlic Cream Sauce Pan seared Atlantic Salmon with Citrus Buerre Blanc Wild Rice Pilaf Green Bean & Carrots Dessert: Brownies & Lemon Bars Deadline Friday, October 12, 2018 Make checks payable to VTWC and mail along with this form to: Treasurer VTWC PO Box Blacksburg, VA Name Phone or Guest (s) Circle special dietary request: Vegetarian or Gluten Free Name(s): Number $22 per person Total enclosed *If paying by PayPal, the cost is $23 which includes a $1 transaction fee. You may pay membership AND luncheon fees as a single transaction. PayPal Account: VTWC65@gmail.com. FYI: Future Luncheons Tuesday, February 5, 2019: The Inn at Virginia Tech, 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg Tuesday, April 23, 2019: Blacksburg Country Club, 1604 Clubhouse Road, Blacksburg 11