Newsletter - August 2021
AUGUST NEWSLETTER
The brilliant poppy flaunts her head
Amidst the ripening grain,
And adds her voice to sell the song
That August's here again.
Helen Winslow
August is here again, bringing expectations and excitement to so many as they head back to school, or in our case, to meeting again in-person. As Program Vice President, Sue asked if I would share the latest news with you about meeting in September. With the recent rise in Covid cases, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has decided that they will suspend all indoor gatherings for the next few weeks. The Board has been meeting behind the scenes to plan September’s Coffee Meeting, but those plans will have to be reviewed and revised with the latest news from the church in mind. As soon as we finalize the details for our next meeting, we will let you know.
As I was thinking about the month of August and what it means to different people, I discovered that the poppy, mentioned in the poem above, is a symbol of this month. It seems fitting this flower is linked to the last month of summer, since the poppy is also a symbol of resilience and renewal. With the challenges we have all faced in the past 17 months, I hope these final weeks of summer will renew us, and equip us for any changes and challenges ahead. And as a symbol of the month of August, may the “brilliant poppy” remind us that we, too, are resilient.
August is here again. And I hope we’ll meet as a group again very soon
Shelley Steele
News and Updates
8/2 Penny Davis 8/10 Kitten Smith
8/2 Jamie Lothian 8/10 Bette Hula
8/3 Debbie Medlock 8/11 Janet Taylor
8/4 Barbara Scott 8/13 Anne Gibbs
8/6 Marge Krasnesky 8/15 Libby (Elizabeth) Taylor
8/6 Judy Hyden 8/20 Kathryn Stroessner
8/7 Donna Dunn 8/25 Sally Jones
8/8 DeDe Lux 8/25 Sandra White
8/10 Linda Grinnis 8/26 Wanda Heflin
Activity Groups
Activity – Janet Taylor
I guess you could say some of our activity groups are in a holding pattern - either needing chairs or waiting out COVID. We still need chairs for Afternoon Bunco, Pink Flamingo Lunch Bunch and Dinner Club. Please contact me, Janet Taylor, at 501-690-7100 if you’d be willing to chair (or co-chair) one of these groups.
You must be current on your dues for the 2021-22 club year to participate in any activity.
Book Club – Kathy Lindley & Sue Schroeder
Book Club will generally meet at 10am on the last Wednesday of the month all year except for December. Meetings will be held in the Walker Community Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. There is a rental fee for the room so a payment of $15 per year is necessary to participate in this activity. Contact Kathy Lindley khlindley@gmail.com or Sue Schroeder suemommy@live.com if you have any questions. The book schedule is on our activity page on www.fayettevillenewcomers.com
Bunco – Tracey Richards
Bunco started in May. We play on the last Tuesday of the month. 6:00 p.m. Check webpage for updates.
Maj Jongg – Barb Wilson
Weekly Maj Jongg is being played at Rolling Hills Baptist Church on Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m. Proof of COVID vaccination is needed.
Random Excursions – Jann Gorman
August 5, 2021 - First Thursday returns to the Fayetteville downtown square for the 2021 season! The event will still celebrate Fayetteville's local arts culture, music, food, and beer! New this year is the Outdoor Refreshment Area! Guests that are 21 and older can sip and stroll their way through the event. 5p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
August 28, 2021 SOAR NWA 2021 The 2nd Annual SOAR NWA hot air balloon festival returns to Fayetteville, taking place at Drake Field Airport in south Fayetteville. Offering something for everyone, the event includes a variety of hot air balloon activities (weather permitting), a kid's zone, beer garden, live music, and various aeronautics activities.
https://www.experiencefayetteville.com/experience/events/item/485-soar-nwa-2021
Tickets are $15 in advance and $25 at the gate. After seeing the hot air balloons in Albuquerque years ago, I have always been fascinated by them. If you buy tickets, let me know and I’ll let all the members that attend know to look for you. Honk3rs@yahoo.com
Take a Hike – Jacqueline King
Friday mornings 7:45 a.m. August we will be walking part of the Frisco Trail. Please meet at the Arsagas (old Greenhouse Grill, 481 S School). Coffee will follow when we return to the same location. We welcome all speeds and smiles.
Membership – Mona Jones
If Good Shepherd opens, our 1st Newcomers Meeting will be Monday, September 13th. Don’t waste your social time standing in line to pay your dues – send your dues now. Call/Text me if you are questioning whether you paid. We will announce in our next newsletter if a meeting will happen at this location.
And Welcome New Member Lori Acuncius. She is new to the area and looking forward to getting involved in different activities. She has paid her dues so she can start signing up for activities, enjoying the scrumptious nibbles, and making new friends.
Mona Jones
3011 N. Sheryl Avenue
Fayetteville, AR 72703
479-366-3948
Service Project – Magdalene Serenity House – Paulette Lilly/Mary Cay:
Please consider mailing monetary gifts, gift cards or Uber cards to them during this social distancing time. Those who wish to participate can mail to:
April Bachrodt, Executive Director
Magdalene Serenity House
P. O. Box 3394
Fayetteville, AR. 72702
Please include that your gift is from the Fayetteville Newcomers Club. Thank you and stay safe.
Sunshine Report – Joyce Hultgren
How many of us remember the thrill of going to the mailbox and seeing a letter addressed to us personally? Or shopping for an elegant box of stationary at your favorite card shop? My mother would give me a $.05 stamp and encourage me to write to my grandparents living in northern Kansas. I loved having a stash of stationary and recall a box of thick white sheets with dark pink scalloped edges. While in middle school it was the fad to dot the i’s with little circles and write with colored ink.
At The Fayetteville Newcomers’ Club, we strive to send cards - not an email nor a text - to members’ needing cheer, get well wishes, or sympathy cards. If you know of a member who has experienced a loss, had a hospital stay or illness, or would enjoy a ‘Thinking of You’ card please let me know at joycehultgren@gmail.com or text me at 210-286-8728 and I will send a card on its journey to someone’s mailbox.
Since the last newsletter, the following members have received cards from FNC:
Steve Burk: a get well card on July 26, 2021, as he recuperates from surgery
Norma Kerby: a get well card on July 4, 2021, as she recuperates from surgery
Cheryl Melville: a sympathy card on July 10, 2021 upon the death of her daughter in law
Go Strealy: received condolences on July 10, 2021 upon the death of her sister
Sue Schroeder: a ‘Thinking of You’ card in regards to her father’s recent stroke while Sue was out of state assisting with her mother in law’s recent surgery
Remember to contact our Sunshine Report Chair person, Joyce Hultgren (210-286-8728) with any news regarding one of our members to help us stay informed.
Newsletter Updates - Jann Gorman
Please email all newsletter updates to Jann Gorman, honk3rs@yahoo.com, for the next newsletter by the 20th of the month. Thank you.
It’s a great day to be a Newcomer!
