Over 85 members, guests and local politicians attended the March 2 Woman’s Club of Cypress (WCC) 50th anniversary luncheon at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.
Over 85 members, guests and local politicians attended the March 2 Woman’s Club of Cypress (WCC) 50th anniversary luncheon at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.
Entering the magnificent ballroom, members and guests were serenaded by The Choraliers, a woman’s chorus group affiliated with the club. Twelve past presidents joined current President Veena Narain at the luncheon: Dodie Jacobsen, Jean Schultz, JoAnne West, Bobbie Bloch, Kathi McGraw, Nancy Hooven, Maria Sterk, Gloria Livingston, Mariellen Yarc, Judy Wagner and Joyce Grohmann. Each received a bouquet in gratitude for their service to the club and shared some memorable events from their presidential term. Jean Schultz and Gloria Livingston were presented certificates of recognition from California Federation of Women’s Clubs (CFWC) President Chris Herzog for their 50th year of membership.
Past CFWC President Kathi McGraw said, “From supporting local animal shelters with donations to initiating club support of UNICEF programs such as Shot@Life, our members stay involved. The Woman’s Club of Cypress strives to meet the needs and interests of its members while at the same time helping to meet the needs of our community.”
Highlights from the luncheon included:
• Assemblywoman Young Kim (65th District) read a letter from Governor Jerry Brown thanking the club for its years of service to the community.
• Cecilia Iglesias, representing State Senator Bob Huff (29th District), and Assemblywoman Kim, presented a Joint Resolution commending Woman’s Club of Cypress on its 50th anniversary.
• Irantzu Pujadas, field representative for Congressman Alan Lowenthal (47th District), and Jeremy Tran, representative for Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel (2nd District), each presented special recognitions.
• Cypress Mayor Mariellen Yarc honored the club with a Proclamation marking March 7, 2016 as Woman’s Club of Cypress Day.
• CFWC President Chris Herzog, and CFWC Orange District President Libby Buckley presented certificates of recognition.
• Stephanie Anson presented a certificate of recognition on behalf of the Cypress Library.
In a surprise statement, Assemblywoman Kim made the announcement that Mariellen Yarc had been chosen Woman of the Year in the 65th Assembly District.
About Woman’s Club of Cypress
The WCC was officially formed on March 7, 1966 with a charter membership of 25. Today, the club has nearly 100 members. Members are interested in cultural, educational, civic and philanthropic activities. Each year, WCC raises funds to distribute academic, vocational, and fine arts scholarships along with scholarships to women who are re-entering the work force. For many years, WCC was the “Friends of the Cypress Library,” helping coordinate its annual book sale that raised money to fund programs for children, and buy new books and equipment.
Over the last 50 years, WCC has had many outstanding accomplishments in the community:
• Raised funds to supply several picnic tables and benches for city parks.
• At the request of the Orange County Fire Department, raised funds to buy and install the original “blue dots” on the streets to indicate fire hydrant locations.
• Hosts annual picnic to honor local veterans and members of the armed forces.
• Adopted various wards at the Long Beach Veterans Hospital to raise the spirits of patients.
• Raised funds to buy a new stage curtain for Cypress High School.
• Helped secure funding for Lexington Junior High to purchase a new sound system.
• Supports the city’s Tree City program by donating trees to be planted in a Cypress park.
Because this club is federated with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, it joins other women’s clubs across the state and nation to support certain projects. They supported shelters for victims of domestic violence, helped with the replanting of the poppy fields in Lancaster, and supported the recent project of providing metal markers to name the trees in the Capitol State Park. The club has also been supportive of many United Nations programs such as UNICEF and Shot at Life, which provide life-saving vaccines to children all over the world.
The general membership meetings of the Woman’s Club of Cypress are usually held on the first Wednesday of each month, at 10 a.m., at the Cypress Community Center. For more information about the nonprofit organization or upcoming meetings and events, contact Veena Narain at v_narain@yahoo.com or 714-236-0173.