Newcomers Club Offers Tea and Friendship

There was laughter, light appetizers and little cups of tea, as 18 lively women gathered for the Agoura Newcomers Club’s annual spring tea.

The club provides opportunities to make new friends, meet regularly with fellow members who share the same interests and learn more about the community.

Purely social

Longtime member Marsha Lovatt hosted the affair at her residence. “Many years ago, another parent in the school district invited me to join the club, and I’ve stayed on ever since,” she said.

One of the attendees was Winkie Fordnay, a recent transplant from Hollywood Beach. “I read something in the local paper about the club, so I started showing up last year, but this is my first spring tea,” she said.

The 25-year-old club used to liaise with real estate brokers to invite new members until that recruitment strategy stopped yielding results. They also used to mail invites but ceased doing this to keep costs down.

Simplicity is one of the keys to this club’s longevity, said Joan Udani, president. Annual dues are $12; there are no by-laws or meeting quorums that have to be met.; and the 45 all-female members stay in touch through e-mails, phone calls and short meetings after the social events, she said.

Aside from the annual spring tea, there are regular coffee get-togethers to welcome new members. Everyone takes turns in hosting events. Around the holidays, the members gather for a holiday luncheon for some merry-making and gift-giving.

“We’re a purely social club,” said Udani. “We don’t even allow anyone to sell products or do any type of presentation to our members.”

The club is not just for newcomers or Agoura residents. “I just got a call today from someone outside Agoura who said she’s interested in joining,” said Lovatt. “She said the newcomers club in her area is too large for her.”

Common bond

Outside the yearly events, there are special interest groups that get together on their own and bond over common hobbies, according to said Udani.

Lovatt and Udani are both members of the “Crafts and Conversations” group, which meets every other Friday. The sky's the limit for the crafts, which have ranged from crocheting to knitting to Tunisian crochet or Afghan stitch, a relatively underused stitch in thread craft, said Udani.

Beyond needlework, the “crafters” also tackle paper crafts like scrap booking or anything the members need help with. “One time, someone needed to organize her drawers so she brought all her drawers in and we helped her,” said Lovatt.

The Bunco group headed by Shelley Davis has three sub-groups: a couples group, a daytime group and a Monday night group. Aside from the dice game group attraction, Davis said she stuck it out because she really liked the women.

The book and Mah Jong clubs also have a fair number of participants. According to Udani, it is really easy to form new groups based on the demand.

Lasting friendships formed

Judy Rifkin remembered the year she moved to Agoura from the San Fernando Valley almost 20 years ago. “There were hardly any opportunities to meet new people then,” said the club treasurer. “But I liked what I saw, and I’ve made really good friends here.”

For Marilyn Stefano, the club’s timing was impeccable. “I had just lost my husband when I got an invite in the mail,” she said. “Showing up the first time was the best decision I’ve ever made, because I met and made friends with these lovely women.”

For more information, please contact: Joan Udani at joanudani@hotmail.com