Woman’s Club Hosts Annual Meeting, Discusses Updates

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club invited the community to virtually attend its annual meeting Tuesday evening, May 4.

“The PPWC is a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to the enhancement and quality of life in the Palisades through education, recreation, beautification, community service and charitable cause,” according to the organization’s website.

Club members tuned into the meeting at 6:30 p.m., with 18 members joining together in-person from the Swarthmore Room at Palisades Village.

“I’d like to welcome everybody who is here and everybody who is afar, at home and who knows where all else,” President Kathy Later said at the start of the meeting.

The meeting began by introducing new members to the group, as well as the new board—revealing that PPWC has a total of 91 members. As of April 1, the board includes Later as president, Jennifer Jones-Church as vice-president, Maureen Roth as secretary and Robin Weitz as treasurer.

Parliamentarian is Dorothy Richards, clubhouse co-chairs are Linda Andrews and Virginia Jaekel, philanthropy is Fay Vahdani, membership is Emily Scheid, and virtual events is Cindy Leuty-Jones.

The flu clinic will be led by Judith Hatchett, and Nancy Niles is past president.

The organization reported that the PPWC Clubhouse is currently in “great” financial shape because of its current tenant, Seven Arrows Elementary School.

“Right now they are in the building until at least mid-December, there’s going to be some negotiation potentially in the fall as to whether or not they [will] further extend that,” Andrews said. “It’s been a really terrific resource for us to have them as a rental tenant.”

Due to COVID-19, PPWC reported the organization was able to refurbish the Clubhouse before renting it to Seven Arrows. The venue now has new flooring, two new doors and a new sink, and the outdoor stairs and lights were repaired.

Leuty-Jones said there are a number of upcoming virtual events in the works that club members can look forward to, including garden tours, a cooking lesson and different presentations. Because the events will be virtual, Leuty-Jones added they might be joined by the Beverly Hills and Hollywood Women’s Clubs.

Vahdani updated the club on its philanthropy, sharing PPWC has $6,000 in grants to distribute between 24 nonprofit local and Palisadian organizations. The grants are slated to be issued in June.

“I have reached out to them,” Vahdani shared. “Out of 24, 17 said yes … and one said no.”

PPWC members shared high hopes of returning to a greater sense of “normal” by 2022 and organizing another wine event, as well as a number of events in 2021, depending on local guidelines.

“What a great time to have everybody together, I appreciate you all and your participation,” Later concluded. “I look forward to the next time … it’s going to be a challenging year still, but look at how far we’ve come.”

The club will meet again on Tuesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. to discuss this month’s book, ahead of its Wednesday, May 26, Board Meeting, which is slated to take place at the PPWC Clubhouse.