Social News

Kids’ Movie Night: About 30 kids munched on pop corn and sipped juice boxes while enjoying the new Christmas classic "Elf" in the Members’ Lounge.  Parents basked in the quiet of the upper bar for cocktails and conversation (until the kids came thundering in after the movie!).  Thanks to Gabriella and her friend for popping the corn and watching the kids during the movie.  We thank Patty Schumann for organizing the night.

Karaoke Night always seems to bring new surprises, and the latest installment was no exception.  The evening included a couple of Christmas favorites: “Feliz Navidad” (Jose) as well as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Jill).  Of course Matt had to sing “Father Christmas”, a pretty irreverent Kinks number.  Westy blasted out “Dream On”, although we missed hearing Donna Ventarola’s sweet voice this time.  Claire and sisters didn’t disappoint us and came prepared to sing “Boogie Oogie Oogie” (complete with synchronized dance steps).  Other memorable performances included Karen (“I Will Survive”), Paul (“Same As It Ever Was”), Jennifer and friend Sara (“Light My Candle”), Larry (“Daydream Believer”), Justine (“Come On Eileen”), Taylor (“Green Green Grass of Home”), Susanne, Liz, Susan&Justine (“Oh What a Night”), and Joe (“The Piano Has Been Drinking”).  Newcomers Jaime (“You’re So Vain”) and Don (“I Love This Bar”) proved to have both the voices and moxie to join the ranks of regulars.  But the highlight of the evening was a toss-up between Robert singing Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie”, complete with a strip tease and Alex’s (who knew?) debut performance of “My Sharona”, which had everyone up on their feet.  We thank Patty Gamba for putting it all together.

The Holiday Cocktail Party was a wonderful affair.  The ballroom was filled with friends, food and merriment.  The room was beautifully decorated thanks to a small group of volunteers whom Steve acknowledged that night.  Our new bar chairman Peter Ennis (and his Sergeant-at-Arms, Patty Schumann) made sure that the bartenders did a crackerjack job of serving up the drinks until the wee hours of the morning.  A live jazz trio provided great background music through the generosity of anonymous donors.  We thank Steve Savard for hosting the event and ringing in the holiday season.

Justine Henry reports:  “The Cookies and Cocoa Party consisted of 22 kids decorating Greg's hard work.  He, of course, made all the cookies and icing!  (I only make reservations.)  Patty Schumann prepared the cocoa while Kerry and Kristine helped dole out the decorating candy.”  The club thanks Justine for hosting the event!

Over 70 guests attended this year’s Breakfast with Santa, a very festive morning where the kids played with friends, made holiday crafts and everyone anticipated the arrival of Santa Claus! For breakfast there was a variety of delicious homemade quiches, pancakes and bacon, spiral ham, bagels and muffins, cream cheese and lox, yogurt and fruit salad. Special thanks to Ann Marie Ennis, our Pancake (and coffee) Angel, for all her help in the kitchen early on Sunday morning! The PHRC Kids Choir delighted everyone with a special performance which led to a sing-along of holiday favorites by all the kids and parents. Thank you to Karin White for reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to a very attentive audience; this set the stage for the arrival of our very jolly Santa... thank you Steve Savard! Hosts Kerry Schmid and Susan Proano want to thank everyone for making it a special morning filled with holiday cheer and especially thank all the other helper Elves that made it happen!  In addition, Rosemary Beirne would like to thank everyone who so generously gave mountains of presents to the collection for My Sister's Place, an emergency shelter for abused women and their children. For these kids, what we give is often the only remembrance they get of Christmas, since they come to the shelter with little more than the clothes they are wearing. This year, club members were extraordinarily generous in their giving. Thank you, thank you, thank you from My Sister's Place, and from the Beirne Family.

With over sixty people in attendance, the first annual PHRC Kids Choir Holiday Recital was a great success! Parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends came to enjoy the dessert bar, have a cocktail and listen to the kids sing their hearts out.  The kids, donning elf hats and shaking jingle bells, sang old classics and new favorites.  Thank you to the enthusiastic audience that came out in numbers on a Monday night to support our kids...they absolutely loved it!  Special thanks go out to Kerry Schmid for putting together the yummy dessert table, to Sandra Carolan for her unflinching leadership teaching the kids all the songs and choreography, Dave Steck and Ed Schmid for setting the stage (and all the playgroup parents for cleaning up!) and to Stuart McPhee for bringing roses for all the ladies!  We all thank Patty for organizing the choir – both the rehearsals and the performances.

Plenty of folks stopped by on Christmas Eve Eve to enjoy food and friends at the Holiday Bonfire.  A brave few spent some time outdoors by the fire; the rest of us kept warm by bellying up to the bar!  Thank you, Patty Gamba for making the arrangements.

Justine Henry hosted our annual New Year’s Brunch.  Her report? “Great turnout!  Tons of food!”  What more can be said?  Thank you, Justine!
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Essen und Freunde!  (Food and Friends):  This year’s Oktoberfest took German food to another level with a more varied selection of Bavarian sausages, homemade sides and condiments, and, most notably, Joe Harbeson's schnitzel!  Kristen Napoli also brought delicious homemade spaetzle. There were a variety of beer "flavors" to wash it all down, from Radlers (half beer/half lemonade), to dunkleweizen (dark wheat beer) plus several creamy, caramel-y Oktoberfest brews. With about 50 adults in attendance, and German drinking songs playing, it felt like a real Bavarian beer hall! 

Meanwhile, over 20 kiddies enjoyed wieners, pretzels, cupcakes and a movie upstairs in the ballroom for our second annual Kinderfest!  Thanks go to Liz and Kerry, for supervising and to Gabriella Gamba for babysitting. Thanks also go to Chris Gamba and Sami Tahir for entertaining the kids.  Lastly, thank you Patty Gamba for jumping behind the bar to help!  All in all, sehr gut!  Prost!                      Patty Schumann

A full day of great football and great food was ours for the taking thanks to Kristen Napoli.  Kristen organized a Tailgate Party, complete with her world famous mac ‘n cheese.  A fabulous spread fed two dozen…and more!  Thanks go to all who donated and participated.  Thank you, Kristen, for another fun afternoon.  We all appreciate it.

The Membership Committee (read Mairead) hosted a Membership Movie Night where over 20 people enjoyed free popcorn and Rango.   It was a fun time, despite the lack of prospect invitees.  Maybe next time!  Thank you, Mairead, for trying to get new folks in the door.

The aftermath of an early season snowstorm was not enough to deter our hearty, determined, tenacious and unflappable band of Kids’ Halloween Party organizers from putting on a fabulous party!  Kristine Brower and Susanne Savard headed up the committee and began planning weeks before the event.

Decorating was accomplished one-two-three on Friday evening.  Decorators included Taylor Pierce, Donna and Sami Tahir, Ed and Kerry Schmid, Anne Marie and Peter Ennis, Liz Malave and Steve Savard.  Using limited resources and a zero decorating budget, they were able to add all the right touches to the ballroom, including a giant spider web and spider on the stage. 

The “cupcake committee” included Susan Proano, Susanne, Eva Jerome, Masha Turchinsky, Kerry, Justine Henry and Patty Schumann; needless to say, there was no shortage of cupcakes!  Anne Marie also provided some chocolate Rice Krispies treats from her own recipe.  Goody bags were put together by Liz and Mairead Casey.  Patty Schumann manned the door and did the all-important collection of money!  Ed Schmid obtained the giant pumpkin that was raffled off. 

Clean up was done by Eva, Masha, Taylor, Ed, Anne Marie, and Sami.  Did I mention that over 125 adults and kids attended?  It was a great party, complete with crafts, pizza, delicious hot food from Silvios, a magician and plenty of time to just run around!  Susanne and Kristine thank Patty Schumann for her support in all aspects of the party planning and execution.  The club thanks Kristine and Susanne for all their hard work!