Saturday, September 20, 2014

Birthday Club & Daniel James Brown

Yesterday was a full day on Lopez.  In the afternoon I was invited to be the speaker at the Birthday Club at Woodmen Hall.

The Lopez Island Birthday Club was formally organized in 1922 by Mrs. John Tralnes, Mrs. Philip Fagerholm, and Mrs Leason.  In the spirit of friendship and celebration of birthdays, these women had parties where hand-work was made and sold or given to anyone in need.  Families also received Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas boxes from these kind women.  In time, it became apparent that an organization of this type was needed and so the present Birthday Club was formed.  It is open to all women on the island interested in the fellowship of serving the community.

I showed examples of my past and present work, along with slides of my journey in basketry. It was just interesting to be a part of a 92-year-old philanthropic organization.  Oh, and yes, I did join and become a dues-paying member.

That evening my friend visiting from Bainbridge Island and I returned to Wookmen Hall for a sell-out speaking engagement by Daniel James Brown.  He read parts from his bestseller book "The Boys in the Boat" (see blog of August 28th) and talked about how he came to write the book and his views on the major themes in the book.  He is a delightful and thoughtful speaker, with a pleasant voice.  The depth of his research for the book is impressive.

A day of varied gatherings and island community life certainly provided a sense of belonging in a lovely setting.

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