Wednesday, December 28, 2016

2017 Programs

The public is invited to the following meetings at the Williamson County Library, 1314 Columbia Ave., in Franklin.  We gather at 9:45am for a brief "meet and greet" followed by a brief club meeting, then a program at 11am:

January 3 - Cathy Holland, Nashville Airport Authority 

February 7 - Kippie Leland of Leland Interiors 

March 7 - Adrienne Lindsey of Mercy Multiplied

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

April 4 will be a members only meeting to handle club business and planning for our "Step Up:  It's a Charity Affair"  to be held in May.

In May we will have our May  "Step Up:  It's a Charity Affair" annual fund-raising luncheon, recognizing a "to be determined" Woman of the Year.  Date/Location/Program to be announced.

In June we will have a Member Recognition event and Installation of New Officers.  Date/Time/Location to be announced.

We do not have scheduled club meetings during July and August, then resume our monthly meetings in September.


Saturday, November 26, 2016

Holiday Luncheon - December 6, 2016

Our Holiday Luncheon will feature guest speaker:  Andrew Maraniss
Author of a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award, Strong Inside, Andrew studied history at Vanderbilt University.   Earning the school’s Alexander Award for excellence in journalism and graduating in 1992. He then worked for five years in Vanderbilt’s athletic department as the associate director of media relations, dealing primarily with the men’s basketball team.  In 1998, he served as the media relations manager for the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays during the team’s inaugural season, and then returned to Nashville to join MP&F Public Relations.  The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author David Maraniss and trailblazing environmentalist Linda Maraniss, Andrew was born in Madison, Wis., grew up in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas and now lives in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife Alison, and their two young children.  
Luncheon will be at the Brentwood Country Club, December 6,  10 am - 1pm, to include vendors for shopping, a 50/50       Raffle, and entertainment by the Brentwood High School Chorus.
For reservations email:  edkathkc1@att.net     Tickets: $50

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

June Awards Luncheon/Officer Installation

2016 - 2017 Officers:
From left to right, Gail Miles, president; Genma Holmes, historian; Lisa Ward, vice president of programs; Kathy Casey, treasurer; Jean Hagaman, secretary; and Nancy Deal, vice president

New Member of the Year:  Nancy Deal
                  2015 - 2016

ClubWoman of the Year, 2015-2016:  Kathy Casey

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

BWC Recognition and Winners at GFWC of Tennessee state meeeting

In the GFWC Youth Writing contest:
Alyssa Parker, Ravenwood High School, won First Place in Category IV for her poem, "Handel's Messiah".
Ashleigh Tyler, Summit High School, won First Place, Category IV, for her short story:  "Sacre Coeur".
These entries were submitted for further competition in their respective category with all other GFWC state/country winners and an international winner will be announced in late June at the GFWC International Annual Convention in Baltimore.

In the Epsilon Sigma Omicron reading society, members Donna Almond, Mary Marble, and Jean Hairston were recognized for their respective 8th Century, 3rd Century, and 1st Century efforts.

BWC as a whole received recognition for:

  •  its 100% members Participation in the GFWC Tennessee Endowment Fund
  • 1st Place, GFWC Division III for Membership Advancement Area
  • 2nd Place, for the GFWC Signature Project:  Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention
  • 2nd Place, for the GFWC Community Service Program in Conservation
  • 2nd Place, for GFWC's Advancement Area in Women's History & Resource Center.
And, BWC immediate past president Liz Martin was elected GFWC of Tennessee Treasurer for the the 2016 - 2018 administrative term, beginning July 1.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Thanks to "Step Up" Sponsors and Donors



WE APPRECIATE OUR SPONSORS AND SILENT AUCTION DONORS FOR OUR MAY 3RD "STEP UP:  IT'S A CHARITY AFFAIR LUNCHEON.
   



And
Silent Auction Donors:
Brentwood Country Club
Brentwood Interiors
Brentwood Jewelry & Gifts
Carraba's Italian Grill
First Watch Café
Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
Lindell Jewelers
Magic Nails
Moon Wine & Spirits
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Outback Restaurant 
Sewing Machines & Things
Studio Tenn
Sally Tobin, Artist & Andrew Knichfeld, author 

Monday, May 2, 2016

Participating in The Big Payback


Nonprofits play an essential role across the region – in healthcare, the arts, the environment, education, animal welfare and social services, to name just a few causes and needs. In today’s economic environment, these organizations need to accomplish much more with much less.

To celebrate Middle Tennessee’s spirit of generosity and “payback” the work of nonprofits, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is bringing back its initiative The Big Payback for the third straight year.

The Big Payback, a 24-hour online giving event, highlights nonprofit organizations' great work and inspires community-wide giving. Starting at midnight on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 – tonight! – donors have 24 hours to make gifts at TheBigPayback.org to 770 participating nonprofits, including schools and religious institutions, which are located in or provide services in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee.

 Gifts can be given to multiple nonprofits and be of any size, from $10 and up.

The Brentwood Woman’s Club, one of many clubs in the General Federation of Women’s Clubs International (GFWC) is celebrating its 43rd year of service to the community this year.  A few examples of the ways this club has impacted our community:  built the first public playground on Concord Road; rehabbed a house for the first Brentwood Library; supported youth arts and education with scholarships and writing contests; supported conservation and beautification by “an adopt-a-mile”, installed a butterfly garden at Owens’ Chapel, promoted recycling at Carnton events and in Leipers Fork with a recycling station; promoted an informed electorate with election forums for the Brentwood City Commissioners elections; collaborated with the Rotary Club to finance the building of a convenience trailer for emergency personnel responding to local disasters; promoting domestic violence and sex-trafficking awareness and prevention; and supporting BRIDGES, GraceWorks, CASA, the Davis House, Owls’Hill, and veterans’ groups with monies generated by fund-raisers.


Sunday, April 24, 2016

Federation Day - April 24

The 63 delegates that ratified the GFWC Constitution on April 24, 1890 knew that organizing a federation of clubs would allow for a greater national impact.  From initiating a letter-writing campaign that led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, to establishing 75% of America’s public libraries, GFWC members have advocated for positive changes in their communities for the last 126 years.  Since that very first Federation Day, combined efforts from clubs across the country have led to many things we take for granted today, such as the eight-hour workday, street lights, seatbelts, and so much more.  


Locally the Brentwood Woman’s Club has had a major impact on the community.  Our projects have included rehabbing a house for the first Brentwood Library, physically building the first Brentwood park, supporting our teachers and schools, promoting education, youth writing contests, cleaning litter from our Adopt-a-Mile on Murray Lane, establishing a butterfly garden at Owens’ Chapel on Franklin Road, holding candidate forums for the Brentwood City Commissioners elections, playing BINGO monthly with the residents of Grace Healthcare in Franklin (our longest running project), providing scholarships and an endowment for scholarships at Columbia State Community College for Williamson County female residents and many more in addition to raising funds for local charities.

Check out GFWC's history at  http://www.gfwc.org/who-we-are/history-and-mission/
Check out a new video on GFWC.org on Sunday, April 24: bit.ly/1QnnvcI

GFWC and Brentwood Woman's Club:  Living the Volunteer Spirit.


Saturday, April 23, 2016

Environmental Reading At Edmondson Elementary, April 21



Conservation Chairman Lisa, in collaboration with Keep Williamson Beautiful, arranged for us (Diane J., Pat G., Nancy S., Liz M. and Lisa) to read an environmental book to a second grade class.  What fun!  The 2nd graders were so cute and all signed a pledge to promote recycling, re-use, and reduction of waste that currently goes to a landfill.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Giving Day 2016

Message from our President Paula Uhlir:

Today is Giving Day! Brentwood Woman's Club is a 501 C3 that donates to charities throughout  Middle Tennessee. On this one day, we would like you to help us continue our work. By donating to BWC. We help support such charities as GraceWorks, CASA, Davis House, Owl's Hill,  Snoopy's Closet and many more.

We appreciate your generosity. You can follow us on Facebook and on our Blog. Checks can be mailed to BWC, PO Box 964, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

BWC wins big at District Meeting!

Brentwood Woman's Club was named Outstanding Large Club in the GFWC Music City District.  The district includes clubs in Hendersonville, two in Nashville, Bellevue, Spring Hill/Thompson Station, and Dickson.   Way to go, ladies - a tribute to all your hard work and service in 2015.  Thanks to each of you. 

Our club also received First Place Certificates of Recognition for our efforts in International Outreach (Operation Smile and Books for Cambodia), Legislation/Public Policy (we sent a delegation to meet with Rep. Marsha Blackburn in support of legislation...), and Fundraising. 

We received Second Place recognition for our efforts in Communications/Public Relations, Membership, Special Project:  St. Jude's, Leadership, and Public Issues. 

In the GFWC Short Story youth writing contest district winners, submitted by BWC, were as follows:
(First Place Category 2)  Lauren Stockdale
(First Place Category 4)  Ashleigh Tyler.

In the GFWC Youth Poetry Contest, the district winner from our club was (First Place Category 4) Alyssa Parker.

To top the day off, our very own Dawn Kincaid was elected Music City District president for 2016 - 2018.









             

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Renata Soto, our Woman of the Year



Co-founder of ConexiĂłn AmĂ©ricas, Renata Soto will be honored as the club’s Woman of the Year at its spring fund-raiser luncheon, Step Up:  It’s a Charity Affair, on May 3rd at the Brentwood Country Club.

Ms. Soto was named chairwoman of the National Council of La Raza in 2015, an organization founded in 1968, that represents nearly 300 affiliates, including community based organizations in 41 states, providing education, housing, workforce development and other services to families across the country.  As the first Central American and Tennessean to fill the position of chairwoman and as co-founder of ConexiĂłn AmĂ©ricas , a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Latino families realize their aspirations for social and economic advancement via integration into the Middle Tennessee community,   Ms. Soto is clearly representative of the “Unity in Diversity” motto of GFWC.

For the past 6 years the club has chosen a non-member to honor for her activities to better our greater community.  Prior honorees have been Linda Lynch, City of Brentwood Community Relations Director; Joyce Keistler, Director of the Martin Center; Susan Leathers, prior Editor and Co-Owner Brentwood Home Page, Franklin Home Page and BrentWord Communications; Linda Jackson, Executive Director of BRIDGES; Nancy Osman, community volunteer and Director of Ty2 Foundation, and  Jennifer Wolcott, community volunteer with the American Red Cross (Natchez Trace Chapter) and the Oasis Center.


Tickets for the luncheon are $50 and can be obtained by contacting the club treasurer Kathy Casey via email address:  edkathkc1@att.net or telephone @ 615-500-2149.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Brentwood Environmental Stewardship Award

We Won!!!


A lovely trophy on recycled wood was presented at the 2016 Arbor Day festivities to our club for its Conservation programs and efforts on behalf of the city of Brentwood.


President Paula Uhlir, Conservation Community Service chairman Lisa Ward accepted.

Just this past year our club has:
       Assisted the Brentwood Tree Commission with bagging 4000 trees for distribution on Arbor Day at the local schools and library. 
         Responded to a Keep Williamson Beautiful request for volunteers to distribute re-cycling supplies at an event held on the grounds of Carnton Plantation during summer concerts.
    Manned a Keep Williamson Beautiful information and activity booth at the Williamson County Fair in August, distributing literature on re-cycling and assisting children with a re-cycling project.
      We picked up litter from our “Adopt-a-Mile” area twice.
    Researched various options for a recycling project and completed our project with the purchase of a recycling station for the Leiper’s Fork Recreation Center.  We had already reached an agreement with a Girl Scout troop for them to install and maintain it.
    Supported Owls' Hill and Happy Tales with donations.
    In support of EARTH Day 2015, members read an environmental-friendly book to second graders at a local elementary school and enlisted their respective promises to promote "reduce, re-cycle, and re-use" in their homes.  This Enviromental Reading program is a collaboration project with Keep Williamson Beautiful.

And, over the past 3 years, planned, installed and dedicated a "butterfly garden" at Owen's Chapel on Franklin Road in coordination with the Brentwood Garden Club.



       







    




Step Up: It's a Charity Affair May 3rd

Our annual fund-raiser, “Step Up:  It’s a Charity Affair”, will be held at the Brentwood Country Club on May 3.  Doors open at 10am.  Public invited.  Tickets are $50 and available by contacting our treasurer Kathy Casey by email address edkathkc1@att.net or telephone @ 615-500-2149.

Entertainment provided by Dove Award-winning recording artist Solveig Leithaug.  Hesitant to admit that she is an internationally loved singer-songwriter and masterful guitar player, Solveig has fourteen solo recordings, including her newest release Finding Home, and three best-selling children’s CD’s to her credit.  Her music is a brilliant blend of heart and art and Solveig is consistently breaking new ground with each release.


Fashion show by Dillard’s and a fun day for all!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

We have our key to Franklin's Old Old Jail!

After hearing a presentation about the renovations in process for Franklin's Old, Old Jail by Mary Pearce, executive director of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, at our January meeting, members voted to become involved.  We had budgeted dollars for a conservation community improvement project for this year and today our president Paula Uhlir, Conservation Chairman Lisa Ward, treasurer Kathy Casey and board members Gail Miles, Jean Hairston, and Liz Martin delivered our first payment towards obtaining becoming a "Key Club" member to Mary Pearce, took a tour of the jail, and picked out our key!  What a wonderful historic preservation project and tourist attraction for our county this is!!!



Check out details on the Old, Old Jail with this link:  http://historicfranklin.com/old-old-jail/

Monday, February 8, 2016

Seeking Nominations for Woman of the Year


For the past 7 years the Brentwood Woman’s Club has selected a Brentwood resident, to honor as their Woman of the Year.  Nominations are due by March 1 and can be submitted to club via email or mailed to the club at PO Box 964, Brentwood, TN. 37024.

Nomination Criteria:
All nominees must be residents of Williamson County, Tennessee, or any of the adjacent counties of Davidson, Rutherford, Marshall, Maury, Hickman, Dickson, or Cheatham. You may nominate as many women as you like. Use a separate form for each Nominee.

Prior honorees have been Linda Lynch, City of Brentwood Community Relations Director; Joyce Keistler, Director of the Martin Center; Susan Leathers, prior Editor and Co-Owner Brentwood Home Page, Franklin Home Page and BrentWord Communications; Linda Jackson, Executive Director of BRIDGES; Nancy Osman, community volunteer and Director of Ty2 Foundation, Jennifer Wolcott, community volunteer with the American Red Cross (Natchez Trace Chapter) and the Oasis Center, and Vicky Smith, Senior manager, Corporate Social Responsibility for Nissan North America.

Submit all nominations via email to brentwoodwomansclub@gmail.com or mail to GFWC Brentwood Woman’s Club, PO Box 964, Brentwood, TN 37024.

Include:    
            Your Name:
Phone number
Email address: 

Name of Nominee: 
Phone number: 
Email address: 
Nominee’s principal occupation and/or area of volunteerism:

Please answer, as best you can, the following questions to help us assess why your nominee should be BWC’s  Woman of the Year for 2016:.
  
1.What significant contributions has your Nominee made to Williamson County, the state of Tennessee, or our country on the national scene during the past year?
Please Highlight lifetime contributions and their cumulative benefits to communities and individuals.
   
2. If your Nominee’s community contributions are in conjunction with her occupation, how has she gone beyond what is required in her occupation, so as to contribute altruistically to the community? 

3. Describe the extent to which your Nominee may have identified an unmet need in the community, met that need, and created new value, or noticeable positive change, as a result of her contributions.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Celebrated Winners of Local Poetry & Short Story...Jan. 30, 2016


                             GFWC Brentwood Woman's Club Poetry Contest Winners for 2015

 Category 2:  Jaya Gupta, Scales Elementary; Category 3:  1st Place:  Robert Haukohl, homeschool;  2nd Place:  Nyah Standfield, homeschool; 3rd Place:  Drew Estes, Sunset Middle
Category 4:  1st Place:  Alyssa Parker, Ravenwood; 2nd Place:  Hannah Hubin, homeschool; 3rd Place: (tie)  Lina Beach, Franklin High and Michael Hosale, Ravenwood



                            GFWC Brentwood Woman's Club Short Story Contest Winners for 2015

Category 2:  1st Place:  Lauren Stockdale, Grassland Elementary; 2nd Place:  Rhys Clark, Scales Elementary;  3rd Place:  Rachel Clark, Scales Elementary
Category 3:  1st Place:  Lauren Smith, Page Middle;  2nd Place:  Joseph Feduccia, Sunset Middle
Category 4:  1st Place:  Ashleigh Tyler, Summitt High;   2nd Place:  Megan Carneal, Franklin High;   3rd Place:  Hannah Hubin, homeschool

On January 30 at the Brentwood Library, winners, parents,grand-parents and friends gathered to celebrate the winners of the General Federation of Women's Clubs 2015 Youth Poetry and Short Story contests at the local level.  Entries were received in October and judged in November.  In December the first place winning entries were forwarded to our GFWC Music City District and GFWC of Tennessee for further judging.  District winners will be announced at our district meeting in March, 2016, and the state winners will be announced in April at our state annual meeting.  First place winning entries at the state level will be submitted to GFWC International for which winners will be announced in June at GFWC's annual convention in Baltimore, Md.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Operation Smile 2016

Several years ago BWC members Liz Allman and Linda Orellana organized the first Operation Smile event in which fabric is donated to make gowns, dolls, totes and other needed items for young cleft palate patients around the world.

Since then it has blossomed into a partnership with Latter Day Saint women from the Nashville Tennessee Stake, the New Neighbors League of Nashville, and friends and neighbors of all of these service-minded organizations.  This year we even had a pre-dental student volunteer who read about the event on the Brentwood Homepage.

Today we were able to accomplish a lot with all these women working together.  We stuffed and stitched up 40 pre-sewn smile dolls.*






This is how Operation Smile uses the dolls.  The patients draw pictures of themselves on the blank dolls with their new smiles.  Doesn't this just make YOU smile?!  Go here to make a personal donation to bless a child with a happier smile.


We made 58 gowns.  Think of all the loving hands who have touched these little gowns.  We hope the children who wear them will feel this love.





We made 45 pairs of armbands - 90 pieces.  They are used as splints to keep the children from touching their wounds after their surgeries.






We made 15 no-sew blankets.  Again, think of all the loving hands that have touched these blankets.



We could not have pulled this off without all the wonderful volunteers who watched the children of some of these helpers.  Thank you so much!

Very soon we will post the final stats for this event.  There are still a few people working on finishing up a few things. 

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Operation Smile 2016

It's here ladies!  Mark your calendars for Friday, January 15th, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.  Please click here to sign up to help out with lunch and the projects that we will have going on.  We need you!

IMPORTANT:  Please notice the new location - 1646 Sunset Rd., Nolensville, TN (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)