New Member Education Committee

The organization of our club closely mirrors that of GCA, so most of our standing committees are found in other GCA clubs and are supported by GCA representatives. Not so with the New Education Committee. It was formed several years ago by the board in order to more effectively welcome our provisional members.

The purpose of the committee is to integrate provisional members into club activities, to provide opportunities for provisional members to learn about all aspects of the club, and to provide opportunities for provisional members to get to know one another. Committee activities include periodic informal gatherings, seasonal planting of containers at the Toddler Play Balcony at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, and other activities planned by the committee and the provisional members.

The committee took on the project of planting at the Children's Hospital several years ago at the suggestion of Barclay Smith, who previously volunteered on her own to do the plantings over many prior years. This modest commitment of time and resources is quite rewarding, since our plantings brighten up the only outside space at the hospital for patients, families and staff members, and it is greatly appreciated by all.

One activity planned for this spring is a tour of the Long Wharf Nature Preserve, which will be led by Sondra Haller, a provisional member who also serves on the board of the Preserve. We'll announce the date and time of the excursion in a later edition of this newsletter and invite all interested members and friends to come along.

Committee members include Debbie Edwards (chair), Susan Ehrenkranz, Amy Estabrook, Pamela Hamilton, Debbie Lifton (co-chair), and Barclay Smith.