Above left, Theresa Farrens, Kaaren Beaver, Carrie Stevens, Bobbie Swanson and Patti Burke gather weekly to play mah jong. Mothers who met during Bounce Back Boot Camp often meet for other activities outside MAC.
what people have scheduled for the day but we usually meet at noon and play until 2 or 2:30 p.m.,” Stevens says. “There are five of us and if we all show up then we take turns “kibbitzing” from the table corner; finding the right hand to play is easier with four eyes,” Stevens explains. “We usually spend the first 40 minutes catching up but I think the “catching up” continues through the whole game; we have become close friends and enjoy offering solutions to the problem of the day.” The women also attend other club events together and socialize away from the club as well.
The group encourages everyone to learn the game and is happy to have others join them.
Poker
A group of poker players comes together weekly as a result of member Steve Rosenbaum’s efforts.
“In 2005, I realized MAC had a card room, so I invited a group of friends to play poker there one night,” Rosenbaum says. “In the course of playing, other MAC members walking by joined the game. We had so much fun that the group decided to come back the next week. During the second week, the group decided to structure the game as a weekly tournament.” The group meets Tuesdays from 7 p.m.-midnight. There are about 16 regulars, with another 16 or so others who play occasionally. “We play a tournament style poker game explains player David Steinberg. “The fun and camaraderie of the players and the interest in poker keeps the group together.” Members may stop by any Tuesday night before 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Bounce Back Boot Camp
Lisa Bozich started to attend Bounce Back Boot Camp shortly after her daughter, Ella, was born in 2006. Bozich’s son was born in 2004, but the class was not offered at the time. Bozich heard about the class while she was pregnant with Ella, and says she couldn’t wait to get started.
The class is taught by Heather Lawes and meets Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the East Gym. “I loved the class for the intense workout, but mostly for the
wonderful group of moms I met there,” Bozich says. Although Bozich has met a lot of mothers through the class, she and a group of five others – Sara Stewart, Melissa Gibson, Andrea Molloy, Brooke Daniel and Lawes – continue to hang out regu- larly. These women regularly meet for dinners out without their children, for play dates at the park or in their homes, and other fun events. Among the six of them, there are 14 children (with a 15th on its way).
“After I could no longer push a double stroller, I would meet
the same moms at MAC and use the child care department while we took tennis classes together or worked out in other areas of the club,” Bozich says. “Our kids also love taking MAC camps together.”
Women Who Rock
The Women Who Rock climbing class is a great example of a group of people who became friends because they all shared a love of rock climbing at MAC’s Indoor Rock Climbing Wall. The class started with four or five women who began climbing at the Rock Gym individually but quickly formed into a group of friends that wanted to support and spend time with one another while climbing.
The encouraging attitude of the group and the excitement to get other women involved grew into the current Women Who Rock class, with 20 to 25 women enrolled every term. “The women’s class has become a necessity of our program and a much- needed addition to climbing culture in a primarily male-dominated sport,” says Head Climbing Instructor Peter Julia. The grass-roots nature of the women’s climbing class and the individuals that participate in the class have found a home in the Rock Gym, and welcome others interested in the women’s fellow- ship of rock climbing. The class meets Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. WM
MACorps
As explained in the President’s Column on page 5, an ad hoc committee on communities was created to further explore devel- opment of communities of common interest within the club. The committee’s charge is to find a way to create more community within MAC using a combination of athletic and social programs and committees, member events, the club’s existing facility spaces, and the website. The goal is to make MAC feel like a small village, and bring members together by creating more opportunities for connections.
The committee has discussed the importance of enhancing communication tools for bringing members together, providing meaningful participation for members not in the committee system, and extending volunteerism to include a community service component. Not everyone wants to be on a committee yet would like a way to connect with other MAC members. After much discussion, MACorps was created with the goal of building communities through volunteerism. The program kicks off in the beginning of 2011. For more information or to get involved, call Member Events Manager Lori Martin at 503-517-7269 or email
lmartin@themac.com.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64