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The Beacon December 2017

Volume 13, Number 8

www.annarborcityclub.org 1830 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 734.662.3279

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

“Thank You” from the Grounds Committee!

Members of the Grounds Committee wish to thank all those who ordered wreaths, roping and/or poinsettias during the PRE-SALE event. All proceeds from the Greens Sale will help the Grounds Committee make our grounds beautiful!

Raymond Ruddon

Margaret LaFeldt

Lunch & Learn with

Carol Hutchins

Fashion Show

Check out the Club’s web-site for more photos and

more events! Boston Tea

Dinner Party

Club Members Enjoyed a Number of Special Events During November!

Thanksgiving Brunch

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Our deepest sympathies to the

families and friends of

Dorothy Kuhn Beloved Member of Ann Arbor

City Club Nancy Bagrow

Former Ann Arbor City Club Member

COMMUNITY OUTREACH The Community Outreach Committee of the City Club is a vibrant, significant part of our club, and an essential component of our designation as a not-for-profit organization.

We’d like you to be aware of some of our activities throughout the year. If you’d like to join us in any or all of the endeavors, please let the Front Desk know. June Hosts at the Summer Festival at the Top of the Park July Set-up for Girls Group graduation ceremony at our Club September School supplies drive for homeless youth of Washtenaw County October Volunteer to put together packets for Mott Hospital November Information dissemination for My Heart/ Your Heart program at U of M December Holiday gift bag collection for homeless youth February Open Your Hearts Campaign collection for nonprofit TBD March AASO Youth Concert volunteers April Collection for another local nonprofit organization TBD May Annual $1,000 award presented to selected nonprofit TBD Along with these specific causes our knitters donate to the Salvation Army throughout the year and our Angels List members volunteer whenever there is a need. Kudos to all who found time to help with the above activities. Thank you to all who donated to the School Supplies Drive for EPHY. We dropped off two trunk loads of items to WISD to be distributed to the homeless children and teens.!!

HISTORY CLUB The History Club will meet after dinner on Thursday, December 7. Attendees will watch a Smithsonian Channel feature film, "Soul of a People: Writing America's Story.” In the grip of the Great Depression, WPA writers searched for America and discovered the Soul of a People. This film explores one of the most controversial public assistance programs of its time and shows nothing less than the creation of America's first ever self-portrait. Soul of a People is about a handful of people who were on the Federal Writer's Project in the 1930’s and a glimpse of America at a turning point. This particular handful of characters went from poverty to great things later. Through striking images and firsthand accounts, this movie reveals their experiences and the most vivid excerpts from selected guides and interviews: Harlem schoolchildren, truckers, Chicago fishmongers, Cuban cigar makers, a Florida midwife, Nebraskan meatpackers, and blind musicians.” Note: We usually like to stay away from political themes in our History Club, but there were a lot of opinions of the Federal WPA depression era programs. For some they were giveaways, for others lifesaving. A lot of these same divisions are with us today, Federal vs. State for instance, especially in the west – then and now. This is a quite emotional film, especially at the end. We are all Americans. This film runs about 1 hour 23 minutes. As there are a lot of messages and mixed feelings here, there is sure to be some discussion.

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EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Evening Book Discussion Group will meet on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. The selection for December is Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh– a memoir containing great and simple wisdom which continues to influence women over a quarter century after its first publication.

Our group meets in The Pub for dinner and a lively discussion about the book. Reservations for dinner are requested. If you find that you are free on short notice---we would be delighted to have you join us. Just let us know, so we can plan enough seats and staff for dinner. If you would like more information, please call Karen Valvo at (734) 649-6047.

CHECK IT OUT!

@librarything.com/catalog/AnnArborCityClub Recent Acquisitions:

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan A crime story set on the waterfront, Manhattan Beacj portrays New York City during WWII. This historic novel encompasses mystery, history, and the changing position of women in America.

REMINDER:

The third part of our seminar “Strive to Belong” will be offered in the new year: date and time to be announced in the January Beacon. Discussion will focus on the novel Lark &

Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips and how, along with the two selections by Haruki Murakami, it completes the seminar.

Mark Clague researches all forms of music making in the United States, with recent projects focusing on the United States national

anthem, American orchestras as institutions (especially in early Chicago and San Francisco), the Atlanta School of composers,

Sacred Harp music and performance, and the music of George and Ira Gershwin. Dr. Clague’s interests center on questions of

how music forges and shapes social relationships, and the art of sound as simultaneously a transcendent emotional expression and

an everyday tool for living. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Dr. Clague serves as Director of Entrepreneurship and Career

Services and directs the EXCEL (Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Career Empowerment, and Leadership) Program for U-M's

School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Dr. Clague’s City Club presentation will feature live piano accompaniment.

LUNCH & LEARN

Mark A. Clague Associate Professor of Musicology and Director of

the University of Michigan Gershwin Initiative

Rediscovering Gershwin: Insights and Discoveries

from the U-M Gershwin Initiative

Date: Wednesday, December 20

Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Member Price: $25 inclusive & Non-Member Price: $30 inclusive

Reservations required by December 15. Call 734-662-3279, ext. 1, or make your reservations online at

www.annarborcityclub.org/mark-clague.html

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Thanksgiving Brunch

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SPOTLIGHT ON MARGARET MCCLAMROCH

Margaret McClamroch is a “Southern Belle.” She was born in New

Orleans, Louisiana and grew up in Dallas, Texas. After attending

local schools through high school, she studied at the University of

Texas, Austin, with a major in education. Not too busy studying to

accept a blind date, she met Harris McClamroch and married him

upon graduation. Margaret fervently believes that Harris saved

her life because on their first date she smoked a cigarette. She

was gently informed that if she wanted to continue seeing Harris,

she would have to abandon the cigarettes. This seemed like a

worthwhile trade-off so the cigarettes went out and with them a

dangerous carcinogen. Margaret is still appropriately grateful.

After graduation, Margaret worked on a master’s degree in library

science and then taught kindergarten. Harris finished a Ph.D. in

Mechanical Engineering. Now on the job market, Harris received

an offer from the Aerospace Department in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann

Arbor. Ann Arbor? Where, in Heaven’s name is that? Margaret found out soon enough. The McClamrochs

moved here and their daughter, Kristi, was born. Kristi is now living in California with her husband and daugh-

ter. Margaret worked for the next couple of decades as a school librarian, first at Bach, then at Pattengill and

for the last fifteen years, at Abbott. The kindergartners called her “Mrs. Book” which seems appropriate.

Margaret joined the City Club in 1996 but didn’t begin to use it seriously until she retired in 2002. Among the

activities in which she has participated and the positions she has held are membership on the Board of Direc-

tors, the Garden Committee (luring Harris along from time to time to work outdoors), chairing the Nominating

Committee and marking for the Flea Market (yes, she was a Fleaette!).

Women’s groups in general have always been an interest of Margaret’s. She has been very active over the

years in the Faculty Women’s Club where she chaired two groups: Garden Amateurs (now a member club of

the City Club) and Friends from Around the World. As the name implies, Friends from Around the World gives

Margaret a chance to interact with women from such far-flung countries as Syria, Poland, Brazil, Iran, Japan,

Belgium, Vietnam, India, Turkey, China and, of course, the United States. She finds it very stimulating. The

McClamroch’s daughter married an Indian from Puna so, after a Presbyterian service at the City Club in the

pergola, the family traveled to Bangalore for a Hindu wedding in Sanskrit. Another women’s organization of

interest to Margaret is Chi Omega Sorority. She served as an advisor to it for many years and for one year

as President of the Panhellenic Committee. She was also asked to join the search committee to find a new

Director of Greek Life at the University of Michigan. She has also been active in the Waterman Alumnae

Group lecture series and is a member of Chapter X of PEO.

Harris, too, has made a comfortable journey to “The North.” His career has centered on the Aerospace Engi-

neering Department in the Engine College -- as it familiarly called. He also has a joint appointment in Electri-

cal Engineering and Computer Science. Not content with teaching and research only, he has just completed

his third book. Together, the McClamrochs relish attending events such as Lunch and Learn and Dine and

Discover. Margaret could not be happier about her decision to join the City Club. “It’s where I like to bring my

friends.” “There’s a place for everybody and welcoming Members Clubs makes our Club open to the commu-

nity. She feels fortunate for the people, the food, and the parking[!]. We, too, feel fortunate to have Margaret

among us.

Libby Birdsall For the Membership Committee

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Daily Lunch Service 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)Drinks & Snacks in the Pub 1:30 – 5 p.m. (M, Tu, Th, F)

Thursday Evening Dinner Service 5 – 7 p.m.

First Friday Happy Hour Friday, December 1

4 - 6 p.m.

Holiday Luncheon Tuesday, December 12

11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Lunch & Learn with Mark Clague Wednesday, December 20th

11:30 am - 3:00 pm

Please note that we are not doing a Birthday Lunch for the month of December.

SAVE THE DATE!

Downton Abbey /English Tea Tuesday, December 14 Mid Afternoon - 6 pm

Calling All Artists!

The City Club’s Art Committee is in the midst of planning our next member show

which will hang in our gallery from January 2nd to February 12th, 2018. All members

are invited to submit two to four pieces of art that they have created to be included

in this show. Only two-dimensional works (e.g. paintings, drawings and photo-

graphs) can be exhibited. All entries should have a wire mounted across the back to

be used with the Club’s hanging system. It’s possible that not all works entered may be shown due to space

considerations but we will make every attempt to be fair to everyone. This

show will be hung on Tuesday morning, January 3rd and we are requesting

that works be dropped off no later than 9:30 a.m. if possible, so that there

will be no delay in hanging the show. Any sales resulting from this exhibit will

be subject to a 20% commission payable to the Club.

Please contact Rohn Federbush at rohn@comcast.net or 734-994-6217 if you plan to participate or if you have any questions.

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1830 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 734.662.3279 info@annarborcityclub.org www.annarborcityclub.org

Upcoming Events

December 2017

Saturday 02 Arts & Crafts Festival

Tuesday 12 Holiday Luncheon 11:30am

Thursday 14 Downton Abbey/English Tea 3:30pm -6pm

Wednesday 20 Lunch & Learn: Mark Clague

Mon 25 Christmas—CLUB CLOSED

Wednesday 27 CLUB CLOSED

January 2018

Monday 1 CLUB CLOSED

Wednesday 10 Programs & Classes Open House

Thursday 25 Movie Night - Bonnie & Clyde

The Beacon President: Constance D’Amato Editor: Lauren Davis

Photograph by John McCormick Point Betsie Light

Frankfort, Lake Michigan, Michigan