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The Beacon

The Beacon DecemberDecemberDecemberDecember 2012201220122012

Volume 8, Number 7

President’s Message My goodness, what a wonderful month November was in the life of the City Club! We had the All American Dinner, followed by the Veterans’ Day Luncheon, a Travelogue, fashions from Mathilde’s during lunch, the Thanksgiving Brunch with over 120 in attendance, and a great presentation given by our current Artists in Residence, Dick and Sue Rigertink. And of course, there was the packed-house Lunch & Learn featuring U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. President Coleman’s talk was both enlightening and entertaining. And, she even recognized our own Molly Dobson, who will be given an Honorary Law Degree at Winter Commencement in December.

Now, our sights are set on the Holiday Season with special lunches and dinners to make the season bright! Please be sure to make your reservations! We also have a Lunch & Learn on December 4 featuring Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles.

Looking Ahead: Those of you who attended the last Annual Meeting may remember my 3D Glasses, which stood for Dues, Dining and Debt. The litany went something like this: More new members will increase our Dues and Dining revenues, and help us reduce our Debt. We are delighted to have some wonderful new members among our ranks! But we need many more!! Stay tuned for more opportunities to help us in our more concerted drive for new members next year.

Despite obtaining several new members, and having a robust wedding and event business last spring and summer, the City Club will once again be faced with an operating deficit as we approach the end of this fiscal year. The Board of Directors, other dedicated Club members, and staff have been working diligently to get us out of this annual cycle. While some positive results have been achieved, we need our members to "step up" to the challenge of meeting the shortfall this year. We would like each member to consider making a small donation ($250) so that the few members who have made large donations in the past won’t have to “do it all,” again.

Please enjoy this Holiday Season with friends and family, and thank you for your commitment of time and energy to the City Club. It is much appreciated!! Susan M. Smith, President

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29th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival Saturday, December 1 / 9 a.m.−4 p.m. / $3 admission It is almost December and our 29th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival is here! This year’s show has some exciting new crafts and our favorite crafters are back. The Festival is the best place to pick up hand-made items for the perfect gifts for family and friends. Come join us for a successful shopping day at the Club! Make real headway on your gift list for the holidays. A light lunch will be available in the Pub from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. If you would like to volunteer to help work the event, please contact Roberta Friberg: 761.1875 (bertdec@comcast.net) or Penny O’Malley: 645.5718 (pennyhomalley@aol.com).

http://annarborcityclub.org 1830 Washtenaw Avenue � Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 734.662.3279

It is with great mixed emotions that I let you know that Dawn

Maynard has accepted an offer to be the event planner for

the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Her last day

of employment with the City Club will be December 15.

Those of us who have had the pleasure of knowing and

working with Dawn during the three years she has been with

the City Club will share the sense of loss and sadness her

departure will bring. She has played a major role in the

success of the Club, and her professionalism, dedication, and

friendship will be sorely missed. However, as sorry as we are

to lose her, I know that we are also filled with excitement and

good wishes for Dawn as she begins a new chapter of her

life.

I hope that you will join us in the Carrothers Room on Friday, December 14 at 4 p.m. for a farewell reception to

thank Dawn for all that she has done and to wish her all the best in her new career.

Greg Fleming, General Manager

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Dinner service available: first and second Wednesdays, every Thursday and Friday. Take-out service available on the days the dining room is open for food service; place order by 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 4: Lunch & Learn, 11:30 a.m. Soup/salad/sandwich buffet available in the Dining Room.

Friday, December 7: First Friday Happy Hour, 4−6 p.m.,

& Dinner, 5−8 p.m. Had a busy day shopping, too many things left to do! Not in the mood to cook? Stop by the Club! Enjoy a cocktail in the Pub and then dinner in the Dining Room---head home and relax. You have a survival plan.

Wednesday, December 12: Holiday Dinner, 6 p.m.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Club’s Annual Holiday Dinner. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the season with other Club members. Entrée selections are: Seared sea bass with roasted dates, bacon, almonds, and sherry broth; Goat cheese, olive, and spinach stuffed chicken breast with balsamic butter pan sauce; Vegetarian selection is zucchini rice gratin. Please make entrée selection when reserving. $33 plus tax and service charge per person. Reserve by Monday, December 10.

Friday, December 14: Holiday Wine Pairing Dinner, 6 p.m.

This dinner will have several courses each of which is accompanied by a special wine. The entrée is filet of beef. Fabulous food and wines, not to be missed, reserve your place today! $38 plus tax and service charge per person. $16 plus tax and service charge for wine package. Reserve by Wednesday, December 12.

Tuesday, December 18: Holiday Luncheon, 11 a.m.−1:30 p.m. Whether you are recovering from Hanukkah celebrations or getting ready for Christmas, plan time to attend the Holiday Luncheon! Call other members, invite your non-member friends. All are welcome. Entrée selections are: chicken à la king ($9.45++); crab cakes with a sassy tartar sauce ($10.45++); or spinach and potato frittata ($8.75++). Prices include dessert. Please make entrée selection when reserving. Reservations by Wednesday, December 12.

Friday, January 4: Downton Abbey Dinner Party, 6 p.m.

Please see separate article on page 6. Lunch menu limited to buffet service on this date. No dinner service on December 21. No lunch or dinner service on December 26, 27 & 28.

~ Save the Dates ~ Friday, January 18: Betty Crocker Luncheon

Friday, February 1: First Friday Happy Hour and Themed Dinner Thursday, February 14: Valentine’s Luncheon

Thursday, February 14: Valentine’s Wine Pairing Dinner

Dear Members,

Regretfully, I have received Kathy Sample’s letter of resignation from the office of President-Elect of the City Club. The demands on her time, especially next year, are greater than she expected. We are fortunate in that she will continue to share with us her talents and fresh ideas in public relations and marketing and serving on several committees. For continuity, I am willing to serve another year, if asked.

Susan M. Smith, President

The Latest from the Bridge Club The CCDB Board has approved the appointment of Dick Fortune as director of our Monday game. Let’s welcome him and give him our full cooperation. Our Cookie Party this year is scheduled for Friday, December 14. Be sure to schedule a game for that day – it is one of the “tastiest” bridge days of the year. STaC games are scheduled for the first week in December. A reminder that these are open games – therefore, plan to invite a guest that normally would not be able to play at the Club. The larger the attendance the more points available. Several of our members have moved up in the bridge rankings. Let’s congratulate them.

Regional Master: Leslie Desmond NABC Master: Stuart Dombey Gold Life Master: Joanna Brumfiel & Ellen Hsi

At the recent meeting of the Planning Council it was brought to our attention that members of the bridge club have made remarks that they are unhappy about having to be relocated from the Ballroom to another playing area. We (the City Club members) are, in effect, one big family working together. As such, we need to be aware of the needs of others in our family. Occasionally there is a need for the use of the Ballroom by others. Please try not to complain to the staff, as they are doing their very best to accommodate our needs. Let’s be patient and mindful of the needs of others. Thank you. Pat Benevento, Bridge Chair

Evening Book Discussion Group The Evening Book Discussion Group will meet on Tuesday, December 4 this month, during the Lunch and Learn presentation. We are reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Ms. Miller is our speaker at the Lunch & Learn this month. We welcome everyone to join us.

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Connections: Spotlight on Joanna Brumfiel Joanna Brumfiel, Gold Life Master! This is one of the pinnacles in the life of a bridge player and Joanna has certainly merited it. She was born Joanna Finley in Chesterfield, Indiana (population 2,000), the fifth of six children. The family soon moved to the big city, Daleville, Indiana, (population 10,000). Like all the members of her family Joanna attended Ball State University. There she met Charles Brumfiel who roomed with her brother. Said brother told Charles that Joanna was not bright enough to go college—she ought to have stayed home and raised chickens(!) This is yet another example of brothers who badly underestimate their sisters.

Joanna and Charles married after her sophomore year and Charles taught in Muncie, Indiana. He decided to go to the University of Chicago to get a PhD. in mathematics because his love of teaching headed him to an academic career. He taught at Ball State and then at Purdue. The family had grown to four as Greg and Vince were born. In West Lafayette, Joanna developed her skill at bridge. She and Charles founded the duplicate bridge club at Purdue. They also attended many bridge tournaments in Indianapolis. There they met Easley Blackwood whom

bridge players will recognize as the inventor of the Blackwood Convention used in deciding whether or not to bid a slam. He and his wife became dear friends—like an extended family.

When his sons were teenagers, Charles Brumfiel was offered a position in the math department at the University of Michigan and so the Brumfiels made the trek to Ann Arbor to a house on Forest. Joanna worked for Youth for Understanding, an organization which arranges high school student exchanges. Her job was to find homes for these students and she and Charles set the example by inviting students to live with them. Some have become lifelong friends. While in Indianapolis, Joanna met Amelia Argersinger at a tournament. Amelia had heard that the Brumfiels were moving to Ann Arbor so she declared to Joanna “you must join the City Club!” As she was working, Joanna didn’t at once but complied after a few years.

What a boon she has been, especially to bridge players at the Club. In imitation of kindness that she had received when she was a developing bridge player, Joanna determined that she would mentor promising members. She also worked hard to recruit new members especially when a free dessert was offered for obtaining three recruits. She obtained Ellen Farr, and the three Marys: Mary Keen, Mary Barnett and Mary Kahn. This story has a sad ending—she never received the dessert. Joanna also partnered with Dorothy Kuhn with whom she went to many tournaments. She thinks of Dorothy as “my student” and Dorothy returns the favor by praising Joanna’s ability to analyze a hand.

Joanna did not spend all her time at the bridge table. She and Charles traveled widely. When Millie Empedocles lost her husband, Joanna took her and her children under her wing. Because their birthdays are close, she gave them a birthday party where each had a cake. She also gave an annual strawberry party with everything made of strawberries. Joanna has moved on from Forest Avenue. She was the first person to purchase a condo in Sloan Plaza and she now lives at Glacier Hills. She has lost none of her spunk at the bridge table and enjoys the game as ever. We all enjoy her too. Libby Birdsall, Membership Committee

Encore Musical Theatre Trip The Traveler’s Club is planning to attend the musical matinee of Plaid Tidings at the Encore Musical Theatre in Dexter on Thursday, December 20. The group will meet at the City Club at 2 p.m. and car pool to Dexter. The cost of the performance is $22. After the play several attendees will continue on to Terry B’s for dinner.

If you are planning to attend the play please contact Barb Carlisle to make your reservation (677.1438 or rcarlisle1438@comcast.net). Please inform Barb if you will be continuing on to Terry B’s or will be returning to the City Club after the performance. Reservations need to be made no later than December 17.

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Federal Reserve and Parade Company Studio Tour The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch destroys old money, sends out new bills to banks, inspects notes for counterfeit bills, and conducts extensive economic analyses. It is also home to an impressive collection of paintings by Michigan artists, a terraced garden, and one of the finest gun ranges in the State. Join us for a tour on February 13, 2013. Afterwards we'll have lunch at Traffic Jam & Snug and then head over to the Parade Company Studio to wander through a wonderland of fantasy and floats. Marvel at the world's largest collection of antique papier-mâché heads. See the costume department where parade characters come to life. Trip cost of $79 includes round-trip motor coach transportation, both tours and lunch, tip for bus driver and a little something for the City Club. We will leave the Club at 9:30 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. Please make your check payable to Cindy DeGalan and mail it to her at: 3547 W. Pineview Drive, Dexter, MI 48130 no later than January 16, 2013. (All visitors must show a government issued ID to enter the Federal Reserve Bank.)

Flea Market The Flea Market Committee wishes our members a Happy Hanukkah, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement! Your generous donations make our sale a yearly success. Happy Holidays!

Flea Market Tip of the Month: According to Kovel’s Komments you can use your nose to differentiate between sterling silver, silver plate and pewter. Sterling has almost no odor, but silver plate and pewter have a distinct odor. Practice on identified pieces to learn the different odors.

History Club Program – December 5 “A Video History of Ann Arbor Parks” will be presented and narrated by Al Gallup, and will feature Ann Arbor city parks and their development in the 1930’s. Historic footage will include building the Ann Arbor Airport in 1933, and mining, transporting, and placing "The Rock" at Washtenaw and Hill in 1932 in WPA era Ann Arbor. Al is a retired Huron High School principal and son of Eli Gallup, who was the Ann Arbor Park Superintendent for 42 years, from 1919 through early 1960’s. Eli Gallup was what would today be called a ‘tree lover’.

We will meet for dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin after dinner, or about 7 p.m. Please make your dinner reservations and join us for a very interesting program.

Winter/Spring 2013 Lunch & Learn Schedule

11:30 a.m.−1 p.m. $25 per program or $110 for all five

January 9: Susan Nenadic Author, Historian, and Educator

“Murder, Mayhem, and Mischief: Crime in 19th Century Washtenaw County”

February 13: Bridget M. McCormack

Clinical Professor of Law and Associate Dean, U-M Law School; Newly-Elected

Michigan Supreme Court Justice “Electing Justice: Evaluating Our System for Selecting Supreme Court Justices”

March 13: Eric S. Rabkin

Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Professor of English Language and Literature, and

Professor of Art and Design, U-M “Why We Never Outgrow Fairy Tales”

April 17: John Beilein

Head Coach, U-M Men’s Basketball Title TBA

May 22: Robert A. Lutz

Retired Automotive Executive Title TBA

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Girls Group – The City Club’s Charitable Group This Year Just think how you were supported and encouraged when you were growing up -- by parents, mentors, and others -- to earn good grades in school, participate in extracurricular activities, and make attending college one of your goals. What if you had had none of these aids? That is the situation facing many young girls in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.

Nine years ago, Sue Schooner founded Girls Group to help and support middle school and high school girls who have the potential to become first-generation college students. The organization provides programming to help these young women become confident, empowered, healthy, and successful individuals. Operating on a “shoe string” budget, Sue has expertly guided the organization to the present, when there are now 37 Girls Group members attending college.

Girls Group was selected last February to be the Charitable Group championed by the Ann Arbor City Club this fiscal year. On November 11, they held their annual fundraising brunch at the City Club. Approximately 200 people attended to recognize and support the achievements of Girls Group members and their families, friends and mentors. It was a wonderful affair!

As a reminder that Girls Group is still supporting them, a “care package” is sent each month to each of the 37 girls enrolled in college. Our Community Outreach Committee has decided that the City Club will provide these “care packages” one month in the spring. Instructions regarding how you can help provide the contents for these packages will be in future issues of the Beacon and other City Club publications.

As you think about giving to others this holiday season, I encourage you to go to the Girls Group website (www.girlsgroup.org) and learn more about this great organization and their impressive accomplishments. If you do decide to make a donation, please let them know you are a member of the Ann Arbor City Club. Partnering is as important to Girls Group as it is to the City Club! Susan M. Smith, President

November Happenings

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Art at the City Club Discovering Nature through Photography “These images communicate the diversity, characteristics, habitats, behavior and beauty of the plants and animals with whom we share the earth… By stopping movement, the patterns and grace of those around us are there for us to learn from, enjoy and protect.” This deeply felt artists’ statement of philosophy and purpose was in November the basis of an engaging discussion led by photographers Dick and Sue Rigterink on the ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘where’ of their captivating exhibit in our Club gallery, and was followed by an informal interactive tour. The exhibit will remain up for our viewing (and perhaps purchasing!) pleasure through December and into early January. Terri Bartholomew, Art Chair

Enjoy Dinner at the Club Before the Game! U of M Basketball has started and the team looks to be headed for another great season under Coach John Beilein. We’d like the City Club to be a part of the excitement. Start your evening off with dinner in the Pub with other basketball fans before you head to Crisler Center. The Pub is open Thursday (buffet) and Friday nights before the following games:

⋅ December 20 vs. EMU at 8:30 p.m.

⋅ January 9 vs. Nebraska at 7 p.m.

⋅ January 24 vs. Purdue at 7 p.m.

Be sure to call the Club to let them know you’re coming. GO BLUE!!

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1830 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 734.662.3279 http://annarborcityclub.org info@annarborcityclub.org

Upcoming Events Calendar December 2012

Saturday 1 Arts & Crafts Festival 9 a.m.−4 p.m. Greens Sale 9 a.m.−4 p.m.

Tuesday 4 Lunch & Learn: Madeline Miller 11:30 a.m. “Re-discovering Homer”

Friday 7 First Friday Happy Hour 4−6 p.m. Tuesday 11 Past Presidents’ Luncheon 11:30 a.m. Wednesday 12 Holiday Dinner 6 p.m. Friday 14 Holiday Wine Pairing Dinner 6 p.m. Tuesday 18 Holiday Luncheon 11 a.m.−1:30 p.m. Friday 21 No Dinner Service Mon. & Tues. 24/25 Club Closed (Christmas) Weds.−Fri. 26−28 Club Open 12 Noon−5 p.m. / Kitchen Closed Monday 31 Club Closed January 2013 Tuesday 1 Club Closed (New Year’s Day)

Friday 4 First Friday Happy Hour 4−6 p.m. Downton Abbey Dinner Party 5−8 p.m.

Wednesday 9

Lunch & Learn: Susan Nenadic 11:30 a.m. “Murder, Mayhem, and Mischief: Crime in 19th Century Washtenaw County” Winter/Spring Open House 4−6 p.m.

Friday 18 Luncheon with Betty Crocker 11 a.m.−1:30 p.m. Thursday 24 Travelogue: New Zealand 6 p.m. Dinner

The Beacon President: Susan M. Smith Editor: Katherine Peery

Photograph by Karl R. Josker Rawley Point, Lake Michigan

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