The first meeting of 2013 of the Women’s Association Board will be on Monday, July 1st.  This is a change from the date listed in the calendar – Wednesday, June 26th.  Exact time and location on July 1st to be announced soon. We are looking forward to a great 2013 season!

2012 was a milestone year for the CSA Women’s Association. New bylaws were adopted at the August meeting to reflect a more modern, membership-driven organization.  In the fall of 2011, an ad hoc committee was empowered by the Board to study and revamp the bylaws.  At issue was the leadership model, which no longer appeared to be working as the demographics, demands and time at the CSA had changed for the majority of our members (all women who are eligible to purchase privilege tickets are automatically Women’s Association members).   The new governance model created a five-person leadership team with two-year terms: two co-chairs of the Arts and Crafts Fair, a Treasurer, a Secretary and a Communications Chair.  There will no longer be a President or Vice President. The text of the new bylaws appears at the end of this page.

We thanked Deb Cename for her outstanding five-year term as Women’s Association President and for her help with this transition, and voted in our new leadership team.  Congratulations to Jane Karraker and Debbie Albright for chairing this year’s successful Arts and Crafts Fair, and thank you for agreeing to continue on the new leadership team as Arts and Crafts Fair co-chairs.  Jan Petty Lauerman is continuing as Treasurer, Judy Furber is the Secretary and Beth Congbalay is the Communications Chair.  Thank you to our retired board members Merry Elrick, Ellen Hersher, Beth Kloskowski, Sandra O’Neal and Susan Teatak, all of whom put a lot of time and thought into ensuring the future of the Women’s Association.

Board members for 2010-2013 include: Beth Madden, Marilyn Schmid, Nancy Reid, Jean Ann Wolfe and Kathy Way.  Board members for 2011-2014 include: Mary Lou Stanton, Beth Congbalay, Jane Karraker, Marjorie Pearsall-Groenwalk and Lou Rollinson.  And our newest Board members for 2012-2015 are: Ginny Knutsen, Beverly Cheng-O’Neal, Carol Edmonds, Karen Williams and Barbara Cooper.

As we move forward to 2013, several changes will be in effect.  As Board members retire, they will be replaced by two new members per year, rather than five.   Along with the Leadership Team, there will eventually be a total of 11 Board members rather than the current 19.

The entire Women’s Association Board will help with our annual Arts and Crafts Fair, to be held on July 24th, 2013.  The latest application for Arts and Crafts Fair vendors is available on this link  2013 CSA Arts & Crafts Fair Application.  The profits from this event will continue to fund items and programs that benefit women and children at the Assembly. But the Women’s Association will transfer the execution of certain programs to individuals or other committees including Lemonade Sundays, Outdoor Movies, Authors & Artisans Fair, Potluck Dinners and Art Workshops.  If CSA members would like to add new programs, they should absolutely contact the Women’s Association to be considered for funding. Click here for the Funding Application CSA Funding Application 2012-13

Beginning in the summer of 2013 there will be one annual meeting of the Women’s Association.  In the past a meeting was held in both July and August.  The Board will try to vary which month it is held in for the future to allow as many members as possible to attend.

Programs that the Women’s Association helped fund this past summer included activities of the Youth Program, Ecology Program, Art Workshops, Family Potluck Dinners, and Arts and Crafts Classes. Special purchases included new landscaping around the Assembly Building, two long tables for the Community Room, a new sign for the Woods Courts, and funds to help purchase a new copy machine for the Assembly Office.

There were charitable contributions approved for: the CSA Education Scholarship Fund, Crystal Lake Watershed Association (for swimmer’s itch prevention), Benzie Area Zonta Scholarship Fund, Benzie County Council on Aging, Family Independence, Grow Benzie, the Paul Oliver Hospital Women’s Health Program and Community Spirit Food Source.

After the summer of 2013 we will begin working on a new CSA Directory.  The information listed in this directory will be gathered from the records in the Assembly Office, so please check over your information when you register.  You can contact the office with changes if you are unable to be there in person.

The Women’s Association looks forward to another fantastic summer full of fellowship, enrichment and contributions to our CSA community.

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION BYLAWS

The CSA will host its 34rd annual Arts and Crafts Fair from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at the Assembly Ball Field, M-22 at Crystal Lake.

More than 100 artists participate from all over Michigan and beyond.  Fair goers will find jewelry of all kinds, decorative art, pottery, oil paintings, watercolors, fine photography, wooden art, children’s delights, doll clothes, books, herbal soaps, baskets, wearable art, and much, much, more. 

   A food tent will offer breakfast and lunch, such as donuts, hot dogs, pizza, snacks and beverages.  A bake sale will offer an array of homemade goodies.  The Cottage Treasure sale will take place inside the CSA assembly building from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  A cottage treasure presale will be held for CSA MEMBERS ONLY from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24^th. 

   The CSA Arts and Crafts Fair is sponsored by the CSA Woman’s Association to raise funds to support local charities and projects to enhance the CSA.

   To find out how to become a vendor, contact Nancy Reid at nancyreid362@gmail.com or 231-399-0150.  For additional information about the fair, contact Susan Teteak at tsteteak@charter.net

CONGREGATIONAL SUMMER ASSEMBLY WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR EVENTS; MAKE NEW FRIENDS;

SEE OLD FRIENDS; VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME; HAVE FUN!!!!

Everyone is invited to participate in our events this summer:

July 5 Coffee and Speaker on the topic of Grow Benzie

July 8 Outdoor Movie

July 13 Art Workshops

July 17 Lemonade Sunday

July 20 Art Workshops

July 21 Potluck Dinner

July 27 Arts and Crafts Fair

August 3 Art Workshops

August 7 Lemonade Sunday

August 9 Coffee and Speaker on the topic of Wind Energy

August 10 Authors and Artisans Sale

Watch the Board for details… or check www.summerassembly.org

Volunteer to help at July 27^th Arts & Crafts Fair & Cottage Treasures Sale

The Women’s Association will hold its major annual fund raising event on July 27th. Sign-up sheets for volunteers to help that day in a variety of roles will be posted on the outside wall of the Assembly Building.

Funds from this event support a variety of CSA needs. In 2010, we purchased:

• Industrial fans for the community room and ceiling fans for the lounge;
• A picnic table and two 8 foot tables;
• Two new swings for the playground;
• Book replacements for the Archive & support for Ecology Interns.

The Women’s Association also made donations to the following area charities: – CSA Education Fund - Benzie County Comm. On Aging

- Benzie Area Zonta Club - Family Independence Agency

- Women’s Health Care Services PO Memorial Foundation

- Women’s Resource Center

All CSA members, visitors and guests are welcome at Women’s Association functions. Come to one of our coffees.

The CSA will host its 33rd annual Arts and Crafts Fair from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at the Assembly Ball Field, M-22 at Crystal Lake.

More than 100 artists participate from all over Michigan and beyond.  Fair goers will find jewelry of all kinds, decorative art, pottery, oil paintings, watercolors, fine photography, wooden art, children’s delights, doll clothes, books, herbal soaps, baskets, wearable art, and much, much, more.

A food tent will offer breakfast and lunch, such as donuts, hot dogs, pizza, snacks and beverages.  A bake sale will offer an array of homemade goodies.  The Cottage Treasure sale will take place inside the CSA assembly building from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  A cottage treasure presale will be held for CSA MEMBERS ONLY from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26^th.

The CSA Arts and Crafts Fair is sponsored by the CSA Woman’s Association to raise funds to support local charities and projects to enhance the CSA.

To find out how to become a vendor, contact Beth Wolszon at bethwol@sbcglobal.net or 312-939-6271.  For additional information about the fair, contact Susan Teteak at tsteteak@charter.net

Deb Cenname has been selected to lead the CSA Women’s Association, as Diane Young-Spitzer “retires” from office.

Deb is a long-time CSAer. Her children, Will Daugs and Kit Baker, are the fourth generation of her family coming to the CSA. Her parents bought their first cottage in 1947, on Standish Road. Deb and her husband Lou decided to retire here full time four years ago. They love living year round in Michigan. We all know Lou from the CSA office. Deb keeps busy working at Betsie Hosick Health and Fitness Center and being a CSA Trustee… and now, CSA President. We look forward to Deb’s many contributions.

We are sad to see Diane Young-Spitzer move on to other interests, but she deserves some extra summer time with her family after years of service to the CSA Women’s Association. Diane provided the energy and leadership to maintain many of the Women’s Association’s traditions, while also leading us in new directions.

Diane is an environmentalist who not only promoted “green” efforts within the Women’s Association, but encouraged them throughout the CSA. She also championed the development of the CSA Web site via a Women’s Association donation, involvement with the Web site committee, and by staying at the forefront of providing Women’s Association content on the site. We thank her for those contributions, and many more.

Stay tuned for more information on the many Women’s Association activities for 2009!

Women’s Association of the CSA
Winter Board Meeting Report
November 10, 2007

We hope that the CSA community enjoyed another active and successful summer of events sponsored by the Women’s Association. Read all about our 2007 season!

July Coffee Speaker: Elizabeth Laidlaw, founder and Creative Director of Lakeside Shakespeare Players was animated and entertaining.  Babysitting was provided during both July and August Coffees.

August Coffee Speaker: Hans Voss, Executive Director of Michigan Land Use Institute inspired great interest in the MLUI’s “smart growth” efforts.

July Family Night Dinner: We tried something new this year: our first almost green menu was very successful (even made a small profit). CSA’ers embraced our efforts to champion local farmers by serving natural turkeys and locally made products. Many Assembly members cooperated by providing fruit and green salads and side dishes made from locally grown produce.  We served pies that were baked locally, created name tags from recycled paper and encouraged folks to bring recyclable dishware and utensils.
Our motto: “Think globally and act locally.”

Adult Workshops: A fun time was had by all at our digital photography, flower arranging, Ukrainian egg decorating and book talk/reviews workshops.

Arts and Crafts Fair: booths sold out; continuing our green efforts, we served buffalo bratwursts in addition to turkey hot dogs at the Food Booth.

Artist-in-Residence: Nora Venturelli, landscape and figurative painter from Argentina, now residing in Ann Arbor. Conducted 3 adult workshops, 1 children’s workshop and one lecture/slide talk.

2007 CSA Directory: sold all 250 copies. Many thanks to Laurie Burns, Judy Furber, Lou Cenname and Saskia von Wolferen for pulling the data together and editing the directory.

Lemonade Sunday: drinks and cookies were all gone both in July and August.
Women’s Association continued:

Book Talk: with Laura Shapiro (Julia Child) followed by reception of Julia- inspired appetizers was very well attended.

CSA Authors and Artisans Sale: was well attended by both artists and buyers.

Donations: The Women’s Association also donated to several local charities including Lakeside Shakespeare and the Michigan Land Use Institute.

Assembly Purchases: We purchased several items for the Assembly including:

1. Hand-held microphone for use at Assembly Building events.
2. Cover and wheel base for Steinway piano in Meeting House
3. Replacement ping pong table
4. New equipment at Crystal View Café, including popcorn popper and    smoothie blenders.
5. CSA website domain name.

We are also coordinating with the Pilgrim Fund on the purchase of wheelchairs.

2008 Season: We look forward to another busy season in 2008. In addition to expanding the artist-in-residence program, we will be sponsoring two outdoor movie nights and a square dance with live caller.  So get ready to swing your partner…

Respectfully submitted by the
Women’s Association of the CSA:

Diane Young-Spitzer, President
Debbie Cenname, Vice President
Jan Lauerman, Treasurer
Darcy Howe, Assistant Treasurer
Julie Walton, Secretary
Jan Wynne, Assistant Secretary
Debbie Burditt, Mary Gosnell, Molly Harrison, Mary Hays, Jane Taylor, Linda Campbell, Judy Furber, Carole Jones, Debbie Kearns, Gail Pollina, Welcome to our new 2007-2010 board members: Beth Wolszon, Sarah Menchaca, Eva Rosenthal, Marcia Dennison and Judy Norris

Retiring Members: Many thanks to our retired 2004-2007 board members: Laurie Burns, Sarah Larson, Laura Millar, Patrice Spitzer and Darcy Howe