Come Together: Woman's Club, Junior Women Merge

Picture this: you're a mom and you've just moved into the wondrous village of Ridgewood. You want to become involved in the community and see two of the most prominent civic groups in town–The Junior Woman's Club of Ridgewood and the Woman's Club of Ridgewood–are looking for women just like you.

But which group do you join? Are you too senior to be a Junior? Are you not senior enough to be a Senior?

After Wednesday's announcement at the clubhouse, that dilemma no longer exists – the two groups have consolidated membership and operations into one unit, the Woman's Club of Ridgewood.

You may not know that the Junior Woman's Club has always been a part of the Woman's Club of Ridgewood, but Wednesday's conference at the clubhouse made it really official.

"From now on, we are The Woman's Club of Ridgewood. No Juniors and no Seniors; we're all one. And actually, we have been all one league because the juniors are a department [of the Woman's Club] so they were always a part of us even though they acted separately," said Ruth Thome, departing president of the Seniors.

"I have a whole lot of emotions going into this next year," Andrea Falco said upon receiving the president's pin given to her by Thorne, who teared up and was given a standing ovation for her years of service to the Senior ladies and community.

Falco said the combined Woman's Club will be stronger than two split groups, though she cautioned the year ahead will be a challenge.

"We'll all rise to the challenge in our own way with patience and understanding – 2011 and 2012 are going to be a year of learning." There may be some bumps and bruises along the way, she said, "but my expectation will be to come out of the other end standing tall."

Falco said that the two groups, still connected but largely autonomous, have been discussing this formation for years, but the benefits became more clear when Thorne was ready to step down after three years at the Senior helm but could not find any Senior members to step up to the plate.

"It's been hard over the past two years," said Theresa Gregorio, the treasurer of the combined club who was a Junior member.

With economic struggles, families are shoring up their own home bases when volunteering is needed most, Gregorio said. "This is a great opportunity to reinvigorate efforts," she said.

While the Juniors bring energy and enthusiasm, the Seniors bring a wealth of community knowledge. "They can help see a need that may not be obvious," Gregorio said, calling the merger "wonderful and empowering" and noting that it will allow the federated club to improve its impact on the community.

Membership at the Senior's club–formed over a century ago by five women who eventually bought the property–had been well over a thousand strong over the years. But recent figures put membership at fewer than 150.

Numbers have certainly been bolstered with the merger, and various club members said membership has been improving in recent months. The charitable output, however, will not be necessarily be consolidated. Both groups will continue to run fundraisers, now with input from all members.

"It's a wonderful thing," said Neilla Perry, who serves as the liaison to the village government and is the club's recording secretary. "We will continue to hold the Beefsteak dinner which makes a lot of money and the Juniors have their big charity event, the house tour."

Whether you're 18 years old or 88 years young, you can "do something charitable and something great" at the rejuvenated Woman's Club of Ridgewood, Falco said.

The Club has its Spring Luncheon on May 26 and the historic and beautiful facility is open for rent as well, Falco said.