Outdoor supper highlights Welcome Club’s summer
By Denise Stewart
Summer weather, warm friends and outdoor dining on delicious food highlighted the July calendar for the Welcome Club. Instead of a regular monthly indoor meeting, more than 50 members gathered at Filippi’s restaurant’s patio tables to enjoy an Italian feast and to share the fun of winning gifts and prizes.
This annual Summer Supper evening festivity has been part of the club’s calendar for decades and it continues to be a favorite opportunity for members to gather and share the pleasure of living in Scripps Ranch among friendly neighbors. This year Past-President Bev Macho organized the red, white and blue decor event, and Lynnell Hallock, once again, adorned the tables with floral pieces. This year they were commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary.
Another event that drew the interest and participation of a large group of club members was a tour of the newly updated Mormon Temple in University City. The temple is an architectural landmark as well as a spiritual center of our city. Since Mormon temples are not often open to those who are not church members and attending a special event there, the tour was an opportunity to learn more about the Mormon religion and its ceremonial traditions that take place inside its notable edifice.
Another summer version of a year-round Welcome Club monthly event was a Morning Coffee at Karen Reilly’s home and garden. The ladies gathered to enjoy the tasty brunch dishes prepared by Karen and her team of co-hostesses. While savoring the flavors, they also enjoyed her lovely garden with contemporary style foliage.
Quarterly, a group of members take a morning Walk off the Ranch. They did a tour of La Jolla Cove this spring and their leader, Janet Weigel, selected Balboa Park as their summer event. A relaxed tour of the outdoor botanical features of San Diego’s landmark and visiting some of the elaborate museums made for an enlightening experience. It was so delightful that afterwards the participants had to toast it at one of the park’s gourmet restaurants.
Weekend potluck gatherings are another summer celebration of the Welcome Club. Known as a TGI, the July evening potluck event at Barbara and Michael Measelle’s backyard this month was another feast with friends. Their putting green added a unique bit of fun to the evening.
Coming up in August, a Morning Coffee, a TGI, and a gathering to hear Fleetwood Max at the SR Theatre will entertain the club. The smaller interest groups of game and card players, book readers and craft makers will meet regularly throughout the month.
The club’s regular monthly meeting is at the Community Center at 7 in the evening on the second Monday of the month. This month, the feat-ured speaker was a spokesperson from the Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center in Poway. Program chair Sylvia Parsons and Gadabouts chair Pam Savelsberg are collaborating with the speaker to conduct a follow-up tour of the museum in the fall.
For more than 40 years, the Welcome Club has been a social magnet for residents who enjoy good times with their neighbors. If you bought here in the first housing unit of the late sixties or just moved into your new home last week, the Welcome Club of Scripps Ranch is a comfortable haven to grow friendships and enjoy good times. Find out more about it on the website: scrippsranchwelcomeclub.com. Or come to the next meeting on Aug. 10. We will be glad to meet you.