Sheila Climer, one of the original organizers, said the membership is 19, and 16 were able to attend this year.
“We had a ball!” she said.
The original hostess was Gail Banks, who added Climer and then Caroline Bone as hostesses. When Banks moved away in 1994, she passed the torch to Nancy Bonk.
The three hostesses always supply the refreshments, whether it’s hors d’oeuvres or a sit-down meal, and decorations match the theme of that year’s event.
The group say they enjoy creating something different every holiday, sometimes having a relaxing event and other times creating a fancy festival with violinists, caroling and more. Their themes have also included Winter Wonderland, Nifty ’50s, Come in your Jammies, and even Twas the Night Before Christmas, when they all dressed up in costumes related to the poem … even including one who came as a bed, complete with a kids’ scattering of clothing and sugar plums.
“All the girls have just great personalities,” Climer said. “This has always just been the highlight of their year, plus the highlight of our year.”
They decided on a “no fudge” rule after the first year, when it was virtually the only dessert brought, Climer said, chuckling.
They have made recipe books, aired an occasional video of past candy swaps, played games, had fashion shows, and talked about their fun together.
“We just don’t ever want it to get stale or boring,” Climer said.
