New in town? New in town? (January 10, 2003)

Get to know Pleasanton through the Newcomers Club
by Sharael Feist

Anna Leonard, 37, has only lived in Pleasanton for about three months. So where does she turn when she needs to find out what restaurants to eat at, what churches are in the area or where to take her dry-cleaning?

Luckily for Leonard, the woman who lived in her house before her was on a mailing list for the Pleasanton Newcomers Club. Since finding out about the club, Leonard has plenty of people to turn to for advice about the area.

"It's nice to have met a group of people who have knowledge of every aspect of the town," said Leonard. "When you're new to an area it can take a while to figure these things out. The Newcomers Club speeds along the process."

Recommendations to various businesses are not all that Leonard has gotten out of the club. She's also made some friends.

"I've probably moved 15 times in the last 10 years," Leonard said. "It's nice to have a unique group of people that help you get connected. I really enjoy the warmth and friendship the Newcomers Club has to offer. They are very outreaching to strangers."

The Pleasanton Newcomers Club is not a "Welcome Wagon," meaning its members won't knock on your door with homemade cookies and maps of the area. But they will welcome you with open arms at one of their social events.

For a $25 annual fee per family, the club offers monthly coffees, luncheons featuring guest speakers, various interest groups, family picnics, day trips and much more. Upon joining, members get a packet filled with a newsletter that lists upcoming activities, a roster of members, and information about the club. While the group consists mostly of women, there are some family and couple activities as well.

"The Pleasanton Newcomers Club is a social club intended to welcome newcomers to Pleasanton and help them become familiar with the area," said Jeannie Lamson, the current club president. "We've all been there."

The club used to be open to residents that lived in Pleasanton for less than three years, but now it's open to anyone. This new policy accommodates changes that residents might go through, such as switching from being a career woman to a stay-at-home mom.

The club, which currently has 149 members, was established in 1968 by Dee Slosek. While doing the 1967 census in Pleasanton, Slosek encountered many residents who had questions about the area. She decided to take the names and numbers of people who expressed an interest in meeting other residents and get them together for card games, walks or other activities.

Eventually, the group grew too big and it became difficult to hold events in people's homes, so the original group of ladies broke off and started the Encores, a 50-member group consisting mostly of women with grown children.

It seems as though a lot of families find themselves relocating to Pleasanton due to the husband's job. Men usually meet new people through work. Women with young children join a mother's club to make new friends. But housewives or women with older children might not have the opportunity to make new acquaintances.

Helen Brown, a member of the Newcomers Club for over a year, said, "It was the start of a new social life that I thought was gone forever."

Originally from England, Brown has made many friendships through the Newcomers Club.

"The club reaches people who might be stuck at home and lonely," Brown said. "It can make a very big difference in someone's life. My life would have been very different without it. I'm a lot happier."

Brown's husband, Martin, who attends game nights, agrees.

"My job keeps me very occupied," he said. "The club helped my wife settle. It's been a good opportunity for us to meet people and socialize."

Whether you're a housewife, a couple or a family, the Pleasanton Newcomers Club is bound to have an activity to get you out of the house and making friends in no time.

On Jan. 31, the Newcomers Club will hold a "TGIF" social at 7:30 p.m. at a member's home (location to be announced). Guests are encouraged to bring a bottle of wine or appetizer to share.

As for regularly scheduled monthly events, there is a coffee social the first Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. at a member's home. On the second Wednesday of the month there is a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at varying restaurants in Pleasanton.

For more information about the Pleasanton Newcomers Club, contact Helen Brown at 417-5961 or visit its Web site, which is scheduled to be up by the end of the month, at http://www.pleasantonnewcomers.com.