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1) KC Club Donation to St. Mary’s
The KC Club is donating $1,500 to St. Mary’s this year. Past donations were always in the $250 range, but the club donated $500 in 2006, $1,000 in 2007 and $1,500 in 2008. Excellent progress! Way to go all!

The money will go toward the scholarship for a KC gal attending SMC next year. This year’s recipient was so grateful for the extra funds; it made a difference to her and her family. Thanks to all who paid dues in 2008. Dues information is below (see #3) for 2009.

2) Club Meeting to Kick Off 2009
Do you want to be more involved in club activities? Do you wish there were more activities? Do you want to be on a fun committee, with fun ladies? Do you want to support the club even more? If you answered “Yes!” or even “sort of” to any of the questions, come to the 2009 Kick Off meeting.
Date:             January 14, 2009
Time:             6pm to 7pm
Place:            Starbucks (119th & Glenwood;( http://www.starbucks.com/Retail/Find/storedetails.aspx?sid=1619&coords=66212|38.95127713212245|-94.7001805|11&fs=1 )

We’ll talk about a new idea for 2009—an auction event! It’s so exciting! We’ll also plan a community activity, discuss recruiting, and plan the event calendar for the year.

All are welcome to attend. Volunteer a little or a lot, we’ll take any time you got! (Okay, bad rhyme. I did learn grammar at SMC. J)

3) 2009 Club Dues
It’s time to collect dues for the new year. Dues pay for the scholarship, along with other club expenses such as mailing the care packages, gifts for seniors, and club mailings. Please visit the link for more information and payment options: http://www.kellytylertrainingservices.com/SMCclubDues.html  

4) SMC group on LinkedIn
If you have an account on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and would like to link with other SMC alumnae and friends, you can join the alumni group. Here is the link to the St. Mary’s group:   http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=99604

If you need contacts or vendors, this will be a great way to find a SMC’er who could help you. Spread the word to fellow alums!

5) Annual Christmas Party
The Club Christmas party was held at The Melting Pot December 7th. A dozen or so club members gathered to celebrate Christmas and catch up. We were thrilled to meet Christine Arzt-McGee '00, and her husband, Dennis, who are new to the area. Fondu was fun and tasty—and no one caught fire!

6) Finals Care Packages Sent
Each current KC St. Mary’s student (we have 6!) received her Finals Care Package last week. Thank you to all who donated to the care packages at the Christmas party. Here is an email for the Club from one of our students:

Dear Kansas City Alumnae Club,

Thank you so much for the finals care package you sent.  It really means a lot. I received it right before my Organic Chemistry final, and it put a smile on my face... something I thought was impossible at the time.  I am so lucky to have

your support through all of this studying.  Thanks again!

God Bless and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Tara

7) Local SMC’er in the News!
One of our newest members, Sarah Varley, moved to KC in the summer. She’s rejuvenating the theater department at Van Horn High School, and The Kansas City Star published an article about her in December. Congratulations, Sarah! If you need more stuff, let us know!

Theater returns to Van Horn

By BRIAN BURNES

The Kansas City Star

Which one of these doesn’t belong in this group?
• A Neil Simon comedy.
• A Manhattan brownstone.
• Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.
• Van Horn High School in northwestern Independence.

Gotcha: It’s a trick question. Because this past weekend, all of the above fit together quite nicely.

That’s when Van Horn presented “Barefoot in the Park,” the Simon play about newlyweds living in a New York walk-up apartment, a story made familiar to many by the 1967 film starring Redford and Fonda.

It was the first theatrical production at the school since the early 1990s, staff members said, and the latest example of a rebirth of the extended Van Horn family.

In November 2007, voters authorized the transfer of jurisdiction of Van Horn and six other schools in Independence and Sugar Creek from the Kansas City School District to the neighboring Independence district. Last July, an estimated 2,500 volunteers took park in the “Extreme School Makeover,” helping spruce up the schools before the start of the school year. Some of those were Van Horn alums who reported to their old school.

Some alums also formed a Van Horn Booster Club. In October, they also helped organize the first Van Horn homecoming parade held in years.

Sarah Varley, drama instructor at Van Horn, saw opportunity. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start a program,” said Varley, a 2005 graduate of St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind.

There were challenges, she added. “An established theater department would have a stock of furniture and props, but they had nothing,” she said. “No costumes, no tools to build anything with. It was pretty much starting from scratch.”

But that, Varley said, was what was memorable about it.

“Parents have come in and given me stuff,” she said. “I now have acquired four or five sofas. I’ve had parents who have loaned us tools.”
Other faculty members have volunteered their time, said Varley. And the student body responded. About 20 tried out for the play; six were cast. The bulk of those who didn’t make the cast worked in technical roles, Varley said. “At any other school, I might not make that much of a difference,” she said. “Here, it’s different. Everybody is making a difference.”

About 600 students are now enrolled at Van Horn, said John Ihm, the school’s activities director. “I can’t really speak about what went on before,” Ihm said. “I just know that the kids we have here feel appreciated.”

Varley also plans a spring musical. The production: “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

Anyone with a supply of yellow sweaters with black horizontal zig-zag patterns should report to the northeast corner of Winner and Truman roads.

Past Fun!

The SMC Women's Choir Visit

The Women's Choir visited KC in March—and what a choir they are! If you ever get a chance to hear them, take it. It was beautiful. The choir has won national awards, and it was easy to see why. Thanks to Sarah Sullivan Bigelow for arranging the hospitality—and thanks to so many of you for hosting. Dena O’Campo hosted a dinner for all 82 of the visitors as well. The generosity of all the hosts was so appreciated by Dr. Menk and all the girls. (Click on images to see larger versions.)