Alums took to the trails together at Joaquin Miller Park.

Dear fellow alums,

Oh, how time flies! It wasn’t too long ago when we welcomed the new year and here we are, nearly mid-way through the calendar year and the final months of our Club’s fiscal year. Speaking of the end of the fiscal year, now is a great time to pay your dues for the 2022-2023 year or even become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! All dues payments and donations are tax-deductible and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat.

The Club had an eventful April. Kudos to Mary Dea Beall ’64 who hosted an open house for the incoming Class of 2027 and their families. It was great to see the lively banter between alumni and admitted students! Thank you to everyone, including NorCal board members Eleanor Chang ’78 and Hannah Groce ’07 who attended the event; your support truly helps craft the next class of Mount Holyoke students.

The NorCal book club also met and read Deena Mohamed’s Shubeik Lubeik, a graphic novel about three people who are navigating a world where wishes are literally for sale. This Sunday, book club members will attend the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley. Scroll down for more details.

And finally, we organized two hikes led by Leah Hellerstein ’08; and Katie Wynen ’05 and Kate Marshall, respectively. We enjoyed the hikes so much that we hope to plan one every month! Next up, a walk around Lafayette Reservoir. See below for more details. 

Join the Club Board

For those interested in being more involved with the Club, please consider joining our fantastic board. We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region! 

The next term begins July 1, 2023. Please peruse the board descriptions and if there are positions that spark your interest, email the current Board. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.  

We invite you to join us for our Annual Club Meeting on Saturday, June 10, from 1-3 p.m. PT. We’ll be gathering at OakStop located at 1721 Broadway, Oakland, 94612.

Until next month,

The Board

Upcoming Events:

NorCal Book Club –  On The Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

When: Sunday, May 7, 2023; 10:00 am PT
Where: Join us in person! Register via Eventbrite.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03 

We will meet and discuss the book at the home of Arly Cassidy ’03 (address provided upon registration). Afterwards, we’ll grab lunch and head to the Bay Area Book Festival at 12:30 pm to attend a panel discussion featuring Wilkerson, moderated by Jasmin Darznik, author of Song of a Captive Bird.

Here are the meeting dates and book selections through June 2023:
June 21 – The White Mosque, a memoir by Sofia Samatar
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Lafayette Reservoir Walk (& Picnic)
When: Sunday, May 28, 2023; 10:00 am
Where: 3849 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA
Cost: Free. All alumni are welcome, regardless of club affiliation
Point person: Katie Wynen ‘05 & Kate Lacy Marshall ‘81

Come frolic at the Lafayette Reservoir! Guests are welcome. We’ll circle the reservoir on the Lakeside Nature Trail, a paved, 2.7 mile loop, and be on the lookout for water birds. If you wish, stay after the walk for a BYO sack lunch, row or pedal boat rental, and/or relax on a dock. There are restrooms and water fountains.

Parking options: $7 day pass (inside the parking lot gate) or hourly meter (just outside the gate)

Note: there will only be bus service between Rockridge and Orinda BART stations this weekend. Register via Eventbrite.
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Doggy Beach Day
When: Saturday, June 17, 2023; 9:30 am
Where: Maverick’s Beach, Half Moon Bay
Cost: Free.
Point person: Diana Martinez; marti20d@gmail.com. 

Join us for a day at the beach with your pup! If your dog loves the beach and enjoys meeting new dogs and people, join us at Maverick’s Beach in Half Moon Bay. Bring water for you and your pup, and any other beach gear you may require. Register via Eventbrite.

You can find directions to the parking lot and more about the beach from this link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mavericks-beach-trail?search=true
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NorCal Book Club –  On The Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

When: Wednesday, June 21, 2023; 6:00-7:00 pm PT
Where: Join us on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03
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Brunch: Fun, Friendship & Food with our Golden Alums
When: Saturday, July 22, 2023
Where: Location will vary. Stay tuned.
Point person: Katie Wynen ‘05 & Eleanor Chang ’78

In person gatherings are back again! We are looking for a few alums to host a brunch or lunch for Golden Alums (graduating classes prior to 1990) to engage in relaxed conversations over good food and camaraderie.

Format:

– Potluck lunch/brunch at the host’s home, or

– The host selects/makes a reservation at a restaurant for the gathering (each participant pays for their own meal)

We are looking for hosts in the following locations:

-San Francisco

-East Bay

-Marin

-Sacramento/Sonoma/Napa

-Peninsula & South Bay​ (in conjunction with Peninsula Club)

Number of guests: Each host decides on the number of guests they are comfortable with for their group.​ Small groups are encouraged for personal interaction.

Please email The MHC NorCal Club by June 30, 2023 if you are interested in hosting!
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Virtual Programming from the Alum Association

The College is offering a range of virtual programming and opportunities to connect. Learn more on the AA Events page.

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Let’s Get Social!

To hear the latest about our programming in-between our monthly newsletters, we encourage you to connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media. We hope to see you at an event soon! 

• Join our Club’s Facebook Page 

• Follow us on Instagram – don’t forget to tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal

• Share resources, your virtual events, and more, directly in the Club Facebook Group

• Bookmark our Club website

• Update your contact info in the Alum Directory using these instructions

• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn

• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback 

• Learn more about and consider joining the Board