Ringwood Woman's Club

Organized in June 1975

Federated in November 1975

Flower:  Tiger Lily

Colors:  Green and Yellow

HISTORY 

Since our inception in 1975, we have had a plethora of projects.   Our first big undertaking as a club was Borough of Ringwood’s official Bicentennial Costume Ball.  The ball was a tremendous success, attended by over 1,000 people.  It was held at Skylands Manor on July 3, 1975.   

The Ringwood Woman’s Club has marched in many Ringwood Festival Day parades and sponsored a booth at the festival.

Ringwood has two historical manor houses, which the club supported.  The club helped to refurbish Ringwood Manor by painting and redecorating the gift shop.  At another time, we had a Victorian Spring event to help raise funds for the Manor.  Skylands Manor and the Botanical Gardens benefited from a fashion show of Victorian fashions.

Several other past projects include helping hand, STAR program, a club cookbook and sponsoring Earth Day activities with the local schools.

In the ensuing years, the club has instituted many ongoing projects.  We have built a Santa’s House, which is brought to the town center each Christmas season.  Santa flies in by helicopter and the children are given the chance to have a picture taken with Santa.  We involve the local merchants.  Another favorite project is our club tablecloth, on which each member’s name is embroidered.  It is displayed at our annual President’s tea and Membership teas.

We currently have several working departments.  The Conservation Department established and sponsors Caring for Ringwood.  This  project beautifies our town in conjunction with Ringwood’s Recycling Department.  The entire community is invited to participate in this annual project each May.  We also plant flowers in the barrels at the local shopping centers and at the park & ride each spring and decorate them each Christmas.  We continue to maintain the roadside triangle in front of St. Catherine's with the helping of CLC Landscaping staff.  Other organizations are encouraged to adopt a particular area in town with the help and sponsorship of a local landscaping business. 

Our Education Department gives college scholarships to three female Ringwood college-bound seniors.  We have also given a scholarship to a mature woman returning to school.  Our members also sponsor students to the Girls’ Career Institute (GCI) and Hugh O’Brien Youth Program (HOBY), and give money for 2 savings bonds for eighth grade graduation awards.

For many years, a Christmas Around the World party was held by the International Affairs Department to fund projects such as Pencils for Bosnia and smile dolls for children coming to the United States for serious operations.  Home Life & Social Services is another very active department.  We sponsor a foster child in Mississippi, support the Center for Food Action and Strengthen Our Sisters, donate food baskets each Thanksgiving, and have visited local centers for parties and Bingo.  Our members remember over 40 Secret Pals at the North Jersey Developmental Center each year.   

Over the years, we have had various fundraisers, but for over twenty years our main fundraiser has been our Fashion Show, Brunch and Gift Auction.  It has been wildly successful and enables us to give numerous donations each year.  Just a few of these are: annual donations to the special state project, our 3 local fire departments, and ambulance corp.  Underwater dive rescue suits, bullet proof vests for our police, a Jaws of Life, a defibrillator and a digital camera for the local high school, Baby Think About It computerized dolls.   

The Ringwood Public Library is near and dear to our hearts.  Our community was in need of a new library for many years and the Woman’s Club worked to make it happen.  Starting with their first donation to the building fund to hire an architect in 1979, we continued to support the effort to build a library until it became a reality in 2000.  It is now our home which we continue to support very generously with donations of new computers, items from their "wish list," cash donations and most recently a plasma tv near the circulation desk. 

As The Ringwood Woman’s Club celebrates its 34th year as a federated club, we are proud to be members of a vital group such as the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs. 

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