The Boca Raton Branch of The National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) has a busy season ahead. The League’s Membership Tea will take place on Thursday, October 18th at the TeaLicious Tea Room in Delray Beach; The Student League Membership Committee will host a Discussion Group on Saturday, November 10th at the Glades Road Branch of the Palm Beach County Public Library; and on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013, the League will host an Art, Book, and Music Fair at the South Civic Center on Jog Road in Delray Beach.
The National League of American Pen Women was founded in 1897 by Washington D.C./Boston journalist Marian Longfellow O’Donoghue. She invited fellow journalists Margaret Sullivan Burke and Anna Sanborn Hamilton to join her in establishing a “progressive press union” for the female writers of Washington. Those three women, often referred to as ‘The Dauntless Three’, eventually brought together seventeen women: writers, novelists, newspaper women, a teacher, a poet and an artist. They hoped that these “active pen women” would find in the group, “mutual aid, advice, and future development” for each other and their careers (a quote from the League Minutes of 26 June 1897). Professional credentials were required for membership and the group determined that Pen Women should always be paid for their work. Artists and composers were welcomed by their literary sisters, and by September of 1898, the League boasted over fifty members “from Maine to Texas, from New York to California.” Current honorary members include Jan McArt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Julie Harris, and Edna Hibel.
The 37 year old Boca Raton Branch (www.bocapenwomen.org) of the League is largest in Florida, and one of the largest in the nation.
Pen Women authors Mimi Paris & Carol White
Membership Tea: Anyone is welcome to attend the League’s annual membership tea, to be held at the TeaLicous Tea Room in Delray Beach on October 18th. Memberships (as a professional or as a patron) will be available at the event, as well as information about the League, its members, its projects, its upcoming meetings, and its history.
Student League Membership Committee: The Boca Raton Branch of the NLAPW, in conjunction with the League’s national organization, has launched a Student League membership level as a way to open the organization to qualified young women. The objective is to recruit college women in letters, art, composition, and music (and high school women taking courses in the arts on a college campus) to the organization, in order to offer them mentorship and support in their chosen fields. The discussion group, which will meet on Saturday, November 10th at the Glades Road Branch of the Palm Beach Public Library, is open to the public.
Mimi Paris & Carol White with potential Pen Women member Renu Ravi
Art/Book/Music Fair : On Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 11:00am to 4:00pm the National League of American Pen Women will host an Art/Book/Music Fair, showcasing the work of their members, as well as other local artists and creatives. There will be 40 vendors, with original books, paintings, photography, crafts, CD’s, etc. This event will be held at the South Civic Center on Jog Road, and will be open to the public. Admission to the Fair is $2; students with ID will be admitted free of charge.
For more information about the Boca Raton Branch of the League of American Pen Women, visit their website at: www.bocapenwomen.org or contact Carol White at polowhite@aol.com. For information about the National organization, visit: www.nlapw.org .
Information at a Glance:
Membership Tea:
Thursday, October 18, 2012 11:30 am – 2 pm
TeaLicious Tea Room $25.00
4997-B W. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach, FL 33445
Call 561-395-6454 for reservation and lunch choices
Or email Pat Wilson at pugowl@aol.com
Meet with a professional women’s group of artists, writers and musicians. Find out how you can join or become involved.
Student League:
Discussion group open to the public:
Saturday, November 10, 2012 2-3:30pm. Glades Road Branch Library – 20701 95th Avenue South, Boca Raton, Florida 33434
Contact: Carol White at polowhite@aol.com
Art/Book/Music/Fair:
South Civic Center
February 2, 2013, 10 pm – 4 pm
16700 Jog Road
Delray Beach, Florida 33446
FOR DIRECTIONS: (561) 495-9813
Contact: M. Twitty Phone: 561-558-3536 or email: butler@bellsouth.
To Participate: Non-refundable fee: $50.00 for each table. (All Table Fees will go toward a scholarship fund for college women in the arts.) Non-refundable fee must accompany application. DEADLINE postmark for applications is Saturday, December 1, 2012.
Email for application: butler7@bellsouth.net
Carol Kassie 