First published in the Feb. 2 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The La Cañada Thursday Club welcomed 20 new members last year and is looking forward to new club membership in 2023, with the reminder to the community that they accept new members all year round.
The club is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that promotes youth education and scholarships, assists local philanthropies, provides community service, and offers members a diverse variety of social, cultural and literary programs and events.
The Thursday Club offers luncheons, teas, bridge and mahjong groups, book clubs, contemporary interest gatherings and courtyard cocktail events. It also has a comprehensive debutante program and ball for members’ daughters and granddaughters.
“We have a debutante program. We award scholarships. We give back to our community and its environs,” said Sheri Morton, Thursday Club president. “We make long lasting friendships. We work hard. We play hard. We are unique, and we have weathered the test of time.”
For general information about the club, including membership, visit lacanadathursdayclub@gmail.com.
The club is the oldest women’s organization in LCF and was founded in 1912 by Jessie Knight, an early settler in the burgeoning community. It has a long and grand history. Morton shared a few historical tidbits: “As far back as the early 1920s, the Thursday Club has made a difference in our community by placing the first traffic signs at the corner of what was known as Michigan Avenue, now Foothill Boulevard, and School Street, now La Cañada Boulevard. Bet you didn’t know the Club was responsible for the installation of streetlights along Foothill as well?” Morton said.
The Spanish Hacienda-style clubhouse that is on Woodleigh Lane was completed in 1927 and is still the meeting place for most Thursday Club activities.
Just some the special events slated for this 2023 club year are:
• Courtyard Sale — Saturday, Feb 11
• Spring Benefit — Thursday, April 20
• Scholarship Tea — Sunday, April 30
The club’s foundation supports scholarships every year. The scholarships are awarded to students based on academic achievement, community service and potential for future success. Additionally, the Denise Greenawalt Scholarship, established to honor the memory of former member Denise Greenawalt, is awarded to a student who has met the selection requirements but has triumphed and overcome a significant obstacle, hardship or extenuating circumstances. The scholarship programs are open to residents of 91011, as well as students who attend LCF schools.
In addition to scholarships, the club supports other philanthropies such as Hillsides, a home for children. At Christmas, club members donate gifts to the clients of Hillsides. In May, the Club makes a monetary donation to the Hillsides’ Youth Moving On program. This donation supports a deserving client who has aged out of the foster system but wishes to further their education.
Hillsides is not the only philanthropy that the club supports; it also donates to and supports Journey House, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Elizabeth House.
The club encourages all interested to join.
