By TR Robertson
The oldest service club in the City of Vista recently enjoyed a holiday celebration at Shadowridge Golf Club, as their members gathered to socialize, enjoy a tasty luncheon and see an entertaining magic show, performed by Amazing Dana the Magician, www.amazingdana.com. The Vista Woman’s Club is currently celebrating 107 years of service to the Vista Community and beyond. The club began in 1916 as a current events club with an emphasis on improving the lives of people around them. Their motto was “Along the friendly way we journey together to achieve the best things for country life.” This service club has always found ways to support and enhance Vista and its residents. They organized and controlled Vista’s first Library in 1916. During WW II their clubhouse on North Santa Fe Avenue opened up as a canteen and service club to the Marines of Camp Pendleton.
During the 1960’s the club paid for the first polo shot vaccines for children and in the 1980’s they started the first recycling center for Vista. In the 1990’s they were recognized by the United Nations environmental Program for planting over 700 oak tree seedlings in the local parks in Vista. Today, the Vista Woman’s Club continues with the support of numerous non-profit organizations. Many of these groups assist with working with children, the homeless, and families in many capacities. By May of 2023 they had donated a total of $14,000 to 16 non-profit organizations including: Angel Faces, Bella Mente Academies, Boys & Girls Club of Vista, Center for the Blind, Escondido Adventist Academy, Gently Hugged, Las Valientes, Meals With Love, Moonlight Youth Theatre, New Haven Youth & Family Services, Operation HOPE-North County, Reins, Route 78 Civitan Club, Solutions for Change, and Vista Community Clinic.
This dedicated and active club also raised funds to provide scholarships for selected graduating seniors at six of the Vista high schools. The 2023 total given amounted to $12,000 to selected seniors from Guajome Park Academy, Mission Vista High School, Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista High School, Major General Raymond Murray High School and North County Trade Tech High School. All of this tremendous service has also provided for a variety of fundraisers that include monthly Raffles for Scholarships, donations collected for Penny Pines, UNICEF, March of Dimes, and Shot@Life.
Along with providing financial contributions to organizations, the club also has been involved and is currently involved in projects like donating unwrapped toys for the December Toys for Tots, in November filling packages for women in the military for the November Blue Star Mothers, in October collecting socks for Solutions for Change for October Socktober, volunteering at the October Fall Fun Festival at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, collecting cereals for Operation HOPE for the September National Day of service, co-sponsoring a May Mother’s Day Jewelry event they shared with the Boys & Girls Club of Vista and volunteering at the Alta Vista Botanical Gardens for the Earth Day Festival. The club has also collected and distributed books for elementary school libraries, supports veterans and the Women’s Resource Center. They also used funds from recycling to contribute to the pond and stream project at Alta Vista Gardens and funded the rose-covered gazebo as well as providing nature field trips for schoolchildren.
This club truly lives and serves their Mission Statement:
“Enriching lives through philanthropy and volunteer service.”
It is amazing the work and dedication this small, but powerful, club sponsors each month. Like any organization, the Vista Woman’s Club would love to add new members who want to make a difference in the Vista community. They currently have 28 members and membership is open to women and men. General meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month, September through June, at the Shadowridge Golf Club. Meetings start at 10 am. Lunch is $25, and reservations need to be made through the club’s email, womansclubofvistagfwc@gmail.com.
Other opportunities are provided for anyone who is civic minded and wants to support helping out a variety of organizations in the community. Friendraisers meet on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am at various restaurants around town for socializing and sharing. The Night Owls meets on the 4th Wednesday, starting at 6pm, at the Belching Beaver Restaurant and Brewery in Downtown Historic Vista and the Woman’s Club Book Club meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6 pm at El Toro on Williamston in Vista. Contact womansclubofvistagfwc@gmail.com to reserve a space at any of the meetings or to ask questions about any of the groups.
The current elected officers for 2023-2024 are: Co-President – Sonja Hults and Judy Pantazo, 1st Vice President-Dean – Liz Franciscus, 3rd Vice Pres-Programs – Donna DiMambro, Recording Secretary – Nancy Ellis, Treasurer – Nancy B. Jones, Parliamentarian – Claudia Vess.
If you have been looking for a club/organization to get involved with and if you are civic minded and like volunteering and want to help support other organizations with similar interests, then the Woman’s Club of Vista is the club for you. If you are ready to volunteer and join with caring friends and projects that make a difference in Vista and North County, then WCV is for you. Weekend opportunities are available as well as groups that are provided for working women. WCV is on Facebook or you can drop an email to the email listed. Members describe themselves as active, friendly, supportive, and enthusiastic. If this sounds like you, contact the Vista Woman’s Club and do what you can to help out and serve.
