Newcomers and Neighbors of Lancaster, Inc.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS & EVENTS – 2023-2024 

Book Club: 

Are you looking for a new way to make friends? Do you enjoy reading for pleasure?  If you have answered “yes”, the book club is sure to be a great choice for you.  Join us the third Thursday of each month from September through June at 1:00 p.m. at a local library to review and discuss the book of the month.  The group leader lists the book of the month in the current Newsletter. The group leader will also put in the Newsletter the list of the books to be read each year, in its entirety or partially, as she deems necessary. This could be monthly or periodically.

Bunco: 

This is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill.   The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. Ladies who are part of this group take turns hosting. This group is limited to a maximum of 16 players each month. Bunco is played at 1:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month unless otherwise noted in the newsletter.  Come try your luck at rolling the dice and have a fun afternoon with other Newcomers and Neighbors members. Contact the group leader each month upon receipt of the newsletter to be included as one of the 16 players.

Canasta: 

Refresh your Canasta skills with other ladies. Meets each month on the fourth Monday at 1:00 p.m. in members’ homes. Light snacks are provided by the hostess. Contact the group leader each time to be included.

Classic Book Club:

Meetings will be held four times a year on the fifth Thursday of the month. If a designated month does not have a fifth Thursday, an alternate date will be selected. The Club year for this group starts in September. The meetings are currently being held via Zoom. The group leader sends out the information to the list of members who are interested in participating.

Dining Around Town:

Singles and/or couples get together several times a year to sample various restaurants in the Lancaster area. Dates and places will be listed in the current issue of the N&N Newsletter. Contact the group leader each time to be included.

Hand and Foot Canasta 

Hand & Foot is a variation of canasta where each player has two hands to play. We meet the first Tuesday of each month at 1:00 pm to play cards and enjoy each other's company. Contact the group leader to be included.

Lunch Bunch:

Enjoy visiting different area restaurants and making new friends over lunch. This “ladies only” group meets monthly on the fourth Thursday of the month. Check the N&N newsletter for the exact date, time and restaurant location. Contact the group leader by the deadline to sign up to attend each month.

Mah Jongg:

Mah Jongg is a game of Chinese origin usually played by four persons with tiles that are drawn and discarded until one player secures a winning hand. This Special Interest Group meets twice a month, year round, on the first and third Friday. It is a combination of learning and playing the game.

Mexican Train:

Mexican Train is a simple game and there is a patient group of ladies who will teach any beginners. The game is played with dominoes. The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from her hand onto one or more chains, or trains, emanating from a central hub or "station". As soon as one player is out of dominoes, the other players add up the value of their remaining tiles. At the end of the afternoon the player with the lowest score is the winner. This Special Interest Group meets on the third Wednesday of the month.

Scrabble:

Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15x15 grid of squares. This Special Interest Group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Serendipity:

This is a popular group that meets monthly on the first or second Monday at a local restaurant for breakfast offering a chance to visit with other members and to plan activities and excursions for the month. In the past, activities have included visits to museums, special exhibits, mini golf and other day trips. Activity dates and times are in the monthly newsletter.  Contact the group leader each month so she has an accurate count of attendees for the restaurant.

Someone’s in the Kitchen:

Be inspired by members who will share their cooking secrets and “tricks of the trade” in their kitchens.  There will be five presentations during the year with a variety of dishes and desserts that will then be sampled by the participants. Food purchase costs will be shared.  This group is usually limited to a maximum of 16 attendees. Dates and times will be announced in the N&N newsletter. Contact the group leader by the announced deadline to be included.

Special Events

Miscellaneous Merriment:

The name of this social group says it all! Many of these activities are open to couples and singles. Activities in the recent past have included a Road Rally, Soup and Salad meal, High Tea and a Cookie Exchange. These activities can vary from year to year. Contact the group leader for each event listed in the N&N Newsletter to sign up.

Community Service:

The Community Service Group provides avenues for members' involvement in community and charitable activities. It also includes helping organizations by providing birthday cakes for children of domestic violence not living in their home. In the past we have donated hundreds of basic items to places like the Clare House and Water Street Mission. Most years, we provide Christmas gifts for fifty children through various organizations. Group members have been volunteering at Power Packs on the second Tuesday of the month from September through June. Each year, the President and the Board decide where to make a financial donation to a local organization on behalf of the Club. This past year, a financial donation was made to Power Packs and to Mental Health of America of Lancaster County. We are always looking for ways to meet the needs of individuals in the community.