The Napa Women’s Club celebrates 77 years of history
The Napa Women’s Club has been gathering since 1948 to build friendships, volunteer and practice philanthropy. But more than anything, the members have cultivated a place where they feel safe, empowered and encouraged by other members to build community.
The club marked its 75th anniversary in 2023 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration was paused. Now, the club is planning to celebrate the milestone of 77 years of existence.
Every month, the Women’s Club members get together in both morning and evening meetings to talk, listen to guest speakers and fundraise for charity.
“We have two members that have been here almost from the very beginning. One just turned 99,” DeLynda DeLeon said. The section president and recording secretary for the morning version of the club, DeLeon has been a member for 15 years. She is originally from Hawaii but lived in the San Francisco/Oakland area before moving to Napa.
DeLeon describes the club as “a sisterhood.”
DeLeon explained that, in the beginning, there was only a morning version. The evening edition was started in 2003, spearheaded by long-time member Kathleen Reynolds.
“I was the first president of the Evening Edition,” Reynolds said. “I started the evening club with a group of my friends, many of whom had been in my Leadership Napa Valley Class 15.” Leadership Napa Valley is focused on professional development and, in a sign of how times had changed since 1948, many women were unable to make it to morning gatherings.
“We managed to get 17 women to an (afternoon) meeting. The Evening Edition grew to 70 members by the second year,” Reynolds said. “Our club is still going strong.”
Currently, there are 53 members, divided between the two editions. They met in the Franklin School, which was built in south Napa in the 1880s and later closed. They purchased and renovated the building in 1948 with a grant from the Gasser Foundation.
In addition to raising funds to maintain the historic schoolhouse that is now their clubhouse, the Women’s Club’s mission is to help selected charities and contribute to organizations that support and uplift the lives of women.
The club, however, has become more than just a place for women to volunteer their free time. The club has also nurtured creativity, open dialogue and companionship.
For many members, the Napa Women’s Club is a place where they were able to find community connections when they were newcomers in Napa.
Lee Schwab, who arrived in Napa in 1988, read an article about the club that inspired her to join. For her, the club is a “gal pal” time, a place where you can talk about anything without feeling criticized.
Teresa Foster, who is co-chair of outreach for the club, moved to Napa in 1983. Originally from Mexico City, she moved after marrying an American. Foster was a member of the Napa Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Connection, which was women only.
Foster said many of the Women’s Club members might find support at a gathering when they are feeling sad or depressed. “It is a place where women’s competition is nonexistent,” she said. “It is also a place for fun and laughter.”
Margaret Boeddiker joined the club in 2022, when, as a newcomer to Napa, she also read about the club in a newspaper. She helps promote and do outreach for the club with Foster.
“I had been part of clubs at church or book clubs, but nothing like this one,” she said.
For DeLeon, the best part of the club is the opportunity to give back to the community and to specific charities or organizations. “Because I worked in nonprofits for so long and I’ve always partnered with a lot of people, I like the partnerships that we develop,” she said.
Their activities range working with a nonprofit that supports neurodivergent adults to
making holiday cards for the special needs adults. DeLeon said last year the group made almost 3,000 cards for Meals on Wheels, an organization that serves local seniors.
One favorite project the women remember is from 2016, when they created a photo calendar with sexy but tasteful boudoir-type photographs to raise funds. It was a reminder, members agreed, to celebrate and embrace beauty in women at any age.
Foster said every meeting has a different theme and features a guest speaker. As a Latina woman, she promotes Latina/Latino speakers. Recently, she invited Cinthya Cisneros, owner of La Cheve and the soon-to-come Con Amor Botanas y Tequila, to speak. Other recent inspirational speakers have included the Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley, Foster said.
Reynolds said women have become so fond of the club, even when they move away, they refuse to give up their membership.
DeLeon concurred. When one member moved away, DeLeon said she advised her to “look for another women’s club. The woman’s response was, ‘No, I like your group better.’
“(In) our group, everybody loves each other, and we really do get along and like each other,” she said.
As the club gets ready to commemorate their long tenure at the Franklin schoolhouse, Boeddiker said the historic building is a reminder of the significance of roots in Napa. But the true embodiment of both the building and the club is the perseverance of these women to stay loyal to tradition by welcoming new and younger members to become pillars of the Napa community.
Guests are invited to attend several meetings free of charge. If they choose to join, the dues are $86 annually with a one-time $10 charge for a badge. Only a few meetings a year are members-only. The meetings are paused in July and August. For more information, visit the Napa Women’s Club website.
