Membership Renewals

Please not that Ruth Subramaniam will be 'out of station' for the next month. Those wishing to renew can contact MaryAnn Nicholson in the meantime.

New Member Coffe Morning

Thanks to those of you who came to today's coffee morning in spite of the heat. The next coffee morning will be Wednesday, May 28th at 10 AM at Anokhi # 85 Chamiers Road. See you there!

May 6th Playgroup: Swimming!

Tuesday, May 6th

3 - 5:30

Green Meadows

4/364 A, Anna Salai, Palavakkam

There is a pool with slide. Adults Rs 100. Children Rs 50. Drinks and snacks can be ordered as desired.

Directions: Take the ECR past Thiruvanmiyur, Kottivakam

You will pass Spencer's Daily and 5 Star supermarkets. Anna Salai is on your left. If you reach Neelangarai, you've gone too far!

May General Meeting

Wednesday, May 14th
10 AM Social Chat
10:30 Presentation
Esthell Hotel
No.1, Royal Enclave Besant Avenue
Adyar (Near Fashion Folks)
Rs 250 to cover cost of food and drinks
Uma Prajapati, a designer for the Upsana Design Studio from Auroville, will be presenting on her many projects including:
Small Steps, an initiative promoting a responsible alternative to plastic shopping bags
Tsnamika, a little doll crafted from fabric waste by fisherwomen affected by the tsunami
The Varanasi Weavers Project which seeks to find ways for traditional weavers to earn a good income by pairing them with large companies and design studios
Silk scarves, blouses, tsnamika dolls and bags will be on sale.

May Tiffin Club

The April Tiffin was a sellout - thank you to the person who could not come for paying your share!!

Chef Rajesh at Aqua (the Park Hotel) showed us several delicious recipes from the Aqua menu. Our lunch after was a sampling of those same dishes. Scrumptious!!

The May Tiffin will be on 16th May and we are visiting the Taj Flight Kitchens which prepare and supply teh meals to many fo the flights we all take out of Chennai airport.

This event is open to all OWC members not just Tiffin Club members and the limit is 30 ladies. Please sign up be sending me an email as soon as you can. We are opening this event to AISC parents too, so feel free to pass information along.

There is no charge for the event, but there may be a small contribution towards the cost of the transport - it will be easier for us all to take a bus out there together so the event can start on time and the tour can be conducted for all of us as once.

We are supposed to be there by 10-10.30 am and all other details will be sent to you when you book onto the event.

Happy dipping and dripping!!

Sejal Wasani
9884052575

Executive Committee Meeting

For those of you who are, or would like to be, members of the executive committee (children's committee, entertainment, social welfare, etc.) this year, we will be meeting at Amethyst on Friday, April 25th at 10AM.
Amethyst
14/30 Padmavathi Road, Off Lloyds Road
Jeypore Colony,Gopalpuram
Chennai

Playgroup

Playgroup for Tuesday, April 22nd
3PM to 5:30 PM
Hosted by Natalie von Hoffmeister
No. 9, 3rd Seaward Rd.
K.G. Valmiki Apts.
Apt. 4
Valmiki Nagar
Thiruvanmiyur
Opposite The Cheshire Home
Cell: 9884187761
New people welcome!

Playgroup

This Tuesday 15th April Paula is hosting the playgroup.
Where:
Bischop garden ext 4, Grayshott
R.A. Puram
blok E 401
from 3 to 5.30pm
telnr Paula: 9940033270

We are meeting at the playground (at your right side when you enter Grayshott).
The playground is shaded. Don’t forget to bring insect repellent!
If you want, you can bring along some toys for the sand, a bike/three wheeler, ball,….
I hope to see you Tuesday,
Isabel

Ladies Who Lunch

Best way to eat your way around Chennai, discover new restaurants and meet new people.The next "Ladies Who Lunch" will be held straight after the OWC AGM in April. Details as follows:
Date: Wednesday 16th AprilTime: 12:30pmVenue: Cream Centre, New No 55 Old No 25, II Main Road, R A Puram, Chennai - 600028; Tel: +(91)-(44)-42815777, 42815555Cuisine: Multicuisine; Veg and Non Veg.
For further information, please contact Candy on 98846 11174 or email candy@thehouseofwong.co.uk
Look forward to seeing you there!

Newcomer's Coffee Morning

The next coffee morning will be held at Anokhi on Chamier's Road at 10AM on April 30th. All new, old and prospective members are welcome. A greeat opportunity to meet people!

April Tiffin Club

Dear Trembling towering tiffins, I finally have some news about the April Tiffin!! I have been trying to get Prego, Rhapsody or a Taj Flight Kitchen tour! Rhapsody reinvents itself as an Italian restaurant, but they don't feel confident enough yet to demonstrate the dishes!! So we are invited to go try the food out, but no Tiffin there yet. Taj Flight Kitchen still has not got back to me, so I am aiming for May. Finally - Chef Rajesh at The Park is offering us the chance to sample his new menu at Aqua and watch how they create a few of the dishes. I hope you will all join me in what is nearly the last Tiffin before the school holidays and the Welcome Back lunch which heralds the beginning of the new OWC year!

So, a maximun of 15 ladies, pls. THURSDAY APRIL 17th, 10am, AQUA at the Park Hotel. the cost is to be Rs 650. Please sign up as soon as you can and remember that once you sign up, you are confirmed to pay even if you do not attend.

I have been out of pocket several times as I end up having to pay the full bill - I sign a contract with some of these hotels. hope to hear from you soon. Happy saucing and souffle-ing! Sejal

New Members/Change of Address

If your contact information has changed, all you need to do is send an email to owcmadras@gmail.com with the updated information and pay your dues (Rs. 1000) at the April AGM.

If your information has not changed, then paying your dues is all that’s required. New members also welcome at the AGM.

Annual General Meeting

The Overseas Women´s Club of Madras takes pleasure in inviting you to the Annual General meeting to be held on:
Wednesday, 16th April, 10.00 am, 2008 at The ITC Park Sheraton Hotel
Summary reports of the officers and committees will be made available to be accepted by the General Body.
A new slate of officers for 2008-2009 to be ratified at the meeting.

Please plan to attend as it is essential to have a quorum.
The meeting will start with coffee and tea. There is no charge for this event.

The agenda for the AGM is as follows:
AGENDA:
10.00AM TEA
10.30AM ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. Introduction by Stephanie Thompson, President, OWC 2007-2008
2. Secretary to read the Minutes of the 2007 Annual General Meeting for approval by the General Body
3. President to present the reports of the Executive Committees 2007-2008:
President´s Report
Membership Report
Entertainment Report including Children´s Activities
Social Welfare Report
For approval by the General Body
4. To approve and adopt the audited Financial Report for April 2007-March 2008
5. Any other business
6. Presentation of Nomination slate for the new Executive Committee for the year April 2008 to March 2009. Ratification of the new slate by vote of approval of the members present at the AGM.
7. Vote of thanks by new President
After the meeting Dr. J.S. Raj Kumar, Chairman, Rigid Lifeline Hospitals, will talk on problems related to stress, obesity and Bariatic Surgery.

Social Welfare

Despite the year-end for our OWC activities, the social welfare activities continue year-round, as do the bi-monthly visit to Nirmal Hriday, Ennore and Jeevodaya Cancer Hospice, Manali is planned for Tuesday, 25th March. We’ll also deliver provisions to Shishyu Bhavan, Royapuram along the way. Room for a couple of helpers, and those interested please contact Maureen 98402-93027. Car will leave 10 AM from Maureen’s residence in Kilpauk. Lakshmi continues to deliver provisions to St. George’s Home for the Aged and would like help with delivery of the monthly birthday cakes.

Aruna hosted a party for her students from AMS on March 22 and the kids as usual enjoyed themselves on her sprawling lawn and in the jacuzzi, as well as a walk to the beach, and most of all the sumptuous tea.

Thanks to SMEC who contributed Rs.1 lakh towards a tsunami house, I am pleased to say that the house is now completed. An additional Rs.1 lakh was dispersed from OWC funds, but I have managed to get SMEC to contribute a further Rs.50K which will help reduce our OWC deficit. Photo in Annual Report.

Re educational and nutritional support, an integral part of our activities, a donation of Rs.Rs.36,000/- (Jan-Dec.2008) was handed over to Sanjitha Shah for the Little Lambs School in Redhills which will cover part of the nutrition support of milk and bananas for the school children from underprivileged families. Jo also supplements this program.

The Chennai Cheshire Home launched their 50th anniversary celebrations on February 23, at Raj Bhavan with His Excellency The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri Surjit Barnala Singh creating a canvas, together with the budding artists from Cheshire Home. His Excellency has offered the canvas for auction at a Gala Dinner on Saturday, 6th September. A date for your diaries!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
A number of people come forward, from time to time, to offer their time and support for our social welfare activities, but unfortunately, we don’t seem to get any further than the ‘offer of help.’ We would love to have more volunteers who could visit Shishyu Bhavan on Tuesday afternoons for play-time/drawing with the mentally challenged girls.

Lakshmi would love to have support with her St. George’s visits and delivery of birthday cakes. During April and May, volunteers needed for leisure activities with Cheshire Home residents – painting/outings and swimming.

Sisters at Ennore would also appreciate visitors more often – but it is a long way and at least an hour’s drive from Adyar.

Craft's Group

Next meeting will be on April 1 and April 8 at 10:30 AM at Suzanne De Haes’ home (Kannan Apts. 4B, Chamiers Road, 40, 2nd Lane, Ganapathy Colony, Alwarpet). Please contact Suzanne at 98409-83138 for more information.

President's Message

Hello Ladies,
Spring is here in full force and summer is right on its heels. This is the time for all new beginnings. We have come once again to the end of another OWC year. I want to express my extreme gratitude to each and everyone who has helped me along my presidential journey. I cannot say more how much your support has meant to me.
We also need to recognize all of the hard work and effort put in by our committee members. These ladies have truly burnt the midnight oil in making sure information gets to us and also keep everything running smoothly. When you see these fine ladies, please give them a pat on the back.
I have had an amazing year and feel I have gained so much from this opportunity. The thought of serving as your president was daunting, but I’m glad I have. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything.
As we move forward, please remember, you too can make a difference. Get involved, get to know some new friends and learn about Chennai and the expats who live here.
See you at the AGM!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Thompson
OWC President

Book Club Canceled

There will be no book club tomorrow.

New Members Coffe Morning for March

March 19th, 10 a.m. at Anokhi.

This is a great way to meet new people and network! New OWC members and people interested in joining the club are all very welcome.

If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Subramanian, 2257-6452

OWC Tips

Dear Members,
To to the increasingly crowded nature of our current blog, a second blog has been launched:
http://www.owctips.blogspot.com/
We want to encourage OWC members to use the blog to help each other and themselves with moving sales, staff searches, etc. The blog owcmadras.blogspot.com will be used for club activities and updates only.
Advertisements on owctips will also be encouraged once a common policy has been agreed upon by the comittee. All monies would go to the club to defray expenses and to help with our sponsored charities. We will also work to ensure that the vendors offer products and services that would be of interest to our members.
Please visit OWC Tips and keep the tips and advice coming!
Natalie von Hoffmeister

Book Club: Taj by Timeri Murari

Tuesday, March 18th
12 PM social chat
12:30 book discussion followed by lunch
At the home of Natalie von Hoffmeister.
No. 9, 3rd Seaward Road
K.G. Valmiki Apts.
Apt #4, Valmiki Nagar
Thiruvanmiyur
– opposite Cheshire Home
We will be reading“Taj” by Timeri Murari
It's a fabulous book and was written by local author. Highly recommended! Available at all local bookstores.
Please RSVP to Natalie at 98841-87761