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By Pat Landis, President
Photo, left: Julian Women's Club president Pat Landis, past president Marion Moore and California Federation Area Membership VP Stephanie Stark
March 8, 2018 (Julian) - On March 5th at a Scholarship Luncheon, the Julian Woman’s Club honored eleven women who have been members of the club from twenty to forty years. Eight are past presidents of the club and several others have served as officers at the District and State level of the California Federation of Women’s Clubs. These are truly exceptional women.
Recognition awards went to: Janet Baker, Diana Garret and Barbara Mitchell for 20 years; Jan Mattias and Edie Seger for 25 years; Susan Fowler, Ruth Rabenberg, Diane Boyer and Norma Quirk for 30 years; Gig Ballinger for 35 years; Marion Moore for 40 years. Marion spoke about the reason she joined and has remained a member of the Woman’s Club. The meeting was a full house with husbands and daughters of the award recipients.
The club holds three Scholarship Luncheons each year. Donations received go toward scholarships for graduating students of Julian High School. But this only scratches the surface of what this extraordinary club and these extraordinary women accomplish each year.
Photo, right: 2017 "Hunter's Star" Quilt
The Heritage Quilt Show is a major event in the life of the community. A dedicated and enthusiastic group makes an “opportunity quilt” under the direction of Eleanor Burns, a world renowned quilter. The quilt is raffled off on July 4th. The Quilt Show is held in Julian Town Hall and is free to the public during the last week of June and first week of July. The show displays antique and contemporary quilts contributed by local residents. It is a wonderful display of colorful, artistic and historic designs. Visitors come from the local community, the state, the nation and around the world. It serves as a major fundraiser for our club with income from donations, the sale of tickets for the raffle quilt and sales of items handmade by club members. The 2018 Quilt Show will be held on Friday, June 29th and July 
1st through July 4th and is free to the public.
Photo, left: 2016 "All-Star" Quilt
The Eleanor Burns’ Show is both a performance and instruction for quilters. Over forty years ago, Eleanor Burns introduced her first “Quilt in a Day” book and by doing so cultivated a quilt-making revolution. The Julian Woman’s Club is very fortunate to have this wonderfully personable and famous quilter as a member. She presented her interesting, informative, and humorous show the first day of the 2017 Heritage Quilt Show. There is always a lot of interest in her event, even among non-quilters. Her 20
18 show will highlight her accomplishments as she announces her retirement (not). The club is very grateful for her contribution. The 2018 Eleanor Burns’ show will be on Saturday, June 30th at 11:00 a.m.
Photo, right: Eleanor Burns
Photo, left: Woman's Clubhouse
The Julian Backcountry Quilt Trail is the first in Southern California, joining over 130 Quilt Trails throughout the nation. It is an art form that celebrates our history and heritage and promotes the economy by bringing visitors to Julian and the surrounding communities. A Quilt Trail is a driving route along which property owners display painted wooden quilt blocks viewable from the road. The Back Country Quilt Trail was established in 2014. There are now over 30 quilt blocks displayed on Highways 78 and 79, within 15 miles of Julian.
Photo, right: Buffalo Ranch on Hwy. 78/79
Heifer International is sponsored by local, state and international women’s clubs. In 2017 a raffle of outstanding art was held and profits were sent to Heifer. They provide animals, seeds, technology and training to empower women, farmers, and families to improve their livelihood and standard of living. This creates a domino effect by asking recipients to pass the first offspring or seed production to other families. The club is proud to participate in this outstanding organization. 
Photo, left: Stained Glass by Jan Law raffled for Heifer International
The Julian Wildflower Show is a historical event that began in 1926 as an afternoon garden party and has grown into a much anticipated happening every spring. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” was the humorous name chosen for the 2017 show. This event is designed to educate and delight both tourists and community members with rich botanical variety and diversity, from the mountains to the low desert to nearby mesas. Three expert botanists and one photographer helped identify flowers, contribute pictures, and present information for the displays. The Woman’s Club partnered with San Diego River Park Foundation and the Volcan Mountain Foundation for activities on the final day of the show. The 2018 show will be in Julian Town Hall on May 4-5-6. The show is free to the public.
Photo, right: Joanna Waite, winner of "Ugly Weed" contest
Pennies for Pines has been a project of Julian Woman’s Club for so long that no one really remembers exactly how or when it started. Its purpose is to plant trees where fires have denuded the landscape. Members who have been through the Cedars Fire of 2003 and the Witch Fire of 2007 completely support this project and are acutely aware of its importance. Donations from members are forwarded to this organization.
The Apple Blossom Tea is held on the second Friday of June, with a morning and afternoon seating, serving over 100 guests from around the county. With its beautifully decorated tables set in lovely pastels, scrumptious food, and tea served in vintage style tea cups, the Apple Blossom Tea has become one of the most popular fundraising events held by the Julian Woman’s Club. Donations for the tea and raffle baskets donated by generous local merchants make this a successful fundraiser for the club. The 2018 Apple Blossom Tea will be held on Friday, June 8th, with seating at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Photo, left: Julian Apple Blossom Tea
Apple Days Festival allows the opportunity for two events. First, there is an apple pie baking contest that is judged by chefs of local establishments. It was advertised widely and promoted on television along with the festival itself. Winners receive cash awards. The pies are sliced, boxed and sold at the Festival held at Menghini Winery, along with additional slices of pie made at Mountain Bakery. The 2017 event saw thousands of visitors, sold whole or slices from 200 pies, and raised over $2000 in one day.
The Holiday Home Tour is truly a favorite start for the holiday season. Every year brings a different challenge. We have had rain, wind and snow. In 2017, we had no electricity. Due to very high winds, power was shut down in Julian and the surrounding area. Can you have a Home Tour with no electricity? The answer is OF COURSE!! Julian Woman’s Club members are smart, resilient, creative and persistent. This year four homes and the Woman’s Club Historic Clubhouse itself were selected for the tour. The homes ranged from spacious and elegant to truly tiny and they were all beautifully decorated. Home baked goods and handmade crafts were sold at the beginning of the tour and the club made a healthy profit for this event. The 2018 Holiday Home Tour will be on Friday, December 14th.
Photo, right: 2017 Julian 4th of July Parade
The Julian Fourth of July Parade provided the opportunity for ladies to be chauffeured in a 1926 Cadillac limousine (same year the Julian Woman’s Club was established). The limo was made available and driven by a member of the Julian Historical Society.
The goal for Julian Woman’s Club is to support our community. The club recognizes the need for education beyond high school is more and more vital to secure employment, build a career and improve quality of life. Our Scholarship Program is one of the most important ways that the club serves this community and contributes to the success of our young people. In 2017, the club donated $7,030 in scholarship awards. In addition, the club donations afforded two students from Julian to attend the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership program, and subsidized one student for the Freedoms Foundation program in Valley Forge. These programs stimulate these students to strive for high ideals and give them the tools to achieve. Last but not least, the Julian Woman’s Club made donations to a dozen local charitable organizations.
The club has a number of retired educators and there is a love for working with children. Julian Pathways has provided the opportunity to work with elementary school children by sharing talents and instructing the children in their afterschool program. Creating a wall-hanging quilt, having a tea party, learning how to write haiku and painting a cherry tree are just some of the projects the club members have organized.
Photo, left: November 2017 Ramblers
Social events for club members are a strong focus. The club has a Book Club that meets in alternate months and Ramblers Hiking Group that schedules a monthly hike in interesting areas nearby. It is not necessary to be a club member to join this group. The club also organized a trip to a winery and social gatherings at several local establishments. There was a Holiday Party held between Christmas and New Years’ Day at Wynola Pizza, including a re-gifting exchange. The goal is to provide opportunities for members to meet in casual and relaxing circumstances and to develop friendships doing activities they enjoy.
The club requires its members to be active and participate in its events. It is the belief that this involvement is what attracts members (six new members joined in 2017) and maintains membership. Being involved also creates an environment for making new friendships and taking great pride in the accomplishments of the club. Any person desiring to find out more about the club, or to join the club, is welcome to attend a meeting and learn more from our members. Our meetings are always at 1:00 pm on the first Wednesday of the month, except for July and August (vacation time). You can also visit the website www.julianwomansclub.org.
Photo, right: Julian Arts Chorale, December 2017
For more information regarding membership, events and how to make reservations, go to www.julianwomansclub.org.
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