In 1973, ten women came together to hold the first annual meeting of the Woman’s Club.
by Amy Batista
ROBBINSVILLE — In 1973, ten women came together to hold the first annual meeting of the Woman’s Club.
”The original members wanted to form a group of like minded women in the community for both social and civic activities,” said President Andrea Broadbent in an email on Oct. 7.
On Feb. 28, 1973, the organization, formerly called the Washington Township Women’s Club, held its meeting at the home of Etta Pascale, who was elected by secret ballot to be the President of the club the following month.
Today, the club has approximately two dozen members who came out to celebrate the Club’s 40th anniversary at on Oct. 1 at Daphne’s Diner at 1124 Route 130 South.
”Everyone, for the most part, was standing up and mingling and the resulting conversations were lively and lots of creative ideas were spawned,” Ms. Broadbent said.
Attendees included local dignitaries – the Robbinsville Township Council, representatives from the township, Parks and Recreation department personnel, and the Mayor’s wife, Kathryn Fried, a former RWC member came over to visit.
The club has been experiencing “renewed” interest and building itself back up after membership declining due to members retiring and moving away.
”However membership is being ‘refreshed,’ as we are bringing in new members and experiencing renewed overall interest across the community and community leadership,” Ms. Broadbent said. “We are actively engaged in recruiting more members because we are interested in fresh new innovating ideas for projects that contribute toward making Robbinsville the best place to live.”
The club was founded as a social and civic organization that promotes community volunteerism, helping others, networking, developing the potential of young women and making lasting friendships along the way.
The club engages in a variety of community service projects from September to June which benefit area residents and township.
Each monthly meeting features a project session or an invited speaker and a social hour. The meetings and planned social outings provide a special venue for meeting other professionals, homemakers and retired women who wish to share the spirit of civic duty, fun and friendship.
”For example, we are considering fostering renewed interest among other community organizations and volunteers in renovating the Tomm May Nature Trail at Tantum Park in Robbinsville,” she said. “To preserve the memory of a Robbinsville ‘favorite son,’ the nature trail was developed trough the collective efforts of the Robbinsville citizenry volunteering to construct of the Thomas J. May Nature Trail on Robbinsville Township land.
”Through the years, the trail had been vandalized so few actually use it,” she added. “The Robbinsville Women’s Club would like to renew interest in the trail so that it is used often.”
According to Ms. Broadbent, some of today’s projects evolved from earlier projects.
One such example is Project Comfort, which was started in 2012, where the group began reaching out to the community at the request of Julianna Lubbe, a Robbinsville Girl Scout in Troop 70288.Through the project, the club provided funding and materials for producing items such as hurricane preparedness packages containing small flashlights and batteries, handmade cozy shawls with pockets, as well as other useful items to benefit those participating in the Robbinsville Meals on Wheels program.
David Williams, executive director of the Meals on Wheels program, lauded the club.
”It has been an absolute pleasure working with this group, and the items they provide to our Meals on Wheels clients is greatly appreciated,” Mr. Williams said. “We have heard nothing but positive comments from our clients about this project.”
There is no such organization in the community like the Robbinsville Women’s Club, she said.
”There are plenty of large organizations that support the major causes, but there is no such organization in our community like the Robbinsville Women’s Club that meets monthly for a combination of socializing, listening to invited speakers on a variety of topics, and planning projects that give back “a little something” to the community at large,” she said.
As the membership of the club expands it will have the ability to fund and take on more projects, she said.
”We now have a renewed interest in attracting new people with fresh ideas for both our social outings and our community reach-out programs,” she said.The club started scheduling a series of “impromptu” outings at local venues, including a brunch and browse gathering at Sadie Cakes in Washington Town Center on a recent Sunday morning.
”The idea here is to create a short social respite and get to know our town better,” she said. “We know the shopkeepers like it as it fosters the spirit of “keeping it local” and supporting our local businesses.”
According to Ms. Broadbent, the club sees itself “as a resource to the community.”
”We do not collect money for the Food Pantry or ask non-members to donate,” she said. “The membership donates items. For each monthly meeting we are asked to bring in a few items for the Food Pantry.”
Next month, for example, members are asked to bring in toothpaste.
”We are thinking about helping the Senior Center publicize the food pantry and the Robbinsville Women’s Club would lend a hand collecting items from the community,” she said. “Since we see ourselves as a resource to the community, Renee Burns, who runs the Senior Center, will provide guidance to us if this is what she would like us to do.

