{"id":906,"date":"2017-05-08T10:47:29","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T17:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.ulethbridge.ca\/inspiring-lights\/?p=906"},"modified":"2017-05-15T11:20:21","modified_gmt":"2017-05-15T18:20:21","slug":"ladies-love-laughter-dress-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.ulethbridge.ca\/inspiring-lights\/2017\/05\/08\/ladies-love-laughter-dress-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Ladies, love & laughter; Dress Club"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The ladies of Dress Club.<\/p><\/div>\n

In September 1989, the University of Lethbridge looked quite a bit different than it does today. The Students\u2019 Union Building had its sod ceremoniously turned that year, Turcotte Hall was under construction, and the then School of Management had just reached Faculty status. The Pronghorn was adopted as the U of L mascot, and computer training sessions were being advertised in Aperture Weekly to help faculty and staff learn how to use an IBM-PC microcomputer and learn MS PC-DOS. September of 1989 also saw a group of employees get together for what would become an almost 30-year tradition.<\/p>\n

Dress Club or Clothing Club, depending on who you ask, is a group of 12 women (plus or minus a guest or two) from various departments across the U of L, past and present. Each month, this group of ladies get together at a selected member\u2019s home for what can only be described as hilarious, chatter-induced, food and wine fuelled therapy. The host provides the wine and the setting and the rest of the group comes with food in-hand. Each member throws $20 into the kitty and the next host gets to keep the collection with the proviso they spend the money on something special for herself.<\/p>\n

The membership has changed over the years as people come and go from the University and the city, but the sentiment remains the same; to have a laugh and support each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally we started the club as a way to take some time for ourselves, away from work, husbands and kids and to get a new outfit,\u201d says Deb Bullock (President\u2019s Office). \u201cIt was really hard in those days to scrape together some cash for a new dress or shoes or anything for yourself really. The idea was that at least once a year, you\u2019d have $240 to splurge on some new clothes and to make yourself feel special.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kathy Lee (retiree) was the University’s solo\u00a0IT technician and saw an incredible amount of change during her time at the U of L.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I first started at the U of L, I was the solo IT technician,\u201d says Kathy Lee, retired help desk manager. \u201cAt the time, there were just four word processors in total and they were all located in the president\u2019s office. As technology progressed, so did the troubleshooting! I would go from office to office fixing issues which is how I connected with these ladies,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019d chat away with the gals as I was working on their computers and eventually we became friends and the idea of Dress Club came about.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the purchasing of new outfits went by the wayside and the months rolled on, the club became so much more to each of its members.<\/p>\n

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Leslie Gatner (BMgt \u201907) (retiree) chatting away with her friends at the most recent meeting of Dress Club.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve supported each other through marriages, babies, illnesses, divorces, deaths, retirements and now grandchildren!\u201d says Leslie Gatner (BMgt \u201907) (Financial Services).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through all of life\u2019s ups and downs and we\u2019ve been through them all together,\u201d says Carol Van Dyk (Management). \u201cOur club is almost an equal split of retirees and current employees, regardless of what\u2019s going on or where we are, this group is priority for all of us and that\u2019s something pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n

For recent retiree, Gerda VanderFluit, the club has what she describes as a \u2018magnetic pull\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my mom passed away, I really didn\u2019t want to come the week that we\u2019d scheduled to meet. I was so sad and so exhausted but my husband said, \u2018Go to your girls; they\u2019ll lighten the load.\u2019 And they did,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cDress Club gives me perspective on life and on work,\u201d says Anita Ryder (BMgt \u201994, BEd \u201989) (Management).\u00a0 \u201cIt really helps you to pull out of whatever tailspin you\u2019re currently in.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are no terms of reference for this club and there is no end to what they will do for one another. Recently one member looked after another\u2019s son while her husband had been gravely ill in hospital. The group cooked meals upon meals for the family and they never ask what they can do for a member in need, they just do.<\/p>\n

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Anita Ryder (BMgt \u201994, BEd \u201989) (Management) picks out the host for next month’s club meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n

The most recent Dress Club saw the celebration of the recent retirement of Kathy Schrage. There was the reflection of how old member\u2019s children were when they first started. Cathy Kanashiro (BMgt \u201991) (Arts & Science), was either pregnant or had recently had her first baby girl when she joined. Her eldest is now 19 years old.<\/p>\n

There were stories from recent trips to Mexico, hilarious anecdotes from Easter egg hunts gone wrong, the impending excitement of grandchildren coming into the world and the latest from around campus.<\/p>\n

The club has even inspired others to create a gathering of their own. Whitney Bullock (BMgt \u201809), has established her own club with a group of friends who closely follow the model set by her mother\u2019s group. Except Deb says it\u2019s simply named, \u2018Club\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Kathy Schrage (retiree) opening her retirement gift from the group.<\/p><\/div>\n

After 28-years of meeting every month, the group shows no signs of closing-up the clubhouse yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be lost without my ladies,\u201d says Kathy Schrage. The sentiment is echoed around the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you feel like you don\u2019t have time, you make the time for Dress Club,\u201d says Marg McKeen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe come in, we sit down, we chat, we eat, we drink, responsibly of course!\u201d says Gerda. \u201cAnd then we\u2019re out in three hours or less! We love each other, but we\u2019re still efficient with our love,\u201d she quips.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ever invited to be a \u2018guest speaker\u2019 at Dress Club, accept the offer with great gusto. From the moment you enter the door, you\u2019re welcomed with open arms, a flurry of food and drink and an endless stream of hilarious, quick-whitted tales.<\/p>\n

A special thank you to Heather Anderson ( SRS & Pronghorn Athletics); Deb Bullock (President\u2019s Office); Leslie Gatner (BMgt \u201907) (retiree); Linda Gilbert (President\u2019s Office); Cathy Kanashiro (BMgt \u201991) (Arts & Science); Kathy Lee (retiree); Marg McKeen (CCBN); Chris Moroz (Health Centre); Anita Ryder (BMgt \u201994, BEd \u201989) (Management); Kathy Schrage (retiree); Maureen Schwartz (retiree); Gerda VanderFluit (reitree) and Carol Van Dyk (Management) for allowing their story to be told and their club to be invaded for an evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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