Newbie's Welcome

If you are NEW to the Charlottesville area, there is a club that will welcome you with open arms!  The Newcomers Club of Greater Charlottesville has been in existence since 1994 and now has over 400 members.  Apparently you can stay in the club forever and many members love it so much that they have done just that!

It took me a year to attend one of the meetings and I was surprised to discover a room full of 100 newcomers!  Also at the meeting were non-profit groups from around the area (I was particularly interested in the Paramount Theatre volunteer program).  I enjoyed meeting many newcomers and a group of six of us went to lunch after the meeting.  My core "newbie peeps" continue to meet every Friday for lunch and explore Charlottesville.

There are many "groups" available to join within The Newcomers Club of Greater Charlottesville.  Several groups that are of interest to me are:

• Gardening Group
• Tea Group
• Coffee Group
• Saving Money 101

Other groups to join are - Bridge, Games, Book Reading, Men's Book Reading, Men's Coffee, Dining-in, Luncheons, Genealogy, Health Nuts, Golf, Tennis, Stitch and Craft, and Mah Jongg.  You can even start your own group.  Several trips are also organized each year for Newcomer members.  Memberships are $30.00 each year to join the Club.

A recent Coffee Group meeting at Maggie's lovely home, allowed newcomers to socialize.  There is always plenty of  good coffee and  food at this group meeting!  If you have been in the area for less than 3-years you can come to a few meetings and see if it is "your cup of tea".

The Newcomers Club makes it easy to meet people that are in a similar circumstance.  I have met interesting people from Florida, NY, Italy, Ohio, California, and just about every other state!  Each person has a unique story as to why they ended up in Charlottesville. 

You may be apprehensive to attend that first meeting but remember, everyone is on the same footing.  You're  new and probably don't know many people and WANT to get to know the area and people in your community.  If you're a newbie, I hope you will continue to check out my blog to see what there is to do in Charlottesville and come to a club meeting - I'm happy to show you the ropes!  The Newcomers Club of Greater Charlottesville.

- Rebecca