Holiday Link 2019

Holiday 2019 Edition The Link The Official Newsletter of the West Point Spouses' Club Holiday 2019 . westpointspousesclub.org . [email protected]

Contents WEST POINT SPOUSES’ CLUB BOARD President’s Welcome Page 3 Executive Board 2019-2020 Super Sign Up Page 5 President Elizabeth Flannery [email protected] Vice President Gift Shoppe Holiday Hours Page 7 Parliamentarian Amy Olson [email protected] Secretary Wreaths Across America Page 8 Treasurer Deb Haley [email protected] Special Clubs Page 9 Louise Brennan [email protected] Scholarships & Programs Page 10 Kristen Gurrola [email protected] Caroling for Cadets & Community Page 11 Committee Chairs 2019-2020 Casino Night Page 12 Ways and Means Diane Schreiner [email protected] Welcome Mrs. Buzzard & Mrs. Buddie Page 13 Way and Means Financial Robert Nowicki [email protected] Sing for Seconds 300th Recipe & Moms & Tots Page 14 Programs Tara Brown [email protected] DISCLAIMER: The West Point Spouses' Club is a non- Programs Celina Czerniakowski [email protected] federal entity and not an official activity of the United States Military Academy. It is not endorsed, Membership Melissa Bew [email protected] recommended, or favored by the United States government. The Link is created and edited by the Reservations Katie Landis [email protected] spouses of the West Point community, therefore, the views and opinions expressed by this organization do Publicity Colleen Katte [email protected] not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Military Academy, The Link Editor [email protected] Department of the Army, or Department of Defense. Link Advertising [email protected] The Link cover photograph and Community Outreach Laura Fregoso [email protected] other images throughout this Scholarships Denise Wambeke [email protected] issue of the Link were taken by the WPSC Historian. Casino Night Fundraiser Cee Daines [email protected] Casino Night Fundraiser Rhema Mangus [email protected] Historian Danielle Fobar [email protected] Special Clubs Genevieve Kennedy [email protected] Moms and Tots Lindsay Fust [email protected] Moms and Tots Lauren Woody [email protected] Properties Krista Wojtaszek [email protected] Honorary Board 2019-2020 Honorary President Mrs. Erin Williams Senior Advisor Mrs. Cindy Love

President's Welcome Welcome to the Holiday Season and our second Link issue of the 2019-2020 Club Year! As this newsletter is hitting your steps, the holiday season is getting into full swing here at West Point, and so is our club with our annual and monthly events. This time of year is busy, but also so special. It is filled with events, parties and celebrations, but also affords us the opportunity to pause, practice gratitude, reflect on the year past and look forward to what is to come in the New Year. As I begin to look back at 2019 and think ahead to 2020, I am so excited to share with you what our club has already accomplished and has in store for the months to come. I also want to share with you how thankful I am for our community, the people here and the Elizabeth Flannery chance to share this year with you. It is truly WPSC President an honor to work with the volunteers of our 2019-2020 community and share their spirit of giving back. I hope this Holiday season finds you full of celebrations with loved ones as well as quiet time to reflect on your year and your goals ahead. In 2019, our club has jumped off to a great start with a successful Super Sign Up, a beautiful welcome for Mrs. Buzzard and Mrs. Buddie hosted by Mrs. Williams, exciting monthly programs, and some great special club meetings! As we get ready for 2020 we can’t wait for you to join us at Caroling for Cadets on December 6th as well as our various special clubs meetings and Moms and Tots gatherings this month. We are especially excited about our upcoming Casino Night – our can’t miss fundraising event in February! In the following pages, you will hear about what our Special Clubs are up to as well as the new features of Casino Night that we are sure will make it the event of the year. We can’t wait to see you there! Wishing you all the best this holiday season and in the New Year! Page 3 Cheers and BEAT NAVY!! The Link Holiday 2019

B nch i h San a Ne D n' Mi Special Wes Poin Ra es A ailable Wa a - he- a d ece e ec a , e be dea ? J IN MAILING LI e a [email protected] be added da ! @Tha e H e We P @TheTha e H e @Tha e H e

Super Sign Up Our 2019 Super Sign Up was a huge success! We not only had roughly 200 attendees from around the community, but we also had 80+new members sign up at the event (and this does not count those that signed up after the event!). It was a perfect night filled with friends, fun, good food, prizes and lots of great vendors. New spouses were able to see what the community has to offer as well as get a glimpse into what our club offers year round. Shopping at our pop-up gift shop, meeting our sub club leaders, submitting recipes for our cookbook and previewing the next month's book for Book Club were just a few things available. Join the Team! Also, a huge thank you to everyone that donated diapers and wipes to Baby Steps Baby Pantry of Newburgh, in support of our Super Sign Up philanthropic effort. And, lets not forget all of the prizes we were able to raffle off due to the generous donations of our vendors. With the first home football game being the next day, it was the perfect opportunity to get into the West Point Spirit and kick off a great year! opapvVoaarirltaiuobnuliestiefyvoseoralautrrh!neitseaeblrroeaarddy Gift Shoppe SanpdescCauiaabf-sle--LiCcwnLiolnoiuBmnkbNkomEiaLAgdirethdditatetvodPeereorrtssisthiioinpngs! Page 5 The Link Holiday 2019

musicians born & joy abounds! 26th year Winner of Family Favorites Award 4 years in a row! REGISTER NOW FOR WINTER classes for babies, or toddlers, or preschoolers, & mixed actions Weekdays & Saturdays Classes offered in New Windsor Highland Mills Goshen come DEMO a class Contact us for your Military Discount www.musicalmunchkins.net 845-802-2311 Facebook - Musical Munchkins of Orange

WPSC Ways & Means WPSC GIFT SHOPPE HOURS NOVEMBER 14th & 21st ~ 9:00 – 3:00 28th ~ CLOSED Now Open after Home Football Games DECEMBER ~ Extended Hours 5th, 12th & 19th ~ 9:00 – 6:00 26th ~ CLOSED HOLIDAY SHOPPING DAY Saturday December 7th at WPSC Gift Shoppe 8:00 – 3:00 Making a list, checking it twice……………..! ✓ BEAT NAVY napkins, mugs and T-shirts for the big game! ✓ Christmas Cards ✓ Porcelain chapel, cadet ball & lots of other ornaments ✓ Jewelry ✓ WPWC Cookbooks JANUARY 2020 CLOSED ~ All Thursdays in January Our Shoppe is always open at your convenience. To make an appointment please email [email protected] or shop with us on line at: www.shopthepoint.com Happy Holidays from your Ways & Means Team!

West Point and Wreaths Across America 10th Annual Ceremony Saturday, December 7, 2019 1200 hours Each December Wreaths Across America honors and remembers our country’s veterans with wreath laying ceremonies at cemeteries across the country. The organization, which grew out of Morrill Worcester’s annual tribute to veterans at Arlington National Cemetery, has a mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. They are committed to teaching younger generations about the value of their freedoms, and the importance of honoring those who sacrificed so much to protect those freedoms. For the past eight years, led by the passion of Jackie and Dan McNally, and Todd Crowder, our community has come together to bring this moving tradition to the West Point Cemetery. West Point Spouses’ Club is honored to support the wreath laying through our grant program and volunteering at the ceremony to lay wreaths. The ceremony always proves to be a moving day where we can pause during the busy holiday season to be together with family and reflect the mission of Wreaths Across America: Remember, Honor, Teach. December 2019 will mark the 10th annual ceremony and we hope you will join us to participate in the wreath laying. If you would like more information about the event and how to volunteer, please contact Laura Fregoso, Community Outreach and Grants Chair at [email protected]. Holy Innocents’ Parish [Episcopal] 401 Main Street, Highland Falls Parish Office: 845-446-2197 Sunday Services: Holy Innocents: 10:00 AM & 5:00 PM Nursery Care & Sunday School Provided During 10:00 AM Service St. Mark's Chapel: 8:30 AM 9 St. Mark's Pl, Ft. Montgomery Ministries: Cadet Ministry - Canterbury Club, Thrift Holy Innocents’ Thrift Store Ringlet 401 Main Street, Highland Falls Fine Hair Design Parish Office: 845-446-2197 Expert Color Hours: 196 Willow Avenue, Cornwall NY 1st ,3rd, 5th Wednesday 3:30-5:30 PM 845-534-0033 Every Thursday 9:00 AM-1:00 PM [email protected] Saturday 10:00 AM-1:00 PM Very reasonable prices! Needed: Housewares and Jewelry Gently-used Clothing/Shoes/Linens

Special Clubs Genevieve is an Army brat who calls Alabama home, and is married to her “almost” high school sweetheart, who she met at 16, started dating at 21, and has been with ever since. She is mom to three wild, rambunctious, and loving little boys, ages 6, 3, and 1, and loves reading, cups of coffee with friends, and going to the bathroom alone (see her boys’ ages above!). Most days you can catch her walking a jogging stroller of boys to school, preschool, and the MWR gym co-op. One of the first things I heard when I Genevieve Kennedy moved to West Point was to consider Special Clubs Chair joining the spouses' club for its special clubs. The book club alone was enough to draw me in, and within two meetings, I already felt much more grounded and part of the West Point community. What I’ve appreciated since initially joining WPSC and its special clubs is the opportunity it has given me to meet other members outside of my daily life and circles. We might have older kids, younger kids, or no kids, be from the West Coast, or the East Coast, we may have walked Army paths that look identical or have nothing in common, but for a few hours each month, we get the chance to relax together and build friendships. If you’re looking to connect more, explore new interests, or mix up your weeknight routine, then special clubs are a great place to start! Book Club, Cocktail Club, and Reel Fun (movie club) are active groups with monthly events shared on Facebook. We also have a Lunch Bunch, Deal of the Month, and Tour Group that are looking for leaders to become active again. Leading a special club simply means coordinating and sharing plans that the group decides together. Sound like something you would be interested in? Email me at ([email protected]). Page 9 The Link Holiday 2019

Scholarships Are you curious as to how the West Point Spouse’s Club invests in our West Point community? Last year, the WPSC awarded $18,000 in scholarships to 10 recipents!Eight were high school seniors heading to college and two were spouses activly engaged in continuing their education. To be eligible to receive a WPSC Scholarship, an applicant must be a WPSC member OR high school senior who is a child of a WPSC member who has joined by 1 January, or within 30 days of arrival at West Point, whichever is later. Academic scholarships must be used for payment of tuition and fees associated with an accredited college-level program, continuing education, or training. This is a one- time scholarship opportunity, for both member and high school senior. Be on the lookout in January for the 2019-20 Scholarship Application at: https://westpointspousesclub.org/scholarships/ For any questions regarding the application, required documentation, or selection/ notification process, please contact the WPSC Scholarship Chair, Denise Wambeke, at: [email protected] Programs the snacks. Thank you all for attending and making it another successful year! On Wednesday October 23,2019 we had our For November’s event we did a drop in event at annual haunted tour, guided by the West Point Bear Mountain Bakery in History Department. We had a huge interest in Highland Falls. The guest this event and an amazing turn out. A big thank enjoyed some signature you to the volunteers from the history treats from the bakery department for your time, y’all did an amazing including coffee and job! yummy cider. This was We started the evening with a little shopping at a free event for our the West Point Spouses' Club Gift Shoppe. We members. It was a great enjoyed some light refreshments, as well as opportunity for WPSC some yummy Jones Farm donuts provided by members to gather, relax West Point Family Homes. and make some new friends. Our tour took us through the cemetery up to the Catholic chapel, Beat Navy house, over to We have caroling Tara Brown the Superintendent's house and ending with a spooky story outside the barracks. coming up in Programs Chair All guest were invited back to the store to enjoy December and some other fun events on the horizon! I Can’t wait to see y’all there!

Carrying on the tradition for over 80 years Caroling for Cadets of bringing holiday cheer to The Corps! Caroling for Cadets Caroling for Cadets is a tradition of West Point Spouses' Club and West Point community that December 6th 6:00-7:30 PM dates back to 1938. Community are joined by the West Point Middle School Band music and we sing traditional Christmas songs, pass candy canes out to the Cadets, and share holiday-cheer and joy along the sidewalks and corridors throughout the barracks. Cadets look out their windows, sing along and even play their own instruments making this a memorable event. This year we have the pleasure to invite you and your family to this great event, December 6, 2019, at 6 pm. We will gather in front of Quarters 100 We will gather in front of Quarters 100 to start this adventure, then we will gather back and enjoy some hot cocoa to share a moment together as community. The perfect way to start this holiday season. Community Hi, my name is Laura Fregoso, I am the WPSC Laura Fregoso Community Outreach and Grants Chair. I have been a Community Outreach military wife for 19 years now, during which I have always looked for ways to give back to our Chair community. I have been part of other Spouses’ Clubs, serving on the board or running sub-clubs. This is the second time my husband has been assigned to West Point. I knew then that this time around that I wanted to make a difference in our community. I have volunteered among other military spouses to teach English to a few of our International Officers’ spouses that sometimes come with limited English (although I need classes myself). I also coordinate our West Point Girl Scouts' Cookie program and I am always looking for opportunities to volunteer with my two kids and husband. I believe that we can change the world if we look around us and help those that need a hand. I love to see people come together to for a common cause, whether it’s to pass out water to runners in a marathon or cook for a neighbor that just had surgery. Come and make a difference with me!

Casino Night 2020! On behalf of the West Point Spouses’ Club, we are proud to announce our 2020 Annual Casino Night and Auction to be held on February 21st, 2020 at the West Point Club from 6pm-11pm! TRdudwenxharohepeinyiqslceaetusiclhnieenrteg,aigpnm,issgroCueiinzpaajegtosnhasiionmni!sstoyohiynoeGneruteaahrygrmefrifeaseofvsuarC,ontaeBrtsbdilutiayunerccnokBaojtoauicnotkdnt,,ahSlVisislielcylhaneiotanlrA,awrousrcihttBihipooslnni!v,deWa-Gnmedirualsraiecll, GTauciapafcnrmkiy'eetoentwsusd,raalHysirtieorttert$osem4erss0ienR.aed0ane0cydirona,pguntu,hdttiLhsteeChifrsaitsesaR!iinnnigocalhudNtduiCgelteshnntcithgoeihnprt,syaoofnuoudtrr,BCcsaloaalsecpiknnlejodaaacsrke!! WlAinsee RWohyaatletoatWtireea.r? The Dicey Divas are modeling Casino We are also looking for volunteers for Casino Night, so please reach out if you want to be a part of this unique event! Specifically, we are looking for 4-5 people to help secure donations for the Silent Auction and others to help staff the silent auction in 1.5-hour shifts. We are also looking for volunteers to help with Casino Games! Please reach out to [email protected] for more information! Thank you so much! Sa e the Date!

Welcome The West Point Spouses’ Club is so excited to welcome Mrs. Terri Buzzard and Mrs. Traci Buddie to our West Point family! Mrs. Terri Buzzard is the spouse of Brigadier General Curtis A. Buzzard, our 78th Commandant of Cadets. Mrs. Buzzard herself comes from a Military family, as her father was Active duty for more than 30 years and two of her siblings served as well. Mrs. Buzzard attended the University of Vermont on an ROTC Scholarship and graduated with a degree in Nursing. Mrs. Buzzard met BG Buzzard at Ft. Bragg, her first duty station. Their family has spent a number of years at Ft. Bragg, in addition to Germany and Joint Base Lewis- McChord in Washington state. Professionally, Mrs. Buzzard has specialized in Maternal Child Healthcare, specifically in the area of Labor and Delivery. Personally, Mrs. Buzzard is mother to three daughters. Their eldest daughter Katie is in Graduate school at the University of North Carolina. Their younger two daughters Caroline and Anna both attend the United States Naval Academy. Mrs. Tracie Buddie is the spouse of West Point’s new Athletic Director, Mike Buddie. Mrs. Buddie grew up in North Carolina, graduating from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Mrs. Buddie has worked for the past ten years in the school systems in North and South Carolina, and hopes to continue that work here at West Point. The Buddies have two children. Their son Zachary attends Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and their daughter Zoe is in high school. Both Mrs. Buzzard and Mrs. Buddie are warm, intelligent, welcoming women, and we as a West Point community are lucky to have them!

Sing for Seconds 300th Recipe Winner! Congratultions Lisa Felther! Submit Your Recipes at typensave.com! Moms & Tots Moms and Tots has had a great start to the year! We have had so many new members this year, and of course our returning members! We have loved getting to know our moms and watching our tots interact and grow with one another! Who We Are: The West Point Spouses’ Club Moms and Tots group is meant to provide fun and engaging events that foster socialization and support among its members, while exploring the many opportunities that West Point and the Hudson Valley have to offer. We pride ourselves on providing a laid-back atmosphere where parents can get to know each other, and tots can play and learn. Upcoming Events: We are going to make our way to the Cornwall Public Library and enjoy a great story time and explore one of the great libraries that the Hudson Valley has to offer. We are going to get creative and make ornaments for the upcoming holiday at the Arts and Crafts Center on post. We will have the opportunity to listen to the West Point Band rehearse for one of their upcoming shows. We are also going to close out 2019 with a Christmas Party! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for all the details for our upcoming events for December! How to Join: We define our “tots” as anyone under kindergarten school age. After joining the West Point Spouses’ Club for the current year, you are eligible to participate in all Moms and Tots events. We use our private Facebook page to coordinate events, notify members of any changes, and manage RSVPs to events. We can also notify through email for those not on social media. If you would like to see what we do before committing, you may attend one event as a guest for free. However, membership in the West Point Spouses’ Club is required for continued participation in Moms and Tots events. We hope to see you soon! How to Reach Us: The co-leaders for the 2019-2020 year are Lindsay Fust and Lauren Woody. Page 14 Please email us at [email protected] for any questions or concerns. The Link Holiday 2019

2019 Lactation consulting, doula care and Recipe are being accep ed a childbirth education bloomandgrowbirth.com Elizabeth Flannery 774-571-1421 TYPENSAVE.COM U e ame: WPSCCOOKBOOK19 Pa d: Pic e873 For more information, please contact c b @e i e c b. g Join on Facebook a .faceb .c /g / c2019c b

Carrying on the tradition for over 80 years of bringing holiday cheer to The Corps! Caroling for Cadets December 6th 6:00-7:30 PM We will gather in front of Quarters 100