Marco Island Woman’s Club: A stronghold of our community
The Marco Island Woman’s Club (MIWC) recently stepped into spring at their April luncheon. The tables at Naples Lakes Country Club were aglow with centerpieces of Bird of Paradise flowers, created by MIWC members Kristina Jones and Stephanie Kann with a little help from Marco Island Florist, delicious meal selections of steak or eggplant cannelloni, and the smiling happy faces of seventy-nine women gathered to celebrate a wonderful season of this amazing organization.
MIWC President Sharyn Kampmeyer welcomed the crowd as Shirley Thayer led the Pledge of Allegiance and a musical rendition of “God Bless America.”
We welcomed MIWC new member Elaine Newman. The invocation reflected on the importance of individuals as they join in a sense of community, quoting the words of Mother Teresa, “We know all too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if that drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something … I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Marco Island Assistant City Manager, Dr. Casey Lucius, was the guest speaker, sharing information of various city projects and concerns, including water quality of our canals and waterways, traffic control and roadway maintenance and hurricane season preparation. Lucius has led a fascinating life, having served as a Naval Intelligence Officer, deployed for two years on a ship in the Middle East, earning a Master’s degree, and later earning a PhD in political science.
Early on, she found inspiration from reading a book about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Little did she know that someday she would be working right near the spot of the original missile tracking station during that crisis, right here on Marco Island! She says that her life has always had a pattern of doing what no one else wants to do, but by doing so, what she has received in return has been outstanding.
Lucius spoke of an amazing time in her life when she and her husband were civilian employees at the US Embassy in Hanoi. During that time, she had the opportunity to spend three days with then First Lady Laura Bush. She remarked upon the words of our MIWC motto: “Why you were born and why you are living depends on what you are getting out of this world and what you are giving,” reminding us that an attitude of willingness always pays off.
The Marco Island Woman’s Club continues to live by that rule, always looking for ways to reach out to our community. A few weeks ago, several of us participated in the Marco Island Half Marathon/5K, an event that raised funds to support local schools and students.
Currently, MIWC has commenced upon their own “scholarship season,” getting ready to present several scholarships to graduating high school seniors, and awarding four renewable scholarships to previous awardees who are now college students. We look forward to volunteering at many upcoming local events, including Camp Able in July.
Our April meeting included the election of our 2024-25 Executive Board. They are:
- President – Maureen Chodaba
- Vice President – Karen Caster
- Recording Secretary – Gwyn Steiner
- Corresponding Secretary – Anita Drake
- Treasurer – Sue Niebling
- Assistant Treasurer – Dawn Marceau
- Advisor – Sharyn Kampmeyer
The Executive Board will be installed at our annual Scholarship Luncheon, May 1 at the Island Country Club, 500 Nassau Rd., Marco Island.
We look forward to a future of giving back to our community. Membership to the Marco Island Woman’s Club is available to all women who live on Marco Island, full-time or part-time, whether you own or rent. Please join us! For more information, visit marcowomansclub.com.
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