Woman's Club of Bala Cynwyd Restores and Revitalizes

 When you think about revitalizing or renewing something, you usually don't take a step back. In order to maintain the classic fundamentals on which the Woman's Club of Bala Cynwyd was founded, Fran Keilt and the members had to take a step into the past so they could move forward. On Sunday, the Woman's Club of Bala Cynwyd held an open house to show off the gorgeous hall renovations and give the community a taste of things to come.

The afternoon was a very elegant and relaxed event. JPM Catering and Events works closely with the Woman's Club to provide catering services for many weddings and events at the hall. The afternoon provided classic tea sandwiches and pastries. While touring the facilities, guests were treated to the music of accordionist Dallas Vietty, classical guitarist Peter Delaplane and vocalists John and Jessica Smitherman.

As the older generation of Woman’s Club members begins to retire from activities, a younger group of women (and men) have begun to rebuild this civic organization, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year. Members like Cindy Barkovich and Kathleen Hunt have been working with president Keilt to recreate the club's tradition. One of the first major tasks was renovating the hall. The group worked to have the roof redone and refinish the floor of the main hall.

"The new floor really changed the whole room," said Hunt. They also replaced the curtains of the main stage, which had been falling apart after many years. Some landscaping was also updated in the gardens as well as some internal electrical work. Keilt is currently in the process of getting the building on the Historical Inventory for Lower Merion. This would help maintain the historical integrity of the building by keeping any renovations and alterations of the structure consistent with its original time period.

Most of the current members all have a close connection with the organization. Keilt took ballet lessons in the basement dance room. Hunt and Barkovich remember tap and ballroom dancing lessons. Member Tricia Ferguson didn't grow up in the area, but her husband attended several cotillions as a young man. One of the latest members, Marci Landsmann, fell in love with hall and the Woman's Club when searching for a place to hold her December nuptials. Landsmann explained one of the main goals of the Woman's Club is to focus on community outreach and the promotion of the arts.

The Woman's Club still does a lot of traditional events like afternoon tea and luncheons, but they are also enhancing their programs with more modern activities. Starting in June, Paul Cheng of Cheng's Martial Arts School will be offering classes at the Woman's Club every Monday and Wednesday. The classes are open to the public. Men, women, and children of all experience levels are invited to come out. If you have never done martial arts, Cheng's crew will evaluate and place you in the appropriate class or level. Classes are $120 a month for two classes a week.

The Laugh Out Loud Theatre Company will begin a two-week run of its show All Aboard...And Then Some. Group members who saw it downtown at the Adrienne Theatre wanted to share this comedy with the suburbs. Writer John D. Smitherman was at the open house promoting the show, which begins its run Thursday, May 5. He feels the humorous play would be ideal for Mother's Day. Adult tickets are $18 and seniors pay $12.50. Tickets are still available through their website.

The revitalization has been very successful so far. Keilt says that membership has increased by 100 percent and the community has embraced the organization’s efforts. They even have two sisters who became members despite living in Hawaii and Connecticut. The biggest events they do are still weddings in the main hall, but there is something special about having a wedding in such a historical location. Keilt says brides get very excited when they hear how local pioneers of the suffrage movement built the organization.

They are still looking for a few creative and dedicated women or men to help develop more programs and promote the organization. If you are interested in joining the Woman's Club of Bala Cynwyd you can visit the website or email president Fran Keilt.