Branch Report – November, 2009

The Clearwater Branch (Charter # 213 formed in 1957) has 20 current members who live in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando Counties from St. Petersburg to Brooksville, with two members living out of state.  We include members in all three disciplines; some members qualify in more than one discipline.

Our Executive Board meets bi-monthly and members are welcome to attend. We have four to five general meetings/events scheduled for September-May each year, which are held in the various geographic areas represented to encourage our members to attend. 

At least three new members will join our branch within the next few months as the result of a membership drive. We also welcomed a new member in December 2008, writer Fran Mattucci, and a new member in November 2009, Safety Harbor artist Sus Devnani.

Sadly, we lost two members. Laura Parker Schofer, art member, died August 2008. In addition to being a Pen Woman, Laura was a founding member of the Miniature Art Society of Florida, and her work was of many styles and subjects. She was a past-president of the Clearwater branch. Freda Belle Gower Ward, letters member, wrote a number of humorous books and columns and spoke at churches and other gatherings throughout the Tampa Bay area. She died in March 2009.

Events and Activities:

/ Hired Pen Woman Caroline McKeon to design and maintain a branch Web site. Each member

has a page to highlight and promote her work.

/ Branch outings to view the Miniature Art Society of Florida exhibit at the Dunedin Fine Arts

Center and to tour the new wing at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts.

/ Sponsored a booth for members at the first annual “Art in the Park,” held by the City of

Oldsmar. Nine members displayed their art and/or performed readings during the festival.

/ Co-sponsoring with Safety Harbor Public Library a monthly book club to promote interest in

the literary arts (a pilot program that will begin in January 2010). Book club will be

reading works by St. Petersburg Poet Laureate Peter Meinke, in April, National Poetry Month. Peter has agreed to come to the meeting to discuss poetry, read some of his work and sign books.

Charrie Hazard Moscardini, Branch Co-President

1403 N. Bayshore Drive, Safety Harbor, FL – 34695

(727) 743-8995 charrie-m@earthlink.net