Please join us for our April Torch Club dinner. The presentation at this month’s meeting will be by John Delano who will discuss “The Apollo 11 Landing on the Moon: Little-known Stories.” We look forward to a fun evening with you and your guests.
Your timely response about your plans for dinner is very important-RSVP by April 11 at noon.
TORCH CLUB OF WILLIAMSBURG MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
April 15, 2025 Dinner Meeting
LOCATION: Colonial Heritage Clubhouse
6500 Arthur Hills Drive Williamsburg, VA 23188
Meeting Agenda
5:30 p.m. – Mingling; registration; cash bar
6:00 p.m. – Announcements and reports
6:15 p.m. – Dinner
7:00 p.m. – Program/Questions
8:00 p.m. – Adjourn
MENU
–Spinach Salad w/goat cheese,blueberries, onions; or penne pasta tossed/ tomatoes, fresh herbs
–Entree-Grilled Rosemary chicken w/sour cherry sauce /or char-grilled salmon with a pineapple teriyaki glaze; w/ wild mushroom risotto, and broccolini
–Dessert
Tanya Fisher will be our greeter for the evening.
A Word from President Peter Mellette…
Spring is in the air – we are in the midst of April rain – both water and pollen. And there is much to distract us from our daily work and investment angst as we look at the trees and flowers outside. It must be time for our April Torch meeting.
Since we last met, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, our space station astronauts – whose 8-day journey became an almost 9-month sojourn – are now home. It was a fitting reminder that space travel doesn’t always go as planned. Our own Astrobiologist-in-residence John Delano has studied the materials brought back from prior lunar missions and knows about the unpredictability of space travel. John has put together a fascinating presentation on the Apollo 11 mission. Please join us on April 15 as we hear about how Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins got to make that giant leap for mankind – and how lucky those astronauts were, given the circumstances.
Last month our Treasurer and webmaster Walt Bayer told us about how the GAO and IG federal auditing processes were designed to work and how the changes over the last few months affect a job that he knows well from his past work as an auditor. It was both topical and prompted lots of discussion…and hopefully a Torch magazine paper for those who didn’t get to see it.
The Torch Club of Williamsburg is about reaching across and drawing from our different professions and interests to learn from each other – it is dedicated to lifelong learning and to building new connections to information and interesting people in our community.
Your board continues to work to put together fun and interesting meetings. We met as a board last week to address a number of matters that help our club continue to grow. We voted to approve 4 new members – John and Dorothy Gudgel and Susan and Bill Geary. Be sure to welcome them when you can.
The board also heard from our nominating committee about nominees for officers and four directors for the upcoming year. Be sure to attend the April meeting to nominate and then the May meeting to vote on the slate. We also heard about marketing efforts, including an ad in Next Door Neighbors, which have already provided us contacts to other interesting people in our community. The board also approved Walt Bayer and Kathi Mestayer as delegates to the June International Association of Torch Clubs meeting. Others are welcome to attend via Zoom. Finally, we can also use greeters at future meetings – see Walt and Camilla Buchanan if interested.
The meeting venue was also a topic of discussion by the board. After an extensive search over the last two years, we have a current arrangement with Colonial Heritage which is an inclusive price of $40 per person, with a guarantee of 25 attendees. That includes the location, buffet, tax, gratuity, and all staff, including the bartender. We can continue to stay at Colonial Heritage next year, but we want your feedback before committing to another year. Please let your board (Kathi Mestayer, Walt Bayer, Denise Harrington, Steve Berke, Lynn Bernard, Camilla Buchanan, Lois Manes, and me) know of your wishes.
The Program Committee continues to plan informative and engaging topics for each meeting. The talks ahead range from space exploration to spiritual women. We welcome your recommendations and invite your participation as we schedule meetings for Winter/Spring 2026. See Kathi Mestayer and Lois Manes if you have an idea for a program or fill out the list on the table in April.
We look forward to seeing you next week! See you on April 15th and please be sure to let Denise know by noon on Friday, April 11th if you and your guests plan to attend. We need to let Colonial Heritage know in advance so that they will have enough place settings and food for the meals.
Williamsburg Torch Club 