Interest Groups

The members of the San Fernando Valley Branch are not only concerned, determined, intelligent and talented, we are friendly and fun. All the things that bring us together in the first place -- a desire for growth, for reaching out, for professional challenge, for success -- are also the basis for long-lasting personal relationships. We blend these activities with lots of opportunities to socialize. We have almost a dozen different groups to promote various educational and social activities.

Our daytime literature group features stimulating discussions on a wide variety of topics and authors.  Each member reads the book chosen by the group and participates in a lively and interesting exchange of ideas.

We read a broad range of books including fiction and nonfiction. Each month a member presents background information on the author and summarizes reviews of the book.

Meetings are held on the first Friday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to noon throughout the year at members’ homes.

Due to space constraints, this group is full. Please call if you are interested in starting a new group.

Our group has selected a varied list of books for the coming year: some fiction, some biography and autobiography; some other nonfiction; some by male authors and some by female authors.  We’ve tried to choose well-written and highly recommended books.  From past experience, many of the books open our hearts and stretch our minds.

Each of us reads the books, if at all possible, in preparation for discussion.  Discussions are always lively, reveal new ideas, and bring new insights to situations and to behavior and motivation of the characters or subjects.

We meet at members’ homes on the second Wednesday of the month.  Time, place and book to be discussed will be in the Valley Link.  We welcome you to explore with us the wonders of literature.

The former Luncheon Gourmet has evolved into a more informal and less work-oriented group called the Lunch Bunch. According to the motto, “Elegant But Easy”, the emphasis will be on popular lighter foods and on a variety of ethnic specialties without much cooking. When in a home, there will usually be appetizers and beverages served before the main course. The cost of the lunch will be shared by all.

During the 2006 – 2007 season, we will have one person plan a luncheon each month. This might be a meal at a local restaurant, a “take-out lunch” at the home of the hostess, or a light menu prepared by the member such as a salad or taco bar.

We usually meet at 11:30 a.m. on the last Friday of the month. Watch the monthly Valley Link for specific details. Do join us for delicious cuisine and delightful conversation!

For those book lovers who want evening meetings, our Night Literature group meets on Wednesdays.  Our choices of books challenge our hearts and minds, thereby enlarging our comprehension of the world.  For example, without aiming for women’s issues, our selection of books has given us an identification and awareness of women’s lives in other times and cultures.  By our readings, we see beyond ourselves and our time.

Books are chosen by the group.  They may be fact or fiction, contemporary or classical, but all give us an opportunity to discuss and relate the contents to current life as well as to previous readings.

This group gives us an opportunity to experience and share books we often meant to read but didn’t.  We have lively, exciting discussions and develop friendships.  It’s both a stimulating and a social event to experience.

Our book selections are available both in the library and in paperback.  We meet in various homes on the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.   Please check the Valley Link and join us.

New interest groups can be formed at anytime.  All it takes is a few members interested in a subject and someone willing to organize the meetings.  If you have a topic you are interested in and want to find out if others have the same interest, you can put a short article in the Branch's newsletter to ask people with this interest to contact you.