Volunteering brings Sacred Heart alums together all in the name of GOLF

Fellow Chicago Women's District Golf Association board members
and Sacred Heart "Sisters" pose with MER (l-r);
Nancy Martin Hammond, SR'66, MV'72 and Sally Reuter Clissold, NC'64

Since I am a board member of the Chicago Women's District Golf Association, yesterday morning I drove to Itasca Country Club to attend our annual Fall Meeting.  This meeting is a nice gathering of approximately 150 woman from all over Chicagoland and a few from Indiana.  The group consists of Golf Chairs, Team Captains and players who have participated this past golf season in team matches and tournaments hosted by the CWDGA.  We gather together for a little socializing over a delicious breakfast buffet, complete with prepared to order omelets and waffles. During breakfast we hold a business meeting and listen to reports and vote on a new slate of officers and directors for the CWDGA.  Beautifully wrapped prizes, "hole-in-one" pins and certificates of appreciation are awarded to many before they depart.  Traditionally the incoming and outgoing board members gather afterwards around Noon for a celebratory toast to a great year with anticipation of yet another wonderful golf season in 2012.  

Of course it seems I can never go far without running into or connecting with fellow Sacred Heart alums.  I first learned from Sally Clissold that she was an alum when she brought to a CWDGA board meeting her copy of Esprit de Coeur which had a photo of me in it. It was later this summer at our annual CWDGA Championship hosted at Ruth Lake Country Club that I learned Nancy Hammond who recently joined the board was an alumna too!  What a wonderful day indeed!   

I hope all have enjoyed this Feast of Mater and have had an opportunity to go to the website to view the beautiful photos.  If not, click below and be sure to turn up the volume!  

The full-sized movie, a much clearer version, can be seen at: https://sacredheartportal.org/schools/sacredheart/MaterAdmirabilisF7.mov

CWDGA hosts 80th Annual Championship

Pictured (left to right) with MER are fellow Sacred Heart alums:  
Sally Clissold, (NC '64),  also a fellow CWDGA Board member and Nancy L. Sullivan (WA '65), First Flight Champion Winner

The Chicago Women's District Golf Association (CWDGA) hosted its 80th Annual Championship at Ruth Lake Country Club earlier this week.  This tournament is billed as the most prestigious tournament of the season for the CWDGA. The field consisted of 72 amateur women golfers from the Chicagoland area who participated in the three day match play event. What a wonderful three day event it was!  Complete with gorgeous weather and spectacular golf!  It was a pleasure to referee and watch fellow Sacred Heart alumna, Nancy L. Sullivan as she was declared the winner of the First Flight after a sudden death victory won on the 20th hole! 

Congratulations to Tanya Olson winner of the 80th Annual CWDGA Championship and also a fellow CWDGA board member who made a spectacular birdie putt on the 18th hole!   Yesterday marked the second consecutive year that Tanya has been declared winner of the CWDGA Championship!

Golf and a very special RSCJ

MER and Ginny Dennehy, RSCJ
photo taken at Oakwood in the Rose Room on May 29, 2011

Last week as I volunteered for the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship being hosted at Olympia Fields Country Club, my thoughts turned to a very special RSCJ whom I met when I attended Barat College.  Virginia Dennehy, RSCJ, PhD., lived in Dougherty Dorm and once I found out that as a young girl she played competitive golf,  I cajoled her into giving those interested in the game a few pointers on their respective swings.  Sr. Dennehy moved out to California shortly after I graduated.  She currently teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and serves as a spiritual guide and counselor to individuals, couples and families in the Atherton/Menlo Park area of California.  Yes, on occasion she may even get in a round of golf!  On a recent trip to Atherton, after Sunday morning mass with the retired religious at Oakwood, Ginny came up to greet me with a warm smile.  She currently lives near the Oakwood Community in Redwood City.  We had an opportunity to catch up over lunch before I headed to the airport and back to Chicago. To learn more about Sr. Dennehy, click here to  read the Winter 2010 issue of Heart Magazine (page 20-21).