Category: What’s New @ UMW

Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont will offer daily “Holidays with the Melchers” 30-minute guided tours of the artfully decorated Georgian house throughout December. The museum is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours run on the hour, starting at 10:30 a.m. and are included in the regular admission price of $10 for adults. Students 18 years old and younger are admitted free with an accompanying, paying adult, limit two. Current UMW faculty, staff and students are admitted free.

The tour will showcase imaginative decorations and vignettes that interpret life at the Melchers’ cherished Falmouth country retreat. All exterior decorations are provided courtesy of the Rappahannock Valley Garden Club.

The museum gift shop, decked out for the season, will offer a wide selection of books, advent calendars, art supplies and gift items.

Join the James Monroe Museum this Saturday to get in the holiday mood!

Tickets are still available for “Deck the Halls,” the annual holiday decorating presentation by Jan Williams, which will be held in Dodd Auditorium from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. This program has hundreds of loyal fans and will give you great ideas on how to decorate your home for the season! Tickets are $22 for UMW faculty and staff and include a breakfast of seasonal breads, pastries, coffee and tea. Call x1123 or e-mail auphaus@umw.edu to purchase.

On Saturday afternoon, visit the museum (at 908 Charles Street) for our free holiday Open House from 4 to 6 p.m., before the downtown Holiday Parade. We’ll have hot cider and cookies, and visitors will see the special exhibit “A Monroe Christmas,” which shows how the holidays were celebrated during Monroe’s time.

An added bonus is that a jazz ensemble from the Quantico Marine Corps Band will give a free performance of seasonal tunes in our courtyard at 4 p.m.!

We hope to see you all there!

Join the Eagle Business Book Club on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 a.m. in duPont Hall, Room 211 for its second meeting.

The club was formed to give UMW faculty and staff an opportunity to read books that pertain to our work environment—our goal is to learn and share best practices in the workplace!  To that end, each month we will read a different ‘business book’ and then discuss it.

The book for the December meeting is “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath.  Pick up a copy of the book, complete the online test and be ready to discuss your top five strengths at the meeting.

The Eagle Book Club Steering Committee members are Rosemary Arneson, Erma Baker, Donna Mejia, Fred Pierce, Lynne Richardson, Doug Searcy and Justin Webb.  If you have specific questions, please contact a member of the Steering Committee.  Oh, and it’s BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffee)!

– Lynne Richardson, Dean, College of Business

This year there are more than 1,700 children whose parents requested Christmas assistance from the Fredericksburg Salvation Army, an all-time high. UMW Circle K International is helping the Salvation Army with the Third Annual Toy and Book Drive. CKI is collecting toys and books for children of all ages to help bring a brighter holiday to disadvantaged children, and would love the support of UMW faculty and staff.

There will be boxes around campus following Thanksgiving Break, including one in the UMW Bookstore, Library, and one in front of Student Activities in Seacobeck Hall. All toys and books must be donated by Thursday, December 8.

UMW students, faculty, and staff took time to sign the Spirit Rock Tuesday, November 15, in recognition of National Philanthropy Day. Sponsored by the UMW Student Philanthropy Council and the Office of Advancement, the event showcased the many ways in which private gifts enhance the Mary Washington experience.

Students placed gift tags in front of buildings, benches, and other physical features to highlight the impact of private donations. Signs with specific giving statistics told the story behind scholarships and other private gifts from alumni, parents, and friends.

National Philanthropy Day is hosted around the world as a way for charities and nonprofit organizations to show appreciation for the gifts they receive throughout the year. For more information about the UMW Student Philanthropy Council, contact the Office of Advancement at umwgift@umw.edu or 540/654-1024.