News

founding members cutting cake

The seven charter members of Belleville’s Circle of Friends, shared the cake cutting duties for the group’s first birthday gathering in the Parkdale Community Centre last Thursday. Left to right are: front row, the three founders, Cathy Travers, Del Packard and Michelle Scott; back row, four other charter members, Martin Coxon, Glen Purcell, Dani Cameron and Steve Shortt. Photo: Jack Evans

By Jack Evans ... EMS ... Sept. 2009

Belleville - Loneliness frequently has been described as a common curse in contemporary society. But Belleville’s fledgling Circle of Friends group has found its own way to combat it.
At a merry gathering in the Parkdale Community Centre last week, about three dozen members, former members and prospective new members celebrated the group’s first birthday with a dinner, birthday cake, music and socializing.
The organization was born out of three friends who thought others might like to share companionship and fun. They were Del Packard, Michelle Scott and Cathy Travers.
The concept, as they explained it at the birthday gathering, was “to start a friendship club to provide a safe, secure environment where strangers and friends could meet in a social setting, also, to explore our community and all it has to offer.”
The present membership of about 30 now includes people of different ages and backgrounds. Some are married, some single, some divorced or widowed, some working, some retired, both men and women.
“With our club, people don’t have to sit home bored anymore,” said Scott.
The club meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Parkdale Centre and there they decide what special events or outings they will hold in the coming month. That may include going to a pub, bowling, theatre, special festivals or fairs. There is also a networking service; if any one member has an outing of interest, they will probably find two or three others to go along with them.
Scott summed up: “Looking back at the past year, we sure were busy. We had a lot of fun exploring Belleville and made some good friends along the way. The coming year promises to be just as busy and just as much fun.”
Anyone wanting more information can attend any of the first Thursday gatherings, or telephone 613-966-4721.

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Janet Richards from Sun Media Sept. 2009

When three local women decided to expand their circle of friends last year they had no idea how big that circle would become. Del Packard, Cathy Travers and Michelle Scott started the Circle of Friends group in September 2008 with seven members. As the group celebrated its first birthday last week that number had grown to close to 40. The three women behind the group originally came up with the idea after discussing the fact there were no social friendship events in the area unless you were a senior or into the bar scene. In an interview last year, Travers said there are people who want to do things but might not have anyone to do them with, a thought that led to the creation of Circle of Friends.

The group meets the first Thursday of each month at Parkdale Community centre to organize activities that take place throughout the month. From games and card nights at members’ homes to pub nights, bowling and restaurant outings the group offers a wide range of activities. Members can also choose which activities they want to take part in according to their interests. Along with the local outings, the group also travels farther afield and has plans to visit the Haliburton Forest wolf sanctuary and Niagara Falls as well as take a Thousand Islands boat cruise. Both Travers and Packard said they are “amazed” at how the group has grown and how much f un everyone has socializing.

Packard said one of its best features is that it’s not a singles club, it’s just a social group. Scott, who was new to the area when the group began, said Circle of Friends has helped her discover more about Belleville and the surrounding area and what it has to offer. “It’s a good way to meet people and you don’t have to depend on someone else to do something with you,” Scott said.

When the group first started that was part of the philosophy as well. People might have been sitting at home with no one to socialize with, to do something as simple as going to a movie. The group can also be beneficial to someone whose spouse has different social interests or who is new to the area.

“ Just think, last year there were 40 people who may have been just sitting at home and now they’re here having fun,” Packard said, looking around the community centre Thursday night.

There are currently members from across the Quinte region including, Picton, Brighton and Roslin. Packard said she has also had a few calls from people in Napanee asking about the group.

Anyone interested in learning more about Circle of Friends is welcome to attend the organizational meeting on the first Thursday of each month or call 613-966-4721 for more information.

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Snap Quinte 2009 July

Circle of Friends

On Thursday, June 11th, I visited the Bayview Mall Bowling Lanes in Belleville, to meet the Circle of Friends Group. They are a social club based in Belleville who go out to various events and businesses in the area. Wherever they are, they are out as a group of friends. September will mark their 1st year anniversary. The monthly meetings are (the first Thursday of each month).

bowling

bowling team

steve bowling

Snap Quinte 2009 April

Murder Mystery Dinner

The Circle of Friends is an open group of married and singles who meet the 1st Thursday of the month at the Parkdale Community Centre in Belleville. They also do outings together - such as the Murder Mystery Dinner. This who-done-it play is based at a restaurant where one of the 8 characters is a murderer. (www.circleoffriends.info)

Front - Tara Misu, Bo Jalais, Father Alfredo, Angel, Rear - Mama Rosa, Clair Voyant, Rocco Scarfazzi, Marco Roni

guests

Friendship group met with enthusiastic response

■ Cathy Travers, Del Packard and Michelle Scott founded Circle of
Friends in Belleville in September in hopes of creating a small social
group to get together socially. The response has been “overwhelming”
with at least 30 people expected at the November monthly meeting.
Photo by Janet Richards

BY JANET RICHARDS
Belleville – When three local women decided they wanted to expand their circle of friends, they had no idea they were tapping into an apparent need in the community. Del Packard, Cathy Travers and Michelle Scott got talking a few months ago about the fact that there were no social friendship events in the area unless you were a senior or into the bar scene.
Travers said there are people who want to do things but perhaps don’t have anyone to do them with. That realization led to the creation of Circle of Friends.
The group meets monthly and organizes several activities throughout each month. The group advertised its first meeting through flyers and by word of mouth, and 14 people showed up for the Sept. 4 session.
The group grew to about 20 in October and calls from people interested in joining indicate there could be as many as 33 at tonight’s (Nov. 13) meeting at the Parkdale Community Centre.“It’s been overwhelming, the response,” Packard said. She said people have told her they have been waiting
for a group such as this in the area and they have come from as far as Picton, Trenton and Brighton to be a part of it.
The monthly meetings offer an opportunity to take care of business for the organization, exchange ideas and share in some social time. The three women, who currently make up the executive of the group, also hope to start planning some type of entertainment or line up guest speakers for the monthly meetings.
Group events so far have included a pub night, bingo, bowling, cards, trips to restaurants and a trip to a corn maze. A potluck dinner is planned for December, a craft night is in the works and theatre trips and a Thousand Islands cruise have also been discussed.
There is no obligation to attend events and members can decide which things they want to participate in. The group has also given members the opportunity to find people to do other things with. Packard said she had wanted to attend the Randy Travis concert in Belleville and would never have gone by herself but some others from Circle of Friends went with her. She said there are a lot of single people in the group as well as one couple. The group can also be beneficial to someone whose spouse has different social interests or those like Scott who are new to the area. “It’s hard to meet people,” said Scott, who moved here about a year and a half ago. “You can meet people casually, but it’s hard to form friendships.”
The three stressed that friendship is what the group is all about. “It’s all in the name of friendship,” Packard said, adding that Circle of Friends is not a singles club nor does it have any religious affiliations.
Members of the group so far range in age from about 35 to 75 and include both men and women. A small monthly membership fee helps pay for the hall rental and the group’s website at www.circleoffriends.info which will eventually feature a chat room. The group is intended to be nonprofit but self-supporting. A monthly newsletter has also been designed. The first meeting took place in someone’s living room, but the group decided it needed a larger venue as more people expressed an interest. Packard said the legwork for founding the group would have been the same for 10 people or 100 and she hopes it continues to grow. With that growth the three hope to find other people to take on leadership roles in the group. “It’s a members group,” Packard said. “It is what they make it.” Travers added, “It’s all about getting out and having a couple of laughs.” Anyone interested in learning more can visit the website or call Del Packard at 613-966-4721.

Snap Quinte

2008 November
Circle of Friends Pub Night

A new group has formed called "Circle of Friends." I met up with some of them at the Village Pub in Rossmore. It is an open group and can be contacted at delpack101@yahoo.com or 613-966-4721. In the other corner of the pub came the sweet musical sounds of singer/songwriter Tony Silvestri--so I snapped his picture as well! ... photos by Paul White

Tony Silvestri is a singer, songwriter & pianist (www.myspace.com/tsilvestri)

The Shield

Circle of friends
By Jack Evans
Belleville - What do you do in Belleville if you’re not a senior, a young person or a fan of the bar scene?
Not very much was what newcomer Deloris Packard discovered after moving here about two years ago.
So she started her own group to have fun called Circle of Friends.
“I arranged the Parkdale Community Centre as a location and our first meeting was in September. Already we have more than 20 people as members,” she reported.
She said the group offers activities and get-togethers for people ages 35 to 75, including cards, bowling, craft sessions, going to concerts or shows.
“We find our members like to go places with a group they would not go to by themselves. There is no religious affiliation and it doesn’t matter whether members are single or married.”
The group normally meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., but sometimes there are extra events. A recent group trip to the Haggerty Spooky Corn Maze turned out to be a fun evening.
Anyone interested can turn up at any meeting. There is a $5 per month dues fee to cover costs for the community centre.