In her year as chairperson of the Civilian Welfare Fund at Natick Soldier Systems Center, Kathy Ferent had a modest goal.
"My ideal is every, single event that we have, I have always wanted to try to have everybody make at least one new friend, to introduce themselves to somebody," Ferent said. "We just want to bring people together."
To do that, CWF tried to hold one event each month. As Ferent pointed out, most of them took place on Friday afternoons at the Lord Community Center and cost no more than $10.
"We don't want it to cost a lot of money," Ferent said.
The formula apparently worked. Ferent used "Trivia Night" as an example. When it first started, she said, 25 to 30 people would attend.
"I think the last time we had it, it was like 120 people," Ferent said. "It's great. People look forward to it."
Ferent said she believes that CWF helps NSSC people do their jobs.
"I think that it's just such an important organization, and it's so critical to everything that we do," Ferent said of CWF. "It just helps morale. It helps ... networking."
Ferent turned over leadership of the organization to new officers Dec. 15, when CWF elections were held at the Lord CC. Denice Czedik was chosen as the 2011 chairperson, while Helene Aucoin will serve as co-chairperson/recorder.
Ferent will move over to the web manager position, and Mike Ciaramicoli becomes the CWF photographer.
"I'm so excited," Ferent said. "It went really well, and I'm very, very pleased."
Czedik will become chairperson for the second time.
"I'm one the originals," said Czedik of her relationship to the organization. "It's a morale booster, this committee, so I want to keep that going. It'll be fun."
Aucoin has been part of the committee for a year. She also looks forward with optimism.
"Comment(s) after events ... are always very positive," Aucoin said.
The committee meets the first Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Lord CC. The next meeting will be Jan. 4, and new members are always welcome.
For more information on the CWF, call Denice Czedik at ext. 4542.
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