By Evelyn Bonilla

 

On Tuesday, March 8, 2011 the Bayonne Womanâ€s Club-BWC; celebrated “International Womanâ€s Day” in Bayonne Park. The event which was organized by the BWC celebrates the many strives and achievements of women throughout the years. On this day, women from all over the world stood on bridges to acknowledge, International Womenâ€s Dayâ€s 100^th Anniversary (1911-2011). In commemoration of this day the Bayonne Womanâ€s Club, gathered together and stood on a small bridge in Bayonne Park with candles lit in celebration of this day

 

The Bayonne Womanâ€s Club was formed by Mary Dunlap-Beales and Mary Kay Tokar both Bayonne natives-the club was formed to unite women together. It allows women of all diversities to get to know each other and to shares their opinions and ideas about the community. Mary Dunlap Beales explains, “We are in a new era in Bayonne, a great era! The Bayonne Womenâ€s Club gives us a chance to get to know each other and to learn from each other, there is no political agenda what so ever. Itâ€s just a place for women of all diversities to get together and share their goals; for themselves and their community.”

 

Since its inaugural meeting on January 27, 2010; the club has received an enormous response; rising from 40 members to almost 300 members in 2011.  Asked what she thought has attributed to its success, Diane Brennan, a member of the steering committee, explained, “In my personal opinion, I feel that woman are ready to promote good will, their ready to help build a strong community.” Iâ€ve been involved within the community for the past 30 years, I love Bayonne!  The time is right for women to have a voice, not just for our city of Bayonne but also for themselves.”

 

Mary Kay Tokar one of the clubs founding members, also explained as to the clubs success, “The response to the Bayonne Womenâ€s Club has been overwhelming! Itâ€s amazing how many women are willing to give back to the community. Itâ€s heartwarming that our idea had taken to heart. I think with the Bayonne Womenâ€s Club we will become a big force in helping our community.”

 

The clubs mission statement is clear, it reads, “The Bayonne Womenâ€s Club, empowering todayâ€s women for a better tomorrow, by improving the lives of women in our community, through charitable and humanitarian acts.

 

In keeping with their charitable and humanitarian acts, on April 9th the BWC will lend a hand to Assumption Church in Bayonne assisting with their Soup Kitchen. On June 17^th, they will hold a “Relay for Life” event which will benefit individuals with cancer and on Sunday, March 20^th they will march in the St. Patrickâ€s Parade in Bayonne, NJ. The BWC would like to thank Dave Lipyanka from Creative Edge for their banner, which they will be carrying in this yearâ€s parade.

 

It seems that the Bayonne Womenâ€s Group will be an asset to woman all over Bayonne and to its city. Their goals are clear; to bring women together, to help their community and to pave the way for a new generation of women in Bayonne.

 

Interested in attending a meeting of the Bayonne Womenâ€s Club, their meetings are held every first Thursday of the month, at 7pm at The Catholic War Veterans at 18 West 23rd Street, just off Broadway. Also to become a member you can call the office of Dr. Mary Dunlap Beales at (201) 339-8803 and state that you would like to become a member of the BWC.

 

The club also has a page on Facebook entitled, Bayonne Womenâ€s Club which can be found at by logging into Facebook at BayonneWomansClub@groups.facebook.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Bayonne Women’s Club Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day first appeared on River View Observer.

            First and foremost, these affiliates of the Miss Black USA pageants

focus on recognizing scholastic achievement and the impact that education can have on achieving lifetime success. Lori Bryant, the 2010 Miss Black New Jersey USA winner, plans on attending law school in the fall of 2010 while also working to start her own online book club that will cater to issues that directly affect African American women. In addition, she seeks to give back to her community by teaching free dance lessons to inner-city youth in addition to encouraging young people to vote and advocating breast cancer awareness.  She believes that success “can be defined as a journey where one has to overcome obstacles that shape his or her character.”

            The main pageant itself is definitely an event that leads its young female participants to grow as individuals. The Miss Black New Jersey and the Miss Black New York competitions are based on participants’ scores in a personal interview, on-stage question and answer, a talent, evening gown, and personal fitness. Fedlene Larose, the 2010 winner of the Miss Black New Jersey Talented Teen competition, believes that, while many perceive pageants are based on beauty or superiority, that it challenges “physical and mental endurance.” Larose is convinced that the Miss Black New Jersey Talented Teen competition helped her to learn what she is capable of, in addition to the various aspects that she needs to improve on in order to project herself as a “confident young woman.”

            The Miss Black New Jersey USA and the Miss Black New York USA pageants, in addition to each organization’s Talented Teen pageants, seek to showcase the talent, beauty, and intellect of young women to family, friends, and a panel of judges in 2011. Applicants for the Miss Black New Jersey and Miss Black New York pageants must be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-seven and must be either a high school graduate or in their senior year of high school. They must live, work, or attend school in either New Jersey or New York respectively, and, in addition, have a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of their application. Talented Teen applicants must be between the ages of thirteen to seventeen. Interested young women should apply online at either www.missblacknewjersey.org and www.missblacknewyork.org.

            Larose speaks highly of the way the pageant helped her learn the importance of responsibility, dependability, and commitment. The pageant winners’ focus and drive for causes and lessons outside of the typical conception of beauty pageants is certainly something that young women-as well as men and women of all ages araces can certainly learn from themselves.

The post The Miss Black New Jersey USA and the Miss Black New York USA Pageants first appeared on River View Observer.