FOUNDER'S STATEMENT
The Chelmsford Mothers' Club: Our Philosophy

We founded the Chelmsford Mothers’ Club to satisfy needs of all young families. We felt strongly that moms needed a way to ease the transitions we face while raising infants and young children. We agreed that there was a need for a support network that provided a means for mothers to share their experiences, socialize, find companionship, receive information on parenting and child development, and provide an outlet for personal growth.

Our club philosophy comes from both our personal views and from the Mothers Club , handbook by Katie Williams Hoepke. The Mothers’ Club is first and foremost a community. It is a community of young families, sharing common interests and goals. We feel it is important that each member who joins the club feel comfortable with this ideal. It is important to understand that the club is a cooperative effort. In order for the club to be successful it requires member involvement. For all the opportunities created, it will involve commitment. As Dr. M. Scott Peck stated: “Out of the strength of your community you will be able to do things you never thought you were capable of.”  We feel the Chelmsford Mothers’ Club has the ability to do whatever its members need to build a happier, healthier, and better tomorrow for our families.

Many moms will agree that the first few years of motherhood can be isolating. We begin to question our purpose when our daily routine becomes so mundane. Many days go by without leaving the house. We lose touch with old friends. Whether we continue to work outside the home or not, we experience a drastic change. “The net result can be isolation and a nagging need for intimacy”, says Katie. This we have experienced first hand and we know it to be true.

To alleviate this dilemma, The Chelmsford Mothers’ Club provides outlets for our energies and talents. We encourage social interaction through various facets and activities. There are many ways one can get involved, use their creativity and feel productive while making the lives of our next generation better.  Katie Hoepke expresses out philosophy well in this next paragraph.

“Not only does the club provide the opportunity for personal expression, it holds your hand while you’re doing it. Imagine 40-50 women in a huddle, arms entwined, strengthening each other. It’s one of the first feelings manifested in the club, ‘I’m not alone.’ To engender that feeling, the philosophy of the club must be inclusive. It must allow space for each individual to discover for herself what the club can offer her and what she can contribute to the club. We don’t think the club will thrive if women are expedited to fit into a narrowly defined role as member. In our club we say ‘Take from the club what you need and put back what you can.’ We don’t make rules for attendance or minimal duties required for membership. We believe that with encouragement and choice, each woman will be nurtured by what the Mothers’ Club has to offer. Especially in the beginning, women will need to find that the club is a safe place. A place where they won’t be judged or compared, but encouraged to participate at whatever level they choose for themselves.”

It is our hope that you find the Chelmsford Mothers’ Club a nurturing environment. We appreciate your ideas and suggestions and we encourage participation. This is your club, as a member you have the power to make things happen. We hope you will find the Chelmsford Mothers’ Club a safe, secure place and a fun place to be.

Sincerely,

Debbie Dellanina-Alvarez and Lisa Horan-Sokol
(Club founders—1996)

Notes:
Katie Williams Hoepke, Mothers Club, Ark Press 1989, pp 12-15
M. Scott Peck, The Different Drum, copyright 1987 by M. Scott Peck, MD, PC
Reprinted by permission of Simon and Schuster, Inc., pp 328-329

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