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YWCA serves up tea, new mission statementBy LENNIE BENNETT © St. Petersburg Times, published April 22, 2001 Why we Yanks have never gotten into the English tea thing I do not know. On the rare occasions when I sit down for one, I think: I could get used to this. (Then, of course, we would have to adopt the Spanish habit of an afternoon siesta to sleep it off, which I also could get used to.) Leaders of the YWCA hosted a high tea Thursday, serving delicacies along with a new mission statement that likely will lead to a public relations campaign to let the public know what's up. One of the problems is the YWCA is often misidentified with the other Y, the YMCA, though there is no affiliation between the two groups. As the W in its name implies, it focuses on programs for women, especially the underserved teen population. It also has a residential program for families called Family Village. At the tea, Cynda Mort, who heads up the education program at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, told me about a collaboration between the church's vacation Bible School students and Family Village. If you recall, last year we reported on the little chapel that the kids and church volunteers had built as part of their summer program and then donated to Resurrection House as a children's chapel. This summer, they will build a small version of Noah's Ark that they will give to Family Village for its playground. The scene of the afternoon party was the home of Doug and Sharon Jackson in the far northeastern reaches of St. Petersburg, a little south of Gandy Boulevard, and arriving there is like entering another world. A driveway winds through palmettos and small berms, which reminds you of going through the heavily wooded acreage to Bill Jackson's sporting goods store in Pinellas Park, not surprising since Jackson is a member of that family. The three-story house is surrounded by 10 acres of woods and mangrove marshes, and even with about 90 of us milling around, the atmosphere was quiet and serene. Doug Jackson whizzed around in a golf cart, collecting us at the driveway entrance to spare guests the long walk to the house (I chose the lovely stroll). Greeting us at the door were YWCA executive director Peggy Mills, board of directors president Pamela Skyrme and Mrs. Jackson, who is an executive with the Florida International Museum. Part of the fun of parties like this is the chance to wander through someone's house, and the Jacksons have a lot to divert the eye from the natural wonders outside. I loved the inlaid wood floors, warm colors and her collections of birdhouses and embroidered samplers. The pool terrace was set up for our tea, which was prepared by board members Marilyn Johnson and Laurie Stone. This is considered light fare, but anyone who cooks knows that tea for 20 is a lot more work than coq au vin for 100. They prepared dozens of little savory sandwiches -- curried chicken, egg salad, olive, for example -- along with sweet bites of carrot cakes, cookies and lemon curd tartlets. We made short work of everything. Organizers cast their nets wide to bring in new supporters, though not necessarily new names to this column, and in the crowd were Tami Simms-Powel and her mother Sharon Simms; Kristin Guenthardt; Jane Gallucci; Margo Fischer; Susie McGarry; Dagmar de Stefano; Diane Foley; Lisa Everett; Laurie Gaydos; Mary Ann Murph; Barbara Weston; Christine Weigle; Luisa Perez-Harvey; Isabel Howard; Carlen Petersen; Mary Clowers, who was celebrating her birthday that day; Vera Noble; Jane Sayler, and the Jacksons' daughter Meischa, on her last day of spring break helping with the party. In deference to the warm day, board member Kathy Binder, one of the volunteer helpers, poured pitchers of iced tea, which most of us chose, along with pots of hot tea which Anthea Penrose, British by birth, opted for. I consider her an authority on tea matters; she pronounced the scones excellent. And no wonder. They were made by Peggy Roberts, Mrs. Johnson's mother and also an Englishwoman. She made dozens of them, despite recovering from a hip replacement after a fall during a trip to Australia. The scones were filled with raspberry jam and whipped cream, not the traditional clotted stuff. Mrs. Johnson explained that they had arranged for a friend to bring a cooler of the real product from England, but foot-and-mouth disease embargoes put an end to that. Mrs. Roberts also packed pieces of her shortbread into boxes for us to take home, decorating them with sprigs of rosemary. And as we all know, by way of Hamlet and Ophelia, rosemary is for remembrance. LOOKING AHEADWednesday PLEIN AIR PAINTING AUCTION: About two dozen artists will spend several days in the open air around downtown St. Petersburg creating paintings that will be auctioned at a party at BayWalk. The event benefits the First Night St. Petersburg Contingency Fund. 7 p.m. $50. 823-8906. SaturdayA PAWS-ITIVELY PURR-FECT AUCTION: Fundraiser for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with light buffet and silent and live auctions that include a Fender guitar autographed by Eric Clapton and a Masters flag autographed by Tiger Woods. 5-9 p.m. St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Ave. $50 in advance, $60 at the door. 586-3591, ext. 110. April 29CRUISE INTO THE PAST: St. Petersburg Museum of History organizes a waterfront tour of St. Petersburg aboard the Caribbean Queen narrated by John Wilson. Refreshments will be served. 5-7 p.m. Boarding at the museum on The Pier approach at 4:45 p.m. $50. 894-1052. May 3NEW BEGINNINGS BREAKFAST: Resurrection House has much to celebrate at this annual fundraiser, with construction under way on a new residential facility that will double its capacity. The agency is in its 13th year of assisting homeless families. 7:45-8:45 a.m. The Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N. $25. 323-5556. CHILDREN'S HOME FASHION SHOW: The 15th annual event sponsored by the Mid-Pinellas County Auxiliary for the Children's Home, a residential program for abused and neglected children. The show by Georgette's of Hyde Park always has lots of bells and whistles. Silent auction and cash bar open at 10:30 a.m. Lunch at noon. Renaissance Vinoy Resort, 501 Fifth Ave. NE. $50. 572-7050. May 9TREE OF LIFE AWARD DINNER: The event honors Doug and Maureen Cohn and Craig and Jan Sher and benefits the Jewish National Fund. Business attire. 6:30 p.m. Hyatt Regency Westshore Hotel, 6200 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa. $200. 536-5263.
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