Nahant Woman’s Club holds annual beach cookout for Girls Inc. members

NAHANT – Members of the Nahant Woman’s Club and Girls Inc. after-school programs may have had different ideas of which pioneering female should be portrayed on a collaborative quilt project in 2008. But whether your female role model is a feminist icon or a Top-40 pop star, members of both groups love a day at a beach house.”I was most excited to be going to the lady’s house,” said 8-year-old Bianca Figuerer, who was on her first visit to the 5-year-old tradition. “I didn’t know she was rich, and all the food.””They’re so cute,” said host Nancy Whitman. “One girl told me once that I was so lucky to live in this house. I told her, ‘My husband and I worked our cookies off for this house ? and you can too. This is a program that works.”On Tuesday morning, 88 girls and eleven counselors traveled from Girls Inc. in Lynn for a beach day and picnic hosted by Whitman and approximately 20 volunteers involved with the Nahant Woman’s Club.The Nahant Woman’s Club was founded in 1895 as one of the earliest female civic organization focused on child welfare and education. Girls Inc. is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary of providing opportunities for disadvantaged, low-income girls in order to prepare them to be self-sufficient, responsible members of the community. Five years ago, Whitman said she wanted to expand her role as a volunteer at Girls Inc. and decided to provide a cookout for the program at her home on Short Beach. Simultaneously, the Woman’s Club was searching for ways to become more involved in the Greater Lynn community.Each year since, the annual event has attracted more volunteers. The first year, Whitman said she recruited three or four friends to help. This year, approximately 20 volunteers including members of the Nahant Woman’s Club, friends, and Girls Inc. supporters from Natick to Marblehead did everything from bake cookies and cut fruit to wash sandy feet. Food was primarily donated by local businesses and prepared by volunteers.”It’s really grown to a nice event,” said Girls Inc. Acting Executive Director Marsha Billias. “It’s been a really nice relationship and a good fit – these women all serve as positive role models to the girls.”In fact, Billias said that the Nahant Woman’s Club was probably the only all-women’s group that Girls Inc. with which Girls Inc. regularly collaborates. Nahant women offer quilting and tennis lessons among many volunteer activities.Everybody especially appreciates the collaboration between the two groups at the annual beach day.Many of the children are familiar with Short Beach, and the program travels to a different beach each week, so there is an established routine and protocol to beach days.But the house and food is particularly exciting to the Girls Inc. participants. Aaliyah Alleyne said that the kids all talk about the house – which has a media room where the kids can lounge after lunch before heading out to be beach.”Last week’s trip had about 76 girls sign up,” said Saarla Thompson, the Girls Inc. site coordinator. “We have 88 this week because they know about this trip ? It’s always nice; she’s going to cook for us and has good food.”She added that parents also appreciated not having to pack lunches for the day.The house also provides another important convenience for beach days.”There are three bathrooms,” Whitman said. “But I said if anybody’s crying, they can use the adults’ bathroom.”