​One of our members is now also part of another group that she would like us to know about. Diana Friedberg has joined the Ethnic Arts Council which is a group in Los Angeles which celebrates the ethnic arts and which includes beads, of course. They have an active and very interesting membership with lots of talks and visits to wonderful homes with great collections. 
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People can browse and see if they are interested in being part of the group. It also extends knowledge of ethnic arts and puts beads in the highlight. I am trying to emphasize the importance of beads in the overall picture as well, so it could be informative for our bead members to help spread the word within the group.

Diana says they have a great once a year dinner at the Fowler Museum at UCLA with a silent auction. It is a really mixed group of males and females who are all hospitable and generous in sharing knowledge and homes. Their website is  https://ethnicartscouncil.org/

Submitted by Diana Friedberg, past president, The Bead Society.

Members of the Bead Society celebrated the end of the fiscal year, and the changing of the guard on Saturday, June 24 at the Mexican restaurant, Kalaveras in Marina del Rey. Outgoing officers are Kay Deeney, President; Lillian Todaro, Vice Presiident, and Carmen Landau, Membership Chair. The new and ongoing officers for the 2023-2024 fiscal year are Lisa Shatts, President; Violeta Guerrero, Treasurer (continuing); Sylvia Humphrey, Secretary and Eve Rappoport, Membership Chair. 

Lisa Shatts organized the event. The three outgoing officers received plastic buckets and celebratory cards. The buckets are for gathering one's bucket list of ideas. Lisa warned the three that in a year, she expects a report on whether we have accomplished items on our bucket list. The buckets also included a scoop which is very useful for moving beads around! The outgoing officers wish the incoming officers a successful and fruitful year! 

The restaurant is known for their exotic drinks, and the angel backdrop where several of the pictures were taken. Members and guests enjoyed good food, drinks and companionship. 

The Bead Society Mother's Day Pop Up held on Saturday, May 6th was great! Lots of people attended the brightly lit Parish Hall of St. Bede's Episcopal Church in Mar Vista. One attendee remarked that it was apropos that the church's name matches the Bead Society! 

Vendors sold finished jewely, paintings, art, photographs, tote bags, clothing, and art objects. Some beads and findings were also available.  
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Long time member, Yvonne Woods passed away in early February. Yvonne was a Bead Society  Manager of Bead Bazaars for several years. She also served as a Secretary of the Society in 2018-19. She was one of the Bead Society's most consistent volunteers. She helped out at the Pop Ups, Bead Bazaars and at the recent Parking Lot events.  She was pleasant and personable, and great to work with. 

Yvonne will be remembered for always matching jewelry colors to fashion items that she wore. She would make necklaces to wear with her outfits. One of my favorite necklaces that Yvonne wore is one that was a series of colorful beads that looked like marbles. 

​Yvonne will be sorely missed by members of the Bead Society and her family. 

Thanks to Sylvia Humphrey, Lisa Shatts, Tim Meikle and Kay Deeney for pictures and text. 

The Holiday Party of the Bead Society was last Saturday at El Cholo Restaurant on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. Twenty people came to celebrate with us.  It was a pleasant event partaking in Mexican food and visiting with Bead Society members and friends. The room was nicely decorated. The staff at the restaurant were very responsive. Tim Meikle brought frog treats for all. And members received little treat bags from the Society.
 
One attendee wrote me later,

I just want to tell you, Thank you very, very, much for your invitation to yesterday's BSLA holiday lunch. 
I enjoyed the afternoon, and all of the "Beaders," (and the food, too.) Earlier you said, "Beads just don't keep a person warm."  Might be, but yesterday, I felt a lot of warmth from all of the BEADERS.

It was great to gather together again. We have only seen many members in person during the Bead Bazaar in September and the Holiday Pop Up in Novermber.  It is just different from meeting via online sessions! 
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See the pictures below from the Holiday party. We wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! 
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Hilary Evans Whittaker died quietly in January, 2021. She was a Bead Society member off and on throughout her life.  She was instrumental in establishing the Bead Museum in DC.