Royal Sussex Ladies Committee Meeting Report

30 September 2007

The summer of 2007 saw many great accomplishments and changes for the Ladies' Committee.  In August, we had a display at our society's Grand Victorial Tactical.  All agree that it was indeed a hit, and that we should do more events where the ladies of the Society can show off what we do best: Have tea!  Spectators enjoyed viewing the ladies dressed in their finery while they sipped tea from china.  We can all say that the soldiers of the Royal Sussex Society are why people stop by our events.  But the Ladies are why they stay!

Also, in September, Vivian Davis handed over her title of Chairwoman of the Ladies' Committee to Sharon Albin.  Yours truly is dedicated to keeping the Ladies' Committee fun and informative, and is always open to new ideas.

The third quarterly meeting of the Ladies' Committee was held at the Van Cortlandt House in New York on September 30th, 2007.  The meeting was attended by Sharon Albin, Vivian Davis, and Tina Ishihara.  Many different ideas were discussed at the meeting.

The Ladies' Committee plans to set up several workshops in the new year, one of which would be specifically for the gentlemen of the group, because a soldier's life was not all Martinis and tactical manoeuvres.  This workshop is in its planning stages, but it is at the forefront of the Ladies' minds these days.  Not only will civilian dress be discussed, but also etiquette and daily life.  It is sure to be an interesting afternoon, and we hope that many of the men can attend.  The Ladies' are also planning a Ladies' Hat Workshop.  We will purchase hat forms and items for creating a beautiful Victorian hat.  Another possibility discussed is a hair workshop.  Although this may seem trivial to some, it is very important to creating an accurate portrayal of either an 18th or 19th Century woman.  The way a woman looks and how she is seen is not only determined by her dress, but everything else she carries with her.  We all know how a woman of the 1780's would have been viewed, if she had worn her hair down over her shoulders rather than up and covered with a pinner.  Perhaps this can be combined with the Hat Workshop, but either way, it is an important facet of creating a decent impression that should be covered by the Ladies' Committee in a workshop and follow-up report.

The RSRS has been invited to march in Hawthorne, N.J.'s  annual Christmas Parade on November 30, 2007.  The Ladies are very excited about this opportunity for exposure.  At a future meeting, we will plan on creating a banner to carry during the parade.  Any members of the RSRS not in the Ladies' Committee are welcome to take part in the creation of the banner as well.  Meeting planning and production dates will be up soon.

The Ladies' Committee has also decided to take the reigns of planning the Society's Annual Winter Dinner Party.  Ms. Ishihara will contact a local historic house to see if it is available for parties, and to also get the house's availability.

In addition, various ideas that would combine the ladies' skills with entrepreneurial spirit were mentioned.  They need to be discussed further with our president before taking effect.

The Ladies' Committee has several suggestions for future Society meetings, among which are ways to communicate with members of the Society, as well as how to bring in more funds for the group.

All in all, it was a very productive and efficient meeting.  I am looking forward to helping the Ladies' Committee with their future projects, of which there should be many.

Sharon Albin