The Age of Elegance

Little did the 3 Queens from the New Jersey Cameo Club realize how happy they made the members of the Ocean Township Rotary Club, on Wednesday, April 15th. Current NJSA Queen Jo Ann Gordon coordinated the appearance for the Rotary Club's weekly luncheon which was held at The Renaissance Hotel in Ocean Township. She asked Josephine Araniti, MS NJSA 2007, and Delores Puzio, MS DELAWARE SA 2008 to appear with her. The ladies were invited to a sumptuous lunch beforehand. They thought that the members who sat at their table were so interesting to talk to and were very gracious dinner companions. Of special interest which occurred during lunch was a fun activity called "happy dollars" . Any member could stand up and tell about what made them happy, or sometimes sad, and then offer as many "dollars" that they wished to. The dollars then go into the Club's treasury. That afternoon, one member after another welcomed the 3 Queens, putting in 3 dollars each time. Lat...

Elva Lawrence is a very special lady. At 92 years young, she is still a performing member of the New Jersey Cameo Club. An accomplished pianist, she delights audiences young and old with her surprise "twists" on the piano classics. At first, you think that you were in for 10 minutes of "long haired" music. Then, after a serious introduction, and a flurry of fanfares, she does a quick reversal, and plays one popular song after another, meshing each tune with the skill of a true artist. Eventually, her performance becomes a sing-a-long, and everyone has a great time singing together. The following interview, which is done in Q & A format, reveals Elva's unique and interesting story: Q: How did you hear about the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT? A: Through Jan Dickenson, who was the New Jersey State Queen in 1986, and also MS SENIOR AMERICA 1986. We both lived in Leisuretown in Southampton. She became my coach, and helped me through man...

The title for today's article may sound like a product for removing stubborn stains and spots. But the play on words, describes exactly how we all felt on March 9th. Leisure Park in Lakewood, is a favorite place for the ladies of NJ Cameo Club to perform. The residents and staff are so kind, and look forward each year to our showcases. Upon arrival that day, however, we noticed something was different ..... the building was on lockdown and we had to ring the doorbell. At first, we thought that it was a new security measure, but as we gazed through the glass doors waiting to be let in, we saw the staff walking around wearing masks, and rubber gloves. Also, there weren't any patients sitting around enjoying the sunshine and each other's company. Eventually, a worker came to the door, and told us about an outbreak of stomach flu throughout the facility and suggested that we not come inside, and to cancel the show. We couldn't make that decision, since many ladies were tra...