December 12, 2023: The Rochester Button Club of Rochester, NY met for a delicious luncheon at Bella Pasta in Greece, NY. It was a fun gathering for members to relax and enjoy each other’s company rather than the usual formal meeting setting.
In preparation for the gathering, about a month in advance, members decide if they want to participate in the holiday button card exchange. Typically three-fourths of the members like to participate. Participation is easy; a card is bought or made, and then embellished with the gift of a button or two. Sometimes, if you know what your fellow button collector likes to collect, or you know what they are working on for a future competition, it makes just the right button easy to find. Others (like me) try to find a theme. For 2024, many of my cards were decorated with a paste button.
To make everything simple for giving, Linda Hickey, our club president, brings gift bags with each member’s name on them. Members bring their cards to the gathering and place them in the appropriate bag. In addition to the bag of cards, Linda provides us with the annual club booklet that includes the dates and plans for each monthly meeting, birthdays, addresses and other interesting information about our club.
This year, at each place setting, Norma Brown provided small vintage jam jars filled with assorted buttons. It was a very sweet gesture.
Some members can’t wait to get home and go through their cards. Others like to wait until Christmas morning to open them. Either way, it’s like a special treasure hunt between friends to receive the gift of buttons at the holidays.
Below are some photos of our gathering.
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