On Dec. 2, 2025, the Country Club of Washington Township Women’s Club (CCWTWC) celebrated its third annual high tea at the 880 Bistro located within the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in Newark. The tea included a delicious array of tea specialties, like the traditional scones with lemon curd and creamed butter.
For 2025, seven women of influence living in the Tri-City area were recognized and honored; the women have influenced our communities in education, emphasizing diversity, the arts and culture. Several are now retired but continue to volunteer. The high tea was held to honor them personally, and they were presented a certificate of appreciation.
Just five of the seven women were able to attend and were pleased to be included in the annual photo on the grand stairwell of the hotel. In alphabetical order the seven women are:
Joyce Blueford, PhD., president of Science Math Nucleus
Emily Duncan, president of the board of directors of Centro de Servicios
Jean Ficklin, life member of the South County Alameda County NAACP
Judy Lam, director emeritus of the Bay Phil Youth Orchestra
Shirley Sisk, former executive director of LOV Newark
Lori Stokes, founding artistic director of StarStruck Theatre
Anna Wang, co-founder of Friends of Children with Special Needs
The high tea was the culmination of the project that started this past summer, with a coloring book sold at the Washington Township Historical Society gift shop. The book, titled “Tri-City Women of Influence,” was assembled by the League of Women Voters of Fremont, Newark and Union City, and the Association of University Women of Fremont.
CCWTWC members picked a woman from the book, colored the page and reported their findings. In September, the club gathered names of local women who are currently making a difference and leading in our community. Nominations were pooled together and seven powerful women were selected.
The Country Club of Washington Township Women’s Club was organized in 1890 and, according to state records, incorporated in 1913. The club is affiliated with the national organization, GFWC, which stands for General Federation of Women’s Clubs, International, one of the largest and oldest volunteer organizations in the world.
The CCWTWC Club House was located on Parish Street in Fremont and was sold; a plaque designates its location. Without a place to meet, the members met at various churches and for some years at the Historic Shinn House—they now meet at 880 Bistro Restaurant.
There are now about 30 members, and most are over 65 years old. They may be limited physically and financially, but they enjoy book clubs, volunteering assignments and listening to guest speakers who share local history at their monthly meetings. They continue to meet at the hotel on the first Tuesday of the month at 1pm.
