The Women's League

THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE (WL) was founded in 1919 by a group of eight women from the American University of Beirut (AUB): Mrs. Harrold Close Mrs. Mary Bliss Dale Mrs. Harris Graham Miss Margaret Bliss Mrs. Edward Nickoley Mrs. Laurens Seeyle Mrs. Edwin St. John Ward Mrs. David Zimmerman Their initial concern was to meet Lebanese women and provide a network for women in Beirut to get together and discuss common concerns. The object of the League was (and is still) to promote broad acquaintance among women of all nationalities and to maintain a forum with leaders in matters of public importance civic interest educational concerns cultural interest Women who reside in Lebanon and are interested in the objects of the League are eligible for membership.		Today the League is an active club which has monthly general meetings held in West Hall on the first Monday of the month from October through May. Every month a speaker is invited to the general meeting to speak about a current issue of interest, often art history architecture social issues, etc. We end our season with an annual Garden Party at Marquand House in early June. Our on-going activities include the following: monthly "picnic" that is a full day educational trip in Lebanon lunches movie club yoga monthly general meetings Currently we are adding new interest groups. At the end of each season the content of the League's treasury is donated to a needy handicapped student at AUB.

Garden Party 2005, from left to right: Mrs. Ragiha Saghir, Mrs. Christel Bikhazi, Mrs. Ellen Eid, Mrs. Nabiha Younes, Mrs. Leila Ghantous, Her Excellency Mrs. Andre Emile Lahoud, Mrs. Hasna Barakat, Mrs. Leila Haddad, Mrs. Lilo Maasri
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The WL has contact with other women's groups in Lebanon, most notably the Lebanese Woman's Council. This summer we established contact with Welcome Clubs International in Washington, DC, and hope to send several members to next year's international conference in London.