Connecting Women

Connecting Women
Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.
-David Bowie

Many women find themselves approaching their 60s and beyond without the social connections we all yearn for, and finding friends in our age group can sometimes be quite challenging. If, like us, you're looking for other women with whom to share activities, exchange ideas, have some laughs, and just hang out, you've come to the right place!
Our aim for this group is to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for women who are married, divorced, widowed, dating, or blissfully single. Whether it's meeting for dinner, drinks, and good conversation or taking in a museum show or going for a hike, we are focused on enjoying life and sharing that enjoyment with others. The only criteria for joining this group is that you share that desire to meet other interesting, supportive, active, and adventurous women who believe that life at every age offers opportunities to grow and learn, and that the only limits to enjoying life are those we impose upon ourselves.

If you share this outlook on life, please consider joining us! We are located in the northern NJ/southern Rockland area, but welcome anyone in the metro area to join. Our activities will take place mainly in the NYC/Bergen/Rockland area, and include a monthly get-together at local restaurants.

And now to the mundane details…please take a moment to review some guidelines that will help to ensure our group's success before requesting to join:
MEETUP PROFILE: It is important for us to be able to connect and communicate with our members; it is equally important to know with whom we are communicating and be able to recognize you and call you by name at events. For your Meet-up Profile, please adhere to the following:
NAME: You must use your first name, not a nickname; last names are not required.
PROFILE PIC: Your photo must clearly show your face with no obscuring elements like sunglasses, a hat, or a mask. Please use a current photo. If you need help updating your Meet-up Profile photo, you can find helpful information here: https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002878591-How-do-I-change-my-profile-photo
NOTIFICATIONS: As a member, it is helpful to have Email Updates and Push Notifications turned on in Settings both on your computer and your phone app so you can be notified of any schedule changes. If you don't want notifications, get into the habit of checking our group site frequently in the days before a scheduled event in case there are any changes or if confirmation is requested. For help changing your settings, you can use the following links: Turn on Email Notifications: https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002879591-Editing-my-email-settings Turn on Push Notifications: https://help.meetup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002862972-Editing-my-push-notification-settings .
ATTENDANCE: One of the things that makes an event so much fun is having everyone who signed up to attend an event actually show up! Event coordinators can be reached via message or email through the Meetup app if, for any reason, you need to cancel. Life happens, and sometimes you may have to cancel last minute. If you are unsure whether you can make it to an event, please do not sign up; instead, check if there is room at the last minute if you know you can definitely attend at that time. Please cancel your attendance by changing your RSVP the moment you realize you cannot make an event, so that others on the waitlist can attend in your place. Any member who RSVP's Yes to an event, and doesn't show or change their RSVP to No, is considered a "No Show". After 3 no shows, you will be removed from the group.
DISCLAIMER: Your participation in any event or activity is strictly voluntary and you assume full responsibility for your own safety. Through participation, you agree not to hold any member, the group, or its leaders liable for any accidents or injuries.
TARDINESS: It is important to be respectful of everyone's time, including restaurant staff, event staff, and event organizers who often plan in advance to ensure our members can be accommodated, etc. Please plan ahead to arrive on time at an event site.
NO-SHOWS: Many people join Meetup groups without reading the group's description to see if it is a community they are interested in being a part of, or are members of so many groups that they have more events to choose from than time to attend everything that's available. If you joined Connecting Women but over a period of twelve months have never attended an event, most likely this group is not for you, so I may remove you as a member and I will notify you of the reason.
EVENT FEE REQUIREMENTS: Some events, such as museum visits, may require a fee to be paid upfront. If you are unable to make the payment within the allotted time, we will offer the spot to the next person on the waitlist.
COVID RESTRICTIONS: Luckily, we seem to be on the road to normal. Some of the venues we plan to visit, such as museums, still require masks and/or proof of vaccination, so please be prepared to adhere to their regulations. An event description will include any Covid guidelines that have been posted by the venue.

That's it for the guidelines. Looking forward to meeting you!