Our interest groups and activities enable our members to come together in social settings, to get to know each other on a more personal level, and to have fun doing things that interest them. Some of the groups are full and are not accepting new members.
General Calendar
Activities
Interest Groups
- Bridge Group
- Canasta Group
- Cinema Group
- Great Decisions
- Literature Groups
- Lunch Bunch
- Mah Jongg
- Pot Luck Dinner (On Hold)
- Recognition Dinner
- Travel Information Group
- Trips and Treks (Cultural Affairs)
- Yarn Crafters
Members Only (Password Required)
- Trips & Treks – Upcoming (Members Only)
- Trips & Treks – Past (Members Only)
- Interest Groups & Committee Contacts (Members Only)
General Calendar
(by Days of Week)
Monday
2nd. & 4th. Mon Mah Jongg (Experienced Players Group) (1:00 PM)
3rd. Mon. Soup Kitchen (TBD)
Tuesday
Every Tues. Book Sort (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM) – (October to June)
1st. Tues. Cinema Group (7:00 PM) on Zoom (or other dates announced)
2nd. Tues. Lunch Bunch (12:30 PM) (September to June)
3rd. or 4th. Tues. Great Decisions (TBD)
4th. Tues. 3 Daytime Book Discussion Groups (12:30 or 1:00PM)
- The BOOKMARKS Book Discussion Group
- FEED N’ READ Book Discussion Group
- MS. PRINTS Book Discussion Group
Wednesday
2nd Wed. Wednesday Afternoon Book Discussion Group (1:30 PM)
3rd. Wed. Books N More Book Discussion Group (other dates/times)
(Trips & Treks) Members Only) (other dates /times announced)
Thursday
Every Thurs. Book Sort – 10:00 am – 12:00 PM (Apr. – Jun.)
Canasta Group – 1:00 PM
Bridge Group – 1:00 – 3:00 PM
2nd or 3rd Thurs. Branch Meetings (at location announced or on Zoom) – In-Person Branch meetings: 7:00 PM Snack & Chat, 7:30 PM Meeting start (Sometimes meet in afternoon); Zoom: 7:15 Log in, 7:30 Meeting Start
ACTIVITIES
Event Calendar
INTEREST GROUPS
Bridge Group 
This group meets on Thursdays 1:00 to 4:00 PM (year-round).
Canasta Group 
This group meets at members’ homes on Thursday Afternoons at 1:00 PM. At present, we are not accepting new members.
Cinema Group
The “Twin Cinema” Group is being redesigned with the goal of holding more in-person meetings. The group usually meets the first Tuesday of the Month. Branch members that wish to attend should join the group, which is accepting new members. The last few years, the group has been meeting on Zoom, where all Branch members were invited to join.
The Afternoon Movie Delights Cinema Group is no longer meeting.
Great Decisions
Great Decisions is a foreign policy discussion group sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association. Participants purchase and read a Great Decisions paperback book containing information about eight topics on world issues. The Group previously met the 3rd or 4th Tuesday of the month, at 12:30 PM, after Book Sort, to discuss one of the topics. However, meetings were stopped when COVID hit. The group was run by Joan Odud, who would like to hear from AAUW Freehold members who are interested in reconvening the group.
Literature Groups
There are five book discussion groups. Some of the groups are not accepting new members. Normally, participants meet at members’ home and bring their lunch. Refreshments are provided by the hostess. Selections for the year, voted on from members’ suggestions, are made at the May meetings. Due to COVID-19, some meetings are now meeting via Zoom. Chairs send out specifics to their group members and dates and time for the meetings, prior to each meeting.
Note: No Meetings in December
(2023-2024)
BOOKS N’ MORE BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP (Accepting New Members)
Dates & Times vary
THE BOOKMARKS BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Usually Meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 1:00 PM
FEED N’ READ BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 12:30 PM
MS. PRINTS BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 1:00 PM
Tentative (Subject to Change)
- July 25, 2023 Lessons in Chemistry
- August 22, 2023 What a Dog Knows
- September 26, 2023 Such a Fun Age
- October 24, 2023 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- November 28, 2023 Concealed
- January 27, 2024 Magnolia Palace
- February 27, 2024 The Color of Love
- March 26, 2024 Mad Honey
- April 30, 2024 Lucy By the Sea
- May 21, 2024 Planning Meeting
Wednesday Afternoon Book Discussion Group
Usually meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, at 1:30 PM
Lunch Bunch 
This group meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 12:30 p.m., for a casual meal in an area restaurant.
- Tuesday May 9th at 12:30 PM at Solo Trattoria, 7 South St., Freehold
- Tuesday June 13th at 12:30 PM at The Cheesecake Factory at the Freehold Raceway Mall
Mah Jongg 
This group meets twice a month on Monday afternoons (2nd. and 4th. Mondays).
We are currently looking for a permanent Mah Jongg player to join our game.
Mah Jongg (for Newbies)
Our new Mah Jongg “students” are learning the game, developing strategies, and having fun! They typically meet on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon,
usually around 12:30 or 1:00 but always working around Lunch Bunch and our various interest group meetings!
Pot Luck Dinner (On Hold)
Potluck Dinner at Members’ homes during month of February (Replaces February Branch Meeting)
Recognition Dinner 
The Recognition Dinner, which is held in the month of June, has been an annual event for many years. It is an evening to socialize with those we see all the time and those we don’t get a chance to visit with very often. We always have a very enjoyable evening and are glad that many of our members were able to join us.
Travel Information Group
The purpose of the Travel Information Group is to explore as many different types of travel and travel experiences as possible. The group calls on our widely traveled membership to volunteer to speak about a travel destination, share experiences, pictures, planning, modes of travel, etc. Meetings are informal, yet informative. The group meets at a member’s home, afternoons (1:30 PM), four times per year (in October & November, April & May) – Dates are announced in Newsletter.
Trips and Treks (Cultural Affairs) 
Each month trips are planned to various locations in NY and NJ, where we take docent-led tours of museums and other places of interest. During winter months, instead of monthly trip: we participate in Ladies Afternoon at the Movies. Carpools are facilitated for those wishing to attend. Since COVID, a number of trips have been “virtual trips,” whereby, we visited locations virtually and met via Zoom to discuss our trips.
Some destinations we’ve visited are:
- Brandywine River Art Museum Chadds Ford, PA
- Bryn Athyn, PA Historic District
- Cedar Lane Alpaca Farm and The Chapter House for lunch , Howell NJ
- Center for Holocaust, Human Rights, and Genocide Education (Chhange) at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ
- Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, NJ
- Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ
- Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA
- Freehold Museum & Library In Freehold, NJ
- George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ (A trip to see Venus in Fur)
- Great Falls National Historic Park & Paterson Museum
- Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton, NJ
- Hindu Temple the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robinsville, NJ & Mastori’s Diner, Bordentown, NJ (Closed)
- GUILD OF CREATIVE ART in Shrewsbury, NJ
- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse in Union Township, NJ
- Info Age Museum at Camp Evans in Wall Twp, NJ
- Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County
- Lyndhurst Mansion (The Jay Gould Estate) & Washington Irving’s Sunnyside Estate
- Trip to Marlpit Hall and the Taylor-Butler House Middletown, NJ
- Montclair Art Museum and Leone’s Restaurant
- Monmouth County Agriculture Building (Kosloski Rd, Freehold)
- The Monmouth County Historical Association, Marpit Hall and the Taylor-Butler Housel Middletown, NJ
- Morris Aboretum in Philadelphia, PA
- Morris Museum and The Thirsty Turtle
- Nemours Mansion & Gardens Wilmington, DE
- New Jersey Audubon’s Society’s Plainsboro Preserve
- NY Botanical Gardens and lunch at Antonio’s Trattoria
- Pearl S. Buck House in Perkasie, PA
- Pine Barrens Native Fruits, and lunch at the Plumstead Grill
- Princeton Art Museum
- The Proprietary House, in Perth Amboy, NJ and lunch at The Barge
- Roebling Museum in Roebling, NJ
- Rutherford Hallin Allamuchy, NJ
- The Seeing Eye Institute in Morristown, NJ
- Spirit of NJ lunch cruise from Weehawken, NJ
- Spring Lake Historical Society Spring Lake, New Jersey
- Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and lunch at Lemongrass Viet-Thai Restaurant
- Strauss Mansion Museum in Atlantic Highlands, and Bahrs Landing Seafood Restaurant in the Highlands
- Tenement Museum in NYC
- Twin Lights Lighthouse, Bahrs & Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial located at Mt. Mitchell
- Tuckerton Seaport in Tuckerton.
- Vanderbilt Museum Centerport, New York
- NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial & NJ Vietnam Era Museum
- Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center and Old Oarhouse Irish Pub
- Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Delaware
- Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ
- Trip to the Township of Ocean Museum (Woolley House) and the Alice Paul House in Mt. Laurel (July, 2020)
- Trip to Philadelphia Barnes Foundation (Museum) (August, 2020)
- Tennessee – Tour of Sun Records Recording Studio – Birthplace of Rock ‘N’ Roll! (September, 2020)
- Trip to Grand Central Terminal (October, 2020)
- Virtual Trip: Bi-Polar: Antarctica and the Arctic
- ALASKA ARCTIC How to visit Alaska’s National Parks
- NORWEGIAN ARCTIC: SVALBARD A Journey to the Top of the Earth
- ANTARCTICA: Local Perspective
- Virtual Trip to Iceland (January, 2023)
- Lava Centre Movie-Educational Experience ||Iceland||Lava Museum||Volcano Exhibition
- Amazing Places to visit in Iceland – Travel Video
- The Uniqueness of Icelandic Horses | Equestrian World
- Namaskard Bubbling Mud Pools, Iceland
- Reynisfjara: Best Black Sand Beach in Iceland: [4K]
- Waves Sneak Up Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland and Knock Over Tourists
- Virtual Trip: National Parks in Pennsylvania (November, 2020)
- Trip to the Tenement Museum (January, 2021)
- Virtual Trip: Underground Railroad: “Black Folk Helping Black Folk” (February 18, 2021)
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- Digital Story: Secrets and Codes of the Underground Railroad (6:33 minutes)
- The Underground Railroad – National Underground Freedom Center (7:22 minutes)
- William Still – Father of the Underground Railroad (10:08 minutes)
- A Tour of the Underground Railroad – Georgia Stories (7:40 minutes)
- Safe House: The Underground Railroad in Fall River (19:20 minutes)
- Dawn of Day: Stories from the Underground Railroad (53 minutes)
- Trip to the Guild of Creative Art – Shrewsbury, NJ (March 17 & 18, 2021)
- Trip to Longwood Gardens – Kenneth Square, PA (April 21, 2021)
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Some of our Virtual Trips have been recorded and are available for our members to view. Please visit the members only pages, for links to these videos.
Yarn Crafters Group
Knit & Crochet for a Cause
Yarn Crafters is a new AAUW Freehold group for members who like to knit or crochet, or would like to learn. Currently we meet the first Tuesday of each month at 1PM at the home of one of our members.
We currently are making hats, scarves, baby blankets, stuffies and afghans. We donate through Open Door, EHAP (for homeless men and women), The Village Foster Family Closet, Embrella (formerly Foster and Adopted Family Services) and Jewish Family (Senior) Services.
To date we have donated 6 stuffed teddy bears; 18 crocheted hats; 15 crocheted scarves; 11 crocheted blankets. We now donate through Project Linus (for children at risk and in foster care) as well as Embrella (a foster agency), The Village Foster Family Closet, Open Door (for homeless) and Jewish Family Services( for seniors in need).
A special thank you to all those people who have donated YARN to the group. It takes anywhere between 5 -7 skeins of yarn to make a blanket, so these donations are very much appreciated.
If you can crochet or knit or would like to learn please join us. It’s fun, creative and it feels wonderful to donate our work to those in need.
Members (Only) – Password Required:
See Board & Committees (Members Only) page for links to all members only pages
See Officers & Committees (Members Only) page for Interest Group and Activities Contacts.
See Trips & Treks – Upcoming (Members Only)
See Trips & Treks – Past (Members Only)
Please see the emails from our Branch Google Group for most recent information for our interest groups and activities!