Mothers First – Herndon/Reston is a support group for women making the transition from careers to at-home motherhood. Activities include lectures, field trips, moms night out, etc. March meetings are March 3 and 10 at 10 a.m. at the Herndon Fortnightly Library. Call 703-827-5922 or visit www.mothersfirst.org.
More than 700 full-color images of nature in North America will welcome viewers at the second annual Meadowlark Nature Photography Exhibition, Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. Professional and top amateur photographers from the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NOVACC), a coalition of Loudoun Photography Club, McLean Camera Club, Manassas-Warrenton Camera Club, Northern Virginia Photographic Society, Reston Photographic Society, and Vienna Photographic Society, will host the event from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day in the indoor garden setting of The Atrium and in the Gardens' Visitor's Center. Admission and each day's activities will be free, including complimentary camera cleanings on Saturday. Aspiring and experienced photographers may bring samples to be critiqued and attend photography technique programs. Visit the exhibit website, www.MeadowlarkPhotoExhibit.com, for more information, to view 2003 exhibit images and to learn about the participating photography clubs. For more information about the exhibit and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, call 703-255-3631 or visit www.nvrpa.org/atrium.html.
The Reston Community Center's Senior book group meets every fourth Thursday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods to discuss a wide variety of books. Drinks and cookies are provided at no charge. Participants should bring a bag lunch. Books are on reserve at the Information Desk of the Reston Regional Library. Books are: "Leap of Faith" by Noor, Queen of Jordan, March 25; "My Antonia" by Willa Cather, April 22; and "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith, May 27. This free activity is intended for adults age 55 or older. For further information, directions, or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact the Reston Community Center at 703-476-4500 (V/TTY).
Reston DRADA (Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association) Support Group meets first and third Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1516 Moorings Drive in Reston. For more information, call Ginny at 703-966-2510.
League of Reston Artists. Open to all Washington area artists, photographers and individuals interested in the arts. Workshops, classes, speakers, demonstrations, exhibitions and critiques. Write to P.O. Box 2513, Reston, VA 20195-2513. Call 703-481-7898. Visit www.leagueofrestonartists.org.
Reston Sketch Group. Meets Thursday nights at Reston Regional Library, from 6:45-8:45 p.m., with a draped model. There is a model fee. Call Joan at 703-715-2692.
AARP Local Chapter. Group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the North Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Bowman Towne Drive in Reston. The group enjoys social events and speakers. For more information, call 703-860-3966.
The League of Women Voters. Group meets during the second week of most months at two locations in Reston for review and discussion of a wide range of public issues at all governmental levels. The evening group meets on the second Wednesday at the Reston Museum at Lake Anne Plaza, beginning at 7:30 p.m.; and the day group meets at various locations in Reston (call 860-0112 or 471-6364) on the second Thursday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Meetings are free, guests are welcome and no registration is required. The League is a nonpartisan organization that encourages citizens to play an informed and active role in government. Call 703-658-9150 or visit www.lwv-fairfax.org for further information.
Boy Scouts. Reston Boy Scout Troop 1970 is one of several troops in the area. Monthly weekend activities include camping and focuses on a specific activity such as rafting, canoeing, fishing, back packing, hiking, biking, caving and bouldering. A high level of parent participation in the troop is a strong factor in its success. Meetings are weekly on Mondays from 7:30-8:45 p.m., which prospective scouts and their parents are invited to attend after contacting the scoutmaster at russ.housley@verizon.net. For further information, visit www.troop1970.org.
The French Club. Group meets the first, third and fifth Wednesday of each month at Reston Community Center at Hunter Woods at 6 p.m., and on the second and fourth Wednesdays at La Madeleine French Café and Bakery. Call Marei at 703-620-0645 or Joan at 703-715-2692.
Reston VIP. A support group for adults with vision loss meets at Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, at 2 p.m. Call 703-689-2700.
Senior Trips. Reston Association's Senior Advisory Committee schedules a variety of trips throughout the year to places of interest such as The Kennedy Center and D.C. museums. Call for details and to be placed on a mailing list at 703-435-6577. Email Ashleigh@reston.org.
Herndon Woman's Club. Group is affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, and is a volunteer organization which meets regularly in support of such charities as Operation Smile, Canine Companions, the county Women's Abuse Shelter, and local school libraries. For more information, visit www.gfwc.org. To inquire about membership, call Angela Williams at 703-430--6404.
Ladies Golf Club. The Herndon Ladies Golf Club welcomes new golfers to play Wednesday mornings at the Herndon Centennial Golf Course through October. For more information, call Janice at 703-476-4689 or Charlotte at 703-437-7602.
Dulles Masters Toastmasters. Group meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the AT&T Building in Herndon, from noon-1 p.m. The club is open to everyone. For more information, call 703-444-2655 or e-mail pchefdiana@aol.com.
Reston/Herndon Branch of AAUW. The American Association of University Women meets the third Thursday of the month at Lake Anne Community Center at 7 p.m. Programs include local archeology, global health and organization of life and mind. Interest groups include book discussions (4th Thursday of each month); gourmet group (four times a year); and tutor mentoring at Forest Edge Elementary School (Tuesdays at 3:15 p.m.). Call Eloise Plavcan at 703-728-2099 or Cindy Decker at 703-472-5462.
The Folk Club of Reston-Herndon meets Tuesdays at the Tortilla Factory, 648 Elden St., Herndon, at 7:30 p.m. Sixty percent of membership is performers. Smoke-free environment where members support each other and promote folk music. Open mics three meetings of the month; performances on the fourth. Call Sue Schier at 703-435-2402.
Dulles Business Connection. The Dulles Business Connection is a networking group that meets every Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Silver Diner restaurant in Reston. Visitors are welcome. For more information on this group and meeting location, contact Bob Gifford, chairman, at 703-827-6558 or 703-863-9640.
Bereavement Support Group. The Reston Community Center (RCC) at Lake Anne, Unit 1609-A, Washington Plaza, Reston, is sponsoring a bereavement support group held every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. Call Eileen Boone, RCC Senior Academy, at 703-648-2835.
Sierra Club, Great Falls group, meets at the Lake Anne Community Center in Reston monthly. Call 703-241-2510 for more information, or visit www.virginia.sierraclub.org/greatfalls.
MOMS Club. The MOMS Club of Reston is a non-profit group for stay-at-home moms. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m. Children are welcome at all activities. The group offers activities such as park days, play groups, babysitting coop, book discussion group, community service projects and more. For more information, visit the national Web site at www.momsclub.org, call locally at 1-800-520-0801, Ext. 1524, or email MomsClubofReston@onebox.com.
Birth Mother's Support Group meets weekly in Northern Virginia. It is for any woman who has ever placed a child in adoption and would like to meet with others who have done the same. The group is led by a licensed clinical social worker and a national certified counselor. For more information, call Pat Cunningham or Stephanie Hayden at Catholic Charities at 703-425-0100. There is a modest fee based upon income.
Alzheimer's Association Care-giver Support Group is facilitated by trained group leaders, ongoing, free and open to the community. Support groups allow families to meet other care-givers and to share experiences and care-giving tips while developing coping skills. Care-givers and family members are invited to visit. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Neighborhood Resource Center, 1086 Elden St., Herndon. Call the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area before attending for verification of times and locations. Call toll-free at 1-866-259-0042.
Orphan Foundation of America is a Reston-based organization that provides scholarships and offers mentors to parentless teens leaving foster care. Passionate individuals are needed to work on tasks including reviewing student and mentor applications, contacting applicants by mail, phone or e-mail, making files, etc. Volunteers are also needed to help with development by researching foundations and organizations, preparing solicitation packets and other tasks. Call 571-203-0270 or e-mail help@orphan.org.
The Junior Chamber International is an organization of young professionals who focus on providing individual development while contributing meaningful help to the community. Contact Chad W. Davis at 703-850-8886 or chad@chaddaviscpa.com.
The Girl Scout Council. Group needs volunteers to serve as troop leaders, help with cookie sales, plan special events, translate and conduct training for outdoor and other activities. Call 1-800-523-7898 or visit www.gscnc.org/gscnc/vol.htm.
Sterling Singles, established in 1986, provides a non-dating, social organization with a membership that plans and attends a vast array of activities and functions such as dinner, dancing, bowling, concerts, camping, barbecues, and Wolf Trap for singles over 21. Monthly mixers held every third Wednesday at Sylvana's restaurant in Herndon. Happy hour is at 6:30 p.m.; dinner orders at 7 p.m. RSVP to 703-444-5534. Write to P.O. Box 42, Sterling, VA 20167. For more information about the group, call 703-444-5534, e-mail sterlingsingles@sterlingsingles.org or visit www.sterlingsingles.org, for more information.
La Leche League offers a lending library with books on breastfeeding, childbirth, parenting and nutrition, mother to mother support, leaders accredited by La Leche League International, the latest breastfeeding information and 24-hour telephone help. La Leche League Leaders are available to answer breastfeeding questions. For more information, call Dana at 703-476-0452, Pam at 703-716-4872, or Karen at 703-435-1429.
New Social Networking Group. Join other Northern Virginia young professionals for "Suburban Nights" at eCitie in Tysons Corner. For more information, visit www.suburbannights.com.
Greater Reston Newcomers and Neighbors Club. Group welcomes newcomers and long-time residents to attend events from September through June. Events include Get Acquainted Coffees, general meetings, varied social, gourmet, hobby, athletic activity groups, day trips and special occasion celebrations. Members receive a monthly newsletter with a listing of all activities. The group was founded in 1969 as Newcomers of Reston. Contact membership chair Barbara Kaminsky at 703-620-3236.
The Reston Garden Club. Founded in 1970, the club welcomes Reston area gardeners to join. The club meets monthly from September through June. The organization offers speakers, demonstrations, workshops, area trips and community beautification projects. The group also has an annual fundraising activity in order to be able to donate money for nature camp scholarships and wildflower plantings in Reston. For membership information, call Terry Carter at 703-620-9392 or Ann DiGiannantonio at 703-437-7644.
Mother’s First-Reston. A support group for women making the transition from careers to at-home motherhood. Join Moms and tots of all ages for meetings, lectures, field trips, moms night out and more. The Reston group meets on the first and second Wednesdays at the Herndon Fortnightly Library from 10 a.m.-noon. The next meetings are Dec. 3 and 10. Call 703-827-5922 or visit www.mothersfirst.org.
Reston Socials, an informal social group for divorced, single parents and singles in their 30s-50s in the Reston and Herndon area, is now being formed. Meetings will be held the first Friday of the month at the Big Bowl Restaurant in Reston Town Center, by the bar. Call Norman at 703-464-1899 or e-mail normfisher@msn.com.
Electric Football League. Electric football is a classic American board game. Each player in this league selects a college or NFL team to coach for 8 regular season games (plus play-offs). For more information, visit www.geocities.com/EFL3000 or call commissioner Tom Houck at 703-858-2891.