History of LCWA

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Many in Las Colinas and Irving know Mary Oberlin as a long-time resident, a catalyst, and an energizer to make ideas reality.  While working on her Master’s Degree in Public Health, she latched onto a key factor:  look around you, find a need and a way to fill it.  Mary has been honored for her many contributions to our community over the years.  We recently spoke with her to discuss one of her many projects:  the Las Colinas Women’s Association. 

 

“As I stood on my patio looking north from my house on La Paz (in University Hills), there was nothing to see in 1964,” reminisced Mary.  That is quite a thought to comprehend all these years later.  Las Colinas was a very young community then, but Mary talked about all these homes and families arriving over the next several years.  Her thought was, “We need to meet the women that live behind all these beautiful doors.”  Families were pouring in from all over, and they needed to form a “community.”  Mary began talking to the women she knew through the University Hills HOA to confirm a need and desire for reaching out and making connections to others with shared interests.   She credits the University of Dallas for stepping forward to provide a meeting space and assisting the group as it began taking shape.  

 

As discussions began, certain factors became evident:

 

• Many already belonged to service and volunteer organizations, had families, and, often, careers.

• There was no social organization, and that was wanted.

• The founder and others wanted an organization that included all Irving women, not just those in Las Colinas.

• The group wanted to have informative and entertaining general meetings.

• In addition to the large general association, Mary found a need for smaller groups addressing particular interests, which became Interest Groups.

 

Today, LCWA has 10 Interest Groups:  Art Focus, Book Discussion Day, Duplicate Bridge, Ladies Lunch Bridge, Ladies Party Bridge, Ladies Lunch Out, Let’s Eat Out (both couples and singles events), Garden Club, Mah Jong, and You Can Paint.

 

Over the years, LCWA has embraced new residents and formed the connective tissue to long-time citizens and the city of Irving we all call home.  Our general monthly meetings feature speakers who motivate, teach, and keep us current on a broad range of topics. We are always interested in forming new interest groups and welcoming new members.  Many of us have relocated to this area as empty nesters and/or retirees. Without schools and careers to connect us, this group reaches out and forges pathways to this new season of life. 

 

As Mary Oberlin says, “Come join us!  It’s a great group of people, and we all need to stay involved… and know the women behind all these beautiful doors.” 

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