Welcome Letter

Hi Helaine!

So glad to hear that you want to join our little club!


I'm going to attach a whole bunch of stuff (my "cut and paste" letter, my questionnaire and a blank questionnaire) that I send out 'cause it's the easiest way to go.  The letter pretty much tells about our club.  There's nothing really formal, but just a bunch of Helaines who have managed to hook up and many of us keep in touch and we try to meet up when we can.  I'm in Los Angeles and I've been together with other Los Angeles Helaines and visiting Helaines a bunch of times.  You can see pictures on our web page.  There were a bunch of Helaines who got together in Florida, but the largest "Helaine gathering" has taken place in NY when there were 10 Helaines together.  May 2011 my husband and I were in NYC (Long Island), but took one night out for a Helaines' dinner.  There were 8 Helaines (1 spelled Halayne) and 2 husbands.  How cool is that?  You can see pictures here:

http://www.hawksmom.com/gallery/v/MsHelaineous+Club/MsHelaineous+NYC+Dinner+5-17-11/ 

and a little video I put together here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7oV-2yFpzM&feature=plcp&context=C3be0548UDOEgsToPDskI5E9a4LSZae0VAhXU_FVMg

Many of us keep in touch by email, AIM and other (Many of us are on facebook now!) instant message and online programs.  A few summers ago my husband and I went on a long road trip to Seattle.  We usually fly, but this time we stopped to visit and stay with many people along the way there and back.  We were hoping to meet up with three Helaines during our trip.  We ONLY GOT TO SEE ONE, but we stayed with her and her husband for a couple of days . . and had lots of FUN!!!

Return your questionnaire, if you can, just so we can all get to know you and get you on the birthday list.  In my letter I tell you about MsHelaineous Club and Helaine T-shirts and things.   You certainly don't have to feel obligated.  I just put them there for those who want them.  Like when the NY Helaines planned a big get together and a couple of them "needed" Helaine shirts to wear.  hehehe 

This is the website:  hawksmom.com/mshelaineous.html    It hasn't been updated recently, but there are lots of us there.

LA Helaines' Dinner:  http://hawksmom.com/gallery/HelainesDinner8-1-07

There used to be a bit more organization, but lately I'm pretty much the one who takes care of the birthdays/newsletter, email list and web page.  Can't say that I do as good a job as our secretary use to, but I try.

Welcome to our group!

Helaine Cummins - Los Angeles

PS:  I try to get our monthly "newsletter" out by the first day of the month so if you send me any information, I can share it with the group . . . no pressure!  I always attach a name, email and birthday list with this letter.

*****************
HISTORY of the MsHelaineous Club

Here's the major "cut and paste":


I had only met a couple of Helaines in my whole life until I got our MsHelaineous Club going.  I was home on Spring Break, April 1998.  (I worked in an elementary school office.)  I was home alone and a little bored so I did a search for Helaine, just for the heck of it.  The search showed about 14 Helaines so I decided to email them.  Most of them answered!  We wrote back and forth for a bit and then at one point, I found out that since most of them had aol, they got together in a chat room.  At that time, not having aol, I was unable to join them.  In the next couple of weeks the club was formed and a president, vice president and secretary were elected.

I got back into the loop via emails.  All of us Helaines were emailing the group or individuals and decided we should have a name.  Someone suggested MsHelaineous Club and so it was named.  Eventually, I put together the web pages and at one point it was decided we should have a club T-shirt.  I designed the front logo and someone (I believe the same Helaine who suggested "MsHelaineous") sent in the suggestion for the back of the T-shirt and I fixed it up a bit and put it on the shirt.  Don't you love the back of the shirt?

When the shirt thing came up, I designed them and had them silkscreen printed and shipped them out.  Since then I found Cafe Press.  It's a web site where I can design the shirts and "stick" the picture on and leave the rest to them, the transfers, shipping, handling and collection.  Much easier.  When I went to put the MsHelaineous Club logo on cafepress.com, I couldn't find my originals so I made it up again as close as I could.  You'll find our club t-shirt, plus a whole bunch of other stuff that I couldn't make before cafepress, at:

http://www.cafepress.com/mshelaineous

While you're at cafepress.com, be sure to take a look at my other Helaine stuff
.

Check it out at:  http://www.cafepress.com/imhelaine  and  http://www.cafepress.com/imhelaine2

As promised, here's the Helane (No "i") link: 
http://www.cafepress.com/ImHelane

Many of us have completed a Helaine questionnaire.  I'll attach a blank one way below in case you're interested.  I'll also stick my completed one here so you can know who I am . .. . Hey, I'm worth the read!  hehehe

There's no money involved and not a lot of organization, but those of us who keep in touch have fun.  I've met around 20 other Helaines in person, had lunches or dinners with as many as 8 (5/2011) at a time.  In fact, when my husband and I were driving from Rochester, NY to Boston, we made an unscheduled stop in the big apple to have dinner at the train station with 4 other Helaines . . .so it was FIVE Helaines and a Lenny (my hubby).  It was so much fun.

If you've been to our web site, you've seen many of the photos, probably even photos from our NY dinner.  Save http://hawksmom.com/mshelaineous.html so you can take an occasional look.

Scroll down to and click on:   Straight to Helaines Directory - email me for the user name and password

I'm attaching a new updated questionnaire about me and a blank questionnaire for you.   (Although, nobody's asked for them in years, I still have the questionnaires from many of our Helaines.  If you'd be interested in receiving them for your reading pleasure, let me know and I'll try sending them.)

******************************

My Questionnaire

K, Here's my questionnaire:

Screen Name:  Hawksmom or Hawkysmom

Name:  (first, middle, last - maiden - others if applicable)  Helaine Bernyce (Brody) Cummins

Nickname(s):

Age: 64!   (Already received my Medicare card in the mail . . . oy)

Date of Birth:  5-2-47

Place of Birth:  New Bedford, Massachusetts

Current residence:  Los Angeles

Other places you have lived:  New Bedford, MA

Marital Status:  Married since 6-28-70

Name of Spouse:  Lenny

Children:  Geoffrey 38 (married to Tera and now Allie, born 10-10-06, AND  Adrian, born 6-20-09) And Sandi 35 who will marry David on September 2, 2012!!!

Children's names, ages, etc.:

Other Family:  Lots but not now

Pets:  All pets are gone now 

Hobbies, Interests, Organizations, etc.:  Photography, computers (online and off), travel, combining these three, I was in a watercolor painting class (and want to get back to painting with friends, NOT in a class), took ceramics for years

Education:  AA-3 - which means, I was 3 units short of an AA certificate from Santa Monica City College

Occupation(s) (current):  School office tech (office assistant) for about 21 years   Retired as of June 29th, 2007!!!!!

Occupation(s) (former):  Teller at savings and loans

Ethnic Background/Religious Affiliation:  white, Jewish, grandparents - Russian/Austrian

How did you get the name Helaine?  I've always felt that because of Jewish tradition, I had to be named an "H" name and all the good ones were taken.

How do you feel about the name Helaine?  I always hated it and thought about changing to Elaine or Helene, but since this club, I'm thrilled my name is HELAINE and I make sure that everyone knows it, especially when they call me Helen, Helene or Melanie!

Anecdotes regarding the name Helaine: (funny/annoying/touching -- we all have them, it seems!)  When I was a kid we were packing to move to California.  I heard my parents talking quietly and nervously.  They kept mentioning "miscellaneous" and I could have sworn it was all about me, Miss Helainie. . . I realized years later that they were labeling boxes:  dishes, clothes, miscellaneous, etc.   Duh!


Email me for this information, since I don't want it to go out to the whole Internet!
Snail Mail Address and/or Telephone Number(s):  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

How you made up your screen name:  My son's online name was hawk, then hawky; mine was hawksmom, then hawkysmom

Additional Screen Names and/or AOL Instant Messenger Name:  You'll find me on aol instant messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, MSN Instant Messenger as hawkysmom;  I'm Hawksmom (662-623) on ICQ and Skype

I'm on facebook:  Helaine Brody Cummins
There is also a MsHelaineous Group on facebook.  Lots of our Helaines are in it, plus a bunch more.

General Comments, Anything Else You Want to Add!!!  Our club has kind been kind of quiet recently, but very many of us still keep in touch.  Lots of us have met in person and are lifelong friends!  It's been really cool to be a part of MsHelaineous Club!  Welcome to you!

*******************

Your Questionnaire

Here's yours to complete and return to me:

Screen Name:

Name:  (first, middle, last - maiden - others if applicable)

Nickname(s):

Age:

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Current residence:

Other places you have lived:

Marital Status:

Name of Spouse:

Children:

Children's names, ages, etc.:

Other Family:

Pets:

Hobbies, Interests, Organizations, etc.:

Education:

Occupation(s) (current):

Occupation(s) (former):

Ethnic Background/Religious Affiliation:

How did you get the name Helaine?

How do you feel about the name Helaine?

Anecdotes regarding the name Helaine: (funny/annoying/touching -- we all have them, it seems!)

Snail Mail Address and/or Telephone Number(s):

How you made up your screen name:

Additional Screen Names and/or AOL Instant Messenger Name:

General Comments, Anything Else You Want to Add!!!