Our History

The Cranford Newcomers’ Club was founded in the spring of 1948. A list of several hundred newcomers in Cranford was prepared in April of that year and some 300 personal calls were made inviting new residents to become members of the club. 

Since then, thousands of Cranford women have joined the club seeking a connection with their community. And that’s no surprise because that’s at the heart of our founding. 

An excerpt from the Cranford Chronicle published on July 3, 1957: “the object of the Cranford Newcomers' Club is to extend a friendly greeting to newcomers in the town to help them meet other newcomers and to do everything possible to make  them feel-welcome-and a part of the community.” 

It’s beautiful to see some of our old traditions carry into a new century. General meetings, book club, and our family picnics can be traced back to the club’s founding. Our annual “Progressive Dinner” using the same format we employ today can be traced back to the 1960s. 

Our new members have always been greeted with a special event. In the 1950s the club hosted afternoon teas - today the club holds a bi-annual “New Member Social” to make sure there’s always a welcome party no matter when you join. 

But just as some things stay the same, plenty has changed. At the time of our founding, membership was limited to women who resided in Cranford for 24 months, or less. And being in the club was limited to 2 years. Today we welcome anyone who has reason to be seeking new connections, companions, or company.

Through the years, the club has embraced the technology of the times! The club used to employ a phone tree to alert members of meeting dates and locations two weeks in advance. If you joined the club in the late 90s or early 2000s you had to opt-in for “electronic mail” newsletters. Otherwise it came by snail mail as a default.

Today we use social media to keep the club in touch in-between events and a website for calendars and RSVPs. And most importantly, today we have google forms and an online directory to keep track of our membership. New members are welcome to join year round and stay as long as they would like.

So come on in and stay a while, we’re waiting to meet you!