The Village Lifestyle Committees and Interest Groups

Our residents drive life at the Village.

Art Gallery
The Art for Fun Gallery provides a place to showcase the artwork of our many talented residents, or to exhibit group collections owned by residents. The Committee meets monthly to discuss submission ideas and coordinate exhibits which are displayed for two months at a time.

Art Studio

Book Group
This monthly group selects titles and gathers suggestions from each member to enjoy and discuss. Listeners are always welcome to the group which usually meets on the fourth Monday of each month. Copies of the books are delivered by the Bedford Library.

Bumper Pool

New players are always welcome to drop in anytime for single or double play. The more the merrier!

CWV Competitive Friendly Duplicate Bridge

A weekly duplicate bridge game for those partners who wish to match their skills against seven other pairs.

Employee Appreciation
The Committee raises money for the Employee Appreciation Fund to thank the employees for all that they have done throughout the year.

Exploring Nature
The discussions of this monthly group cover themes ranging from discussion of bird species, to four-legged creatures, climate change, salt water fish, wind power, weather, butterfly migration, and a variety of other topics. The session includes identifying an object brought in, a lecture prepared by the coordinator or a member, sharing of any nature related events or knowledge, and a question and answer period.

Garden Club
The mission of the club is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, horticulture, and allied, creative activities; to promote civic beauty; and to conserve natural resources.

General Store
The purpose of the General Store is to provide a service to residents. Proceeds benefit the Residents’ Association and support various resident governing committees in addition to funding the purchase of library books. The General Store is operated by resident volunteers and offers a wide range of items from kitchen gadgets to greeting cards to ice cream and penny candy!

The Green Team
The Green Team Committee works with CWV Facilities Management and residents to help conserve energy by promoting energy saving tips and encouraging members to research energy topics.

Hospitality
The Hospitality Committee acts as a liaison between the Residents’ Association, Carleton-Willard Village Administration and residents, and welcomes new residents and helps them feel at home in the Village.

Knit Wits
In the past this long-standing group has produced eight to ten afghans a year for the Bedford Veteran’s Hospital. In 2007, the Knit Wits branched out and now not only make baby blankets and hats for Emerson Hospital newborns, but also knit warm hats, scarves and mittens for Rosie’s Place, a shelter for homeless and abused women. A small group of the more experienced knitters make a wide variety of items for adults and children for the annual CWV Fall Craft Fair.

Landscape
The Landscape Committee keeps the head of Buildings and Grounds, the gardener and the landscaping company informed about areas on CWV property which need their attention, such as broken tree limbs, sink holes, or crumbling asphalt. The Committee provides suggestions on ways to improve the approach to CWV landscaping.

Library
The Library Committee runs CWV’s library — a quiet place where residents may come to relax, browse and read at their leisure. The Committee aims to maintain a constant supply of books of all kinds–new books and classics, fiction and non-fiction, hardback and paperback, in regular print and large print, for both circulation and reference–along with daily newspapers.

Men’s Breakfast and More
This monthly gathering provides the men at the Village a congenial time for interesting conversation over breakfast. Typically a talk is given by a resident on a subject that is of interest to the group, followed by a question and answer period.

Newcomers
The purpose of this monthly group is to help integrate new residents into the Village. New residents are introduced to the many opportunities for getting involved and they have an opportunity to meet key staff members. Some meetings include tours of the Village kitchen, the David Fitch Guest House, the Nursing and Rehab Center, library and woodworking shop.

Off-Site Programs
The Committee plans and coordinates trips to off-site destinations (museums, concerts, historical sites & gardens) designed to provide Independent Living residents with a varied program of educational, sightseeing, entertainment, and dining experiences.

Pastoral Services
Pastoral Services serves as a sounding board for the Village Chaplain in regard to any concerns she may bring to the Committee’s attention; to serve as a conduit to the Chaplain for residents’ suggestions pertaining to the spiritual life of the Village; to apprise the Chaplain of special needs on the part of residents which might call for a personal visit; to assist the Chaplain in Sunday worship services, the annual Clergy Appreciation Tea, memorial flowers, monthly memorial services, and other programs. It also encourages residents to volunteer in the Health Center.

Ping Pong

The purpose group is to have fun and get some exercise at the same time, with opportunities to play twice a week. No need to sign up, just show up!

Poetry Reading
Lovers of poetry are invited to read their favorites to each other and to interested listeners. The purpose is to be an exercise in the flexibility of appreciation, and not a how-to on poetry or an exercise in literary criticism. Where else on such neutral and respectful ground is A.A. Milne apt to precede Shakespeare, Billy Collins to meet Emily Dickinson, E.B. White to brighten up Yeats, or an ultra-modern young New Yorker protégé allowed to crash the party to tease our brains?

Putting
The putting season runs May through September and six match times are set-up for each day scheduled. The coordinator determines if matches to be played will be single or partner matches. Each match consists of nine holes with the lowest number of puts in each match determining the winner. Club championships are held in September.

The Puzzlers

The group makes available a puzzle for the entertainment of anyone who passes by the puzzle station that is located near the Winthrop Terrace elevator. When a puzzle is complete, it is repackaged and made available for borrowing, and a new puzzle is presented by the group.

Residents’ Sponsored Lecture Series

The committee secures excellent speakers on subjects that are of interest to the residents of Carleton-Willard.

Resident Health
The purpose of this Committee is to serve as a bridge between residents and staff on matters relating to health issues and heath care at the Village. For this reason the Committee is composed of CWV residents and staff. The Committee serves as forum for suggestions and concerns about health care at the Village, and to help focus ideas for consideration by the Administration and Trustees.

Third Act

A group of “experienced Americans” mustering political and economical power to move Washington and Wall Street in the name of a fairer, more sustainable society and planet.

Trinkets and Treasures

The first Trinkets and Treasures sale, a smaller version of the former Excess Baggage Sale was held in November 2022. This biennial sale provides the opportunity for Residents to donate household items and jewelry to be sold to raise money for the Residents’ Association charitable projects. The sale is a fun opportunity for residents to work together, while raising money for worthwhile projects.

Village Thespians
This group is self-described as a work in progress, an opportunity for all sorts of theater for those interested in performing or simply enjoying.  Semi-staged plays are presented in the Auditorium every two months or so, script in hand.

Villager
This quarterly publication written by residents provides entertainment and information for residents, and it gives prospective residents an idea of the community they are about to join. The Villager includes residents’ original essays, poetry, and artwork; latest happenings in the Village; profiles introducing new residents; and facts from the stacks (Village library news).

Woodworking Shop
All Residential Living residents are welcome here after passing a yearly physical at the Village Clinic, and after receiving safety instructions from a Woodworking Shop member. The members not only work on their own projects, but also fix broken items (i.e., tables, chairs, loose hinges, sticky drawers, frayed lamp cords) for fellow residents.