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09/06/2017 08:30 AMMarie Linde’s first introduction to Madison was seeing an abandoned 1850 house on a real estate website, from the comfort of her Westchester County, New York apartment on a night in 2014.
“We were living the city life but we wanted to start a family and were craving a community. We’d looked all over Connecticut, but never beyond New Haven. Then we learned that past Metro North there was Shoreline East, and all these great towns with good schools and communities,” she says.
“We came up and looked at the house the very next morning. The first thing we saw the backyard, and then we discovered the town. We just felt at home.”
And home it is for Marie, her husband, Louis, and their three-year-old daughter, Lucia. This year, Marie takes on a new role, as president of Madison Newcomers Club.
Founded in 1968, the club welcomes women new to town to “come together for fun, friendship, support, and civic involvement.” Marie was living in Madison for a year before friends in Guilford suggested she join the group.
“We had moved to Madison on a whim, when my daughter was six weeks old and my husband commuted every day to Manhattan. I didn’t know anyone and it was pretty awful,” she says.
A college instructor at online institution University of Phoenix, Marie has enjoyed working from home for the past nine years, but moving to a new town proved a challenge.
“It’s great to be at home with my daughter and to keep the same job when we moved, but it can be isolating to work alone and not know anyone in town,” she says.
“I went to my first Newcomers meeting not knowing what to expect. I met great people and instantly made friends to meet for coffee. My husband and I went to some social events and struck up conversations with new people, who are now friends. I look back now and think, ‘Why didn’t I join when I first moved here?’”
As president, Marie is excited to welcome new members and residents to the club. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Madison Newcomers Club hosts its first get-together of the year, the annual general meeting.
“For people new to the area or who have lived here for a few years, it’s a fun and social opportunity to learn about us. One of the misconceptions about Newcomers is that you have to come to every meeting, but you can choose how much you are involved,” she says.
“There are special interest groups—we call them SIGs. Kids and Coffee is a popular one and lots of people come to those meetings and then they have friends to meet up with when they want.”
Other Newcomer SIGs include Adult Socials for members and their partners, Family Socials, Men’s Pub Night, Ladies Night, running clubs, and book clubs.
“Last year, we created the Gourmet Club and it’s been very popular. Every month, we set a theme for the night and everyone brings dishes to try,” she said. “In the summer, we have family picnic nights at the Surf Club, which are a lot of fun.”
Marie says the club appreciates the support of local businesses that sponsor events and donate raffle prizes, and in turn organizers schedule the club’s events at Madison locations. In late October, it’s the Monster March, a Halloween dress up parade for local children who trick or treat local shops and offices. Marie’s daughter, Lucia, has already chosen her butterfly costume for the big event.
“Newcomers is a really good way for new residents to learn about the small businesses and services that are here. Many people move to Madison because of the unique character and charm of the town, and if we don’t support what makes it special, it will go away,” Marie says.
Marie says Newcomers is not just a social club, it’s a civic-minded group that incorporates community service opportunities into the club’s mission.
“I used to do a lot of volunteer work, but found that, with my job and becoming a mom, that was harder to keep up. Newcomers offers many different ways to get involved, including service projects, and it really finds brings all the options to you.”
In May, the Touch a Truck event at the Surf Club was a great success, helping raise $3,000 for the Newcomers’ scholarship fund, which was awarded to four young women graduating from Daniel Hand High School.
“Last year, at every meeting, members donated diapers, formula, children’s clothes, and we gave it all to the Bristol Hospital’s Parent & Child Center Caring Closet to be distributed to families,” Marie says. “It speaks to the value of the Madison community, and it’s part of why we all moved here.”
Most Newcomers join the club for a few years and move on when they have settled into town. Marie says it’s a diverse group.
“I’m constantly amazed at the number of people who are moving here to start families. We also have many older members, people with no kids or grown up children—it’s a mixed group,” she says. “One of the nice things about joining Newcomers was that it takes a bigger community and makes it seem smaller. As a new person, that makes [things] easier to digest when you first move here.”
Moving is something Marie knows all about. Growing up in Florida, her first exposure to New England was summers spent at her aunt and uncle’s house in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She was raised a passionate Red Sox fan, which initially put her at odds with her husband, a devoted Yankees supporter.
“We were both students at the College of Central Florida in Orlando and we were introduced through friends. We had a bet on the 2004 American League Championship and so for our first date, Louis had to make me dinner,” she says. “Now we’re raising our daughter in neutral territory so she’s exposed to both the Yankees and the Red Sox.”
With a double undergraduate degree in history and international relations, Marie completed a masters degree at UConn before she and Louis moved to Manhattan. Marie taught at community colleges before a two-year stint in Atlanta, Georgia where Louis completed his graduate studies and then it was back to New York.
After sampling life in a variety of states, the Lindes have found their hometown.
“When we first visited, we found Madison an impressive town, and over the years, we have been continuously amazed at how wonderful it is to live here. It’s a different pace in a small town and moving here to raise our family was definitely worth it,” she says.
And 2017 is shaping up to be another active year for Marie, heading the Newcomers Club, teaching, raising her daughter—and putting the final touches on that 1850 Colonial.
“Everyone on the [Newcomers’] board—we all have busy lives, working full-time or stay-at-home moms or somewhere in between. We all give our time to Newcomers, though, because we believe it’s worthwhile,” she says.
“Serving as president is a nice way for me to give back to the club that’s given so much to me including many great friendships. It’s a special organization and I’m very excited for a great year.”
The Madison Newcomers Club first meeting of the 2017-’18 year is at the Madison Wine Shop, 30 Wall Street, on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.madisonnewcomersct.com.