THREE THOUSAND MILES AWAY FROM THE 'BURG AND 35 YEARS AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, a dozen Northern California alumnae have established a new tradition -- Madison lunches, San Francisco style. Lucy Young ('52) organized the group's first get-together in 1968. To help find fellow alumni in her area, she called on Agness Dingledine, then housemother of Tri Sigma. Five alumnae "got together at someone's house the first year," and since then, the number of attendants and the lunch locales have varied. Now, nearly a dozen Northern California alums get together every six months at such renowned establishments as The Cliff House, an iconic Bay Area eatery overlooking the cliffs of Sea Rocks.

Virginia Duncan ('52) of Placerville, Calif., has attended the semiannual luncheon since 1968, and says that she loves getting together with the group. "The best part about my time at Madison is all the friends that I made." Duncan has also returned to JMU every five years since her 20th reunion and in 2002 attended her 50th. Duncan also attends the larger events sponsored by the JMU San Francisco Alumni Chapter, but says that she prefers the "more intimate gatherings. I have become very close with these women, and our luncheon is still something special."

The San Francisco lunch bunch: Virginia Boyd Coletti, Zee Ouelette ('62), Helen Smith Grosh ('49), Virginia Saunders Duncan ('52), Betty Hommowien Beeman ('59), Caroline Wright Smith ('64), Luciclare "Ding" Miller Young ('52), Liz Pranis Kurr ('43) and Sarah Heatwole Reynard ('52).