Fatherless Daughters

Join the Jaycees in volunteering at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)! We sort donated canned goods or bag portions of dry goods or produce for AFAC's weekly food distributions to low-income families in Arlington. AFAC is a long-time community partner of the Arlington Jaycees! After volunteering at AFAC, the group will usually meet up for food and drinks nearby in Shirlington! So that we can plan appropriately plan the tasks to do for the right number of vounteers, **PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RSVP** as soon as possible whether or not you are able to attend. AFAC is located at 2708 South Nelson Street and Four Mile Run Drive. There is street parking available near the building although parking spots are limited. The Volunteer Entrance is the GRAY DOOR by the loading dock. Once inside, the volunteer sign-in station is ahead and to the right. Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes (no sandals or flip-flops) and must have your hair covered while bagging food. You can bring a hat from home or AFAC will provide disposable hairnets. At 2:30, or when we are done at AFAC, we will head to Samuel Beckett's Irish Pub in nearby Shirlington for food and drinks. In the event that we have too many people for AFAC, the later arrivals can head straight to Samuel Beckett's. The Arlington Jaycees (part of Junior Chamber International) is the premier nonprofit in Arlington that provides young people (ages 21-40) with opportunities for personal & professional growth, business networking, community involvement and social engagement in the Arlington Community and worldwide. Our mission is **leadership development through community service**. Check out our website [www.arljaycees.org](https://arljaycees.org/) to learn more and to become a member of this amazing organization!

Join us at the Chess Center offices (Suite 118, entrance on 2nd Avenue) on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 5:00pm ET for open play. Players of all abilities and ages are welcome. * Non-Members: $5.00/player table fee for the day. * Chess Center [Members](https://chessctr.org/membership/) always play for FREE ($0.00). Check our social media ([Twitter](https://twitter.com/uschess) / [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/USChessCenter)) for closure announcements: The Chess Center is closed on major holidays. We also have chess sets, clocks, and [used chess books](https://chessctr.org/usedbooks/) for sale.

Please join us for our December Romance Book Discussion Club - the last meeting of the year! Location is at my apartment in Dupont. Address and details will be provided to attendees closer to the meeting. Hopefully we can have one final meeting before the holidays and it's not too busy of a time for everyone. Also, please update your RSVP by 6pm the day before, if you're unable to come. That will allow people on the waitlist to have enough time to consider coming, as well. Looking forward to discussing romance books with you all :) \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* This month's themes are **Sports Romance** and **Single Dad/Parent**! Exciting options in store! Here are a few recs for those that want a place to start: Sports: * *Caught Up* by Liz Tomforde - Single dad baseball player. \- Multiple books by Mariana Zapata are slow burn sports\-centric: *Wall of Winnipeg* (football), *From Lukov with Love* (figure skating) and *Kulti* (soccer) Single Parent: * *Funny Feelings* by Tarah DeWitt. Stand up comedian fake dates her manager who has a daughter. Leans more friends-to-lovers. * *Heartless*, *Wild Eyes* or *Wild Love* by Elsie Silver. All are Single Dad tropes set in western/rancher or small town settings. * *All Rhodes Lead Here* by Mariana Zapata. Slow burn grumpy x sunshine single dad trope. This month's selections aren't my usual reading flavors, so please feel free to suggest more options below in the comments if you have any good recs for this month! Also, our "best of the best" theme this month is "**Best Book Boyfriend/Girlfriend**". So please be thinking of your absolute favorite character/love interest that you've ever read to share with the group! Hopefully we can walk away with some amazing recommendations.

Random acts of kindness are uplifting and wonderful. And harmless little pranks give us a chance to get silly and crack up together! Let's combine the two and use our creativity to spread December cheer and brighten people's days, including our own! We'll start by gathering at 10:30 am at Dolan Coffee, just steps away from the Cleveland Park metro station. We'll strategize for a while over a hot beverage (they have nice pastries too), then we'll walk through the neighborhood and carry out some random pranks of kindness! (Many thanks to Pattie for suggesting this great neighborhood by the Metro station!) I've done this several times before and some of my favorites are: \- Secretly placed notes thanking businesses for their services \(like the one for an independent bookstore in the photo\) \- Uplifting affirmations tucked away for people to find \(like under a restaurant table\) \- Putting googly eyes on things \(where they won't cause damage of course\) Who is in ???? I'll bring sticky notes, tiny gifts, googly eyes, stickers, lists of affirmations, holiday cards and more, feel free to bring your own items and ideas too of course! (comment below with ideas even if you can't join!) Hope you can join! Note: This and other FFF>50 events will be permanently shifting to our walled-garden playground on the Mighty Networks platform, please sign up [here!](https://community.fff50.org/share/dbWb9iJu5XwSN2TR?utm_source=manual) If it's full with a waitlist here you can get a spot on Mighty! Hope to see you!

**NOTE: This is NOT a screening, please watch the movie before the discussion.** *“It’s a Terrifier Christmas!”* Five years after the events of *Terrifier 2*, Sienna Shaw and her brother Jonathan are still living in the shadow of Art the Clown’s brutal rampage — a massacre that left multiple victims dead, including their mother. After years of therapy and psychiatric evaluation, Sienna is taken in by extended family, hoping that distance and time might finally allow the past to loosen its grip. With the Christmas season approaching, she dares to imagine a fresh start. But for the Shaw children, the holidays are about to be anything but happy. Art the Clown returns amid colorful lights and snowstorms, accompanied by an entity that has possessed his previous victim, Victoria Heyes — her body defiled and transformed beyond recognition. *Terrifier 3* leans hard into the franchise’s identity, pushing its violence to obscene new heights through handcrafted gore set against warm holiday iconography, treating Christmas not as a backdrop, but as a ritual waiting to be corrupted. *Terrifier 3* is streaming on Peacock and Tubi, and available for rent on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Not sure about the R-rating, but The Housemaid's Amanda Seyfried is a big favorite even if I'm not entirely sold on Sydney Sweeney. Hopefully I'm not cowering in my seat at the end. I'll be in seat E7, we'll get food after the movie.

Whether you're new to Insight meditation or an advanced practitioner looking for like-minded people to sit with, you're welcome to join us at our Sunday morning drop-in group, sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. Meditation practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind. This class includes a 30-minute lightly-guided meditation, followed by a short talk and time for questions and discussion. The size of the group usually runs somewhere between 25-40 people in-person and between 12-25 online. Chairs are provided, or you may bring a sitting cushion or bench. You may also use the blankets and bolsters offered by the yoga studio. **We offer both in-person and online attendance.** To learn more about our topics and teachers, view our videos or **get the Zoom link**, visit our [class page](https://imcw.org/event/?eventId=735&utm_source=MeetUp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=vienna-drop-in).

Join us for a hilarious evening of comedy at **El Rey**! Get ready to laugh your socks off with the **DMV's best comedians**! This **Standup Comedy Night** is sure to be a blast! Best of the night gets a cash prize -- and you get to decide the winner! Casual meet and greet from 7:15-7:45pm. We'll also hang for a few mins after the show for a nightcap! Time: **8:00 PM** Location: **4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203** Come and enjoy a night filled with laughter, good vibes, and unforgettable performances. Our talented lineup of comedians will have you rolling in the aisles. From witty one-liners to hilarious anecdotes, they'll keep you entertained throughout the evening. ***\*RSVP for free to snag a seat, but please tip! Cash/Venmo/Paypal/Cashapp/Plasma accepted!*\*** Link for free RSVP: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/estrogenius-all-female-comedy-show-benefitting-house-of-ruth-dc-tickets-1977995980223?aff=erelexpmlt](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/estrogenius-all-female-comedy-show-benefitting-house-of-ruth-dc-tickets-1977995980223?aff=erelexpmlt) Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to experience the **DMV's finest comedic talent**! Comedians have performed on TV, the DC Improv, The Kennedy Center, Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, and many more clubs and venues! Best of all, admission is **FREE**! So grab your friends, reserve your seats, and get ready for a night of non-stop laughter. We can't wait to see you there! The food and drinks will be great, even if someone bombs on stage! From the creative team that brought you the popular El Rey on U Street in NW DC, comes a new taqueria & margarita bar located at the Ballston Exchange in Arlington. El Rey VA’s fiesta atmosphere features our signature margaritas, delicious tacos, and a few extra treats exclusive to the Ballston location. This event is produced by Callback Comedy

Use Promo code FALLME to receive $5.00 off! Purchase tickets here: [https://www.prosinthecity.com/event/speed-dating-washington-dc-16032](https://www.prosinthecity.com/event/speed-dating-washington-dc-15393) Tonight, Professionals in the City is hosting an event for singles in their 30s and 40s. Our Speed Dating Washington DC events are among our most popular singles events so don't miss out! During Speed Dating Washington DC you'll date for approximately one hour, meeting smart and intriguing members of the opposite sex as you spend a few minutes with each new acquaintance. Meet singles and know right away whom you mutually match with. After the speed dating, join us for a night of socializing and more interactions. You’ll also be able to spend time with someone you felt you clicked with during one of your speed dates. There will be a cash bar for this eventful evening, so come and meet other single professionals like yourself and have the time of your life! Then, after the event, use our exclusive online system from home to choose your matches from the people you met at the event. Without disclosing your email address, you'll be able to send messages through our system to anyone who attended. So come to Speed Dating Washington DC and meet that special someone you’ve been looking for. Check in is at 7:00 and the dating begins at 7:20. Please check in at 7:00 so you have a chance to mix and mingle before the dating begins. Numbers are limited at this event so sign up soon!

Join us for our annual holiday party! 
Join us at DC’s newest brewery Henchforth, to ring in the holiday season! Henceforth is still very new, but they came out swinging with great beers that include some unique offerings. Their staff is filled with longtime DC beer humans, and their space is gorgeous. We highly encourage checking out the upstairs as well. This is an earlier event, we know. But we figure weekends during this season are super busy already so we would do an early event so (hopefully) you don’t have to choose between us and something else- just come early, have a blast, and then move on to your next engagement. 🤗 
As always, we’ve got a few things planned. We plan to be on the bottom floor just inside the main door so you won’t be able to miss us! 
They DO serve food, they have a great brunch menu that’s available all day. Be sure to check out their menu when you get there. 
No cookie exchange this year, but we’re bringing back the holiday raffle! When you arrive see Chrystalle for a raffle ticket. Depending on attendance, raffle may only be open to women/non-binary humans. 
We'll be doing a 'white elephant' bottle swap again this year. We ask that you place your bottle (750ml or 2 12oz) in a bag and seal the top (we'll have some extras if needed). Please also write what the beer is on a note and attach it to the bottom of the bag. We ask that you do not open your bottle until you leave as no outside beer consumption is not allowed.
The ugly holiday sweater/outfit contest is ALSO back this year! Top 3 winners will get a ribbon & bragging rights and 1st place will receive an additional special prize! 
Henceforth, is located in the old H Street Country Club space on the eastern part of H Street. The closest metro stop is Union Market and from there it’s about a 10min Lyft to the brewery. There is also the H St Streetcar, pls check their website for their schedule. 
So get decked out in your best (or worst) holiday sweater/outfit and join us! 
**Boys allowed

Join us as we get the New Year started with one of the best films of the year: THE SECRET AGENT! This political thriller from Brazil is set in 1977 where a man flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown but soon finds the city is far from being the refuge he seeks. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: In 1977, a former professor flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks. The film stars Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone and Udo Kier in his final film role. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UfrzDKrhEc BUZZ & ACCLAIM: The Secret Agent was the most awarded film at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival where it won Best Actor for Wagner Moura, Best Director for Mendonça Filho, the Art House Cinema Award and the FIPRESCI Prize. At this year’s Golden Globes, it became Brazil’s first film ever to be nominated for Best Film (Drama)! It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film, a Best Actor nomination for Wagner Moura and was selected as Brazil’s entry for Best International Film at this year’s Academy Awards. The film is receiving an incredible 99% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes where critics say, its “compelling script, impeccable acting, and striking 1970s aesthetic” make it “impossible to look away!” Critics say The Secret Agent is “one of the few standout movies of the year” and the Chicago Tribune calls it a “masterpiece of a film” and “the best film of the year!” PARKING: Close, convenient parking is available in the nearby garage (located between 9th and 11th, just off High St). Bring your ticket with you and have it validated at the theater and for $2, you’re covered for the night! PLAN: We’ll plan for a 7pm-ish showing and will meet in the lobby area about 30 minutes before showtime! With this being a limited release film, we’ll tentatively plan to see it at the Gateway, but location may change based on where it is showing and the showtimes available. Once details are confirmed, advance ticket is advised. Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. Showtime, location and complete details will be confirmed and announced as the date gets closer. Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you there, Dan

Who doesn't enjoy a twisted tale to go along with their holiday cheer!? Join us as we get together for a psychological thriller and quite possibly the biggest book-to-film release this year: THE HOUSEMAID! The twisty-turny tale follows a young woman who takes a job as a housekeeper for a well-to-do family who could harboring dark secrets! Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: Trying to escape her past, a young woman accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple. But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous - a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, power and filled with shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end. The Housemaid is directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and based on the first in a series of books by Freida McFadden. The film stars Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone and Elizabeth Perkins. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48CtX6OgU3s BUZZ: Early buzz is strong with critics calling it an "entertaining,” "twisty" and suspenseful psychological thriller with non-stop twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end! PLAN: Details for this event have already been confirmed! Please purchase your ticket for the 7:15pm showing and we’ll meet in the lobby area between 6:45 and 7:00pm! This fun little twisted thriller is shaping up to be the surprise hit of the season so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours please list your seat number in the Comments below. The theaters are pausing “Discount Tuesday” pricing for the holidays but we picked some of the lowest price tickets in town! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan