The Santa Clarita Valley is welcoming its first Z Club, a self-governing student organization sponsored by Zonta Club of the Santa Clarita Valley at Saugus High School. The newly formed club has 40 charter members and regularly attracts 20 to 25 members to its weekly lunchtime meetings on the Saugus campus.

The club received its charter recently in a formal chartering ceremony at Santa Clarita City Hall, presided over by Nicki Bonner, governor of Zonta International’s District 9, and Karen Maleck-Whiteley, president of the local Zonta Club. Z Club co-presidents Tyler Peckham and Danielle Fitzwater accepted the official charter, along with directors Russell Thomas, Erinn Crowell, Claire Zerbib, McKenna Matsun and Keira Colleluori. The Z Club’s on-campus advisor is teacher Kristi Schertz.

The club is open to both female and male students who support the Z Club’s objectives of service, fellowship and international understanding. Specific objectives include service to the club’s local school and the community, and promotion of fellowship and better understanding among all people of the world. Club members also pledge to provide career guidance and encourage leadership qualities in secondary, vocation and technical schools, colleges and universities.

The Z Club’s first major project was sponsorship of a student night for Lunafest, a festival of award-winning short films by, for and about women. The club will use its proceeds from the event to fund a Women’s Conference on April 11 at Savia Center in Newhall.

Following the club’s chartering ceremony, members and their Zonta mentors adjourned to the City Council chambers, where the club was presented with a City of Santa Clarita proclamation and received recognition of all five City Council members and a standing-room-only crowd at the Council’s regular meeting. The new Z Club was welcomed by Mayor Marsha McLean, who also is a member of Zonta Club of SCV.