Tag archives: MClub
By Lisa Duncan “They were hoping for years to compete with Mardi Gras and the Rose Parade… and you know what? We got it!” historian Hattie Beresford told members of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, launching a fascinating journey through the colorful origins of Old Spanish Days Fiesta. From its earliest celebrations to the traditions […]
Members of both Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub and the venerable Santa Barbara Club joined together for a memorable journey to Santa Paula’s Heritage Valley. After a scenic drive, we made our way to the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum, where we explored Ventura County’s rich farming heritage and toured their impressive photography exhibit […]
By Maria McCall At a recent gathering hosted by Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, Charles Hopper, president & CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo, shared his vision for the SB Zoo’s future. Introduced by the bank’s Chief Strategy Officer Megan Orloff, who described him as a devoted dad, doting grandpa, and visionary leader with boundless […]
Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub recently spent a delightful morning with Fannie Flagg, beloved Southern storyteller and author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, during an intimate Valentine’s-themed Lunch & Learn at the Santa Barbara Club. She shared personal stories of her childhood, her challenges with dyslexia, the inspiration behind each of […]
Written by Maria McCall Casa Dorinda was abuzz as legendary food writer Betty Fussell welcomed an excited audience for the launch of her new book, How to Cook a Coyote: The Joy of Old Age. Sparkling with her cheeky sense of humor, she declared, “Live each day as if it were your first and last!” […]
By Maria McCall “Twenty-six miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me!” sang The Four Preps in their classic 1958 hit. Though the song says 26, it’s really just 22 miles from the mainland. Traveling in style in the Commodore Lounge aboard the Catalina Express, Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub adventurersenjoyed ocean views, […]
Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub gathered for a sumptuous afternoon tea at the historic Simpson House Inn, built in 1874 by Robert and Julia Simpson – nine years after the Civil War and before the arrival of the railroad, electricity, and indoor plumbing in Santa Barbara. The Victorian Italianate home set the stage for guests […]
The late afternoon sunbathed the rolling vineyards and oak-studded pastures in golden light as members of the Santa Barbara Club and Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub arrived at the gates of Folded Hills Winery, owned by Kim and Andrew Busch. The winery & farmstead whispered of heritage and elegance. The event began at the Farmstead, […]
Jeremy Tessmer, gallery director at Sullivan Goss, regaled more than 80 guests at the historic Santa Barbara Club, where the Montecito Bank & Trust MClub lunch featured stories of early artists who traveled West. A number of these came for free on the Santa Fe railroad, which sponsored them in exchange for illustrations to publicize […]
Award-winning architect Robert Ooley has just completed a detailed guide to our Eden by the Beach. “It has 538 locations covering 35 styles and has taken me two years to put together, including detailed research,” he told 45 guests of the Montecito Bank and Trust’s MClub at a lunch at the historic Santa Barbara Club. […]
Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub went to the dogs when 45 guests attended a Lunch and Learn event at Santa Barbara Humane, which has helped 8,502 animals get adopted since 2020 with more than 360,000 veterinary services performed. The four-acre site in Goleta, a former walnut farm, has now started a major campaign to improve […]
Local longevity specialist Dr. Steven Gundry was so oversubscribed at an MClub lunch at the historic Santa Barbara Club that he had to speak twice – with 80 guests at his first performance and 75 at his second an hour later. The cardiothoracic surgeon and four times New York Times bestselling author’s ninth tome The […]
More than 130 MClub members and other guests converged on the historic Santa Barbara Club for an art exhibit presented by the Art Foundation of Santa Barbara. Speaker Jean Stern, former director of the Irvine Museum, presented an eye-opening and informative talk on famous art forgers in history. Trustee Keith Moore was honored for his […]
With its tantalizing title “The Most Famous Woman You’ve Never Heard Of” the historic Santa Barbara Club was packed when 64 eager guests of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub gathered to find out who local historian and Noozhawk scribe Erin Graffy de Garcia would be talking about in her one-hour lecture. The subject London-born Kathleen […]
Santa Barbara resident and fellow MClub member Bobbie Kinnear gave a riveting talk at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum about her father, Col. Robert Ernest Evans, a highly decorated B-17 and B-29 pilot, who flew more than 50 combat missions over Europe and Japan in World War II. In 1943 he famously served as […]
Maria McCall, founder of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, chose the perfect time to leave town and fly to Costa Rica to see the natural wonders. During the torrential downpours in our Eden by the Beach the tony troupe went whitewater rafting, zip lining and hiking through a private primary forest reserve in the canton […]
Members and special guests of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, on a cultural tour of Japan, were treated to a rare invitation to visit and partake in a tea ceremony with Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School in Tokyo. The invitation, not normally available to the public, was made possible […]
Fittingly enough, a variety of spaghetti was on the menu when local historian and Noozhawk scribe Erin Graffy spoke to members of the Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub about our Eden by the Beach’s rich Italian heritage, which started from the Piedmont region in the late 19th century. The influx continued from the Veneto region […]
To the historic Santa Barbara Club for an enthralling talk by prolific Hope Ranch-based author Lis Wiehl organized by Montecito Bank and Trust’s MClub. One of America’s most prominent trial lawyers, the Harvard Law School graduate served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle and was a regular contributor on NBC, […]
The cultural treasures of Japan also beckon for members of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, a concierge travel club for premier customers. Thirty members gathered at the University Club for a talk with Hiroko Benko, bubbly owner of the Condor Express whale-watching vessel, whose relative is the country’s 13th Grand Tea Master, and club director […]



