On a Thursday morning in April, the atmosphere around the cafeteria table at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies didn’t match the calm surrounding of pale blue walls with just a sliver of sun and sky visible through the room’s upper windows. By contrast, the group gathered was lively and exuberant.

To the casual observer, the ambience could be taken in any number of ways, considering the core group has been together for some time.