Kiwanis
The weekly Kiwanis meeting was held 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Windrow meeting room with 24 members and six guests. President Korina Loudon presided, Sam Beaty gave the prayer and Ed Ritter was the finemaster.
The Club donated $600 to the local libraries at St. Malachy, Mayflower Christian and Creston Community School. The librarians were in attendance at the meeting to accept their checks.
The program was given by Amy Rieck, human resources manager at Greater Regional Medical Center. She updated the club on new services, orthopedics, ENT and the Urgent Care Clinic. She also discussed the progress in the future with new clinics opening in the surrounding areas. GRMC now employs more than 400 people with all the new services provided.
The club welcomed two new members, Kelly Jo Richards and Julie Lang.
The club held a food drive for Kiwanis One Day in October. Collections took place Oct. 23-27, and the final event was Friday, Oct. 27, at Hy-Vee. Members placed carts in the community at the following Creston banks; ISSB, FNB, PCSB and GWB and distributed food and paper goods to the local food banks.
The Kiwanis “Keep a Kid Warm” coat giveaway was held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct 26, at Creston First United Methodist Church, 400 N. Elm St. It was reported that more coats were given away this year then in years past, with several club members helping.
The Christmas wreath fundraiser orders were turned in with delivery taking place around Thanksgiving.
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Beta Sigma Phi
Iowa Alpha Sigma Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Thursday evening, Oct. 26, at the home of Martha McAuley with seven members present. No new communications had been received. Patricia Fils gave the treasurer’s report and bills were presented and approved for payment.
Committee reports: Marilyn Larimore reported eight residents participated in pumpkin painting at Homestead. She also announced the Nov. 9 meeting will be a couples event at Pizza Ranch.
President Loretta Kelly read an excerpt from “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” encouraging people to do something nice for someone without announcing it to share how nice you are. A warm feeling can come from keeping good deeds to ourselves; just knowing you have made someone a little happier can be its own reward.
McAuley gave the program on Halloween, which has evolved from an old Celtic tradition to ward of the evil spirits before All Saints Day on Nov. 1. It is the oldest holiday in the world and honored deceased loved ones and the change of seasons before transitioning into pumpkin carving, trick or treating, pranks, costumes and games.
Members participated in a Halloween quiz and painted pumpkins before enjoying delicious refreshment served by the hostess.
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Afton Federated Garden Club
Members of the Afton Federated Garden Club met 9:30 a.m. Oct. 13 at Lorimor Community Center for their annual fall luncheon. Fifteen members and one guest were present.
President Shirley Wallace thanked everyone for coming and helping decorate and set up for the luncheon. Bev Rowe made a motion, seconded by Kathy Tapken, to dispense with the secretary’s report as the secretary wasn’t present. Jenny Quick took the minutes for the meeting. Rowe gave the treasurer’s report. Bills were presented by Loretta Kelly, which included payment for the speaker and door prizes. Marilyn Larimore made a motion to pay the bills, seconded by Gwen Sandeman.
Rowe gave four fertilizer sticks to the people in Lorimor for watering club planters and invited them to the fall luncheon. Rowe reported people have favorably commented on the flowers.
Tapken was nominated for treasurer by Carolyn Hubatka. Donna Thomas seconded the motion. All agreed and the motion carried.
Sign-up sheets for hostess and program presentations were passed around for the program books for 2018. Wallace will contact Ranger Kate about meeting or planning something at Dragoon Trace Nature Center in Mount Ayr. Members will work on the program books the last of October. Also, the front page will be changed.
Wallace shared fall rose care from Karen VanBuskirk, which was very informative.
Judy Weese shared she had heard several positive comments on the club helping clean up the flower beds at the Iowa State Savings Bank in Creston.
Larimore made a motion and Kelly seconded it to change the Christmas party to Dec. 1.
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m.
Eight members of the Bevington Garden Club joined the group for a delicious luncheon. Phyllis Allen of Creston gave a very interesting program on honey bees. She told how she got started with bees after they had bought the old post office in Creston and found out later they had honey bees clear at the top of the building. They hired a man from Afton to come and get the bees down, then they loaded the queen bee in her van and the rest swarmed in. She had fixed up an old brooder house for them so they would be able to make it through the winter. She doesn’t harvest the honey, she just wanted to save the bees.
After the program, members drew for door prizes and visited. Thanks to Bevington Garden Club for joining the group.
The next meeting will be 1 p.m. Nov. 10 at Afton Community Building and members will clean up the butterfly garden. Iris Smith and Weese with be hostesses and Weese will have the program on recycling.
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Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary
Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary met Nov. 1.
Canasta winners were Loretta Kelly, first; Wanda Nash, second; and Joan Chubick, third.
Nash won the door prize.
Cheri Lilly will host cards and chatter Wednesday, Nov. 8.