Elzevir Reading Circle
The first meeting of the 2018-19 year for GFWC Elzevir Reading Circle was 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at the home of Angela Pullen.
Each member told of current books being read and their summer activities to answer roll call. Jean Davis was welcomed as a new member. Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The treasurer collected yearly dues and gave the current balance.
GFWC/Iowa SW District Convention will be Friday, Oct. 19, in Kimballton. A motion was made and seconded to decline taking a themed basket to the meeting this year. Motion passed. New GFWC reporting forms for volunteer hours were distributed. They should to be turned in at the November meeting.
A letter was read from Peg Anderson thanking members for agreeing to decorate the kitchen at the Historical Village during the Christmas holiday. The room should be decorated, as the room would have looked in the late 1800s through early 1900s. Discussion followed as to possible ideas. The house will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 1, 2, 9 and 16.
Mary Stewart’s club collect was recited. Alice Bowers moved to adjourn the meeting, and Barbara Thomsen seconded and motion passed. President Linda Topliff read the Elzevir by-laws and constitution. Members enjoyed refreshments and visiting.
The next meeting will be 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in the basement of the Edaburn House at the Union County Historical Complex.
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Kiwanis
The weekly Kiwanis meeting was held 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Windrow meeting room with 24 members and one guest. President Korina Loudon presided, Jim Morris gave the prayer and Ellen Gerharz was the finemaster.
The fresh Christmas wreath fundraiser has begun. Members have order sheets to take orders of fresh evergreen wreaths in two sizes and one size of swag. All are decorated with pine cones and a red bow. Contact any member for orders or go to the club’s Facebook page, Kiwanis Club of Creston, Iowa, until the end of October to place orders.
Kiwanis kids coat giveaway will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at First United Methodist Church, 400 N. Elm St. Jamie Travis is working on the details, and members signed up to work the giveaway at the meeting.
The program was Lt. Governor of Division 13 Ron Peterson. He installed the new officers and board members for the 2018-19 year. He also handed out the perfect attendance awards for members for 2017-18.
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Bancroft History Assembly
GFWC/Iowa Bancroft History Assembly met Oct. 1 in the Edaburn House at Union County Historical Village. Four life members and six regular members attended the meeting.
The minutes were approved and the treasurer’s report was placed on file for audit.
Peg Anderson, state legislative chair, told members two topics will be finalized to study and promote. These will define the federation.
New quilt racks in the Edaburn house will be installed this spring. They will hold three to four quilts. The $200 civic improvement money went for this project.
Sandy Oswald sent out several cards last month.
GFWC/Iowa Southwest District Convention will be held Oct. 19 at the Cottonwood Barn in Kimballton. The fee is $15, and President Lewis will drive. JoAnn Nurnberg will assemble a basket for the convention entitled “Winter’s Eve.” Nurnberg and Joan Chubick will fill washcloth bags with toiletries to take to the convention. The main speaker’s topic is about the Monument Men.
Members will decorate a Christmas tree in the era of the house at the village. The next meeting will be 1 p.m. Nov. 5. (note the time change.) at the historical village. The group will have the meeting first, then decorate the room.
Dick Anderson and Linda James from the Union County Historical Village had the program and told of nine volunteers who make the village happen. The village was formed in the 1960s. The historical village is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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Catholic Daughters
Court Joan of Arc No. 428 met Sept. 11. Mass was held at 6 p.m. with installation of officers by Father Ken Halbur. New officers were Regent Teresa Weis, Vice Regent Carolyn Downing, recording secretary Jean Gibbons and financial secretary Janet Brown, and returning officers was treasurer Alice Reed. Downing was not able to be at the meeting, so Weis stood in for her at the installation.
Pizza, salad and desserts were enjoyed by all after Mass. The committee was made up of the officers.
The meeting was called to order by Weis at 7:30 p.m. with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by all members present. Gifts of appreciation were given to past officers in recognition of their service. Program booklets for the year were handed out to members present.
Four members were able to go to convention. They each attended different sessions and will give presentations at future meetings. Shoes were displayed of all types signifying it takes all of us with our individual strengths and ideas to make the group a success.
We will be supporting three seminarians this year: Deacon Ryan Andrew, Stan Asjes and Jake Dunne.
Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The treasurer’s report was given and bills paid as presented.
Communication Betty Baker sent two “get well” cards and one sympathy card. Let her know when someone needs to be remembered.
Committees were established and are listed in the program. ReRun is still needing help on Tuesday afternoons.
Old business was the trip to Conception Abbey. Fifteen members indicated interest in going to the Abbey, so Retta Ripperger will check for available dates and report back at the next meeting. Food fair went over well again this year.
New business included dates to remember were mentioned based on activities noted in The Voice. Fall food event was mentioned. Soup supper which is done in conjunction with ASP members. Breakfast casserole and bake sale at Bunn-O-Matic retail and Bunn Afton will be scheduled in October. Soc-tober-fest was mentioned and members are asked to bring socks to the next meeting. Scrapbook pictures and articles need to be given to Baker. Respect Life Sunday was planned for Oct. 7. Donations were split equally between national projects and local projects.
Membership prayer was recited to end the meeting. Meeting adjourned.
Project for October is to bring a pair of woman’s socks to the next meeting, which will be 6 p.m. Oct 9 at Holy Spirit Church. Presentation will be by Halbur on the Holy Lands.
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Ladies Literary Circle
President Stephani Finley with Dottie Dunphy, hostess, welcomed 15 Ladies Literary Circle members Sept. 28 to Crestmoor Golf Club. Minutes of the last meeting were read by Secretary Vanita Moberg. In old business, the task of decorating the dining room in the Edaburn House at the Historical Complex for the Christmas season was discussed. In new business, a meeting place and time was announced for car pooling to the Oct. 12 meeting, which is to be held at the Des Moines home of associate member Lois Rose with Dunphy giving the book review. Treasurer Vera Fengler reported LLC’s financial status.
Having a life-long interest in scientific literature, it was logical for Joanne Gibson to be attracted to a book listed on her nephew’s pre-engineering college summer reading requirement. “Pandora’s Lab” by Dr. Paul Offit, published by National Geographic in 2016, is a kind of read when there were times Ms. Gibson didn’t want to continue reading, yet was compelled to do so because of the truths it revealed.
In the introduction, Offit explains an exhibition featuring “101 Inventions That Changed the World,” which included gun powder and the atom bomb, brought him to explore inventions that changed the world for the worse.
He ended up with a list of 50-plus and narrowed it down to the seven topics covered in his book. The common theme throughout is “unintended consequences” or a modern-day Pandora’s box.
All of the inventions were started with the intention of improving or prolonging life. All ended up actually killing or disabling people.
The scientists involved were highly held and recognized, with groundbreaking discoveries to their credit. Many were Nobel Prize winners or endorsed by wealthy philanthropists or world leaders, including a U.S. President and a pope.
Offit dedicates a chapter to each of the seven topics and takes the reader for a journey through the history surrounding the subject explaining the science involved at a level the reader can easily understand.
Some of the warnings that come through are “be cautious about being cautious,” “the dose makes the poison” and “beware the quick fix.”
The flawed inventions or developments included Oxycontin as a safe, non-addictive pain reliever; ammonia for crop fertilization; trans fats as a heart healthy alternative for saturated fats; the banning of DDT as an unsafe pesticide; eugenics to justify involuntary sterilization of the “unfit;” lobotomy as a cure for mental illness and mega doses of vitamin C to cure colds and cancer.
The author leaves us with some hope. Like Pandora in Greek mythology, these things can be avoided in the future, but it is up to us to be careful and look to rigorous, scientific studies and not rely on hearsay, the internet or current spirit of the time.
An informative book, “Pandora’s Lab” is a cautionary tale with examples of science being misused, misinterpreted and ignored.
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CARSPA
Michael L. Fitzgerald, Treasurer of the State of Iowa, spoke Sept. 11 in Creston at the request of Creston Area Retired School Personnel Association (CARSPA). All area retired public employees were welcomed to attend. A breakfast brunch was served.
Fitzgerald addressed the future of IPERS and answered any questions from the 31 attendees regarding it. He reminded the retirees that IPERS is a strong, solid fund that has been a proven success for decades. It injects $1.7 billion into Iowa’s economy each year. Fitzgerald encouraged all to stay vigilant as public officials talk about potential changes to IPERS.
He discussed the 529 College Savings Plan in Iowa. Currently there are more than 251,000 College Savings Iowa accounts, representing $4.9 billion invested in the program. He started the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt when he took office and through that program, has returned more than $250 million in unclaimed property to more than 592,000 individuals. The group appreciated Fitzgerald coming to Creston to speak with area citizens.
No business meeting was held at this time.
On Oct. 9, Dr. Jill Tussey will speak to CARSPA members about curriculum and instruction in education.
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Beta Sigma Phi
Iowa Alpha Sigma Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met in regular session Thursday evening, Sept. 27, at the home of Loretta Kelly. Following the opening ritual, members answered roll call with fun plans. Communications included a new certification form from the international office. Patricia Fils gave the treasurer’s report and Marilyn Larimore announced Marilyn Blazek is hostess for the next meeting and the last meeting in October will be a Halloween party. She also advised members will be assisting with pumpkin painting Oct. 9 at Homestead. An outing with spouses will be held in November.
Kelly read from “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” on the premise of letting others be right most of the time; particularly, if the choice is being right or happy. Everyone wants their position to be respected, but don’t let ego be your leader. She also gave the program discussing money, its power and four scripts on beliefs about money – avoidance, money worship, money status and money diligence. She reported on the many ways to save money, and concluded with a humorous anecdote about “money growing on trees.”
Following the closing ritual and Mizpah, members enjoyed refreshments and visiting.
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Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary
Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary met Oct. 3.
Canasta winners were Rose Blakesley, first; Joan Chubick, second; and Gwen Sandeman, third.
Mary Jane Narigon won the door prize.
Sandeman will host cards and chatter Wednesday, Oct. 10.