Kiwanis
The weekly Kiwanis meeting was held 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Windrow meeting room with 22 members and one guest. President Terry Freeman presided, Lori Harvey gave the prayer and Bill Messerole was the finemaster.
The fresh Christmas wreath fundraiser has begun. This is a big fundraiser for the club and members have the order sheets to take orders for fresh evergreen wreaths in two sizes and one size of swag. All are decorated with pine cones and a red bow. Contact any member or go to the club’s Facebook page at Kiwanis Club of Creston, Iowa, until the end of October to place orders. Delivery of the wreaths will begin right before Thanksgiving.
Kiwanis Kids Coat giveaway was Oct. 9 at Creston First United Methodist Church. The club will get an update on how it went at next week’s meeting.
The program was given by Chris Leonard, supervisor of athletic services at Greater Regional Health. He told about his schooling and work history before coming back to the area with his family. He works with Creston Community High School and his team help with the other area schools and students to prevent, treat and do injury evaluations and rehab. He also discussed the concussion protocols that are used to get students back in the classroom and on the playing field.
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Creston Lions
Creston Lions met Tuesday evening, Oct. 2, at the Pizza Ranch. Ralph Dillinger, president, opened the meeting and led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Stew Stewart gave the invocation. Guest Allen Zobel of Exira, and new members Dana Dodge and Greg Abbott of Creston were introduced.
Following the meal, Zobel, who was introduced by Dean Brant, gave information about the history of Lions Clubs and the subjects which are emphasized by all clubs. Zobel is president of Exira Lions, founder of two Leo Clubs, trustee for Iowa Lions Foundation, zone chair and Second Vice District Governor. Brant is Past District Governor of 9SW and has served in many other capacities. As the largest service organization in the world, the slogan of Lions Clubs International is “We Serve.” Many efforts and projects are carried out around the world. Special emphasis is given to vision, the environment, hunger, childhood cancer and diabetes. Creston Lions are members of District 9SW which has 54 clubs with 1,380 members.
Zobel explained projects which members support through fundraising efforts for Iowa Lions Foundation. They are Iowa Cochlear Implant Center, KidSight, Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Iowa Lions Hearing Aid Bank, Iowa School of the Deaf, Leader Dogs for the Blind and Camp Courageous of Iowa. The KidSight program in Iowa has screened more than 500,000 preschool children since 2004. Tom Braymen and other Creston members were recognized for their work with KidSight in District 9SW.
Zobel presented an induction service for the two new members, who were welcomed into Creston Lions Club. Dodge was sponsored by Braymen and Abbott was sponsored by Brant. Brant also presented Melvin Jones Fellowship Awards to Stewart and Al Pokorny for their faithful membership efforts. Pokorny has been a member of Creston Lions for more than 50 years.
Connie Thompson introduced two diabetes educators from Greater Regional Health, Kim Frain, RN, and Ginny Lents, dietitian. They gave information about the three types of diabetes, symptoms, diagnostic blood sugar levels and laboratory monitoring levels such as A1C, nutritional needs and related subjects. There is much information available online and from medical personnel. Signs of high blood sugar are strong thirst, fatigue, blurred vision, hunger, frequent urination and unexplained weight loss or gain.
Dillinger presided over the business meeting. Reports were given from the pork chop dinner held Sept. 13 at McKinley Park in conjunction with the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs and Lions Club Candy Days held Sept. 15. The support from the public is greatly appreciated. The next meeting of Creston Lions will be 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Pizza Ranch. The next Lions Annual District 9SW Meeting will be Nov. 10 in Mount Ayr.
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The Book Club
The Book Club met Oct. 1 at the home of Carolyn Derrick. President Meg Crawford conducted the meeting. The minutes of the September meeting were read and approved. The treasurer’s report was given. Roll call was taken with nine members in attendance.
Books read since the last meeting were: “The Gathering Storm” by B.&B. Thoene, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, “The Shoes of the Fisherman” by Morris West, “Traces of Guilt” by Dee Henderson, “Under Fire,” “Fullforce and Effect,” “Commander in Chief,” “Duty and Honor,” all by Tom Clancy, “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson, “Because I Said So” by Ken Jennings; “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio and “Fatal Voyage” by Kathy Reichs.
Meg reported she presented a check to the Creston Library from the Book Club members to purchase books. The library will have a notation in each book that it was donated by the Book Club. She also announced the book, “The Hundred Foot Journey” by Richard Morais, will remain as the all read for this year.
Retta Ripperger reported she visited further with Creston Historical Society concerning decorating the parlor of the home in the Historical Museum for Christmas. The club would be required to have two or three volunteers present from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec.1, 2, 9 and 16 for the open houses. Members would need to complete decorating by the middle of November in the late 1800s to early 1900s period. After discussion, it was decided to accept this project. It was suggested to move the November meeting to Nov. 12 at the Historic House and bring appropriate decorations. Barb Thomsen will check on availability of the home as a meeting place.
The business meeting was adjourned.
Deb Richardson then reviewed the book “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson.
This is a novel published in 2004. It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and National Book Critics Circle Award. It is Robinson’s second novel, following “Housekeeping” (1980). The entire narrative is a single, continuing, albeit episodic document, written on several occasions in a form combining a journal and a memoir. It comprises the fictional autobiography of the Rev. John Ames, an elderly Congregationalist pastor in the small, secluded town of Gilead, who knows that he is dying of a heart condition.
At the beginning of the book, the date is established as 1956, and Ames explains he is writing an account of his life for his seven year-old son, who will have few memories of him. Richardson reported she enjoyed “the beauty of the writing” and found this to be a very relaxing book to read.
After the review, the hostess served delicious refreshments. The next meeting will be 1:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the historical home near McKinley Park. (Note change from the yearbook schedule.)
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Union County Genealogical Society
The meeting of Union County Genealogical Society was called to order 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Gibson Memorial Library by Tessa Hull.
The minutes were reviewed. A change in the program for September was made to the minutes. The program should have been listed as the UCGS website.
A committee will meet during Christmas vacation to plan programming for 2019. There was a query on the Lamb family that Kathy Parmenter will answer. Lunch and Learn will be 11:30 a.m. Oct. 17 on an open subject.
Parmenter do research on the cost of paper and ink to print the pioneer certificates before a cost is set for this society project. She has found a patriotic theme certificate online.
UCGS is planning an anniversary open house for the Union County Genealogical Society. A committee of Jane Briley, Hull and Saundra Leininger will plan this event. Briley will search for a list of the charter members.
Members were reminded there will be nomination of officers for 2019 at the October meeting.
There was a report on the recent cemetery walk and comments were shared on the research the society provided on some of the characters portrayed in the walk.
Leininger gave an update on the progress being made on the website. Forty-one of the 83 cemeteries in the county are currently online. Parmenter, Roger Nurnberg and Leininger are working to making the final corrections to the Excel spreadsheets before the other cemeteries can be added to the website. Many of the members and speakers at UCGS workshops have made positive comments about the website. Members need to share their ideas for Lunch and Learn meetings, submit ideas for additional information they would like on the website and for information they would like to appear on the front page of the website.
The next meeting will Monday, Oct. 22, at the library and the program will be, “How to be a Member of Daughters of American Revolution.”
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Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary
Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary met Oct. 10.
Canasta winners were Mary Jane Narigon, first; Loretta Kelly, second; and Janice Munstermann, third.
Rose Blakesley won the door prize.
Munstermann will host cards and chatter Wednesday, Oct. 17.