Club news 11/7/10

Town & Country FCE

The Town & Country FCE Club held their international dinner on Nigeria on Oct. 14 at the home of Sue Jones. Linda Thompson, Mary Klaproth and Jones were on the planning committee. Jones made program books for the attendees, which included some history, maps, and recipes of Nigeria.

The menu for the evening consisted of West African peanut soup, chicken with jollof gice, githerie, ASARO (yams), boiled maize, boli (plantains, starfruit, mango, and pineapple), chin chin, cornbread, peanuts in shell, sugared peanuts, and chocolate.

Jerry McClanahan, a Rotarian from Cape Girardeau who has spent time in Nigeria, gave the program. He presented a slide show and had many mementos to pass around from his time in Nigeria.

After the program, Carolyn Thompson presided over the business meeting. Becky Davis was a guest at the meeting. Brief reports were given on the district meeting, the state conference, and the autism workshop held at the Extension Office.

We received $50 for our booth at the SEMO District Fair and we also received a $50 frant from the MAFCE Foundation to buy books for newborns. We will also donate $25 to the Salvation Army for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Members brought Christmas cards to be mailed to our Military.

The next meeting will be Thursday hosted by Shirley Heise.

Nancy Hunter NSDAR

The Nancy Hunter Chapter NSDAR held a joint educational program genealogy workshop on Oct. 18 presented by Marilyn Hutchings, reference librarian at Cape Girardeau Public Library.

Several DAR prospective members were in attendance in the Hirsch room and discussed tracing their lines back to Revolution War. Abbey Road Church Genealogy Class attended and participated in a question and answer session.

Refreshments were served by the Nancy Hunter group.

The next meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Penzel Conference Room at Cape Girardeau Public Library and will be a historical program, "Spotlight on historic preservation" with a Southeast Missouri State University graduate student.

Cape Girardeau County FCE

Cape Girardeau County FCE members pictures from left are Jo Ann Hahs, Lamplighters FCE; Mary Klaproth, Town and Country FCE; and Barbara Barks, Oak Ridge FCE at the Touch Point Autism Center in Cape Girardeau with their donation of weighted blankets and lap pads on Oct. 11. (Submitted photo)

To coincide with the National Family and Community Education Week, members of the Cape Girardeau County FCE clubs spent Oct. 11 as their fourth work day, making weighted items for the Touch Point Autism Center in Cape Girardeau. That day members completed nine weighted blankets and 14 weighted lap pads.

Since beginning the project, "Love given by the pound," the Cape County FCE Council, members and friends have donated materials valued at $1,120, spent 460 hours constructing items and driven 1,267 miles to complete 35 weighted blankets, 35 weighted lap pads and 10 weighted shoulder snakes.

To finance this project, Cape Girardeau County FCE Council applied and received a Missouri Foundation for Family and Community Education grant for $270. Prior to this time, the council had spent $219.68 from the treasury and had received donations of $72 for materials from county clubs. Most of the 706 pounds of fabric/materials used in the construction have been donated by members, family, and friends.

Because this is an on-going project, members will accept fabric or monetary donations. Each weighted blanket requires at least 1 2/3 yards of fabric and 10-12 pounds of fabric for stuffing. To make a donation, contact: Jo Ann Hahs at 573-266-3392 or Cape Girardeau County Extension Center at 243-3581.

-- From staff reports