April 2014 Cheerful Earful

THE CHEERFUL EARFUL APRIL 2014 This newsletter is brought to you by the Communication Committee of the Macomb Altrusa Club, Macomb, Illinois

“Leading to a Better Community” Altrusa is an international non-profit organization making our local communities better through leadership, partnership and service

Next Meeting Information The Program: Game Night!

The Service Committee is hosting and Desserts will be served When: April 23, 2014 Time: 7:00pm Where: Community Room, City Hall, Macomb Page 1 of 10

Contents  Next meeting information  Minutes from March meeting  Additional Announcements  Please Join Us!  Planning for next year!  World Book Night  “Just a minute with a member”  Calendar of Events

DRAFT OF MINUTES Altrusa International of Macomb General Meeting March 26, 2014 [To be approved at April meeting] Finance Committee hosted the General Meeting. Guest speaker – Ann Runner, West Prairie High School Agriculture Teacher and two students Courtney Thorman and Ashley Smith. The topic was Spring Gardening. A lot of helpful hints on preparing your gardens for planting. Also, Ann brought along a few plants that the Agriculture classes have planted for our viewing pleasure.

President Elect, Cindy Roon called the meeting to Order with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes February meeting were approved by a motion by Penny Pollock, seconded by Lynne Brinker, motion carried as reported in the Cheerful Earful.

The Treasurer’s report prepared by Marsha McCormick will be filed for audit.

Correspondence Invitation to the 2014 Spoon River Presidential Reception, May 1, 2014. RSVP by 04/18/14. Chamber newsletter

FinanceMarsha McCormick: Thank you to committee members.

ServicePenny Pollock: All scholarship forms have been given to the school advisors. World Reading Day, volunteers needed to help distribute books on April 23rd. A training session with Copperfield’s Book Store will be the week before.

Membership-Karen Trusley: Invite friends to meeting.

Old business: Nominations of officers and board members were closed by a motion by Karen Iversen, seconded by Marsha McCormick.

A motion to approve the slate of officers and board members by Penny Pollock, seconded

by Miriam Satern, motion carried.

Budget for 2014-2015 Membership dues will increase $5.00 for old and new members.

A motion by Kathy Wyatt, seconded by Miriam Satern, motion carried.

New business: Chamber Community Leadership Academy needs a volunteer to speak about Altrusa.

Summer Tutoring donation letter, asking for a list of community organizations and other persons whom you think might be interested in donating. Karen will ask Heather to add to Facebook.

Standing committees gave the following reports: CommunicationKaren Iversen: no report Page 2 of 10

Announcements: District Convention May 2 thru May 4 in Springfield. Heather Munro and Cindy Roon will be the delegates.

DUES Dues will be due by Wednesday, May 28 at our meeting.

Karen Trusley and Cindy Roon at March meeting Next Board meeting will be Tuesday, April 8th Everly House @ 5:30 p.m.

Next General Meeting will be held April 23rd at Macomb City Hall community room @ 7:00 p.m.

Upon a motion of adjournment by Penny Pollock, seconded by Karen Iversen, all in favor.

Attendance: Lynne Brinker, Nancy Dobey, Karen Iversen, Peggy Ma, Marsha McCormick, Penny Pollock, Nancy Reed, Paula Rhodes, Cindy Roon, Miriam Satern, Rosalie Severinsen, Jean Sowers, Karen Trusley Sara Wood and Ann Abbot.

Respectfully submitted, Ann Abbot

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Dues will be $75 for the 20142015 year.

Remember it was passed at the March meeting for the dues increase.

Please get check payable to Altrusa International of Macomb to Marsha McCormick by May 28th as she has to have turned in by June 1st or we’ll get a penalty for being late.

If you can have the check to me before then that will be great.

Marsha McCormick, Treasurer

Print out the following page and bring a friend to the next meeting!

Please Join Us !

Altrusa International of Macomb, a local service club with a focus on supporting literacy invites you to attend one of our upcoming meetings as our guest!

Each meeting offers a speaker on various topics, snacks, and an opportunity to interact with a great group of women who are working to serve the Macomb community through service projects.

We meet the last Weds. of each month at various locations Upcoming meetings:

April 23 at 7:00pm at City Hall Community Room May 28 at 6:00pm –Potluck at Everly House For more information on membership or to find out more about upcoming events or service projects, please check us out at: www.facebook.com/MacombAltrusa or http://tinyurl.com/MacombAltrusaNews Page 4 of 10

PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR’S MEETINGS

plan ahead

We need to [before the June meeting] so we have great meetings for the coming year!

In order to make the Altrusa June Planning Meeting easier -- Every member please forward ideas to Nancy Dobey for the annual planning session.

E-mail or call your ideas to: Nancy.Dobey@mortonbank.com or (309) 833-4551 or (309) 836-6395.

Ideas will be assembled into two lists: 1) possible meeting places; and 2) Of topics, speakers, costs, etc.

The purpose is to make it easier for Committees to plan their meetings in one night and confirm them ASAP

Please send to Nancy Dobey:

 Places ideas about meeting places for club meetings: Your idea should include a location, a cost (if known), a contact person & phone number (also if known) AND

 Themes, Speakers, &Topics.

List ideas for timely topics of interest or fun &/speakers for club meetings: Ideas should include a topic (general description)…a speaker’s name and contact phone number or e-mail, cost (if any) and the details available.

I’ll also try to come up with a form to pass out at the Planning Session to complete and turn in by Committee Chairs with the above information and whether the meeting is “dessert” or “meal”, the time of the meeting, & other details. These ideas should be turned in soon enough to get into the next newsletter.

I’ll assemble your ideas into two lists that will be available for the June Meeting.

All Committees should have their topics approved before leaving the planning meeting, eliminating duplications.

After the June meeting, details should be confirmed & turned in to the yearbook Committee quickly, so the yearbook can be ready for the July meeting.

Because we all have access to different information, ideas, and community needs, every member is asked to help by sending their ideas Page 5 of 10

Hopefully Meeting planning can be completed & turned in at the June meeting except for confirming details which can be done very quickly after the meeting. Then the Club yearbook might be available for distribution in July.

Please send me your ideas by May 10.

These lists are only “suggestions”& can be used as needed. Committees can still choose themes and meeting sites not on the lists.

Nancy Dobey (309) 833-4551

Photos

by Jean Sowers

March 2014 meeting Ann Runner speaking on Spring Gardening!

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Volunteering in the Community!

SUPPORTING LITERACY IN OUR COMMUNITY PACT-HEAD START Macomb Altrusa members have begun a new literacy volunteer project.

New Service Project WORLD BOOK NIGHT We will be participating in World Book Night – an international literacy event held on April 23.

Altrusans will be reading to children at the PACT (Parent and Child Together) - Headstart program in Macomb.

The mission of Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois is to provide a high quality comprehensive program of education, health, and social services to children and their families, developing lifelong learners.

PACT-Head start Hannah Yokum’s class Volunteer to read Adopt-A-Classroom, 2014 Mrs. Ramos' First Grade class at Lincoln Elementary School.

Kelly Shiraki will wrap up our year by reading to Mrs. Ramos' First Grade on May 14. The books are: "The American Flag," and "If I Built a House."

---Rosalie Severinsen

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Morning Class

Date (11:00 am)

Paula Rhodes

April 21st

Afternoon

Date (Noon)

Karen Trusley

April 24th

Hooray for Spring!

Who is helping give out half a million free books across America on April 23rd?

You are!

Macomb Altrusa will be participating in World Book Night US on April 23, 2014 World Book Night is an international event where book lovers will hand out free books to light or non-readers.

World Book Night is dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.

We will be part of 25,000 volunteers all over the United States who will give away a half of a million printed books in more than 6,000 towns and cities across the country.

Publishers provide thousands of free, specially printed paperbacks for this event.

The books are shipped to participating bookstores, our bookstore, New Copperfield’s Book Service, is organizing the event.

We get the books and on Weds. April 23 we will meet in small groups of 2s and 3s, go to our locations, and give away the books.

The idea is to give away the book to someone who is NOT an avid reader or someone who might not have the opportunity to own their own personal copy of a book.

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“Just a minute with a member” Each month we will feature a Macomb Altrusan - to learn a little bit more about each other!

Say Hello to Liz Duvall, our Club President and our featured member of the month!

Liz, tell us a little bit about yourself!

I grew up in Colchester, IL. I am the youngest of 6 children. I graduated from Colchester High School in 1997, from Knox College in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and from Valparaiso Law School in 2004. I married my best friend Tom Duvall on October 9, 2010 and have 2 wonderful step-children Hailey (senior) and Zach (7th grade).

What type of work have you done?

I have worked as a janitor, worked in a movie theater, bookstore manager, receptionist at an eye doctor office, librarian and lawyer.

What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love to read, watch Page 9 of 10

movies and travel on our HarleyDavidson motorcycle. I LOVE baseball! I am very excited for baseball season to start and can't wait for my Chicago Cubs to win the World Series! (there is always next year) How did you get involved with Altrusa?

I have been involved in Altrusa since 2005 when Kathy Wyatt invited me to a meeting.

How have you been involved with Altrusa?

I have been on the Board for several years and have helped coordinate several of our activities.

What do you like best about being a member of Altrusa?

I love being an Altrusan, mostly because I love our members and their enthusiasm to help our community.

Tell us one (or more!) surprising thing(s) about you!

I like apple pie instead of birthday cake. I once accidentally threw myself into a lake. I slept on a sidewalk to be in the front row of a U2 concert.

Valerie Dugan 5/23 Kelly Shiraki 5/29

The Oldest Cruiser Award The cruise director was asking where people were from and who came the furtherest, how many in each group etc. Who was over 60, 70, and 80. There was a lady having a birthday etc. Then he said anyone over 80? I should not have raised my hand but I did and everyone was clapping and hooting and then the young man gave me a peck on the cheek and the large cruise drink making me the "Oldest Cruiser". My daughter, Judy and I cruised from Palm Beach to Freeport, Bahamas. From our Charter member - Alta Sargent –on the go!

2013-2014 Macomb Altrusa Officers and Board

Calendar of Events April 23 WORLD BOOK NIGHT APRIL 23 Altrusa General Club Meeting May 2-4 Altrusa District Conference, Springfield, IL

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President Liz Duvall President-Elect Cindy Roon Past President – Miriam Satern Vice-President Rosalie Severinsen Recording Secretary Anne Abbott Treasurer Marsha McCormick Corresponding Secretary Kelly Shiraki Committee Chairs: Communication – Karen Iversen Finance – Marsha McCormick Membership – Karen Trusley Service – Penny Pollock