Mar 2014 cheerful earful

THE CHEERFUL EARFUL MARCH 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: Ann Runner, West Prairie High School Agriculture Teacher -she will be talking about Spring Gardening.

Contents  Next meeting information  Minutes from Feb. meeting  Additional Announcements

The Finance Committee is hosting and Desserts will be served

 Recruitment campaign

When: March 26, 2014

 World Book Night

Time: 7:00pm

 “Just a minute with a member”

Where: Everly House, 811 S. Lafayette St., Macomb Page 1 of 9

 Calendar of Events

DRAFT OF MINUTES Altrusa International of Macomb General Meeting February 26, 2014 [To be approved at March meeting] Membership committee hosted a dessert meeting at the Everly House. Karen Trusley introduced the Jean Davenport from Macomb Food Co-op.

Correspondence – Received flyer about “Veterans Bridge of Employment”, Chamber letter, Invitation to Mississippi Regional Blood Appreciation Banquet, Thank you notes from Mosaic clients.

Standing committees gave the following reports: Communication-Karen Iversen: no report Finance-Marsha McCormick: budget will be discussed at the next General meeting in March.

Service-Penny Pollock: no report Membership-Karen Trusley: Thank you to committee members Old business: Nominating Committee- Kelly Shiraki, Liz Duvall and Ann Abbot meet.

Liz Duvall, Karen Trusley, Chair of the Membership Committee, Jean Davenport of the Macomb Food Co-op and Lara Lessard.

President Liz Duvall called the meeting to Order with everyone reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes from the December 4th and January 22nd meeting were approved by a motion by Penny Pollock seconded by Karen Trusley, motion carried as reported in the Cheerful Earful.

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

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President-Cindy Roon President Elect-Karen Trusley Vice President-Kelly Shiraki Correspondence-Sara Featherlin TreasurerRecoding Secretary-Ann Abbot Past President-Liz Duvall Directors: 2014-2016 Heather Munro 2014-2015 Penny Pollock and Karen Iversen Miss Macomb scholarship committee: Karen Trusley will present the scholarship Sunday, March 2, 2014 Non-traditional and Traditional Scholarship letter will be sent out in April Summer Tutoring program: Shop N Save will be February 28 thru March 2. The tutoring program will receive 10% of all sales from HyVee.

New business: New Altrusa shirts. Any thoughts on type.

Goal is for everyone to have matching shirts.

Still needing a reader for PACT Head start on April 24th Annual Conference in Springfield May 2nd thru 4th. Deadline to sign up 04/03/14. Need to delegates to attend. Please email Heather Munro if you would like to attend. Heather will be presenting on May 2nd.

Karen Trusley asked to spread the word about the Veterans Bridge of Employment opportunity.

Nancy Dobey has booklets on McDonough County Illinois Senior Services. See Nancy if you would like a directory.

Liz Duvall challenged the group to “Random Act of Kindness”. Reporting back on this at the next General Meeting.

Next Board meeting will be Tuesday, March 11th Everly House @ 5:30 p.m.

Official Slate of Officers 2014-2015 President Cindy Roon President Elect Karen Trusley First Vice President Kelly Shiraki Recording Secretary Ann Abbot Corresponding Secretary Sara Featherlin Treasurer Nancy Jameson Past President Liz Duvall Director (2014-2016) Heather Munro Directors (2013-2015) Penny Pollock and Karen Iverson

Altrusa District Six Conference Friday May 2 – Sunday May 4 in Springfield

Next General Meeting will be held March 26th at Everly House @ 7:00 p.m.

Upon a motion of adjournment by Karen Trusley, seconded by Jean Sowers, all in favor.

Attendance: Lynn Brinker, Nancy Dobey, Valerie Dugan, Liz Duvall, Karen Iversen, Lara Lessard, Peggy Ma, Marsha McCormick, Heather Munro, Penny Pollock, Nancy Reed, Cindy Roon, Alta Sargent, Rosalie Severinsen, Kelly Shiraki, Jean Sowers, Karen Trusley and Ann Abbot.

Respectfully submitted, Ann Abbot

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If interested in attending please contact Heather Munro at hrmunro@yahoo.com for special details about registration costs and more information about attending the conference!

Shop-n-Share Fundraiser and the Summer Tutoring Program Karen Iverson received the check from Hy-Vee and we raised $191.72 with the Shop-n-Share event at Hy-Vee. Karen also reports that we received a couple of checks through Miriam totaling $120.

In addition, Sandy sent a check to Marsha for another $25.

So we now have a total of $336.72 to be added to support the Summer Tutoring program for this summer!

Macomb Chamber of Commerce

Member in the news!

Karen Trusley Check out this press release! http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?r elease_id=11453 Macomb Altrusa's very own Karen Trusley, Membership Committee Chair is named WIU EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH for March!!

Congratulations to Karen!!

Print out the next page Link to the March 2014 Newsletter: http://macombareachamber.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/March-2014.pdf Link to the March 2014 inserts http://macombareachamber.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/March-2014Inserts.pdf

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WE ARE ALL RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS !

WE NEED NEW MEMBERS!!!!

Please print out the following page and invite at least 1 friend, co-worker, neighbor, etc. to the next meeting and the next and the next till we each get a new member in our club!!

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: March 26 at 7:00pm at the Everly House, 811 S. Lafayette St., Macomb

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 5 of 9

Volunteering in the Community!

SUPPORTING LITERACY IN OUR COMMUNITY PACT-HEAD START

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

Please see the next page for details. We hope that as many members as possible can participate in this event to spread the love of reading!

Adopt-A-Classroom, 2014 Mrs. Ramos' First Grade class at Lincoln Elementary School.

Cindy Roon has signed up for April 9th, and Kelly Shiraki will read on May 14th. Thanks to everyone who participated this school year!

---Rosalie Severinsen Page 6 of 9

Macomb Altrusa members have begun a new literacy volunteer project. 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.

If anyone who hasn't signed up and is interested in reading please contact Penny Pollock!

APRIL 24 READER NEEDED PACT-Head start Hannah Yokum’s class Volunteer to read Morning Class

Date (11:00 am)

Paula Rhodes

April 21st

Afternoon

Date (Noon)

Heather Munro

March 20th

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April 24th

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 What is World Book Night?

World Book Night is an international event where book lovers will hand out free books to light or non-book 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, who is organizing the event.

Linda Cox will hold an orientation a week before the event to give us the books to give away and give us instructions on the procedure.

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We get the books and then on Weds.

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

To spread the love of reading, person to person.

The idea is to give away the book to someone who is NOT an avid reader – someone who might not have the opportunity to own their own personal copy of a book or they just do not read very much.

 To participate: email Heather Munro at hrmunro@yahoo.com  We must decide locations where we can go to give away books.  We will go to orientation the week before April 23 – get our books and instructions from Linda Cox  April 23 – before our meeting give away our books on World Book Night! And then attend our meeting!

“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 Alta Sargent, Charter member and our featured member of the month!

Alta has been a member since the Macomb club originated in 1961!

Alta, tell us a little bit about yourself!

I was born in Hancock County to Ralph and Laura Evans Oldham and attended a one-room school for eight years and I was the only one in my class!

I enrolled at WIU in 1939 and went 3 years straight and got my 4 year degree. I then taught 3 years. I married and had 2 daughters. I have one grand- son and four great- grandchildren.

What type of work have you done?

I owned and was also licensed as a Funeral Director at the Sargent Funeral Home for 33 years.

How have you been involved in the community?

I was elected to the City Park District and I was able to persuade John Patton to give land to the city for a park.

I was Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star and was acting Mother Advisor of Rainbow for Girls.

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Tell us about your involvement with Altrusa?

I was a member from the very beginning of the club in 1961. I was elected the 4th President of Altrusa and the Altrusa Bazaar started that same year. I have remained a member because it has been a great place to make best friends and accomplish good things for many people. If our God is willing, I'll be a member of Altrusa till He calls me.

Would you please tell us something that we might not know about you?

No one is aware I won first prize at our County Fair, when I was in the 8th grade – I played the guitar and sang country western songs. My brother signed me up without my knowledge and I made $10.00. What a hoot!

Also, I took ukulele lessons 3 years ago, but I couldn't make a penny playing the ukulele. It was truly a lot of fun - in the meantime, I took up oil painting.

I parasailed a few years ago and traveled in the states and abroad as much as possible.

I was the McDonough District Hospital first Coffee shop Treasurer and the Treasurer of the McDonough District Hospital Auxiliary. I made dozens of Raggedy Ann & Andy Dolls for the Hospital Gift Shop.

I've been proud of my husband, our girls and the young kids. I lived before school buses, running water, the REA and many other things we are accustomed to now!

2013-2014 Macomb Altrusa Officers and Board President Liz Duvall President-Elect Cindy Roon

Calendar of Events Mar. 11 Altrusa Board Meeting

Past President – Miriam Satern Vice-President Rosalie Severinsen

Mar. 17 St. Patrick’s Day

Recording Secretary Anne Abbott

Mar. 26 Altrusa General Club meeting

Treasurer Marsha McCormick

April 23 WORLD BOOK NIGHT

Committee Chairs: Communication – Karen Iversen Finance – Marsha McCormick Membership – Karen Trusley Service – Penny Pollock

APRIL 23 Altrusa General Club Meeting

Liz Duvall 3/19 Miriam Satern 3/27 Peggy Ma 4/16 Thelma Smiddy 4/20 Page 9 of 9

Corresponding Secretary Kristi Kupka