valentine coloring sheets

Junior Moments GFWC Illinois 17th District P.O. Box 954, Metamora, IL 61548 January Newsletter January 16, 2009 Take in the Moment From the President Happy 2009! As you rang in the New Year and made some resolutions – did you consider our Junior Woman‟s Club? I know that I took a break and now am thinking about what part GFWC IL MGHJWC will play in 2009 for me! One of my goals is to introduce more of our community ladies to our great club. It is amazing the work that was put into Breakfast with Santa and how every member helped to make it a great success. We were able to donate roughly $950 to the Metamora Food Pantry and the Heart House. We also made the donation to The Heart of Marine Foundation and the Community Holiday Basket. We are AMAZING!!! Where do you see yourself serving our club in the upcoming club year? It is not too early to consider becoming a club officer or department chairman. The nominating committee will begin to meet and fill these important club roles for the 2009/2010 club year. If you are interested in any of these positions, consider talking with the member currently serving in the position! To begin reaching my goal, I will bring a guest to the January meeting and encourage each and every one of our GFWC IL MGHJWC members to take a step into making your New Year Resolutions into a reality! See you at the General Meeting on Monday, January 26th. Patty Voudrie GFWC IL MGHJWC President Mark Your Calendar Monday, January 26th General Meeting General Meeting @ 7:00 p.m. Department & Committee Meetings to follow Location: GH Fire Department Hostess: Art Auction Basket: Kathleen Reflections: Deirdre Friday, February 6 Reach Out 5:30 – 7:30pm Location: GHMS gym by Middle School office Saturday, February 21, 2009 GFWC IL Spring 2009 Region Meeting The Chateau Hotel in Bloomington, IL February 1, 2009 All media scrap items due for the 2008 media scrapbook Sunday, February 15 Deadline for Scholarship Applications Wednesday, March 11, 2009 GFWC IL Legislation Day Springfield, IL Saturday, March 28, 2009 Blue Ribbon Luncheon & Fashion Show Wyndham Drake Hotel Oakbrook, IL Monday, February 23 General Meeting General Meeting @ 7:00pm Pound Auction to follow Location: GH Fire Department Hostess: Public Affairs Auction Basket: Amy Reflections: Donna Sign Ups              If you are participating in the Weight Loss Challenge To be a cook for Greg If you donated pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House If you donated Wish List items for Heart House If you donated used ink cartridges Nominating Committee If you donated coupons for the Military Families If you brought or signed Valentines for the Troops Old Settler‟s Day Steering Committee GFWC IL Spring Region Meeting GFWC IL Legislation Day GFWC IL Raffle Tickets Interested in donating and/or working a garage sale in March Bring to Meeting              Any size photo YOU took in the year of 2008 Money for Kroger Grocery Cards ($5) Coupons for Military Families Pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Meals for Greg Heart House Wish List items Used Ink Cartridges for Heart House Completed project report forms or email report to Donna Completed Leadership Survey Any expenses you have for reimbursement Coupons for Military Families Valentine‟s for the Troops Media Scrapbook Collection Gently used magazines Campbell Soup labels Box Tops for Education    District and State News GFWC IL Spring 2009 Region Meeting As a benefit of belonging to GFWC, join GFWC IL for a day of great information. There will be featured speakers on the GFWC IL State Project Our Promise…the Prevention of Child Abuse and GFWC Special Project Domestic Violence Awareness and More. Our region is the Central Region. The following is the meeting information: Saturday, February 21, 2009 The Chateau Hotel in Bloomington, IL Cost is $20 (includes lunch & materials) Deadline for registration is February 15th GFWC IL Legislation Day Take a day and learn about our state Legislation! GFWC IL Legislation Day on Wednesday, March 11 in Springfield includes a guided tour of the Old State Capitol Building. Below is the schedule for the event: 9:15 – 9:55am Registration – Howlett Building Auditorium 10:00 – 11:15am Orientation Workshop and Speakers 11:30am Lunch in the Hall of Flags followed by Capitol visits 1:00pm Gather at the Old Capitol building for a guided tour. The registration deadline is February 12th NOTE: You must have a picture ID to pass through capitol security. Blue Ribbon Luncheon & Fashion Show Mark your calendar for March 28! The GFWC IL Blue Ribbon Luncheon & Fashion Show will be held at the Wyndham Drake in Oakbrook, IL. Further information and sign ups will be at the February General Meeting. GFWC IL Raffle – Bring out the Jewel in YOU! The GFWC IL fundraisers are selling chances for a ¾ carat Diamond Necklace that retails for $840. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. The raffle will take place at the GFWC IL State Convention at the Westin Hotel, Lombard, IL May 27 – 30, 2009. Tickets are available for purchase at the upcoming GFWC IL MGHJWC general meetings. Check the sign up table to take your chance! Standing Committee Reports Avenue of the Flags – Amy No Report Breakfast with Santa – Valery/Patty Thank you all club members!! We had a very successful Breakfast with Santa. Our profit this year was $2224.50. Proceeds were distributed as follows: $200 to the Holding Fund for the Community Holiday Basket, $100 to the Heart of a Marine Foundation, $954.80 to Heart House, and $954.81 to the Community Food Basket. Due to a calculation error that was found following the donations, $14.89 was not distributed. The $14.89 will be put in the General Fund. Thank you to our sub-committee chairs who put in many hours organizing this event: Amy, Sheila, Theresa, Nancy, and Valery. Thank you to all members and their family members who helped with this event. The Community Food Basket and Heart House were overwhelmed with our donations! Budget -- Amy Below is an update of the departments‟ budget amounts left. Please remember these funds when planning your activities. International Affairs $50.00 Education $45.34 Conservation $50.00 Public Affairs $34.88 Home Life $50.00 Art $50.00 Bylaws -- Dee No report CIP -- Donna Massage Fundraiser for “Focus on the Kids”. Thanks to Deana, Donna, Amy, Theresa, Deirdre, Sonya, Nancy, Ann, and Patty for purchasing the massage coupons. We raised $190.00 for Focus on the Kids. Junior of the Year/Outstanding Service – Amy/Donna No report Membership -- Theresa Winter Membership Drive – February will be our club anniversary and as a way to welcome new members, anyone who joins our club during the month of February will receive free dues. In addition, all members who bring a friend who joins our club will receive a special gift. So call your friends and bring them to our February meeting to join! Leadership Survey –The Leadership Survey is a survey for you to recommend yourself or members who you believe would make a good officer, standing committee chairman or department chairman. The last page of this newsletter has the Leadership Survey (you may also print it off the website under member services). Please take a few minutes to fill this survey out. If you have any questions on what the officer‟s or chairmen‟s duties are, you can check them out in the club yearbook or website, “What Is?” section or ask any member. Please note that if someone currently holds a position, and they are interested in staying in that position, they do have „first dibs‟. Please turn in your Leadership Surveys at the January General Meeting. This will help the Nominating Committee out. Nominating Committee - We need members to serve on the Nominating Committee (this entails brainstorming for candidates for next year's officers). We need 1 member of the Executive Board and 2 more members at large (Thanks to Nancy R. for filling one slot). If you are willing to serve on this committee, please contact Theresa or there will be a sign-up at the January general meeting. We will meet as soon as we have a committee to review the leadership surveys completed by the January meeting. The positions we must fill are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Newsletter – Londa The deadline for February‟s newsletter is February 9. Public Relations -- Dee The Media Scrapbook for 2008 wants to ensure that all printed newspaper, flyers, radio, and television articles pertaining to the club have been submitted to Dee. Please ensure that the piece of media is in its original form to meet the competition requirements. The competition deadline is March 1st, 2009. Reported to the club thus far are number of newspapers printed articles/photos for us in 2008 equaled five (5) - Peoria Journal Star, The Metamora Herald, Woodford Courier, Washington Times-Reporter and Woodford County Star. Number of articles printed in all papers equaled 120. Number of pictures printed in all papers equaled 41. Number of ads/flyers printed in all papers equaled six (6) and the number of television stations that broadcasted our club totaled one (1), WEEK 25. Please ensure that all media for 2008 is submitted to Dee by February 1st, 2009. The Media Scrapbook collection for 2009 is now under way! Please ensure that any form of media is saved in its original form and is submitted in its entirety to Dee. Please do not cut out the newspaper articles or edit the radio or television broadcast. Please place the piece of media into the Public Relations folder at the collection tables during each general meeting. Any questions pertaining to Public Relations please see Dee. Reporting -- Donna The 2008 Year End Reporting is completed and reports were mailed on January 9. We have three contest reports that need to be submitted yet but for the main part it is done. I want to thank everyone who filled out the project report forms after a project and sent it to me. I couldn‟t have written these reports without you. Let‟s keep up the good work in 2009. I wanted to share with you the statistics from our 2008 Year End Reports. They are very impressive on what our club does in a year. GFWC Program Projects Volunteer Hours Dollars Donated/Raised (Money Club Spent) In Kind Donations Arts in the Community Conservation --Beautification --Resource Education in the Community Home Life --Helping Hands --Focus on Financial Issues --Focus on Health 9 115 $231.88 $101.45 2 7 14 6 60.5 66.5 $0 $153.96 $68.53 $0 $3,429.23 $466.5 12 3 30 240.5 3 354.75 $1,177.96 $0 $3,590.93 $1340 $0 $600 International Affairs --Reaching Out Internationally --United Nations Public Affairs --Citizenship in Action --Focus on Community Safety Special Projects --Domestic Violence Awareness --GFWC IL State Project... --Prevention of Child Abuse Fundraising Leadership Legislation & Public Policy Membership Public Relations WHRC Totals 3 2 25 13 9 10 109 92 $50 $0 $248.56 $86.06 $160 $280.07 $482.10 $365.72 12 58.75 $967.34 $690.98 12 7 34 4 23 9 2 211 58.75 301.5 988 20.5 165.5 274 53 2,927.5 $967.34 $7,285.15 $678.11 $0 $178.61 $479.96 $0 $15,197.05 $700.98 $2,386.20 $5,874.42 $60 $240.87 $0 $100 $16,587.54 Please remember to fill out a project report form as soon as you complete a project. You can find the project report form template attached to the MGH Website or you can get one from Donna or any chairman. Socials – Theresa Don‟t forget our executive sessions at Kouri‟s after every general meeting. It is a good chance to get to know other members of the club. Due to lack of interest, we had to cancel the movie outing in December. A Bingo outing had been planned for January 21st, but we can replace that with a movie outing if a majority would prefer. Please check your calendar and see if you can come join us for a night of fun! You must RSVP to Theresa at kells@mtco.com letting me know your vote (movie or bingo) and if you can attend by January 18th!!!!! The Cabin Fever (Chick Flick Night) will need to be changed to February 17th due to the extended holiday weekend and the potential for families going out of town (like me!). If you would be willing to host this event (have it at your home) please let Theresa know ASAP! Basically, on Chick Flick Night we lounge around, watch movies, and pig out on our favorite snack foods! Ways and Means -- Nancy Jubilee and Kroger Grocery Cards – Don‟t forget to purchase your Jubilee Grocery Certificates at Customer Service (We receive 10% of the amount of certificates purchased). Contact Nancy R. for a Kroger grocery card. They are only $5, which is the value on the card when you receive it. You may take it to any Kroger store and put however much you wish to spend on the card. We receive $250 for every $5000 we put on these cards. You can use these cards to purchase gas at Kroger pumps also. This is an easy way of raising money for the club; please do your part and help MGHJWC with this easy fundraiser. Thank you to Donna, Amy, Theresa, Nancy, Valery, and Deana for purchasing a Kroger card or adding to their existing card during July – Dec. We received a check for $271.75. I am trying to find out if there is any interest in holding a „no tag‟ garage sale this March for the General Fund. This would ease the burden of raising as much funds come the fall. This being done early in the season, we could do a pretty decent job of raising funds and it is fairly easy to do. We would need workers to set up on Friday and work and tear down on Saturday. If you would be interested in donating and/or working, there will be a sign up sheet at the January meeting. Department Reports Art – Patty ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS – Art is hosting the January general meeting and would like to have a club photography contest. Please bring a photo you have taken in 2008 in one of the categories defined below. The winners of the contests photos will be submitted to the GFWC photography contest! If you do not want your photo submitted to the GFWC contest, just let Patty know, but still bring a photo. You can bring any size picture. If your photo wins, we will then verify it follows the size guidelines listed below. GFWC Photography Contest Do you enjoy taking pictures? Did you take any amazing pictures between January 1, 2008-December 31, 2008? The GFWC sponsors 3 photography contests that you may want to enter. Common guidelines for all photo contests are following:  Photographers must be members of our club.  Size of entry (including matting) must be at least 10 x 12” but no larger than 14 x 16”. All photos must be matted. NO Frames or glass.  Contestants must be amateur photographers – earnings from photography not to exceed $500 annually  Photos will NOT be returned.  Photos may be taken using film or digital camera. Date stamps should not appear on photographs, nor can digital photos be submitted by email. There are 3 GFWC contests described below: A Year in Pictures – Judges will look for photo‟s particularly suitable for calendars, such as photos relevant to particular months or seasons. i.e. flowers, vistas, and more. These photos must be horizontal and color. The World in Pictures – These photos can be black and white or color. The following 3 categories are for this contest:  Natural History – flowers, animals, insects, birds, trees, and similar natural scenes  Scenic – vistas, landscapes, seascapes, snow scenes, bridges, parks, mountains, farmland and similar scenes  Feature – human interest pictures including people, events, and other features. GFWC Volunteers in Action – These photos can be black and white or color. Show our club in action!!!! Christmas at the Courthouse Thank you to Deanna, Sheila, Pat, and Susan for decorating the tree in the Metamora Courthouse. The tree was on display from December 3rd – January 6th. Patty went to take the decorations off of the tree and was informed that the tree fell over the previous night due to the stand breaking. A number of ornaments were broken. It was a little difficult trying to hold the tree up as I took off the lights and beads, but the tree is ready to be stored for the winter! If you were not able to see our decorated tree at the courthouse, don‟t fret. A picture of the tree will be on display at the January general meeting! Conservation – Ann Reduce Your Junk Mail! Several services are available to help you eliminate unwanted mailings. The following services can be accessed via their websites, will cost you nothing, and will greatly reduce the amount of paper that ends up in our landfills. Pre-approved Credit Card and Insurance Offers Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion) are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm (preapproved / prescreened) offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you ("Firm Offers"). The FCRA also provides you the right to "Opt-Out", which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers. You can visit their website at www.optoutprescreen.com Catalogs This service lists about 1000 catalogs that you can select to “opt-out” of receiving. Visit them at www.catalogchoice.org. Magazine Recycling This month we are asking you to bring gently used magazines to the January 26th meeting. The Conservation Department will distribute these magazines to the Snyder village Retirement Homes in Metamora and the Heart House Shelter in Eureka. We tentatively plan to have another magazine drive in April. Eyeglass Recycling In April we will be collecting eyeglasses to be recycled in honor of “Recycle for Sight” month in May. If you are retiring any eyeglasses (and/or cases) between now and then, please hold on to them for us. Education -- Kathleen Please bring your Campbell Soup labels and Box Tops to the January meeting. Home Life – Donna Healthy Lifestyles Program Weight Loss Challenge – From September to December we have had twelve members participate in the Weight Loss Challenge. Hats off to Deana, Donna, Amy, Valery, Theresa, Deb, Pat, Nancy, Dee, Patty, Becky, and Diane for taking on this challenge. The good news is a total of 55 pounds was lost in the past four months. Way to go ladies! If you would still like to join us, we‟d love to have you. First we would like you to set a goal for yourself. Second we will have tracking cards at the January meeting to monitor your progress. Use these wonderful cards to track your progress. Try to keep track of your weight as well as inches. Sometimes you might not think you are making progress in the “pounds lost” department, but watch those inches. They count too! Since we are starting a new year we would like you to weigh yourself before coming to the January meeting. At the meeting there will be pieces of paper for members who would like to participate to put their current weight on. Please put just your weight and put the piece of paper in the box. This way there are NO NAMES but we will have a total weight number. At each meeting there will be a tally sheet to input pounds lost but NO NAMES!!! Let‟s see what we can do in 2009 and keep up the good work! Things You Should Know About Managing Your Weight – Diet, exercise, and determination all play a part in effective weight management. Your scale is the tool that lets you chart your progress and measure your success; whether your goal is weight loss, weight gain, or maintaining your current weight. Follow These Simple Rules:  Weigh yourself once a week.  Weigh yourself on the same day of the week.  Weigh yourself at the same time of day.  Weigh yourself wearing the same clothes.  Weigh yourself in the same place.  Weigh yourself on the same scale. 10 Tips for Easy Weight Loss - The following easy weight loss tips will help you lose weight in a healthy way. Tip 1: Find out how many calories you need BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) Body Weight [lb] x 15 + (moderate activity [mins/day] x 3.5) Since you wish to lose weight, your target = BMR - 500 kcal For instance, you weigh 140 lb and you perform 20 mins of moderate activity every day. BMR of this example = (140 x 15) + (20 x 3.5) = 2100 + 70 = 2170 kcal. BMR minus 500kcal; it would be 2170 - 500 = 1670 kcal. Therefore 1670 kcal is the target in this example to losing 1 lb per week. Tip 2: Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day - Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and help to keep your calorie count low. Tip 3: Watch for Portion Size - One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta!!! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover. Tip 4: Do not Skip Meals - Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Tip 5: Go for wholesome fresh foods - If possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid package (processed) and convenient foods such as fast food. Packaged and convenient foods are often higher in sodium and fat content. Many people we spoke to are amazed that they can easily lose weight by packing a home-cooked lunch to work instead of eating out. Tip 6: Don't be overly restrictive - Everyone has his or her favorite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favorite treats usually lead to an early relapse. Tip 7: Understand Food Claims and Labels - A product labeled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly a product labeled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging. Tip 8: Watch the sugary drinks - Juices, pop, cream and sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full. Tip 9: Keep a food journal - Keeping a food journal helps you pin point your eating pattern and will enable you to easily modify it. If possible, have a Registered Dietitian review your journal. Tip 10: Exercise, period - Most authorities recommend 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories. Helping Hands Program Cooks Needed for Greg – Thanks to Deana, Donna, Janell, Steph, Kathleen, Patty and Becky for helping fix 180 of the 325 meals given to Greg in 2008. They are very much appreciated. I would love to see more Juniors help provide meals for Greg in 2009. I am putting together a few tips to consider when preparing and freezing meals for Greg. Also a suggestion list of the foods Greg likes, dislikes, and limitations due to his diabetes. I will have the lists available at the January meeting. Hopefully you will be willing to fix a meal or two. If you have any questions, please contact Donna. Community Holiday Basket – Thanks to Becky, Theresa, Londa, Nancy and Susan for helping sort the can goods and filling the baskets. One hundred and ten food baskets were filled for families in our community. Pop Tab Collection Program – We will continue to collect the pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Remember to bring your pop tabs to the January meeting in a zip lock bag. In November we collected ½ pound worth of tabs. Thanks to Donna, Valery, Sheila, Steph, Nancy, and Patty for collecting. From September to November we collected and donated 5 ½ pounds of pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House in Milwaukee. Focus on Financial Issues Program Avoiding Sales Calls – tired of calls from strangers trying to sell you something? Bothered by shady characters offering deals that are too good to be true? You can‟t eliminate unwanted calls completely, but you can reduce the number you receive. • Sign up for the national “do not call” registry. It‟s easy and it‟s free! Call (888) 382-1222, TTY (866) 2904326 from the phone number you want to register. Unfortunately, registering by phone may not work if you live in a residential complex that uses a PBX phone system. But you can also register online at www.donotcall.gov. If you don‟t have a computer, use someone else‟s. You‟ll need Internet access and a working email address. The “do not call” system will send a response to that address with a link that must be clicked on within 72 hours to complete the registration. • Registration doesn’t last forever. It expires in five years. No notice will be sent to you, so keep your own records. You can confirm that a number is on the registry and the registration date through the toll-free number or Web site. If your number changes or is disconnected, you‟ll need to re-register. You can also take the phone number off the “do not call” registry anytime via the toll-free number or Web site. • Some callers aren’t covered. Nonprofit groups, charities, political organizations, and survey companies don‟t have to use the national “do not call” list. But when charities use professional fundraisers to call, they must honor your request not to call again. • Some companies can still call you. Even if your number is on the registry, companies can call if: you purchased something from them or made a payment within the previous 18 months; you asked about a product or service or submitted an application in the past 3 months; or you have a “personal relationship” as a friend, relative or acquaintance. But you always have the right to tell them not to call again. • Be careful what you sign. Companies can also call with your written permission, so look at contracts, order forms, contest entry forms, and other things you sign carefully to make sure you‟re not agreeing to be called without realizing it. You can withdraw consent anytime by saying, “don‟t call me again.” • It may take a while to notice fewer calls. Telemarketers check the national “do not call” registry every 31 days, so it may take that long before your number is removed from their calling lists. • If your number is on a state “do not call” list, it may also be on the national registry. Not all states have their own “do not call” lists, but some that do are transferring the numbers on their lists to the national registry, others aren‟t. The “do not call” Web site has information about how specific state “do not call” laws relate to the national registry. • If you don’t sign up for the national “do not call” registry, you still have rights. You can tell companies not to call you again on a case-by-case basis. Keep a record of their names and the dates of your requests. • Enforce your rights. If telemarketers ignore the fact that your number is on the registry or your request not to call again, report them through the “do not call” toll-free number or Web site. You can also sue telemarketers that violate your federal “do not call” rights in small claims court for $500 (the court can triple that amount if the company knowingly broke the law). Note their names and the dates of the calls. Telemarketing Fraud Tips from the National Consumers League‟s National Fraud Information Center International Affairs --Deirdre Our final total of money collected for Trick or Treat for UNICEF was $213.07. Thanks to everyone who participated! As we look forward to our next two fundraisers in March, we will be focusing on water. Did you know:  At least 2.6 billion people (41% of the global population) do not have access to clean drinking water?  Lack of clean drinking water is the second largest killer of children under the age of five?  $1.00 can provide a child with clean drinking water for forty days? On the weekend of March 13/14 we will be offering a book exchange for children at the Germantown Hills Intermediate School. Kids can participate by donating gently used books to the exchange and then purchasing books for a small fee that will benefit Tabitha, USA which funds wells in Cambodia. Currently $80 will purchase a well that can serve five families in one of the poorest countries in the world. Our second fundraiser is still in the planning stages and is slated to begin on World Water Day, March 22. Please mark your calendars and plan to help with these two projects by lending us your time and talent. International Information The first day of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Ox falls on 1/26/2009. Each year is designated by one of the 12 Animals For instance, 2005 is Year of Rooster; 2006 is Year of Dog; and 2007 is the Year of Pig. 2008 is the Year of the Rat and 2009 is the Year of the Ox. This system is extremely practical. A child does not have to learn a new answer to the question, "How old are you?" in each new year. Old people often lose track of their age, because they are rarely asked about their present age. Everyone just has to remember that he or she was born in the "Year of the Dog" or whatever. Since 2008 was the Year of the Rat, anyone who was born in the Year of the Rat is either 1 or 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85 or 97 years old. In 2009, the person is still born in the Year of the Rat. but he/she is 2,14, 26, 38, 50, 62, 74, 86 or 98 yeas old. Thus, instead of asking the question "How old are you?", ask the person "In which (animal) year were you born?" Chinese New Year is a lunar holiday that begins at sunset on the day of the second new moon following the winter solstice. This is usually between January 21 and February 20. The usual Chinese greeting is "Gung Hei Fat Choi," which means "good luck." New Years is a time in which the Chinese hope to escape their bad luck. This is the biggest celebration of the year for the Chinese because it lasts 15 days. Each day has its traditions. For more information check out this website: http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html Public Affairs -- Donna Citizenship Program Operation Santa - Thank you to all who donated to or helped with the stockings for Operation Santa. 35,133 stockings were filled and mailed to our warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan! Total shipping costs was $60,000. Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines have received thank you emails from the recipients! Honoring Veterans for Christmas – We donated 24 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of briefs, 8 t-shirts, 24 combs, 1 bottle of shampoo, 5 word search books, and 54 individual bag snacks for Christmas for the veterans at the Danville VA Clinic. A special thank you to Donna, Amy, Theresa, Pat, Nancy, and Patty for donating these items and brightening the life of a veteran. Coupons for Military Families - Coupons are being sent to service men and women who are serving our country in Iraq. We will be collecting coupons in order to support this project throughout the club year. Please bring your coupons to the January meeting in an envelope with the number of coupons donated on it along with your name. At the November meeting a total of 1107 coupons were collected by Donna, Sheila, Londa, Pat, and Steph. The three-month total of coupons donated was 1561. Thanks! Valentine’s for the Troops - We have been contacted by the Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines to help find groups that would be interested in making Valentine‟s for our troops. The Valentine‟s can be made from construction paper or anything homemade. The Public Affairs Department also has Valentine coloring sheets available. They ask if you want to write a personal note. Go with your heart on this but here are a few suggestions: Thank you for your service. Stay safe and hurry home. I appreciate your sacrifice for my freedom. You are loved and prayed for. I have contacted the four local grade schools to see if the teachers would be willing to participate. If you would know of any groups such as Scouts, Sunday School Classes, Churches, FCA, Operation Snowball, etc. that might like to help with this project, would you please pass on the above information. If you find an organization or group that would like to participate in this project please let me know. The deadline for the Valentine‟s helping with this project outside our club is January 20. If you and your children would be interested in participating in this project, the same goes for you as above except you can bring your Valentine's to the January 26 meeting. Please let me know if you are willing to participate by calling 383-4843 or by emailing me at cross_t@mtco.com. The Public Affairs Department will have Valentine‟s also available at the January meeting to sign. We are trying to see how many Valentine‟s we can have made from the Metamora-Germantown Hills area. We will deliver the Valentine‟s to the Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines. Special Projects Heart House Wish List – The following items are on the January Wish List: D batteries, ketchup, coffee, window cleaner, 100% fruit juice, pasta sauces, laundry soap and bleach. These items can be the generic brand. If you would like to donate any of these items, please bring them to the January meeting. Thank you to Donna, Sheila, Theresa, Pat, and Steph for the 38 items that were donated in November. Heart House was very appreciative. A special thank you to Becky for delivering the items to Heart House. Decorating Heart House for Christmas – Thank you to Deirdre, Sonya, Nancy and Becky along with their family members for decorating Heart House for Christmas. Tree of Hearts Program – Twenty-one toys were donated for the Tree of Hearts Program. Thanks Donna, Theresa, Londa, Pat and Diane for making a child or adult‟s Christmas special. A special thank you to Becky for delivering the items to Heart House. 143 families signed up for this program this year. Ink Cartridges – Heart House is collecting used ink cartridges. The Kiwanis Club is collecting and recycling used ink cartridges. When the ink cartridges are turned into stores Heart House gets store credit for office supplies like paper, folders, and other needed items to effectively run their office. If you have any used ink cartridges and would like to help Heart House out, bring them to the January meeting. We will collect the used ink cartridges until we are told they don‟t need them. Announcements GFWC IL Scholarships – Do you have a student who will be attending college in the fall? If so, check out the scholarships available through GFWC IL. Go to the GFWC IL website www.GFWCIllinois.org and click on Projects, Departments, Education. There is a list of scholarships available. The application deadline for these scholarships is February 15, 2009 so hurry and look to see if these can benefit your child. Also, if you know of a student in the community who could qualify for one of these scholarships, please give their name and contact information to Patty ASAP! Reminder to Committee and Department Chairs – Department and Committee meetings can be held after the January General Meeting. If you would like to be on the January agenda, please let Patty know by January 23rd. If you are on the agenda, please have your report written on a “Report for General Meeting” form. This helps the meeting move quicker and aids the Secretary in keeping the meeting minutes. Remember to check the yellow folder for your department/committee. Take any information from the folder and leave the folder for use at following meetings! Old Settler’s Days – Old Settler‟s Days is coming up in June. We need to begin brainstorming on ideas for the tent GFWC IL MGHJWC sponsors. Sign up for an opportunity to share your ideas! This is one event ALL club members aid in making successful. THINK SUMMER – during this cool winter time!!! Reach Out – GHMS is having a volunteerism fair named “Reach Out”. 8th grade students have chosen a local, national, and/or international issue. They have made Powerpoint presentations, display boards, and brochures to explain their issue. The idea of the fair is to bring awareness to their issue, and give individuals the information necessary to donate and/or become an active volunteer with a project of interest. GFWC IL MGHJWC is based on volunteerism, please try to attend this fair and show our support to these young people. “Reach Out” is being held Friday, February 6th from 5:30 – 7:30pm in GHMS at the gym which is located off of the front foyer of the middle school. LEADERSHIP SURVEY FOR 2009-2010 CLUB YEAR It is time to start thinking about the next club year already. The Nominating Committee needs your help! Please indicate any position in which you are (or think you may be) interested. Also, please list the names of any other member who you think might be a good „fit‟ in a particular leadership position. We are not asking for a commitment at this time, only for suggestions for the nominating committee to consider. Please refer to the „What is?‟ section of the website or your club yearbook for more details on each position. Note: If a member currently holds a position, they have first „dibs‟ on that position. Thanks! POSITION: NAME(S): Officers President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Standing Committee Chair: Avenue of Flags Breakfast w/Santa Junior of Year Newsletter Public Relations Reporting Ways & Means CIP Department Chair: Art Conservation Education Home Life International Affairs Public Affairs