Your club's meetings
To list your club's meetings, e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, or fax to (847) 608-0849.
Marine Corps League: The Marine Corps League Elgin Detachment 077 in partnership with Elgin Township recently announces the Elgin Township office, 729 S. McLean Blvd., is a Toys for Tots drop off center.
Only new unwrapped toys will be accepted through Friday. The building is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you wish to make a monetary donation, make checks payable to Marine Corps League Elgin Detachment 077 (Toys for Tots) and mail to Elgin Township, 729 S. McLean Blvd., Elgin, IL 60123.
173rd Airborne Brigade Association: Chapter VI-Elite Forces, 173rd Airborne Brigade Association meets at 8 p.m. the second Friday of the month at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1307, 1601 Weld Road in Elgin. All veterans of the 173rd are invited to attend meetings and participate in activities. For details, call (630) 777-8574 or e-mail to rgetz173@yahoo.com.
Baby Boomers Singles Club: The Baby Boomer Singles Club for singles age 45 and older offers social activities such as wine tastings, restaurants, theater, sports activities and more. There are no membership fees and participants can pick and choose their outings based on their schedules and interests.
The upcoming events will be singles dances from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday and Dec. 30, at American Legion Hall, 1101 W. Algonquin Road, Route 62 and Pyott Road, Lake in the Hills.
Admission costs $10. The event is nonsmoking and dress requirement is no jeans or gym shoes.
Well-known DJ Scott Pastorino will play songs from the Baby Boomers decades.
For details, visit www. babyboomersinglesclub.com or call Jean Steffens at (815) 529-8138.
SWAN: The South West Area Neighbors will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at Zion Lutheran Church, 330 Griswold St., Elgin. Elgin historian E.C. "Mike" Alft will speak on "Old-fashioned Christmas." Bring some holiday goodies and enjoy them with your neighbors while you learn about SWAN's history. You will learn about who settled here and why, as well as stories behind the streets and houses.
SWAN's boundaries have expanded to Commonwealth Avenue on the west, Walnut Avenue on the north, the Fox River on the east and Route 20 on the south. For details, call Charlene Sligting, SWAN president, at (630) 927-5890 or e-mail sligtingc@aol.com.
Tri-City VFW: Bingo is back every Monday night at Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298, 117 S. First St., West Dundee. The games are all new. Doors open at 5 p.m. and first call is at 7 p.m. For details, call (847) 428-9006.
Fox Valley Beaux Arts: Fox Valley Beaux Arts will hold its annual holiday dinner on Tuesday at the Anvil Club, 309 Meier St., East Dundee. The festive gathering begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. Reservations are required by today for members and guests. Call Mary Ellen Kanies Beckmann at (847) 697-1085.
Hampshire HEA: The Hampshire Unit of Homemakers Education Association will meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the home of Lorrie Tasch.
At the Nov. 20 meeting at the Cool Beans Coffee Shop, six members responded to roll call with answers to "How many miles do you have on your car?" Pat Miller presented the lesson "Microwave Cooking in the 21st Century." Doris Klock was awarded the mystery prize.
Items will be purchased as Christmas gifts for a deserving individual in the area. They will be wrapped at the December meeting and delivered before Christmas. Everyone is welcome to attend. For details, call Jan Ihssen at (847) 683-1301 or Corrine Derma at (847) 683-9515.
Elgin American Legion Auxiliary: On Tuesday, the monthly meeting of Elgin Unit 57 American Legion Auxiliary will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post, 820 N. Liberty St., Elgin.
In lieu of a gift exchange, items will be donated by members to send to service personnel in Iraq. The regular meeting will follow dinner at 7:30 p.m.
All Auxiliary members are invited to attend by calling unit secretary Helen McCulloch at (847) 741-0386.
New members are welcome. The Auxiliary makes donations each year to local organizations including Community Crises Center. Salvation Army, Jingle Bells Gifts to Yanks and other organizations. There is no meeting in January. The next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19.
Golden K Kiwanis: The Elgin Golden K Kiwanis will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division Street, Elgin. The program will be folk artist Peg Lehman and her Christmas music. All are welcome. For details, call (847) 741-7176.
Henpeck HEA: The Henpeck Unit of Kane County Homemakers Education Association will meet at noon Jan. 8 at Papa G's Restaurant in Elburn. Mary Ebert volunteered to bring dessert. A lesson titled, "Where Do You Want To Live When You Grow Up?" will be presented by Betty Rylko. Guests are welcome; call Peggy Gross at (847) 683-3826 for details and directions.
Seven members of the Henpeck Unit met on Dec. 4 at Sorrento's Restaurant in Maple Park. After lunch, a short business meeting was held to discuss plans for the next few months. It was the Unit's Christmas party so some discussion centered around which local charity would receive the Unit's donation this year. For the past several years, the Unit has donated to the School Children's Shoe Fund in lieu of exchanging personal gifts. Since it has been discontinued, the Unit needs to find another recipient. Discussion was tabled until next meeting.
The next meeting will be held Feb. 12 at the home of Mary Ebert in Kaneville. The hostess also will present the lesson, "Microwave Cooking for the 21st Century." The meeting will start at noon with lunch prepared as part of the lesson. Guests are welcome; call Mary at (630) 557-2137 for details and directions.
League of Women Voters: Candidates vying to replace Dennis Hastert in Congress as representative of the 14th Congressional District will be featured in a League of Women Voters candidates' forum at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 in St. Charles. The public is invited to attend the forum. Both Democratic and Republican candidates who are running in the Feb. 5 general primary will participate in the event. The forum will be held at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road, St. Charles.
The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Geneva-St. Charles and the League of Women Voters of Batavia in cooperation with the Daily Herald, Beacon News and Kane County Chronicle.
Within a moderated format, a panel of reporters will direct questions to the candidates, followed by questions from the audience. Immediately after the forum, the audience will be invited to an informal meet the candidates session.
The League of Women Voters also will sponsor a public forum focusing on local contested Kane County board and state legislative races at p.m. Jan. 10 in the city council chambers at Batavia City Hall, 100 North Island Ave.
Candidates for county board chair, county board district 20, state legislative district 49, and state legislative district 50 have been invited. Questions from the audience will be presented to the candidates. For details, visit www.lwvgenstc.org.
Audubon Society: The Kane County Chapter of the Audubon Society meets on Jan. 1 for a New Year's Day Bird Walk at 8 a.m. at Nelson's Lake. Meet in the parking lot by the silo, which is west of Nelson Lake Road, and about three-quarter mile south of Main Street, and 2 miles west of Randall Road in Batavia. For details, call Rhonda Nelson at (630) 879-1387. Or visit kanecountyaudubon.org.
Friends of the Fox River: The largest environmental film festival in North America is coming to McHenry and Kane counties.
Join Friends of the Fox River as they host the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Tour at McHenry County College from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 31 and Elgin Community College from 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 2. Different films will be featured at each venue; consider attending both.
The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Tour brings together award-winning environmental films in the spirit of inspiration and education.
Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, visit the Web site www.friendsofthefox.org.
Cary Cub Scout Pack 457: Cub Scouts from Cary Pack 457 seek alumni scouts and leaders to help celebrate the pack's 50th anniversary during various scouting activities throughout 2008.
The oldest Cub Scout pack in Cary, Pack 457 was formed in June 27, 1958. Since then, hundreds of children and adults from Cary have participated in scouting activities through the pack.
The pack will celebrate the 50th anniversary with activities, including the 50th Pinewood Derby and the 50th Blue and Gold Banquet.
Those who have previously participated in Cary Cub Scout Pack 457 as a scout or a leader are urged to contact Teresa Sheehan, chairman of the Pack 457 50th Anniversary Committee, at (847) 639-3601 or Sheehan.scouting @comcast.net.