Tri-Cities club calendar
Send listing information to tricity@dailyherald.com.
Welcome Club of the Fox Valley: The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley invites you to attend its general meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church, 227 East Side Drive, Geneva. It will feature an informative program, and their long-awaited fun with flare "Appetizerathon."
The coveted tiara is up for the winner of the February appetizer food fest. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample a variety of tasty finger foods, created by the club's own culinary wizards. As in previous years, members and guests will have an opportunity to vote for the best of the bunch, and a "queen" will be crowned, and recognized for her creative culinary talents.
The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley is a social and philanthropic organization for women in the area who are interested in meeting and making new friends through various social and fundraising activities.
The group meets regularly during the months of September through June. Each monthly meeting includes a "meet and greet," which kicks off the meeting, followed by a short general business meeting, an entertaining and informative program.
Past programs have included: tips on fool-proof cooking, floral designing, landscaping, interior decorating, organizing your home, updating your wardrobe with recyclable or vintage items, preserving your vintage collectibles, information about hospice, local cultural activities to enjoy, crime prevention strategies, and more.
The club offers many fun activities, including breakfast, lunch and dinner outings; game groups such as bunco, bridge, dominoes, mahjongg, pinochle, scrabble; movie and theater outing groups; a walking group; day and evening book groups; informal couples dinner parties; special events for widows, divorcees and singles; and more. Join one of the activities or start another interesting offering for club members to enjoy.
Many members reside in areas around the Fox Valley, including Aurora, Batavia, Bartlett, Elburn, Elgin, Geneva, Lily Lake, Maple Park, North Aurora, St. Charles, South Elgin, Sugar Grove and surrounding areas.
The annual membership fee of $25 provides you with a membership directory and a monthly newsletter that recaps the upcoming monthly events and activities.
For membership information call Nora at (630) 587-9845, or Carol (630) 513-5773, or visit the Web site at www.welcomeclubfoxvalley.org.
The Fox Valley Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago: The club will present its annual February lecture series on Feb. 13, 20 and 27. The first two lectures are at the Dunham Woods Riding Club on Dunham Road and Army Trail in Wayne. The series culminates in a day trip to the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Art Institute. Each lecture can be taken separately and must be registered for individually. The local lectures are open to guests, however the bus trip is available to members only.
The title of the series is "Twentieth Century Art and Architecture."
The Feb. 13 lecture is "Demystifying 20th Century Art" presented by Jennifer Hereth. Hereth will guide us in "deconstructing" major movements of 20th-century art. She will discuss art from 1900-60, especially the dominant trend of abstraction. She will also focus on 1960-99, covering movements such as minimalism (all white paintings) and conceptual art (idea-oriented art).
Hereth is on the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The registration deadline is Feb. 4.
The Feb. 20 lecture is "Architectural 'isms': Theory and Form in 20th Century Architecture," presented by Carissa Kawalski Dougherty. Architecture, like art, has been transformed by many styles and "isms" throughout the 20th century. Each of the modes of thought -- including functionalism, organicism, modernism, post-modernism, and deconstructionism among others -- is accompanied by a different way of approaching design. This lecture examines how architects have used theory and form to reflect and reinvent their ideas about culture, technology, beauty -- and architecture itself.
Dougherty has earned advanced degrees in journalism and art history. In addition to her full-time position at the Art Institute of Chicago, she also pursues freelance architecture and design writing. The registration deadline is Feb. 11.
The cost of each lecture is $12 for members and $15 for guests. The cost for lecture and lunch is $30 for members and $34 for guests.
Coffee will be served at 10 a.m., the lecture is at 10:30 a.m. and lunch is at noon.
For reservations or further information, call Pauline at (630) 587-6468 for the art program and Jasmeet at (630) 443-4661 for the architectural program.
The series will conclude with a members only trip on Feb. 27 to the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Art Institute of Chicago. The morning session is "Visit IIT: Home of Modern Masterpieces and Chicago's Most Radical New Architecture."
One of the 200 most significant works of architecture in the U.S. (according to the American Institute of Architecture), the IIT campus has long been known around the world for its campus plan and 18 buildings designed by world-renowned architect Ludwig Mies von de Rohe.
Join Justines Jentis, director of IIT's Mies von de Rohe Society, for a tour of the campus and look at the restoration of some of Mies' key IIT buildings.
Lunch will be at the Pump Room in the Ambassador East Hotel. The afternoon program is an Art Institute of Chicago gallery talk by Annie Morse titled "Brand New: Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago."
The cost of $70 covers transportation, the lectures and lunch. The bus will leave Batavia at 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. from Aurora. For reservations, call Jasmeet at (630) 443-4661 before Feb. 19.
Elburn Seniors: The Elburn Seniors are planning a Feb. 5 trip to the Isle of Capri casino in Bettendorf, Iowa.
The group will travel to Rhythm City in Davenport, Iowa March 11.
For both outings, the bus will leave Lions Park, 500 Filmore St. in Elburn about 8 a.m. and return about 6 p.m. Cost is $28 which includes lunch and the bus transportation. For information and reservations, call (630) 879-7898.
Fox Valley Clutter Club: The new, free discussion group is being offered by Batavia professional organizer, Barb Gould for people seeking solutions to their clutter problems.
Gould, who owns Bright Start Organizing, will lead sessions from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 22, Feb. 26 and March 25 at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Avenue
She'll offer tips as well as suggest the best ways to donate unwanted belongings.
The meetings are open to the public, but seating is limited. For more information about the Fox Valley Clutter Club or to reserve a space visit BrightStartOrganizing.com or call Barb Gould at (630) 677-5604.
The Elias Kent Kane Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution: The next meeting is at 2 p.m., Feb. 10 at the Batavia Public Library.
The program will be "Good Citizen Awards."
Refreshments will be served. For further information contact Regent Heather Simpson at eliaskentkane@ildar org.
The Kane County Chapter of the Audubon Society: There is a meeting Jan. 26 to take a trip to Illinois Audubon Society's Starved Rock Eagle Days. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Peck Farm parking lot to car pool to Starved Rock. For information, call Jane McMillan at (847) 622-3216.
Visit kanecountyaudubon.org
Plain Dirt Gardeners: Jack Shouba visits the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners on Feb. 19 to do a show on the Lake Michigan Dunes. His program moves beyond the sand and water to the flora and fauna of the area. The program will be at 6:45 p.m. with a business meeting, followed by the 7:30 presentation at the Batavia Public Library, off Route 31 in Batavia. For details, call Diana Sharp at (630) 879-7578.
Dance Connection: The ballroom dancing club for people who want to learn ballroom from just social to ones looking to compete meets on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 3:30 at the St. Charles School of Dance. 1429 W Main St., St.
Charles. Call Chris Burdick at 630-202-3222 or visit dupageflute@aol.com
Kiwanis: The global organization of volunteers is dedicated toŒchanging the world, one child and one community at a time. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of every month at noon within the Delnor Health & Wellness Center located at 296 Randall Road. For more information visit www.kiwanis.org.
Batavia chapter of Bachelor 'N' Bachelorettes Square Dancing Club: The group is dancing in St. Charles this season, every second and fourth Friday from 8 to 10:30 p.m. at the Free Methodist Church, 3rd and Walnut St. near Route 64 and Route 31.
Jan. 25, Bobby Poyner of Romeoville is calling the Student Square Dance and Fred and Maryann Pier will cue the Round Dancing.
Call Arlene Kohler for information, (847)577-2640.