Fox Valley club notices

To list your club's meetings, e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, or fax to (847) 608-0849.

BNCA: When the merriment of the holiday season is over, we sometimes sigh with relief as we anticipate a quieter, more relaxing time; however, hibernating for the winter is not the answer. Fortunately, the Barrington/Northwewst Community Associates is once again sponsoring the highly anticipated Seminar Series on three Wednesday afternoons in January at the Barrington Area Library. These programs are available to B/NWCA members and to guests. The fee is $15 dollars per lecture and advance reservations are appreciated. The theme for this year's programs focuses on Asian Arts.

• On Wednesday, Jan. 7, Janice Katz will present "Wrapped in Fashion: Japanese Kimono."

• The Himalayas is the setting for the Jan. 14 lecture presented by Lucas Livingston and entitled "A Himalayan Adventure."

• On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Elinor Pearltein will narrate a discussion on Chinese ceramics titled: "Chinese Ceramics: Skills and Sensibilities."

Members and guests will undoubtedly concur that the Seminar Series is the answer to warding off the "Winter Blues."

All lectures will be held at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Hwy., Barrington. Arrive at 12:30 p.m. for light refreshments and lecture will begin at 1 p.m. Fee is $15 dollars per lecture; reservations are preferred.

The Seminar Series is open to B/NWCA members and to guests. For information, call Day Chair Kim Curtis at (847) 854-6092.

Mothers & More: Fine dining, dancing and great company make for a truly memorable night. All are invited to the Blanc et Noir Soiree charity dinner dance hosted by Mothers & More of McHenry County and the Youth Service Bureau. The festivities will be held Feb. 20 at the Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills.

The "Black and White" theme and a fun array of dance music set the tone for a great night with a French flair. This is a fabulous night to celebrate Valentine's Day. Live and silent auctions will be held with many items up for bid.

Cocktails are at 6:30 and dinner is at 7 p.m.

Black and white attire is a striking option to match our theme.

Proceeds will benefit the Youth Service Bureau, which provides prevention programs and support to youths of McHenry County and their families for many issues including those related to teen parenting and substance/physical abuse.

Mothers & More is a not-for-profit organization that supports mothers as individuals and promotes the value of all the work that mothers do.

Tickets are $80 per couple for checks postmarked by Jan. 31, and $90 if postmarked by Feb. 2. Send reservations and checks payable to "Mothers & More" at 6 Laurel Valley Court, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156.

Meet others in our community and if you are dining with other couples, indicate their names when making reservations.

If you have any questions, contact Pam at (847) 854-7806 or osmanski6@comcast.net. All are invited to join the wonderful night to support this worthwhile cause.

AARP: The McHenry County Chapter of AARP will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at The Fountains of Crystal Lake on Route 31 one mile north of Route 176. The presentation will be on Advanced Directives. Refreshments will be served. For chapter information, call Glenn at (815) 477-1952 or Fran at (847) 658-7222.

Nippersink Garden Club: A new garden club is forming to serve northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Members of the Nippersink Garden Club are coming together because of the love of gardening and the love of the beautiful Nippersink Creek area and waterways. Club members will continue to grow with the desire to learn from, preserve and enjoy the Nippersink's beauty and bounty.

Membership is open to all interested men, women, and their children. Membership will be free, and 2009 meetings are yet to be determined. Visit Web site nippersinkgardenclub.org or call Stacy VanHoorn at (262) 279-5992 for details.

Henpeck HCE: Despite the blustery weather, four members and one guest of the Henpeck Unit of Kane County Association for Home and Community Education managed to get to their Christmas Party on Dec. 9 at Niko's Grill and Pub in Huntley. After lunch and socialization, cash donations were collected for the Hampshire/Burlington Food Pantry in lieu of a gift exchange.

The next meeting of the Henpeck Unit will be held Jan. 13 at Papa G's Restaurant in Elburn. The lesson on "Living Single in a Coupled World" will be presented by Peggy Gross. Guests are welcome; call Mary Ann Harter at (847) 683-3632 for details and directions.

Membership in HCE is open to men and women of any age regardless of race, creed or national origin. For more information about the organization and free one-year membership in the Henpeck Unit, call Unit Chairman, Peggy Gross at (847) 683- 3826 or Membership Director, Mary Ann Harter at (847) 683-3632.

Elgin Junior Woman's Club: Elgin Junior Woman's Club is celebrating 75 years of friendship and service at a Diamond Anniversary luncheon. The festivities will be held March 7 at Villa Olivia Country Club in Bartlett. Call Loretta Revesz at (847) 224-4318 or e-mail to, slr735@comcast.net to be included in this memorable event.

Elgin VFW: The Elgin VFW will host a New Year's Eve public dinner dance, featuring a prime rib dinner and dancing to the music of Les Pace and the Pacemakers. Cocktails are at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and dancing at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person or two for $55, including party favors. To purchase tickets or for more information, call Les at (847) 742 3879. The Elgin VFW is at 1601 Weld Road.

Elgin Genealogical Society: The next meeting of the Elgin Genealogical Society will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, in the first floor meeting rooms of the Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. Members, visitors, and guests are invited to participate in " Genealogy Jeopardy."

Visit the Web site elginroots to learn more about finding your roots wherever they may be and up coming programs.

Kane County Audubon Society: The public is invited to programs and activities of the Kane County Audubon Society.

• New Year's Day Bird Walk at Nelson Lake: At 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, meet in the parking lot by the silo, which is west of Nelson Lake Road, west of Nelson Lake Road, about 3/4 mile south of Main Street and 2 miles west of Randall Road in Batavia. For details, call Rhonda Nelson at (630) 479-1384.

Kane County Audubon is the local chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society and meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday each month, September through May. Meetings are held in the orientation room, the barn, at Peck Farm in Geneva. Field trips, bird walks and nature hikes are scheduled throughout the year and on meeting nights during June, July and August.

For more information on Kane County Audubon and for maps to activities, visit Web site kanecountyaudubon.org or call Bob Andrini at (630) 584-8386 or Jerry Hope at (630) 377-1444.

For information on Illinois Audubon Society, call Tom Clay at (217) 544-BIRD (2473) or visit Web site illinoisaudubon.org.

Welcome Club: Start the new year off by joining the members of The Welcome Club of the Fox Valley for their general meeting and entertaining 'ice breaker' program at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, at the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church, 227 East Side Drive, in Geneva.

As a change of pace from the regular meetings, this month they will be hosting a photo contest. Program vice-presidents, Virginia Swanson, Mary Schultz, Linda Goodwin, and Karen Lambert have decided to have a contest to see who is able to identify the most club members correctly.

However, participants will be looking at photos of members that were taken when the subjects were babies to 5 years of age. The top three individuals to correctly identify the members will receive a prize. Come judge for yourself, and test your detective skills. And, don't forget to bring your 3- by 5-inch photo.

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. This calendar year, the charity is the Elderday Center in Batavia.

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 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.

Club activities include breakfast, lunch, and dinner outings; group games such as Bunco, bridge, mah-jongg, pinochle, tile rummy, Mexican train dominoes, and scrabble; Lifestories, a memoir group, mini-book groups, movie and theater outings; a sewing group; a walking group; a special 'singles' group; an end of year picnic; informal dinner parties, and more. New activities and interests groups are added frequently by our members. Come and enjoy an evening of seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and making plans for a 'fun-filled' year.

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 Carol at (630) 482-9090, or Dawn (630) 262-0815, or visit www.welcomeclubfoxvalley.org.

Jewish Genealogical Society: Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois will present "Ask the Experts" at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25 at Temple Beth Israel, 3601 W. Dempster St., Skokie. They invite you to ask any genealogical related questions you may have regarding your research into your family's history. The JGSI meeting facilities at Temple Beth Israel will open at 12:30 p.m. to accommodate members/guests who want to use the library materials, get help with genealogy Web sites on the Internet, or ask genealogical related questions before the main program begins. Visit www.jewishgen.org/jgsi or call (312) 666-0100.

Fox Valley Men of Harmony: Barbershop quartets from the Fox Valley Men of Harmony will deliver singing valentines to surprised sweethearts on Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14 in the Fox Valley area. Singing valentines are delivered to homes, restaurants, classrooms, hospital rooms, offices etc. between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Formally dressed barbershop quartets deliver two love songs, a red rose and a personalized card to your valentine. The cost is $40 for orders received before Feb. 8 and $50 after Feb. 8. To order, call Arnie at (847) 931-1432 or email arn24@aol.com.

• Submit club news and photos of activities to Club News, Daily Herald, 385 Airport Road, Suite A, IL 60123. Or e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com or fax to (847) 608-0849.