Fox Valley clubs notes
To list your club's meetings, e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, or fax to (847) 608-0849.
Elgin Area Historical Society: The Elgin Area Historical Society will continue its summer speakers series on Thursday, July 16 with Elgin historian Mike Alft. Always one who knows interesting famous and infamous stories gleaned from archived Elgin newspapers, he will share stories of scandals long ago forgotten but headline news at the time. Stop by at noon at the Old Main Museum, 360 Park St., Elgin. Bring your lunch, dessert and beverages will be provided. The Old Main Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. For information, call (847) 742-4248 or visit www.elginhistory.org. The program is free for members and $3 for nonmembers.
Elgin Genealogical Society: The Elgin Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. Dean Richardson is the creator of Genlighten.com. He holds a PhD. in optical sciences from the University of Arizona and a master in business administration from Kellogg. Genlighten is a powerful online resource for obtaining genealogical source documents with the help of skilled local researchers. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to tap the power of Genlighten's lookup provider network to get help finding death certificates, obituaries, church records, city directory entries and more from repositories across the U.S. and beyond. He also will discuss how genealogical enthusiasts can turn their research skills and access to local records into an additional source of income. This workshop is open to anyone interested in genealogical research. For information, visit www.elginroots.com.
Boy Scout Troop 43: Boy Scout Troop 43-Carpentersville has moved to a new meeting place. The group will meet St. Stephan's Church, 225 Kennedy Drive, Carpentersville, starting July 17. Meeting time is 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call Father Antonio Cabello at the church. (847) 844-9295 or Chuck Molenda at (847) 426-5193. All boys ages 10to 18 are welcome.
Kane County Audubon Society: The Kane County Audubon Society will host a bird walk at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 18 at Freeman Kame-Meagher Forest Preserve, Gilberts. More than three years have passed since Kane County Audubon has had a bird walk at this 1200-plus-acre site. In addition to birding, participants can experience the interesting kettle-morraine topographic features of this preserve. Meet in the parking area next to the railroad tracks. Freeman Kame is located on Freeman Road about midway between Randall Road and Route 47. For information on this walk, call Bill Koch at (847) 931-9123.
Dundee Township Historical Society: The Dundee Township Historical Society will have its annual garage sale fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at the museum, 426 Highland Ave., West Dundee. Items for sale include bikes, glass and china, toys, books, antiques, collectibles, linens, jewelry, perennials, garden art, Christmas and household decor, architectural items, and more. For information, or to make a donation, call the museum at (847) 428-6996.
VFW Post 2298: The Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298 will host its first golf outing on Sunday, July 19 at Bonnie Dundee Golf Course in East Dundee. The first tee time will be at 1 p.m. The four-man scramble will including 9 holes with car rental; prime rib dinner with two complimentary drinks, and prizes. The fee is $50 per person. For details, call (847) 428-9006.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, the VFW Post 2298 will present an evening of music and buffet dinner at the post home, 117 S. First St., West Dundee. It will feature tributes to Frank Sinatra by John LoBianco, Patsy Kline by Alice Loftus and Elvis by Bruce Wisser. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. There will be a cash bar from 6 to 7 p.m. followed by dinner from 7 to 8 p.m. The music performances will be from 8 to 11 p.m. For tickets, call (847) 4288-9006.
VFW Post 1307: The Elgin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1307 Men's Auxiliary will host an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, July 19. Advance tickets are $5 for adults. Tickets at the door are $6 for adults and $4 for children age 12 and under. The VFW post home is at 1601 Weld Road on Elgin's west side. Advance ticket sales end at noon Saturday, July 18. For details, call (847) 888-9809.
Golden K Kiwanis: The Elgin Golden K Kiwanis will host its annual picnic Wednesday, July 22. For information, call (847) 741-7176.
American Legion Post 1231: Lake in the Hills American Legion Post 1231 and Algonquin Founders' Day Board recently announced a special program. During the annual Founders' Days festival, American Legion Post 1231 has set aside the first two hours for special needs children and their families to attend the carnival free of charge. This event will be offered from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Special needs children must be accompanied by a family member, 16 years of age or older. It will be required that everyone entering the carnival be signed in and have a wrist band on to ride. The carnival will not be open to the public, during this time period. Refreshments also will be provided for the kids on their way home. Members of the Lake in the Hills American Legion Post 1231 will be on hand to check everyone in and to be of any assistance. Emergency medical backup will be on site during this time period. For details, call Gary Jensen (847) 875-7104. American Legion Post 1231 is a nonprofit organization supporting, active military personnel, veterans and their families through community service and sponsored events.
Kane County Genealogical Society: The Kane County Genealogical Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, in the first-floor meeting room of the Geneva History Center, 113 S. Third St., Geneva. The speaker will be Eric Basir of Photo Grafix, discussing "Photo Identification and Restoration." Members and guests are invited to bring their originals for discussion and use during the program. Basir has worked to develop video courses and do-it-yourself photo restoration books to help improve the skills of the family historian. Since 1999, as part of Photo Grafix Pro Services, he has helped many genealogists solve photo reproduction, repair, and identification problems. All are welcome to attend this interesting presentation. For information, call (847) 697-1029 or visit www.rootsweb.com/~ilkcgs.
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: The 21st annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation golf tournament will be held on Monday, July 27 at Boulder Ridge Country Club, 350 Boulder Drive in Lake in the Hills. Cost is $390 and includes 18 holes of golf, lunch buffet, dinner buffet with open bar, auction and awards ceremony. Cost for a fivesome is $1,900. To attend the dinner only, cost is $125. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dinner buffet and awards. For details or to register, visit www.mcsf.com and click on "Upcoming Events."
Since 1962, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation has been awarding scholarships to the children of Marines and Corpsmen serving with the Marines. In response to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the need has increased. The foundation has pledged to award a scholarship in the amount of $30,000 for each child of a Marine or Corpsman serving with the Marines who has fallen in those operations. Applications are up 30 percent over last year. Your support will allow the foundation to continue its support.
Mothers & More: Join Mothers & More of McHenry County for a presentation of options to weather these challenging economic times. Key ideas from the book "Smart Women Finish Rich" by David Bach will be discussed. Reading the book is certainly not required; all are welcome to join in and start saving. The presentation will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 30 in the fellowship room at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. Enter through the church office entrance on the Lake Street side of the building.
This is also a chance to meet women in the group and to learn more about Mothers & More, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers. The group supports mothers as individuals and promote the value of all of the work that mothers do. Programs sponsored by Mothers & More of McHenry County are free and open to the public. For information, visit www.mchenrymothers.org.
Dundee Township Historical Society: On Sunday, Aug. 9, the Dundee Township Historical Society will host a program on the old Tower Hill School for Boys in East Dundee. At 2 p.m., Bert Zoub will speak on his experiences as a boy in the 1930s who lived at the school. He will share his memories of his childhood in this boys school that sat high on the hill in the old Haeger Mansion on Hill Street. Join them at the museum, 426 Highland Ave. in West Dundee, as they learn about the little known history of this school that served the area for two decades. There is no admission charge. Donations will be graciously accepted. For information, call the museum at (847) 428-6996.
AARP: The McHenry County chapter of AARP will have its annual indoor picnic at noon on Aug. 13 at the Fountains of Crystal Lake on Route 31 in Crystal Lake. Cost is $9 due by July 23, nonrefundable. Call Glenn at (815) 477-1952 for information.
Sunburst Corvette Club of Crystal Lake: The club will host its annual Corvette Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Reichert Chevrolet, 5220 Northwest Hwy. In Crystal Lake. The car show is the Corvette Club's primary fundraiser for the year. Proceeds are donated to local charities. This event is an opportunity to view some of the finest Corvettes in the Midwest.
The event will include three competitions for best car. Two are National Council Corvette Clubs Inc. contours events which will be judged by trained contours judges and participants will vie for NCCC points. There also will be a People's Choice Award. All spectators and participants are encouraged to vote for their favorite in each class for this event. Registration is encouraged. For advance registration forms, visit the Web site under the Events Listing section. Same day registration and technical inspection will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. There will be a driver's meeting for all competitors at 10:15 a.m. The judging for the first contours will begin at 10:30 a.m. Judging for the second contours event will begin following a break after the first event.
Event registration is open to all Corvette owners. The registration fee is $12 per event before Aug. 1 or $15 per event after the deadline. Registration will be accepted on the day of the show as well.
Spectators are welcome at no charge. Refreshments and food will be available. There will be silent auctions, raffles and door prizes for spectators and competitors. GM XM Radio will provide music for the event.
The Sunburst Corvette Club is in its 32nd year. It has more than 120 members and uses funds it raises to support local charities such as The Salvation Army, Heart of a Marine Foundation and Toys for Tots. Its membership participates in a variety of events including racing competitions, leisurely drive-outs, cross country treks, and car shows.
For information on the Sunburst Corvette Club, visit Web site www.sunburstcorvetteclub.com.
Toastmasters: Do you want to improve your speaking skills. Need to be more confident on that interview or presentation. Come join the Listen Learn Lead Toastmasters for a fun and enjoyable way to keep the butterflies flying in formation. It meets at the Walker Parking Consultants building, 505 Davis Road in Elgin. The meetings are from noon to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. Call (630) 605-4815 or e-mail to vtreague@hotmail.com for more information.
LITH Rotary: The Lake in the Hills Rotary Club meets every Wednesday from noon until 1 p.m. at the Colonial Cafe, 2555 W. Bunker Hill Drive in Algonquin. The club is currently accepting new members. If you are interested in membership, join them on Wednesday for a free lunch to learn more about what the Rotary Club has to offer. Visit the Web site at www.lithrotary.org.
Sow Little Thyme: Sow Little Thyme Garden Club meets monthly in the Dundee area on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. For meeting places and information, call Sheila at (847) 428-0849.