Fox Valley clubs briefs

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

Elgin Area Historical Society: What happens to neighborhood grocery stores when they are replaced by supermarkets? Historic architectural researcher Rebecca Hunter will summarize her study of Elgin's neighborhood groceries from the 1880s to the present at the Elgin Area Historical Society's Brown Bag Lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Old Main Museum, 360 Park St., Elgin. The complete study is available at the Gail Borden Public Library, the Elgin Area Historical Museum and the city of Elgin department of historical preservation. For information, call (847) 742-4248 or visit www.elginhistory.org.

Mended Hearts: What goes on in the mouth is connected to the heart. Dr. William J. Holevas, an Elgin dentist, will explain the connection to Chapter 53 of the Mended Hearts Inc., a support group for heart patients, on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Sherman Hospital, 934 Center St. in Elgin. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. Call (847) 741-7922 for a reservation. Intrigued by research into the link between the heart and the mouth, Dr. Holevas spent hundreds of hours studying the relationship. What he learned has prompted him to be much more alert to dental changes that could mean problems elsewhere in the body. "The condition of the patient's mouth can be a significant risk factor associated with heart disease," he says. "That's why it no longer is acceptable to use the same standard of diagnosis and care that we have in the past." For information, call Bill Ingham at (847) 741-7922.

Kiwanis Club: The Kiwanis Club of Elgin will host its 50th annual barbecue from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 at Epworth United Methodist Church, 37W040 Highland Ave. in Elgin. It will feature Fay's Barbecue pork chop and chicken dinner. Cost is $12 a person; carryout drive-through is available. Tickets are available through club members, at the door or by calling (847) 977-4541. Proceeds will benefit local children's charities, including, but not limited to: Association for Individual Development, Community Crisis Center, YWCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Larkin Center, Ecker Center, Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, Literacy Connection. The Kiwanis Club of Elgin meets at noon Tuesdays at The Hickory Stick Bar & Grille Restaurant, 875 Sports Way, located at the Highlands of Elgin's Golf Course. Meetings are open to the public. There is a $11 charge for lunch. Membership information is available by calling Laurie, membership chairwoman, at (847) 429-5435.

Golden K Kiwanis: The Elgin Golden K Kiwanis will host its weekly meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. The program will be by the Rev. Robert Fales, Elgin Police Department chaplain, on "What a Police Chaplain Does?" Guests are welcome. For information, call (847) 741-7176.

Connections: Connections for Family Child Care, a local family child care association, is dedicated to promoting professional development, presenting quality early childhood education trainings and providing networking opportunities for family child care providers. The training on Wednesday, Aug. 26, is titled "The Value of Block Play in Early Childhood Education" by Elaine Belanger. Providers attending will receive a 2-hour in-service training certificate. Providers interested in joining our group may attend one free meeting before deciding to join. Membership fees are $35 a year. Meetings are monthly and held at the Colonial Restaurant, 600 S. McLean Blvd. in Elgin on the fourth Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Come early if you wish to have dinner or ice cream. The trainings are open to providers who are licensed or licensed exempt and day care centers. The Sept. 23 training will be on incorporating puppets into your child care. For information, visit www.c4fcc.org or contact Cheryl Frankowski at bbfcc@fvi.net or (847) 836-0116.

HCE: The Kane County Association for Home and Community Education launches its 92nd year with an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the University of Illinois Extension-Kane County, 535 S. Randall Road in St. Charles. The two guest speakers are U of I's Extension Education JoAnn Todd teaching a lesson on China and Jeanette Palmer, president of Right at Home, discussing how to remain independent in your own home. This marks the first time they have had a lesson at open house. The open house includes a special meeting called by the board to vote on adoption of updated constitution and bylaws which incorporate the new organization name and previous amendments which provide better alignment with Illinois Association for Home and Community Education.

McHenry County American Legion: McHenry County Legionnaires from all county posts are invited to attend the monthly meeting of the McHenry County Council at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27 at the host post, American Legion Lake in the Hills Post 1231, 1101 W. Algonquin Road. For details, call Commander Don McMullen of Post 1231 at (847) 658-5548 or the McHenry County Council Commander, Robert Howe, at (815) 653-6391.

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. 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 $15. 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. For information, visit www.sunburstcorvetteclub.com.

Cub Scouts: At the Webelo Cub Scout Nature Jamboree, have fun completing Naturalist, Geologist, and Forester pin requirements with the team from Elgin Public Museum and Hawthorne Hill Nature Center. Take a hike in the woods, discover amazing plants, catch all sorts of bugs, solve rock mysteries and more! Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle, insect repellent, and bag supper. Avoid disappointment and register early at the Elgin Public Museum, 225 Grand Blvd., Elgin. Scouts can register individually or with their Pack and Den. Webelo Cub Scout Nature Jamboree will be held at the Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, 28 Brookside Drive in Elgin, off Route 20 and Randall Road. This program lasts from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29. The fee is $20 per scout. Register by Tuesday, Aug. 25. For information or to register, contact the museum at (847) 741-6655 or e-mail russell_epm@cityofelgin.org.

Elgin Woman's Club: The Elgin Woman's Club will open their 2009-10 season with its first meeting and program of the year at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Randall Oaks Golf Club, 37W361 Binnie Road, West Dundee. The program will be presented by state Rep. Keith Farnham from the 43rd District, Elgin. His program will feature a presentation on the new Elgin based organization, Women Rock. A mentoring program for young women, the organization will be opening a shop in Elgin which will provide appropriate women's business attire for interviews or jobs. The cost for the luncheon is $20, payable by check at the door the day of the meeting. Make your reservation no later than Wednesday, Sept. 2, by calling the EWC hotline at (847) 622-3614.

Elgin Area Camera Club: The Elgin Area Camera Club (formerly the Fox Valley Camera Club), kicks off its 2009-10 program at 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the offices of the Association for Individual Development, 1135 Bowes Road (east off McLean Boulevard) in Elgin. The club meets twice monthly on the second and fourth Tuesdays. The second-Tuesday meeting is program night with presentations and discussion on a wide range of photo topics, including digital processing and imaging technique. The fourth Tuesday meeting is competition night, open to all members in good standing to submit entries in five photo categories. There are no entry fees. Images are judged by guest judges from other area camera clubs. All those interested in digital or film photography, at any skill level from beginner to advanced pro, are invited to join the Elgin Area Camera Club, established in 2003. Dues are $30 a year. For information, visit www.elginareacameraclub.com, e-mail Jim Slater at jhslater@wideopenwest.com or Bob Brandes, webmaster@elginareacameraclub.com.

AARP: The McHenry County Chapter of AARP will meet at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at The Fountains of Crystal Lake on Route 31 one mile north of Route 176. A representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield will be the speaker. Refreshments are served. For chapter information call Glenn at (815) 477-1952.

Stateline SHRM: On Thursday, Sept. 10, Chris Johnston, leadership development consultant with Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, will discuss "Emotional Intelligence" at the next meeting of the Stateline Society for Human Resource Management. Experience and research indicates that leadership excellence in the 21st century requires more than basic competencies once thought sufficient for Leadership success. Great leaders today have not only those specific competencies identified by their organizations but more importantly also have another key competency: Emotional Intelligence. EI includes both social competence (how we manage relationships) and personal competence (how we regulate ourselves). Understanding the key concepts of Emotional Intelligence is only the beginning. Personal assessment of EI skills is essential to increasing leadership effectiveness. Learn how one health care group uses the EQ Coaching process to solidify these important skills. Learn the model of Emotional intelligence as it connects to elements of high performing teams. Gain understanding of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory and learn techniques for personal coaching around these elements. The breakfast meeting begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. and will adjourn at 9:45 a.m. at the Family Service and Community Mental Health Center, 4100 Veterans Parkway in McHenry. Cost to members is $15; cost for nonmembers is $25 payable by cash or check at the door. Reservations are required no later than Monday, Sept. 7. Visit www.statelineshrm.org for information or to make your reservation. Seating is limited.

Elgin Lions Club: The Elgin Lions Club will hold its 11th annual golf outing on Friday, Sept. 11 at the Hughes Creek Golf Course, 1749 Spring Valley Drive in Elburn. This event is used to raise funds for the club's efforts to supply eye care for Elgin residents. By far the greatest benefits of the club's efforts go to providing examinations and eyeglasses to Elgin school children. Other Lions clubs in the area also provide vision care, but the Elgin club proudly provides a larger proportion of the funds they collect to this effort. The outing is a scramble format with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The cost for the outing is $80 per golfer which gives participants 18 holes of golf with a cart at a very nice golfing venue, a snack at the turn, and prizes for long drives, low net, and closest to the pin. It also includes a meal after all the golfing is completed, and a raffle. Those interested are urged to make a reservation so the crowd can be efficiently managed by calling Jim Bacak at (847) 742-4281. The club is still taking orders for businesses or individuals who wish to advertise their services by sponsoring holes ($75), the halfway house ($150), or beverage cart ($125). Sponsors can sign up by contacting Lions president Ed Bates at batesed@cod.edu or calling the club message line at (847) 289-4206.

Boy Scout Troop 2: Boy Scout Troop 2 invites you to its annual "All U Can Eat Pastagetti Dinner" from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at St. John Lutheran Church, 115 N. Spring St., Elgin. They will be serving spaghetti and tomato sauce, spaghetti and meat sauce, linguine in olive oil, fettuccine alfredo and even macaroni and cheese. Five kinds of pasta including salad, garlic bread and dessert. They ask for a donation of $5 per adult, $4 for seniors, or $18 for the entire family. Children are admitted free. Proceeds from this event provide the Troop with summer camp expenses, equipment and general operating expenses. Troop 2 of Elgin is very active in the community as well as many other volunteer efforts. Please join us for a delicious dinner while supporting Troop 2. For details about joining Troop 2, visit www.Troop2.com.

Residents living in and around the South Elgin community can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke. The complete screening package now includes a new Heart Rhythm screening, checking for irregular heartbeat, which is a major risk factor for stroke.

DTRCC: The Dundee Township Republican Central Committee Inc., along with the Dundee Township Republican Organization, is hosting its 16th annual Republican Family Picnic on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Randall Oaks Park in West Dundee. The event begins at 11 a.m., with lunch served from noon to 2 p.m., and features Illinois candidates for federal, state, county and other races. The sponsoring organizations invite the general public to come and eat, meet the candidates and enjoy the facilities. The annual celebration is open to the public with an all-you-can-eat lunch (hot dogs, corn on the cob, drinks, etc.). Additionally, there are informal games for both children and adults. Randall Oaks Park entrance is located on Randall Road, immediately south of Binnie Road. Meal tickets are $8 donation per person, available in advance or at the event. Children, age 5 and younger, are free. For information, call Margaret Scalfaro, at (847) 428-1875.

South Elgin Lions: The South Elgin Lions Club will host this event presented by Life Line Screening on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Lions Club, 500 Fulton in South Elgin. Appointments will begin at 9 a.m. A stroke, also known as a "brain attack," is ranked as the third leading killer in the world. These screenings are fast, painless and affordable. They help identify potential health problems such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. Preregistration is required for all screenings, which will take 60-90 minutes to complete. The Stroke, Vascular Disease and Heart Rhythm Package is $139. For information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call (888) 653-6441. Preregistration is required. If you have any questions, contact Lion Paul Groth at (847) 888-9575 or Joelle Reizes, Life Line Screening, at (216) 518-8456 or Jreizes@llsa.com. For information on the South Elgin Lions Club, visit www.southelginlions.com. For details on Life Line Screening, visit www.lifelinescreening.com.

Double Love Mothers of Twins Club: The club meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month in meeting room 2 of the John Graham Pavilion at Sherman Hospital, 915 Center St., Elgin. In December, June and July, the club meets at off-site locations. Meetings include various speakers, social events and twin talk. Join the Moms that have been there "two" for the next scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23. For details or a complete agenda, visit www.doublelovetwinsclub.com

Donor Club: The Donor Club of Elgin will present its traditional book review and tea at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 at the First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave., Elgin. The tickets are $12 each and will be available from members or by calling Jacque at (847) 888-8586. Limited tickets will also be sold at the door. Tea, coffee and cookies will be served. There will be homemade cookies, peanut brittle, breads and cupcakes for sale as well as some gently-used books. A basket raffle will also be held. This year marks Barbara Rinella's 23rd year of giving book reviews for the Donor Club. This year's selection is "The American Lion, Andrew Jackson In The White House" by Jon Meacham. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography, the book tells of the story of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Every year, Rinella has performed one-woman shows dramatizing current biographies. This year, will Jackson's beautiful wife, Rachel, appear to talk about their exciting love, their improper marriage, her feelings about a husband that is elevated to idolatry as the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and her heartbreaking - literally - treatment of the media? Or, perhaps it will be the very lovely, strong-willed Emily Donelson, Rachel's niece that will tell of her aunt's romance and death which would result in Emily's role as Jackson's White House hostess.

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.