Fox Valley Clubs and Hobbies
To list your club's meetings, e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, or fax to (847) 608-0849.
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. If further information is needed, contact 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.
Elgin VFW: The Elgin Veterans of Foreign Wars and Les Pace and the Pacemakers will host a free public dance from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 26. The Pacemakers play just for the fun of it, and the public is invited to listen, sing along and dance to music generally from the big band era. Refreshments and light food fare are available for purchase. The VFW is at 1600 Weld Road. For details, call Les at (847) 742-3879.
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.
ECCO: Elgin Climate Change Organization will have its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 28 at In The Neighborhood Deli, 185 N. Edison St. on Elgin's west side. Come between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. and enjoy supper with them for only $5. The program starts at 7 p.m. with ECCO member Kathleen Haerr and her PowerPoint presentation on "Going Green." Also Eric Larsen will present his talk on how he and his family have already gone green throughout their house and saved lots of money. The group meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month. For details on ECCO, visit www.ecco-foxvalley.org.
Golden K Kiwanis: The Elgin Golden K Kiwanis will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 29 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. The program will be by Connie Kitzinger from Habitat for Humanity Northern Fox Valley. Visitors are welcome. For information, call (847) 741-7176.
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.
Model T Club: Come take a drive down memory lane in Model T cars at the third annual show by the Fox Valley Model T Club of Elgin. The cars will be on display from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 1 at the Sherman West Court parking lot, 1950 Larkin Ave., Elgin.
Fox Valley Rocketeers: The Rocketeers, a local club of model rocketry enthusiasts, generally hosts a monthly meeting from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3 at the Woodstock Public Library, 414 W. Judd St. A rocket launch will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8 at Kishwaukee Park in Woodstock. For details, call Mark Bundick, (815) 337-9068 or Ken Hutchinson (815) 444-0539, or visit www.foxvalleyrocketeers.org for a map to the library or field.
Schaumburg Community Singers: The next practice of the Schaumburg Park District Community Singers as they return from summer break will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug, 3, at the Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth. The Schaumburg Community Singers have members from 20 to 80-plus years in age. They sing at community events, retirement communities, nursing homes and other local events. The program consists of a mixture of Broadway show tunes, old standards, folk songs, and patriotic medleys. They also sing a holiday program during the Christmas holidays and sing the national anthem at an event such as the Schaumburg Flyers' baseball game. Members do not need to be professional singers or even have participated in choruses before, but should be able to carry a tune and be able to read music. They practice every Monday between 7 and 9 p.m. Interested individuals should join them Aug. 3, or contact Gary Koca at (224) 535-8125. Because this is treated as a park district class, there is a small fee for joining the organization.
Elgin Genealogical Society: The Elgin Genealogical Society will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4 in the first-floor meeting room of the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. Author David Bartholomew will present excerpts of plains pioneer Elam Bartholomew's dairies that cover the years 1871 to 1934, Elam wrote every day accumulating 22,000 entries on 5,600 pages. During these 63 years of diaries, he traveled in Illinois and the barren frontier of western Kansas. The presentation will focus on Illinois, Lincoln and the post Civil War era. Free copies of the published diary will be available. The author followed in his grandfather's footsteps receiving a degree in agriculture and natural sciences from Kansas State University. He served as director of marketing at the Kansas State School of Agriculture from 1962-1964, was a grain and soybean market analyst at the Chicago Board of Trade for Merrill Lynch from 1964-1991 and has been a regular contributor of market related articles for the Japan Economic Journal and the Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society. This is a special presentation. Visitors and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend this presentation and receive a copy of "Pioneer Naturalist on the Plains: The Diary of Elam Bartholomew 1871 to 1934" by David M. Bartholomew. For information, visit www.elginroots.com.
Zonta Club: Looking for some fellowship and networking opportunities with professional women in your community? The Zonta Club of St. Charles-Geneva-Batavia is a local organization of professional women working to improve the status of women in the Tri-City area. The next meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Prairie Landing Golf Club in West Chicago. Networking will be at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dinner costs $25. This month, they are celebrating fellowship with a Southern Living party. Join them to view and purchase the newest items from the beautiful Southern Living home decor collection. Reservations must be called in to Christie Plotzke by July 28 at (847) 931-2292. For information about Zonta, contact club president Bobbie Gerbrecht at bobbie@bobbiegrayson.com or (630) 879-7889.
Fox Valley Woodworkers Club: On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Fox Valley Woodworkers Club will meet from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, 8 S. Lincoln Ave. in Batavia. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The club has been known as a gathering place for woodworking enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience since 1984. Visitors are welcome to attend the general meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. For details, visit www.fvwwc.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.
Elgin Area Women's Connection: The Elgin Area Women's Connection will meet for a luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Villa Olivia Country Club, Route 20 in Bartlett. Come and enjoy Elizabeth Sincox, Remax of Barrington Realtor and guest on HGTV's "What's My House Worth?" She will talk about current trends in the housing market and how to establish the correct asking price for your home. Laura Borja of Plainfield will offer an inspirational talk, "Peaks, Porches and Backyards," as she tells her story about dealing with depression and finding peace. For reservations, call Jan at (630) 837-2632 or Carolyn at (630) 213-1205 or e-mail Car644@gmail.com by Monday, Aug. 10. Cost for luncheon meeting is $15 inclusive, with complimentary child care.
AARP: The McHenry County chapter of AARP will have its annual indoor picnic at noon Thursday, Aug. 13 at the Fountains of Crystal Lake on Route 31 in Crystal Lake. Cost is $9 due by Thursday, July 23, nonrefundable. Call Glenn at (815) 477-1952 for information.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.