Fox Valley club notes

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

Elgin Genealogical Society: The Elgin Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. July 17 in the main floor meeting rooms of the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin. Sharon Kasmira will present "Self-exploration through writing an ethical will." For details, call Larry Pepper, vice president, at (847) 426-7377 or visit the Web site at www.elginroots.com. Visitors, guests and new members are welcome.

Elgin Historical Society: The Elgin Area Historical Society continues its summer speakers series on July 17 featuring Hampshire resident John Fenzel. Fenzel was a 12-year-old boy growing up in Hampshire where his job delivering Chicago newspapers led him inside a German POW camp during the summers of 1944 and 1945. Used as farm laborers, Fenzel got to know some of the German prisoners well. He will share his stories at the Old Main Museum beginning at noon. Bring your lunch, dessert and beverages will be provided. The Old Main Museum is at 360 Park St., Elgin. Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. For information call (847) 742-4248 or visit Web site www.elginhistory.org.

Northwest Suburban Astronomers: The July meeting of the Northwest Suburban Astronomers will feature "Climate Models and Climate Change" by Rao Kotamarthi, Ph.D., Argonne National Laboratory, Environmental Science Division. A study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that human activity is the leading cause for global warming. In this discussion Dr. Kotamarthi will describe the basic structure, physics and chemistry of the climate models used in this assessment and the procedures used for making confidence estimates.

The public is invited to the meeting at 7:30 p.m. July 18 at the Hoffman Estates Park District Community Center, 1685 W. Higgins Road, at Huntington Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, in Rooms 105-106. There is no cost to attend. For club information, visit Web site www.nsaclub.org.

Fox Valley Bicycle & Ski Club: On Thursdays, July 17-31, the club offers its "Weekly Road Ride DQ" at 6:15 p.m. Meet in the graveled parking area at the Dairy Queen in Wasco. Ride out and back for 2 hours. The distance is 30-plus miles, depending on the available daylight.

On July 18-20, join in a "Michigan Weekend Ride to the Beach." Ride the dunes and swim the lake for three days in Michigan. Contact John at (630) 415-9082 or Jacqueline at (630) 835-4258

On July 20, go "Biking with Beanzie Ride" at 6:30 p.m. starting at DeKalb High School, 1515 S. Fourth St., DeKalb. The route winds through scenic Shabbona State Park, and includes mileage options of 23, 46, 64, and 101 miles. Registration fee is $20, or $25 on the day of the ride. Fee includes access to the high school indoor swimming pool and showers. The ride is sponsored by the Kishwaukee Kiwanis. All proceeds go to fund bicycle projects within DeKalb County. For details, visit www.kish-kiwanis.com/beanzie.htm.

On Tuesdays, July 22 and 29, join in a weekly trail ride at 6:15 p.m. Meet behind the Kane County Government Center, Route 31 and Third Street in Geneva, for a 20-to 25-mile early evening trail ride at 10- to 12-mile pace.

On July 25, join in a "Nite Ride" at 6:30 p.m. starting at Panera Bread in Geneva. Optional dinner at 7 p.m. It will be a 17 mile ride with lights required.

On July 26, enjoy a "Dinner Ride" at 3 p.m. with dinner at On The Border in St. Charles. For details, call leaders Tom and Julie at (630) 443-2080.

On July 27, the Melon Metric XXI will be held at 6:30 a.m. It starts from Plano High School, 704 W. Abe St., just off Route 34 west of Yorkville. The route options are 32, 62, and 100 miles, on mostly flat roads. Registration is $18 prior to July 20, and $20 on the day of the ride. It is organized by the Naperville Bike Club. For detials, visit www.napervillebikeclub.com.

On July 27, join in a Saturday lunch ride to Benedict's Eggs and More in East Dundee. The ride starts at 8:30 a.m. at Bennet Park in St. Charles for a 40-mile roundtrip ride. The leader is Bobbie Woods.

On Aug. 10, join in the "Windy 60" at 6:30 a.m. This popular annual metric century begins at the Student Recreation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Distance options include 20, 43, and 63 miles. The route includes a few steep albeit scenic hills through a major state park. Registration is $19. The ride is organized by the DeKalb County Bicycle Club at (815) 758-8879 or (815) 758-1562. Or e-mail to windy60@gmail.com.

Lake in the Hills American Legion Auxiliary: The Lake in the Hills American Legion Auxiliary is hosting its second annual Barbecue Meat Raffle starting at 7 p.m. Friday, July 18 at the Legion Post 1231, 1101 W. Algonquin Road, Lake in the Hills.

A large variety of meats ready for the grill are available to win including ribs, chops. seteaks, chicken and roasts, too. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call (847) 658-2010.

Friends of the Fox River: Friends of the Fox River and the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance have canceled the water willow planting originally scheduled for July 19.

Elgin 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. July 20. Advance tickets are $5 for adults. Tickets at the door are $6 for adults and $4 for children, age 12 and younger. The VFW is at 1601 Weld Road on Elgin's west side between McLean Boulevard and Randall Road. Advance ticket sales end at noon July 19. Have a great breakfast and to help the veterans.

Dundee Township Historical Society: Have you ever wondered where your great grandpa came from and how he got to the place he called home? Bonnie Cernosek will present a workshop on beginning genealogy from 2 to 4 p.m. July 20 at the museum, 426 Highland Ave., West Dundee.

Do you have an old family photo that is faded, torn or just deteriorating in general? See how these photographs can be given new life by using a computer to repair damage and enhance them for future generations to enjoy. Larry Pepper will share his expertise with attendees from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 17 at the museum, 426 Highland Ave., West Dundee. There is no admission charge. Members and nonmembers are welcome.

St. Charles East Booster Club: The St. Charles East Football Booster Club will hold its fourth annual Golf Outing on Monday, July 21 at Royal Hawk Country Club, 5N748 Burr Road, in St. Charles.

Check-in begins at noon and the outing gets under way with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. After golf, dinner will be served in the clubhouse where prizes for multiple golf contests will be awarded. Cost for participation is $95 per golfer. Pre-arranged foursomes are permitted. Hole sponsorships at $300 per hole are also available. Reservations to play golf or to sponsor a hole can be made by contacting Mike Leopardo at mtleopardo@leopardo.com or by calling (630) 513-0766.

Proceeds from the event go toward supporting the St. Charles East High School Football Program. Previous funds have been used to replace aging practice equipment, offer specialized training opportunities for the players, and to lessen the financial burden on the school to provide new resources and equipment.

Elgin Golden K Kiwanis: Elgin Golden K Kiwanis will meet at 9 a.m. July 23 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. The program will be, Gail Miller, and her topic will be, "Costco Marketing." For information, call (847) 741-7176.

Mothers & More: "What Works For You?" is a discussion night that's a great opportunity to learn and share the best secrets of mothering, working, home management and life in general.

You are welcome to join mothers from Mothers & More of McHenry County as the group facilitates a great discussion of sharing, laughing and learning from each other. Just come prepared with three ideas that really "work for you" in balancing your life as a mom.

You won't want to miss this. What you hear might change your life. What you share might be just what another mom needs.

Here are a few questions to kick-start your thoughts: Are your kids amazing sleepers? Do you have the cleanest house in your playgroup? How about the hottest marriage? Do you throw a great party? Do you stay sane by doing yoga, volunteering or pursuing a hobby? Are you the go-to person for great nutrition and healthy eating? Do you balance paid work and mothering and make it look easy? What are you an expert on?

The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. July 29 at the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce 427 W. Virginia St., Crystal Lake. To RSVP, call Libby Nelson at (815) 479-5733 or e-mail to seiter@sbcglobal.net.

For details about Mothers & More or this program, call the hotline at (815) 334-7813 or check out the Web site at www.mchenrymothers.org.

Zonta Club: Looking for something unique to beautify your home? Looking for some fellowship and network opportunities with professional women in your community? The Zonta Club of St. Charles-Geneva-Batavia is having a Southern Living Party. The club meets the first Tuesday of each month at Prairie Landing Golf Course in West Chicago. This month's meeting will be on Aug. 5, with networking at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dinner cost is $25. Reservations must be called in to Christie Plotzke at (847) 931-2292 by July 29.

For information about Zonta, contact club president Bobbie Gerbrecht at bobbie@bobbiegrayson.com or by phone, (630) 879-7889.

Square Dancing Club: The Batavia Bachelors and Bachelorettes Square Dance Club club meets for the summer in the air-conditioned hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, 405 S. Rush St., Roselle. Dancing is from 8 to 10:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays. The dance will not be held on July 25, as members will be attending the state convention. On Aug. 8, Jerry Hill will lead the rounds with Juliann Hill as cuer. On Aug. 22, it will be the 34th anniversary dance with Tom Roper and Angie and Bob Huckeby. The summer dances are casual attire except for the annivesary dance. Single dancers are welcome. For details, call (630) 584-1343 or (630) 896-7133.

• 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.