Fox Valley clubs notes

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

Kane County Audubon Society: The Kane County Audubon Society will hold a field trip at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 7 at Nelson Lake. This month, they will look for early spring migrants and new arrivals. Meet in the parking lot by the silo, which is west of Nelson Lake Road, about 2 miles west of Randall Road in Batavia. For information, call Terry Murray at (630) 896-3219.

On Wednesday, March 11, the monthly meeting will be at 7 p.m. in rooms 108 & 109 at the Geneva Park District's building in Sunset Park, 710 Western Ave. Naturalist and coyote expert Chris Anchor will speak on "The Status of Coyotes in Kane County." For details, call Bob Andrini at (630) 584-8386.

On Saturday, March 14, join a bird walk at 8:30 a.m. at Les Arends Forest Preserve, 2S731 Route 31, Batavia. They will be looking for spring migrants and waterfowl. For information, call Nancy Schnaitman at (630) 365-9595.

On Saturday, March 21, join the Fermilab Bird Walk at 8 a.m. They will be looking for spring migrants, waterfowl, and early arrivals. Meet in the parking lot next to the guard shack on Pine Street entrance, Batavia. For information, call Chris Madsen at (630) 377-0773. On Saturday, March 28, enjoy a bird and nature walk at 8 a.m. at Bliss Woods Forest Preserve. Meet in the second parking lot off 5S660 Bliss Road, Sugar Grove. For information call Jon Duerr at (630) 584-5891. Visit www.kanecountyaudubon.org.

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.

Men's Club: The Men's Club of the Burlington United Methodist Church invites you to its 68th annual ham dinner. This all-you-can-eat dinner will be served to the public from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7. They will be serving dinner at the Burlington United Methodist Church, 195 W Center St, across from the fire station in Burlington. Carry-outs for people on the go and a bake sale of fresh homemade treats will be available till 6:30 p.m. The dinner includes ham and corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, applesauce, coleslaw, rolls, and pie or cake for dessert. Admission is $10 or $4 for children, age 6 to 12. Children under 6 get in free. For information, call (847) 683-3535 or www.Burlington-UMC.org.

Hampshire VFW: Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8043 will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, March 9 at the Hampshire Township building, 100 Center St. At the Feb. 9 meeting with Commander Lowell Reiser presiding, there was a prayer by Chaplain Edward Wesemann with a Salute to the Colors. Special guest Robert Parise was welcomed as a new member into VFW Post 8043. Information was presented to members on the upcoming "Held in the Heartland: German POWs in the Midwest" traveling bus exhibit on March 7 at the Ella Johnson Memorial Library. This exhibit is sponsored by the Ella Johnson Library, Hampshire Historical Society and Hampshire VFW Post 8043.

The scheduled date for the "Buddy Poppy" sales in Hampshire/Burlington will be Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. Memorial services at the Ralph Seyller East Park will be Monday, May 25. Flags will be distributed before the service by Post and Auxiliary members. The guest speaker will be Rear Admiral Kenneth Deutsch, a member of the Hampshire VFW Post 8043 and son of Joyce and Roman Deutsch of Burlington. Information was given to the members of the District 300 board meeting in regards to Veterans Day. There will be school on Veterans Day and will be focused on the meaning of the day. For details, call Reiser at (847) 683-3443.

Hampshire VFW Auxiliary: Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8043 Auxiliary will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 9 at the Hampshire Township building, 100 Center St. New members are welcome. For details, call Arlene at (847) 683-3443.

At the Feb. 9 meeting with president Jerrilynne Partlo, chaplain pro tem Leola Widmayer led the prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Patriotic Instructor Pro Tem Mary Jo Stojan. Conductress Pro Tem was Doris Klock.

Special guest was VFW Post 8043 Commander Lowell Reiser to discuss with the auxiliary the date for the Buddy Poppy sales in Hampshire and Burlington. It was decided that the sales will be May 8-9. Memorial Day services will be May 25, and the commander asked for the auxiliary's cooperation on the poppy sales and also in distributing small flags at the park before the services. Secretary and treasurer reports were approved and placed on file. Thank-yous were read. Information was presented to members on the upcoming "Held in the Heartland: German POWs in the Midwest" traveling bus exhibit at the Ella Johnson Memorial Library on the POW camps during World War II, one camp was in Hampshire. This exhibit is sponsored by the Ella Johnson Library, Hampshire Historical Society and Hampshire VFW Post 8043. The state convention will be at Springfield June 25-28.

Henpeck HCE: The Henpeck Unit of Kane County Association for Home and Community Education will meet Tuesday, March 10 at PaPa G's restaurant in Elburn. A Lesson on "Blues, Blahs, and Bouncing Back" will be presented by Mary Ann Harter. Guests are welcome; contact Mary Ann Harter at (847) 683-3632 for details and directions. Do you have small electric appliances in your kitchen or storage that you don't use, or aren't using to your best advantage? Answers to these questions were the focus of the lesson given at the Feb. 11 meeting at the home of Mary Ebert in Kaneville. The meeting was preceded by a delicious luncheon prepared by the hostess from recipes included in the handout. Dishes cooked in a crockpot included: round steak with rich gravy, scalloped corn, and slow cooker-baked custard. Mashed potatoes, garlic bread and cherry crisp complemented the meal. Seven members tried to answer the roll call question: Where was the first U.S. postage stamp cast, and when was it issued? Mary Ebert, who works at the post office, was the only member who could come up with the answer: first stamp was cast in New York and issues on July 1, 1847. Ben Franklin's picture was on the stamp. During the business meeting, members once again agreed to donate a trophy to a deserving 4-H member at the Kane County Fair. Members were also made aware of a pork chop dinner fundraiser to be sponsored by the 4-H Foundation on March 7 at the new exhibit hall at the Kane County Fairgrounds. Prior to adjournment, Mary Ebert introduced a trivia contest about Abraham Lincoln. Peggy Gross won the prize, a sheet of Lincoln commemorative stamps, for the most correct answers. The lesson on "Maximizing Kitchen Appliances - Slow Cookers" was presented by Mary Ebert. Besides the luncheon and recipes, it included a discussion on food safety rules when using a slow cooker and new ideas of how it can be used to prepare nutritious meals. For details, call Peggy Gross at (847) 683-3826 or Mary Ann Harter at (847) 683-3632.

NARFE: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association will hold its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 10. Chapter 2181 meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at the American Legion meeting room at 820 N. Liberty St. in Elgin. Lunch is available in the American Legion lunchroom before the meeting. This month, Marlene Pokorny, facilitator of an Alzheimers support group, will speak about Alzheimers and caregivers. Coffee and desserts will be served after the meeting. For details, call Nick at (847) 741-5772.

Rotary Club: 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.

Fox Valley Bike and Ski Club: The Fox Valley Bike and Ski Club will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. Professor Paul Carpenter, department chair for kinesiology and physical education for Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, will speak on "Bicycle Commuting." Carpenter regularly commutes by bicycle from his home in Batavia to the NIU campus in DeKalb, a 60-mile round trip. He also does "ultra cycling events," and won the 1,044-mile Race Across the West last summer. He is training for the 2010 Race Across America. Carpenter will provide a brief background on himself, some insight as to why he commutes by bicycle, the how of commuting- equipment, safety, attitude/approach, some stories from the road, and a listing of resources on commuting.

Elgin American Legion: The Elgin American Legion Post 57, 820 N. Liberty St., will host a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. It is open to the public and the cost is $6 per person. The menu includes spaghetti with meat sauce, meatballs, garlic toast and salad. For details, call (847) 741-1684.

Elgin Area Women's Connection: The Elgin Area Women's Connection will meet for lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. on March 11 at the Villa Olivia Country Club, off Route 20 in Bartlett. Enjoy Mary Ramsey King, CEO of King Securities, a watercolor artist and speaker, will demonstrate her painting techniques. Then, she will tell her inspiring story about "An Investment That Guarantees Unlimited Rewards." For reservations, call Jan at (630) 837-2632 or Carolyn at (630) 218-1205 or e-mail Car644@gmail.com by Monday, March 9. Cost for luncheon meeting is $15 inclusive, with complimentary child care.

Hampshire-Burlington Jaycees: The Hampshire-Burlington Jaycees will have their annual Double Deck Poker Run on March 28, followed by their Spring Faire on April 4. They are looking for sponsors for the Spring Faire as it is a free event for all area children. The Jaycees provide individuals between the age of 21 and 40 the opportunity to develop personal and leadership skills while serving their community. The Jaycees hold their monthly general meeting at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month. Anyone is invited to attend. The next meeting on March 12 will be at the Corkshire Pub. For information, call Michelle Kollins at (847) 683-9263 or e-mail michellekollins@foxvalley.net.

AARP: The McHenry County Chapter of AARP will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at The Fountains of Crystal Lake on Route 31 one mile north of Route 176. A presentation on geriatric medicine will be offered by Dr. Rex Nzeribe of Centegra Health System. Refreshments will be served. For chapter information, call Glenn at (815) 477-1952 or Fran at (847) 658-7222.

Carpentersville VFW 5915: The Carpentersville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5915 invites the community to a corned beef and cabbage dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at the post home, 301 Lake Marian Road, Carpentersville. The dinner will be all-you-can-eat as long as supplies last. All proceeds to go to support its local community service work with the police and fire departments, the veterans garden, supporting our troops overseas and more. For information, call Chuck Slack at (847) 428-4836 or (847) 658-3391.

Admission is $10 or $5 for children, age 4 to 10. Children, age 3 and younger, get in free. Carryouts will be available.

Huntley Rotary: The Huntley Rotary Club is busy preparing for its first Baggo Tournament. The event will be held on Saturday, March 14 at the Pinecrest Golf Club in Huntley, with registration at noon. Participants will have the opportunity to play three games against their first round opponent, and winners of the best-of-three competition will advance to the second round. The single elimination competition will take place inside the clubhouse, and feature food and beverage specials, big screen TV, and a 50/50 raffle. The popular game, similar to horseshoes, uses bean bags instead of shoes. The concept is the same, and the object is to toss the bags into the hole on the playing platform. Fifty percent of the funds from the tournament will be paid out to the first- and second-place winners. For information or to sign up your team, call Tom at (815) 341-7174 or e-mail Trancak@classicmortgagesolutions.com.

Elgin American Legion Post 57: The Elgin American Legion Post 57 will host a breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15 at the post home, 820 N. Liberty St., Elgin. This breakfast is open to the public. The menu and prices are: steak and eggs, $6; eggs to order with sausage, bacon, and potatoes, $4.50 or with two pancakes/no potato $5. Omelets are $5 with cheese, mushrooms, green, red or hot peppers. Also included are white or wheat toast, juice and coffee, as well as a few other beverage specials. In addition, the American Legion hall is available for rental for any event. For details, call (847) 741-1684.

Valley Creek Homeowners: The Valley Creek Homeowners Association invites you to "March Madness" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at Hoopers Sports Bar & Grill, 975 N. McLean Blvd., Elgin. Come and meet your friends and neighbors for a fun night out. Reservations or tickets are not needed, but an e-mail reply would be appreciated to ransworth@danoyes.com. This would help Hooper's estimate the number of attendees to accommodate food and drink requests. A raffle and door prizes will be included.

Sunburst Corvette Club: Sunburst Corvette Club will hold its regular monthly meetings on the first Wednesdays of April and May at a new location. The meetings will be held at Wool Street Grill and Sports Bar, 800 Feinberg Court in Cary. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m., but many members meet at 6 p.m. for dinner. Visit www.sunburstcorvetteclub.com.