Club notes: Woman's Culture Club, Retired Teachers

The Woman’s Culture Club met in the fellowship hall of Fairlie Baptist Church on Oct. 15 with Nell Avery and Mary Carolyn Dye as co-hostesses. President Pat Kelley welcomed members and guest speaker Cheryl Westhaufer, Commerce Public Library historian.

Westhaufer presented the program on the History of Commerce from the founders to the present day over a span of a century and more, using photos and an oral history of Commerce. She said that Main Street was paved with bricks in the 1920s, and cars were becoming popular in 1909, and she also pointed out how ladies’ fashions have changed throughout the decades.

Club members are reminded to bring items for the annual Terrell State Hospital Christmas Project, overseas project for our troops, and canned goods for the Commerce Emergency Food Pantry.

Volunteers for November are Fern Ferguson for Rosemound Drive Trash Pickup and Ruby Vander Velde for Meals on Wheels.

The next meeting will be in the home of Nila McQuary on Nov. 19



Northeast Hunt County Retired Teachers

Blake Cooper, superintendent of the Commerce Independent School District, presented the program, “Knowing and Serving Your Schools."

Cooper told members and guests about plans and changes, reviewing the “3 R’s” of Commerce Public Schools — Recognizable, Respectable and Reliable. He revealed a new attractive logo that Commerce ISD adopted, along with a new attitude. CISD strategies were outlined and described that are aimed at improving the school district. Cooper was very pleased to have the Communities in Schools program and welcomed those who volunteered to serve. Having been associated with Commerce for several years, his pride was evident in being a part of the Commerce Independent School District.

Our guest, Lois Stevens, Communities in Schools, campus manager, Commerce Elementary School, shared the organization’s plans to involve members of the community in mentoring and tutorial programs at CISD and the need for volunteers. According to Stevens, this organization is doing well and is now in its second year.

Committee reports followed with Ann Julian, NHCoRTA Community Volunteer Service chairman, who encouraged members to participate in Communities In Schools, using the hours they contribute for the Northeast Hunt County Retired Teachers community volunteer hours. Julian also reported that 56 children's books have been collected for the Book Project. Books collected will be given to children who never owned a book, who will have their own book that they can take home to read or have someone else read. Nancy Green, NHCoRTA Health chairman, announced this month as “National Breast Cancer Awareness” month, discussing this briefly as she handed out pamphlets relevant to this topic.

In closing, President Fern Ferguson urged everyone to contact their legislators concerning the issues involving all public education personnel. Ferguson closed the program with a poem that was well-suited for October entitled, “Autumn Harvest.” The next meeting for NHCoRTA will be at the First United Methodist Church on Nov. 10 with refreshments at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting at 10 a m. Robert Rabb, coordinator for the Columbia Methodist Church, will present the program, “Columbia Mission,” with photos projected on a screen to help tell his story of the mission trip to Columbia, S.A. Everyone is invited.

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