We are fortunate to have an active membership in the Hastings
Branch. We have an
excellent turnout for general meetings with attendance between
50 and 75. This could be
attributed to the speakers who are carefully selected. During
2006-2007 we heard Darcy
Thompson with “History of the Underground Railroad Story
Quilts”; Dr. Samiha Ibrahm with
“Mysteries & Magic of Ancient & Modern Egypt”; Dr. Jan Thatcher
with “Maria's Children: An
Arts Rehabilitation Center for Russian Orphans”; Sarah Stinson
with “Go Girls – Self Esteem &
Eating Disorders”; Laurie Sturdevant with “Legislative Insights
& Women's Issues”; Dorothy
McIntyre with “Daughters of the Game”; and Gary White with
“Behind the Scenes at the Walker
Art Institute.” In May we will hear Dr. Diane Bartels with
“Current Bioethical Challenges: From
Stem Cells to Plan B.”
Each year we award a scholarship of $2,000 to the highest
ranking senior girl in the
graduating class at Hastings High School. We also facilitate the
presentation of a scholarship of
$1,000 in honor of deceased member Marcella Linde. In order to
earn funds, we hold the Grande
Garage Sale each September. Another recycling project this year
was the inspiration of several
members after Pat Schoenecker, a guest speaker, spoke about
“Becoming More Earth Friendly.”
They organized a project to reuse fabric scraps, drapes and
clothing to make gift bags and tote
bags. Several construction days were spent designing, cutting,
and sewing. The bags were sold at
meetings. The project yielded almost $1,500 and a deeper
awareness of saving the earth by
reusing materials in favor of disposing them.
Friendship is a priority in our group. Our Christmas Social was
held at the recentlyopened
historical landmark, the LeDuc Mansion in Hastings where some 80
members were in
attendance. A large collection of clothing and Christmas gifts
was collected for women at Lewis
House, a local shelter for abused women. The April meeting is
held at the Hastings Country Club
with a buffet of hors d'oeuvres and desserts.
The Hastings Branch promotes an active book club and a group of
Gad'Abouts which
provide interesting trips to plays, museums, and other tours and
buildings of interest.
We continue to provide support and service to community and
educational activities in
Hastings.
