Arkansas Extension Homemakers
Council, Inc.

 News from the President • Toy Donations • March Meeting  • Volunteer Hours • Mini Grants • Officer Elections • Correction • Long Time Member Honored • 2006 NVON Conference • 2006 AEHC State Meeting • AEHC Project Books • Deadlines and Dates to Remember
 

News from the President

I'm sure all of you are anxious for spring. It's like renewed life when the new sprouts come out. We need to think of our selves and how to make us feel better, as we do so much for others. Without taking care of ourselves we cannot do the volunteer work that we love so much.

On that note, you are participating in Walk Across Arkansas. I know we've done it three times before but walking is so healthy and enjoyable. I carry my camera and it doesn't even seem as I've done any exercise. I take pictures of dew drops, leaves, moss on trees, etc. That's only a sample of what you can do to make it enjoyable.

I was so glad to see many of you at our leadership training the 14th and 15th of March.
Dr. Russ Kennedy presented a state wide program on methamphetamine in Arkansas. We hope this will benefit the citizens of our state. He is putting a lot of time into this and I would like to see a successful program carried out. It will take all of us working together, and I know we can do it.


 

Delta Blues EHC Donates $1000.00 worth of Toys

Phillips County Extension Service donates $1000.00 worth of stuffed animals to Toys for Tots. Phillips County Extension Services Delta Blues Extension Homemakers Club collected new stuffed animals and donated them to the Toys for Tots campaign. Phillips and Lee County Extension Services collaborated to help provide Christmas presents for over 600 youths.

Pictured: Back row, left to right: Lazaro English - Phillips County Staff Chair, Keith Cleek - Phillips County Extension Agent - Family and Consumer Sciences
Front row, left to right: Graffie Eldridge - Lee County FCS Agent, Wanda Snyder- Phillips County Extension Service Administrative Office Supervisor/Extension Homemakers Club President, Linda Jackson - Lee County Extension 4-H Program Assistant

 

Leadership With Design

Three hundred county council officers, FCS agents, along with AEHC executive committee members participated in the Officer Training meeting at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H center. Those who spent the night on the 14th saw the movie entitled “Celebrate what is Right with the World”. Following the movie different leaders responded to the concepts that were brought out in the movie. This movie is available to be borrowed from the FCS section in the state office.

Katie Cobb, FCS agent in White County and white county leaders did a great job with training officers. Each county received a CD of Katie’s power point and each county also received a copy of the publication entitled “AEHC Leadership Series” for Officer Training, FCS 400. To get additional copies the publication can be ordered on line form the state office. This is a ready made program to train your new club and county officers when you elect new ones in the near future.

Dr. Russ Kennedy did a nice job presenting a proposed state wide project for EHC on “Not in My Backyard”, a program to detect and report methamphetamine production. Another favorite on the afternoon program was district director Mike Hamilton with his presentation on Building Resiliency. This program involved 9 leaders who responded to the concepts in the video and made application to EH club leadership and every day life experiences. Contact Mike if you would like to borrow the DVD for a county program.

Elaine Stoll, President-elect and chair of the state planning committee discussed the 2006 state meeting packet and each county FCS agent received a packet. The FCS agent is the person in the county to register everyone in the county (including all state officers and state committee members) by May 1.

Thanks to all the counties who brought items for Children’s Hospital and UAMS Cancer research center. UAMS had to bring a van to take all of the items that you made to their facility. A car load of items were taken to Children’s Hospital.

A special thanks for all items brought by the counties for the registration packets for the state meeting in June. Elaine Stoll, chair of the state meeting, and Lawrence County leaders took these items to the Extension Warehouse and these will be placed in the bags for the state meeting.

Volunteer Hours for 2005

Did you know that your volunteer hours accounted for over 11 million dollars to Arkansas communities and counties last year? The total hours from FCS agents Aims reports reported to FCS were calculated and this figure reported to the State Office of Volunteerism . Please remember to report your volunteer time to your FCS agents so that she can count it on her AIMS report that is done monthly.

Mini Grants

Six Arkansas counties will receive mini grants at the 2006 awards program at the state meeting in June. The awards range from $500 to $300. Remember that these awards and the applications for them are explained in the AEHC handbook that is on line and it current with all information.

New AEHC Officers To Be Elected

APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 15
AEHC will elect the following officers a the June Meeting: President-elect, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer and a parliamentarian will be appointed by the present president-elect and will be installed with the officers following the election. Remember to send your nominations for the offices to Marietta Gutierrez, past president, 1312 Winnebago, North Little Rock, AR 72116.
 

Correction

Cleveland County Extension Homemakers Council was accidentally omitted from the Ouachita District membership awards article in the last newsletter. Cleveland County received and award for having the most new members in the district. Thanks to Karen Bell Fox for calling this to our attention.

Sharp County Honors Long Time Member

Atalee Pounders of Sidney was honored December 2nd by the Sharp County Extension Homemakers Council for her decades of service as a member of the Extension Homemakers Club. Pounders, who turned 95 this month, spoke at the afternoon program. Mary Ann Torbit, President of Sharp County Extension Homemakers Council, presented Atalee with a plaque of appreciation for her years of service spanning eight decades, a brooch with the logo on it and a Christmas poinsettia.

Atalee was pictured holding her plaque showing her years in the Sharp County Extension Homemakers Council. (1920-2005)

An article and picture was printed in these three newspapers: "The News" - Salem, "Village Journal" - Cherokee Village, and "Batesville Guard" - Batesville.

2006 NVON Conference Information

The 2006 NVON Conference will be held in Hot Springs on July 17-20, 2006. Each county received and NVON Newsletter at the Leadership Workshop on March 15th. The newsletter has a registration form that you can duplicate for members planning to attend the Conference. The Austin Hotel is the headquarters hotel, their phone number is 877-623-6697. The NVON rate is $89.67 a night (one to four people per room).

Note to FCS Agents:
Dr. Lyles has approved official time for agents to attend this meeting.

2006 AEHC State Meeting

"Enriching Homes and Communities" is the theme for the 2006 AEHC State Meeting. Each County FCS Agent received a registration/information packet at the end of the March 15 Leadership Workshop. Your State Planning Committee has done a great job selecting the classes and outstanding speakers for the meeting. Please encourage your members to attend this meeting.

AEHC Project Books

Fifty-six project books were submitted from counties and clubs for awards. The AEHC Education Committee met on February 14th and judged the project books. Awards will be presented at the state meeting in June.

Pictured: Left to right: Dorothy Rowland, Associate District Director, Glenda Griffin, Associate District Director, and Janice Majors, District Director.

Dates to Remember

2006

June 6, 7, 8 - State Meeting, Hot Springs Convention Center
July 18, 19, 20 - NVON Meeting, Hot Springs Convention Center
October 17 - Ozark District Presidents Day
October 20 - Delta District Presidents Day
October 24 - Ouachita Presidents Day