Arkansas Extension Homemakers
Council, Inc.

 News from the President • Financial Guidelines • District Rallies  • 2006 State Meeting • 2005 Sew With Cotton • Project Books Due • EHC Walks Across Arkansas • Officer Elections • Looking Ahead • Mountain View Tour • Free Credit Report •  Deadlines and Dates to Remember
 

News from the President

This is a somber and busy time for many of you. I am proud to know so many caring and dedicated people. I know that statewide there are members working either directly or indirectly for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Here are some early reports of Extension Homemakers Clubs and members helping with the Hurricane relief efforts.

Drew County: “We are in awe to find our Fair Association building was opened for 25 people and satellite TV was installed so they could stay abreast of news from their area. Love and compassion have been shown by all, even people we don’t know,” said Janice Majors, Drew County EH Council President and Delta District Director for AEHC. Janice and other EHC members have cooked and served meals from the very first day.

Franklin County: Sue Farris reported, “I took a car load of items to the drop off center for disaster relief in Ozark and plan to help sort and organize there today.” Due to the large number of Hurricane victims being housed at a Baptist Camp in Northern Franklin County, the EH board is meeting this week to discuss how their members can best contribute to these needs.

Pulaski County: Five members of the Belwood EH Club were shown serving food on the nightly news on Tuesday night following the Monday entrance of Katrina to the Gulf Coast.

Randolph County: Richardson EH Club donated $200.00 to the American Red Cross.

I know many of you are cooking, serving, and donating items and time to a worthy cause. May God bless and guide each one of you.

Financial Guidelines for EH Clubs and County EH Councils

Each county should have a file copy of “Guidelines for County Financial Operations for Extension Homemakers Councils, Clubs, and Groups.” Read page 2 carefully. Please note that each club or council should have a year-end financial statement prepared by the appropriate officer. It is suggested that an audit be made by peers of the group for groups with less than $25,000.00. Please call Betty Oliver at 501-671-2033 if you have any questions.

District Rallies

“Taking Care of Yourself – The EHC Volunteer” is the theme of the district EHC rallies to be held in October. The Ozark District Rally will be held on October 18 at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. The Delta District Rally will be held at the Brinkley Convention Center on October 20. The Ouachita District Rally will be held at the Clark County Fair Grounds on October 25. Please note that registration and one check per county is due to the state extension office by October 1.

Ozark District Rally Registration (MSWord)
Delta District Rally Registration (MSWord)
Ouachita District Rally Registration (MSWord)

Since this is a “Rally of the Troops,” counties may bring as many as would like to attend. The new District Directors have planned excellent programs. Each county is asked to bring a fall arrangement for decorating the tables. These will be given as door prizes.

Below are the program outlines for each district.

Ozark District Program (PDF)
Delta District Program (PDF)
Ouachita District Program (PDF)

2006 AEHC State Meeting

The planning committee met on August 9, and the chairs are already making big plans for the 2006 meeting to be held in Hot Springs on June 6-8, 2006. The theme that was selected is “Enriching Homes and Communities.” If you have suggestions for classes and teachers, please send them to Betty Oliver at boliver@uaex.edu.

2005 Sew With Cotton Contest

It’s that time of year! If you have not already started to sew a garment for the Sew With Cotton Contest, you had better get started. Each county has a 2005 Sew With Cotton handbook. The prizes for the youth and adult categories are outstanding.  The deadline for submitting entries is October 28, 2005. Send your entries to Gene Martin, Cotton Division Coordinator, Farm Bureau Center, PO Box 31, Little Rock, AR 72203. Please contact Betty Oliver if you need a handbook.

EHC Project Books Due December 1

EHC project books should be submitted to the State Extension Office postmarked no later than December 1. See section F (pages F2-F6) in the handbook for more information. The handbook is on the EHC website. If you have questions, please contact Betty Oliver at 501-671-2033 or email boliver@uaex.edu. Awards will be presented at the state meeting in June. You have worked hard on your projects. Why not take time to receive recognition.

EHC Walks Across Arkansas

EHC Club members are again going to participate in “Walk across Arkansas.” The eight-week walk will begin on September 28, 2005 and will end on November 19, 2005. This program is an excellent way for members to emphasize the two year program of “Living Well in Later Life.” This also offers opportunity for increasing your membership. Council Presidents will be receiving a letter from Dr. Russ Kennedy and Betty Oliver. FCS Agents will be receiving the same letter by email.

New AEHC Officers To Be Elected

New Officers for AEHC will be elected at the June meeting in Hot Springs. The following officers will be elected: President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Nominations for Officers must be sent to the Immediate Past President, Marietta Gutierrez, 1312 Winnebago, North Little Rock, AR 72116 by May 15. Please refer to pages D9-D13 of the handbook for details and forms to complete.

Looking Ahead

AEHC Officer Training will be held on March 15, 2006, at the C.A. Vines 4-H Center. Counties may choose to arrive on May 14. Dinner will be served. FCS Agents will receive details after January 1, 2006.

Mountain View Tour - November 2-4, 2005

Seventy three people have registered for the Mountain View Tour. There is still room for more. Marietta Gutierrez will take reservations until October 15, 2005. It is a beautiful time at Mountain View. Come and enjoy the classes and meet new people. FCS Agents received information on this at the state meeting in June.

Free Credit Report

Information from the Federal Trade Commission

A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. But there’s only one online source authorized to do so. That’s www.annualcreditreport.com . Beware of other sites that may look and sound similar.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell www.annualcreditreport.com , or link to it from the FTC’s website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports, but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.   The FTC has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report online. Some consumers responded to TV ads, email offers, or simply searched online.

The FTC recently settled a lawsuit against Consumerinfo.com – which did business as Experian Consumer Direct – over the “free credit report” promotion it advertised on television, radio and the Internet, including its websites freecreditreport.com and consumerinfo.com. If you ordered a free credit report from Consumerinfo between November 1, 2000 and September 15, 2003, and were enrolled in its credit monitoring program, you may be eligible for a refund under the FTC’s settlement.

Here is the web address for information about free credit reports:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/freereports/index.html

Thanks to Laura Connerly, Family and Consumer Sciences Associate, for providing this information.  

2005
December 1 - Project Books due to State Office

Dates to Remember
2005

October 18 - Ozark District Rally
October 20 - Delta District Rally
October 25 - Ouachita District Rally
November 2, 3, and 4 - Mountain View Tour

2006
March 15 - County Council Officer Training, CA Vines 4-H Center
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