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Members of the Mason Bluebonnet Study Club gathered at club president Mary Hemphill’s home on July 13 for a planning workshop. Programs for the upcoming club year were outlined and speakers for each were either contacted or one of the attendees took responsibility for doing so at a later time.

Fundraising for the club scholarship program was also discussed. Feasibility of some of the ideas will be studied and researched. Among the suggestions was a porch sale in front of Hemphill’s on the square and a forty-two tournement.

Most meetings will be at 2:00 pm on the third Monday of the month and will be held at the Richard Eckert Center.

The first club program for the September 21st meeting will be presented by Dolores Keller. Mrs. Keller will tell about her ancestors during Mason’s early years. The club endeavors to study the history of our area and its people with at least one program each year.

October 19 is being set aside for a shelter shower to benefit The Haven. The Haven serves as a safe place for victims of domestic violence and abuse from Mason, Menard, and McCulloch Counties. A list of needed items will be distributed at the September meeting. Members of the community are also invited to attend the meeting and donate items to this vital community service. The meeting will be held in the Richard Eckert Center beginning at 2:00 p.m. A representative from The Haven will speak.

Other programs planned are “Federation” presented by Alamo District president Patsy Troell; “Photography” presented by Willeda Rea; author Lisa Wingate will tell about her new book, “The Summer Kitchen” on February 15; a musical presentation is planned for March; “Healthy diet to prevent premature aging” will be the subject in April; and landscaping with native plants will be the subject of discussion in May. More details about each program will be presented the month prior to the presentation.

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A note of thanks was read from the club’s $1000 Ruby Kettner Scholarship recipient, Courtland Hemphill.

A delicious potluck salad luncheon was enjoyed by workshop participants, Julie Harrison, Mary Hemphill, Tanya Lamoreaux, Mary Carlman, Maudi Bergmann, Brinda Pape, and Betty Meyer.

The Mason Bluebonnet Study Club was organized in 1941 with Mrs. Floyd McCollum serving as its first president. The club applied and was accepted into the General Federation of Women’s Clubs that same year and has continued service to the local community down through the years. Current president Mary Hemphill leads the club in keeping the tradition of volunteerism alive. The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is an international service organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.