Homemakers

Homemakers is the name of a wonderful club that I belong to. Membership is open to women of all ages. I have been a member since 1996, and I have seen our numbers grow to over 100 just in our unit. Our club meets on Wednesdays and our monthly business meetings are held each first Wednesday of the month. We come to socialize and busy ourselves with useful projects to help the community. We are crafters, experienced in the art of crocheting, knitting, sewing, beading and much more. Beginners are welcomed. It’s never too late to learn. At the business meetings, we have preliminaries displaying the various projects that will be taught by our club members during that month. It is at this time that interested members would sign up for a designated class. Instructions are free. The only cost would be for materials. These projects are very useful as decorations for the home, to give as gifts, or wherever they may serve.
Aside from happily undertaking the task of learning and completing a project, we busy ourselves making cough and neck pillows, infant hats, lap robes, and whatever is needed to donate to the hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans. etc. Each month, the club makes a cash donation to a selected charity.
Throughout the year, we prepare for special events like holding a Chinese Auction, flea market, jewelry party, etc. We also enjoy special luncheons for holidays. They may be held at the meeting hall or at a selected restaurant. Our last meeting is in June, and we close for the summer months. We enjoy a wonderful luncheon at a restaurant to mark the occasion. Rally day starts in September, and a new year starts.

Here is the Homemakers Creed, which is said at the start of our monthly meetings, right after the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag:

THE HOMEMAKER’S CREED

TO MAINTAIN the highest ideals of home life;
To count children the most important of crops;
To so mother them that their bodies may be sound,
Their minds clear, their spirits happy,
And their characters generous:

TO PLACE service above comfort;
To let loyalty to high purposes silent discordant notes;
To let neighborliness supplant hatreds; to be discouraged never:

TO LOSE SELF in generous enthusiasm;
To extend to the less fortunate a helping hand;
To believe one’s community
May become the best of communities;
And to cooperate with others for the common ends
Of a more abundant home and community life:

THIS is the challenge to the homemaker of today.
by Ruby Green Smith



There are about 45 Units or branches of Homemakers in our area, and we are held together through the Council of Units and the Board members. The Council Connection is a newsletter, which comes out five times during the year. Each unit is given the opportunity to write an article in the paper about what they have accomplished during a specified period and we can include other mutual interests. We have a deadline to get our report delivered to the Council Connection, since there is a limit on available space.
I was asked to be the reporter (publicity) for our unit this year, and I have written three articles so far. The first two articles were published and the third, hopefully, will be printed in the newsletter’s next publication. Since the Council Connection is issued every other month, each ensuing article will be added in sequence at the end.


Written: September 12, 2001

It was wonderful to be back again after the short summer break. Rally Day was eventful in that it was great to see familiar faces again. Hopefully, in the coming weeks and months, our family of members will grow considerably. Some of us brought in our projects, which will be taught throughout the year.

Our Sunshine lady,……….was made Woman of the Year. The club presented her with a gift in appreciation for all her efforts and unselfish devotion in being the bearer of good cheer to those of us in need.

It was business as usual at our first of the month meeting this September, although our minds were on the terrible nightmare from the terrorists’ attacks on the Twin Towers in NYC and to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The preliminaries for the month were displayed and our Council representative,………..showed us the little bears that were made by some of our members. They are to presented at the next Council meeting in preparation for the Festival of Trees ceremonies.

We all look forward to our covered dish luncheon on October 03rd. This event is always a smashing success. We are such great cooks.

Till next time, let us all enjoy a pleasant autumn with its beautiful foliage.


Written: November 15, 2001

This year Halloween fell on our Unit’s Wednesday meeting, and we made an event of it. Some of us came in wearing unique costumes, and a prize was issued for the best one. We had refreshments and cider, too. Our President,………did a fantastic job of ensuring a great time for all of us. The floor was decorated with life sized inflatable monsters, skeletons, and giant spiders. I couldn’t recognize…. at first in her scary costume. She had covered her face, arms and hands completely with green food coloring. What ingenuity! We even played a game; Pin the tail on the Bunny’s hat, and a small prize was given out for that, too.

At the close of the first of the month meeting this November, we enjoyed our Thanksgiving luncheon, and now we look forward to a Christmas luncheon, December 19th at the Culinary Institute. We will be sampling the different offerings of food and desserts made exclusively by the students attending there. What a wonderful prelude to Christmas.

Until then we keep busy making lap robes, infant hats, afghans for the nuns, and attending our preliminary classes. Right now we are finishing up the final touches on the shoebox gift project for the poor and hurting children worldwide. Just filling up these boxes with toys, school supplies, goodies and other surprises, has brought a warm feeling to our hearts. It brings a special meaning to the coming holidays. Happy Holidays everyone!


Written: January 24, 2002

The Christmas luncheon at the Culinary Institute was refreshingly different. The food was excellent and the desserts absolutely decadent. The atmosphere was festive and the staff attentive to our every need. The holidays are over and we wish everyone a great New Year. We discussed the usual business at our January monthly meeting, which included the Scholarship awards and our Chinese Auction to be held this April 17th. At the close of the meeting, we had a jewelry party.

On another Wednesday, we had a baby shower for unwed mothers. We all brought in unwrapped newly purchased and handmade items. We had a speaker from Birthright, an organization that helps unwed mothers with assistance and housing, if necessary. The speaker was overwhelmed with the generosity of our members. The audible expression of glee as we viewed the gift tables brought us satisfaction in knowing that we again had the opportunity to help others in need. Of course, we also enjoyed the homemade frosted and decorated cupcakes.

In the weeks to come, we will have Game day and buttered bagels. We are to bring in different games to try out. We will have a pizza party after February’s business meeting, and through all this, we will busy ourselves making lap robes, baby hats for the infants, and whatever needy project comes our way. We all know that doing for others and having fun at the same time, keeps us young and beautiful. In the movie classic, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says there is no place like home. I like to say there is no place like Homemakers. We only wish that our past President,……….would come home to us. She was injured in a fall and is still convalescing.


March 25, 2002

Once again the ground opens up and new life renews. Welcome spring! It is at this time that we welcome life while reflecting on the passing of some of our members. They will always remain in our hearts.

We celebrated St. Patty’s Day with a corned beef and cabbage lunch after our March business meeting. Besides the festive atmosphere that beautifully decorated tables and raffle offerings bring, we were delighted to view a table laden with homemade dolls and other items in the Irish theme; all supplied by our very own ......... They were raffled off as a special treat to us. Thank you .....!

In April, we look forward to our spring salads lunch, hosted by ............. and crew, after the business meeting. Our Chinese Auction follows April 17th and we are all working hard to make it a success. A yummy treat awaits us on May 1st when we have an ice cream social after our business meeting. In the meantime, we all keep busy doing what we know best to help by crafting homemade infant hats, lap robes and blankets, etc. to those in need and finishing our class projects in time for Achievement Day, May 29th. All are welcome to view our proud display. This happily culminates the year’s efforts in Homemakers. Our tea party is coming up June 5th, and this time I’m bringing in a new teapot that I received for Christmas. We also look forward to our June 12th luncheon, which closes Homemakers for the summer months. Until the next report, live life for today and strive to make each day your best.