HCE NEWSLETTER
August/September 2015
St. Croix County Association for Home and
Community Education
Hello HCE members,
Our last board meeting was productive! We made sure we had the County fair and Farm City Days covered and State
Convention details all taken care of. One item in our new business I would like to bring to your attention now; dues.
Joan Sprain informed us about the St. Croix County budget. UW-Extension (as well as other County Departments)
will reduce their 2016 budgets due to ongoing revenue challenges. This will affect HCE because the Extension
Office will begin charging HCE for printing costs (and other groups, too.)
That will involve newsletters, programs, pamphlets, and other items we have had the Baldwin office prepare and print
for us. We briefly talked about the yearly program booklet and newsletter costs. I deduced that each program booklet
probably costs about $3 to compile and print, a newsletter about $1 or less, times 6 per year per person, to cover these
new expenses, the board discussed and passed a motion to present to the Fall Council for a vote.
We are proposing to change the HCE By-laws, Article IV, section 2, regarding dues. It currently reads as follows,
{Annual dues of the Association for the year January 1 to December 31 shall be an assessment of $6.50 per person
payable when member joins, if prior to May 1.} Two changes are being put forward for your vote;
#1-changing the dues from $6.50 per year to $12 per year; #2- removing the words, ", if prior to May 1."
Please forward any comments on this by-law change to me at hallmaggie@hotmail.com. A vote of all members will
take place at Fall Council. We reluctantly came to this decision upon discussing the new costs for printing and hope
you will all support this change. Another option is to have more fundraising activities.
We also are asking again for all members who feel comfortable receiving the newsletter via email to please sign up
with Melissa at the Extension office, her email is: melissa.nawrocki@co.saint-croix.wi.us The newsletter is now sent
out in PDF form, if you are not real savvy in the ways of computers, please leave Melissa a note also. She/we can
give step by step instructions on how to open and read a PDF. If we can get enough of us receiving newsletters via
email , we may be able to discuss lower annual dues amounts. So, another reason to go paperless.
In an effort to jazz up our newsletter, we will be featuring two Executive board members each month. Each person
will submit a short informational item about the subject of their choice. Should be interesting!
I would like to thank Betty Lee and Shirley Hampton for their time reading at the Bookworm Trail Reads nights, they
read to kids on June 10 and July 8. Come see a repeat performance on August 12. The Deer Park club came out and
had a picnic supper and then partook in the Reading night, I think the gals had as much fun as the kids!
Hope you all had a chance to get out to the fair, are having a great summer and doing a few new things this summer.
Your President,
Maggie Hall
IN THIS ISSUE:
Board Minutes
Ruby’s Pantry
Deer Park Book Bags
Fair Update
Fall Council
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
page 6
Club News/Calendar of Events
Meet and Greet
WAHCE Conference Information
WAHCE Registration Form
page 7
page 7
page 8
page 9
Board Meeting Minutes
Char Croes
St. Croix County Executive Board Meeting
Monday, July 13, 2014; 2:00 pm
Ag Service & Education Center
The meeting was called to order by President Maggie Hall.
The HCE Creed was recited and the Pledge to the flag was recited.
Roll Call was taken: 13 members present, 2 members absent, 1 past member present.
The treasurer’s report was distributed and discussed. The treasurer will transfer $4000 to $5000 from a CD
into the checking account. Wanda Breitbach made a motion to approve the report; seconded by Donna
Wilcoxson, and approved.
Secretary’s minutes from the newsletter were approved by a motion from Lois Burri, seconded by Bev
Wubbels, and carried.
Phoebe Shourds reported on membership. E-mail updates should be reported to Office Secretary Melissa
Nawrocki and/or Phoebe.
Discussion was held on newsletters, paper use, and dues. Because of budget cuts and other county
expenses, HCE will probably have to start paying for printing the newsletters and program books in the
future. We will try to encourage more members to receive their newsletter via e-mail. Maggie made a
motion to raise the member dues to $10 or $12 by a vote on the bylaws, Article 4, Section 2, at the 2015
fall council meeting. Motion was seconded by Phoebe and carried. Executive board members were
assigned months of the year in which to write an article for the newsletter.
County fair HCE building clean up and set up will begin 9 am July 15. Lois, Phoebe and Char volunteered
to be there. Phoebe may make fans to hand out at the fair. Betty Lee showed book marks that Shirley
Grinley made that will be handed out at the fair along with a book worm, stickers, and pencils. Maggie
thanked Betty and Shirley for reading at the Homestead Park HCE building along the bookworms trail
during the special days of the summer months.
Maggie was thanked for all her work for the Garden Gig. Char will bring extra bags from the Garden Gig to
hand out at the fair and/or farm city day. Char asked for helpers to demonstrate dairy food preparation and
hand out samples at Farm City day from our HCE booth. Farm City day is Aug. 8 at the Roger and Laurie
Neumann farm on County Line Road between Polk and St. Croix County.
Char asked permission to submit a report to the state convention for their club project of sewing book bags
for the Deer Park library. No other club came forward with a project to report, so it was approved.
Joan reported that Nancy Abrahamson will talk about Dementia at the Ag Services & Education Center on
Sept. 22. Donna made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Betty, and motion carried. The meeting closed
with the HCE Prayer.
Submitted by Charlotte Croes
Page 2
HCE NEWSLETTER
Stretch Your food budget at Ruby's Pantry
A newer service in New Richmond called Ruby's Pantry opened last fall to serve area residents.
Here is how it works; Anyone who eats is eligible, for a $20 donation you will receive two large boxes or
clothesbaskets of food (bring boxes or baskets with you). It looks like New Richmond is the third Thursday
of each month 5-7 p.m. at New Richmond, WI Army National Guard, 1245 Wall Street, New Richmond.
You don't have to 'qualify' to participate, any and all can come and share the bounty. No registering or
sharing personal information is asked either. It's tag line is "America's Rural Food Bank" and serves
people in over 25 towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
the web site is www.rubyspantry.org. As with any organization, you should check out the credentials. The
New Richmond location is sponsored by First Lutheran Church of New Richmond.
An Excerpt from the web site:
Ruby Flodin was the inspiration for Ruby's Pantry, she taught us that people were worth more than things!
Ruby lived in Western Wisconsin for 89 years. Although she had little, she always shared what she had
with others. She had a large garden that was grown in the most sandy soil you have ever seen. But God
always blessed Ruby with a great harvest. She could also be found picking wild blueberries and other
berries that she would can and freeze. Although not blessed financially, Ruby was rich because she
always had enough to share. She truly was the example of someone who realized that if you only have
enough for yourself you don’t have enough. If she had a dollar in her purse, she’d give you two! Ruby
looked for every opportunity to share food from her pantry with others. One Christmas the neighbors down
the road with four children had no money or food. So Ruby gathered food from her pantry and brought
them a Christmas dinner fit for a king. In fact, Ruby was a descendant of the Royal family of Sweden.
Page 3
Deer Park HCE Donates Book Bags
The Deer Park HCE members sewed about 40 book bags for the Deer Park Library summer reading
program children with “Everyday Heroes” as their theme. The bags had panels on them of firemen,
policemen, and other heroes. The bags were presented to librarian Pat Waterman on June 10, prior to the
start of the reading program June 16.
Other members of the club not pictured also purchased material and sewed on the bags. Some material
was donated by Knot Sew Perfect Quilt Shop in Deer Park. The quilt shop also let us use their sewing
room in the basement for a few of our work days, as well as at the Stanton Town Hall.
The HCE of Deer Park present 38 bookbags sewed for the library summer reading program, June 2015.
Lois Burri, Vivian Wildasin, Elaine Solum, Virginia Aasmundrud, Librarian Pat Waterman,
Ruth Severson, Charlotte Croes.
Submitted by Lois Burri
Page 4
Fair Update
We had a very successful County Fair this year. Thank you to the Baldwin Library for donating so many books this
year and for Eunice Hop for obtaining them for us, as well as others that donated books. We still have a lot of
books left over for next year -- if you come across any good books this year, especially children's books and DVD's,
please be so kind and donate them for next year. I hand delivered a few items right after the fair and I did need to
mail one stuffed animal. As you can see we brought in over $450 dollars. Looks like we made over $325 in book
sales. We offered "Free Will" Donation this year and people were very generous.
We sold $46 dollars worth of Rural School and Creamery books.
Hopefully we will get 1-3 new members also -- still
pending.
1
Wanda Breitbach Topsy Turvey Garden
$
55
2
Nike Neighbors Picnic Wine Basket
$
60
Thanks again for all the clubs and individual members that
donated a basket or item to sell, and of course all the workers
that helped man the booth. The baskets were awesome and
we got great money for them. The displays were great, and
kids activity center was a hit. This year our displays were
The Bookworm Trail in Perch Lake, The Garden
Gig, Wisconsin Bookworms™ that Betty Lee and Shirley
Grinley put together and of course we honored our 55 year
members or more.
3
Honey Doers
Kitchen Basket
$
45
4
Warren
Stuffed Frog
$
15
5
Deer Park
Baking Basket
$
30
6
Springfield
Bath Basket 1
$
25
7
Deer Park
Bath Basket 2
$
45
Phoebe Shourds
715-821-1606 Mobile
8
Woods n Hills
Movie Basket
$
25
9
Warren
Stuffed Hedge Hog
$
15
10 Warren
Stuffed Buffalo
$
26
11 McKinley
Asst Jams Basket
$
35
12 Pleasant Grove
Baby Basket
$
18
13 Glover
18" Doll Dress Pink
$
15
14 Glover
18" Doll Dress Yellow
$
12
15 Glover
18" Doll Dress Fiesta
$
8
16 Lincoln
Chip/Dip Basket
$
40
We also sold $110 worth of Fairplex tickets - should get a
little kickback from that later this year.
$ 469
Page 5
Fall Council Meeting
HCE FALL COUNCIL MEETING AND INTERNATIONAL NIGHT
All HCE Members are invited and encouraged to attend the 2015 Fall Council Meeting. Come enjoy this great
social gathering with good food, a wonderful speaker, African decorations and friends all while conducting
necessary business!
Thursday, October 15, 2015 6:00PM
First Reformed Church
1120 11th Ave.
Baldwin, WI
DIRECTIONS
Turn east at the light on Maple Street in Baldwin
Go one block and the church is on the corner
RSVP:
Ruth M. Johnson
1650 Fifth Ave.
Baldwin, WI 54002
Please RSVP with the registration form below and send your payment of $10 for food, speaker and room
rental to Ruth Johnson by October 1 to the address above.
Our speaker this year is Nancy Rowe who will talk to us about His Arms Ministry in Kenya.
Fall Council Registration
Due: October 1
Name: ________________________________ Phone: ___________________
Address: ______________________________ City: ____________________
Zip: ________________ Club: ______________________________________
Mail to: Ruth Johnson
1650 Fifth Ave
Baldwin WI 54002
Club News:
Nike Neighbors—Club will purchase a maple tree as a living memorial to Nona Sullwold. Kathy M, Bea,
Joanne and Donna all attended Spring Council and all won a prize. Club members will participate in the
silent auction and book sale at the St. Croix County Fair. Made some summer plans: summer picnic at
Munkelwitz home and a progressive dinner at three homes (Donna’s for salad and appetizers, Kathy’s for the
main course and Suzi’s for dessert.) Emily Ray, originally from the Phillipine Islands gave a talk about life
there. She has been a U.S. Citizen for nine years. She told of what a corrupt and impoverished nation it is.
She is grateful for all the luxuries in the U.S. and does all she can to help her family that are still there.
Emily’s family gets very excited when “Emily from America” comes back to visit.
Meet and Greet Opportunities
Wednesday, August 26 at Pegs Pleasant View
3012 Highway 12, Wilson; 715-772-4610
Wednesday, September 23 at Mama Maria’s
800 6th St., North Hudson; 866-942-7618
Meet and Greet gatherings are at 11:30 am. Join us for a good meal and great company!!
Committee: Joan Brown 715-749-3302 and Ann Rebholz 715-386-2887
Calendar of Events
Aug
8
Sep
8
Sep
14-16
Ag Services and
Education Center
Hours of Operation:
Monday—Friday
8:00 am—4:30 pm
715-531-1930
Farm City Day (2nd Saturday) – Linda/Deer
Park Helping
Executive Board Meeting
Newmann Farm – Star Prairie
Ag Center 2:00 – 3:30pm
State Conference
Stevens Point