Meeting Notes
Wooster Emblem Club No. 374
Wooster Emblem Club No. 374 met at the Elks Lodge Aug. 22 with President Russ Norris presiding. Correspondence included a letter from the Supreme Emblem Club that Larren Rounds had been awarded a $1,000 scholarship and a letter from the Ohio State Association of Emblem Clubs that she also had been awarded a $1,000 State Scholarship.
A thank you note was received from the 555th Honors Detachment for the $50 donation made in memory of Bill Rastetter, husband of member Nancy Rastetter, from People to People for the $200 for the Back to School backpack program and from the Navy/Marine Base in Guam for the coupons sent that greatly benefit the military families stationed there.
The Americanism reading was presented by Tencha Schafrath on the Ohio flag and what the various symbols represent and the book titled "The Pioneers" by David McCullough about traveling in the Northwest Territory, which later was divided into five States—Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.
Chairman Carol Norris reported on activities in July and August including 15,000 coupons to two overseas military basis, presenting a flag and pole to WWII veteran Walter Slater for V-J Day and attending the Wayne County Veterans Resource event.
Upcoming events will be a flag on Labor Day to the local small business of the year selected by the Chamber of Commerce; coupon clipping for the overseas military bases on Sept. 8 following lunch at the Elks and for Patriot Day on 9/11, bags of fruits and baked goods will be delivered to fire stations and police departments.
Members will participate at the Wayne County Fair on Sept. 15 as part of the HOPS program and will place the black and white wreath at the Veterans Memorial on POW/MIA Day and help remove the flags from the veterans graves at Wooster Cemetery on Sept. 24.
The Literacy Committee is making bookmarks for schools and Wayne County Public Library. In June, 154 books were distributed between OneEighty and Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatric Department, and 11 books were provided to the free library on Buckeye Street. The club will adopt a first grade class at Cornerstone Elementary School. Members are asked to donate a box of pencils.
A Swiss steak dinner will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Elks. Luncheon and card parties will be held Nov. 16 and March 15.
The next meeting is Sept. 27 when the club's 61st anniversary/birthday potluck dinner will be held at 6 p.m. prior to the business meeting at 7 p.m.
Evergreen Garden Club
The Evergreen Garden Club enjoyed a couple outings this summer. The first was the annual civic beautification project at Liberty Park in Orrville where members planted three cement flower pots by the Orrville Depot. The flower pots are watered and cared for by members throughout the summer. Members concluded with a white elephant and plant auction.
The Gardener’s Day Outing was held at the ATI Learning Gardens in Wooster on June 27. ATI’s horticulturist Caroline Georskey gave members a tour of the gardens and explained the different studies that were taking place. This morning was capped off with a luncheon and meeting at the Pine Tree Barn.
The Evergreen Garden Club will meet Sept. 26 at President Velda Rohrer’s home in Orrville. The highlight of the evening will be walking through Rohrer's flower gardens.
TOPS OH1573, Nashville
On Aug. 24, TOPS OH1573 opened with pledges. Geneva Pringle was best weekly loser. She said to eat green vegetables and drink water. Lana Rush was best weekly KOPS.
Bonnie Porter read to us from Real Life, a publication from the TOPS Organization. A section titled “My Plate” told how to break unhealthy eating habits by being aware, how to eat with purpose, watch for emotional eating and not place too many restrictive rules.
The club meets at the Nashville United Methodist Church at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays with weigh-in at 5 p.m. For more information call 330-231-1382 or 330-600-2649.
Moreland Garden Club
The Moreland Garden Club held its August Garden Therapy program at the Wayne County Care Center with 17 residents who participating.
Residents painted wood scarecrow patterns. They made sunflower wall hangings on white cardstock. A hole was punched at the top and tied with a piece of yellow yarn. The pictures could be hung up in residents' rooms. Each resident received a kit of small sunflowers, pressed dried fern, green markers and a yellow construction paper vase, making a vase full of flowers.
Following the craft, refreshments of punch, peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream were served with Sunflower napkins by club members Linda Palombi, Nancy Martinez, Nancy Marthey, Chris Franklin and Paula Huffman. Michelle Oliver helped furnish refreshments.
Exchange Club
Jack Rose of Orrville, who is an Exchange Club member, shared his life the past two years with members when they met Aug. 25 for a catered lunch at Accord Care Nursing Community Room. Rose was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) in October of 2020. LMS is cancer in the muscles.
Rose praised his advocate (his wife, Rhonda Rose), who was his guest, for being the key to getting him through his surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He expressed great gratitude to the community, their many friends who helped them along the way.
As plant manager of Jae Tech, he expressed his thanks to management for letting him work from home when he was able. Today he is working at the plant full-time.
He said he had a sore back, which kept getting worse. At first he was given physical therapy and did massages, which did not help.
The doctor did X-rays that showed problems in his spine. He then was sent to a spine specialist where an MRI was performed and a diagnosis was made. He had a large mass in his left pelvic area. One specialist indicated there was nothing they could do for him.
He expressed his appreciation to the James Center at Wooster Community Hospital and to the James Center in Columbus. He was told one out of 10,000 people get LMS. He received aggressive chemotherapy treatments for five days, home for two days and back for more. They chose to have surgery to save his leg following his chemo and radiation treatments. The surgery lasted 16 hours. Another surgeon was called in to perform plastic surgery to attach his pelvic bone. Following this surgery he was hospitalized for 28 days in Columbus and then released to have physical therapy.
Later had blood clots in both legs. He was taken by life flight to James Center Hospital in Columbus where surgery was performed.
Rose said he learned to fight for your own health and to listen to your body. "Pay attention to what is going on," he said.
The last three tests performed there showed there is no evidence of live cancer. Now tests are stretched out to every six months. He has lost nerves on his left side and has a drop left foot.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: MEETING NOTES: Garden clubs, Exchange Club, Emblem Club
