Four-Leaf Legends

The Four-Leaf Legends 4-H Club held its officers' candlelight ceremony Friday, Feb. 6. Sworn in were Darren Lefler, president; Medley Davis, vice-president; Andianna Davis, secretary; Michaela McInnis, treasurer; Zoe Harrison, reporter; and Alex Beighley, committee chairman.

Members of the club include Brett Beighley, Mason Davis, Nolan Kennedy, Reuben Kennedy, Christian Lawson, Madison McInnis, Dorien Morales, Jocelyn Morales, Devin Oldham, Eden Woolard and Sam Woolard.

The Four-Leaf Legends 4-H Club is learning about all aspects of raising meat goats, from kidding, trimming hoofs, feeding, grooming, diseases, parasites and showing. Many of the club members will be showing their meat goats in the 2009 Farm Credit 4-H Livestock Show Circuit. This opportunity will allow the club members to learn responsibility, showmanship skills, confidence and team building.

Typically there are from 10 to 11 shows in the 15 county regions that represent the Sandhills Farm Credit Show Circuit. The final show will be at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh in October.

Those interested in joining the Four-Leaf Legends 4-H club or learning more can call Mickey or Vivian McInnis at 673-2816.

AARP

AARP Chapter No. 2564 meets Tuesday, March 17, at 10 a.m. at First Bank, 205 E. Broad St., Southern Pines.

The program will be presented by Ginger Hawkinson, RN from Pinehurst Surgical. Her topic will be "Atrial Fibrillation."

AARP meets the third Tuesday of the month except in July and August.

Chess Club Forming

Any chess players in the area who would like to meet periodically with other chess players for games and discussions of strategy, or those who do not play chess but would like to learn, should call Joe McDonald at 281-5271 or 281-5272.

Plans are under way to form a local club.

Civil War Round Table

The Rufus Barringer Civil War Round Table meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Southern Pines Civic Club located at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue,Southern Pines.

Ron Sunderland will speak on "The Red River Campaign."

"New members are encouaged to come," says a spokesman.

Refreshments will be served. For information, call (910) 315-1213.

PFLAG

The Sandhills PFLAG chapter will hear Dr. Brent Webb-Mitchell, pastor and author of eight books, as guest speaker for its regular monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Congregational Church of Pinehurst, United Church of Christ, 895 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

"It's All in God's Family" is the topic for discussion. Webb-Mitchell's 2007 book, "On Being a Gay Parent: Making a Future Together," has become a recommended read for all parents.

PFLAG was formed to educate and give support to lesbians and gays and their families in the community. Anyone interested in learning more about the organization is encouraged to call Lee at 695-1850 or email pflagsandhills@yahoo.com.

"You can also simply come to the meeting," says a spokesman.

Sandhills Garden Society

The Sandhills Garden Society will hold it next meeting Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m., at the Southern Pines Civic Club.

The speaker is Tom Cameron, a charter member of the Sandhills Camellia Society, who has been a camellia grower for many years. He will explain the culture, pruning, fertilization, disease control and propagation of these plants.

For information, call Larry Cohen at 255-0010.

Women of the Pines

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Women of the Pines met at the Pinehurst Member's Club.

Keith McDaniel, grief counselor for Hospice, was the guest speaker.

The next meeting will be March 18 at the Pinehurst Member's Club. Rita DiNapoli, president of the Women of the Pines, will give an informative presentation on spring fashion trends.

Those interested in attending should call Francine Crumbaugh at 281-4095 by Friday, March 13.

Women of Weymouth

Land preservationist, Dan Bell will present the Women of Weymouth program Monday, March 16.

Bell is an experienced professional in land preservation and land trust management, having worked in conservation in North Carolina, California and Colorado over a 10-year career. He most recently worked with the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, a land trust working to protect the agricultural areas and foothills around Sequoia National Park.

During seven years with The Nature Conservancy's North Carolina chapter he directed TNC's project office in Wilmington, focusing on land preservation and stewardship in the longleaf pine savannas, pocosin and blackwater swamps of southeastern North Carolina.

Bell holds a law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham and a bachelor's degree in forest sciences from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. He was born and grew up in Denver, Colo., and currently lives in Southern Pines.

The program will follow the 9:30 a.m. coffee and 10 a.m. business meeting.

"This will be an interesting and timely topic," says Pat Dawes. "I encourage members and their guests to attend."

Seedlings Garden Club

The January meeting of the Seedlings Garden Club was held at the home of Susan Rice, president of Susan Rice Truffle Products. Guests were served treats prepared with truffles and truffle oil. A tour of the truffle farm in Vass followed.

The club met in February at the home of Becky Kennedy, in Pinehurst. Lee Ivy of the Sandhills Community College Horticultural Department, gave a Power Point presentation on pests in the garden.

The Seedlings Garden Club is asking area nonprofit organizations that wish to request funds for landscaping to do so in writing. Requests should include a brief description of how the funds will be used. Mail requests to Seedlings, P.O. Box 63, Pinehurst NC 28370. The deadline is April 15.

Republican Men

The Moore County Republican Men's Club, 393 members strong, will have its March 12 meeting at the Country Club of North Carolina.

"Moore County Republicans, as well as independents, are welcome to attend," says a spokesman. "Please plan to arrive by 11:30 a.m. for check in."

Lunch will be served at noon for a cost of $13. The guest speakers are Dr. Robin Cummings and Dr. Matthew Harmody, who will discuss health issues.

Dress is business casual, and the meeting typically lasts until around 1 p.m.

Vass Lions Club

At a recent Vass Lions Club meeting, Caroline Eddy, executive director of the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care gave a brief history of the organization.

She then spoke about the goods and services provided to meet the emergency needs of Moore County residents.

In 2008, 6,171 clients were served.

The Coalition provides food, clothing and financial assistance for clients with ongoing needs.

In 1986, 12 chuches pooled their resources to establish the Coalition.

Today 70 churches make contributions.

Individual donors, churches, schools and clubs continue to step up their support as the client numbers have increased with 13.3 percent of the Moore County population living in poverty.

Eddy expressed a need for volunteers to work one or two days a month in one of their several departments. She also encouraged donors to bring gently used clothing, household goods or usable furniture to the Coalition Resale Shops on Pennsylvania Avenue.