Aberdeen Home and Garden

The Aberdeen Home and Garden Club met Tuesday, March 17, at the Baker House Caf with Marge Gschwind as hostess. All 21 members and one guest were present.

Eldiweiss Lockey, program chairman, asked Janet Peele, of the Aberdeen Florist and Garden Center and a member of the club, to speak to the group on early spring plantings. Peele first showed examples of new light plastic containers that come in different sizes and 32 different colors. She brought examples of many different herbs such as stevia, orange mint, and sage, asked the group to identify each one and then discussed the planting of each.

She encouraged the planting of perennials now because plants set during cooler weather develop a better root system and will be more tolerant of extreme summer temperatures. Petunias, calibrachoa, and snapdragons, available this month, will develop best if planted early.

Peele awarded two door prizes, which were won by Sarah Ahmad and Evelyn Taylor. At the conclusion of the presentation, Eldiweiss Lockey announced that she was making a donation to the landscaping fund of the Postmaster's House in Peele's honor.

Janet Kenworthy, president, conducted the business meeting. Committee reports were heard, and Faye Honeycutt, chairman of the nominating committee for new officers, announced the following members who will serve for the next two years: Jenny Veasey, president; Faye Honeycutt, vice president; Janet Peele, secretary; Assistant Eldiweiss Lockey, assistant secretary; Harriett Sloan, treasurer, and Jane Israel, historian.

The next meeting of the club will be Tuesday, April 21, with Doris Moon as hostess and Evelyn Taylor as program chairman.

College Club

The fifth College Club luncheon of the 2008-2009 year will be held Tuesday, April 7, at Whispering Pines Country Club, with an 11:30 a.m. social, followed by a noon business meeting, lunch, and the featured guest speaker, Mohsin Ali. Ali's talk will be "Around the World of Diplomacy in 40 Years: Journalism: Then and Now."

The credentials of Mohsin Ali are varied and impressive. His 40-year career as an international journalist started in London and ended in Washington, D.C., in 1989. For his distinguished services to journalism, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth, He then joined The Times of London's bureau in Washington where he mainly covered the White House, State Department, Pentagon, Congress, and NASA for nine years. Ali keeps active in Pinehurst by speaking at various social and civic organizations, as well as sharing his thoughts on current world issues with Dr. Mark Evans, host of the TV channel 3 program, "Mark My Words."

The College Club has been in operation for 20 years. The requirement for membership is a degree from a four-year institution. The College Club members expand their knowledge through various speakers, programs, and interest groups, as well as providing two scholarships at the end of the year. These two scholarships will go to either an academically proficient female high-school graduate entring a four-year accredited college or university for the first time, or to a deserving woman who is seeking to further her education at a four-year institution.

The club has six yearly luncheons with speakers or entertainment included. The dates and times of the luncheon meetings, as well as the location and price of the luncheons ($15) are published at least two weeks prior to each event.

For further information, contact Katharine Bozarth, vice president/membership chairman at (910) 255-6286.

Kiwanis of the Pines

Crystal Taylor, a member of the Kiwanis of the Pines, gave a talk on identity theft to the group.

Taylor works with the Job Link Center, and they made up a quiz for consumers to have as well as a checklist to maintain their identity and reduce fraud.

The word SCAM is an empowering word, which Taylor and her fellow employees have broken down into the following:

Stingy: be careful how much you give out, especially personal information.

Check: your financial information on a regular basis to see if there are items you don't recognize on credit card bills, bank statements, etc.

Ask: get a credit report once a year, sooner if you notice some improprieties in your financial statements.

Maintain: good records and shred the old records.

Taylor says to contact the authorities if your identity is breached. "Don't be ashamed," she says.

Ladies Special Events

The drama and music departments of Sandhills Community College will be at Pinehurst Member's Club Wednesday, April 1, to present a program for Ladies Special Events.

The music department, headed by Frances Wilson, is going to present songs from the Civil War Era, and Susan B. Paschal, assistant professor at Fayetteville University, will give a tribute to Abraham Lincoln with a presentation of "Gettysburg and Mr. Lincoln." Paschal adapted this script and will be directing this "Reader's Theater." The drama features famous Civil War songs interwoven with historical facts and recollections recounting events that changed and strengthened our country. Accompanying the singers will be Jennifer Thomas.

To make a reservation simply dial 235-8100. When you hear a voice, press #1 to get a person. The event begins at noon in the main lobby with complimentary wine or juice, and will be followed at 12:30 by luncheon in the main dining room. There is an elevator to the second floor for those who need it.

For information, call Cynthia Strecker, chairman, at 295-8828.

Republican Women

Moore Republican Women will meet Monday, April 6, at the Pinehurst Member's Club.

Guest speakers will be Chad Adams, Tom Fetzer, Marcus Kindley and David Robinson, candidates for the North Carolina Republican Party Chair.

The social gathering begins at 11:30 a.m., with luncheon, which is $15, following at noon.

Reservations may be made by calling Joan Ward at 295-6544 no later than April 1.

Seven Lakes Kiwanis

On March 10, the Rev. Ron Scott brought a first-hand story of "ZOE" (Zimbabwe Orphans Endeavor), to the Seven Lakes Kiwanis Club.

ZOE is a mission to Africa, supported by the Methodist Church, to assist children who have been orphaned because of AIDS and/or the slaughters of thousands of people in African countries. The program is simply to give help to children who have lost their parents and also any hope for a reasonable life.

While the mission takes many forms, especially in the area of medical help, the real thrust of the program is to take the orphans and give them training in the basics of living a fruitful life. They are taught to grow and sell food, manage money, plan their futures, and given some of the basic requirements to get started.

ZOE has, so far, served more than 40,000 students, and supplied each one with a uniform, which not only gives them one piece of clothing, but also identifies them to other members of the community as a person to look up to and even come to for help in trying to improve their own lives.

The March 17 meeting of the Seven Lakes Kiwanis Club featured a helpful talk by Albin Wilson of FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care titled "What to Say When You're Scared To Say Anything."

Interacting with a good friend or loved one at the time of a serious illness or impending death is a serious matter, and Wilson gave some important guidelines to follow when in face-to-face contact with such a person.

The Seven Lakes Kiwanis Club meets every Tuesday at noon at the Seven Lakes CC, and guests are always welcome.

W.P. Garden Club

The Whispering Pines Garden Club enjoyed hearing Linda DeYoung talk about "Fitness in the Garden" during its March 3 meeting.

DeYoung talked about stretching exercises before and after gardening, and suggested other measures gardeners could take in order to keep injuries to a minimum. She gave door prizes for answering questions about FirstHealth.

The Tuesday, April 7, Whispering Pines Garden Club meeting will be "Pruning" by Shawna Smith. The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Whispering Pines Rescue Squad building on Ray's Bridge Road.

The annual plant sale is Saturday, April 18, and the spring roadside cleanup is Saturday, May 2.