St. Elmo News
Announcements
Thursday, September 14
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo District Library Board, 7 p.m., Brownstown Branch Library.
• Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Friday, September 15
• Men’s outdoor Bible study, 6:30 a.m., St. Elmo Golf Course.
Saturday, September 16
• Soup luncheon, 11:30-12:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church. Everyone is welcome.
Sunday, September 17
• For Hurricane Harvey relief, an UMCOR collection is being taken this Sunday at First United Methodist Church; 100 percent of the collection goes for the relief. Checks are to be made out to IGRC with this on the memo line: #901679 Hurricane Harvey.
• Junior and senior high youth, 6-7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church.
Monday, September 18
• Historical Vandalia Inc., 6:30 p.m., Fayette County Museum, Vandalia.
• St. Elmo Board of Education will not meet until Tuesday, Sept. 26
Wednesday, September 20
• Grades 5-8 youth, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; high school youth, 7:30-9 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
CCW
The Council of Catholic Women met the evening of Sept. 5 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall. President Mona Durbin opened the meeting with prayer. After the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call was answered with “Where is your favorite place to eat?” by Helen Bergman, Karen Denning, Mary Myers, Pat Porter, Carol Rine, Natalie Stout and Durbin.
A thank-you card was received from Seminarian Zack Samples, who was a guest of honor at St. Mary’s potluck dinner on Aug. 5.
A thank-you card was received from Pat Porter expressing thanks for the local CCW choosing her to receive the annual Our Lady of Good Council Women of Distinction Award on June 17 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Springfield. It was the sixth annual awards luncheon of OLGC.
Cards were signed for several parishioners.
The Diocesan of Catholic Women Annual Conference will be on Saturday, Sept. 16, in Springfield.
Hostess Rine, assisted by Durbin, served a cheese ball, crackers, peanut butter pie, million-dollar pie, candy and nuts.
Wright’s Corner HCE
Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education met at 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 in the Loudon Township Building. Chairman Mandy Miller opened the meeting with all giving the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call, “Have you ever been to a foreign country?” was answered by Carol Austin, Kate Jennings, Miller and Sherry Wright.
Austin gave the special feature lesson, “Philippines,” and the major lesson, “Hold That Thought: Brain Health.”
Wright provided brownies and tea for refreshments.
The next Wright’s Corner HCE meeting will be on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m., in the Loudon Township Building.
Women’ s Civic Club
Members of the St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club met in the St. Elmo Public Library the evening of Sept. 7. Randy Watson gave a very interesting and informative program on the St. Elmo Museum that is in the east side of the library. He alphabetically listed many of the items or pictures of them in the museum that are connected to St. Elmo’s history, such as the airport, bowling alley, etc. The members then went into the museum to view the history of St. Elmo.
After the program, they went to the back room in the library for the business meeting.
President Pat Porter opened the meeting with all giving the club collect and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the May meeting and board of officers meeting held in July.
The treasurer reported the checking balance.
New program books for the 2017-18 year were passed out. President Porter had them turn to the budget page.
The budget approved includes $800 for annual projects: community improvement, SEBA Labor Day donation, scholarship/education, blood drive canteen expense, Fayette County Museum, St. Elmo Food Pantry and Caring and Sharing.
Hostesses Norma Engeljohn and Susan Belden served a lemon dessert, chocolate cupcakes, several varieties of cookies, nuts, candy and beverages for refreshments from a fall decorated table.
In addition to Porter, Hough, Stoner, Engeljohn and Belden, those present were Karen Denning, Loretta Heischmidt, Shelia Himes, Mary Jane Mattix and Anna Jean Rhodes.
The Oct. 5 meeting will be in the daytime. Members will meet at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot to pool rides to Vandalia. They will eat at the Pizza Hut at 11:30 a.m. and have a tour of the Little Brick House at 1:30 p.m.
Southwestern Electric Cooperative Inc. Annual Meeting
The 79th annual meeting of Southwestern Electric Cooperative Inc. was held Sept. 9 at Greenville Junior High School.
It started with a 7-9:30 a.m. pancake, sausage, biscuits and gravy and tropical fruit breakfast in the cafeteria.
Bingo was played in the gym from 8-9:30 a.m. Winners received cash prizes of $20-$100.
Kids and teens participated in the Junior Lineman Challenge, bounced in the inflatable play areas, tried their luck at various games and, if they registered at the Kid’s Carnival, they received a gift.
Also available was a child identification program service and for adults, blood pressure screenings and pulse oximetry levels checked by the Bond County Health Department.
There were vegetation management and operations & maintenance booths.
Available were popcorn, cotton candy and bottled water.
Each active registered membership in attendance at the 2017 annual meeting and/or voting in the board election received $20 credit on his or her electric bill.
Every member who participates in the Operation Round-Up was entered in a $500 cash prize drawing (for this drawing only, the member did not have to be present to win). The ORU is a charitable program governed and funded by Southwestern member. The ORU funds support community projects ranging from education and food pantries to veterans’ affairs and the arts. Each ORU participant received a small clear-green plastic pig bank.
Prize drawings held throughout the meeting were for the following bill credits: four for $100 each, one for $250, one for $500 and the final one for one year of free electricity (not to exceed $1760 in value).
The winners had to be present and throughout the meeting several names called were not present and other names had to be drawn out of the basket.
One other drawing – the name of one student for a $1,000 Southwestern scholarship. The student had to meet the cooperative’s scholarship qualification guidelines and be present to win.
Since 1995, Southwestern Electric has awarded 374 scholarships to help local students achieve their goals and become members of the workforce and communities.
When registering to receive the voting paper, an attendance gift was given to each one – a bucket that held two large cloth bags, a pen and a 2018 personal record and calendar book.
The voting tables were around the corner and one voted before going to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Board President Ann Schwarm of Loogootee called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. in the well-filled gym. Director Ron Schaufelberger gave the invocation and Swarm led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Greenville Elementary first-graders sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Introductions were made of directors, CEO and attorney, and reports were given by the credentials and election committee and the nominations committee. Then, the election of directors was closed.
Notice of meeting and proof of mailing, approval of the 2016 meeting minutes, treasurer’s report, recognition of scholarship recipients and special guests, operation round-up report, chief executive officer’s report, special presentation, president’s report, unfinished business, new business were on the agenda.
Last agenda item, before adjournment, was the announcement of the election results of the 1451 voters.
Incumbents in District I, II and III were re-elected.
District III (Bond, Fayette Effingham, Marion and Shelby counties) re-elected Annette Hartleib of Vandalia for another three-year term with 681 votes. Her challengers and their votes – Larry Weger of Vandalia, 153; Jerry Laue of Beecher City, 95; Stanley Kuhns of Mason, 161; and Scott Beal of Mason, 237.
Each district has three directors and the other two in District III are Randy Wolf of St. Elmo and Ann Schwarm of Loogootee. Each year, each district elects a director for a three-year term.