Wednesday Study Club has Veteran’s Day Program
The Rosebud Wednesday Study Club met at the D Brown Library on Nov. 10, 2021, with 15 members in attendance.
Beth Allen called the meeting to order, Sharon Skupin gave the invocation, and flag pledges were recited. Carol Stock explained how the WWII Memorial Board in the Memorial Room and previously donated albums of WWII news clippings was the inspiration for guest speaker Diane Pagel’s continuing project of gathering information on Rosebud area men and women who served in World War II.
Because the WWII Memorial Board had deteriorated to the extent that it was no longer legible, the project was to find all of the clippings from microfilm, reprint them, and then put them into an album which would be easier to read and research.
Pagel and Kelly Hughes, librarian, took on the task of finding those clippings. In the meantime, Pagel gathered the other donated album clippings and began to combine all the albums together. She is trying to alphabetize all collected clippings and also find additional information about those area individuals who served in WWII.
Pagel was impressed during her research to find that 750,000 Texans served in WWII including 12,000 women. Also during the war there was a simple draft questionnaire that an individual would fill out which led to being called up to serve, get a physical, and then be stationed for basic training. Pagel also displayed a bound book titled “The Men and Women in World War II from Falls County” that lists many Falls County WWII participants, but it is still somewhat incomplete from her own research. Pagel’s father and uncle served in WWII, so this is a very personal project, and she eventually wants these albums to serve people for research and let people learn the full extent of Falls County participation in World War II.
Stock read the minutes. Skupin gave a treasurer’s report, which was approved as read. Skupin noted that the $100 for the summer reading program will now be used for the Thanksgiving reading program.
In committee reports, Burns reported that the December meeting will be held at the First United Methodist Church where we will have Christmas music provided by Steve Slovacek.
In new business, Skupin recommended a motion for a monthly $100 book donation to the library. This would provide more flexibility for Librarian Hughes in finding requested books.
Due to no available VFW to make poppy contributions, it was suggested to make cookies for the William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home in Temple. Billy Allen is a resident and Beth would take the cookies to be distributed on Veterans Day. Several members volunteered to make cookies. As a continuing Veterans project, it was suggested to make Christmas cards as well as participate in the Valentines for Veterans in February. The group would also like to support the Heritage House with Valentines.
Librarian Hughes reported that she has submitted her grant application to Home Depot for the library landscaping. She has also submitted a grant application to Penguin Books. The WSC has been added to the Library website. Hughes added that over 200 books had been checked out last month. A new home-schooling family has been using our resources and we would like to upgrade those materials as we are able. Hughes announced that the Library is a drop-off spot for the Blue Santa Program as well as pantry goods. The meeting was adjourned.
The large oak table was covered by Judy Smith’s Quilt of Valor which she had made for her father, Albert Michalewicz, a World War II Veteran. Members enjoyed chicken salad with croissants, 7-layer lettuce salad, fruit salad, and deviled eggs, along with apricot bars and banana nut muffins. Hostesses were Skupin, Smith, and Stock. Next meeting will be Dec. 8, 2021, at the First United Methodist Church.