FCE holds spring tea

The Cannon County Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs held their annual Spring Tea to acknowledge the club's accomplishments from 2012. 

After a welcome, pledge to the American flag, and introductions led by Carla Bush, University of Tennessee Extension Cannon County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, our members who have passed were remembered.  Mable Geach was a member of the Readyville FCE Club who left us to be with the Lord in 2012.  With her in our thoughts we had an invocation and tea was served at the Senior Center Community Room Saturday afternoon March 9 provided by our Cannon County FCE Council.

Our recognition ceremony followed tea with members recognized for 100% Attendance. Kitty Bush, Sheila Long, Gail Norton, Martha Claire Youree, Eloise Rains, Penny Myers, and Kay Currie reached this accomplishment.

The FCE Club Reading Challenge is for members to read one book each month with the purpose to help individuals and/or families improve the quality of family life.  Receiving reading certificates were:  Kitty Bush, Sheila Long, Gail Norton, Martha Claire Youree, Eloise Rains, Penny Myers, and Kay Currie.  Receiving the most books read award was Penny Meyers with 64 books.

Members who participated in our county and region FCE contests and events were announced as well.  The contests included cultural arts, fashion revue, creative writing, FCE Camp, Annual Meeting, and TAFCE Conference.

Our 2012 Award for Friend of Cannon County FCE was presented to Tennessee Miller Coliseum. This venue for local, state, regional, national and international horse show events, as well as tractor pulls and rodeos allowed our club members to work the concession stands last year as a fundraiser.  Funds are used in the clubs to make donations to community entities and provide funds toward club projects and trips.

Our member of the year for 2012 serves her club as a leader who leads by example with her ample enthusiasm and intelligence.  She gets all club members involved and truly has a heart for service.  She works as a volunteer for Read to Succeed and makes regular visits to shut-ins in the community.  This year she adopted Ferrell Hollow Farm to assist with their mission of aiding senior horses. She served as a judge for the Coffee County Fair.  The 2012 Member of the Year was announced to be Penny Meyers of Readyville.

The Readyville FCE Club earned the 2012 Club of the Year.  The had a busy year with a guided tour of the Opryland Hotel gardens, collecting food  for Christmas food boxes, recruiting members, marketing FCE with club t-shirts, touring of a gourd farm in Lebanon, donating to We Care Cannon, working the Tennessee Miller Coliseum concession stand, visiting and cooking for shut ins, providing food for the Princess Ball, providing funds for two 4-H Camp scholarships, knitting scarves, baking and donating cookies to the VA, and providing donations to the Hatfield family.

There are currently two FCE Clubs in Cannon County.  The Readyville FCE Club meets in members' homes the third Tuesday each month at 11:00 a.m.  The Friends and Neighbors FCE Club meets the first Monday each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center in Woodbury.  They are both wonderful clubs who would love for you to visit.  Call Carla Bush, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the UT Extension, Cannon County Office at 615-563-2554 to find out more. 

UT Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status and is an Equal Opportunity employer.