DARLINGTON — The Lafayette County Home & Community Education has a busy year planned. The HCE county board has been busy getting the activities planned for the HCE members. There are seven clubs and several individual members with over 80 members in HCE. They have educational lessons at their monthly meetings. Some of the lessons planned this year are: armchair exercise, cooking with herbs, holiday craft, business and tourism in Lafayette County, air fryer cooking and etc.
Lafayette County HCE is part of the Southwest District. The district gets together in the spring and fall for meetings. The Spring meeting will be held in Hollandale on April 10. All members are invited to attend.
HCE put on monthly educational programs. In the past these meetings were called the Lunch Bunch but the name is changing to Learning Together. The meetings will be held the second Tuesday of every month at 9:45 a.m. in the Darlington Senior Center. The lesson in February will be on Tourism in Lafayette County.
Every year HCE gives out three scholarships to three seniors in Lafayette County. Any high school senior can apply. Board members go to the schools award ceremony to present the scholarship to the winners.
They put on a Spring Fling and Fall Gathering every year. At the Spring Fling this year they plan on having an international lesson on Italy. Candy Fitzsimons will do a presentation on Italy and an Italian meal will be served. As part of the Spring Fling a Cultural Art Show is held. Any member that has done photography, writing, needlework or a craft over the year can bring their items to be displayed and if wanted be judged to go to the HCE Conference in the fall. The Fall Gathering is still in the planning stages.
Members work with the Lafayette County Fair to host the Floral Hall. Members take turns being in the Floral Hall to answer questions and make sure the projects are not disturbed.
At the Tunes for Twilight the HCE members are known as the pie ladies. One evening a pie sell is held in conjunction with the Tunes at Twilight. The members donate pies. Pieces of the pies or whole pies maybe purchased with a free will donation. The money from the pie sell is used for the High School Scholarships.
In September the State Conference will be held in Green Bay. In the three days of the conference there will be tours of the area, educational programs, craft lessons and the cultural art show. Ideas for lesson or crafts can come from the State Conference. All HCE members are welcome to go.
In the fall HCE sponsors a County wide meeting. This year the speaker will be talking about Tourism in Lafayette County.
Bookworms is a program that HCE started to get books into hands of preschoolers. HCE purchases books to give to children in the Headstart program monthly. Members read a book every month to the kids and than each child is given that book to take home with them.
HCE publishes a quarterly news letter called the Gold sheet. They have been publishing the Gold Sheet since HCE started which is over 80 years. The newsletter keeps members informed of what is going on.
HCE is always welcoming new members. Those interested in joining can contact Marian Kelly at 608-776-2883 or Christa Jenson at 607-482-5272. They can help you join a club or become an individual member. The first year the dues are free.
