By Vicki Brooker Review Staff
Elk Point Further Education Council celebrated 30 years of success last Monday night when they were joined by four members of the original council for their September meeting. Irene Miller, Margaret and Lawrence Modin and Sid Holthe were all charter members of the council, which held its first official meeting on January 8, 1974. Holthe was elected chairman, serving in that capacity until 1981, and Margaret Modin was elected as secretary-coordinator, a post she held until 1977. Council chairman Jim Hawkins welcomed “the veterans of this, Further Ed council” and presented each with a small gift recognizing their efforts over the years on the council’s behalf.
A history of the council, written by the late Anne Kates for Further Ed’s 10th anniversary in 1984, was read by Hawkins. “With funding from the Alberta government and the cooperation of the County of St. Paul, who is our hosting authority, courses were started in the fall of 1974 through to the spring of 1975, with 14 courses instructed... In 1983, there were 46 courses taught with a total of 544.6 instructional hours and 486 people enrolled.”
Holthe noted that from the beginning, “Further Ed took off, and is still doing beautifully.” Elk Point Further Ed coordinator Verona Lea Flanders and her Heinsburg counterpart, Marie Zayac, reported on the current season’s courses. Flanders proudly showed off the glossy new brochures, which were done for the first time in conjunction with St. Paul Community Learning Association, and which unfortunately did not arrive in time for Information Night.
The council was pleased to see 16 courses on the Elk Point schedule, along with information on Elk Point Public Library, and three courses to be held in Heinsburg. St. Paul has 15 courses listed, and the council felt that the new combined listing would encourage people from both communities to sign up for the other community’s courses.
Flanders said the daytime quilting and “quilt ‘til you wilt” were already underway, with the garden group getting underway the following evening and a willow wheelbarrow course coming up on the weekend. Oil painting, face painting and painting flowers on rocks are coming up in October, as are workshops on traditional Japanese Reiki.
November will wind up with a potluck show and tell session on December 1. Elk Point Health Unit has a session on handling the holidays on their schedule, while Elk Point FCSS will offer Home Alone Safely and a baby-sitting course. Heinsburg courses for fall include fun with rubber stamps and sessions on making soups and salads.
