Preceptor Pi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Nov. 20 at Rosewood Gallery. Susan Coulson served as hostess. President Jeri Brozek led the meeting attended by 11 members.
Service chair Judy Krebaum asked chapter members to bring Food Bank items to the meetings as their December service project. Social chair Lois Johnson reported the Pilgrim Fest on Nov. 17 had 100 percent attendance by members and spouses or guests for the catered Thanksgiving meal.
A Beta Brief presented by Linda Jerke told how a chapter in Vancouver, Wash., began producing a digital scrapbook. Another brief about a chapter in California featured an elderly member who refurbished old greeting card fronts into new cards for shut-ins.
Judy Krebaum presented the program telling the history of Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. Then, chapter members in turn shared their family veterans’ stories, beginning with World War I. A great uncle was a dough boy and another uncle was killed in France. Fathers, fathers-in law and uncles were in World War II serving in the Navy, the Army Air Corps in Alaska, and the Navy Medical Corp on a South Pacific Island. Some of them kept diaries. Some were killed in action, and some received medals for their service. Husbands were in the Army in Vietnam and Berlin, and another served in the Navy in Puerto Rico. One stationed at Fort Riley played in the U.S Army Band.
Preceptor Pi met Dec. 4 at the home of Janice Walker. President Jeri Brozek led the meeting. Members will bring their contributions for the Makinna Ann Hope Foundation to the next meeting. The chapter discussed plans for the chapter’s January service project to donate cat food and dog food to the Humane Society.
The next chapter’s December social will be a Holiday Fest at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at First Christian Church with a meal catered by Degaldo’s.
Member Jeanne Schmitt presented the program on Christmas traditions. She talked first about Advent calendars traditionally used to help children in their anticipation of Christmas. She exhibited a calendar that contained tiny Christmas story books for each day Dec. 1 through Christmas day. She also told a brief history of Christmas cookies, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Other traditions in the program included the origin of the song “Jingle Bells”; the NORAD Santa Tracker; the story of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” later told in a song that became an unexpected hit for Gene Autry; the tradition of a Secret Santa begun by Larry Stewart, who gave away $100 bills for the pleasure of doing something nice for others; and the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas” that some say has Christian symbolism in each of its gifts.
The next meeting of Preceptor Pi will be the chapter’s Holiday Fest at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at First Christian Church. Jeri Brozek will be the hostess.