Three Christmas trees                                                   President Joan Prentice presents

                                                                                       first prize to Triang Playgroup

On November 2nd 2009 Ethel McKay, the Club’s oldest member, celebrated her 95th birthday.   Joint President Joan Prentice presented her with a bouquet of flowers from the Club and at the business meeting on November 5th, club members celebrated the occasion further with a cake and a musical candle!

On Sunday April 19th 2009, Club Vice President (now President Elect) Anne Rutherford cycled 58 miles round N.E. Fife to raise money for Project Sierra.   She worked out the route to pass all the homes of Club Members including St. Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Cupar and Newport, and ended triumphantly in St. Andrews. to the cheers of Club members who had gathered to welcome her and salute her great achievement.   The money sponsored is still coming but total raised so far is £1,202.40 (10th June 2009)   The Club has marked Anne’s remarkable achievement by presenting her with a special Fund-Raiser Award Certificate at the AGM on 23rd April, in recognition for her notable contribution made to the fund-raising activities of the Club.

   Welcome line-up at end of Anne’s marathon cycle

Certificate presented to Anne Rutherford in recognition of her fundraising achievement.

Sensory Blankets:  two more crinkly blankets are being made.  These will be  made from two rescue blankets and two single duvets covers, which are glued together.

Story Boards & Playmats:  A new playmat  “Teddy Bears’ Picnic”has been put together by Club member Margaret Middleton from various contributions from other club members, including teddy bears, knitted jerseys, hats & bootees, picnic things and cushions.   A special story with illustrations has been written and printed to go with the playmat and the Club will be presenting this to the Rachel House, the local CHAS children’s hospice.   If CHAS decides they would like more storyboards and playmats, the Club will start another one.

   Another Story Sack, featuring a story called “The Shark In the Park” was made up for the International Day of Literacy 8th September 2009 and this was first tried out with a group of children from a local nursery in the library in St. Andrews (See Post on International Day of Literacy)

Trauma Dolls:  Six Trauma Dolls have been made by club member, Jean Frame, and passed on for use in the Child Psychiatry and Psychology Unit, at Ninewells Hosptital, Dundee.

World Food Day 16th October 2009: Members decided to donate the money raised at the Cake and Candy stall at the Club’s Coffee Morning on 10th October to East Fife Women’s Aid in recognition of the World Food Day. 

Rymonth:  Sunday 8th November at 2.00pm.  Members to meet once again to tidy up the patio, prune shrubs, and plant bulbs for the Spring as they did last year.    By April 2009 both the patio and the beds looked after by the Club were ablaze with colourful bulbs and flowering shrubs.  After the bulbs died down, pots and beds in the patio were planted up with summer bedding, provided by Elmwood College and throughout the summer the Club  ensured the weeds are kept down and the garden remained in good condition.

 Spring border at Rymonth May 2009                                       

Club  donates Christmas presents to patients at local Stratheden Hospital who have no relations for many years now, and will do so again for Christmas 2009. 

President Elect Anne Rutherford challenged Club members at the beginning of the Summer break in 2009 to devise “piggy banks” of their own and save coins in them and at the first meeting she would judge which “piggy” was the most original and the winner would be awarded a prize.  The monies raised by all the entries would go to Book Aid, as an additional Club contribution to International Day of Literacy.  The money eventually raised was £170 but after the sad death of Club member Hester Cadman in October, the Club decided to donate £90.00 to the local branch of Riding for the Disabled in Hester’s memory as she had been a dedicated supporter of theirs for many years.  The remaining £80.00 will be donated to Book Aid.