The Newton PEO chapters met April 18 at McCann Center for its annual dinner celebration. PEO was established in 1869 at Mt. Pleasant. It is a Philanthropic Educational Organization with a mission of promoting educational opportunities for women. Newton has four chapters AO, HS, LC and ME. The officers for those chapters are:
Chapter AO: President Jeanette Shannon, Vice-President llaMae Hanisch, Recording Secretary Joan Tyler, Corresponding Secretary Kathy Hammerly, Treasurer Sharon Black, Chaplain Marcilee Yeager and Guard Colleen Chan
Chapter HS: President Jean Schnell, Vice-President Pat Foote, Recording Secretary Jody Smith, Corresponding Secretary Margaret Caldwell, Treasurer Carol Tiffany, Chaplain Cathy Wignall and Guard Cammie Wisgerhoff
Chaper LC: President Danette Botts, Vice-President Shari DeCook, Recording Secretary Barb Orsund, Corresponding Secretary Debbi Fisk, Treasurer Sue Bryan, Chaplain Ilia Guthrie and Guard Marlys Amundsen
Chapter ME: President Winonah McGee - Carolyn Cook, Vice-President Jane Johnson, Recording Secretary Victoria Reynolds, Corresponding Secretary Shirley Guillanue, Treasurer Rose Evans, Chaplain Bev Curtis and Guard Grace Reinier
President Jean Schnell opened the evening and introduced the chapter presidents who then announced new members and those celebrating a special years anniversary as members. Marcilee Yeager gave the invocation.
The dinner was prepared by Country Catering with dessert furnished by Chaper HS. The tables were decorated by Chapter ME with a garden theme and programs by Chapter LC. Chapter AO was in charge of entertainment.
The program The Gardens of Alcatraz was introduced by Jody Gooch and presented by Bev Rossow, assisted by llaMae Hanisch. Bev started with a picture of the island when it was just rock. She then went on to give a history of Alcatraz, the prisoners, methods of conserving water, the gardens and the flowers that survived the desolate island, including the Margurite the flower of PEO. As one lady said after the program “If they can grow flowers on a rock, maybe I can grow a garden.”