The Item from Sumter, South Carolina • 24

PANORAMA tmu PAGE 8C To contact the Features Department call (803) 774-1221 or e-mail ivymQ WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27 2008 com 1 family AFFAIR Mu hele MARTIN Literary Club continues to meet a century after founding of quality child care By IVY MOORE Item Features Editor Keith Gedamke The Rem From left Margaret Bland-Cooper Helen Haltiwanger Mary Reed and Fair Edmunds look at photographs of the founding members of The Literary Club during their 100th anniversary celebration Thursday at the Church of the Holy Comforter Parish HglL The Literary Club has been bringing local readers together for 100 years since its establishment in the last century with 18 charter members None of them survives but their literary descendants some of whom are actually daughters granddaughters and nieces of past members have never stopped sharing books and book talk Last Thursday the current membership of the club celebrated its anniversary with a drop-in at the Church of the Holy Comforter Parish Hall From 4 to 5:30 pm the members and invited guests looked over memorabilia and shared anecdotes about the history They recalled the charter purpose in founding the club: promote interest in literature as essential to gracious family living and a cultural As in 1908 married or widowed members of the club are officially called by their names eg the first president was Mrs Henry Covington vice president Miss Kate Furman secretary-treasurer Mrs WW Rees On roster the first names are given in parentheses after their Because the history of the club has been documented in annual handbooks each year beginning with 1909 current members are able to compare their own readings and programs to those of their predecessors The minutes of meetings dating from April 10 1930 are also extant In a brief overview prepared by Mrs John Britton (Connie) and Mrs Ernest Brown (Linda) president of the club they note that early programs were very ambitious In 1909 the club received materials from the Extension Department of the University of South Carolina and that year the focus was on the study of William Shakespeare with Mrs George Shore presenting insight into Mrs Hugh Haynsworth on Midsummer and Mrs Mark Reynolds on etc was followed by apprenticeship by Mrs TH Siddall discussing early comedies Mrs SH Edmunds on tragedies and Mrs George Shore on When the club changed its focus in the 1920s and to the presentation of cur- bestsellers and then each month we have a speaker that comes in from either outside or within the club We have a book exchange and I can take a book or two or three home and read them and bring them back and then somebody else can take them of 80 you no longer have to host meetings or have programs We have a diverse range with several members in their 90s? really neat to get Another tradition still followed is that of providing refreshments on set tables with linen cloths and silver china and -I rent events papers and even invited outside speakers Britton and Brown said SH Edmunds called the club Lazy Ladies Through the early years the club bought books from New York and Boston bookselleFs later obtaining them through local librarian Mrs Thomas Reed Gift Shop and The Book Basement in Charleston Books of interest to the women in the 1930s and included Chiang Is Our and Carson Heart Is a Lonely While the club met twice a month in its early years The Literary Club meets monthly now alternating between homes of its members as did the first members Britton said she is a member because first of all she loves to read and a group of people that you enjoy and it gives you an occasion to get books without going to the library and without buying them have a book chairman who purchases the books usually but not always fresh flowers used to be very Brown said still very In 1958 the club celebrated its first 50 years at the home of Miss Lula Harvin who was vice president Other officers were Mrs Warren Burgess president and Mrs Loring Lee secretary-treasurer The 75th an- niversary was cele- brated at the home! of Mrs Lee Miss Margaret Britt was i quite an obligation to be book Brown said got to try to hit all different reading The programs follow the tradition of the founding mothers who made presentations on their travels and invited musical guests to perform When the club first began annual dues of $1 per member purchased the books which were considerably less expensive then Brown and Britton found a record of three books having been bought in 1955 at a total cost of $801 including 24 cents postage Current The South Carolina Department of Social Services Division of Child Care Services is the agency responsible for protecting and serving children who are cared for in child care settings outside their own homes According to SCDSS the Child Care Licensing Division enforces laws and regulations established by the state legislature to ensure that child care facilities provide the basic health and safety requirements for all children in their care They help child-care providers make sure that children in their care are healthy safe and supervised at all times The division also ensures that all child care facilities comply with laws and regulations and issues permits (hcenses) that allow them to operate This division investigates all regulatory complaints against child-care programs quickly They open up records on any child-care facility as required by law so that parents can see the history of comphance for that childcare provider They also provide tech- nical assistance to child-care providers and help them obtain the necessary inspections from the State Fire Marshal and from the Department of Health and Environmental Control Unannounced visits are conducted to make sure child-care providers abide by all laws and regulations When a child abuse or neglect report is made against a childcare facility Child Care Licensing staff work with staff from the Out of Home Abuse and Neglect division to thoroughly investigate the report When children are in danger they may revoke a license or registration The ABC Child Care Program is a statewide system designed by South Carolina to deliver quality childcare services The ABC Child Care Voucher program makes payments to providers to care for low-income children so their parents can work Vouchers are also available to qualifying families of children with special needs In addition the ABC Child Care Program has a number of activities and projects that help to improve childcare programs throughout the state and make them more available and affordable to the families that need them The ABC Child Care program and its standards are purely voluntary Vouchers are paid to childcare providers who choose to participate based on the three payment levels The program recently reorganized its bonus program in an effort to better reimburse providers for the cost of quality care Payment levels and bonuses are based on assessments conducted by ABC Program monitors who visit providers on a regular basis Monitors look at things such as staffchild relationships staffchild ratios staff qualifications and training health and safety issues good nutrition family involvement variety of materials to interest children and activities geared to promote the growing development These are some of the same things parents should also look for when deciding whether to enroll their child In a childcare program For more information on the SCDSS Child Care Division visit childcartscgov For information on childcare regulations choosing quality child care or for assistance in locating a childcare program contact Success By 6 Child Care Resource and Referral United Way of Sumter Clarendon and Lee Counties at (803) 7733935 or 1-800-681-0333 Michele Martin director of United Way of Sumter Clarendon and Lee Counties Success By 6 Child Care Resource and Referral uj president in 1983 1 Photo provided In the early days of the club as now elegant receptions usually teas followed the meetings Here Louise McLellan pours tea for Daisy Burgess as Emma Anderson and Lula Harvin look on The photo was taken around 1940 Mrs James Richardson was i vice president and Mrs Kirk McLeod was secretary-treas urer During that decade one program -1 featured Mrs Glen Sharp reading a paper by Dr Wilson Greene titled I which told of caravans coming through Sumter during his childhood In the following years members shaded such books by authors that included Pat Conroy Clyde Edgerton Darden Ashbury and others Current officers in addition to Brown are: Mrs Angus McDuffie (Sue) vice president Mrs Dicks Cone (Sandi) secretary and Mrs Edmunds Reed (Mary) treasure? dues are $15 with most books averaging $16-20 each The number of members is now limit- ed to 21 with vacancies being filled through recommendations of club mem- bers Brown said know how the number 21 was she said predominately Episcopalian but not by design they had what they called Now we call them sustaining members When you reach the age i JL Keith Gedamke The Item Photos of past members and club memorabilia were on display at the 100th anniversary meeting Stars are stately fashionable and safe in glamorous gowns By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL AP Fashion Writer f) uniform timelessness which is very nice but considering those who watch this show do it to get a fashion cue I wish they were a little more timely than He labeled French actress Marion Cotil-1 ivory-and-silver gown by Jean Paul Gaultier with scalloped fabric that looked like fish scales the most distinctive of the night Jennifer Hudson who caused last biggest fashion flap with a futuristic bolero jacket was more appropriate this year in a white halter gown Pregnant actresses Blanchett in a Dries van Noten halter gown with floral beading on the skirt and Alba in a strapless Marchesa gown with feathers at the bustline both embraced their revised shapes in empire-waist gowns Nicole Kidman also pregnant went with a simple black gown by Balenciaga and a show-stopping necklace 7645 diamonds totaling nearly 1400 carats by Scott Feathers were a recent trend on the runway and Penelope black strapless gown had them too IP magazine fashion market editor Treena Lombardo reminds at-home fashion followers not to take trends from the red carpet too seriously for their own lives think any of the trends the Oscars hit are trends the rest of the world needs to know she said She did notice all that red though Klum was the most beautiful Fve -ever seen Lombardo said Ryan was the opposite She was very minimal and very chic an exact 180 from what Heidi was full-volume gown was by Galliano and is being auctioned as part of The Heart Truth campaign to raise awareness about women and heart disease one-shoulder midnight-blue dress was custom-made by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein One-shoulder gowns were also popular worn by Hilary Swank in Versace Olivia Thirlby in Vera Wang Hathaway in Marchesa and Heigl in Escada gown had a slim-fitting draped bodice and the front of gown was covered in fabric roses The best word to describe the red-carpet fashion at the Academy Awards: red Katherine Heigl Helen Mirren Miley Cyrus Ruby Dee Anne Hathaway and Heidi Klum were among the stars in red gowns Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles Shades of plum were worn by Cate Blanchett and Jessica Alba actresses went regal and royal with rich reds and said Oscarcom fashion analyst Tom Julian The other buzzword? Safe thought people looked generally really good and really said Hal Rubenstein fashion director at InStyle magazine know if it had to do with the mood out there with the strike just over and parties canceled but in fashion now so much is about sheer print and color but this was one solid strapless dress after Rubenstein added was a kind of The Associated Press Actress Helen Mirren presents the Oscar for best actor at (he 80th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday i fce4iAs i it I.