Texoma Poetry Society

Dr. Jerry Lincecum will present a special program on his ancestor, Gideon Lincecum, during Saturday's monthly meeting of the Texoma Poetry Society. The session begins at 2 p.m. in the Sherman Public Library community room, and is open to the public.

"A Texas Poet in Prose: Gideon Lincecum, 1793-1874" is the topic of the program. An Austin College emeritus professor of English, Lincecum will role-play his great-great-great-grandfather, along with co-presenter Dr. Peggy Redshaw, Austin College professor of biology. Lincecum will present poetic writings of Gideon Lincecum, an early Texas naturalist, physician, Indian trader, adventurer and writer. Thousands of pages of Gideon Lincecum's letters are kept in the (state) Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. His letters covered topics including Texas fauna, flora, landscape, weather, and the legends and traditions of the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi. He also lived among the Muskogees in Georgia.

In addition to his writing, Gideon Lincecum's tombstone at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin reads that he was a veteran of the War of 1812, an internationally-famous botanist, and a friend of Charles Darwin. He is also remembered for his role as an American pioneer, a philosopher and a historian.

After Lincecum's and Redshaw's presentation, there will be a break for refreshments, then an open mic portion of the gathering where original poetry can be read.

Don Mathis, president of the Texoma Poetry Society, welcomes the public to the program. "Poets, political scientists, historians, biologists, and all lovers of nature will find items of interest in this man," said Mathis.

The Texoma Poetry Society meets the first Saturday of very month (except January and July) at 2 p.m. at the Sherman Public Library Community Room.

Grayson Rotary Club

Bob and Carolyn Montgomery brought the program at last week's Grayson Rotary Club meeting.

The Montgomerys traveled to Maua, Africa earlier this year with a mission team from Grace United Methodist Church in Sherman. Maua is in the Republic of Kenya is located in east Africa which next to the Indian Ocean at the equator. Kenya spans an area about 85 percent the size of Texas, and the population nears 38 million people. Maua has a population of about 6,000. Sanitation is practically non-existent and trash is everywhere, per the Montgomerys. They noted that the Maua people were very warm, friendly and appreciative of everything that is done for them.

The hospital in Maua services about one million people from the surrounding countryside. Most of the equipment is antiquated, but useful. The Montgomerys reported that the hospital has difficulty keeping doctors as there is no housing for them. Mission teams give money to the staff housing project which may be completed within the next four years. The Grace Methodist team was able to donate $5,000, plus medical supplies, and provided manual labor whenever possible.

Bob Montgomery discussed the "AIDS orphan house" project for families affected by AIDS. The home the mission group helped build was for a family who had lost the father and mother to AIDS. There were four children and a grandfather in the home. The structure, which took four days to build, is 10-feet by 20-feet with one wall in the middle. There is no plumbing or electricity in the house, but is considered to be better than what many of the people there live in.

During the business meeting, Michelle Guedea and Emily Reid were introduced as guests. Arthur Horn and Rod Tatchio of the Sherman Rotary Club, and Jerry Chapman of the Denison Rotary Club visited.

To share information with or learn more about Rotary, contact Terry Everett at 903-814-0292 or visit www.graysonrotary.org. The Grayson County Rotary Club meets at 6:50 a.m. every Wednesday at Kelly Square in Sherman.

Denison Elks Lodge

The Denison Elks Lodge 238 will hold its annual memorial service at 1 p.m. this Sunday. The service is to honor and remember absent members, and officers are required to attend and dress in proper regalia.

Those being remembered for 2008-2009 are William C. Allison, Victor Banzer, Jack E. Bond, Glen "Skeet" Chilton, Paul W. Limbaugh, Ed Parnell, Ernest E. Rivard, Ronald "Ron" Shipp, Paul E. Snyder, Brenda Streuber, J.C. "Tinker" Toney, E.J. "Buddy" Wagner and Donald L. Webb.

The lodge's annual Toys for Tots spaghetti dinner will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the lakesite facility. Attendees need to bring a new, unwrapped toy valued at no less than $10. They will receive two free dinners. Persons not bringing a toy may purchase a dinner for $5. The event is open to members and guests.

North Grayson 4-H Club

The monthly meeting of the North Grayson 4-H club was held Nov. 23, conducted by President Tanner Lance.

It was reported that the club's community service project of a coat drive was successful with the collection of more than 40 coats.

Cadey Vickers assisted with the Thanksgiving dinner at the Homestead of Sherman.

Caylan Vickers announced that she participated in the Regional District IV Speech Contest, earning second place. For the meeting program, she presented her speech which focuses on promoting 4-H.

Members voted to exchange gifts with each other at the December meeting. Members and parents will be assisting with Holiday Lights at Loy Park this month.

Recreation was led by Bobbi Arnett, and refreshments were served by the Wilson family.

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 2020 Scullin Ave., in Denison. Guests are welcome.