Agenda:
    6:30pm: Meet and Greet, Sign In, Get Organized, etc.
    7:00pm: Call to Order [Evelyn Van Orden, President]
    Approval of Minutes [Marsha Stoddard, Secretary]
    Thanks for Treats [Evelyn Van Orden, President]   Seeking New Hospitality Coordinator
    Treasurer's Report [Cindy Vogel, Treasurer]
    Philanthropy Report [Judy Gregory, VP Philanthropy]
    Program Report [Bonnie James, Program Coordinator]
    Schedule LAC+USC NICU Visit [Bonnie James, Kimberly Smith]
    Announcements
    Break
    Show and Share
    9:00pm: Adjourn
Minutes:
    7:15 pm: Meeting Called to Order    Evelyn Van Orden, President    17 members were present plus 1 new member (Scholl Canyon Estates resident) and 2 visitors (Scholl Canyon Estates resident and visitor).
    A. Approval of Minutes    Sue Dietel for Marsha Stoddard, Secretary
        1. The minutes for the April meeting were posted on the website, and a hardcopy was available for review at the meeting.
        2. Note from Marsha: I would like to thank Sue Dietel so much for taking attendance and very thorough minutes while I was gone!
    B. Treasurer's Report    Evelyn Van Orden for Cindy Vogel, Treasurer
        1. The balance in our treasury is $790.85 (includes $.10 interest).
    C. Thanks for Treats    Evelyn Van Orden, Acting Hospitality
        1. Evelyn thanked Christine Bachwansky for treats. Evelyn also brought 2 cakes from Portos Bakery, and Scholl Canyon supplied coffee, tea, and cookies.
        2. Sue Dietel volunteered to take over as Hospitality Coordinator. Thanks Sue!
    D. Announcements
        1. Evelyn passed around a card for members to sign thanking Cathy Wacker for her help in reserving the room at her church for 3 years. Cathy faithfully went early each month and opened up for us and then stayed until we all had left to lock up. We are so grateful to her for her contributions all these years. Evelyn prepared a gift for Cathy: fuschia cloth gift bag with yarn donated by Judy (blue & yellow Twisted Sisters hand-painted lace weight), a pink Clinique cosmetic bag with a “C” (Cathy’s initial), and passed around a thank you card that was signed by all members at the meeting. Evelyn will make sure that Cathy receives the gift before the next meeting.
        2. Evelyn reported that Soroptimist International of Glendale held their annual Bras for a Cause fundraiser on Saturday, April 28 at the Oakmont Country Club. From JCK, Pam McSmith donated a purple & green knit ruffled scarf and Evelyn combined it with a Victoria's Secret corset and matching jewelry set, calling it "Spring Fling Ensemble". Evelyn will report at our June meeting the amount raised for these and other items.
        3. Evelyn also spoke about the Glendale Association for the Retarded (GAR), which is holding their 21^st Annual Derby Day fundraiser on Saturday, May 5 at Pickwick Garden Banquet Center. Cindy Vogel and Sandra Ogden each donated a girl’s sweater to this cause.
        4. Jerri Thomson handed out flyers supplied by Scholl Canyon Estates Retirement Community for their Mother's Day Brunch. 
        5. Evelyn told us that TKGA (The Knitting Guild of America) will hold their Knit & Crochet show September 14-16 in Reno, Nevada. In her experience, these shows offer excellent classes as well as many yarn vendors and great shopping at the market.
    E. Programs Report    Evelyn Van Orden for Bonnie James, Programs
        1. Neither Bonnie James nor Kimberly Smith (LAC+USC NICU nurse) were able to attend the meeting, so the discussion about a field trip to Kim's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at LA County USC Medical Center was postponed until the June meeting.
        2. If you have any ideas for programs, please contact Bonnie (greenbabe17@yahoo.com).
    F. Philanthropy    Judy Gregory, VP Philanthropy
        1. Judy reported that the next campaign for Afghans for Afghanistan will be for hats, mittens, and socks for kids ages 7–18, and the items need to be 75-100% wool. The July meeting will be the last collection date for these items.
        2. Jerri Thomson announced that Knots of Love has a new campaign to make caps for young women, featuring more hip, trendy, upbeat patterns. She took 15 of our hats for this month to KOL for distribution. Thanks to all who donated! Jerri cannot be at the June meeting, so Christine Bachwansky will collect any hats. You can bring your hats to our meetings or mail your donation directly to KOL, 2973 Harbor Blvd. #822, Costa Mesa,92626. See their website for further information, patterns, and approved yarns. http://www.knotsoflove.org/
        3. Please see the Ongoing Charities list below for charities JCK actively supports at this time.
        4. New member Liz Graham is creating a Knit/Crochet Group at the Cancer Support Community, Benjamin Center located on Bundy off La Grange in West LA (north of Olympic Blvd). She is organizing a group that would meet once or twice a month. She is planning to teach knitting and is in the process of learning to do so. She needs one or more volunteers to help her teach knitting, and she also needs volunteers to teach crochet. If you are interested, please let us know at the next JCK meeting on June 6, or contact Liz directly (ez_beangreen@yahoo.com).
    G. Ongoing Charities
        1. Judy collects items for Afghans for Afghanistan. This charity continues to need items for children aged 7–16, such as vests, hats, sweaters, socks, and blankets, and the items should be wool only. ’Afghans’ mainly needs socks and sweaters. Judy Gregory takes our donations and mails them off. We can also make wool afghan squares, with at least 1 side 8” long, using worsted weight wool yarn in a firm (not lacey) pattern. Judy prefers garter stitch. She collects them and then puts them together to make patchwork afghans.
        2. Betty Molinaro collects baby blankets for Christ Child Society. This group makes comprehensive layettes for needy mothers, and they like to include a handmade item.
        3. Jerri Thomson collects chemo caps for Knots of Love, an organization that sends the caps to cancer centers, now even in England. They have a website which lists the specific yarns they require us to use for the caps: http://www.knotsoflove.org
        4. Irene Rezaie collects 2 and 4-holed buttons to send to women in Africa. They make jewelry and other things to sell with these buttons, providing them a livelihood with which to support their families.
        5. Kimberly Smith works as a nurse at the LAC-USC Medical Center NICU. She delivers our preemie things – hats, booties, blankets, sweaters. The blankets can be small, to cover the isolettes.
        6. Marsha Stoddard collects dark-colored hats and scarves all year for Operation Gratitude, a group that sends boxes to our troops in December. To date, this organization has shipped over 700,000 shoebox-sized care packages to our troops. The scarf size is limited, due to space, to 5-7” wide X 45-50” long, and patterns are available at the website: http://www.operationgratitude.com
        7. Any new charity is welcome – the JCK member interested in that charity should take responsibility for explaining the charity, any specific requirements, and then collect and deliver our donations.
    H. Show and Share

First JCK Meeting at our new location on May 2, 2012
Scholl Canyon Estates Retirement Community (SCERC)
Photos by Evelyn Van Orden:
   

Mother's Day Brunch at SCERC May 13, 2012
Photos by Jerri Thomson, Pictured is Janice Ogata: