Syringa Plays Vital Role in Valley

On Thursday, July 19, Syringa Club members celebrated a year of active community involvement, with their annual luncheon at the home of Cheryl Hall Goo. The special guest was Kim Bosse, Crouch City Council Clerk and Treasurer, who has taken the responsibility of creating a lovely display space for Syringa records, photos and paraphernalia in the new “Syringa Building”, formerly the old library.

Sarah Allen and Judy Prachyl
enjoy the hors d'oeurves

Retired 6-year Syrings Prez, Carol Smith, L,
and her sister, Janet Wilson.

Cheryl's sis, Lucille, helps out.

Syringa's illustrious president, Georgianna Goetsch.

 Since 1915, Syringa Club of Garden Valley has been an integral part of community development. The club was affiliated with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs until 2009, when members of this small but dedicated organization decided to make more productive use of their financial resources.

Crouch City Clerk, Kim Bosse, was
Guest of Honor.

Syringa Club played a major role in the founding of the Garden Valley Public Library, winning a national prize sponsored by Shell Oil Company, for this Community Improvement Project. Though the library became a District library in 1976, Syringa Club members always continued to give many hours of personal assistance and helped raise funds. Since the opening of the new library in July, 2011, with many members helping with the move, Syringa has co-sponsored two library events: With Idaho Commission on the Arts, a reading and book-signing by Idaho Writer-in-Residence, Bill Johnson (who also worked with children at the school); and with the Friends of the Library, a reading and book-signing by Gretchen Anderson, author of The Backyard Chicken Fight. Syringa members have also been involved with the fledgling Oral Histories Project, funded for the library by a Paul G. Allen grant.

Jezebel ready to flip the cracker!

Cheryl Goo prepares her culinary magic
for the last time before retirement.

Trusty Treasurer and long-time member,
Ione Messick.

  Over the years, much effort has been directed toward education. The club helped to organize the local high school and gave generously to the previous building and its improvements, equipment, educational materials, and incentives. Scholarships were given to graduating seniors, and delegates to HOBY were sponsored, along with field trips and help with student reading skills. Development of new awareness and respect for students with learning disabilities were a focus of the club, and they made videos available which educated the viewer of the difficulties these students encounter. Since 2003, Syringa Club has co-sponsored the extraordinary summertime Kids Art Camp, taught by local artist and current Syringa Club president, Georgianna Goetsch.

  In recent years, the Syringa Horizon Project has provided funding and support for enrichment programs, which enable students to expand their horizons, at home and abroad. New educational projects are in the works.

Anita Sherwood looking pretty.

  Syringa Club ladies promoted patriotism in many ways: videos of “Old Glory” presented to the school and library; sales of the national flag; the presentation to the school of a special United States flag flown over the nation’s capitol on the day of the treaty signed with Japan, signaling the end of WWII; funds sent to Washington D.C. to support the erection of the WWII Memorial facility; and developed a Flag Beautification program, which instructed flag etiquette.

Carol Wyckoff and Alice Black: "Hey, where's my dessert?"

  As a service to the community, member Jean Studer, for many years, wrote the Drip and Drop articles for the Payette River Journal, to encourage communities to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Syringa Club received a national award and prize, entitled “The Three Rs”, for their recycling efforts.

Edie Hutchinson and Renee Smith lovely and cool.

  Club members erected the Charles Ostner monument on the Alder Creek Road site where the great ponderosa grew and where Ostner cut down and carved it. This monument was to honor early pioneers and to commemorate Ostner’s artistic achievement of his equestrian carving of George Washington at the Battle of Monmouth, now on display at the Idaho capitol building. The club also has a history of maintaining the Pioneer Cemetery, which is on private property along Banks Lowman Road.

   In January, 2010, Syringa Club members were happy to be a part of the Special Olympics, by organizing the reception banquet for the athletic delegates and their entourage. With great culinary dishes provided by community members and music from our local musicians, it was a happy and comradely occasion.

Cheryl serves Marilyn Cottingham.

Angel eating as usual.

   The popular Syringa Club Community Birthday Calendar is now in its forty-fifth year of production and offers an economical and convenient at-hand advertising tool for businesses and residents, not to mention acting as a reminder for those birthday and anniversary wishes which go so far in maintaining neighborly relations.

   In honor of nearly a century of Syringa Club’s support of Garden Valley youth and schools, community park, Fire Department, Crouch Volunteer Ambulance, library, and the community--through wars, depression, epidemics, emergencies and prosperity—the City of Crouch, Idaho, decided to name the old library building “The Syringa Building”. A plaque will be displayed, to commemorate the important role they played in establishing this building, which they acquired from the local American Legion and added onto over the years with help from the community.

Heidi graces the party as Peter Hall's  special friend.

   Recently, it seemed appropriate and logical for Garden Valley Syringa Club to develop projects on artist James Castle, in his hometown of Garden Valley, where his relatives and friends have belonged to the club or mingled with club members for almost a century. Those projects are ongoing.

      Current president, Georgianna Goetsch, told members at the luncheon, “That’s why it’s exciting to be involved with Syringa—we keep coming up with unique and beneficial ideas for the community. I admire all the women who have volunteered their efforts.”

  New members are always welcome. For information, contact Ms. Goetsch, at 462-3709.