The Shadow
The Covington Woman’s Club met Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army Building on Lexington Avenue. President Vicki Price called the meeting to order and thanked the Conservation Committee, chaired by Becky Throckmorton, for making the arrangements for the meeting. Charlotte Williamson and Vicki Price were greeters. The collect was led by Doris Hagedon and the pledge to the American flag was led by Karen Robertson.
President Vicki introduced the guest speaker, Jaimie Lomasney, who is the District VI Visitor Services Specialist, with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and is based at Douthat State Park, Millboro.
Lomasney gave a brief history of the Virginia State Parks System which now has a total of 35 parks. In 1933, during the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began a jobs program for men. At Millboro, 600 young, single, unemployed men were hired to work with the Civilian Conservation Corps building Douthat State Park.
The men were paid $25 a week and $20 was sent home to their families. They were given room and board, dental and health care. The camp held barracks, dining hall, a school house, and a means to print a newspaper.
For entertainment, the men sang in glee clubs and played in “hillbilly” bands.
Across the nation 40,000 men learned to read and write while in the CCC. At Douthat, they built the roads into the park, rock walls, the dam and they built the log cabins and many of the out buildings which still stand today. They have the same exterior but they have modern interiors. The CCC program ended in 1942 when the men were called into military service during World War II.
Today, Douthat has three new cabins and a new lodge under construction. The park has acquired an additional campground and Falling Springs Falls is now part of the park. Lomasney stated that there is a great need for a new Visitor’s Center where students could come to learn about nature while in the park.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of duties, from “Adopt-a-Trail” and Trail Maintenance, to Volunteer Ranger. She asked that anyone interested in volunteering should contact the park.
She gave out information specific to Douthat about mountain biking and trails, price guides for cabins and educational programs, and Lakeview Restaurant catering menus for private parties.
During the business session, Corresponding Secretary Joann Williams read a thank you note from the Ronald McDonald House for the contribution of pop tabs. Arts Co-chairman Paula Pickwick has contacted the art teachers at the schools. Dates for the Student Art Contest to be held in February at the C. P. Jones Library in Covington have been set. The exhibit will be open to the public from February 9-26 during library operating hours.
Nancy Moga said that Literary Contest information had been given to the schools. Students, teachers, parents and the public are invited to a reception on Thursday, February 11, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The general club meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. following the reception.
Home Life Chairman Carolyn O’Conner announced that the Christmas party at Alleghany Manor will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Those wishing to attend should meet at the Library parking lot at 1:30 p.m. to car pool to the home.
Bea Kasnick scheduled club members to be Salvation Army bell-ringers over a period of two days in November. Clara Moseley arranged the schedule for delivering Meals on Wheels in November.
The next meeting will be on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. at the Mountain View Restaurant at Best Western. Club members were invited to the Clifton Forge Woman’s Club “Homes for the Holidays” tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
