boulders, logs, earth mounds and more to provide a highly creative, interactive play experience.

These play experiences are akin to those that many kids had a generation ago, and which are becoming increasingly rare today. The Homer Lake Natural Playscape will help bring back the magic of those experiences for today’s kids, and help grow future advocates for the environment while also building healthier bodies and minds.

Perhaps the most significant outcome is stewardship. As Ken Finch, President of Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood, says, “Among conservationists, the experience of childhood nature play is nearly ubiquitous.” Research has shown that “… participation with “wild” nature before age 11 is a particularly potent pathway toward shaping both environmental attitudes and behaviors in adulthood . . . the experience is likely to stay with them in a powerful way—shaping their subsequent environmental path.”

Song: Led by Don Hunt with JoAnn Smith at the Piano. ‘AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL’, verse 3 and 4.

Announcements:

Guests: None

Three minutes of Exchange: Beth Chato shared a letter written by the National Exchange president regarding

Mission StatementExchange, America’s Service Club, is a group of men and women working together to make our communities better places to live through programs of service and Americanism, Community Service, Youth Activities and its national project, the Prevention of Child Abuse.

Opening Ceremony Led by President Beth Chato.

Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Beth Chato

Invocation: Presented by Dick Underwood

Weekly Meeting – July 14, 2016Reporter – Dave Wilson

EchoesOur 91st Year

Exchange Clubs Nation Wide: Focusing on Families and ChildrenSo Proudly We Hail

The Exchange Club of Urbana, IL, meets each Thursday at 11:20 a.m. at Clark Lindsay in Urbana.President: Beth Chato, 714 W. Vermont, Urbana, Illinois 61801.

Address inquiries to: Secretary Van Bowersox, 1811 Clover Lane, Champaign, Il 61821

Programs:July 21 – Marlin Livingston, CEO of

Cunningham Children’s Home

July 28 – Melissa Heil, UI graduate student and creator of the Illinois Altas of Austerity, will geographically show us the impact of the Illinois State budget impasse.

Compass Rock a unique feature in the playscape setting.

President Chato, Pam Leiter, and Ron Wilcox presenting a certificate of appreciation.

the strength of Exchange in the public.

Announcements: The BOD will meet July 19th in the Simon Room at 7:00 pm.Committee lists are available for members. Contact Beth if you wish to be included on another committee.

3-Minutes of Exchange: Beth shared a short summary of the Exchange National Exchange club.

Joys and Sorrows: Presented by, Dick Underwood: Wayne Weidner, “Happy Bastille Day!; Ron Peters, $5, in pig for a good medical report; Beth Chato, Joy of my friend Pam Leiter as speaker; and Dick Underwood, $, My grandparents did not have an outhouse seat to spare.

Birthdays: None this week

Music: Led by Don Hunt, with JoAnn Smith playing the

piano; 1. ‘WHEN YOU’RE SMILING’, 2. ‘CAROLINA IN THE MORNIN’, 3. ‘ELMERS TUNE’.

Book Report: Dick Underwood reported on a book titled: DEAD WAKE by Eric Larson. Dead Wake is a book written about the liner Lusitania and her last ocean crossing before being sunk by a German Submarine.

Dick liked Larson’s human sketches on the passengers, high and low, and his enumeration of odd misc. data that gave this reader a feeling of being in the know about some of the passengers, and their human-

ness. His description on the prelude to the voyage itself and the post lude are perhaps more satisfactory that the rather brief description of the actual sinking and unsatisfactory rescue operations.

Larson opens doors slightly on the matter of conspiracy by the British Government and Winston Churchill in the sinking. It is certainly clear that the Lusitania was crammed with war material desperately needed by Britain and there is no indication the passengers were aware of this before or after she sailed.

Contributions:PIG $22.00FOUNDATION 0.00OTHER (operations) 0.00TOTAL $22.00

Program: Ron Wilcox was introduced as the Program chair and he described the next few weeks of programs

followed by an introduction of Pam Leiter from the Champaign County Forest Preserve to share a little about Natural Playscape located at the Homer Lake facility.

Pam Leiter started by describing and defining a Natural Playscape. A Natural Playscape is a landscape designed for play with the express purpose of connecting people to nature. Unlike a traditional playground made of plastic and metal, Natural Playscapes use natural materials like streams, plants,