February 20, 2025 - The Center Woman’s Reading Club met February 6 at the Center First Methodist Church in the fellowship hall. During the business meeting, club President Alease Copelin invited everyone to attend an exhibit open house titled 'Clubs and Organizations' at the Shelby County Museum on Thursday, February 20, 2025 from 1 to 4pm. The museum is open weekdays from 1 to 4pm. The Center Woman’s Reading Club has a display at the exhibit that shows the long history of the club that was founded in 1896. The club members greatly appreciate Mrs.Copelin for the research she did and the display she created that reflects the club’s significance and impact of the club.
Deborah Chadwick encouraged everyone to attend Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library February 21-22 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The library has recently undergone an extensive renovation with new bookshelves, new seating areas, and other upgrades that will make the library appealing to patrons of all ages. The ribbon cutting will be Friday, February 21 at 10am. There will be authors present on both days. Saturday will be focused on children for Take Your Child to the Library Day with children’s authors present and special activities designed for children. The Center Woman’s Reading Club has long been a patron of the library.
Following the business meeting, member Mary Lynn Tinkle presented a book report on 'A Christmas Memory' written by Truman Capote. Compote wrote in several genres including short stories, novels including 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s,' broadway play, autobiographies, play adaptations, and was given credit for developing a new genre called a narrative non fiction when he wrote his best seller 'In Cold Blood.' Capote was a childhood friend with 'To Kill A Mockingbird' author Harper Lee. As adults they worked on several writing projects together. Mrs. Tinkle reported on a story he wrote titled 'A Christmas Memory' that was based on his childhood when his parents sent him to live with relatives in Alabama. It tells the story of a young boy ,Buddy, who befriends his 60 year old cousin he calls my friend. Together they raise money during the year to buy ingredients to bake fruitcakes for people who they had befriended and those like President Roosevelt whom they admired. Although they did not have much money, the friendship between the two brought them the most happiness.
Submitted by Mary Lynn Tinkle
