The Forshee Ladies Group is entering its 103rd year and after delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will be celebrating their 100-year anniversary later this month.
One June 25 at the Forshee Hall, located between Bentley and Rimbey on Highway 20, the club will celebrate the milestone of a century with its members, past and present.
A luncheon with fun activities is planned and all living members, whether they are currently active or have moved away, are invited.
The planning committee for the anniversary, Marg Beadows, Connie Hansen and Helen Bradford, are expecting between 35 to 40 people. The club currently has 16 active members.
“We’re going to try to make it a real special day,” said Beadows, who is a longtime member.
Ladies are expected from all across the province.
At the luncheon, there will be memorabilia on display from the club throughout the years, including photographs, scrapbooks, quilts and embroidery, as well as a tablecloth with members’ names on it.
There will be a slideshow presentation as well.
Perhaps the most exciting is a cook book project that has been completed. The book, which includes recipes from members through all the ages of the club’s existence, will be on display during the celebration. It will also be available to purchase.
“It’s a project in celebration of, and to honour, our original members,” said Beadows.
During the luncheon, the oldest living member, Marnie Moore who is 103, will be recognized, along with the longest standing member with 70 years of membership, Louise Craig.
The club began as a women’s social group. Eventually, it was decided they needed a hall, and the ladies held a variety of fundraisers so they could have Forshee Hall built.
Over the decades, they held many turkey suppers, bake sales, sports days and wiener roasts in support of the hall and the community.
Today, Forshee Hall has a commercial kitchen and seating for up to 150 people, with a stage and a dance floor. There is also a playing field and camping area.
The club still supports the hall, but in different ways now. It is also active in supporting needs in the community through donations.
The ladies donate funds to the Bentley hospital and the women’s shelter in Red Deer and are always willing to help out a local family with special concerns.
The ladies continue to raise funds through different events, such as the produce and baked goods auction that’s being planned for this fall.
