Walnut Grove, Mississippi, USA

You can support the Walnut Grove Public Library by joining the Friends of the Library Organization. Annual Memberships are just $5.00. For more information on the Friends' organization, call 601-253-2483.

The Moms and Daughters MHV Club was organized in 1982. The club is part of the Leake County MHV and the Mississippi MHV. The group strives to strengthen and improve our families, our communities, our state, and our country through education and service to all people.

The club makes annual monetary contributions to St. Jude Children's Hospital, The Ronald McDonald House, Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital, and to Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield. The Club recently gave $350.00 to the Walnut Grove Public Library to match a grant securing Children's books for the library. The club alternates with The Thursday Club each year in sponsoring the annual lighting of homes contest for the Holidays.

The current officers are Janet Kling, President, Betty Gomilion, Vice President, Pat Dugan, Secretary-Treasurer, and Shirley Burrell, Chaplain.

The Walnut Grove Thursday Club was organized in 1947 and in 1948 they became a federated club by joining the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs. Since its inception the Club has been devoted to improving the community by inaugurating and supporting numerous civic programs. One of the Club's most important achievements was the construction of the Walnut Grove Public Library.

The current Club membership continues this history of community service. The Club work is divided into six departments: Art, Education, Conservation, Home Life, International Affairs and Public Affairs. These departments encompass numerous organizations that the Club supports. Some of these are: Mississippi School for the Deaf Space Camp, UNICEF, Heifer International, HOBY, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Operation Smile, World Food Day, and Mississippi State Hospital. On the local level the Club raises funds and supports various programs at the South Leake Schools, the Walnut Grove Library, Leake County Food Bank, Leake County Nursing Home, as well as many conservation and beautification programs in Walnut Grove.

The Club meets on the 1st Thursday night September-May. Guests are invited to attend.

The current officers are: Tommye Rosenbaum, President; Vicki Kelley, Vice-President; Karen Freeny, Secretary; Teresa Withers, Treasurer; and Peggy Summers-Jones, Parliamentarian.

Club President Tommye Rosenbaum is shown with a group of winners of the Box Tops for Education project held during the school year. The school collected 3700 coupons to help buy a new sign for South Leake Elementary School. Classes that brought in the most coupons were given pizza parties.

The Leake County Chamber of Commerce sponsored a picnic for families of the troops in the early part of June. Games and other events were held for the children while the adults enjoyed playing bingo. Food was donated and prepared by merchants in Carthage. GFWC-MFWC Thursday Club members were responsible for serving the food.

Club members took orders for plants for a month prior to the delivery date. Booster club member Doug Perry transported the plants in his horse trailer from the Natchez Trace Gardens Center in Kosciusko.

Thursday Club members help with chicken plate lunches prepared by the town employees. The ladies are responsible for baking the beans and selling the plates.

Proceeds are given to the two ladies' clubs to be used in their projects.

The Thursday Club was responsible for having the National Guard convoy change its course of departure so that Walnut Grove residents could be a part of the send-off when the troops left for Camp Shelby.