Summer officially starts Friday – which is a time for rest and relaxation, right? Think again. If you are involved in clubs, church, community and school activities, you are committed year-round.

If you are a club officer, time is spent in the summer attending workshops getting ideas for programs and projects. The president works with the treasurer, updating information on club members. It’s the responsibility of the club treasurer to collect members’ dues to send to the state and national headquarters. An audit of the club finances and treasurer’s year-end report must be approved by the finance committee. Also, a budget for the next fiscal year has to be written for club members’ approval when they meet in September. A theme is selected for the club’s yearbook, which lists all the programs and projects for the upcoming year. Hostesses and venues for each month are determined as well as fundraisers and special events.

Summer is equally busy for church committee members. Many volunteers help with Vacation Bible Schools, mission trips, Bible studies, youth trips, church landscapes, homecomings, decorations, revivals, building maintenance, expansions – and list goes on and on.

Community activities involve many of these volunteers. Keeping the flowers watered requires the Garden Club members as well as the city’s street department working together. Plans are already in the process for working on the fall and Christmas decorations.

The Watermelon Festival, which attracts thousands of tourists annually, is about here, and it requires months of planning and many volunteers working to make it a success.

The Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council works year-round sponsoring entertainment locally for our citizens and tourists.

Many teachers and administrators are spending their summers going to continuing education classes, attending workshops or working on higher degrees. Coaches for all school athletics are busy at camps with their teams preparing for the upcoming year. Don’t forget how hard the students are working in the hot summer sun preparing for the season’s first game, cheer competition, band performance or club competition.

It takes numerous volunteers working together for the betterment of our community. We can always use more, so check out some area that you might be interested in and be a volunteer.

Club Chronicles is written by Susie Hovater Malone.