Category: Club events

This year marks the 239th anniversary of the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777 by the Second Continental Congress.

The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club will celebrate the birth of Old Glory at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at its annual Flag Day Picnic at the LOW Community Center.

Eileen Bedell, the Democratic candidate for Congress from Virginia’s 7th District, will be special guest speaker at the picnic. Bedell is a native Virginian who has practiced law in Central Virginia for 20 years. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She and her husband Colin have two children.

Everyone is welcome at the picnic without regard to political affiliation.

There will be fried chicken and a groaning board of other all-American fare, such as potato salad, pasta salad, baked beans, casseroles, side dishes, homemade desserts and beverages.

Tickets are $7 per person. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.

There will be a door prize and a raffle featuring two large gift baskets.

A special Sunday afternoon program organized by The Lake of the Woods Democratic Club will feature author and historian Jayne Blair, representing The James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage in Orange.

The event, which is open to the public, will take place at 1 p.m. on March 13 in the lower level of the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.

The speaker, who is president of the Board of Directors of the James Madison Museum and secretary of the Orange County Historical Society, is a recognized authority on the fourth president and the primary architect of the U.S. Constitution, James Madison.

Ms. Blair is expected to bring with her for display, Madison’s Campeche chair, a gift from the president’s best friend, Thomas Jefferson in 1820 and his favorite seat for reading and relaxing.

Ms. Blair is the author of two non-fiction historical works, “Tragedy at Montpelier” and “The Essential Civil War.”

She was born in Albany, N.Y., and grew up in Buffalo, where most of her family had been in the armed forces. When her brother couldn’t serve due to health reasons, Blair decided to do her part to “represent the family.” She was sent to boot camp in Bainbridge, Md., and then to aviation technology school in Memphis, Tenn., and on to Corpus Christi, Texas, where she was the only woman in the supply department

After her military service she joined the Dallas, Texas, Police Department, where she  participated in undercover drug trafficking investigations.

Leaving Dallas after 25 years, she came to Virginia to chase history and became a senior interpreter at James Madison’s home. While there, she became a researcher and historian of not only Madison and Montpelier, but also the Civil War as it affected Orange County. She is currently researching Confederate officer Samuel McGowan’s brigade during the winter of 1863-1864.

Like all club events, all participants are welcome regardless of political persuasion.

For more information, visit the following links:

• Flyer advertising this event
• James Madison Museum
• James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage Facebook site
• Orange County Review story on Jayne Blair

“A Patriotic Virginia Christmas” is the name of the lovely tree which will be the Lake of the Woods Democratic Club’s contribution to the Tree of Life Gala Nov. 20 in support of the Living Water Community Clinic in Locust Grove.

The tree, decorated by Chris Carr, will be one of about 50 trees submitted by local organizations, businesses and individuals that will be auctioned off to raise money for the free clinic at Locust Grove Town Center.

The dinner will take place at the Lake of the Woods Club House from 5 to 9 p.m. with dinner served at 6:15 p.m. The evening will include dinner, music, a guest speaker and the silent auction.

Tickets to the event, which will be black tie optional, are $50 each. The cost of the tickets will directly benefit the clinic.

Tickets are available online at www.livingwaterclinic.life or The Lake of the Woods Church, 1 Church Lane, Locust Grove; Samson Properties, 32345 Constitution Highway, Suite E, Locust Grove; Union Bank & Trust, 36081 Goodwin Drive, Locust Grove; Wilderness Pharmacy, 5479 Germanna Highway, Locust Grove; Pat Licata Realtor, 36111 Goodwin Drive, Locust Grove; and Orange Pharmacy, 130 W. Main Street, Orange.

The Living Water Community Clinic will provide free acute, emotional, and spiritual care to eligible uninsured families in East Orange, South Spotsylvania, and North Culpeper counties.  The Living Water Community Clinic is a ministry of The Lake of the Woods Church and is established in partnership with community churches, businesses, civic organizations, regional health care facilities, and community members.

For more information please visit the clinic Web site at www.livingwaterclinic.life or contact the church at 540-972-9060.