Alva Review-Courier -

The Household Executives OHCE group met at 1:30 p.m. on April 20 in the Fireside Room. The meeting was called to order by President Carolyn Gasaway with seven members present. The group said the pledge to the flag. The devotion was given by Gasaway from “God's Little Devotion Bible.” Roll call was answered to “What do you know about Woods County’s history?”

Minutes of the March meeting were read by Nicki Chaffee and approved as written. The treasurer’s report was presented by Eleanor Ring.

President Gasaway reminded the group of upcoming OHCE events. Lone Star extension group will present a workshop on wreaths on Saturday, April 25. The event will be at the Women’s Building at the fairgrounds. April 28 will be the next leaders' training and Rose Blunk will attend. May 2 is the county meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Women’s Building. Each extension group is to provide three salads. Those bringing salads will be Chaffee, Evelyn Kramp and Gasaway. The scholarship applications were reviewed and voted on. The first week in May is OHCE Week and activities were discussed.

Fair exhibits were discussed. The next regular meeting of Household Executives will be May 18 in the home of Elizabeth Smith, hostess. Co-hostess will be Chaffee and lesson will be by Blunk.

Carol Anderson gave a report on the district meeting. Eight members from our district were present. Debbie Mote is the new district president and the speakers were enjoyable. Gasaway is the district winner of the Heart of OHCE and will compete on the state level.

A report was presented by Chaffee on the Bippity Boopity Boutique, a project to enable local girls to attend formal prom and Rainbow events. Prom dresses and accessories are being donated and girls will schedule private fittings.

Blunk, Kramp, Smith, Gasaway and Chaffee participated in the Chocolate Factory fundraising project at the library. Blunk made the motion to change the time of the meeting of Household Executives to 2 p.m., seconded by Ring. Vote was unanimous.

The lesson was presented by Ring on Woods County history. Ring outlined the difference between the Cherokee Strip and the Cherokee Outlet. The outlet was an area opened for Indian travel for hunting. Ring also explained what “WIM” meant on land descriptions. It stands for West Indian Meridian. This measurement was used by surveyors and the line runs from east of I 35 to the south and ends in the Arbuckles. “History of M County,” a book written by Mary Erskine and Mildred Hager, described “sucker fields” as land with high salt content sold for agriculture that provided poor grazing and crop growing but was later found to yield high amounts of oil. There were four land offices in M County: Perry, Alva, Woodward and Enid. Woods County actually was supposed to have been “Wood” county but a mistake was made and an S was added; thus is is now Woods County.

Dessert was provided the following members: Anderson, Blunk, Chaffee, Gasaway, Lola Heaton, Kramp and Ring.