The Exchange Club of Urbana, IL, meets each Thursday at Clark-Lindsey in Urbana at noon. Lunch served 11:20 a.m. to 1 p.m. President: Ron Wilcox, Urbana, Illinois.

Address inquiries to: Secretary Van Bowersox, 1811 Clover Lane, Champaign, Il 61821https://urbanaexchangeclub.wordpress.com/

Upcoming Meetings:May 24th Linda Bauer Life after the HolocaustMay 31st Brian Morgan Parkland TheaterJune 7th Dr. Elizabeth H. Heffery, Master Naturalist and Master Gardener

Weekly Meeting, May 17th 2018 Reporter – David Chato Meeting Leader: Beth ChatoPledge of Allegiance Invocation: Dave WilsonSong: The members sang America the Beautiful led by Tom Gordon and Dorthea Smith with Jo-Ann Smith at the piano. The members sang Happy Birthday to Ralph Langenheim.Announcements: Fred Holhubner attended the Urbana High School Honors night. He awarded on our behalf our Parkland scholarship to Rodrigo Orrala. Rodrigo will receive $750 a semester from us while he attends Parkland College. Fred also recognized our student of the year Elizabeth Guenther. While watching the ceremony Fred noted that Elizabeth received three scholarships, and Gage Curtner our Feburary student of the month received five scholarships. Dick Underwood mentioned there was a ceremony at Clark-Lindsey recognizing graduating high school seniors on the wait staff, including today’s lunch waiter. Jo-Ann Smith is having a meeting of the membership committee after the meeting. There is a Board of Directors Meeting next Tuesday.Joys and Sorrows: Ralph Langenheim: These are the times that try men’s souls.Doug Bauling: $1 Fantastic weather for corn and beans.Henry Koertge: $20 for missed meetings.Fred Holhubner: $1 2018 Parkland Sholorship Rodrigo OrralaRon Peters: Eager to hear about Prairie restoration. Welcome to our speaker Fred Delcomyn.Beth Chato: Joy of having Fred Delcomyn here today.More Songs Tom and Dorthea led in singing Home on the Range, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad and The Whiffenpoof Song. Pig $32

Our 92nd Year

Program: Fred Delcomyn was our speaker today. Although he is a member of Grand Prairie Friends, he was speaking on his own behalf. He grew up in Detroit, and moved to Urbana in 1972, where he taught as a Professor of Entomology. He has since retired. He has an exhibit of his photos (including many of the slides he showed us) on display at Clark-Lindsey. 20,000 years ago this part of Illinois was covered in glaciers. 500 years ago this part of Illinois was prairie. When the glaciers first retreated it was cold and wet favoring forest. About 10,000 years ago the weather dried out and the prairie took over. Although the weather has become wetter now, it is believed that fire kept the trees out of the prairie until the settlers arrived. Eliza Steel a nineteenth century settler traveling through the Illinois prairie called it “a profusion of flowers”. In her day 60% of Illinois was prairie. Today less than 1/100% of Illinois is prairie, frequently pioneer cemeteries like the Prospect Cemetery which has never been plowed. In 2003 Fred purchased 5 acres of land near Highcross road, and set to work replacing the existing woods and farmland with prairie. He started with 26 species of prairie plants but now has over 100. He showed us pictures of his prairie plants, as well as the birds, insects, and other wildlife which inhabit his prairie. During the questions and answers he stressed the importance of fire in maintaining the prairie. He burns a third of his prairie every year. The fire keeps the trees at bay (except for Burr oaks which have very thick bark). It clears the thatch, kills many invasive species and allows some prairie seeds to germinate better. His original prairie was seeded mechanically with help of a State of Illinois program (he’s not sure if the program still exists). It is best to plant Illinois prairies with seeds from Illinois. Most prairie nurseries (such as Prairie Moon) are capable of providing such seeds.

Meeting Adjourned

Fred Delcomyn presents his Backyard Prairie.

Mission StatementExchange, America's Service Club, is a group of men and women working together to make our communities

better places to live through programs of service and Americanism, Community Service, Youth Activities and its national project, the Prevention of Child Abuse.