Eastern Star Chapter Spearheads Middle School Curtain Replacement Fundraising Effort

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By Emily McAfee

The aging stage curtains at the Clark County Middle School are in tatters.

“It’s my understanding that the curtains were the original curtains when the gym was completed in 1957,” Clark County R-1 Middle School principal said. “Over time, the material has deteriorated, and they are kind of getting ratty.”

A variety of events are held at the Edna L. Seyb Auditorium, which include pageants, dance recitals, concerts, and many other activities.

“We had Rhonda Vincent here because of the rain last summer and we have Farm City Night and the Wyaconda Alumni Reunion. This facility, even though it’s old, gets a tremendous amount of use,” Church said.

Big projects, like buying new stage curtains, can be quite costly for any school to raise money for.

“It’s one of those things that is very prohibitive from a cost standpoint for the district,” Church said. “This facility is used constantly throughout the course of a year, whether it’s elementary or middle school band concerts or community functions.”

Kahoka Chapter #40, Order of the Eastern Star, has decided to help the school district replace the curtains. The organization is hosting a soup supper fundraiser on February 5th at the Clark County Senior Center from 4:00- 7:30. The soup supper is a free will donation, and the proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards purchasing new stage curtains for the Clark County Middle School.

The Order of the Eastern Star is pairing up with the Masonic Home of Missouri to access matching grant funds for community projects.

The Black Hawk PTO and the Middle School Boosters are also helping contribute,” Church said. “This gym is special and means a lot to a lot of people in the community. This is another step for us to keep this facility looking sharp and something the community can be proud of.”

“I know, living in Clark County as long as I have, that no matter what it is, our community steps up to really help the school district and whatever endeavor there is. It’s not just limited to the schools, but our community is great with helping with good causes.”

“I am excited, and I think it will be a great opportunity for the community to help participate and make things better for us, for our stage, and for our building in general.”

The donations raised at the fundraiser will help purchase the 180 yards of new material and pay for the labor of making the curtains. The weights from the current curtains will be utilized in the new material.

A local woman is sewing the curtains together.

“It will be nice to have the new curtains, but the fact that the curtains are being created and sewn by somebody local, it makes it really special,” Church said.

The old stage curtains have been at the Edna L. Seyb Auditorium for many years, but it is time to move forward.

“It will be nice to have something new that will represent our district. We are grateful for this opportunity,” Church said.

Please join Kahoka Chapter #40 Order of the Eastern Star on February 5th. There will be several soups served at the fundraiser, including Chili, Sausage Corn Chowder, Beef Vegetable, Potato, Chicken Noodle, and Taco. There will also be sandwiches and desserts provided. Carry-Out boxes will also be available.