December 17, 2009
Women’s club celebrates Christmas with Santa, popcorn balls
By Kate Haake
Valley Journal
NORTH CROW — Faces were aglow with the holiday spirit as children performed Christmas carols for their friends, families and neighbors last Thursday night at the North Crow Clubhouse.
For more than 80 years, the North Crow Women’s Club has ignited festive spirits during the holiday season with an annual Christmas party for the families in the area.
Traditionally the Christmas party is an opportunity for the children to entertain their loved ones and show off their musical talents with Christmas themed performances. The evening usually ends with the arrival of Santa with his bag full of goodies for all the good boys and girls.
This year, four children performed Christmas songs, including Annie Coursen, Tyler Joachim, Kendra Starkel and Courtney Clairmont. Many other younger children were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus and homemade popcorn balls as their older brothers and sisters sang and played the piano.
The 100-year-old secret popcorn ball recipe has been with the North Crow Women’s Club since its founding, and people return year after year to get their yearly helping of the treat.
After the four children performed their Christmas songs, the crowd congregated in clusters of families and friends, sipping hot cider, chatting, and awaiting Santa Claus. Rumor had it that Claus was delayed as one of his reindeer had caught a bad cold.
Fears were calmed when Santa arrived, a bag of gifts in hand giving a merry greeting to everyone.
The arrival of Santa Claus caused such a flurry of festive and happy youngsters, that a swarm of children, armed with letters and smiles constantly surrounded the jolly man.
Carnell Smith, age 5, said he wanted a horse, a dog and a cowboy hat on Christmas morning.
“He goes through all my western books,” Smith’s grandfather Todd Hoover explained. “If a guy has a dog, he wants a dog.” |
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