The Cushion Club would like to say hearty thanks to the Best of Books and the 3rd Antigua Girl Guides for making its last gathering of the year so memorable. Long time patron of the kids reading club, Best of Books contributed the prizes for the most consistent children of the September to December meeting period. These book prizes went to most improved Shamar Payne, second runner up Zuri Holder and overall winner Bashiri Joseph. The prize is awarded not only for conduct in-session, when the club engages in various reading and word play exercises, but for completion of take-home vocabulary assignments. The chief club volunteer Cedric Holder, who recently received a National Youth Award for his efforts, sees the prize as an opportunity to encourage the youngsters to continue striving for their personal best. The goal with the Cushion Club remains to make reading fun while expanding the minds of the youths who come from all over every Saturday to the Senior Centre at Elm’s Drive to participate.

The Cushion Club would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Guides for their unexpected Christmas surprise. They came by on 13th December 2008 to hang with the kids and present them with books and book marks. This was a part of their requirements for two badges – the AIDS curriculum badge, hence the AIDS education themed book marks, and the readers badge, hence their decision to spend some time reading with the Cushion Club kids.

With the visitors and regular Cushion Club kids, the final session of the year proved to be a fun and impromptu party for all, complete with the presentation of gifts of appreciation to two adult volunteers – Juanita Elizee and Joanne C. Hillhouse. As the year wraps, the Cushion Club extends sincere thanks to the Seniors for use of the Centre with best wishes to them all for the new year.

The Cushion Club resumes on 17th January 2009 at its usual time, 10:30 a.m.

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