Iroquois, SD

How will your community make decisions about seeking further resources to support its plans?
Organization leadership will be encouraged to seek financial assistance for community projects through the use of available grants. Also by attending regional conferences sponsored by Horizons, leaders can learn about additional resources thay may not now know are available. Also thorough discussion by ALL leaders of ALL organizations will make it easier for the whole town to be on “the same page” concerning community projects and steps being taken to complete these projects.

Is a system in place to seek, receive, monitor and report on new resources to support community work?
One system being enacted currently is that all organizations, including Community Club/Horizons, Fire Department, Iroquois Housing, City of Iroquois, school system and anyone else interested, will hold twice a year joint meetings. This joint meeting will enable all to seek, receive, monitor and report to all other organizations where they have found help and all organizations will know the progress of others. This blog site is an excellent resource in itself. On it other towns report on their successes and where they found resources. An example of giving help to other towns is the success of Iroquois Housing. This group has been fielding questions from across the state asking how it is that a tiny town like ours can build and occupy 15 new homes in the past few years. Leaders have also participated in discussion groups and conferences relaying how we’ve done it. Also a close working relationship with the county commission is an excellent way to keep avenues of discussion open.

The Iroquois Horizons/Community Club is hosting an open house at the school on Sunday, May 4th from 2-5 pm. We want to showcase our beautiful school and make the public aware that we are accepting open enrollments. One of our bus drivers is offering to meet the public at DJ ’s Gas Station in East Huron to bus the public over for this open house. We will offer refreshments at the school.
One of the highlights of the tour will be the projects that each classroom will be displaying during the extravaganza that will be held the next day.
Hope you can come and see our beautiful school.

Iroquois Elementary fourth grade students recently completed a Kindness Project involving the elementary staff.  Some of the things students did to help other staff included reading a book aloud to students, helping fill Wednesday envelopes, assisting with a kindergarten science experiment, helping students with math questions, and cleaning.  Students are writing a How to be a Kind Person book in writing workshop. This project will be discussed in their books.

I think by merging our community club/Horizons group as one we can have a stronger community leadership system.
we learned a lot from our study circle sessions that we can use in the future.
we also plan to have biannual meetings with every organization in town to update each other on what is happening within their group and how we can help each other.
I really do believe that these have all made us a stronger, closer community.

Upcoming Events

April 9, Wednesday, UMW meets at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 6:00 p.m.

April 11, 12, 13, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, area students attend “Acquire the Fire” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

April 11, Friday, No School            

April 12, Children’s Theater production of “You Look Marvelous” at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in the south gym.

April 13, Sunday, Pancake Feed at the Legion for the Iroquois Heritage Museum.

April 14, Monday, School Board Meeting in the high school library at 8:00 p.m.

April 16, Wednesday, Sonshine Gang meets after school at the Methodist Church.

Our Iroquois Horizons/Community Club, and Sports Day Committee held a joint planning meeting Monday night. Cheryl Jacobs of the SDSU Cooperative Extension Services was present to discuss the completion of the Horizons Project in the Iroquois Community. Committees reviewed their progress on community goals and objectives in the strategic plan.

Setting up park benches is one project currently underway. Community members may donate money to purchase a park bench in memory of someone. Benches will be placed in Woodall Park, at the school playground, and near the sand volleyball pit and horseshoe pits.

A chain link fence has been donated to the Iroquois Day Care. Volunteers are needed to help move and set up the fence.

A pancake feed is being planned for April 27, at the Legion, as a fundraiser for R.J. Frankfurth, who was recently injured in a car accident.

Sports Day will be held July 11, 12, and 13. Four Wheeler races are being planned for Friday night. Saturday’s events will begin with a “Walk for Life.” A parade will be held later in the morning with the theme “Small Town, Big Dreams.” Bed races will follow the parade on main street. The Iroquois Heritage Museum will be open on Saturday with living history activities for kids of all ages. A town and country show will be held on Saturday, with exhibitors selling their products. Softball, volleyball, and horseshoe events will be held at the park. Saturday evening a kids’ movie will be shown and a street dance will be held. The class of 1988 will hold its 20 year reunion. Sunday morning, a community church service will be held in the park. Mud drag races will be held later in the day. The Sports Day committee will continue to meet monthly to finalize plans.

The next Horizons/Community Club meeting will be held Tuesday, May 6, in the high school library. All interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
Monday, April 7th a meeting was held.

        The Iroquois community held a fundraiser Saturday with co-ed sporting events in the gym.  The money raised will go toward the purchase on an electronic sign that will be placed in town along Highway 14.         

High school students played co-ed volleyball and basketball games.  Cheerleaders in grades 5 through 12 performed between games.  Boys and girls in grades 4 through 6 also played co-ed basketball. 

Concessions were sold.  The IPAT (Iroquois Peer Assistance Team) also sold ice cream sundaes.        

The event raised approximately $1,800. 

An Easter egg hunt was held Saturday, March 22 at the Iroquois School’s gyms.  A total of 35 children and their families attended this fun filled event!  After the eggs were found, the children were given treat bags.  Next they had the opportunity to take part in many fun games.  Drawings were held to give away three large Easter baskets with bunnies.  The winners of the drawings were Emily Hanson, Ashlyn Wipf, and Emily Marshall.  This event was sponsored by the Iroquois Area Community Club and is held annually. 

Goal 1 of Iroquois’ Strategic plan is community enhancement.  Our objectives are to create murals within our community, plant trees and flowers, make park benches, complete the volleyball and horseshoe pits in the park, plan seasonal decorating, complete the electronic sign, and continuous updates of the town’s website.  Committee members planning these projects are: Megan, Marlys, Mary, and Donna. 

On Monday,March 3rd these two groups met and decided to merge into one group. We broke into several committees that will begin the action part of our strategic plan. Different people volunteered for different objectives. we will meet again on Monday, April 7th to see the progress that is being made. Our plan is to meet monthly. If you have not got involved with either group yet, we invite you to come and be a part of an agressive group that wants to improve our town.