The 114th–annual Alabama Federation of Women’s Clubs State Convention was held April 16-19 at the Wynfrey in Hoover.

The convention rotates among the seven districts of Alabama and comes to Birmingham every seven years. This year the 20 clubs in the Third District of Jefferson and Shelby Counties hosted the event.

The clubs were grouped to host a meal during the convention. The three federated clubs of Columbiana were responsible for the Saturday Night Awards Banquet, the first time they ever tackled this task. Clubwomen from Columbiana Culture Club, Novella Club of Columbiana, and the Vignette Club came together to create a spectacular night.

Honorary Vignette Janice Falkner and Vignette Rachel Fowler developed the table designs using clubwomen’s silver pitchers and teapots as flower vases on a square mirror topped with Falkner’s cream linen napkins edged with pink. Clubwomen loaned silver and crystal candlesticks, which held tall, black candles donated by Fowler.

Neville Peacock of Pelham came up with the idea of a CD called Heart Music to go along with AFWC President Jane Wright theme, Promoting Healthy Hearts, Volunteers the Heart of the Matter. Culture’s Beverly Hall chose the songs, all with heart in the title, and the School of Technology made the CD’s as a school project. Vignette Stephanie Dikis designed the CD cover that the Vignettes made at their March meeting.

Linda Cook of Busy Hands donated her time to make 130 pink hearts that were tied to the back of each chair with a black ribbon wrapped with cream tulle. Dikis also designed a Shepard’s hook bookmark embellished with hearts that was placed on each napkin. Susan Conn of Main Street Flowers provided the gorgeous pink roses. The white hydrangeas were cut by Vignettes Dolores Jones, Barbara Robinson and Falkner from her father-in-law’s Buck Falkner’s garden.

Eight door prizes were donated or handmade by the three clubs including a beautiful ceramic pottery bowl made by Dikis, a stunning vine wreathe made by Novella’s Peggy Wood, and a exquisite painting by Novella’s artist Bonnie Atchison.

The head table was stunning with two five-prong silver candelabra and vases filled with pink roses. Peacock, Hall, Culture Club President Judy Quick, Falkner, Vignette President Phyllis French, Vignettes Barbara Robinson, Carol Hill, Donna Morris, Laura Tatum and Novella’s Atchison and Wood decorated the banquet.

AFWC Past Presidents commented that it was the most beautiful banquet ever at a state convention, and the Wynfrey Hotel said it was one of the most stunning events ever held at the hotel. It may take a village to raise a child, but it took a town to create a spectacular night for all who attended.