To have an item listed, mail to the Gazette-Packet, 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314; fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. If you have any questions, call Elizabeth Orr at 703-917-6449.
Mount Vernon Evening Lions. Monthly dinner meeting, at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 19, at Pema's Restaurant, 8430 Richmond Highway, featuring speaker chairperson Lion Glenn Ryburn, who will talk about the Lions Club International Foundation. Guests welcome. For more information, call 703-960-4973.
"Botany in the Washington, D.C. Region: A Historical Overview." A talk by J. Douglas Ripley of the Botanical Society of Washington at the October annual meeting of the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Road. Free. For more information, call 703-534-8179.
Who Built Historic Huntley? Learn about the research conducted by the Fairfax County Park Authority, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 21, at Sherwood Regional Library, 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane. The lecture will follow a short business meeting to elect members of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Historic Huntley for 2004-2005. For more information, call Meadows Park at 703-768-2525.
Granny Squares. The Granny Squares Grandmothers Club of Virginia meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Franconia Governmental Center. The group supports charitable projects for children. For more information, call Beverly Cherkis at 703-971-2326.
Bill Watkins of the Sertoma Club of Alexandria participated in the Naturalization Ceremony at the Alexandria federal courthouse on Sept. 16. He distributed copies of the Declaration of Independence and spoke to the new citizens about the importance of volunteering. For more information on the Sertoma Club, call Lou Fermo at 703-569-2069.
The Oct. 19 meeting of the Mount Vernon Genealogical Society (MVGS) will feature a presentation by Jesse H. Merrell entitled "Celebrating The 400th Anniversary of Jamestown, Virginia." Merrell will present an overview for the national commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the settling of America, which began in 1607 with the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. The meeting is free and open to the public, and will be held at 1 p.m. in the Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, room 112, Alexandria. For more information, visit http://www.mindspring.com/~mvgs or call Harold McClendon at 703-360-0920.
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from 9:30-11:30 a.m., at Plymouth Haven Baptist Church, 8523 Fort Hunt Road. On site babysitting is provided. A ministry to mothers of young children, the group offers fellowship and the opportunity to work on crafts and listen to speakers on a variety of subjects. For more information, call Christy O'Farrell at 703 768-8781 or visit MOPS International at www.MOPS.org.
Bird-Watching Club. Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. Meets once a month. Call 703-765-4573.
Book Discussion Group. Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road. Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month. Call 703-765-4573.
Christian Business Women's Committee. Meets each Wednesday morning at the Royal Restaurant in Old Town. Open to any woman who wants to study faith in the workplace, related struggles, issues and successes. Call Pamela Nilsen at 703-519-4475, or send an e-mail to NilsenP@ppnpf.com.
Engleside Lions Club.The Engleside Lions Club announces the formation of two Leo clubs at the Gum Springs Community Center. The Engleside Lions Leo clubs are open to all ages 12-28. There is an Alpha club for youths 12-17 and an Omega club for those 18-28. For information, call Tom Nally, 703-451-5358 or Dawn Lucas, 703-921-0482.
Greenlight Toastmasters of Old Town. Meets at the Mount Vernon Rec Center, 2701 Commonwealth Ave., at 7 p.m., the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Prospective members are always welcome. Call 703-836-3073.
MOMS Club of Alexandria. Meets the last Tuesday of every month. 10 a.m. Fairlington Presbyterian Church, 3846 King St. Club is open to moms living in Alexandria. Call 703-234-3953, Ext. 5318.