21st Century Club, Rockford, OH
By Sheila Baltzell-Linn, Reporter
Meeting 9-29-2026
The first meeting of the new year for Rockford’s 21st Century Club 26-27 was held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at the home of president Julia Henkle. In her beautiful country home setting, members enjoyed an Italian meal of lasagna, garlic bread, salad, prosciutto and artichoke skewers, and a warm apple dumpling with homemade vanilla ice cream out on the patio.
Vice president Melanie Shindeldecker served as co-hostess. After the blessing and meal, members retired into the living room, where Julia called the meeting to order.
Kim Carr filled in for absent secretary Cindy Canary, called the roll, featuring members’ skills at an instrument, and discussed May’s past minutes.
Treasurer Valerie Frizinger gave her report.
Julia then discussed one change officers wanted to make to the Club By-laws. Article 7 section one was voted favorably to change wording to having meetings on the last Tuesday of each meeting month September through May and excluding December.
Also informally discussed was a time limit of 20 minutes for each presenter’s program.
Julia then revealed Musicology as her theme for the club year. Musicology is the academic, scholarly, and scientific study of music as a branch of knowledge, separate from practical performance or composition. All programs this year have been divided into genres and members are free to explore any area of theirs they choose for presentations.
Reggae music was Julia’s presentation featuring a favorite, the late singer-song writer Bob Marley. She and her husband Todd were able to visit his home and museum in Jamaica on a trip several years ago. He was born in a community called Nine Miles (9 minutes from the nearest town of Kingston). His father was a 59 yo soldier and his mom was 18 and raised Bob pretty much alone. He was interested in music even as a child. His first written hit was in 1961 ~ I shot the sheriff. Sung and made famous by Bob Dylan. Fun facts about Marley: His hair under a wrap is an African tradition; he never cut hair; he was in to meditation; Rita Marley was his one and only wife but he had 11 kids with lots of women; a Jamaican revolution caused a raid on his home. Marley and wife were both shot. His manager took bullets for Marley. Jamaica in 1962 got its freedom from England. Marley is buried in a mausoleum near his estate in Jamaica.
The next meeting is Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 7pm at Rockford United Methodist Church Lounge hosted by Donna Bates and Sheila Baltzell-Linn. Sydney Anderson and Twyla Hayes will have the program on R&B, Blues and Soul Music. Bring peanut butter for the food pantry and dues money.
