The guest speaker on Wednesday 7th May was Miss Audrey Hodge talking about a recent visit to her niece in California. Having introduced her family to club members – husband, wife and six children – Audrey spoke in general terms about their lifestyle in Thousand Oaks, a city some 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The children are home schooled – something not uncommon in their community; they follow an approved curriculum and progress is monitored. University education in California is eye-wateringly expensive, as are most things in California when compared to prices in the UK.
During her visit Audrey celebrated “Thanksgiving” with the family and was treated to some unlikely food dishes, one being sweet potato with marshmallow. A highlight of her stay in California was a visit to the Ronald Reagan Library which at the time was hosting an exhibition of Dead Sea Scrolls. These have fascinated Bible scholars since their discovery in 1947. Most of the Old Testament books are present in one form or another, albeit in fragments. One of the most intact scrolls contains a copy of the Ten Commandments. Audrey illustrated her travels with photographs and clearly has some very happy memories of her visit, but for all that she saw and experienced she would not like to live in California.