Aegis group planning for annual home tour

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News




Aegis Women’s Group is gearing up again for its annual Christmas Home Tour.

The tour is set for Dec. 7, 1-5 p.m., and is a fund-raiser for Gardendale High School and its four feeder schools.

Aegis’ main purpose is to raise funds for schools. It has two yearly fund-raisers to aid in that mission: The Christmas Home Tour in the winter and Bunco in the spring.

“We provide this money for additional items and supplies that teachers need to educate our children,” said Jennifer Sands Galbreath of Aegis.

Sharon Sultis, marketing officer for Aegis, said one of the club’s main projects is to raise scholarship funds for Gardendale High School students.

In addition, she said, Aegis helps the other schools in the Gardendale feeder pattern, including preparing baskets for all of the teachers.

Another member, Lori Beason, said the reach of Aegis extends beyond the schools.

“We also help with other community needs,” Beason said, such as helping for the North Jefferson Women’s Center with various projects.

One overarching project of Aegis is changing its image.

“In the past it was known as a ladies club,” said Sultis. While Aegis is still women-only, it is becoming known more as a service organization.

“Aegis in the past has had a reputation as kind of a high-society type thing,” said Beason, including the requirement to be nominated for admittance to the club.

“We’ve changed our philosophy on that,” said Beason. “The way it works now, we are encouraging more women to join.”

Aegis has even put ads into newspapers asking for members.

“In the past, you had to be nominated because we wanted to make sure we had hard workers. But there are tons of hard-working girls out there that we just don’t know,” Beason said.

Aegis accepts new members only in August. There are currently about 30 members, according to Beason.

Another fairly new change is the club’s taking on the Christmas Home Tour project.

The tour was formerly handled by the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce and then was defunct for a couple of years until Aegis picked it up about four years ago.

“We just felt like it was something people, and especially women, in this area would really enjoy,” Beason said.

There are four families with host homes for this year’s Christmas Home Tour: Craig and Trey Gamble, Jeff and Cindy Gregg, Ken and Linda Bevis, and David and Dawn Grill.

Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at In Full Bloom, at Merle Norman or from any Aegis member.

No children younger than 10 are allowed on the tour. Children 10 and older must have their own tickets.