Janice Delagrange and John Maloney dance during the Tom Thumb Square Dance Club Demo at the Howard County Fair

It's simply impossible to stump Howard County’s clubs. They have the answers for everyone. Are you a senior citizen who wants to surf the Internet? No problem: PC Seniors. Interested in mountain music? String along with the Appalachian & Old Time Music group. Do your kids want to raise rabbits or bake bread? Try the more than 30 county 4-H clubs. Quilters, hikers, beekeepers, cooks, figure skaters, painters, British Wives and even nudists have their own groups here.

What usually draws people together is a common interest. Clubs developed around hobbies can offer companionship and advice on topics like woodworking, bird-watching, computers, investment, dance, archaeology, sewing, baking and genealogy. Other clubs are more unabashedly social, catering to singles, women or seniors. And the Columbia Ski Club offers more than just fun on the slopes — the members enjoy dances, roller skating parties, bicycling trips and movie outings.

Some clubs have purposes beyond perfecting a craft or finding a mate. Activists band together to protect animals with Animal Advocates, support democracy in the Western Hemisphere with the Howard County Friends of Central America and the Caribbean, or advocate civil rights with the Howard County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Democrats and Republicans meet regularly to stump for their respective candidates and get out the vote. And the Howard County Conservancy works for preservation of some of the area’s remaining farmland.

Along with the traditional service clubs — Rotary, Lions, Jaycees, Kiwanis, Optimists and Soroptimists, for example — Howard County is home to a wide array of community groups that help county residents in need. A Promise to Keep offers training for those who wish to become student mentors. The Therapeutic and Recreational Riding Center offers rehabilitation on horseback for children and adults. Meals on Wheels volunteers bring cheer to homebound people. The Foreign-born Information and Referral Network offers shelter, counseling, English tutoring and support to the county’s growing immigrant population. Homeless, suicidal and at-risk families find shelter, warm meals and clothing at the Grassroots shelter.

If you happen to be among those who need a structure of suste-nance to help you through a difficult time, Howard County has numerous support groups. Among the county’s many self-help organizations are the Columbia Mothers of Multiples; La Leche League, with information and support for breast-feeding mothers; Compassionate Friends, for bereaved parents; and Voices for Children, which aids youngsters involved with the court system.

Parents gather to discuss troubles with teens at self-run support coalitions. The National Family Resiliency Center Inc. holds workshops for adults and children. The Domestic Violence Center offers group counseling for both abused spouses and their abusers. Maryland Special Olympics has a local chapter offering athletic opportunities for the mentally challenged. And Grandparents as Parents assists grandparents dealing with stresses associated with serving as primary caregivers for their grandchildren.

Battling an illness? The county has chapters to help you and your family through cancer, heart disease, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, alcoholism, mental illness and many other debilitating conditions.

For meeting times and other details about numerous organizations, check the calendar listings in the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier newspapers. Or check the phone books; most local organizations are listed in the white pages.