April 2015 - Chesapeake District Civitan We ARE the KEY

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T

HE

C

HESAPEAKE

P

ILOT

T HE D ISTRICT N EWSLETTER

V OLUME 45, I SSUE 3

A PRIL 2015

In This Issue:

 Governor’s Comments

 Governor-elect’s Comments

 Scholarship Report

 Training Info

 FUNdraising

 Civitan’s Children

 Junior Civitan Report

 Fellows Info

 Karaoke Buddies

 New Calling?

 District Liaison Report

 Candy/Coin Box Report

 Fruitcake Report

 International Update

 Foundation & Grants

 OBI Bell Choir

 Civitan Losses

 Convention Registration

 What are we up to?

 2014-2015 Officers &

Committee Chairs

C HESAPEAKE E LECTED O FFICERS :

G OVERNOR

Morris Hudgins

Club: Hopewell-Prince George

W: 804. 919.4246

H: 804. 732.7983 morris.hudgins@yahoo.com

I MMEDIATE P AST G OVERNOR

Sue Hepworth

Club: Glen Burnie

C: 410.733.3768 sue@provine.com

G OVERNOR ELECT

Linda Hadley

Club: Tysons

C:703.304.5555 lahadley17@gmail.com

V

ISIT OUR

W

EBSITES

: chesapeakedistrict.org civitan.com

Second Quarter Growth Continues!!!

TEAM CHESAPEAKE,

You are making it happen and making me Civitan

Happy. The Chesapeake District is only one of seven

Districts at Civitan International that has positive growth. We need to continue this growth and make it a priority to recruit new members this quarter. We need as many officers as possible at both the District and the Club level to “Lead by Example” and sponsor a new member. Let’s show everyone in the Civitan World what the

Chesapeake District is about. Members of the Chesapeake District, “Ask someone to join Civitan today”. Remember that they can’t say yes if you don’t ask them. You can still win the incentives being given out through the District and International.

Can you believe half of this Civitan year is over? It’s been a slow start towards achieving our goals of chartering clubs for the District, but HOLD ON because during the second half of the year… WE ARE GOING TO ROLL!!!!

I would like to acknowledge each person that has stepped up and committed themselves to a position on the Club Building or Development Team:

Westminster Civitan Club

Nancy Shaffer, Pat Koepsel, Bob Shaffer

Colonial Heights Professionals Civitan Club

Bonnie Hudgins, Bill Rayfield, Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer

YP Club of Colonial Heights

Bonnie Hudgins, Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer

Lynchburg Civitan Club

John Markey, Charlie Ellis, Patricia Koepsel, Bob Shaffer

Petersburg Professionals Civitan Club

Yvonne Coleman, Ed Coleman, Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer

YP Club of Virginia Beach

Jonathan Iles, Ben Dodge, David Shirk, Kendra Wormley,

Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer

Culpeper Civitan Club

Dee Leonard, Patricia Koepsel, Linda Hadley, Morris Hudgins,

Bob Shaffer

*(Possible Future Club) Winchester/Berryville Civitan Club

Larry Payne, Crystal Payne, Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer

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(Governor’s comments continued)

The District has the potential in chartering EIGHT New Clubs in the second half of the year!!! If you have any leads to individuals that may be interested in joining our Civitan family, please contact me or one of the individuals above with the information.

Kudos to Jo Ann O’Toole for another GREAT Spring District Meeting. Congratulations to Betty

Anderson on receiving her Club Building Jacket for Smith Mountain Lake . If you were able to attend the dinner on Saturday night you were in for a treat. The District was blessed to have the cheerleading team “Eye of the Storm” to perform for us. They are special needs individuals that perform in competition and have won numerous trophies. If that doesn’t inspire you for what we do as Civitans and who we help, nothing will.

Speaking of the District Meeting, I appreciate all the clubs that turned in their monthly progressive

Honor Club Applications. By looking at them, your clubs are working hard to qualify for the distinguished award of being an “Honor Club.” For some clubs it’s just the one plus member to get you to

Honors. The District is on track to having an increase in Honor Awards for this year. Get with your Area

Director and let them assist you in achieving this award.

We only have 2.5 months before the International Convention in St. Louis . Check out www.Civitan.org for more information. Also, our District Convention will be at the Holiday Inn

Harrisburg-East on August 28-30 with International President-Elect Debbie Bruce-Juhlke installing officers.

Let’s have a GREAT turnout for both events!!!

Last but not Least, at this year’s District Convention in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania I am lining up a District Project that we can all do. It will be emergency care packages for Women’s Shelters or canned food for their local food pantry. As time gets closer I will send out an email on additional Information.

I am Civitan Happy!

Morris Hudgins

2014-2015 Governor

D

ISTRICT

F

UNDRAISER

By Governor Morris Hudgins

TEAM CHESAPEAKE GET ON BOARD!!!

This year for a District Fundraiser, we will be raffling off (2) tickets in turn 1 to the Richmond NASCAR Race on September

12 th at Richmond International Raceway. Each Club President received 10 books at the Spring District Meeting. This is a win..win

fundraiser for the District and clubs. Each ticket cost

$10 and 50% goes to the club and 50% goes to the District . $10 for 2 tickets and a snack pack the day of the race these tickets ought to go like hotcakes!!! This is an easy fundraiser for your club and the District. If more books of tickets are needed contact me. The drawing will be at the District Convention in August.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!

G

OVERNOR

-

ELECT

G

REETINGS

By Linda Hadley, 2014-2015 Governor-elect

Hello Team Chesapeake!

I was delighted to see so many of you at the March District meeting at Dulles, VA. What a unique opportunity to hear Dr. Harald Sontheimer and Dr. Brian Sims speak about the wonderful research that is taking place at the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC). Both doctors also spent time relaxing in the hospitality room where Civitans had the chance to ask questions about the latest developments at CIRC. Everyone in our district should be proud to know that we are making a difference in the search for cures for many devastating conditions and diseases.

We were also treated at the Saturday night banquet, to a an inspirational performance from the special needs award winning cheerleading group Eye of the Storm. What a privilege to experience their joy in performing. Their smiles were infectious.

At the August District convention in Harrisburg, PA, we will be honored with a visit from 2015-2016

Civitan International President Debbie Bruce-Juhlke. Debbie will be sharing her theme for the 2015-

2016 Civitan year, as well as installing our new slate of officers and directors. August will be a prime opportunity to talk to Debbie, to ask her questions, and to discuss the future of Civitan.

July brings the annual Civitan International convention located this year in St. Louis, MO. The Civitan

International staff has many interesting educational and social sessions planned for us. Come mingle with your fellow Civitans from different parts of the world and trade fundraising ideas, fruitcake recipes, district pins, and while you’re in town, try some famous St. Louis fried ravioli!

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ABRAMS TAX AGENCY

J

ACQUELINE

M. A

BRAMS

R EGISTERED T AX P RACTIONER

● Preparing tax returns since 1977

● Will prepare your tax returns professionally all year long and save you time and frustration.

● Flexible hours

● Available 7 days a week

703.276.0949

F AIRFAX C IVITANS

P ROVIDING SERVICES TO THE

COMMUNITY AND TO INDIVIDUALS

WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES SINCE

1962

Don’t forget the

District Book Sale

on August 28-29th in Harrisburg, PA at the

Holiday Inn Harrisburg East. Bring all of your gently used books and buy replacements!

2015 S

CHOLARSHIP

R

EPORT

By David Shirk, 2014-2015 Scholarship Chair

By the time this edition of the Pilot is published, letters will have been mailed to all recipients of the Fellows/Dalfonzo/John Cain scholarships for the 2015-2016 school year. Copies will also be mailed to the sponsoring club presidents. Scholarship recipients will be instructed, and PLEASE REMIND THEM as your scholarship nominees, to inform me at least four weeks prior to their payment deadlines where to mail the checks and their school account numbers in order that they receive accurate credit towards their tuition.

Below, you will find a list of winners for the coming year. One half will be paid to their respective campuses by August 7, 2015, and the balance will be paid by December 4th. Any funds not claimed and requested for payment by August 15 th will be null and void. No funds can be paid directly to the students. This year we had 15 applications submitted from 8 clubs, and there were 4 students who shared a total of $12,000. As clubs continue to support the Fellows program and our memorial scholarship funds, we will be able to support more students.

There were a large number of disqualified applicants due to the club’s scholarship chair only sending me one copy of the scholarship application. Other applicants were disqualified for missing SAT scores, and no official transcripts. Clubs need to carefully screen these applications prior to sending them to me for District committee judging, because when anything is missing, your candidate(s) will not qualify for an award.

The District Board of Directors revised the policy at their March 2015 meeting regarding awards to read that our Committee may now grant awards in $1,000 increments from $1,000 to $5,000 as situations warrant. Thanks to all clubs who actively supported this program.

NAME

Cadwell, Andrew

Monzon, Eliseo

CLUB

Peninsula

Norfolk

Ramsey, Leonard Norfolk

Evanisko-Long, Tatianna Martinsburg

AMOUNT

$3,000

$3,000

$3,000

$3,000

SOURCE

Fellows

Fellows

Fellows

John Cain

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C IVITAN C LUB OF B ALTIMORE

P IONEERS IN

S

ERVICE TO

C

ITIZENS

WITH D EVELOPMENTAL

D

ISABILITIES

~

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INCE

M

ARCH

11, 1921

K

ENNETH

D

OUGLAS

P

OTTER

R. D

EVEREUX

S

LINGLUFF

E

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(T

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) R

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R EPRESENTING

L

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S

ECURITIES

I

NCORPORATED

401 W ASHINGTON A VE , S UITE 402

B ALTIMORE , MD 21204-4805

410.825.5500

800.859.2663

M EMBERS FINRA AND SIPC

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T

RAINING

R

EPORT

Joe O’Toole, 2014 -2016 Training Coordinator

As of the final report from Civitan International, All clubs were certified for the 2013-

2014 Civitan year. This means 100% of the clubs in our District were certified.

I would encourage clubs to have elections for 2015-2016 in beginning of May. This will allow presidents and president-elects time to plan their training strategy. Training for the

Chesapeake district will be held June 20, 2015 in Dulles VA. Times and location will follow. There are also 27 other training dates and locations across the country between June 6 th and August 29 th . Training will also be offered at the International meeting in St Louis but is limited to a maximum of 80 participants.

Promotional mailings for the geographical training program are being mailed to all club presidents, presidents-elect, secretaries and district officers, beginning March 2015. Mailings will continue each month and include general information, training locations and dates, meeting information, frequently asked questions and testimonies from training participants.

Although most registration information is sent in by snail mail, registration forms and meeting information will be available online within the next few weeks. Participants can register by email or fax only if payment is received by credit card.

International is in the midst of developing a new online education program for Secretaries and Treasurers and YP Presidents and Presidents-Elect. New videos, power point presentations and certification tests should be available no later than May 2015. This is an exciting addition to the Leadership Workshop sessions International offers throughout the summer.

Being a certified club is one part of a “good standing” eligibility with Civitan International which provides the eligibility for:

● Having a vote at the International Convention

If any member of the District would like any details of the training status of your club, feel free to contact me.

● Having a vote at the District Convention

● Reaching Honor Club Status and other competitive awards

Keep in mind that club officer training does not stop with the geographical training session. I urge you to attend all workshops and training sessions offered by Civitan International and or the Chesapeake District. Keep an eye on the Civitan Magazine and your email from International regarding upcoming programs. Take the time to browse the Civitan website. There is a lot of information available that could make short programs for your club meetings.

I am always available for questions or concerns. Thank you for allowing me to continue as training coordinator again this year.

S

UBMMITTING

N

EW

M

EMBER

I

NFO TO

C

IVITAN

I

NTERNATIONAL

Please make sure that when you are submitting the new member forms to International that you are including your new members’ email addresses. The District communicates electronically, and if we do not have your members’ email addresses, then we cannot communicate with them.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

FUN

DRAISING

R

EPORT

By Sheila Zinn, 2014-2015 Fundraising Chair

I write this after yet another successful Civitan weekend convention. Many thanks to those who participated in any way with the Book Sale and Bingo, together we raised about $350.

Now looking ahead to the August District Convention in Harrisburg, PA, the Book Sale and

Bingo will continue. So please gather books for us to sell. And could I ask that each club bring a Bingo Prize? Perhaps you know someone who sells Pampered Chef,

Scentsy, Mary Kay, Celebrate Home, Avon, etc.

Or do you know someone who makes and sells quality craft items? Could you ask them for a donation for our Bingo?

Each club received raffle tickets for the

Richmond Nascar ticket raffle at our meeting in

Dulles. This fundraiser will benefit both the district and your club. Please sell these tickets!!

Only $10 to win 2 tickets and a snack pack to the race which runs September 12, 2015. The winner will be drawn at the August meeting.

On a final note, we have a new fundraiser idea,

Civitan Coffee. Coffee samples were distributed at the meeting in Dulles. More to come on this project.

I am open to any other fundraising ideas and suggestions that you may have. Please contact me at flamingogoddess5@yahoo.com

or

410-599-3818 .

I am Civitan Happy!

U

PCOMING

2015-2016

M

EETING

R

EMINDERS

:

International Convention

July 12-15, 2015

Renaissance St. Louis

Grand Hotel

St. Louis, MO

District Convention

August 28th - 30th, 2015

Holiday Inn

Harrisburg-East (Airport Area)

Harrisburg, PA

District Meeting

November 13th - 15th, 2015

Westin Washington Dulles

Herndon, VA

District Meeting

April 15th - 17th, 2016

Hilton Garden Inn

Fredericksburg, VA

District Convention

August 19th - 21st, 2016

Great Wolf Lodge

Williamsburg, VA

Visit www.chesapeakedistrict.org for more information.

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P

ILOT

S

UBMISSIONS

Have an article to share? Photos? News about your club? Want to place an ad?

Please contact Linda Hadley, Pilot Editor, at civitanpilot@gmail.com

or 703.304.5555.

All submissions for the July 2015 Pilot are due by Monday, June 15th.

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C

IVITAN

S

C

HILDREN

By Sue Hepworth, Immediate Past Governor

The Norfolk Civitan Club was the first club to sponsor a local project with the help of

Foundation funds. They purchased property for a summer day camp for developmentally disabled children. Other clubs in the Tidewater area of Virginia joined in to participate and, from that small beginning, Camp Civitan was born.

Through the years the camp has grown with the addition of lodges and a pool. Several times Foundation funds were requested and the camp updated. The name was eventually changed to Civitan Acres and with additional facilities, was used year round.

This first camp was so successful that it inspired other local Civitan Clubs in the Chesapeake District to purchase land for camps or to start offering summer camp scholarships to developmentally disabled adults and children.

Civitans sprang into action. Grants from the Foundation, along with matching funds from the clubs, have funded building and operating workshops for the disabled, been used for purchasing playground equipment adapted for use by wheelchair bound children and other disabilities, and for the purchase of buses and vans for special schools, along with many other projects.

Recent research into the benefits of therapeutic horseback riding has lead many District Clubs to obtain Foundation grants to assist riding programs in purchasing saddles and other equipment that have been adapted for use by the disabled. At the Foundation Meeting in March, two clubs were given grants; the Frederick Club is assisting with the purchase of riding equipment and the Warrenton Club received funds for special needs play ground equipment being installed at their local riding camp.

Another recent trend in entertainment and therapy is Karaoke parties for the developmentally disabled.

The Frederick Club is one of several clubs that has a monthly Karaoke party and they received a grant for the purchase of tables for the many many participants to enjoy a meal as they dance and sing.

The Baltimore Club used their recent grant funds to purchase generators for several homes in their area. This will allow continuous power for their disabled residents in case of power outages.

The Chesapeake District Clubs, with the help of grants from the Foundation, are making great strides in expanding public awareness and improving the lives of the developmentally disabled.

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GLEN BURNIE CIVITAN CLUB

P ROUDLY SUPPORTING THE

F ELLOWS PROGRAM WITH OVER 35

F ELLOWS . W E CHALLENGE EACH

C HESAPEAKE D ISTRICT C LUB TO

HONOR SOMEONE WITH A

D ISTRICT F ELLOW THIS YEAR !

A

RE YOU ON

F

ACEBOOK

?

Come check out the Chesapeake District Civitan page at: www.facebook.com/chesapeakedistrict and click “Like” for exciting, up to the minute news about your fellow Civitans.

It will make you Civitan Happy!

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J

UNIOR

C

IVITAN

R

EPORT

By Carmen Gorby, 2014-2015 Junior Civitan Chair

April marks the beginning of the fourth quarter for Junior Civitans. In case you are not aware, the Junior Civitan fiscal year is July 1 – June 30 to mirror a school year. This is different than the adult clubs’ fiscal year which is October 1 – September 30. Why is this important to you and your club? If your club donates to Sno Do and/or Dance-A-Thon and you have not yet sent in your donation , in order for your club’s contribution(s) to count toward your 2014 -2015 Honor Club application, they must be received by International before June 30 th . Contributions received July 1 or after will count toward your next year’s Honor Club application (2015-2016). Of course, it is always best to send donations in before their due dates in December and February so that they count toward our district representative’s fundraising totals to qualify for the events. As of February, Darya Tahan, our Junior Governor, raised $1,470 for Sno Do (held in January) and $1,225 toward Dance-A-Thon (held in March).

Thank you to all who contributed! Unfortunately, due to her exam schedule, Darya was not able to attend Sno Do and the last storm in March prevented her from traveling to Myrtle Beach to enjoy Dance-

A-Thon.

As we enter our fourth quarter, we have two clubs who will be chartering in April. Waynesboro High

School, sponsored by the Waynesboro Civitan Club, and James Madison High School, co-sponsored by the Fairfax and Tysons Civitan Clubs. Be on the lookout for their specific charter info to be announced soon. Thank you to Crystal Payne, who has been instrumental in forming the Junior Waynesboro club, and her efforts reaching out to the students who attended the Leaders in Freedom conference.

Attending the Junior Civitan International Convention is probably the easiest and most effective way for any junior member to become immediately involved and submerged in not only their school club, but at the district and international levels. This year’s convention is June 25 th – 28 th in Orlando. It is my goal to have an elected Governor and PRC attend Convention with me this year. Of course, I would love for all our District Officers and our incoming club Presidents to join us every year. If you sponsor a Junior

Club, I encourage you to budget some money to help off-set the cost of registration and travel for your incoming club president. If you do not currently sponsor a club, I ask you to look at your budget and make a donation to the district to help us send as many students as possible on an annual basis.

Please contact me directly to discuss. Some fundraisers are also in the works to help with costs for this year. Be on the look-out for more information and please encourage all your members, friends, family, and social networks to participate!

I love to talk about Junior Civitan, and I am available to speak to your club about the possibility of starting a club in your area or helping you if you currently sponsor a club. Please contact me and let’s get it scheduled!

As I reflect on our year so far, I am happy with what we have accomplished, even though it has been slower than I anticipated and hoped. We have been laying the ground-work to restore the Chesapeake

Junior District to a viable, strong and competitive entity. I am excited about our new clubs that have and/or will be joining our District this year. They bring with them an energy and enthusiasm that convinces me that we will be back on top soon.

Visit and “Like” the Junior Civitan Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Junior-Civitan-

Chesapeake-District/147853948631865

G REATER R ICHMOND C IVITAN C LUB

C ELELBRATING 92 Y EARS IN 2015

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11

C

HESAPEAKE

D

ISTRICT

F

ELLOWS

The Chesapeake District Fellows is a program designed to honor a citizen (or citizens) who your club chooses (honorees do not need to be members of Civitan) as Fellows. A presentation of your nominated Fellow will be made at the District meeting of your choice as long as it is more than 30 days from receipt of all materials/funds.

A plate will be added to our Fellows plaques, and a club banner patch will be presented to the sponsoring club. A framed certificate and lapel pin will also be presented to each Fellow. A page will be added to the District Fellows book with a short biography and portrait style photo of the honoree.

Each Fellow you wish to present must have at least a $500.00 honorarium made to the District. All of the funds received will be deposited into an endowment, the interest from which funds our District scholarships. We encourage your club to support the Fellows program enthusiastically.

All Fellows nominations are to be RECEIVED BY JULY 28TH . NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

Materials required are:

 Check made payable to Chesapeake District Civitan in the amount of $500.00 or more.

 A biography which, with the photo, will fit on one 8X10 sheet of paper. Concentrate on

Civitan activities.

 A photo (portrait style) of the person being honored.

 Again, all materials, including checks, are to be sent to David Shirk- NO ONE else!

Please mail all information to:

David Shirk

1200 Spotswood Ave.

Norfolk, VA 23507-1238

757.622.6170 (Home)

757.622.1133 (Fax)

DFS4WINDS@AOL.COM (Mention Civitan in the Subject Line)

All materials must be received NO LESS THAN 30 days prior to the presentation.

F REDERICK C IVITAN C LUB

T AKING THE “ DIS ” OUT OF DISABILITIES

SINCE 1947!

C IVITAN C LUB OF N ORFOLK

A LWAYS HAPPY TO BE C IVITANS

P ENINSULA C IVITAN C LUB

D EDICATED C IVITANS S ERVING THE

V IRGINIA P ENINSULA

G REATER L OUDOUN C IVITAN C LUB

W E MAKE OTHERS C IVITAN H APPY !

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By CAMILLE KIME, President, Karaoke Buddies

Karaoke Buddies was born in August 2010, with approximately 20 individuals with disabilities attending the event. It has now evolved to as many as 463 people. Karaoke Buddies is a non-profit organization servicing individuals with disabilities in Frederick County Taylor and the surrounding areas. We are an all-volunteer service organization, where individuals with disabilities are given a safe social setting to gather with their friends where they can have a good meal, sing, dance, and interact with their peers. This is a place where no one is judged on how they sing or who they are. They are with people who love them and who are happy that they are there.

This monthly event is held at the First Baptist Church of Frederick in Frederick, Maryland. This is a permanent location that is convenient for everyone, has lots of parking, is handicap accessible and has a hall that holds over 800 people. The event requires cooking a large amount of food, setup of tables and chairs the day of the event, food service, management throughout the evening with attendees, overseeing the actual singing and dancing, keeping the building hall clean, and a thorough cleanup after the event to include hall, restrooms, kitchen, foyer, and breaking down of tables and chairs.

Civitan first became involved through the Karaoke Buddies founder and president, Camille Kime. She suggested to the Civitan Club of Frederick that they adopt this event as one of their monthly projects. The Civitan name is placed on every flyer and over 80% of its members participate.

They come in all sizes:

Bella & Max

Frederick Civitan members serve on the Board (Debbie Green,

Lisa Owens, Martin Jones,

Nancy Comfort, Taylor Kime, and Camille Kime). Karaoke

Buddies is well supervised. This

Volunteers left to right: Melissa, Dave, Erika, Deani, Ashley, Bella project has provided the biggest opportunity for our members to volunteer within the community.

Many hours are spent on this event, but it is truly a labor of love. You never hear a complaint from anyone. It is a joyful, heartwarming task to fulfill for these special individuals. It is so rewarding to see their big smiles light up on their faces and their excitement is contagious.

13

(Karaoke Buddies continued)

Once the event begins each month, Civitan members provide encouragement to individuals with disabilities who wish to sing and dance, and provide assistance when needed or desired by a participant. It is so heartwarming to see their excited faces as they enter the building for the event. There is an indescribable feeling in your heart when they take the microphone to sing. Many of these individuals do not often speak, but given the opportunity to sing, the voice of an angel comes out. Our motto is: “When Words Are Silent, Music Speaks.” You are truly witnessing something wonderful. Children and adults with disabilities have a great desire for social interaction and their number one desire is to make friends and keep them. Karaoke Buddies is the monthly highlight for these children and adults with disabilities. The day after the karaoke, they are asking how long before the next one. This event is the most wonderful social gathering for these individuals that has ever happened in this community. Ask them – they will tell you “YES.” Karaoke Buddies helps individuals with disabilities feel pride, happiness, accomplishment, and most of all they learn they can succeed in a social setting.

There are several members of the Civitan Club of Frederick who have children, grandchildren, siblings and other relatives who are disabled and six members of the Club have disabilities and attend Karaoke

Buddies as participants and helpers. Members of the Frederick Club have first-hand knowledge of living with an individual with a disability, and the impact a social activity such as Karaoke Buddies can have on them. It allows respite for a home caregiver to receive outside help for a brief time and allows the person with the disability to participate in a social event, feel good about him/ herself, and meet new friends (which is such an important factor for children and adults with disabilities). Civitan parents, grandparents, sib-

Corey & Megan lings, and other relatives serve as volunteers for

Karaoke Buddies.

Karaoke Buddies attendance extends to the

States of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and

Pennsylvania. The Karaoke Buddies flyer is sent each month to over a thousand individuals, organizations, and corporations. The flyer is posted throughout the community in many box stores, drug stores, restaurants, clothes stores, Mom & Pop stores, and banks. The local radio station makes announcements about this event. Our local County Commissioners show support for Karaoke Buddies. Our local paper, the Frederick News Post has written articles on Karaoke Buddies and placed many pictures and articles in the newspaper. This past year the newspaper featured Civitan member, Taylor Kime, in a full blown, front page article.

Karaoke Buddies has helped raise awareness throughout the Frederick area for all organizations for the disabled and has shown the community that Civitan has a real commitment to community growth and development and we care tremendously about individuals with disabilities. The benefits of Karaoke Buddies to the disabled community far exceed the investment of money, energy, and time to put it on; the memories last forever.

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(Karaoke Buddies continued)

The identity and visibility of the Civitan Club of Frederick is enhanced by their many volunteers and by hanging the Frederick Civitan Club banner on the wall during each Karaoke Buddies event. This very successful endeavor has become a central event for all sectors of the Frederick disabled community.

The Frederick Club strives to be able to continue Karaoke Buddies for years to come.

The success of Karaoke Buddies is owed in part to the Foundation for Children with Intellectual and

Developmental Disabilities by providing funds through their grants program. Karaoke Buddies is striving to eventually run on its own through local fundraising. We are extremely thankful for what the Foundation has done for our program.

The event costs about $1000 per month to hold. Karaoke Buddies holds numerous fundraising events each year, holding a golf tournament, a spaghetti dinner/silent auction, restaurant raffles, as well as receiving support from Civitan’s Foundation for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through their grants program. Anyone wishing to help continue this event for these wonderful individuals with disabilities, is welcome to make a donation. Please send a check made out to “Karaoke

Buddies” to Camille Kime, 4 Mae Way, Thurmont, MD 21788.

For questions or more information, please contact Camille at email: gegecamille@aol.com

, or call

301-639-5844 .

S

HOULD

A

NIMALS

B

E

O

UR

N

EW

A

DDITIONAL

C

ALLING

?

By David Shirk

As we wrestle with declining membership, one of the questions we should ask is "Are we appealing to a variety of interests and people?" While we should continue to focus on the projects we hold dear, we should take note that many members of our community do not have the disabled as a focus of their attention and indeed may be uncomfortable participating in direct interaction with disabled people.

If we want to capture more members, we need to look at other areas to include in our list of projects that will appeal to a greater variety of potential members. I happen to think that helping our animals have a caring life would appeal to many people in our community. We know that over 60% of the households in this country have pets which tells us that the interest is there. We also see many news reports of abused animals. The ASPCA and our local SPCAs need our help both in terms of financial and material donations. They even want old newspapers, and you can guess why. They are constantly in need of old linens to keep those in their care warm. They also work on a very limited budget which in some areas requires them to euthanize these cute little creatures. They would be happy to have our club members work one day a week, or one day a month, to help with the care of the animals as well as other duties which must be performed. The shelters often have weekend adoption promotions and welcome help in staffing at those times--- even if it’s just manning a table.

The Norfolk Club recently had a speaker from the SPCA who has welcomed and encouraged our club members’ participation. I think that if more clubs could explore this option, membership may be an easier task to address while at the same time nurturing the animals in the care of municipal agencies.

Aiding animals might also be an excellent joint project for our junior and senior clubs to work on together.

It’s time to think outside the (litter) box when it comes to service projects and recruiting new members.

D

ISTRICT

L

IAISON

R

EPORT

By Joe O’Toole

2014-2015 District Liaison

President’s Council – As of the month ending

February 2015, there are currently 37 Active President’s Council Members out of 878 Civitans in the

Chesapeake District. I have President’s Council pins and would love to sign up new members today.

Civitans at the Helm – There has been $1,262.43 donated through the month of February 2015. The donations came from 7 of our 27 clubs (26% participation). At this point one club has earned an award and that club is the Thomas Jefferson club of Charlottesville VA. Congratulations Thomas Jefferson Club! It is early in the Civitan year for these contributions and I want to remind you all of the challenge that our Governor Morris Hudgins made in advance of his year. If each club matches or surpasses last year’s donations to Civitans at the

Helm, he will dress like a woman and walk across the stage at the Norfolk International meeting in

2016. Let’s go Team Chesapeake!

Coin and Candy Box – Coin and Candy boxes are part of the Liaison duties. I will just give a brief report as I’m sure more information will be given by the coin and candy box chair person. Through the first five months of this Civitan year, there was

$3,520.29 worth of candy purchased and

$6,132.60 submitted to International. Fifteen clubs participate in the candy box program. There were

$1,288.22 total coin box collections through the first five months of the year with thirteen clubs submitting funds so far. This is an increase of club participation over last year. There were eleven clubs who sent coin box money to International last year.

This concludes my report but if there are any specific questions you may have, please contact me.

Jotoole2@comcast.net

15

C

HESAPEAKE

D

ISTRICT

C

ANDY

/ C

OIN

B

OX

R

EPORT

By Ginger Malone

2014-2015 Candy/Coin Box Chair

Four clubs in the Chesapeake District earned banner patches for exemplary management of their Candy Box Project during 2013 – 2014:

Gold Achievement Roanoke

Gold Achievement Tysons

Silver Achievement Norfolk

Bronze Achievement Chester

Which clubs are going to get a banner patch at the District meeting next year?

It’s not too late to get started!

October 2014 through February 2015 Candy

Box Report:

Total spent for candy by the Chesapeake District is $3,520.29

Total received by Chesapeake District is

$6,132.60.

Top 3 clubs for candy box during this time period:

1

2 st nd

3 rd

Roanoke $3,428.52

Tysons

Norfolk

$1,241.69

$676.86

October 2014 through February 2015 Coin

Box Report:

The total proceeds sent to International for this time period was $1288.22

Top 3 clubs for coin box during this time period:

1 st Hopewell-Prince George $ 530.00

2

3 nd rd

Catoctin Area Civitan

Anne Arundel Ladies

$ 209.60

$ 170.50

A NNE A RUNDEL L ADIES C IVITAN C LUB

C ELEBRATING O UR S ERVICE TO THE C OMMUNITY

C IVITAN C LUB OF T YSONS

C ELEBRATING O VER 30 Y EARS

S

ERVING THE

C

OMMUNITY

S INCE 1984

F

RUITCAKE

R

EPORT

By Morris Hudgins

2014-2015 Fruitcake Chair

International

Total sales for 2014 were 929,959 pounds. That’s an increase of 3.7% over 2013. The chain partners had increased purchases and some had large increases, such as Publix and Food Lion. In addition, we were able to add Kroger in Cincinnati and Hannaford in Maine.

Supermarket companies continue to consolidate.

Last year Kroger bought Harris Teeter and now is looking to purchase a company in Florida. International will be looking for an increase again this year but only in the 2% range.

District

Attention all clubs: please be aware that there will again be a price increase for fruitcake this year.

Claxton has notified us of an increase of .02 cents per pound. The price for 2015 will then be $2.57 per pound. If you purchase the 48 pound shipper/ display, this will be an additional .08 cents per pound for a total of $2.65 per pound.

Please plan accordingly!!!

The Chesapeake District was #1 in International for Fruitcake Sales in 2014!!!!!

 112,556 pounds — Chesapeake District

 94,724 pounds — Georgia District

 84,494 pounds — North Carolina West

 67,512 pounds — North Carolina East

 42,000 pounds — Florida

7 clubs had increases over last year & added 816 pounds to the District total: Fairfax, Frederick,

Greater Richmond, Norfolk, Peninsula, Tysons, &

Waynesboro

14 clubs (50% of the clubs in the District) participated this year. 11 clubs participated in 2013

Congratulations to Fruitcake Chair Joe O’Toole of the Waynesboro Civitan Club for winning the gift certificate to Ruth Chris Steakhouse for that club’s increase in fruitcake sales!!!

ANNAPOLIS CIVITAN

CLUB #177

F OUNDED 1926

E LKS L ODGE

M

EETS

1

ST

& 3

RD

T

HURSDAY OF

EACH MONTH

THE HOPEWELL-PRINCE

GEORGE CIVITAN CLUB IS

K EEPING OUR COMMUNITIES

HAPPY

WITH AN INCLUSIVE

PLAYGROUND AND BY WORKING

WITH THE S UPER K IDS .

F RIENDSHIP C LUB

A “S PECIAL ” C LUB D OING

“S PECIAL ” T HINGS .

H OME OF THE

F RIENDSHIP

R INGERS

C IVITAN C LUB OF A RLINGTON

G ARAGE S ALE

1 ST S ATURDAY OF EACH MONTH

FROM 7 AM TO 1:30 PM

A PRIL THRU N OVEMBER

F OR INFORMATION CALL

703.473.7245

16

17

I

NTERNATIONAL

U

PDATE AS OF

F

EBRUARY

2015

By Joe O’Toole, International Director, Region 4

The International Board of Directors met in St Louis, Missouri, February 25-26, 2015.

The purpose of having the board meeting in St Louis was twofold. First, it gave the board a chance to experience the Renaissance St Louis Grand Hotel, the site of the upcoming 2015 International Convention. The second reason was to spend time with all

District Governors who would come for a two day meeting that was held just after the board meeting.

The Renaissance Grand is a beautiful 21 floor hotel in downtown St Louis. It is currently going through a thirty-million dollar renovation that will be complete in May 2015, just two months before our International

Convention. The hotel has 917 guestrooms, a stunning lobby great room, an expanded health club, increased meeting space, and a re-designed Club Lounge. The guestrooms feature 47” high-definition

TV’s with increased technology along with a refrigerator. At the conclusion of the renovations, the hotel will be unveiling a new brand and name, becoming the Marriott St. Louis Grand. I hope this does not cause any confusion for our attendees.

There was time after our two day BOD meeting to meet with all District Governors who were in town for their update. Our time together included a reception and later dinner and bowling as one group. It worked out to be very beneficial to spend time with the Governors.

Some of the highlights of the board meeting included:

● Membership survey - A survey will be conducted with survey monkey to gather information from all of Civitan international. Civitan International is in possession of 12,000 plus e-mails and the goal is to survey 4 to 5 thousand. A random selection of every third e-mail will be selected for the survey.

● Capital Campaign – two hundred fifty thousand dollars was approved for a remodel of the Civitan international property. There was a committee appointed for the campaign that will include up to twelve people and span the next few presidents of International. No money will be spent until it is raised and there will be naming rights. The effort is being done at this time to showcase the International property at our one hundred year anniversary.

● Committee Appointments – President-Elect Bruce-Juhlke presented her slate of committee chairs for her year as president and this slate was approved by the board.

● Membership – Since the start of this Civitan year, the Chesapeake District has one new club and a plus of six members is the district. The Chesapeake district membership totals 878 as of February

23, 2015. The Cardinal District is a plus eight on membership and a total of 405 members as of

February 23, 2015. New England is currently minus seven members with a total of 156 district Civitans. The New England district has been challenged with much snow this year but there are plans for growth when spring arrives. The Civi-Bucks incentive was discussed. Any North American

Civitan club that adds a minimum of ten or more members during the 2014-15 year earns $100 in

Civi-Bucks. Civi-Bucks can be used in the following ways. 1. Pay for Civitan Supply House Invoices, 2. Apply toward quarterly international dues billing or 3. Donate as part of the club’s Civitans-at-the-Helm contribution.

● By-Law Change – The board approved a new way to elect our International Directors. This item will be voted on at the International convention in St Louis. The change allows all (voting delegates) of Civitan International to vote on the International Directors but the candidates will still come from the different regions.

● International Conventions – The next three International Convention locations are set. They are St

Louis in 2015, Norfolk in 2016 and the Centennial Convention in Birmingham in 2017. The board selected two locations as possibilities for 2018, and they are Reno and Albuquerque. Negotiations

18

(International Update Continued) will continue with these two cities.

Strategic Planning – All members of the board are involved with strategic planning. Directors are divided into committees and given assignments such as Purpose of the District, Role of the Director, Leadership, Mentoring Clubs and Traditions. The workshops set up to review all the planning have generated much discussion and the work continues. If you would like to chat about what is happening, see me or contact me at jotoole2@comcast.net

or 717.762.9247

.

F

OUNDATION FOR

C

HILDREN WITH

I

NTELLECTUAL AND

D

EVELOPMENTAL

D

ISABILITIES

By Jo Ann O’Toole, 2014 -2015 President

Updates.

During the recent Foundation executive board meeting at Dulles, several discussion items centered on future planning. While we have worked the past several years to apply processes to help the management of the Foundation with its obligations, it is crucial that we begin to think about the methods we must instill to protect the Foundation from imminent change. I will soon be appointing a Long Range Planning Committee . As outlined in our Foundation Bylaws, this will be a 5-year commitment, with a new member being appointed each year by the incoming President of the Foundation. In order to start the rotation of committee members, I will be appointing 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-year positions. All current Directors will be considered for this appointment. If you are selected, I hope that you accept.

Grants.

Who knew that one little word could mean so much? Foundation officers continue to receive questions about the different types of grants we offer, eligibility requirements, matching funds, documentation required, etc. It seems like such a hard process, but honestly, it’s really not. The first questions you need to answer are:

● Does the purpose of the grant fit the Civitan mission?

● Do the requested items within the grant meet Foundation guidelines?

● Does your club Board of Directors support the grant?

● Who in your club will work with the organization to prepare the documentation?

In order to help answer these questions, please review the Grant Policy and Procedures document that will be sent to all of you and posted on the District website. This document was adopted by the Directors in April of 2013. There is also additional information on grants in the Foundation Bylaws and Policies, however, the Bylaws are currently being updated.

After you have reviewed the Grant Policy and Procedures document, you may have more questions. I am always available to help answer those questions and I would also be happy to come to your club to give an information overview of the Foundation.

Our next grant cycle will close July 14, 2015 . That is the last day that grants will be accepted for consideration by the Grants Committee and voted on at the next Foundation meeting in Harrisburg, PA.

Please make sure that you have all documentation in order by following the instructions on the Application for Grant form before submission. If you have questions, please send an email to the address on the form ( ChesCivitanFdtn@gmail.com

). The current form is included on the next page.

19

20

21

L

ETTER FROM

C

IVITAN OF

R

OANOKE

P

RESIDENT

N

ANCY

L

ARSON

As I prepare to drive to Dulles tomorrow, I am deterred by a BIG FAT POTHOLE! Yes, the tire is flat, someone came from nowhere and offered a cell phone so I could call State Farm, then another "Saint" drove me to Kroger's and then another one drove me back to the car and finally… another guy stuck the donut on my car. And we say," The world is rotten?" Well, folks, I just happen to know that there are great people out there, and when the tire gets fixed… I plan to spend the weekend with a whole bunch of them! My fellow Civitans. Yes, I did ask them about their interests and invited them to our next meeting. There are many opportunities to share the Civitan Message and I just used a lousy situation to share with several. So Easy. I can't keep it a secret anymore.

The Roanoke club is growing with enthusiastic folks and by the next Pilot I will hopefully have some exciting projects to share with you.

Nancy Larsen

President, Civitan of Roanoke

T

HE

F

RIENDSHIP

C

IVITAN

C

LUB

& O

PPORTUNITY

B

UILDERS

I

NC

. B

ELL

C

HOIR

By Dick Lagana

The following article is an attempt to describe, for those who have not seen or heard our Bell choir, an accomplishment that Civitan International, the Chesapeake District, the Glen Burnie and

Friendship Clubs, can be very proud of. Although this article reflects the hard work of the people who made it possible, it does not describe the heartfelt pride and the joy of accomplishment of the ringers and staff. To everyone’s credit, we went from being a group of folks who had to be taught how to hold a bell, to a group of musicians who entertain folks in nursing homes and various other venues with seasonal music, puppets, interactive singing and dancing. If this sounds like we are proud of our performers, it is because we really are. Civitans are “giving back” to the community and loving it.

In The Beginning

In the fall of 2007, at a Civitan Chesapeake District convention in Fredericksburg, VA, the Friday evening entertainment was a bell choir of handicapped Bell ringers. After seeing the performance, Richard Finlay, then President of the Friendship Civitan Club, thought it would be a great project for his Friendship club.

The idea was discussed with Opportunity Builders Inc. (OBI) Executive Director Vicki Callahan, and, with her approval, a set of bells and some songs were ordered.

A feasibility team was established consisting of Richard Lagana, Patricia Matthews, Audrey Miller, Littell

Hobbs, Helen Hobbs, and Carol Sams. Then the work of selecting the bell ringers for the choir began.

Approximately 120 OBI clients with various disabilities were tested and evaluated and a group of approximately 35 individuals was identified as being physically able and who liked the idea of ringing bells.

The initial group included a delightfully talented blind soloist. (No one is prevented from ringing, including the blind or other physically disabled clients of OBI.) The training began and we knew instantly that this

22

(Bell ringers continued) was going to be fun -- both for the clients and for the very devoted team working with the bell ringers.

The “Friendship Ringers” bell choir was born.

Our Music

Our songs were originally on a CD and a 5x7 color coded card deck. After a few months of shuffling

(and dropping) cards. The system was converted to PowerPoint “cards” and “.wav” music on a lap-top computer.

The music inventory has grown dramatically in size and scope, from the initially purchased 10 songs to approximately 100 favorite songs of the director and various theme categories – everything from Andy

Williams to Johnny Cash to music from the musical CATS. All musical renditions are created and coded by the choir director. Digital versions of popular songs are downloaded from the internet and

PowerPoint pages are created containing the bell-chorded songs. Our large repertoire now includes

Show tunes, Oldies, Seasonal (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Patriotic) Irish, Italian, Romantic,

Country, Dance (Polish, Line, etc.) etc. Seasonal productions (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and

Patriotic) are produced by Pat Matthews and include Pat’s Muppets and costumes.

Our Soloist

Laura Cefaratti, 26 years old, was born in Korea. She was adopted by the Cefaratti family as a baby and has been blind since birth. She is also autistic. Her special musical talents include a beautiful singing voice and “perfect pitch”. She also plays the keyboard and writes music and lyrics. Laura is a very religious person who frequently opens our public performances introducing the Bell ringer group (and is Chaplain of the Friendship Club). She sings her favorite artist’s songs, show tunes, pop, religious and seasonal songs.

Our Audiences (Annapolis Mall)

The choir has since become well known and entertains regularly at nursing homes and Assisted Living Centers in Anne Arundel and surrounding counties, for OBI Annual meetings, at area AARP’s, at Civitan

Conventions, in the Annapolis Mall, and for

2 County Executives (received an Executive

Citation). After a few “gigs”, Blue gowns and gold stoles (with OBI and Civitan emblems) were purchased to “dress up” the ringers.

To date we have performed 50 concerts over the last 6 years.

Our Startup Clientele

Our biggest joy to date is the discovery of the interest in music by so many OBI clients. When we started in 2007, our regular attendance at practice in the warehouse on

Tuesdays, was approximately 18-20 ringers who just rang a bell when their color was on the screen. But they were capable of so much more. We found that they really enjoy practice, were very teachable, excellent at taking direction and were capable of very serious performing behavior. We also found later that they LOVE to sing and are currently singing in approximately 50% of the songs we do. Many have an exceptional sense of

23

(Bell ringers continued) rhythm. Two years ago we found a person who we eventually trained to play the Bongos. Currently (our last few weekly practices) there were approximately 50 folks there to enjoy 35 minutes of singing, dancing and practicing for future gigs.

Our Friendship Civitan and OBI Affiliation

All Ringers are members of the Friendship Civitan Club, a special needs club whose members are clients of OBI.

The club is “Special” because 90 of the 100 members are mentally or physically handicapped. More than special, they are a normally functioning club in the Chesapeake

District -- because they pay their own dues and attend meetings. Through the efforts of an exceptional Secretary, Audrey Miller, and OBI Staff and computers that make it all possible, dues are collected from the clients who work/attend there by both Payroll deduction and by cash.

Civitans literally have a key to OBI’s front door and we use it on a regular basis for business meetings, project meetings, storage and other needs. OBI vans and drivers transport Bell ringers to and from performances.

NOTE: The Friendship and Glen Burnie Clubs have, through the Chesapeake District

Foundation, contributed approximately $90,000 to the OBI building fund. Also, through Membership Grants, we contribute to OBI’s needs.

The mission of OBI is to provide vocational training and employment services to adults with developmental disabilities in an environment that promotes personal fulfillment, addresses individual needs, and fosters independence. Visit www.obiworks.org

, or call at 410-787-0700 .

Note from Rachel Hercenberg, BA | Project Specialist | Clinical Practice & Professional Development at UMMC who made it all happen.

“Individuals at OBI have participated in the Friendship Civitans

Bells Choir for the past 7 years. Each week the practices are highly anticipated and the monthly community performances are a definite highlight of their month’s activities. This opportunity has proven to be a something that has established great pride and increased self-esteem for the participants. When watching

Director/Music them perform for any group you can see this in their enthusiasm and smiles, which personally has resulted in tears of pride in my eyes as well.” Vicki L. Callahan, Executive Director

Management and Support Staff

There would be no bell ringers without the hard work and faithful dedication of each of the following:

Richard Lagana Rehearsal Setup Mike & Mike, Patty

Director/Production Patricia Matthews Assistants Ron & Carol Sams

Wardrobe

Transportation

Booking/Advertising

Richard Finlay, Audrey Miller

Vicki Callahan, OBI Staff

Audrey Miller

Choreography

Technical/Photography

Helen Hobbs & Fred Davis

Littell Hobbs, Ron Sams

Costumes/Themes/Muppets Patricia Matthews

Evelyn Dunne

Mira Lagana

Fred Davis

For questions or more information, please contact

Richard Lagana at ralagana@verizon.net

24

S

TEVE

L

EONARD

, P

AST

C

HESAPEAKE

D

ISTRICT

G

OVERNOR

, M

EMBER

OF THE

C

IVITAN

C

LUB OF

F

AIRFAX

,

THE

W

ARRENTON

A

REA

C

IVITAN

C

LUB

,

AND THE

C

HAMBERSBURG

A

REA

C

IVITAN

C

LUB

, P

ASSES

A

WAY

Obituaries: Steven E. Leonard

Born July 25, 1947, in Salt Lake City, Utah, he was the son of the late Earl C.

Leonard Jr. and Margaret Leonard.

He retired from the United States Air Force as a chief master sergeant after an illustrious, 20-year career. He was active with Civitan International, whose mission it is to help people with developmental disabilities, having served four times each as president and treasurer of the Fairfax Club, and as governor of the

Chesapeake District in 2011-12. Mr. Leonard was instrumental in founding the local Warrenton Area Civitan club.

Each Christmas season, he brought joy to hundreds of children by playing Santa

Steven Earl Leonard, 67, of Midland, died Monday,

March 2, 2015.

Claus in a variety of venues, including Warrenton’s Gum Drop Square.

Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Delores Grace Leonard; two children,

Larry Lee Leonard and wife Lynn and Victoria Ann Leonard and husband Herman; two sisters, Catherine A. Wood and husband Richard and Debra E. Hendrickson; his grandchildren, Ryan Craft, Anthony Craft, Joseph Craft, Steven D. Leonard, Jasmine Wimberly, Camerine Rice,

Chancellor McKenzie, Cody McKenzie, Trinity McKenzie, Hayden Wilson, Brady Scott, Casey Wilson,

Greg Wilson, Brittani Norman, Edmund Lee Mallery, and Logan Mallery, and his great-grandchildren,

Noah Kennedy, Layla Jones, Ethan Rice, Olive Wimberly, Ayden Rice, Aaron Norman, Ariel Norman and

Paige Gourley.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m., when the service will begin Sunday, March 8, at Moser

Funeral Home in Warrenton, with Pastor Sean Hart officiating .

Inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to campaigns set up on the family’s behalf: http://www.gofundme.com/steveleonard http://www.gofundme.com/steve_circ_fellow

Reprinted from: http://www.fauquiernow.com/index.php/fauquier_news/obituary/steven-e.-leonard

A T

RIBUTE TO

S

TEVE

L

EONARD

By Linda Lilly, Civitan Club of Fairfax

Steven Earl Leonard: Husband to one, Father to two, Grandfather to fourteen, Great-grandfather to eight,

Air Force Veteran, Civitan Member, Friend to thousands, and Santa Claus to all.

When Lynn and I meet Steve and Dee at a Civitan meeting, they were both very welcoming. You felt as if you had known them for years. I can remember telling Steve that he would make a great Santa with his white hair and white beard and he had the real stomach to fill out the suit. He looked at me and started to laugh and Dee told me that they both dress up as Mr. & Mrs. Claus for Christmas every year. Something they both felt very blessed to be able to do.

25

(Steve Leonard tribute continued)

I enjoyed the Christmas season with Civitan since we would have various events like the one at the

Northern Virginia Training Center, or the Barnes & Noble gift wrapping to benefit the Fairfax Civitan Club.

Steve and Dee would always come dressed as Mr. & Mrs. Claus. It was the greatest thing to see the expression on everyone’s face, truly a magical time of year and Santa Steve always made it extra special for everyone.

I recall in 2010, when my mom had to be sent to rehab for three months. After visiting daily, you started to notice who had family and friends who would come to visit, and those who never had a visitor. As

Christmas was getting closer, Lynn and I decided to buy stockings for all the people on all the four wards and we filled them each with treats and a throw blanket. It was after that we got the idea that it would be great if Santa Steve could come to hand out all the gifts. So we gave Steve and Dee a call and left a message to see if they would have the time to come visit and hand out gifts to each person. They returned the call and said no problem we still have some open days and said they would be there to help.

Once again they filled the air with wonderful magic for everyone. Santa Steve personally handed out stockings to each person and took the time to talk with them. Everyone had their picture taken with

Santa, and when Santa Steve came to someone who had been in the military, he took an extra few minutes to ask them about their service to our country and thanked them as well.

It was a great day for everyone. Both Santa Steve and Mrs. Claus made my mom feel extra special that day, lifting her spirits as well as those of the staff and those on each of the wards.

“Enriching Lives through Service”. Steve encompassed this in every sense of the word!! He retired from the United States Air Force as a chief master sergeant after an illustrious 20 year career. He was active with Civitan International, and on the community level he served four times each as president and treasurer of the Fairfax Club; he served as governor of the Chesapeake District in 2011-12. He helped build

Civitan Clubs and was instrumental in founding the local Warrenton Area Civitan club in 2013, as well as helping with club building in the Chambersburg (2011) and Gettysburg (2012) areas.

He embraced our Civitan Creed. He was as young as the rainbow, always reaching out to others to join him in service and as a builder of good citizenship. He leaves behind a family he loved dearly. The love between Steve and his wife Dee was very deep and a special love.

In short, how do you say good-bye to someone you love? To a dear friend? The words are hard to find so I will end with “Words can only hint at what our hearts feel…but cannot say…”. I am sure that the children in heaven are rejoicing to know Santa Steve is coming home to them.

You will be missed…

G

EORGE

S

HENK

, C

HESAPEAKE

D

ISTRICT

G

OVERNOR

P

ASSES

A

WAY

George Shenk Obituary

Born on Christmas day 1925 in Weehawken, N.J., died December 23, 2014. After graduating from Bayside High School, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corp. After WWII ended, he went on to study engineering at the University of Michigan, received his B.S. in Marketing from New York University, and attended their Graduate School of Business. After 25 years in the packaging industry in New York, Philadelphia,

Chicago, and Baltimore, he settled down in Annapolis, and bought the Whitmore Printing & Stationary

Company. George was active in many social and civic organizations over the years. As a member of the

Garden City Volunteer Fire Dept., he became Captain of the Engine Co. He was also President of the

Chesapeake Curling Club, President and District Governor of the Annapolis Civitan Club, and President

26

(George Shenk obituary continued) of the Printing Industries of Maryland. As a lifelong golfer, he belonged to seven golf clubs from Long Island to Florida. In 1980, he retired to Florida to pursue his passion for golf, boating and travel. With his wife Reo, they travelled extensively throughout North America, Europe and the Soviet Union. With his friends, he enjoyed many boating excursions on the Chesapeake, the Atlantic coast and New Zealand.

He had three children with his first wife Nancy Kreyer. He later married Reo Eske of Dayton, Ohio. Reo passed away in 2005. He is survived by a son Stephen Shenk of Centreville, MD, a daughter Janet

Shenk Dee of Annapolis, MD, five grandchildren, three nephews and his companion, LaVerne Gucker.

His son, George Shenk Jr., passed away in 2013. A memorial service will be held January 24, 2015 at

Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Baldwin Memorial Methodist Church.

Reprinted and edited from: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/capitalgazette/obituary.aspx?n=georgeshenk&pid=173673700

A T

RIBUTE TO

G

EORGE

S

HENK

By Cy Reshetiloff, Annapolis Civitan Club

I met George Shenk through the Annapolis Sail & Power Squadron in the mid 1980's as a result of our common interest in sailing. It was also at that time that a sort-of "cross pollination" between the Annapolis Civitan Club and the Power Squadron took pace, whereby members of one club would join the other.

George quickly became very active in the Power Squadron and eventually rose to be commander (some time after he was governor of the Chesapeake District). The one outstanding characteristic George had that I remember most was his ability to recognize skills and talents in other people. This resulted in his selecting the right people to do the right job, instead of him trying to do it all himself. He also had a great sense of humor and we shared many laughs. Those who knew him will miss him greatly.

H

ARVEY

N

ELSON

F

ITTON

, J

R

.,

M

EMBER OF THE

C

IVITAN

C

LUB OF

F

AIRFAX

, P

ASSES

A

WAY

HARVEY NELSON FITTON, JR. (Age 93) Of Alexandria, passed away January 22, 2015, at home peacefully. Nelson was born May 21, 1921 in Washington, DC to Ada H. and Harvey Nelson, Sr. He was the oldest of six siblings; two sisters and three brothers. Nelson served in the U.S.

Navy in the South Pacific during World War II . He received a B.A. in American Studies and an M.A. in American Literary and Cultural History from George Washington University. Before starting a long and successful career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Nelson was an editor and a research assistant with the National Academy of Sciences/

National Research Council and medical writer and editor with the National Institutes of

Health. While at Department of Agriculture where he served as Deputy Director of Information under the Secretary of Agriculture, he directed one of the world's largest publishing programs. He also served in other positions at USDA as a writer, editor, and public affairs officer. He was among the first executives selected for training in the Senior Executive Service Program. After retiring from USDA,

Nelson kept busy by teaching editing and writing in the USDA Graduate School where, for 12 years he chaired the Committee on Editing and Journalism. He also lectured at George Washington and American

Universities. Nelson wrote over one hundred articles for professional journals and other periodicals, participated in many workshops and seminars for professional groups, and presented numerous papers at professional meetings. He is also a poet, publishing his book of poetry entitled "Musings" in 2009. Mr. Fitton served as president of three professional organizations and three civic organizations and received numerous awards for his professional achievements. Notable among these was highest national award

27

(Harvey Nelson Fitton, Jr. obituary continued) for public service in the field of publishing from the Council of Graphic Arts Industry. He is listed in various editions of Who's Who, including Who's Who in the World. Nelson was a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution, George Washington Chapter. His personal life was no less busy. He became a self taught Stone Mason, which he put to good use around his home. Upon retirement he performed as a song and dance man with a tap dancing group, the Snappy Tappers. He was proud of his melodic Irish Tenor voice and enjoyed singing and dancing before an audience. Nelson was a longtime member of the St. Andrew's Society and marched in the Scottish Walk parades in Olde Towne wearing his Clan Douglas kilt. He also enjoyed square dancing with his late wife, Bernice and his current wife,

Judy. Nelson was an active longtime member of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria where he served as an Elder and Superintendent of the Sunday School. He is survived by his devoted wife Judy, sister Joan Stodgel, brother Bob Fitton and many nieces and nephews. Nelson was truly a Virginia Gentleman. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, January 31 at the Old Presbyterian

Meeting House in Olde Towne Alexandria. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Capital Caring and the Salvation Army.

Published in The Washington Post from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30, 2015 http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=harvey-n-fitton&pid=173990923

A T

RIBUTE TO

H

ARVEY

N

ELSON

F

ITTON

, J

R

.

FROM THE

C

IVITAN

C

LUB OF

F

AIRFAX

By Elaine Senft

Nelson enjoyed visiting the Fairfax Civitan Club’s meetings and activities with Judy both before they were married as well as after. He was such an interesting person to talk with, and he always had a little glint in his eye. He especially enjoyed the club’s Christmas party and getting involved with the Yankee Swap, which provided the challenge to bring home the gift of choice. Nelson was attracted to charitable giving and had a special feeling for the Civitan creed. Then at the Membership Meeting in November 2011, he was asked if he would like to join, and his answer was a resounding “Yes!” He was initiated at the February 2012 meeting. However, his health started failing after that, and he and Judy were unable to make it to many meetings or activities, but his heart was always with us. He will truly be missed.

Following is one of the poems from his book, Musings, which he published in 2009:

SPREAD JOY

The stars are old,

The full moon bold,

The sun is brazenly bright

And gives us eternal light.

The robust wind

Drives the roaring waves in.

Thus to the stars, moon, sun, and wind,

They know no end.

But for life, it’s terribly brief,

Robbing us of time, a ruthless thief.

So while life is short, speeding on the wings,

And not part of the realm of timeless things

Take love with whatever your span

And spread joy as vigorously as you can.

28

T

HERESA

"T

ERRY

" S

HOTWELL

(April 19, 1931 - March 10, 2015)

Theresa “Terry” Shotwell, 1931 – 2015 Terry was the youngest child of Nancy and Joseph Manganaro and has been predeceased by them and a brother, John.

She leaves her beloved husband Allen of 63 years and her children: Hope Pietrzyk and husband Martin,

Nancy Nolte-Shotwell and wife Emily, Joanne Ordel, and Joel Shotwell and his husband Mike Cull. She also leaves her grandchildren who were her pride and joy: Jake and Blake Via, Matthew and Jenna Ordel, and ZB

Nolte-Shotwell, and her great-grandson Bentley Via. She also leaves her brother and sister in-law, Tony and

Shirley Manganaro, as well as her sister Rita Hage. She will be greatly missed by nieces, nephews, and a multitude of close extended family and close friends, especially Sister Mary Kay Druin of Beattyville, KY.

Terry was well known in the downtown Charlottesville community and served on many boards, including: The

United Way, Charlottesville Downtown Foundation, Thomas Jefferson Civitans, Piedmont Industry Council, and the Charlottesville Police Department Foundation. Sperry Marine moved Terry and her husband to Charlottesville in 1959 for their Engineering Department, and she later moved on to Acme Visible Records and

G.E. Fanuc. She later changed careers by opening the Arthritis Foundation office in Charlottesville and became its Director.

Since her office was in downtown Charlottesville, she discovered the historic mall and fell in love with it. She again changed careers by purchasing a restaurant and reopening it as Terry’s Place. Terry’s Place was where everyone gathered and where politicians like Mitch Van Yahres and Emily Couric made announcements.

Loving the restaurant business, she purchased the Nook in 1990. Working on the mall, she and Allen decided it was the place to live as well. This was the same year she was recognized as the Mall Business Person of the Year.

Throughout her years of being an advocate for the Mall, she was also recognized as Woman of the Year by the Girl Scouts of America, Outstanding Person of the Year by the Virginia Mental Health Association, and the Honor President of the Thomas Jefferson Civitans. Loving the Downtown Mall and being President of the

Downtown Business Foundation, she chaired various events, such as Fridays after Five and the Easter Egg

Hunt.

Her proudest event was when she approached the City of Charlottesville Parks and Recreation with the idea of a “Safe Halloween.” Encouraged by a wonderful group comprised of various City of Charlottesville departments, the Police and Fire departments, and business merchants, thousands of children and their families attended. The City of Charlottesville recognized this event as “The Best Family Event of the Year” and Terry won an award for her efforts. This continues to be an annual event on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall.

Owning the two restaurants, she always measured her wealth in the number of friends that she acquired, believing that one must give back to the community that gives to you.

With this, she leaves a legacy of love to all, truly believing that “Love is Patient, Love is Kind, and Love never

Ends.” Terry has been a very active member of Holy Comforter Catholic Church since 1959 where she served as a CCD teacher for 12 years, Eucharistic Minister, Lecturer, and chaired the Finance Committee for many years.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Hospice of the Piedmont 675 Peter Jefferson Way Suite #300

Charlottesville VA. 22911. The Hospice of the Piedmont provided amazing comfort and support to Terry’s family in her final months.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.hillandwood.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?

o_id=3005892&fh_id=10702

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30

W

HAT

A

RE

W

E

U

P

T

O

?

S

ERVICE

K

NOWLEDGE

F

ELLOWSHIP

CFS P ROUD H EARTS C IVITAN C LUB

2015 Meeting Calendar:

January — Members planned the meeting calendar for the year.

February — Members made over 40 pencil flowers for their friends and for their Valentine’s Day party.

March — Participants put together St. Patrick’s Day gifts for a local nursing home. Staff demonstrated step by step directives on how to complete each gift (which included a decorative St. Patrick’s day cup with Irish Tea inside). The participants were encouraged to be as creative as they wanted using materials provided. Once the decorative holiday cups were completed, participants were asked to place their creative crafts in a box that would later be delivered to Lee Wood Nursing home located in Annandale,

Virginia. Participants expressed their excitement about this activity; their jubilance was shown as they completed decorating all the cups in the time spent during Civitan.

April — During the April meeting, the members will be making Spring Baskets for a local Nursing Home.

May — In May, the members will be making Mother's Day Cards, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and will participate in a Veterans project.

June — During the June meeting, members will celebrate Father’s Day by making cards and hosting a luncheon.

July — In July, members will start collecting toys for St Jude's Hospital, start a school project on Health and Safety, and they will have a guest speaker.

August — The August meeting will bring an End of Summer party, and the members will participate in a

Start Helping Our Kids project

September — September brings a CFS Proud Hearts Civitan Social

October — In October, members will celebrate with a Halloween party and participate in a Breast Cancer/Pink Out Activity. They will also have a Guest Speaker.

November — In November members will be busy with a Thanksgiving Food Drive, an Activity for Our

Troops, and an activity for Start Helping Our Kids.

December — Brings a Holiday Party, a Holiday Dance and a Toy Drive for the Holiday

G.I. T INKER M OUNTAIN C IVITAN C LUB , R OANOKE C IVITAN

C LUB , & S MITH M OUNTAIN L AKE C IVITAN C LUB

Roanoke Civitan Club Clergy Appreciation Day

Every February, Civitans remember the self sacrifice and service of the Four Chaplains. Roanoke Civitan Club and G.I.

Tinker Mountain Civitan Club met jointly at Montano’s International Gourmet on the 10th of February. Our special guests were local clergy whose service to our community was recognized with certificates of thanks from our clubs. Roanoke Civitan Club’s new Chaplain, Tom Turner, gave the invocation,

T HE C IVITAN C LUB OF R OANOKE

S ERVING

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

T HE P EOPLE OF R OANOKE ,

T INKER M OUNTAIN &

S MITH M OUNTAIN L AKE

31 and Chesapeake District Chaplain Charlie Ellis led us in the Civitan Creed. After our meal, Rev. Ellis introduced our speaker, Rev. Pat Roberts, Chief of Chaplaincy at the Veterans Hospital in Salem, VA.

Rev. Roberts, who himself is a veteran, spoke to us about the services offered by the Veterans Administration, and about the issues facing the aging WWII veterans who are now in their 80s and 90s. She also addressed the concerns of younger veterans who are coping with what she calls “Moral Injury”. The leading cause of death among younger veterans is suicide. Civitans are urged to reach out to these veterans.

Our celebration of our local clergy concluded with special music by Kevin Hallmark, music director at

Tabernacle Baptist Church.

The Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake Civitan delegation to the District Meeting at the Dulles Holiday Inn gathered around Betty Anderson to celebrate her receiving the Club

Builder Jacket. Betty, along with Pat Koepsel and others, worked for five weeks to recruit 35 members to charter the new club on November 5, 2014.The next week SML president, Angela Newman, attended her first District Meeting and won a drawing, a free registration to the Spring Meeting in March 2015. The winner of the same prize at this year's meeting was Denise Thruston, President Elect of the SML club. There were four members from the Roanoke Club,

Nancy Larsen, President, Ann McBane, Secretary, Betty Anderson, Past president and Charlie Ellis District Chaplain and District 6 Director, attending the meeting along with Angela and Denise from SML.

Golf Tournament

The Smith Mountain Lake Civitan Club announces their

First Annual SML Civitan Golf Tournament. This tournament will be held at Mariners Landing Golf Club on May 15, 2015.

This fundraiser will assist the SML Chapter to further its mission to directly benefit our local area.

Registrations are now being accepted for teams

(foursomes) to play. The tournament will be Captain’s

Choice. Cost per team is $240 ($60 per person) and in-

Nancy Larsen, President of the Roanoke Civitan

Club, attending the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce "Before Hours" function with representacludes lunch at the clubhouse before the tournament, as well as a Bucket of Balls for pre-game practice, and a fun, food-filled awards “After Play Party’ immediately following.

Prizes will be awarded at various levels, and more.

The SML Civitan Club is also seeking sponsors for this event. There are two levels of sponsorship opportunities: Signature Sponsorship is $500 and the Regular Sponsorship is $100.

Visit the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/328731560660858/ or search for the page on Facebook at Smith Mountain Lake Civitan Club Golf Tournament.

Sponsors already committed are: Comfort Assured Comfortable Beds; Peggy Overstreet, Realtor; Sun-

Trust Mortgage and Wells Fargo/Absolute Title and Settlement Company. Individual and company sponsorships are both available.

For details on sponsorships and/or registration information please contact SML Civitan Golf Chairman,

Robert Iuppa @ (865) 640-6833 or SML Civitan President, Angela Newman @ (540) 400-2800.

Come out and join us!

32

33

T RI -S TATE C IVITAN C LUB

Carol Brashears from the steering committee of Micah's Backpack Program spoke to the Tri-State Civitan Club at their February meeting. She explained the program's mission to provide food to hungry elementary students in Washington

County Public Schools over the weekend. The backpacks/bags contain 14 items for two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners delivered to 27 elementary schools as well as Marshall Street and then given to the students. There are 32 sponsors (29 church & 3 organizations) providing the food.

Civitans Learn About Meal Machine

Jeff Proulx, supervisor of food services from the central office of Washington County Public

Schools, was the guest speaker at the Tri-

State Civitan meeting. He spoke with a slide presentation on the free summer feeding program. The mobile truck, like an ice cream truck, named the "Meal Machine" travels around the county in the summer stopping at several planned sites.

Children 18 years and under show up for a free meal; and are made aware of this mobile truck by announcements made toward the end of the school year, automated phone calls, and flyers.

T RI -S TATE C IVITAN OF

H AGERSTOWN , MD

SALUTES ALL

C

IVITAN CLUBS IN THE

C

HESAPEAKE

D

ISTRICT

.

H ATS OFF TO ALL OUR DEDICATED ,

HARD WORKING ,

“C IVITAN H APPY ” MEMBERS .

Trish Hare

Tri-State President Cliff Metger presents a certificate from Civitan

International to Carolyn Roney for recruiting five new members. W AYNESBORO A REA C IVITAN C LUB

O

UTSTANDING

N

EW

C

LUB

2010-2011

W AYNESBORO A REA C IVITAN C LUB

The Waynesboro Area Civitan Club is busy doing lots of club planning. Our biggest project right now is to get our Waynesboro Junior Civitan club chartered. We are at the most a few weeks away. The Waynesboro Area School District does not allow our students to pay dues out of their own pockets so our Junior Civitans are having a fundraiser to earn money to pay their dues. They are acting as Celebrity Wait Staff at one of our local restaurants; Red Run Grill on Rt.16 in

Rouzerville, Pa. Junior Civitans will earn 10% of sales during a 3 hour window at the restaurant.

Waynesboro Civitan will turn this event into a membership drive to share what we as Civitans are all about in our community. Our Junior Civitans have already attended one of the Franklin County ARC Socials and they reported that they had a great time.

Another project we are working on is forming a ARC type social for our local residents in the Waynesboro area. By the time this newsletter is published, we expect to have a free venue to hold our monthly activity and hope to include such activities as bingo, karaoke, a talent show, and dances.

We are also planning our annual picnic as well, which we host each June for our special needs department at the Waynesboro School District including our home schooled students. Our Junior Civitans will be sponsoring the games for our students and a great time is sure to be had by all that attend.

2014-2015 Officers & Committee Chairs

Office or Chair Name

Area 1

Director

Area 2

Director

Jonathon

Iles

Ed Coleman

Phone #(s)

W: 702.884-9412 iles695@gmail.com

H: 804.541.0295

Email Address(es) fynewiz@aol.com

Area 3

Director

Area 4

Director

Area 5

Director

Area 6

Director

Ed Senft

Michael

Wilson

Suzy

Provine

H: 703.726.0965 esenft@comcast.net

H: 717.337.1501

C: 410.599.9993

meuph55@gmail.com

H: 410.733.3767 suzy@provine.com

Charlie Ellis C: 540.467.3881

xapic@cox.net

Awards

Budget &

Finance

Campus

Civitan

Candy/Coin

Boxes

Chaplain

Bonnie

Hudgins

Denise

Phelps

Carman

Gorby

Ginger

Malone

W: 804.919.2546

H: 804.732.7983

W: 301.696.8310

C: 443.995.4789

C: 301.606.6891

bhudgins@theheightsonline.com

dphelps@mybank4.com

Charlie Ellis C: 540.467.3881

xapic@cox.net

chesapeakejrcivitan@gmail.com

soccermom0117@hotmail.com

Credentials &

Resolutions

Patricia

Kinder

H: 304.263.3015

kinderpa@aol.com

District

Directory

Sue

Hepworth

C: 410.733.3768 sue@provine.com

District

Liaison

Fruitcake

Joe O'Toole

Morris

Hudgins

H: 717.762.9247

C: 240.446.5631

C: 804.919.4246

H: 804.732.7983

jotoole2@comcast.net

morris.hudgins@yahoo.com

Fundraising Sheila Zinn C: 410.599.3818

flamingogoddess5@yahoo.com

Governor

Governorelect

Morris

Hudgins

Linda

Hadley

C: 804.919.4246

H: 804.732.7983

C: 703.304.5555 morris.hudgins@yahoo.com

lahadley17@gmail.com

34

Office or Chair Name

Governor,

Immediate

Past

Sue

Hepworth

Judge

Advocate

Patricia

Kinder

Junior

Civitan

Leaders in

Freedom

Long Range

Planning

Meeting

Coordinator

New Club

Building

Carmen Gorby C: 443.995.4789

B. Patterson

Robson, Jr.

Morris

Hudgins

Jo Ann

O’Toole

Robert Shaffer

Phone #(s)

C: 410.733.3768

H: 304.263.3015

H: 804.270.0855

B: 804.282.2011

C: 804.919.4246

H: 804.732.7983

C: 301.606.0542

H: 717.762.9247

B: 301.696.6882

H: 301.271.3202

B: 301.676.7739

Email Address(es) sue@provine.com

kinderpa@aol.com

chesapeakejrcivitan@gmail.com

patr@robfl.comcastbiz.net

morris.hudgins@yahoo.com

joann.otoole@comcast.net

bssportsbk@aol.com

Nominations

Sue

Hepworth

C: 410.733.3768

sue@provine.com

Photographer

Mary

Dal-Favero

C: 240.620.8630

mdalfavero@yahoo.com

Pilot

Newsletter

Scholarships/

Fellows

Linda Hadley

David F. Shirk

C: 703.304.5555

H: 757.622.6170

civitanpilot@gmail.com

dfs4winds@aol.com

Region 4

Director

Joe O'Toole

H: 717.762.9247

C: 240.446.5631

jotoole2@comcast.net

Camille Kime 301.639.5844 gegecamille@aol.com Secretary

Sergeant at

Arms

Training

Coordinator

Ben Dodge

Joe O'Toole

H: 757.596.0704

H: 717.762.9247

C: 240.446.5631

dodgebenw@aol.com

jotoole2@comcast.net

Treasurer

Webmaster

Sue

Hepworth

Mary

Dal-Favero

C: 410.733.3768

C: 240.620.8630

sue@provine.com mdalfavero@yahoo.com

35

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