July 16, 2012 - Champaign Exchange Club

Meeting Mondays at Noon
O'Charley's Restaurant
730 W. Town Center Blvd.
Champaign, IL 61820
Chartered 27 July 1926
Champaign Exchange Club
1812 Coventry Drive
Champaign, IL 61822
July 16, 2012
Volume 79, No. 2
Editor: Tom Williams
23 July 2012 Meeting
Steve Bentz, Director
Virginia Theatre
The Virginia Theatre opened December 28, 1921 with a
live stage performance of "The Bat". The following night,
the silent films "Tol'able David" & "The Boat" were shown
at the theatre. Since then, it's been presenting movies, live
concerts, and plays to the Champaign-Urbana community
and has only been closed for short periods of renovation by
the Park District. Until recently, the Virginia Theatre was
privately owned. From the 1930s to the 1960s, RKO pictures
held ownership. Subsequently, George Kerasotes Corp.
(GKC Theatres) owned the building until the Champaign
Park District purchased it in January 2000.
.
Every April the Theatre hosts Ebertfest: Roger
Ebert's Film Festival. Beginning in 1999 as
Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, it has
become a very popular event with festival passes
selling out in advance. The event hosts several
lesser known films as well as some popular films.
1921 Wurlitzer at
the Virginia Theatre
Virginia Theatre Gets New Marquee - See Page 3
Inside The Virginia Theater
The top photos
show the
marquee that
graced the
theater for 50
years. The
bottom photos
show the new
marquee that
went up in 2011.
The middle
photo shows the
newly remodeled
interior of the
beautiful
Virginia Theatre.
Champaign
Exchange
Buzard Pipe Organ
Builders of
Champaign reinstall
the 1921 Wurlitzer
Pipe Organ in the
historic Virginia
Theatre in downtown
Champaign.
Coming Events
Champaign Exchange
Club Started Here - 1926
23 July 2012 Meeting
Board Meeting Following Lunch
Following the conclusion of the presentation by Steve
Bentz on the Virginia Theatre we will hold the July
Board Meeting. All members are welcome.
27 July 2012
86th Anniversary of the
Exchange Club of Champaign
On July 27, 1926 the Champaign Exchange Club was
born. The Charter Banquet was held at the deluxe
6-story Inman Hotel Ballroom in downtown Champaign.
The club chartered with 27 members. The charter
president was attorney Earl C. Harrington and the
secretary was a rather recent graduate of the University
of Illinois and new sporting goods store owner George
Seely Johnston. As most of you all know, Seely is the
late husband of our own Anne Johnston and he
continued as an active, loyal member of the Champaign
Exchange Club until his passing 74+ years later in 2001. The Champaign
Club was sponsored by the long since disbanded Springfield Exchange Club.
If we talk to her nice I'll bet Nancy Williams will bring a tasty birthday cake
to help us celebrate the anniversary at the July 23rd luncheon.
27 July 2012
Opening of Summer Olympics
Today is the Opening Day of the 30th Summer
Olympics being hosted in London, England with lots
of TV coverage. Now you know what most of us will
be doing for the next two weeks.
30 July 2012
Jerry Pagac, Executive Director
Champaign County Forest Preserve
Our speaker today will be the longtime Executive Director of the
Champaign
County
Forest
Preserve Jerry Pagac. It's been
several years since Jerry has
spoken to our club and the Forest
Preserve has gone through many
changes since then. With all those
changes and the extensive enlargement and remodeling of the
Museum of the Grand Prairie at the Lake of the Woods, I'm sure this will
be a very interesting program you won't want to miss.
Coming Events
6 August 2012
Jerry Mills, Sports World
Sports World is a non-profit organization that was
founded in 1978 by former NFL chaplain Dr. Ira
Lee “Doc” Eshelman. “Doc’s” mission was to send
former professional athletes to share personal life
experiences with students, helping them to recognize
the consequences of their choices while challenging
them with the Message of Hope. Because of their athletic backgrounds, these
players are able to capture the attention and hearts of students nationwide. Today
they challenge over half a million students, teachers and administrators.
13 August 2012
Sheila Dodd, Executive Director
Champaign County Habitat for Humanity
Our speaker, Sheila Dodd, formerly served as the
grant compliance administrator for the City of
Champaign before accepting her current position
as Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity.
As director she oversees a budget of nearly $2
million. Just before I retired from Herff Jones in
2007, Habitat built a nice house on the west side
of North Market Street across the street from
Herff Jones. I'm anxious to meet Mrs. Dodd.
20 August 2012
Erica Schneider, Environmental Ed Coordinator
Anita Purves Nature Center
Located at 1505 North Broadway at the north end of
Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, the Anita Purves
Nature Center is an environmental education facility
open free to the public. Next door you'll find Busey
Woods, a 59-acre forest preserve with a boardwalk loop, seasonal ponds and more.
27 August 2012
Sonya Darter, Executive Director
Orpheum Children's Science Museum
The Orpheum Children's Science Museum is in
its 19th year of enriching the lives of the children
in our community. Located in the nearly 100-year
old Orpheum Theatre, they hold camps, classes,
special events, exhibits and field trips. It's also a
great place you can rent to host a birthday party or
special event. Our speaker is Sonya Darter the
executive director of the Children's Museum who
has served in that capacity for four years.
Fourth of July 2012
GiveAKidAFlagToWave Program
In spite of the 100+ degree sweltering heat the 4-day old
Exchange Club Year started off with a BANG on the
Fourth of July as members of the Champaign and Urbana
Exchange Clubs passed out small American Flags to the
kids along the parade route. This is the 27th year we've held
this outstanding Fourth of July GiveAKidAFlagToWave
Program. To date we have passed out over 152,000 flags
to the children who braved the heat to attend the parade.
Thomas Williams passes out American flags
before the C-U Fourth of July Freedom Parade.
Our club's participants were led by Committee Chairman
Frank Scantlebury and included Richard Adkins, Anne
Johnston, Wally Lehman, Nancy Williams, Thomas
Williams, and Tom Williams (fundraising). Leading the
way for the Urbana Exchange Club were John and Judy
Hummel. Again this year the Hummel's graciously
provided their truck so the program would be successful.
GiveAKidAFlagToWave
Contributors
Janice Bahr
Brad & Jeri Bone
Tim & Nancy Barber
Campus Florist,
. (Anne Johnston)
Dave & Sherri Denzer
Norma Dieker
Merle & Lois Dunn
Shorty Eichelberger
Roger & Fran Haughey
Judi Hutchcraft
Bill & Linda Isenhower
Don Kruse
Don & Donna Kuhlman
Wally Lehman
Clayborn & Irene Lofton
Dottie & Walt Mikucki
Dan & Brenda Mills
Tom & Pat Minogue
Neil Richardson
Round Barn True Value
Frank Scantlebury
Chris & Julia Schmidt
Karl & Linda Smith
Mike Tague
Edgar & Marjorie Tingley
Michael Turner
Tom & Nancy Williams
Green Box Donations
Parade Route Donations
Total - $780.00
Exchange, America's Premier Service Club, working to make our communities better places to live.
Chartered
27 JulyAmerica's
1926
Exchange,
Firefighter of the Year
Premier Service Club, working to make our communities better places to live.
Police Officer of the Year
Champaign Exchange Club
1812 Coventry Drive
Champaign, IL 61822
Nursing Scholarships
A.C.E. Award
Prevention of Child Abuse
Phone: (217) 356-1057
Time Out Teddy
Meeting Every Monday at
12:00 Noon Except Holidays
Crisis Nursery
O’Charley’s Restaurant
730 W. Town Center Blvd.
Eastern Illinois Food Bank
President: Thomas Williams
National Day of Service
Immediate Past President
Tom Williams, Sr.
Believe in the Blue
Seniors Vial of Life
Campaign For Kids
Secretary/Treasurer:
Nancy Williams
GiveAKidAFlagToWave
Directors:
Richard Adkins
Anne Johnston
Wally Lehman
Dottie Mikucki
Frank Scantlebury
Freedom Shrines
E-Mail: tw1812@aol.com
One Nation Under God
Proudly We Hail Awards
Book of Golden Deeds
Student of the Month/Year
Newly restored 1921 Wurlitzer organ
at the Virginia Theatre is good to go.
Website: www.champaignexchangeclub.com
Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club
Snacks For Kids
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
See us on Facebook - Champaign Exchange Club
Exchange Club of Champaign
. 1812 Coventry Drive
Champaign, IL 61822 .
Child Abuse Prevention - Americanism - Community Service - Service to Youth