THE CHESAPEAKE PILOT - Chesapeake District Civitan We ARE

THE CHESAPEAKE PILOT
THE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
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
CHESAPEAKE ELECTED OFFICERS:
GOVERNOR
Morris Hudgins
Club: Hopewell-Prince George
W: 804. 919.4246
H: 804. 732.7983
morris.hudgins@yahoo.com
IMMEDIATE PAST GOVERNOR
Sue Hepworth
Club: Glen Burnie
C: 410.733.3768
sue@provine.com
VOLUME 45, ISSUE 3
APRIL 2015
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
GOVERNOR-ELECT
Petersburg Professionals Civitan Club
Yvonne Coleman, Ed Coleman, Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer
Linda Hadley
Club: Tysons
C:703.304.5555
lahadley17@gmail.com
YP Club of Virginia Beach
Jonathan Iles, Ben Dodge, David Shirk, Kendra Wormley,
Morris Hudgins, Bob Shaffer
VISIT OUR WEBSITES:
chesapeakedistrict.org
civitan.com
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
DISTRICT FUNDRAISER
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
12th 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!!!
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GOVERNOR-ELECT GREETINGS
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 20152016 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!
ABRAMS TAX AGENCY
JACQUELINE M. ABRAMS
FAIRFAX CIVITANS
REGISTERED TAX PRACTIONER
● 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
PROVIDING 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!
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2015 SCHOLARSHIP REPORT
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 15th 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
CLUB
AMOUNT
SOURCE
Cadwell, Andrew
Monzon, Eliseo
Ramsey, Leonard
Evanisko-Long, Tatianna
Peninsula
Norfolk
Norfolk
Martinsburg
$3,000
$3,000
$3,000
$3,000
Fellows
Fellows
Fellows
John Cain
KENNETH DOUGLAS POTTER
R. DEVEREUX SLINGLUFF
EDWIN (TED) REYNOLDS
CIVITAN CLUB OF BALTIMORE
REPRESENTING
PIONEERS IN
SERVICE TO CITIZENS
WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES
LOMBARD SECURITIES
~
SINCE MARCH 11, 1921
INCORPORATED
401 WASHINGTON AVE, SUITE 402
BALTIMORE, MD 21204-4805
410.825.5500
800.859.2663
MEMBERS FINRA AND SIPC
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TRAINING REPORT
Joe O’Toole, 2014-2016 Training Coordinator
As of the final report from Civitan International, All clubs were certified for the 20132014 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 29th. 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
● Having a vote at the District Convention
● Reaching Honor Club Status and other competitive awards
If any member of the District would like any details of the training status of your club, feel free to contact
me.
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.
SUBMMITTING NEW MEMBER INFO TO CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL
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.
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FUNDRAISING REPORT
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!
UPCOMING 2015-2016
MEETING REMINDERS:
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.
PILOT SUBMISSIONS
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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CIVITAN’S CHILDREN
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.
ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK?
GLEN BURNIE CIVITAN CLUB
PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE
FELLOWS PROGRAM WITH OVER 35
FELLOWS. WE CHALLENGE EACH
CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT CLUB TO
HONOR SOMEONE WITH A
DISTRICT FELLOW THIS YEAR!
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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JUNIOR CIVITAN REPORT
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 30th. 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 DanceA-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 – 28th 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-CivitanChesapeake-District/147853948631865
GREATER RICHMOND CIVITAN CLUB
CELELBRATING 92 YEARS IN 2015
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CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT FELLOWS
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.
FREDERICK CIVITAN CLUB
TAKING THE “DIS” OUT OF DISABILITIES
SINCE 1947!
ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE CIVITANS
PENINSULA CIVITAN CLUB
GREATER LOUDOUN CIVITAN CLUB
DEDICATED CIVITANS SERVING THE
VIRGINIA PENINSULA
CIVITAN CLUB OF NORFOLK
WE MAKE OTHERS CIVITAN HAPPY!
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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 serTaylor
vicing individuals with disabilities in Frederick County
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.
Volunteers left to right: Melissa, Dave, Erika, Deani, Ashley, Bella
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
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, siblings, and other relatives serve as volunteers for
Karaoke Buddies.
Karaoke Buddies attendance extends to the
States of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Corey & Megan
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.
14
(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.
SHOULD ANIMALS BE OUR NEW ADDITIONAL CALLING?
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.
15
DISTRICT LIAISON
REPORT
CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT
CANDY / COIN BOX REPORT
By Joe O’Toole
2014-2015 District Liaison
By Ginger Malone
2014-2015 Candy/Coin Box Chair
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.
Four clubs in the Chesapeake District earned
banner patches for exemplary management of
their Candy Box Project during 2013 – 2014:
Gold Achievement
Gold Achievement
Silver Achievement
Bronze Achievement
Roanoke
Tysons
Norfolk
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:
1st
Roanoke
$3,428.52
nd
2
Tysons
$1,241.69
3rd
Norfolk
$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:
1st Hopewell-Prince George $ 530.00
2nd Catoctin Area Civitan
$ 209.60
3rd Anne Arundel Ladies
$ 170.50
This concludes my report but if there are any specific questions you may have, please contact me.
Jotoole2@comcast.net
CIVITAN CLUB OF TYSONS
ANNE ARUNDEL LADIES CIVITAN CLUB
CELEBRATING OUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
CELEBRATING OVER 30 YEARS
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
SINCE 1984
16
FRUITCAKE REPORT
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.
ANNAPOLIS CIVITAN
CLUB #177
FOUNDED 1926
ELKS LODGE
MEETS 1ST & 3RD THURSDAY OF
EACH MONTH
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 HOPEWELL-PRINCE
GEORGE CIVITAN CLUB IS
KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES
“HAPPY” WITH AN INCLUSIVE
PLAYGROUND AND BY WORKING
WITH THE SUPER KIDS.
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!!!
FRIENDSHIP CLUB
A “SPECIAL” CLUB DOING
“SPECIAL” THINGS.
HOME OF THE
FRIENDSHIP
RINGERS
CIVITAN CLUB OF ARLINGTON
GARAGE SALE
1ST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH
FROM 7AM TO 1:30PM
APRIL THRU NOVEMBER
FOR INFORMATION CALL
703.473.7245
17
INTERNATIONAL UPDATE AS OF FEBRUARY 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.
FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
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
LETTER FROM CIVITAN OF ROANOKE PRESIDENT NANCY LARSON
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
THE FRIENDSHIP CIVITAN
CLUB & OPPORTUNITY
BUILDERS INC. BELL
CHOIR
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
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:
Director/Music
Director/Production
Wardrobe
Transportation
Booking/Advertising
Choreography
Technical/Photography
Costumes/Themes/Muppets
Richard Lagana
Rehearsal Setup Mike & Mike, Patty
Patricia Matthews
Assistants
Ron & Carol Sams
Richard Finlay, Audrey Miller
Evelyn Dunne
Vicki Callahan, OBI Staff
Mira Lagana
Audrey Miller
Fred Davis
Helen Hobbs & Fred Davis
For questions or more information, please contact
Littell Hobbs, Ron Sams
Richard Lagana at ralagana@verizon.net
Patricia Matthews
24
STEVE LEONARD, PAST CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT GOVERNOR, MEMBER
OF THE CIVITAN CLUB OF FAIRFAX, THE WARRENTON AREA CIVITAN
CLUB, AND THE CHAMBERSBURG AREA CIVITAN CLUB, PASSES AWAY
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
Claus in a variety of venues, including Warrenton’s Gum Drop Square.
Steven Earl Leonard, 67,
of Midland, died Monday,
Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Delores Grace Leonard; two children,
March 2, 2015.
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 TRIBUTE TO STEVE LEONARD
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…
GEORGE SHENK, CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT GOVERNOR PASSES AWAY
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 TRIBUTE TO GEORGE SHENK
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.
HARVEY NELSON FITTON, JR.,
MEMBER OF THE CIVITAN CLUB OF FAIRFAX, PASSES AWAY
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 TRIBUTE TO HARVEY NELSON FITTON, JR. FROM THE
CIVITAN CLUB OF FAIRFAX
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.
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THERESA "TERRY" SHOTWELL
(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
WHAT ARE WE UP TO?
SERVICE
KNOWLEDGE
FELLOWSHIP
CFS PROUD HEARTS CIVITAN CLUB
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. TINKER MOUNTAIN CIVITAN CLUB, ROANOKE CIVITAN
CLUB, & SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE CIVITAN CLUB
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,
THE CIVITAN CLUB OF ROANOKE
SERVING
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
THE PEOPLE OF ROANOKE,
TINKER MOUNTAIN &
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE
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 includes lunch at the clubhouse before the tournament, as
well as a Bucket of Balls for pre-game practice, and a fun,
Nancy Larsen, President of the Roanoke Civitan
Club, attending the Roanoke Chamber of Com- food-filled awards “After Play Party’ immediately following.
merce "Before Hours" function with representa- 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; SunTrust 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!
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33
TRI-STATE CIVITAN CLUB
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 TriState 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.
TRI-STATE CIVITAN OF
HAGERSTOWN, MD
SALUTES ALL CIVITAN CLUBS IN THE
CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT.
HATS OFF TO ALL OUR DEDICATED,
HARD WORKING,
“CIVITAN HAPPY” MEMBERS.
Trish Hare
Tri-State President Cliff Metger presents a certificate from Civitan
International to Carolyn Roney for recruiting five new members.
WAYNESBORO AREA CIVITAN CLUB
WAYNESBORO AREA CIVITAN CLUB
OUTSTANDING NEW CLUB 2010-2011
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.
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2014-2015 Officers & Committee Chairs
Office or Chair
Name
Phone #(s)
Email Address(es)
Area 1
Director
Jonathon
Iles
W: 702.884-9412
iles695@gmail.com
Area 2
Director
Ed Coleman
H: 804.541.0295
fynewiz@aol.com
Area 3
Director
Ed Senft
H: 703.726.0965
esenft@comcast.net
Area 4
Director
Michael
Wilson
H: 717.337.1501
C: 410.599.9993
meuph55@gmail.com
Area 5
Director
Suzy
Provine
H: 410.733.3767
suzy@provine.com
Area 6
Director
Charlie Ellis
C: 540.467.3881
xapic@cox.net
Awards
Bonnie
Hudgins
W: 804.919.2546
H: 804.732.7983
bhudgins@theheightsonline.com
Budget &
Finance
Campus
Civitan
Candy/Coin
Boxes
Denise
Phelps
Carman
Gorby
Ginger
Malone
W: 301.696.8310
dphelps@mybank4.com
C: 443.995.4789
chesapeakejrcivitan@gmail.com
C: 301.606.6891
soccermom0117@hotmail.com
Chaplain
Charlie Ellis
C: 540.467.3881
xapic@cox.net
Credentials & Patricia
Resolutions
Kinder
H: 304.263.3015
kinderpa@aol.com
District
Directory
Sue
Hepworth
C: 410.733.3768
sue@provine.com
District
Liaison
Joe O'Toole
H: 717.762.9247
C: 240.446.5631
jotoole2@comcast.net
Fruitcake
Morris
Hudgins
C: 804.919.4246
H: 804.732.7983
morris.hudgins@yahoo.com
Fundraising
Sheila Zinn
C: 410.599.3818
flamingogoddess5@yahoo.com
Governor
Morris
Hudgins
C: 804.919.4246
H: 804.732.7983
morris.hudgins@yahoo.com
Governorelect
Linda
Hadley
C: 703.304.5555
lahadley17@gmail.com
35
Office or Chair
Governor,
Immediate
Past
Judge
Advocate
Name
Phone #(s)
Email Address(es)
Sue
Hepworth
C: 410.733.3768
sue@provine.com
Patricia
Kinder
H: 304.263.3015
kinderpa@aol.com
Junior
Civitan
Carmen Gorby C: 443.995.4789
chesapeakejrcivitan@gmail.com
Leaders in
Freedom
B. Patterson
Robson, Jr.
H: 804.270.0855
B: 804.282.2011
patr@robfl.comcastbiz.net
Long Range
Planning
Morris
Hudgins
C: 804.919.4246
H: 804.732.7983
morris.hudgins@yahoo.com
Meeting
Coordinator
Jo Ann
O’Toole
New Club
Building
C: 301.606.0542
H: 717.762.9247
B: 301.696.6882
H: 301.271.3202
Robert Shaffer
B: 301.676.7739
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
Linda Hadley
C: 703.304.5555
civitanpilot@gmail.com
Scholarships/
Fellows
David F. Shirk
H: 757.622.6170
dfs4winds@aol.com
Region 4
Director
Joe O'Toole
H: 717.762.9247
C: 240.446.5631
jotoole2@comcast.net
Secretary
Camille Kime
301.639.5844
gegecamille@aol.com
Sergeant at
Arms
Ben Dodge
H: 757.596.0704
dodgebenw@aol.com
Training
Coordinator
Joe O'Toole
H: 717.762.9247
C: 240.446.5631
jotoole2@comcast.net
Treasurer
Sue
Hepworth
C: 410.733.3768
sue@provine.com
Webmaster
Mary
Dal-Favero
C: 240.620.8630
mdalfavero@yahoo.com