FLORIDA
SUNBEAM
Volume 9, Issue 1
January 2013
Governor’s Notes Prior Governor Lana had “Luminations from Lana”. All I could think of was “Babblings from Bob”, but somehow…. Maybe “Bromides from Bob”… “A Bulletin from Bob”???? I’ll get back to you. My first day in office, Monday October 1, 2012, I went to Tampa for the Tampa Metro Club officer and new member installation. I delivered what will be my standard message for this year: I would like to see the Florida District increase its support for our flagship charity, the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC). I was immediately rewarded with a card with a donation in my name to the CIRC. Thanks Tampa Metro! Friday October 5, 2012, I went to the joint officers' installation dinner of Frontier Civitan Club and Citrus Civitan Club at the Coronado Springs Hotel at Walt Disney World. It was a beautiful setting for the dinner, and our thanks to Olga Calvetti for providing her restaurant as venue. For me, the highlight of the night was when it was announced the president and secretary of Citrus Civitan, who met through Civitan, are engaged to be married. CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE CIVITAN FLORIDA DISTRICT! Thanks to Lynn Mauer for inviting me to the officer and new member installation of the Lake Howell Junior Civitan Club. This is a large and active club, and Lynn is now in her 19th year as club sponsor. Thank you for your many years of service to Junior Civitan, Lynn! I also attended the officer installation for the Ocoee High School Junior Civitan Club. They are a great bunch of students, and I also got to meet several of their parents who are very supportive of the club. Their club sponsor is in her first year, but is very enthusiastic about the students in the junior chapter and their upcoming activities for this year. The last issue of the Civitan magazine spotlighted a club that had just finished building their 400th handicapped access ramp. That’s what I like about Civitan --- we tackle problems one ramp at a time. Continued on Page 4
What’s Inside District Officers and Florida District Calendar Growth and Retention International President’s Message The Chaplain’s Corner
2 3 3 4
Club Beams Junior Civitan
5 9
PAGE 2
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
DISTRICT OFFICERS 2012-2013
V O LU M E 9 I S S U E 1
CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER, BIRMINGHAM, AL
Governor: Bob Brightman
Governor-elect: Bob Kircher
Immediate Past Governor: Lana Suggs
Past Governor Director: Gay Aaron
Area Directors: Area 1: Area 2A: Area 2B: Area 3: Area 4: Area 5: Area 6:
Deb McCoy Mattie Fraser Linda Weinstein Robert Dietz Viki MacKenzie Nery Kircher Elly Currie
Secretary: Deb McCoy
Treasurer: Ruthe Kurtz
Chaplain: Philip Nordstrom
Judge Advocate: Robert Dietz
Sergeant-at-Arms: Ronald Spitznagel
Committee Chairs Awards, Nominations, Lana Suggs
Bulletin/Newsletter Hillary Brightman
Candy/Coin Box: Jeanne Davison
Council of Past Governors Gay Aaron
Don DeVane Scholarship Jeanne Davison
Finance: Fruit Cake: Pat Kirk
Growth & Retention, Historian and Training Coordinator: Helen Galloway
Junior / Campus Civitan: Penny Bonawitz
Public Relations: Tricia MacKenzie
Registrar: Lynn Maurer
Time & Place Steve Steenberge
Website: John Edward Dietz
International Foundation Liaison for the District: Steve Steenberge
FLORIDA DISTRICT CALENDAR - 2013 January 1 Deadline to submit material for Winter Sunbeam January 13-17 Governor-Elect Academy, Birmingham, Alabama (tentative) January 27-31 Junior Civitan International. Sno-Do, Barrie, Ont., Canada January 25-29 Clergy Appreciation Week January 31 Quality Achievement Award Applications due to International; January 31 Postmark Deadline Shropshire Application due to International February Clergy Appreciation February 2 Junior Civitan Polar Plunge, Orlando March Junior Civitan District Environmental Project March 8-11 Junior Civitan Int. Dance-a-thon, Midland, Ontario, Canada March-April District Meeting, Time and Place TBA April Civitan Awareness Month & Junior Civitan Advisor Appreciation Month Apr. 1 Deadline to submit material for Spring Sunbeam April 6 Florida District Junior Civitan Convention, Daytona Beach April 30 Area Directors’ Semi-Annual Visit with Club Presidents Due May TBA Florida District Board Meeting, Conference Call 9 a.m. June 1 All Club Officer elections should be completed for 2013-14 year June 20-23 Junior Civitan International Convention, Charlotte, NC July 1 Report of 2013-2014Club Officers to Civitan International and Governor-Elect Bob Kircher July 1 Junior Civitan Club Year Begins; Officers Assume Duties for 2013-2014 (report due) July 1 Deadline to submit material to Summer Sunbeam
July 3-6
93rd Civitan International Convention, Denver
August 15
Awards Applications postmarked to Awards Chair Suggs
Sept. 13-14 Florida District Board Meeting and Annual Convention & Installation Banquet, TBA Sept. 30 Oct. 1
Area Director’s Year-end Report with Club Presidents due Deadline to submit material to Fall Sunbeam
CIVITAN PASSION … Speaks with Action
PAGE 3
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
ARE YOU ON THE HIGHWAY? …
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
Helen Galloway, Growth & Retention Chair
I just read an interesting statement: “Only the highway of useful service leads to the city of happiness.” The article further explained that “psychologists who study human behavior have concluded that we are happiest when we are striving to achieve success. It is the act of striving, not the successful completion of the task, that provides the greatest psychic rewards. When you strive to achieve success through service to others, you multiply the benefits to yourself, and you ensure that whatever road you choose in life will ultimately lead you to success and happiness. There is no occupation or profession that will not benefit from a concerted effort to better serve others. But, the greatest benefit will be to you, in the form of the self-satisfaction that comes from knowing that you made a difference, that without you others would never have received the service you provided.” Isn’t that a good definition of this year’s Civitan theme: “Civitan PASSION Speaks with Action”. And, you, our devoted and committed Florida District Civitans, have the opportunity to make this happen. Be proud that you are an active member of your Civitan club and encourage others to join in the service and fellowship of our great organization. As we expand our clubs, we can be on the highway to happiness and success and share these feelings with others. Congratulations to the following clubs which added members since October 1: Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee (3), Leesburg, North Tampa, Frontier (2), Uptown (3), Sunset (3), Naples, Seminole, Arlington, and St. Augustine. Let’s stay on the highway and add to this list!
MESSAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT …
Joe Parker
Happy New Year! We have completed the first quarter of the Civitan year. It is going fast. The Civitan Energy Bus is in high gear thanks to the districts. We had one of the most successful first quarters of the decade in Civitan! We had a net gain of 73 members and we built eight new clubs. We did lose two clubs. Your hard work made a difference. Congratulations to the 15 Governors who recruited a new member during the first quarter. The Civitans at the Helm program is very important to ensure we are making our commitment to the Civitan International Research Center. I am expecting great things from the Florida District in this area. The Florida District can give by participating in the Golf Tournament in Denver or contribute to a member who is participating in the tournament. The Denver Convention is a topic we all need to be discussing. This is going to be one of the better Conventions. I will be going to Sno-Do at the end of this month with the Junior Civitans. Give your Junior Civitan Governor a call to show your support, The Junior Civitan is the best project we have. Keep the Civitan Energy Bus going forward in your district and do not let any Negative Vampires get in your way! Joe
PAGE 4
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
THE CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
8, ISSUE 1 2 V O LU M E 9
… PHIL NORDSTROM
Happy New Year!
The Lord wants to be a part of our life 24/7. If we let Him be a continuous part of our life He will help us in Where does the time go? It seems like it was just a all things. He will be our guide and strength in times few weeks ago that I was preparing this column for of trouble as well as in our good times. He will be with the January 2012 Florida Sunbeam. I joke about having reached the age where time goes so fast that I us at work and at play. When we have dipped into our bucket list and chosen an item and are in the process have two birthdays every year!! Do any of you have of experiencing it, He will be with us helping us enjoy that problem? I think I know a few of you that do! our time. Isaiah 40:31 (NAS) says: “Yet those who This is a wonderful time of the year. It is a new year, wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will a new beginning. We can brush aside all that we did mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and last year. Or forget about what we should have done not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” and didn’t do last year. Will Rodgers said; “Even if As you read this, pause now to ask the Lord to be you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” So, this year all of us should resolve to with you this year in whatever it is that you are doing, get up and make sure we don’t get run over. whether it be at work, It is that time of year when we traditionally look ahead household duties or on vaand decide what is on our “bucket list” for this year. A cation enjoying an item from bucket list can include many things. Trips we want to your bucket list. I pray you take. Certain things we want to see. People, including will have a wonderful year. relatives, we want to see. The list for all of us can be Bobbie and I wish each of diverse and very long. you a Happy New Year. But, there is one thing that should not be on our In His Grace, bucket list. That is God. He should be a part of our Phil life on a 24 hour basis, now, not just in the future, should we need Him. We need Him now. We are not to treat God as an anonymous writer put it: “Some people treat God like they do a lawyer; they go to Him only when they are in trouble.”
Governor’s Notes (cont.) Continued from Page 1
When I was young I wanted to do big and great things --- but never got around to identifying which things. Now that I am more MATURE, I like the incremental approach to problems. I cook at my church every Tuesday for the men’s homeless shelter in Orlando. We haven’t solved the problem of world hunger, but we feed 175 hungry men every Tuesday and that is a start. By the way, our bread pudding is the best in town. (The secret is that half of it is donuts and apple pies donated by Publix.) So go out there and nibble away at a problem. We can do great things one fruitcake sale and one CIRC donation at a time. Consider having your club dedicate one fundraiser to the CIRC. Support a golfer for the Breakthrough golf tournament; if you already sponsor a Breakthrough golfer --- sponsor two this year. And whatever you do, don’t forget to support the Civitans at the Helm. Happy New Year! Bob
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
PAGE 5
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
CLUB BEAMS ARLINGTON CIVITAN CLUB From Lee Conrey The small but mighty Arlington Civitan Club held a Stampin’ Up event for the Salvation Army Angel Tree on December 8th, during which participants were invited to come and stamp seven handmade greeting cards. In conjunction with the event, the Club collected donations of raffle prizes from local restaurants, hair salons, hotels, and other local merchants. Proceeds from the raffle totaled over $535.00! Following the event, many participants took Angels from the tree, purchased the items listed on them that had been requested by children, and brought the gifts to the Salvation Army. The Club filled the remaining requests for gifts with funds from the raffle and monies donated by the Club. Arlington Club members helped solicit and distribute the raffle prizes, served as Stampin’Up demonstrators, helped in the lunch room on the day of the event, and helped provide gifts to the children. In total, 50 Angel wishes were filled, making Christmas brighter for 50 children. Kudos to Lee Conrey, Debbi Goss, Deb Thorpe, Kelly Gross, and everyone else who participated in this wonderful effort!
HEART OF FLORIDA CIVITAN CLUB
From the Heartbeat (Ruthe Kurtz) Happy New Year to you! All the planning, shopping, wrapping and celebrating the holidays is over! Now, we start the new year with renewed energy and enthusiasm. In January, we will volunteer to help some of our favorite organizations. We will help sort and shelve school supplies at A Gift for Teaching. We will clean soap for Clean the World. And, of course, continue to usher at the Orlando Shakes plays, as well as help the Orlando Museum of Art with their mailing and attend their First Thursdays event. We are really looking forward to another concert of the Orlando Philharmonic on the 26th, including their pre-concert overview and our post-concert socializing. Also, another Movie Matinee this month to see the critically-acclaimed Les Miserables on the 16th. Plans are progressing for the Golden Heart Award Reception to be held on Sunday, April 7 most likely at the Marks Street Center Ballroom. There will be speakers, refreshments, as well as a Golden Heart and Certificate for each sibling of a challenged child. If you know of a child who would qualify, please notify Ruthe. There have been 30 applications so far from the Howard Phillips Center.
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
PAGE 6
CLUB BEAMS
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
… two
LEESBURG CIVITAN CLUB From the CiviTimes (Kathy Parish) For many years, the Leesburg Civitan Club has specialized in catering barbeques as their major fundraising event. A new generation has taken over as described below…… In the early morning hours (Deb McCoy) and the fired up the smoker and Romac Lumber event. This paring the tasty fowl. The Ranch and the veteran ula to the ladies after two
of Dec. 13th the chicken chucker chicken ripper (Trish Mlekodaj) began to cook the chicken for the was their first solo venture in precooker is now out on the 21 Oaks chefs have handed over the spatyears of apprenticeship.
The day before, Doyle supplies at the local Sam’s from Publix. Thanks so
Finney assisted in picking up the Club and 334 pounds of chicken much Doyle.
Beans were prepared by some of the cooked beans up the coolers after the event.
Kathy and Pat. Tami delivered to the sight. Bobby helped round Thanks everyone!
**************************************************************************************************************************** My favorite time of the busy holiday season is attending the Christmas celebration at Sunrise Hestia House. The food, the smiles, the lively singing and the opening of the gifts….what a wonderful experience. This year was the 15th year in a row that Civitans have joined together to share the spirit of the Holidays. As the gifts were being opened around the room I wondered if any other club members were receiving their gift. I know I sure did. The gift of joy that shown on each face. I realized that not all gifts come wrapped in a box.
TAMPA METRO CIVITAN CLUB From Lori Clapp Tampa Metro Civitan members have had a whirlwind fall with so many activities. We initiated the members of the Walker Middle School Junior Civitans and installed their officers. Walker and Leto High Juniors joined us at the Angels Halloween and Christmas parties. Other events included Basketball Special Olympics; Creaky Bones and Jingle Bell Runs benefitting the Arthritis Foundation; Light the Night Walk for Leukemia/ Lymphoma; Xmas party for Forest Hills Elementary special needs children; Neighbor to Neighbor Tree Delivery and Toy Box making Christmas merrier for over 300 families; and bell ringing for the Salvation Army kettle collections. We also had fun at Miche purse fundraiser and celebrated at the Persky Holiday party which also brought in tables full of food, toys and personal items for Metropolitan Ministries and the Spring, a shelter from Domestic Violence.
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
PAGE 7
CLUB BEAMS …
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
three
Frontier Civitan Club From Helen Galloway Frontier Civitan Club embers held their Second Annual Christmas Tour of Homes with six homes throughout the Orlando area. The event was a tremendous success with $10,000 raised for club and community projects. Attendance also doubled that of last year. Important assistance with the project included help from Junior Civitans in the Bishop Moore Catholic High School and Lake Howell High School clubs. Plans are already underway for next year’s event! The club also provided Christmas for five families, including parents, in the area.
WEST ORANGE CIVITAN CLUB Also from Helen Galloway Club members and members of the Ocoee Junior Civitan club got together to decorate a Quest Group Home on December 8. Residents were thrilled and helped as bright, cheery decorations and lights adorned the home inside and out! Several activities are already planned for the coming months, including bingo at the Edgewood Children’s Ranch as well as bingo for Valentine’s Day at Health Central Park.
TREASURE COAST CIVITAN CLUB From Polly Forestier Treasure Coast Civitan Club (TCCC) has been busy during the fall quarter. It participated in the Halloween party at the Challenger school, and it featured a speaker on the problem of human trafficking at one of its recent fall meetings. The Club continues its Golden Heart Program, which has now been adopted by other clubs in the District (see other Club entries). TCCC also has a big event coming up on Monday, February 4 with its 14th annual Hearts for Hope luncheon to benefit the House of Hope. The Club held a Miche purse party and received $322 from this fundraiser. It has another Miche purse party scheduled for February 7. TC has had continued success with its candy/coin box program and leads the Florida District in revenue from coin boxes. TCCC continues to participate in Civitans at the Helm and has achieved the Captain’s level. It recently contributed $450 to the CIRC.
PINE CASTLE CIVITAN CLUB From Nancy Darlow and Diane Young The Pine Castle Civitan Club had Santa Claus as a guest at its December 13 meeting! Each attendee had a picture taken with Santa and received a gift bag, a mini stocking, holiday cookies, and an elf or Santa hat. Uptown Civitan Club members served as Santa’s Helpers during the event: Elaine Hall, Judy Davis, Sharon Kantor, Ina Taffet, DuVal Malone, Linda Weinstien, and Diane Young. Santa led the group in singing Jingle Bells as he rode out of sight!
PAGE 8
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
CLUB BEAMS
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
… four
UPTOWN CIVITAN CLUB
From “Uptown Update”, by Karen Taylor This is an exciting year for Uptown Civitan Club as we continue the countdown to our 30th anniversary in May! We have added five new members since October to keep us going strong. UCC donated more than $300 in gift cards and toys for Christmas at the Seamark Ranch, and we have a fundraiser scheduled for February 18, 2013, “A Murder Mystery at the Alhambra”. For tickets, contact Nancy Greene at greenen@bolles.org. Uptown members continue to volunteer on a regular basis at Ronald McDonald House.
ST . PETERSBURG CIVITAN CLUB From Sandi Stanford The St. Petersburg Club is now 91 years young! To help ensure it continues to provide service for many years in the future, it recruited its first member of the 2012-2013 Civitan Year, Holly Koshler. This recruitment was a result of a Special Olympics bowl-a-thon held by the Club on September 29, 2012. The Club continues to collect items from the Soldiers’ Wish List to send to servicemen as well as publicize its “Monthly Causes”, including Fire & Safety Prevention Week and Downs Syndrome Awareness Month.
LAKE EOLA CIVITAN CLUB From John Edward Dietz Members of Lake Eola Civitan are volunteering on February 2, 2013 at the Down’s Syndrome Clinic at the Howard Phillips Center for Families and Children in Orlando. Club members volunteer annually at the Downs Clinic and at he Autism Clinic, also conducted by the Howard Phillips Center. Lake Eola Civitan, along with other Area 2 clubs, are preparing for the Golden Heart reception for caregivers at the Baldwin Park Community Center on Sunday, April 7, 2013. Our thanks to Polly Forestier and Treasure Coast Civitan Club, who originated this program and have generously assisted the Orlando area clubs in launching this event in Orlando.
PAGE 9
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
JUNIOR CIVITAN …
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
Penny Bonawitz, Junior Chair
Ed White Junior Civitan Club had been active, participating in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks (WNAS) in downtown Jacksonville, painting partitions at the Jacksonville Zoo to get ready for the Spooktacular Halloween event, and volunteering at Lake Forest Elementary school, distributing books they collected and reading to students. Robert E. Lee Junior Civitan provided coffee and donuts for Teachers Appreciation. Congratulations to Lynn Mauer and her Lake Brantley Junior Civitans for their week-long anti-bullying program at Lake Brantley High School, which included anti-bullying T-shirts, anti-bullying pledges, speakers, and a school-wide assembly period. Bishop Moore Junior Civitan Club and Lake Howell Junior Civitan Club assisted the Frontier Civitan Club in their successful second annual Christmas tour of homes, helping to raise $10,000. Representatives from the Florida District are also participating in the Polar Plunge at Sea World on February 2, and Juniors who participated last year said this is an unforgettable event. AND MAJOR CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR JUNIOR GOVERNOR, DANIEL BOWEN, WHO RAISED OVER $2,600 FOR SNO-DO, WHICH TAKES PLACE IN BARRIE, ONTARIO CANADA JANUARY 25 - 29. He not only reached his Sno-Do fundraising goal but surpassed it AND earned the Round Tuit for raising over $500 outside of Civitan. He raised $275 from Junior Clubs, $1325 from Civitan Clubs and $1075 from outside contributors. He has really worked hard and we should all be very proud of him. He leaves for Canada on January 25th.
2013 CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Make plans now to attend the 2013 Civitan International Convention in Denver, Colorado July 3—6! For more information, click the above link.
PAGE 10
FLORIDA SUNBEAM
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 1
The Florida Sunbeam Hillary Brightman, Publisher 831 N. Westmoreland Drive Orlando, FL 32804 E-mail: rgbcivitan@aol.com Robert & Hillary Brightman, Editors 831 N. Westmoreland Drive Orlando, FL 32804 E-mail: rgbcivitan@aol.com Phone: 407-340-8608 If undeliverable, please return to: Hillary Brightman, Publisher 831 N. Westmoreland Drive Orlando, FL 32804 E-mail: rgbcivitan@aol.com
FLORIDA DISTRICT WEB SITE…floridacivitan.org See the great Florida District web site by John Edward Dietz, Website Webmaster!
Changes in Florida Sunbeam Distribution
Helen Galloway and Mattie Fraser have been long-time editor and publisher of the Florida Sunbeam. Thank you very much for your many years of service in this area to Civitan! They have now passed the torch to us. After spending 10 days wrestling with various e-mail formats and Microsoft Publisher, we think we now know why they were ready to pass the torch—and wonder why they didn’t do it sooner! This is our first issue. We think we have now begun to understand Microsoft Publisher and believe future issues will improve on and be more comprehensive than our first effort. As we move into the future, we are changing from e-mailing the Sunbeam to posting it on the Florida District Website (http://www.floridacivitan.org/). We will continue to mail it to members currently receiving it by mail through the April 2013 issue. To help reduce costs, we will not mail copies after the April issue unless you advise us that you wish to continue receiving the Sunbeam by mail. Please submit items for the April Sunbeam by March 20, 2013. Thanks! Hillary and Bob