FLORIDA
SUNBEAM
Volume 9, Issue 2 SE
April 2013
Special Edition Welcome To The Florida District Civitan Meeting Florida Junior Civitan Convention
Doubletree by Hilton at Sea World
Florida District Civitan Meeting Agenda Friday April 5 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM 9:00 PM and continuing
BOARD MEETING—Caribbean Room DINNER ON YOUR OWN GAMES/JOINT SOCIAL HOUR OPTIONAL FELLOWSHIP
Saturday April 6—Mediterranean Room 8:00 AM 7:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:15 AM 10:30 AM 11:15 AM 11:45 AM 12:15 PM 1:30 PM
3:30 PM
BREAKFAST PROVIDED - (hallway outside of Mediterranean Room) Committee Meetings (Past Governors-Gay Aaron) DISTRICT MEETING-Chaplain Invocation (Phil Nordstrom) Joint Meeting with Juniors (Penny Bonawitz/Gov. Dan Brown) BREAK AWARDS- Past Governor Lana Suggs Growth and Retention-Helen Galloway Steve Steenberge (Time and Place/Civitans at the Helm) JOINT LUNCHEON SPEAKER- Past Int’l President Curt Thomas JOINT SESSION WITH JUNIORS Junior Awards Junior Officer Installations (by Florida District Governor-Elect Bob Kircher) DISTRICT MEETING ADJOURNS
What’s Inside Civitan Florida District Meeting Agenda Welcome from Junior Civitan Governor and Jr Update Florida District Governor’s Notes
1 District Officers and Florida District Calendar 2 Growth and Retention 3 The Chaplain’s Corner
4 5 6
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FLORIDA SUNBEAM
V O LU M E 9 I S S U E 2 S E
Welcome from Junior Civitan Governor Dear Junior Civitans and Civitans, Welcome to the 2013 Florida District Junior Civitan Convention and Florida Civitan District Meeting! You are in for a fun and relaxing time here in the Double Tree Resort in Orlando, FL. As your governor this year, I had the chance to participate in the annual Sno-Do fundraiser for the Civitan International Research Center, where I journeyed to the frozen Canadian north in late January and was fortunate to ride a snowmobile through the icy wilderness. I absolutely had the time of my life! In my local club, Bishop Moore, we are currently participating in a project for the MD Anderson Hospital. Another project that I participated in, and many you went to, was the Polar Plunge at Aquatica Water Park in early February. Although the weather was quite warm that day, the waters in the wave pool were not, as the plungers can easily state. I sincerely hope that you have the most excellent and exciting time here in Orlando and that you take back memories and experiences with Junior Civitan and Civitan which will last a lifetime. Yours in Civitan, Daniel Bowen
Junior Civitan Update—Penny Bonawitz, Junior Civitan Chair It has been a very busy year so far for the Junior Civitan Clubs in the Florida District. The first District event was the Polar Plunge at Sea World’s Aquatica in Orlando on Feb. 2. Four clubs participated: St. Petersburg, Leto, Ocoee and Bishop Moore with over 40 people either plunging or watching. We raised over $2,900 for the Special Olympics program in Florida. We had a great time and hope more clubs will join us next year! The next District event is the upcoming District Convention. It is going to be amazing! Lots of games and gettin’ to know ya events mixing the young and old and not so old together will be played on Friday evening and on Saturday morning. So put on your thinking caps and do some stretching to get ready for the fun! I would like to celebrate those clubs that have earned the 10% increase in membership and they are: Ed White, sponsored by Uptown, Gold Gate, sponsored by Naples, Lake Howell, sponsored by Frontier, Robert E. Lee, sponsored by Uptown, Miami Jackson Sr. High, sponsored by Miami Springs Hialeah, Naples, sponsored by Naples, Plant City Boys, sponsored by Plant City, St. Petersburg, sponsored by St. Petersburg and Walker Middle Magnet , sponsored by Tampa Metro. We have lost North Pinellas and Lee Middle School Clubs this year, nine clubs are down in membership and the others have maintained membership. I would also like to thank all the wonderful Civitans that are working with the Junior Clubs. I would like to encourage all the Civitan Clubs that sponsor Junior Clubs to get involved with these amazing young people if you are not already and help their clubs grow. Help them get new members and fill out paperwork. Help them attend District and International events each year and see how empowering the Junior Civitan program is throughout the world. Penny
FLORIDA
SUNBEAM
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Volume 9, Issue 2 SE
Governor’s Notes—by Bob Brightman In this issue’s Chaplain’s Corner, Phil Nordstrom asks pursuant to the Civitan Creed of “My Hands do the Work of the World” what are your hands doing ??? Well, after working on the Club Notes for this Issue of the Sunbeam I know the answer---our Civitan hands are doing a lot. The Arlington Club’s hands were busy raising $10,000 to benefit their local causes and our Flagship Charity, the CIRC. The Leesburg Club’s hands were, as always, busy barbequeing to raise money for their local causes, with a new generation of barbequers having now taken the helm. The Sunset Club’s hands were busy with a Chili Cookoff to raise money for Volusia Arc and their other local causes. And as I compose this, I am just back from Naples where I attended the 3rd Annual Dancing Under the Stars Show. Nery and Bob Kircher put on a FABULOUS fundraiser with live music, dinner, and dancing to raise money for Challenger Baseball League to bring sports to the developmentally disabled and for their scholarship fund. And Bob Kircher and Steve Steenberge are already busy staging our District Convention and Installation Banquet next September 13th and 14th in Naples, Florida. And Civitan Uptown’s activities are literally, almost too many to list. The Uptowners continue to support their six Flagship Projects, along with our national Flagship project the CIRC. And as the ladies of Uptown prepare for their 30th Anniversary in May, they have much to be proud of, particularly for sponsoring and supporting the other clubs in their area, including Southpoint, Pine Castle, Arlington, and Saint Augustine. It is amazing the number of Civitan officers you talk to who reference having been mentored by Mattie Fraser or Jean Smith. One set of Civitan hands was just nominated to be Grand Marshall for the 2013 Strawberry Festival Parade in Plant City, Florida. CONGRATULATIONS TO PAT POGUE. (SEE THE PLANT CITY CLUB NOTES FOR DETAILS) The Plant City Club have been long time participants in the Strawberry Festival . Also continuing a long tradition, Sandy and Charlene Saunders of the Orlando Civitan Club were judges at the Plant City Strawberry Festival Youth Parade. And our Civitan hands do some very unusual things----(See Club Notes for Heart of Florida Civitan)—such as cleaning used soap from Hotels for reformation and distribution to developing countries through Clean the World. And Jenny Treadwell’s hands (Civitan Lake Eola) just returned from driving her YELLOW SCREAMING MIMI dragster at the Gator Nationals. (SEE PICTURE OF MIMI THE DRAGSTER UNDER LAKE EOLA CIVITAN CLUB NOTES. SORRY JENNY, I DIDN’T HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU). Continued on Page 5
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FLORIDA SUNBEAM
DISTRICT OFFICERS 2012-2013
V O LU M E 9 I S S U E 2 S E
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 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 April District 5-6 Joint Florida District Meeting and Florida Juniot Civitan Convention, Orlando, FL April Civitan Awareness Month & Junior Civitan Advisor Appreciation Month Apr. 1 Deadline to submit material for Spring Sunbeam 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
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FLORIDA SUNBEAM
LET’S RIDE THE BUS!! …
V O LU M E 9 , I S S U E 2 S E
Helen Galloway, Growth & Retention Chair
“The richest persons are those who give most in service to others.” Financial wealth is only one measure of success. The truly happy and successful individual is an individual who may be healthy, financially secure, challenged in a career and is making a difference in the lives of others. In today’s economy and with the lifestyle issues we encounter, it is not always easy to render service to others. But Civitans always find a way to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Whatever their individual situation is, they have discovered that service to others is exactly what Albert Schweitzer said: “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” I hope that all our clubs will make a dedicated effort to get on the Energy Bus and share this special feeling with others. Invite others and show others what your club is doing in your community. Give others the opportunity to experience that warm feeling of service. As you have read, Governor Bob noted that our district has a deficit in membership, but he feels that this is not insurmountable. Let’s prove he is correct! ANOTHER CHANCE TO RIDE THE BUS! Club presidents and presidents-elect have received the informational flyer regarding the 2013-14 Club Presidents/Presidents-Elect Leadership Training. This provided detailed information on the training, answered many questions and announced the summer training schedule. Officers may attend any session convenient regardless of the location. Club presidents should be planning for your new officer elections within the next couple of months so that the incoming leaders may schedule the training. New club officer report forms must be submitted by July 1, 2013. Reports from previous sessions indicate that this opportunity for leadership training is one of the best c courses ever. Our leaders can get on the Energy Bus and assure the best for their club by following Ralph Waldo Emerson’s directive: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm and knowledge.”
Governor’s Notes Continued from Page 3
So keep those Civitan hands busy. And I ask those hands to reach deep this year to support our Flagship charity, the Civitan International Research Center. I ask as many clubs as possible this year to support a Golfer for the Breakthrough Golf Tournament, or for Chip and Putt. And as we go into our Florida Civitan District Meeting and Junior Civitan Convention, special thinks to our Time and Place Chair Steve Steenberge and our Junior Civitan Chair Penny Bonawitz. Steve had our April meeting all lined up for Melbourne but suddenly the arrangements fell through. Steve had to regroup and start all over again, so he did twice the normal work for this District Meeting. He and Governor Elect Robert Kircher are already at work on the District Convention for September 13-14 in Naples. And Penny Bonawitz took on the Junior Civitan Chair position, for a second year in a row. A BIG CIVITAN THANK YOU TO PENNY AND STEVE!
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FLORIDA SUNBEAM
THE CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
O LU S SEU2E S E2 V OVLU M EM E9 , 8I S, SI U
… PHIL NORDSTROM
Spring is a beautiful time of the year. The Red Ruffle Azaleas at our back door are in bloom. The Drake Elms in the backyard have new leaves in the new green. Everywhere you go, if you look, you will see new life occurring in God’s world. And, it is so beauti-
the person you assisted more beautiful. It assists them in enjoying the world we live in. Then there is the second way, and that is to physically make the world more beautiful. This could mean something as simple as landscaping the wheelchair ramp you built last week.
Remember, God’s world is made up of nature and people. Both need our love and care. That said, I beful! lieve our main duty as Civitans is to “reach out in service to others.” When we do this God is pleased as The second statement in our Civitan Creed says: “MY He looks down on us and gives us a pat on the back HANDS do the work of the world and reach out in ser- by giving us a warm feeling for helping someone. vice to others. Our God is capable of giving us as many warm feelAs Civitans it is our duty to live up to our Civitan ings as we are willing to work for. Let’s all resolve to Creed. What are your “hands” doing? Have they re- keep God busy this spring “patting us on the back” as cently done something to make our beautiful world we reach out to help those less fortunate than us more beautiful? Maybe you have something on your navigate their lives on this earth. Remember, Civitan schedule to do in the near future to enhance the Passion Speaks with Action. beauty of our world. If not, I encourage you and your club to reach out and plan something to do this spring In His Grace, that will make your world in your area more beautiful. Phil As I see it, there are two ways to make God’s world more beautiful. One is to help someone in need. There are many ways to do this, from building a wheelchair ramp to taking someone without transportation to visit their doctor. This makes the world of
2013 CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2013 Civitan International Convention in Denver, Colorado July 3—6!
The 2013 Civitan International Convention at the Sheraton Denver Downtown is just around the corner. Click on the above link for more information. Hope to see you there!