News from Boys Home of Virginia
Fall 2019
Congratulations Class of 2019!
L. to R. Abe Ashebir, James McGill, and Frank Commue
On June 14th, 2019, the Boys Home School proudly celebrated its first graduating class, the class of 2019. Boys Home students, staff, families, friends, and community members joined together to recognize the three young men whose hard work brought them to this important milestone. As all three prepare for the next step in their lives, they will always have what they learned at Boys Home to rely on. Of the three graduates, class valedictorian Abe Ashebir has spent the most time at Boys Home. Eight years ago, after struggling in school in his home setting, Abe came to Boys Home to get a better education. In his time here, not only has Abe learned to apply himself to his studies, he has learned to take responsibility for his actions. As he gets ready to attend Radford University in the fall, Abe will miss the people at Boys Home the most. Graduates Frank Commue and James McGill are not only friends and cottage-mates, but brothers. Arriving at Boys Home three years ago brought them to a healthier environment and helped them get a better education; having the help and support of a brother throughout their time here has really forged a special bond between them. Frank and James’s younger brother Ben also attended Boys Home this past year. This fall, the two brothers plan to pursue different paths. Frank will attend Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and then join the United States Army. James plans to join the Air Force Reserves and play football in college. From their time at Boys Home, both take away life lessons, such as how to be responsible, do chores, and make the bed, and some favorite memories, such as a huge snowball fight and learning to swim. Like Abe, Frank and James will miss the people at Boys Home, especially their Boys Home brothers next year. As these young men move forward to new and exciting futures, the Boys Home community wishes them 1 all the best.
Boys Home of Virginia Founded by The Rev. George Floyd Rogers Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal Church Board of Trustees 2019-2020 President James Cox Vice President Ann Vest Secretary Donnie E. Wheatley ’66 Treasurer Kenneth Robison Immediate Past President Leonard Slater Ex Officio Bishop, Diocese of Southwestern Virginia The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas Members Sammy Bowen Matthew Compher Ross Dionne The Rev. Connie Gilman Kathy Ingram Gerard Markham Robert Miller James Scott The Rev. Todd Vie Joseph P. Whittle David Ramon Williams Alumni Representative Robert Mills ’71 Chair of Investment Committee Bud Syme Honorary Member Dr. Bruce Heilman
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From the Executive Director Donnie E. Wheatley I hope that everyone survived the summer weather! Don’t worry … help is on the way, and it’s called November! Before I share some other news, I am proud to announce that Boys Home School graduated three young men in June. We hope only the best for our three graduates as they begin their young adulthood. Please see the article on page 1. However, speaking of help being on the way, I have good news for you and Boys Home. Donors often ask me about our financial needs. I respond by telling them that one of our greatest financial needs is for estate gifts, those that are made in wills and trusts. I know that many of our supporters intend to leave a gift for Boys Home in their wills, but more than a few just don’t get around to it. It seems that estate planning, or making a will, is one of the first things that gets put on the back burner. That’s understandable given the subject matter: death, taxes, probate, etc. Here is where the good news comes in. Jim Secrist, an estate planning attorney, has agreed to assist us in this area. Part of what he will be doing is helping our supporters plan their estates so that their wishes will be honored when they pass away. In addition to operating his own estate planning firm for years, Jim is experienced in working with agencies that care for children. He worked for ten years for Boys Town, the original Father Flanagan’s Boys Home in Omaha, Nebraska. While at Boys Town, Jim developed a program to help Boys Town’s donors. He offered a free estate plan analysis to all donors. Here is how it works: he sits down with the donor and gets a general idea of the estate, the family, and most importantly, the donor’s wishes. Jim then provides the donor with different options to solve their planning issues, options that avoid income, estate and capital gains taxes, probate, and other expensive (and sometimes unnecessary) procedures and documents. The rest of the good news is that there is no charge and no obligation for this service. I urge you to take us up on this offer. Think about it. Think about what is at stake: (1) Absolutely everything you own, (2) Everyone you love and care about, (3) Every principle you cherish and have lived your life by, and (4) Every cause you support, the difference you have made in those causes, and all the good things you have done. If you have questions or would like more information, please call me at (540) 965-7700, or email me at dewheatley@boyshomeofva.org. Take care and God bless,
Dr. Donnie E. Wheatley Litterarum Humanarum
Boys Home
Harvest Hustle November 2, 2019, Covington, VA Fun Run - 5k - 10k - Half-Marathon This year, Boys Home of Virginia is excited to offer a fun run, 5K, 10K, and half-marathon! Families, runners, walkers, and spectators are welcome. Children 10 and under are invited to run the 5K or 10K for free, and dogs and strollers are welcome as well. All participants will receive a T-shirt, participation medal, and snacks and beverages at the finish line. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 men and women in each age category. All races start and end at the Intervale Trailhead of the Jackson River Scenic Trail, in Covington, VA. The USATF-certified course has a smooth crushed gravel surface and is mostly flat, with some small hills. The course Event Start Time Price follows an old railroad bed of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, winding along the Jackson Half-Marathon 9:00 a.m. $45 River through the scenic Alleghany Highlands. 10K 9:15 a.m. $25 To register: call Colleen at (540) 965-7703, Fun Run 9:30 a.m. FREE send an email to curffer@boyshomeofva.org, or visit the race website at 5K 9:45 a.m. $20 www.runforboyshome.org.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE Promote your business AND support Boys Home! Sponsorships start at $100 and come with a variety of promotional opportunities.
SPONSOR NAMES AND LOGOS HERE!
To reserve a sponsorship, contact Colleen Urffer at (540) 965-7703 or via email at curffer@boyshomeofva.org
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Fall Wish List for School Year 2019-2020 • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • •
Copy paper Composition books (70) 3-hole punches Staplers/staples Scotch tape, duct tape, masking tape Paper clips, binder clips Manila folders 3-prong folders Glue (bottles and refills) Manila envelopes (small and large) Rubber bands Index cards Tissues Hand sanitizers Clorox wipes Disinfectant spray Dictionaries for the cottages (8) Headphones
Dates to Remember Moss Raffle Drawing: October 31 See back cover for more information.
Boys Home Harvest Hustle: November 2 Visit runforboyshome.com for more information or refer to page 3.
Tree Farm Open House: November 30 Giving Tuesday: December 3
Ways to Help Box Tops for Education MyCoke Rewards Kroger Community Rewards Program Amazon Smile Remember Boys Home in your will. We are also in need of used cars or vans in good working condition.
Other needed Items: • • •
Backpacks Belts - all sizes Khaki pants - boys’ sizes 10 - 14
The Boys Appeal is published 3 times a year by the Boys Home of Virginia Development Office. 414 Boys Home Road Covington, Virginia 24426 Phone: (540) 965-7700 Fax: (540) 965-7702 info@boyshomeofva.org www.boyshomeofva.org For your convenience, you can now donate to Boys Home at give2boyshome.org. 4
Boys Home Christmas Tree Farm Open House Nov. 30 10 am-4 pm
November 29 - December 23 Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Fridays-Sundays 1118 Bear Wallow Flat, West Augusta, VA Ph: 540-939-4106 www.boyshomeofva.org/our-tree-farm
Fun at Summer Camp for Boys Home Students A favorite summer activity for many Boys Home students is going to camp. This year, Chaplain Intern Mike Nunnally spent time serving at St. George’s Camp in Orkney Springs, VA. St. George’s is a traditional outdoor camp that focuses on recognizing the unique and infinite value of every member of the camp community. Another popular camp is Chanco on the James, which was voted “Best Summer Camp” by Virginia Living magazine for the past six years. Chanco is a residential camp for boys and girls ages 8 - 16 where young people can have fun, make friends, try new things, and Pete Nunnally & Shawn Y. appreciate God’s creation. Eight students attended and enjoyed their time at Camp Chanco this year. Boys Home students also attended Alpine Camp, Wooten basketball Camp, Reading and Math Enrichment Camp, Shiloh Quaker Camp, and Naturalist Camp. For the last 33 years, a College Orientation Workshop (COW) for select rising minority high school juniors and seniors has been held at VMI. Since 1998, many Boys Home students have been selected to attend; Christian Bass attended this year. The 4-week program focuses on academics, motivational experiences and speakers, and opportunities for students to develop as leaders. Christian said that the greatest lesson he learned was Christian Bass that, “getting through tough stuff with a group is better than going through tough stuff alone.” At the awards ceremony, Christian attained a certificate of Junior Achievement in Finance and was a distinguished graduate, an honor bestowed on only 5 of the 26 participants. Boys Home is proud of Christian Bass and his successful completion of the program.
Thank You Mission Groups! Boys Home students and Galilee mission group
Members of St. Michael and All Angels’ mission group
Trinity mission volunteers by the new fence around the cemetery If your church group is interested in scheduling a mission trip to Boys Home, please contact Colleen Urffer at (540) 9657703 for more information.
Northside Baptist mission group and donated school supplies
Each summer, Boys Home has the privilege of hosting mission groups on campus! Mission groups bring fun for the boys and help tackle major projects in the heat. This year, Boys Home welcomed groups from Trinity Episcopal in Portsmouth, Galilee Episcopal in Virginia Beach, St. Michael and All Angels’ in Columbia South Carolina, and Northside Baptist in Mechanicsville. Mission volunteers worked on everything from replacing an old chain-link fence around the cemetery to cleaning the clothing room and hosting evening praise and worship. One of the highlights from our visitors was seeing a new fence and gate installed around the old cemetery, thanks to the hard work of the men from Trinity Episcopal. Other highlights included a fresh coat of paint for all the fencing on the farm and a coat of white paint for the pergola outside the administration building, thanks to St. Michael and All Angels’ and Northside Baptist. Lastly, the boys especially enjoyed the week of sports and activities hosted by the mission group from Galilee. 5
Graduation and Awards Ceremony Boys Home of Virginia hosted graduation coupled with the annual awards ceremony on June 14, 2019 at 2 p.m. in the Ben Parrott Dining Hall. The 2019 graduating seniors were Abe Ashebir, Frank Commue, and James McGill. Prior to graduation and the awards ceremony, guests, staff, and students enjoyed a delicious meal outdoors prepared by the dining hall staff. Graduation began with a processional of the three seniors, Executive Director Mr. Donnie E. Wheatley, Board of Trustees President Mr. James Cox, and Boys Home School Director Mrs. Teresa Johnson. The Boys Home Honor Code and Pledge of Allegiance were said and The Rev. Anne Grizzle followed with the invocation. Mr. Robert Trice, Boys Home alumnus and Director of Support Services, welcomed everyone. Mr. Mark Tembo, Boys Home alumnus, was the keynote speaker. Each graduate addressed the audience and expressed their appreciation to Boys Home and talked about their plans for the future. Mr. James Cox and Mrs. Teresa Johnson presented diplomas. The annual awards ceremony followed. The awards ceremony gives Boys Home the chance to recognize the accomplishments of students over the past year. Accomplishments from on and off campus activities were recognized with awards ranging from school performance to community service. Many named awards and scholarships reward the students for the hard work they put forth while at Boys Home. The highest of honors for a Boys Home student were handed out at the end of the banquet - the Michael Folland Award and the George Floyd Rogers Award. The Michael Folland Award is given to a senior who demonstrates that he took advantage of his time at Boys Home by working to reach his full potential. The Michael Folland award was presented to senior James M. (pictured center below). The George Floyd Rogers Award is named in honor of the Boys Home founder and is presented to the resident who, by his spirit, example, and overall outstanding citizenship, exemplifies the ideals of Boys Home and its founder. The George Floyd Rogers Award was presented to senior Abe A. (pictured left below). Frank C. with Ms. Sig (pictured below right) was also awarded The Bill and Lang Wilson Scholarship and The Matthew Foster Scholarship. Again, we congratulate all the winners and want to thank everyone who continues to make success a possibility for these students. We are proud of their accomplishments, especially those of the graduating seniors. (Full list of awards on page 7)
James Cox with Abe Ashebir
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L. to R. Gerard Markham, James McGill, and Jim Scott
Signe Langschultz and Frank Commue
Graduation and Awards Ceremony continued... The George Floyd Rogers Citizenship Award Made possible by the Rogers Family Abe Ashebir The Michael F. Folland Award Made possible by Beckie Mullen James McGill The Berlin and Frances Lineberry Scholarship Made possible by Berlin Lineberry James McGill The Donald “Pete” Dimick Memorial Scholarship For athletic camp; made possible by Susan Dimick Christian Bass The Barry D. Mays Memorial Award Made possible by Mary Margret Hogan Abe Ashebir The Joseph D. & Hilda Dent Memorial Award Presented by Mr. I.B. Dent Abe Ashebir 1st Lt. Joshua Charles Hurley Memorial Award Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Hurley Abe Ashebir The David C. Hall Memorial Award Presented by Sammie Brookman Jude Dostal The Bill and Lang Wilson Scholarship Presented by Mr. Donnie Wheatley Frank Commue The Matthew Foster Scholarship Presented by Mr. James Cox Frank Commue The Sam Cunningham Award Made possible by Donnie Wheatley Terrance Harmon The Steven Rogers Memorial Award Made possible by Scott and Pam Massey Sekou Ture The Jhakee Avant Honorary Scholarship Made possible by Jhakee and Wanda Avant James McGill Helping Hands Award Presented by the Boys Home Development Department John Mark Herring Justus Dostal Terrance Harmon Diego Jones Best Foot Forward Award Presented by the Boys Home Development Department Christian Bass
Top Students Elementary School: Joshua Eng (math, non-graded) Darren Dudu (reading, non-graded) Middle School: Mulu Slawta (math) Abenego Commue (math) Cody Payne (math) Mulu Slawta (science) Mulu Slawta (social studies) Abenego Commue (social studies) High School: Abe Ashebir Most Improved Students Elementary School: Justus Dostal (reading) John Mark Herring (math) Middle School: Jordan Jackson (math) Shawn Young (science) Epherem Morris (social studies) Davin May (social studies) High School highest GPA Abe Ashebir Wilson Reading Program Jude Dostal Justus Dostal Joshua Eng Frank Commue The Tice “Think About” Contest Diego Jones Grounds Crew Worker of the Year Christian Sergent Tree Farm Worker of the Year Christian Bass Leadership in Action Award James McGill HVAC Student of the Year C.J. Calhoun Episcopal Church Women Scholarship Abe Ashebir Frank Commue James McGill
Members of the Tae Kwon Do class, Hilltoppers Boys Basketball Team, Key Club, Art class, Spiritual Life, and Center for Applied Trades were also recognized. Congratulations to our students for all of their hard work this school year! 7
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lynchburg, VA PERMIT NO.161
414 Boys Home Road Covington, Virginia 24426 (540) 965-7700 www.boyshomeofva.org Change Service Requested
Boys Appeal - Fall 2019
A successful man has to start somewhere... 2019 Boys Home P. Buckley Moss Raffle __________________________ Name __________________________ Address __________________________ City/State/Zip (_____)____________________ Phone
At $5 per ticket or $45 for ten tickets
Drawing is October 31. I enclose $______for Boys Home. Mail to: Boys Home of Virginia Attn: Moss Raffle 414 Boys Home Rd. Covington, VA 24426
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Moss Raffle Spring At Humpback Bridge #150 The setting of Spring At Humpback Bridge is located in Covington, Virginia. Tickets are $5 each or 10 for $45. We will draw the winner on October 31. Best of luck winning this beautiful print!