THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2007-7 OF JULY 1, 2007

Hello Hornets:

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL FORMER FACULTY MEMBER!  Carol Tisdale Whitsell (64) informs us that former faculty member Vivian Bounds Edelen turns 90 on July 28th.  Many of you will remember that Vivian was the senior faculty representative at the 2005 All Classes/Faculty/Staff Reunion, where she was able to re-unite with some of her fifth grade students from the Surrattsville School in 1939 (and where she was called-down for running in the halls)!  (There are some great photos of Vivian -- then and now -- on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.)

I know we all wish Vivian a happy birthday, with many happy returns!

2.  AND INTERESTING MEMORIES FROM THE SAME ERA.  I recently had a very nice chat with June Jacobs Brown (44), a great Foundation supporter and Foundation Legacy Society member (who happens to turn 80 years young on July 24!).  June shared a number of fascinating memories from Surratts in the late early 40s.  In addition to sharing inspirational stories about the influence of Principals Klein and Bond and a fascinating personal story about how a full tuition scholarship from Senator Tydings ($89 per semester!) helped June attend and graduate from the University of Maryland after Surrattsville, she related the following very heartwarming story: Surrattsville's then long-time and beloved custodian, known as Jimmy to the students, got very sick and couldn't work.  He had no disability insurance, so he was due to lose his job because of his illness.  The Principal related this predicament to June -- who was then the student council president and yearbook editor -- and her classmates, and they immediately went into action and came up with the following plan to protect Jimmy's job.  Until he could return to work, the boy volunteers cleaned the boys' restrooms and locker rooms and performed half of Jimmy's other responsibilities, while the girl volunteers cleaned the girls' restrooms and locker rooms and performed the other half of Jimmy's responsibilities. Now that's some Hornet spirit!

3.  2007 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED.  The Foundation is very proud to announce this year's recipients of the Foundation's General Fund, and Waddell Memorial Fund, scholarships:

BRODEREK ALFRED STEWART has been awarded this year's Waddell Memorial Fund Scholarship.  Broderek , who will attend Alcorn State in the fall, was active in the Marching, Concert Band, Pep and Go-Go Bands at Surratts, and was an Honor Roll student.  Broderek will major in music education.

BRENE ASHLEY CARRINGTON has been awarded one of this year's two General Fund Scholarships.  Brene, who will attend Morgan State in the fall, was an Honor Roll student, a National Society of High School Scholars candidate from Surratts, and was active in the 4-H Club and the Prom Committee.

TAYANA CHANEE HARRISON has been awarded one of this year's two General Fund Scholarships.  Tayana, who will attend Prince George's Community College in the fall, was an Honor Roll student who was Class and Student Government Secretary and active in a variety of activities at Surratts, including JROTC, Dance Team, Marching Band, Wrestling Team Manager, and Prom Committee.

Congratulations and best wishes to these outstanding Surratts grads!  (Photos of this year's scholarship recipients soon will be found on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.

4.  A SPECIAL THANKS.  And speaking of the Foundation's web site, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the tireless efforts of our volunteer, and extraordinarily talented, web master, Mike Gifford (84) who for so many years has given so much of his time to keep the web site up to date.  I know his hard work is appreciated by all of us who enjoy the web site, and especially by the various Class Reunion Contacts who use the web site as a link to their classmates.  Many thanks, Mike!

5.  CLASS OF 82 REUNION.  The Class of 82 has set the weekend of August 4 for its 25 Year Reunion.  Please contact Renee Mills DeLuca and Lisa Grace Stoudt (LisaMGrace2@aol.com) about the Reunion plans or if you have information on the whereabouts of Class of 82 grads or their family members.

6.  CLASS OF 62 REUNION.  The Class of 62 is planning its 45 Year Reunion for Saturday, September 22 at the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore.  Please contact the following Committee members for information, or if you have information on the whereabouts of Class of 62 grads or their family members: Terry Buckley Osman (410) 586-3911 Home (410) 320-2668 Cell (ttdecor1@verizon.net); Len Owens (919) 467-3615 Home (443) 206-2567 Cell (lowens15@nc.rr.com); Claude and Nancy Revis (301) 441-2771 Home (240) 375-6006 Cell (reviscnn@verizon.net); Claudia Sladek (303) 814-0220 Home (cesladek@msn.com); Jerry Spence (301) 843-9509 Home (240) 216-0189 Cell (jnsspence@comcast.net).

7.  82 GRAD COMPLETES FUND-RAISING RIDE.  I received this email from Renee Mills DeLuca (82) about her experience in a great fund-raising ride: "Hi Henry" We're back from the 2007 the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society Team in Training century cycling event, where my husband Paul and I participated in riding 100 miles around Lake Tahoe to raise funds for this wonderful organization. This year, over 2,000 cyclists (including 54 from the Northern Ohio chapter) helped raise over 8.5 million dollars to fund leukemia and other blood cancer research and support for families who have a loved one diagnosed with the disease. Our local paper printed this article about our effort:
http://www.cleveland.com/chagrinheraldsun/communitylife/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1180548440116750.xml&coll=4.
 
It's called "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" and it certainly was! Best, Renee

Congratulations to Renee and the other riders on this impressive good deed!

8.  AN HISTORIC CLINTON HOMECOMING.  I received this fascinating email from Joan Duke Gates (53) (JLGSR@aol.com):  "Hi Henry: My name is Joan Duke Gates, a 1953 grad of Surrattsville High, married to Jimmie Gates, a 1954 Surratts grad.  Thought you might be interested in a little news from my hometown, Clinton, MD.  The J. Paul Duke, Jr. VFW Memorial Post 9376 is named for my oldest brother who was killed in WW 2.  You might remember the post sits back off the road on the right amid trees just past the old Surratts School on the way to Clinton.  (On old Rt. 5., now called Brandywine Rd.)
 
Paul, Jr. was a Surratts grad, a Univ. of Md. grad, and a 2nd Lt. paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne.  He was killed in Holland in Operation Market Garden and was buried in Belgium in the Ardennes American Cemetary.  My husband and I visited his gravesite in 2000.
 
The Duke family lived in the big white house, just up from the VFW post which was built on land our parents donated.  (Our house is still there, on the right as you go toward the center of Clinton.)  All eight of the Duke children graduated from Surrattsville High!
 
The VFW celebrated their 60th Anniversary on April 14, 2007 at the post.  Four charter members (all Surratts grads) were honored as was Paul Jr. and the Duke Family.  Two of my brothers and their wives attended the ceremony and spoke briefly.  My brother Ted's wife, Helen, is also a SHS grad.  The President of the Maryland Senate, Mike Miller, spoke about his memories of us and the Dukes' patriotism.  Our Dad fought in WW I, and all 5 of my brothers were in the service.
 
(Mike & I worked together at his grandfather's grocery store for several years.  Mike also graduated from SHS.)
 
None of the Dukes reside in Clinton any longer.  I live in Fla. and have brothers in Texas, Virginia &  Michigan.  My two sisters and my brother David are deceased.  Dave was a volunteer fireman in Clinton for years.  Our mother taught at Surrattsville during the war years, then went to Suitland High when it opened and retired from there.
 
At the ceremony letters were read from many dignitaries, including the Gov. of MD, Pres. Jimmy Carter and others, including Majority Leader of the House of  Representatives, Steny Hoyer, whom our mother taught at  Suitland!
 
It was a lovely homecoming type event for the many Surrattsville High graduates and I am very sad we were unable to attend. Some of the older readers of your Surrattsville news may remember some of us.  Joan"

9.  REPORT FROM AFGHANISTAN.  I received this interesting email from Rix Mills (62) (rixmills5@aol.com):  "Hi Henry:  Since our last email exchange I have deployed to Afghanistan with a company called Civilian Police International as an International Advisor.  They called me a week or so ago and wanted me here in country immediately and so I had to move out fast in order to get here to do the mission.  I am thrilled to be able to do my part for the Global War on Terrorism and had been wanting to do something but not necessarily in Afghanistan per se.  In any case, I got to Kabul on Thursday evening, June 7 and will be going to a place called Mazari Sharif in the north of the country to work.  This place is an armed camp and I will be working out of an international base as well.

For sure I miss my little paradise in Puerto Montt, Chile but will return when I have finished my work here which is open ended at this point.  It is sort of like dejavu all over again as this reminds me of Southeast Asia when I was there during the Vietnam War and I think that this country is at the point of development that I saw there in the 60s which is sad but a host of countries and organizations are working to help them get beyond their troublesome past and establish a more secure and productive environment for these long suffering people.

I had hoped to join my nephew here who is a USMC officer but he had to move over to Iraq and so I didn't quite make it here in time to see him. Well, that's it for now and I'll write you again when I get a feel for the situation in the north and my work there.  Rix"

10.  SURRATTS SWIM CLUB CLOSES.  I received this email from Naida Meares (79):  "Dear Henry:  I am sure there are a lot of alumni out there like me who have fond memories of lazy summer days at the Surratts Swim Club pool.  Having recently moved from the Clinton area, we were members up until about two seasons ago.  We received a letter in the mail at our old address which said We are sad to report that the pool will not be opening this summer.  We have struggled along for the past 10 years but low membership, past debts and the increase in the cost of running the pool have made it impossible to reopen.  This was sad indeed to see another relic of the good ole days bite the dust.  Naida"

11.  HORNET MILITARY REGISTRY NOW ON WEBSITE.  Thanks to the efforts of B. J. Brewer Black (72), bjsboys@prodigy.net, we've posted on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org a list of Hornets who are serving, or have served, in the military.  If you have additional information for this list, please send it B. J..

12.  LOST RING SOUGHT.  Pat Becker Oles (71) is attempting to find her 71 Class ring which had a black onyx stone.  The ring was stolen in a house burglary in Orlando, FL in 1980.  If you might have any information on Pat's ring, please contact her at patriciaoles@yahoo.com

13.  HUBCAPS ANNOUNCE UPCOMING SCHEDULE.  Great Foundation supporters, The Hubcaps, have announced their upcoming summer schedule below.  Lots of information about the Hubcaps, including about their upcoming CD and DVD, can be found at www.thehubcaps.com.

    July 2007
4 Petersburg Memorial HS Football Field - Happy Fourth of July!!!!! Petersburg, WV (304) 257-1725
8 Jordans Rooftop Lounge Ocean City, MD (410) 250-1867
14 Lone Star Restaurant Markleysburg, PA (724) 329-5631
15 Irwin Park Amphitheatre Irwin, PA TBA
16 Urbana Carnival Urbana, MD (301) 663-3822
17 Private
19-21 Rock N Wheels - Auburn Community Park Auburn, MI (800) 424-5114
22 Milan Area Schools Milan, MI (800) 424-5114
25 Private
27 Shippensburg Fair - 50th Anniversary Celebration! Shippensburg, PA (717) 532-8911
28 Salute to the Classics - Falconi Field Washington, PA (412) 373-3860
30 Fayette County Fair Dunbar, PA (724) 628-FAIR

    August 2007
1 Jordans Rooftop Lounge Ocean City, MD (410) 250-1867
2 Rod 'N Reel -" Cancer Gala" Chesapeake Beach, MD (410) 257-2735
5 Private
6 Libertytown Carnival Libertytown, MD (301) 898-9351 - (301) 898-9193
7 City of New Carrollton - National Night Out New Carrollton, MD (301) 459-0142
10 Reading Fair Reading, PA (610) 370-3473
12 Portage Summer MusicFest Portage, PA (814) 736-4358
16-18 Frankenmuth Summer MusicFest Frankenmuth, MI (800) 386-3378


I hope you're all enjoying a relaxing and enjoyable summer!

All the best, Henry Smith (71), hsmith@smithdowney.com


THANKS TO THESE (EARLY) DONORS TO THE FOUNDATION'S 2007 CAMPAIGN
 
Pat Becker Oles (71)
Steve Profilet (71)
Michelle Shelley Wilson Block (68)
Sally Saker Weingarten (77)
Janet Goddard Sullivan (54), In memory of her brother, Jesse "Skip" Goddard, Jr. (56)
Roy Nestor (72), In Memory of Jana Sims Nestor
Kurt Aktug (88)
June Jacobs Brown (44)
Thomas V. Mike Miller (60)


IN MEMORIAM

FRANCIS STOUT died May 19, 2007 after breaking his hip. He was stationed at Andrews AFB and retired after 26 years of service. He is survived by his wife, Lee Stout and five Surrattsville graduates: Ron Stout (67), Jim Stout (69), Ruth (Stout) Maitland (72), Janet Stout (74), and Bob Stout (76).  He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 27.

BERNICE TAYMAN HILL (45) died on April 19.  She was a long time resident of Clinton, and was still living in Clinton we she passed away very suddenly.  She is survived by two Surratts graduates, Dianne Hill Burgess (69) and Foundation Achievement Award recipient Greggory D. Hill (79).