October 2009 - Vol. 4 / Issue 11
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Elephant
On July 22, the Domestic Violence Awareness group from the Thomas Sherwin Chapter took 47 women and children to the Franklin Park Zoo in Dorchester, Mass. This was the chapter's 6th annual summer day trip. The day started with all the group members meeting at the front of the zoo with grills, coolers, ice and all the food necessary for a good old fashioned cook-out. Members played games with the children to give the mothers some time to relax. A Dunkin' Donuts franchise owner provided participants with coffee, juice, donuts and muffins. The children loved the early morning treats.

During the zoo visit, each family was teamed up with a volunteer to help the mothers. A couple of the men volunteers went to the rear of the zoo to set up the cook-out. They placed tablecloths on the tables, iced down the drinks, and took all the toys and games out of the packages. The families spent two hours at the zoo in the morning, ate lunch and played games, then returned to the zoo for the remainder of the day.

The shelters that attended this year were The Elizabeth Stone House and Dove. These two shelters have attended other outing that the chapter has hosted.
Talking Books volunteers
The Diamond State Council Talking Books Committee of the Liberty Bell Chapter has been in operation for many years and continues to take pride in the much needed services they provide to the Philadelphia Library. The group meets every Thursday afternoon in the Talleyville, Delaware Central Office to refurbish Talking Book cassettes. According to the Philadelphia Library, this group has repaired 406 books thereby saving the Library $23,994 in the past year.

(Photo: back row l-r) Lou Jackson (chairman), Bob McClure, Lou Benson and Don Stapleton. (Front row l- r) Harvey Woods and Harvey Schaeffer. Absent from picture is Joe Kyritsis.
Dictionary Presentation
On October 9, the South Bay Life Member Club of the Paumanok Chapter distributed 45 dictionaries to the students at Seaford Harbor School in Seaford, NY. In attendance were President Bob Roth, Mo Roth, Howie Ross, Joan McGuire, Pat Ronga, Marge and Hank Koehler. The club also gave dictionaries to the teachers attending the presentation.
Nancy Tschida
Our Life Member Spotlight is on...
Nancy Tschida of the Verizon West Chapter

Nancy Tschida began her career in 1968 at GTE Everett, Washington in accounting. She retired in 1996 from OSP with 28 years of service. Nancy has been a Pioneer for 14 years and is very active with the Verizon West Norwesco Club in Everett, Wash. She volunteers at the Norwesco Telephone Museum one day a week opening, closing and putting up displays. Four times a year, she manages the concessions at the Norwesco Blood Drive and bakes goodies to give to blood donors. She also works on the Doll & Toys for Boys Project during the holidays. Nancy delivers dictionaries to schools for the Dictionary Project and is active with Women's Shelter Projects during the year. Nancy volunteers on many other projects too numerous to mention. She attends monthly Norwesco board meetings and is the club assistant treasurer.
Hug-A-Bear Volunteers
The Warren Life Member Club of the H.G. McCully Upstate Chapter held a Hug-A-Bear Workshop June 15 at the American Legion Hall in Hackettstown, NJ. Fifteen members and partners attended the workshop including a member's two granddaughters who were home from college.

Members brought home baked goodies and coffee, ribbons, pins, fiberfill, sewn bears, etc., and everyone sat around the table eating, stuffing Hug-A-Bears and enjoying good old fashion Pioneer fellowship. The hours passed so quickly, no one realized how late it really was, and by the time they closed up, 106 completed Hug-A-Bears sat proudly on the table before them, and they were already planning their next workshop.

Most of the Hug-A-Bears were given to the Morristown Council and the H.G. McCully Chapter for donation to emergency agencies and hospitals, but some special ones were kept to put a handmade bookmark with (another of the club's projects) and given to children in need in the Warren County, NJ, area. Anyone wishing to attend a future Hug-A-Bear or Bookmark Workshop may contact Barbara Hamilton at 973.726.7676.
Verna Semple
Our Life Member Spotlight is on...
Verna Semple of the Thomas Sherwin Chapter

Verna Semple has been a very active Pioneer since 1988. Verna has organized membership drives, taken pride in mentoring incoming council and chapter board members and assisted in many successful fundraising events. In 2000, Verna stepped up as council president, then smoothly transitioned into chapter vice president where she successfully reigned from 2002 - 2003.

Although Verna has been a very busy Pioneer, she is also one of the three founders of the State Archery Association of Massachusetts. This non-profit organization is strictly involved with Olympic archery and USA Archery/NAA (the national governing body for Olympic archery in the United States). Verna is a member of the USA Archery/NAA and is a national judge. She is also the East Region Judge Representative for USA Archery covering the eastern states from Maine to Virginia. Verna mentors new judges coming into the judges program by giving seminars and on-field training. Verna takes pride in organizing and judging the Archery for the Bay State Games, which is an organization sponsored by Verizon.
Anne Graham, Ron Simpson and Denise Lewis
The Troy Life Member Club of the Mountain Valley Empire Chapter in NY delivered $500 in gift cards for school supplies and books to the St. Augustine School and the Hoosic Valley Central School Sept. 21.

(Photo) Life Member Ron Simpson (center) with Anne Graham (left) and Denise Lewis of the St. Augustine School.
Gravesite Flags

October 8, 2009

Dear Chapter President Steuerwald,

I would like to thank the Verizon Chapter 85 for their continued help and support at Calverton National Cemetery. For the past 15 years, the Verizon Pioneers have come to Calverton to place the U.S. gravesite flags on the graves of the deceased veterans who are buried there.

Memorial Day 1995 was the first year that the Verizon Pioneers helped other community groups come to Calverton National Cemetery and place a U.S. Flag on each of the 105,000 graves to honor and remember for Memorial Day the men and women who served honorably in the U.S. Military. The Chapter President at that time was Joe Esatto who presented a $100.00 donation from the chapter to help with the postage and the copies of the proper information that had to be mailed to the community groups.

Today the cemetery has 212,000 graves and the Verizon Pioneers now have two full sections #20 and #21 that they place and then one week later return to pick up the flags, roll them into bundles and place them into the flag boxes for use again the next year. I would like to mention when the U.S. flags are placed for Memorial Day, the event is completed RAIN or SHINE, as a tribute to all that fought in all types of weather.

In closing the Verizon Pioneers have helped create the following quote "Every Day is Memorial Day at Calverton National Cemetery."

Respectfully,

Frank F. Belsito
Post Commander
Calverton National Cemetery
U.S. Gravesite Flag Chairman

(Linda Steuerwald is president of the Paumanok Chapter.)

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