THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2004-11 OF NOVEMBER 1, 2004

Hello Hornets:

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1. 2004 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN. The Foundation has just kicked-off its informal
2004 Annual Campaign. Funds raised in the annual campaigns are used to replenish the Foundation's General and Waddell Scholarship Funds, and to support other Foundation efforts. The Foundation has no overhead, so 100% of your contributions go toward direct funding of Foundation activities. A donor form is reprinted below and can be printed off the web site at www.surrattsville.org. (Many thanks to those 2004 Annual Campaign donors identified below who already have "answered the call,"
even before it was issued!)

2. UPDATE ON JUNE 2005 EVENTS. Ticket sales for the various June 2005 All Classes/Faculty/Staff events continue to be very strong. Although only one class has hit the 100% sign-up mark (the very remarkable and unique Class of 1949), attendees are coming from virtually every year in every decade from the 1930s to the 1990s (that's a 70-year period, if you're counting!!). (We're still waiting for our first sign-up from the current millennium!)

So far, the Classes of 1965 and 1970 have the highest number of attendees, but there are many, many "close seconds". The Sock-Hop is approaching the half-way point toward a sell-out, the Picnic/School(s) Open House is filling-up fast, and Surrattstock II is coming in an enthusiastic third.

We encourage you to order your tickets now, to avoid being disappointed by the sell-outs of the events (which, sadly, disappointed a number of folks in 2000 and are likely to happen much time sooner this time around).

A ticket order form is reprinted below, and can be printed off the web site at www.surrattsville.org.

Also, please don't forget to check-in with your Class's Official Reunion Contact (or "ORC") to see if your Class is planning any Class-specific events for Friday June 24 or Sunday June 26. (ORC information can be found on the "Classes" section of the web site.)

3. DON'T FORGET YOUR DIRECTORY ENTRY. Even if your information in the 2000 version of the Alumni/Faculty/Staff Directory has not changed, please fill-in the information requested below and send it to Directory Coordinator Leslie St. Clair (70), at lesliestclair@yahoo.com, because we're "starting from scratch" on the 2005 Directory:

Graduation Year (or years on faculty/staff):
Full Name at Surratts:
Full Name Now:
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
Home Phone:
Work Phone:
Email Address:
Update (30 words or less):

4. CLASS OF 65 FEATURED IN FLORIDA PAPER. The extraordinary Class of 65 was featured in an extensive and beautifully written article with handsome photos! in the October 8 edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News. The Class held its annual reunion that's right, the Class of 65 holds annual, multi-day reunions! in Maravilla, and the article covering the event contained plenty of Surrattsville references and trivia and quotes from Class members. Here's a great quote from the
article: "The classmates are bonded by something that is difficult to explain. They were in the same place when President Kennedy was shot.
They cheered their basketball team on to a State victory. They lost friends in the Vietnam war. And, perhaps most importantly, they survived being thrown together when the school district drew new boundary lines.
They remember the tensions of coming together and the names of the different cliques, but 40 years later, none of it matters. 'I'm proud of these guys,' said classmate Michael Shema, who was known as 'the Hillcrest Hood' for the part of town he was brought in from and who came to the reunion all the way from Las Vegas, 'We came together from such diversity and made it work.'"

Kind of sounds like the universal story of Surrattsville High School!
Congratulations to the Class of 65 on another great, annual event, and for continuing to serve as an example to us all!

5. GET WELL WISHES, AND A REQUEST FOR "HAIL". We wanted to extend our warm get well wishes to Pat Webb McArthur (70), who just underwent serious back surgery. Pat recently contacted us to inquire about whether any of our readers might have a CD or cassette copy of "Hail to the Redskins". Can anyone provide Pat (patmcarthur@hotmail.com) with any information on how she might obtain that famous fight song?

6. MOTORCYCLE RENTALS AND LODGING. We're still seeking recommendations about lodging and motorcycle rentals for folks traveling in to the June
23 - June 26 events from points afar. We've been informed that the Harley "Fly and Ride" program rents motorcycles at the Harley Davidson of Washington dealer in Ft. Washington, MD, and that two other companies that rent motorcycles can be contacted through www.eaglerider.com and www.cruiseamerica.com.

The Colony South Hotel, at Surratts Road and Route 5, has been recommended as a good place to stay while in town for the events.

7. FORMER CHELTENHAM NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION. I recently had a very interesting experience that I thought might be of interest to any Surratts alum whose parents were stationed at the charming Cheltenham Naval Communications Station (now the very high-tech, but still bucolic, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center under the Dept. of Homeland Security). My late father-in-law, Navy LCDR Richard Sturtevant, had his final posting before his retirement at Cheltenham. When my mother-in-law, Muriel Sturtevant, came to town for a visit in July, I was lucky enough to receive the assistance of FLETC employees Denise Constanza Shaw (72) and Brien Hatfield in arranging for a tour of this very interesting facility for my mother-in-law. The folks at FLETC are doing a great job contributing to our homeland security, and it was very nice of them to take their time to arrange for and provide a tour to folks from the "USN era" of that facility. (The FLETC has a visitor center that can be reached at 301-877-8515.)

8. FORMER SURRATTS TEACHER AND ALUM CONTINUE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.
Retired Science and Technology teacher Joe Straka, with the help of his wife Nila Toribio-Straka (68), is continuing his educational efforts by including an educational component in the new indoor/outdoor sports facility and ice rink he is building in Waldorf. The facility is called "Capital Clubhouse" and is due to open soon. Joe and Nila will integrate academics and athletics, with after-school programs, tutoring and computer stations available at the facility, along with its ice rink, rock climbing wall, fitness center and many other activities. Those of you in the area and especially those of you with school age kids might be interested in checking-out this unique facility at www.capitalclubhouse.com or by calling Joe and Nila at 301-932-4348.

9. HORNET SEEKING SCHOOLMATES. I received this nice email from Richard Andresen (61): "Hi Henry: This is Richard Andreson (61). I was called "Andy" during my school days. I played on the varsity basketball team, 1958-59 Division 2 Class B Champions. I am retired from the New York City Police Department, and presently living in Deltona, FL. I would love to hear from other Hornets, especially from those who attended Surrattsville when I was there. Go Hornets, Richard "Andy" Andresen."

10. FOUNDATION ARCHIVIST'S ART WORK FEATURED. We just learned that three miniatures by Shelby Lee Oppermann (79) were accepted into the prestigious 71st Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature at The Strathmore Hall Arts Center. The exhibition begins on November 21 and runs through December 30. Strathmore Hall is located at 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD (Grosvenor Metro Stop), and the exhibition hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (Wednesdays until 9 p.m.), and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.. (The Center is a few blocks away from White Flint Mall.) Shelby's miniatures are paintings in acrylic less than an inch square! One of Shelby's "full-size" pieces, "Silent Echoes", hangs at Robertson's Crab House in Pope's Creek.

Congratulations to this great Surrattsville artist on being chosen to exhibit at this important show!

11. HORNET ARTIST FEATURED IN SOLO EXHIBIT. And speaking of Hornet artists, the work of Foundation Achievement Award recipient, and nationally renowned artist, Kevin Fitzgerald (71) is being featured at a solo exhibit, running through November 7, at the Main Street Gallery at 109 Main Street in Annapolis.  (www.mainstreetfineart.com) Some of you art lovers in the area might want to visit the gallery to see Kevin's beautiful paintings.

12. CLASS OF 78/79 REUNION INFO. The combined Classes of 78 and 79 are having their Class-specific reunion buffet dinner-dance at the New Carrolton Ramada Inn on the evening of June 24, 2004. The event is open to surrounding classes, parents and faculty. The 78 and 79 ORCs ask that interested Classmates please send their updated email addresses to Sandy Pelletier Richnafsky at SandyPR@aol.com.

13. SEEKING MISSING HORNET. Karen Hanson Carter is looking for Sharon Lee Meade Hanson (70). If anyone has any information that might help Karen, please send her an email at karenhcarter@comcast.net.

14. HORNET POLICE CHIEF RECEIVES HONOR. We were very proud to hear that Fred Keeney (73), Chief of the Mt. Rainier Police, was recently sworn in as President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. Fred began his law enforcement career in 1977 with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, rising through the ranks to Assistant Chief, then became Chief of Police in District Heights, and then was named to his current position in Mount Rainer. Congratulations to Fred on this honor, and thanks to Fred and his colleagues for working hard to keep us all safe!

15. SEEKING LOST HORNETS. Jim Looney (73), jim@drossos.com, is trying to locate Leslie Avery (72) and Gary McIntire. Can anyone send Jim any helpful information?

16. CLASS OF 94 REUNION. The Class of 94 is having its 10 Year Reunion over the November 12 - 14, 2004 weekend. For more information go to www.geocities.com/surrattsville94.

17. BRICK FUND RAISER. The Foundation and a parent committee from the PTSA are considering co-sponsoring a "brick fund raiser" in which donors purchase engraved bricks for a wall, walkway or similar project at the School. We would appreciate anyone with experience with this type of fund raiser sending an email to hsmith@smithdowney.com with any recommendations or information you might have. In what truly must be a favorable omen, while in Frostburg last weekend for my college reunion, I saw a display in a shop window about the on-going brick fund raiser for Frostburg's Beall High School, and the front-and-center brick in the window was engraved with none other than: "Sandra Willets, Band Member, Class of 1961". Many of you lucky enough to have had Sandy Willets for a chorus teacher at Surratts might remember that she was a product of Frostburg's Beall High.

18. CLASS OF 74 REUNION. I received this email from Class of 74 ORC Lauren Foley: "Hi Henry: Preparations are under way for the Class of 74 31st Reunion. Many more details will be coming later, but for now please reserve the date - Saturday, June 25, 2004. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City. In order for us to provide interested Class members with all the exciting details, they must log on to www.backtoschoolreunions.com and register today. Research is underway by Back-to-School Reunions to locate as many Classmates as possible and they can certainly use everyone's help. Please pass the word! I am also looking for volunteers. If anyone is interested in helping out, they should please contact me at lmfriley@adelphia.net. I plan to have at least one meeting after the first of the year to get things rolling.
Lauren Foley"


I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful start to the Fall season!

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


2004 FOUNDATION ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS

Debbie Cox Marr (72)
Bob Marr (71)
Bill Harris (71), in Memory of Debbie Harris (71) Jeanine Carroll Maclary (73), In Memory of James R. Carroll, Jr. (74) Vicky Simontacchi Young (57), In Memory of William J. (Bill) Burke (57) Ed Jaffe (65) Paul Monaghan (59) Melissa Gilcrest (69), In Memory of Allen M. Gilcrest (64) Steve Profilet (71) Anonymous The Class of 1956 Henry Smith (71) Donna Rae Sturtevant Smith (70) Richard Neilan (82), In Memory of Charlie Waddell Carolyn Sepesy Trickett (77), In Memory of Charlie Waddell