THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2008-7 OF JULY 1, 2008

Hello Hornets:

Here are some items that may be of interest:

1.  REPORT OF BOOMERANGS ON EBAY.  In response to items in prior e-Notices about finding Surratts yearbooks on eBay, Judy Register Semiklose (65) reports that Boomerangs from 1980 and 1984 are currently available on that web site.

2.  ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFO.  We received this email from former faculty member Brenda Karnes: "Hi Henry: [In the recent Surratts history item,] I believe the principalship dates are a bit out of order at the end. [The actual dates were:] Gene Colgan - July 81 - July 93; Bob Dredger - July 93 - July 95; Frances Collins - July 95 - July 98; and Bill Barnes July 1998 - not certain.  Sincerely, Brenda"

[Ed note: We've updated the history on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org to reflect these corrections.]

3.  REPORT FROM CLINTON.  We received this great email updating us on happenings in Clinton from Marge Allen, mother of Pete Allen (71): "Hello Henry:  What a great newsletter!  I am particularly interested in Rick Lifton and David DeCenzo.  The latter was our around-the-corner neighbor, and his Dad is still there at age 90.  It is very important that SHS students know about graduates such as the three you highlighted.  Guess you know that Timothy Dean (88), outstanding chef [and a 2007 Achievement Award recipient], has a bistro to open soon at National Harbor.  Bill and I try to attend the SHS PTSA when we can.  Bob Ross continues to do a fine job; Catherine Ross, also.  Growth here is booming, especially with BRAC ongoing (Base Realignment And Closures).  Lots of houses on the market.    In this "old" neighborhood we have four generations!  Right now we are working with County agencies to get tall grass mowed at vacant homes.  I try to keep track of bankruptcy properties, etc.  Oh yes; the Wednesday District V Coffee Club still meets at the Clinton Safeway/Starbucks.  Many times we have 30 there.  We are a diverse group; we actually "like each other"!  There is a "karma" that is very evident.     Marge"

Thanks to Marge for that great report about what's happening on the ground in Clinton.  And the continued community involvement of Marge and Bill through all these decades is a real inspiration!

4.  MEMORIES OF MR. KLEIN.  This month's Surratts history item comes from John Riedesel (Former Faculty, 1960-1968): "Dear Henry:  An item in the latest e-Notice caught my attention and brought back some precious memories:  the mention that Truman Klein was principal of Surrattsville from 1927 to 1942.  In the 1950s he was my math teacher at Suitland High School.   I think it is accurate to say that without his influence I would not have become a math teacher myself.  I graduated in 1956 and went on to four years at the University of Maryland in Math Education.  By the time I came to Surrattsville to teach in 1960, Mr. Klein had become Math Supervisor for the county, so my history with him continued for several more years.  In fact, I kept in touch with him until his death in 1994. It's a strange irony to think that all the students I taught in my years at Surrattsville (1960 to 1968) have to thank for that a man who was principal of their school long before they were born!
 
The following bit of writing has an interesting story.  When Mr. Klein retired, he gave me his collection of old math books, some dating back to the 1830s.  I added to the collection over the years, but eventually decided to contribute it to the University of Maryland Math Education Department if they thought it useful.  My only stipulation was that it be called the Truman Klein Collection and that, along with the books, they display a short bio honoring him.  They agreed to both requests, and I wrote the accompanying sketch.  I could write (and have written) many anecdotes involving Mr. Klein.  To most of the e-Notice readers, he's just another name in a list of principals; but his friendship and contact and influence with me have been inestimable and life-changing.  I will never forget him.
 
Best regards, John

-Truman S. Klein, 1902-1994, by John Riedesel.  Truman S. Klein, for whom this old math book collection is named, was dedicated to teaching mathematics to the young people of Maryland, in particular Prince Georges County, in a career spanning four decades and involving classroom teaching, administration, and supervision.

Mr. Klein was born in Frederick County, Maryland, on December 30, 1902, but spent most of his early years in Union Bridge, Carroll County.  He graduated in 1925 from the University of Maryland with a B.A. degree in mathematics, doing subsequent work at Columbia University, and attaining the M.A. level.

His first teaching assignment was at Pokomoke City in Worcester County, Maryland, but in the late 1920s he came to Prince Georges County, where he taught mathematics at several schools including Suitland High School, and held principalships at Surrattsville School (all grades) and Bladensburg High School.  In the late 1950s he was named Prince Georges Countys first Supervisor of Mathematics under a program of the National Defense Education Act, a position in which he served with distinction until his retirement in 1968.

Mr. Klein brought professionalism and cohesion to the teaching of mathematics in Prince Georges County.  He had a profound appreciation for mathematical developments of the past, but was also open to the best of experiments and endeavors of contemporary math.  His tenure as supervisor came at a time when much thought and effort was being put into reorganizing the teaching of mathematics, both in pedagogy and content.  Under his supervision, Prince Georges County participated in the UMMaP Project of the University of Maryland, and he insisted that his teachers be knowledgeable and conversant in the programs and experiments of other schools as well.  He incorporated into the curriculum the best of modern math, while avoiding its excesses.

He was a superb and humble mathematician, an excellent teacher who taught with great knowledge and fascinating pedagogy, and was looked up to by his students and colleagues.  As a supervisor he always sought the best both in and for his teachers.  He respected them and involved them frequently in the decision-making process.  He was far more interested in the welfare and mathematical accomplishments of his students and teachers than in seeking his own glory.

Mr. Klein died on October 16, 1994, in Washington County, Maryland, at the age of 91."
 
5.  ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SPURS MEMORY.  John Jezesik (72) sent this memory spurred by the last e-Notice: "Hello Henry:  Thanks for the updates as it is always interesting to see what past friends and associates are doing.  The article on Russ Barkley was fantastic.  Russ was in my sister Susan's class of 67.  When Susan and my other sister Frances, Class of 68, were Cheerleaders back in yester-year, I used to sit next to Russ at many basketball games while watching the Surrattsville team from that 66/67 season win the championship.  Russ along with his buddies took great pride in "beating me up" as they said it was just their excitement and team spirit in watching the game.  Great excuse to pound some little kid.  John"
 
[Ed. Note: Photos and bios of this year's outstanding Achievement Award recipients can be found on the web site at www.surrattsville.org.]

6.  YEARBOOKS SOUGHT.  William Boyd-Kelley (92) is attempting to locate copies of the 1989 and 1990 yearbooks.  Please contact William at WBoydKelley@mofo.com if you have any information that might help.

7.  HORNET'S BIRTHDAYS MARK SPECIAL EVENTS.  We received this interesting "bookends" note from Walt Frazier (71): "Henry: After 20 years of broadcasting on WCBM --my initial show was in March of 88 (my 35th birthday), I have retired from radio broadcasting. After 1040 back-to-back shows -- you guessed it -- my final show in March 2008 marked my 55th birthday.  Talk about the years going by!  I do enjoy reading about Surratts news. It does take me back. Over the last few years I have been contacted by Surratts grads through an online web site called classmates.com. In fact, Ray Hume just emailed the other day. He's thinking about starting up another band with Steve Cool (his original band's drummer).  It looks as if most of us are still alive and doing well.  Keep in touch, Walt"

Congratulations to Walt on that long and distinguished career on the Baltimore radio airwaves!

8.  CLASS OF 98 REUNION PLANS.  We received this update from Tonya Lee (98):  "Hi Henry: Our Class of 98 has a reunion planning web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shs98reunion.  We will be celebrating our ten year class reunion September 19-21, 2008.  The scheduled events are as follows:

Friday, September 19, 2008 - Meet & Greet Happy Hour (No tickets required)
Saturday, September 20, 2008 - Reunion Banquet (Evening main event - tickets required)
Sunday, September 21, 2008 - Family Cookout (tickets required)
 
All locations are being finalized now and will be posted on the reunion website at a later date.  Tickets will be sold individually or in a package. Please follow the reunion link so that you can be updated on all current information. Hope to see all our classmates there!   Tonya"

9.  POST RUNS NICE ARTICLE ON ALUM.  On June 6, the Washington Post ran a very favorable review of the new CD by Eric Scott (81).  The article can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060501154.html.  The reviewer, Mike Joyce, noted that "After listening to 'Red,' singer-songwriter Eric Scott's latest release, it's hard to say what stands out more: his engaging pop-soul appeal, his eagerness to speak his mind (even if it hurts his chances for widespread airplay) or his spiritual resolve.... Its syncopated pop-soul grooves bring to mind such artists as Stevie Wonder, Keb' Mo', and Lenny Kravitz."

Congratulations to Eric on this great press!  [Ed. Note:  You can learn more about Eric's music at www.ericscottmusic.com.]

10.  SURRATTS SINGER RECEIVES GREAT RECOGNITION.  And speaking of Surratts musicians, we recently heard this exciting news about Helen Bovbjerg Niedung (54).  Helen received the 2008 Florida State Music Teachers Association's Excellency in Teaching Award (for Voice).  The presentation was made on June 19 in Gainesville, FL, at the Association's annual conference. Helen has been Professor of Voice at Edison College in Ft. Myers, FL for 27 years, and also has maintained the large private "Helen Niedung Studio of Voice" for 27 years in Cape Coral, FL.

Congratulations to Helen on this very nice award!

11.  FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR THOSE OF US IN OUR "MIDDLE YEARS".  Larry Carter (70) sent along this interesting memory quiz: 

Do you remember when ...
-All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?
-It took five minutes for the TV to m up?
-Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?
-A quarter was a decent allowance?
-You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
-Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
-All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels?
-You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time?
-And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?
-Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?
-It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?
-They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. .. and they did?
 -When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?
-No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?
-Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?
... And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today?

12.  76 ORC ORGANIZES CHARITY EVENT.  We received this note from Class of 76 ORC Evan Vutsinas: "Hi Henry:  Once again this year I am leading a group called the "Nashville ACC-SEC Leadership Council" which is a voluntary organization of local alumni club leaders representing the 24 universities of the ACC and SEC.  We are planning our charity golf tournament for Monday, October 13th called the "Annual ACC vs. SEC Alumni Golf Tournament to Benefit CASA-Nashville: Presented by AT&T".  Proceeds of the event will be donated to CASA-Nashville, Inc.  CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, trains community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children.  Over 500 abused and neglected children were aided in the Nashville area last year, but over 2000 weren't assisted due to lack of funds.
 
Our goal is $30,000.00 this year.  If there are any Surrattsville alumni who work, or are affiliated, with national-in-scope firms, I invite them to consider joining AT&T in sponsoring our event.  Details may be seen at:  www.accsec-golf4casa.org   Sponsors will be listed/described on this web site until June 30th, 2009.  Each local alumni club has been encouraged to link their individual club web sites to the official tournament site.  This means that sponsors will potentially reach 100,000 college educated alumni in the Nashville area . . . and the world of the internet!  Those with questions may e-mail me for further information:  EVTiger@comcast.net  Thanks.  Evan Vutsinas 76, Tournament Director."

13.  FASHIONABLE ALUMNI WINDOW DECALS AVAILABLE.  As previously noted, the Foundation is now making "Surrattsville Alumni" window decals available.  (A sample is found at http://www.surrattsville.org/photos/index.shtml.    Note that the actual size of the decals is 4" x 4" rather than the size shown on the web site, and they have a white background and green lettering.)

These decals are of the "static peel-off" variety, so they have "repositional adhesive backing," and attach, and detach, easily from windows with no muss or fuss.  The suggested donation for the decals is $2.50.  If you'd like to show your Hornet pride by displaying a decal on your vehicle's window, please send your donation and your mailing address to Henry Smith at 815 Stoneleigh Road, Baltimore, MD 21212, and we'll mail a decal to you.

14.  78/79 REUNION DETAILS.  The Classes of 1978 and 1979 are about to hold their 30 Year Reunion.  Details are as follows:

-Friday, July 11, Golf Outing at Twin Shields
-Saturday, July 12, Cocktails & Appetizers (Cash Bar), Annapolis Elks Lodge (8-12),
    "Featuring the Eric Scott Band (Class of 81)"
 -Sunday, July 13, Picnic (12-6), Sandy & Gene's

$55.00 Per Person before May 15.  $65.00 after May 15.  Final deadline is June 15.  Make checks payable to: Karen White, 11803 Crown Drive, Dunkirk, MD 20754.  One price for Saturday & Sunday!

For more information contact Jeanne LaRoque (78) at jlaroque@aflcio.org or Karen White (79) at  Karen.whitevz@yahoo.com.

15.  HISTORICAL PHOTOS ON WEB SITE.   Please don't forget that we're attempting to get as much background information as possible about the historical photos on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.   (For this purpose, "historical photos" means any of the photos on the web site from 2007 to the present.)  Many thanks to those of you who have sent in caption information about some of the photos.  If you have any background information on any of the photos on the web site, please send it to hsmith@smithdowney.com.

16.  PHOTOS AND STORIES WANTED TO CELEBRATE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SURRATTS HISTORY.  And please don't forget: to celebrate Surrattsville's first century, we're looking for facts and stories about Surrattsville's history to include in e-Notices and add to the Foundation's archives.  If you have any, please send them to hsmith@smithdowney.com.  We'd also love any historical photos for the Foundation's archive.

17.  SEARCHING FOR 58 GRADS.  The Class of 58 Reunion Committee (c/o Jean Merriman Beardmore (j_beardmore@yahoo.com)  is still searching for three classmates they cannot find: Joy Irving Kearney, Eva Pearson, and Kathy Hummer Grumbling.  Please contact Jean if you have any information about these Hornets or members of their families.

18.  CLASS OF 62 ACTIVITIES UPDATE.  Len Owens (62), lowens15@nc.rr.com, submitted this update on the Class of 62's upcoming reunion plans:

September 27, 2008, Picnic, Noon, Gilbert Run Park, La Plata, MD, Just off Route 6.  Bring your own picnic.

Possible additional events include dinner on Friday night (September 26th) and/or Brunch Sunday morning (September 28th) and golf.  All of these additional events are based on class interest.  After our 45th reunion last September, we discussed the possibility of a picnic in Southern Maryland in this following year.  Many classmates indicated an interest in a picnic this September.  Some who attended the reunion and some who were unable to attend indicated an interest.  Gilbert Run Park is available.  I hope you are still interested in a picnic.  This is meant, primarily, for those classmates in the Washington area.  Of course, if you are in town on this weekend, pleased try to attend.

Some classmates do not always read their emails.  Others have only US mail access.  If you would like to call a few classmates, please indicate your willingness to make a few phone calls.

Note:  It is important.  Please let us know if you will plan to attend.  Thank you, Your Reunion Committee

19.  CLASS OF 64 PLANS REUNION.  The Class of 64 is planning a 45th reunion in February 2009, in the form of a three night cruise to the Bahamas!  The Class reports that "all are welcome to join us."  For details, contact Jaime Seaman (64) at Steprepp@aol.com or 954-316-7498. 


I hope this e-Notice finds you all enjoying a wonderful Summer!

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



MANY THANKS TO THESE (EARLY) DONORS TO THE FOUNDATION'S 2008 CAMPAIGN

Steve Profilet (71)
Chuck Teubner (64)
Pat Becker Oles (71)
Janet Goddard Sullivan (54)
Vivian Bounds Edelen (Former Faculty; 1938-1942)
Linda Dorsey Blum (66)
Vicky Simontacchi Young (57)
Sally Weingarten (77)
Bill Harris (71)
Ellen Talbert-Miller (61 and Former Faculty), In Memory of Harrison (Bo) Waite (70)
Denise Hope (72), In Memory of Robin Danielson (72)
Nancy Miller (67), In Memory of Virginia Mitchel McLaughlin (64)
Bob Marr (71)
Deborah Cox Marr (72)
Donna Rae Sturtevant Smith (70)
Henry Smith (71)
Judy Gordon Mentlik (65), To Celebrate the Marriages of Nancy Oursler Maynard (65) and Larry Schillings (65), and Marion Thompson (65) and John Restifo (65)
Helen Bovbjerg Niedung (54)