THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2009-6 OF JUNE 1, 2009

Hello Hornets:

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1.  FOUNDATION AWARDS 2009 SCHOLARSHIPS.  The Foundation is delighted to announce the awarding of its 2009 scholarships to these absolutely outstanding 2009 Surrattsville graduates:

-HAROLD EDMONDS was awarded the Foundation's Charles Waddell Memorial Scholarship.  This scholarship is awarded to graduates who excelled while at Surratts in the performing arts and who plan to pursue that passion in college.  While at Surratts, Harold was the Marching Band's Outstanding Member, Drum Major, Treasurer and President of the Marching Band, and a member of the Pep Band, the Chorus, the Concert Band, the Dance Band, the R&B Band, and the academic Honor Roll.

-MARINA ANOH was awarded one of the Foundation's General Fund scholarships.  While at Surratts, Marina was SGA President, Captain of the Marching Band Auxiliary, a member of the National Honor Society, the Principal's Roundtable and the Mock Trial Team, was Senior Yearbook Editor, and was a member of the Track and Field Team, the Swim Team and a Cheerleader.  She also was a College Summit Peer Leader and completed over 80 Hours of Community Service.

-ANICA DAVIS also was awarded one of the Foundation's General Fund Scholarships.  While at Surratts, Anica was on the academic Honor Roll, was a member of the SGA, the Future Business Leaders of America, the Senior Class Advisory Team, the Marching Band Auxiliary, the Marching Band, the Dance Team, the Step Team, the Renaissance Program, and was a Cheerleader.

Congratulations and very best wishes to these outstanding 2009 Hornets!

[Bios of t these young scholars can be found on the web site at www.surrattsville.org, and we'll soon be posting their photos, as well.]

2.  FOUNDATION SELECTS 2009 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS.  The Foundation is also very proud to announce three outstanding educators as its 2009 Foundation Achievement Award recipients.  These extraordinary members of the Surrattsville community join the recipients from 2000-2008 whose photos and bios can be found on the web site at www.surrattsville.org.

-HELEN BOVBJERG NIEDUNG (54) has been Professor of Voice at Edison State College in Ft. Myers, FL since 1980, as well as being Director of Music at the Edison Congregational Church in Ft. Myers and maintaining a large “Helen Niedung Studio of Voice” in Cape Coral, FL.  In 2008, Helen received the Florida State Music Teachers Association’s highest honor, the  “Excellence in Teaching Award” (for Voice).  Through the years, she has had countless student winners in various vocal competitions.
  
Helen received her BM and MM degrees at the Eastman School of Music and did post graduate studies, with a German scholarship, at the Music Conservatory in Stuttgart, and this led to her first full-time engagement as leading lyric soprano with the opera company in Ulm.  Helen has sung over 460 performances of 35 roles in opera houses throughout Germany and in Denmark.  In addition to opera and operetta, she has sung numerous concerts and recitals in Europe and the US, including appearances with renowned orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Chattanooga Symphony, New Orleans Philharmonic, Philharmonica Hungarica, Hamburger Sinfoniker and Tivoli Concert Orchestra in Copenhagen

Helen's many honors include two Rockefeller grants for study in Germany and in Rome, winning the International Voice Competition in Toulouse, France, and being the soprano winner of the first New Orleans Philharmonic Oratorio Soloists Competition.

A member of several arts organizations, she currently serves as First Vice President of Calusa Musicale, a local club of the National Federation of Music Clubs, which sponsors an annual Junior Music Festival and provides scholarships to talented music students.  She also serves as Scholarship Chairman for the Southwest Florida Music Teachers Association; a position she has held for the past 20 years.  For several years, she was also Scholarship Chairman for the “Friends of the Opera Club”, of which she is a Charter Member, and which gave students the opportunity to experience opera performances at the Florida Grand Opera in Miami.

Helen has noted that, without Mrs. Jean Moorehead, her music teacher at Surrattsville from grades 7-12,  none of the above would have happened.  Helen adds that Mrs. Morehead was my her mentor and "guiding light" and that Mrs. Morehead convinced Helen's parents that she needed to follow her dreams of becoming a professional singer rather than following her parents dreams of her becoming a government employee with a nice, safe job.

[Ed. note:  Many of our readers will note similarities in the careers of Helen and 2002 Achievement Award recipient Gordon Hawkins (76).]


-CHRIS WELLER (62).  After graduating from Surrattsville, Chris attended the University of Maryland at College Park. 

She was a four-year varsity letter winner in basketball and also participated on the Terps swimming and lacrosse squads. Following graduation, she taught and coached at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, and returned to Maryland for her master’s degree in 1973 and became an assistant for two seasons under head coach Dottie McKnight. In 1975, the Weller dynasty began as Chris was elevated to head coach, a position she held for over a quarter of a century while averaging nearly 20 games per season.

Her colleagues at College Park have commented that her "contributions to the growth of collegiate women’s basketball are documented with the best known coaches in the game."

The following are some of Chris's many accomplishments during her coaching career:

One of a very small handful of college coaches, men’s or women’s, to coach 25 seasons or more at the same institution.

Only the fifth NCAA Division I coach to earn at least 400 victories at a single institution.

Coached the Terrapins to the Top 10 nationally nine times, the Top 25 on 14 occasions, and the No. 1 ranking in the nation during much of the 1992 season.

Guided the Terps to three Final Fours, eight Elite Eights, ten Sweet 16 appearances, and eight ACC titles.  (Chris' Terps won the first ever ACC tournament championship in 1978.)

Chris' players also experienced great personal success. Her Terrapin program produced five Olympians, three Kodak All-Americans, 28 athletes who participated on national teams and at least four professional players

Also, since 1980, all but one of Chris's athletes who finished her eligibility earned a diploma, serving as a tribute to Chris’s high expectations for her student-athletes both on and off the court.

During her career, Chris was named the ACC Coach of the Year, the American Sports Foundation’s National Coach of the Year, the 1992 Naismith National Coach of the Year, and the Basketball Writer's Association of America National Coach of the Year

Chris's basketball knowledge and coaching expertise extended beyond the confines of Cole Field House. She was an assistant coach for the U.S. National Jones Cup Team in 1985 and the head coach of the U.S. Select Team in 1986, 1992 and 1994.

Chris also dedicated herself to the growth of women’s basketball in the state of Maryland, promoting the formation of the Maryland Coaches’ Association. Nationally, Weller served as the long-time chairperson of the WBCA Legislative Committee and served as the EAIAW Basketball committee chairperson. She was also a member of the Kodak All-American Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

[Ed note:  Many of our readers will note similarities in the careers of Chris and 2004 Achievement Award recipient Dennis Felton (81).]


-DEBORAH McALLISTER BROWN (72).  Debbie has worked as an educator for 33 years, and on June 10 was named "Vice Principal of the Year" of the Charles County Public Schools.  (Debbie's award was presented by Deputy Superintendent Ron Cunningham, who was Debbie's Social Studies teacher at Surrattsville!)

Debbie was nominated for this award by Marvin Jones, principal of her current school, Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School in Waldorf.  In his nomination, Principal Jones cited Debbie for her quality leadership skills, for demonstrating energy, compassion and enthusiasm in her job and for always ensuring that student needs come first.  "She embodies and personifies, in the truest sense of the word, the title of vice principal," Jones wrote in his nomination letter.

Debbie began her career with the Charles County Public Schools in 1977, teaching second grade at Arthur Middleton Elementary School.  During her tenure at Middleton Elementary, Debbie received the Outstanding Supervising and Cooperating Teacher award in 1997 and was recognized as an exemplary employee in 1997-98 by the Charles County Board of Education.  Debbie was also the “teacher in charge” whenever the principal and vice principal were not in the building.  She held the position of team leader for four years.  Debbie taught second grade for 24 years at Middleton until she was appointed Vice Principal at Indian Head Elementary School in 2000.  After six years at Indian Head Elementary School, Debbie was named Vice Principal of Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary.

Debbie is also very active in her community.  She is a member of the Alpha Eta Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society of Women Educators and recently served as the President of the chapter.  Debbie is also very active in her church.  She has served on many committees, is a choir member, served on the Board of Directors and is a lay reader.

Debbie received her bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in education from the University of Maryland, College Park.   Prior to that, Debbie was a pure Hornet, having attended Tanglewood for grades 1 - 6, Surrattsville Junior for grades 7 - 9, and Surrattsville High for grades 9 -12.


We proudly extend our congratulations to these outstanding members of the Surrattsville community!

(Photos and bios of this year's, and prior years', Achievement Award recipients can be found on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.)

3.  ANOTHER "LOST POOL" MEMORY.  We received this latest installment in the legend of the lost swimming pool: "Hello Henry:  I remember the pool very well, possibly.  It was virtually across from Gina's Crab Shack under a really huge oak (I think it was a oak) and it was adjacent to the School bus parking lot.  Okay, the memories aren't all that clear!  I think it was rectangular with a deck around it.  It could not have been more than 4-1/2 feet to 5 feet deep.  It was contained within its own 6 foot fence.  It was a familiar site as I rode my bicycle from Schultz Road down to Crestview frequently.  I also remember a story of at least two of my dear friends and band mates being apprehended and escorted home by the police as they were caught skinny dipping in that pool on a hot summer night!  My best to you,  Bill A. Baker 3rd"

4.  HORNET MUSICIAN HONORED.  We received this item from Surrattstock performer, and former Butler's Orchard guitarist/vocalist, Ray Gibb (72):

"Henry:  Here's a newspaper item about Mike Mihlbauer (71).  Mike, as I'm sure you remember, was the bassist with the Butler's Orchard predecessor group, Acephalous ("leaderless").  Mike went off to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the remaining band members (myself, Mike Mello and Roger Owens) teamed up with John Previti and Don Stapleson to form Butler's Orchard.  After graduating in 72, I also went to UW-Madison, and Mike was my roommate my freshman year, and my band mate in the jazz-rock group Heartwood that played many, many campus events and venues over the years.  Ray"

"Milwaukee Band Selected for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Competition.  The Feral Catz, a Milwaukee-based original rock band, has been selected to perform in Los Angeles as part of the 9th Annual International Fortune Magazine/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Battle of the Corporate Bands competition. The Catz were one of only 16 semi-finalists selected in the international competition. Hundreds of bands from all over the world submitted song samples to enter the contest and The Feral Catz were chosen to be among eight regional finalists to play on June 20 and compete for a gig at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 9th Annual Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands is a contest for bands who have half of their membership made up of employees from the same company. Two members of The Feral Catz, Rick Bergholz, owner and Tom Wright, president; are employees of Brown Deer, Wisconsin-based TAPCO, (Traffic and Parking Control).

The Feral Catz will go up against bands representing NBC, Frontier Natural Products, Jackson National Life Insurance and Symantec, among others. Eight bands will take part in another regional contest in Nashville. Four bands from each regional, plus two bands from Europe, will be chosen to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October.

"It is continuously inspiring to see the considerable amount of recreational music-making going on in corporate America," said Lisa Vinciquerra, production manager for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

The Feral Catz have been together in its current form for three years, but its founding members and songwriters, guitarists Rick Bergholz and Tom Wright, have been playing together for more than a decade.  The band recently released its first full-length CD, "Slow to Develop" and has played at various area venues in Milwaukee including Shank Hall, Linneman's and Serb Hall.

The group also features Mike Mihlbauer on bass and Doug Hissom on drums.  The Feral Catz Web sites: http://www.myspace.com/theferalcatz or www.feralcatz.com."

Congrats to Mike and his bandmates!

5.  HISTORICAL SURRATT REFERENCE BEAMED FROM TINSELTOWN.  On the April 30 "Jeopardy" show, the following $1200 question appeared in the category "Mary, Mary": "Born in Waterloo, MD, she met her Waterloo on the gallows on July 7, 1985."  Even more surprisingly, a contestant got the right answer!  (Mary Surratt, of course)

6. ... AND SPEAKING OF HISTORY.  Our unofficial internet watcher, Wayne Tatum (74), sent along this link to a web site about all things Maryland historical. http://www.marylandtheseventhstate.com/article1041.html.

[Ed. Note:  Remember in the olden times when we had to go to a thing called a "library" to perform historical research in things called "books"?]

7.  MORE HYDE FIELD MEMORIES.   We received this interesting item from Grover Stanley (67): "Hi Henry:  I was looking through a bunch of old stuff I collected while my dad was manager of Hyde Field Airport and I found an ash tray (see photo) that a salesperson gave to my dad back around 1967.  He was trying to get us to buy them to resell to people who came to the airport. Grover"

[Ed note: The photo of that porcelain relic is on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.]

8.  PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO PLAN FOR THE FOUNDATION'S 2010 ALL CLASSES/FACULTY/STAFF EVENTS.  Please don't forget to mark you calendars for the Foundation's third "All Classes/Faculty/Staff" events to be held over the long weekend of Friday June 25 - Sunday June 27, 2010. The schedule of events is as follows:

-Friday June 25, 2010 - Golf Outing. 
-Friday June 25, 2010, 7 P.M. - 11 P.M. - Surrattstock III.
-Saturday June 26, 2010, 10 A.M - 4 P.M. - All Classes/Faculty/Staff Picnic and School Open House.
-Saturday June 26, Evening - Saturday evening will be set aside for Class-specific events. 
-Sunday June 27 - Sunday will be set aside for Class-specific picnics and other informal gatherings.

9.  FOUNDATION PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK GROWS.  There are now over 600 members of the Surrattsville Alumni "Group" on Facebook.  It can be found by going on Facebook, entering "Groups," then entering "Search for Groups," and then entering "Surrattsville Alumni".  (You will know you are at the correct site if you see a color photo of the front of the "New School" when you get there.)  The url of the Group is http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49215776591.

Please consider joining this Group on Facebook -- it's free -- because we will be posting information about upcoming Foundation events there.

In addition, a number of Class Official Reunion Contacts have opened Class-specific Groups on Facebook, many of them titled simply "Surrattsville [Year]" (for example, "Surrattsville 1970," "Surrattsville 1971," etc.)  Please consider joining your Class group on Facebook as a way to keep connected with classmates and news on upcoming Class-specific events.

10.  CLASSES OF 83 AND 84 REUNION.  The Classes of 83 and 84 will be having a joint reunion in August 2009.  On August 7th, there will be golf with tee times starting at 10:00 a.m. at Blue Mash Golf Course in Laytonsville, MD.  On August 8th, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., there will be a Social at the Marriott Inn and Conference Center at UMUC in Adelphi, MD.  On August 9th, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., there will be a picnic at Greenbelt National Park in Greenbelt, MD.
 
The Classes are in search of any teachers or faculty from the years 81 - 84 interested in attending.  Also, they'd like to locate any classmates that still may be missing.  Faculty can contact Gary Stallings at gstallings@yahoo.com.  Class of 83 classmates can contact Becky DelVillar Levin at dbrlevin@comcast.net.  Class of 84 classmates can contact Debbie O'Clair MacKenzie at debbiemackenzie45@ayhoo.com.

11.  CLASSES OF 69-74 JOINT REUNION SET.  The Classes of 69-74 are holding a multi-Class dinner dance event, at the Ft. Belvoir Officer's Club, on the Saturday evening of the All Classes/Faculty/Staff events (June 26, 2010).  Tickets are limited, so please contact Leslie St. Clair (70) at lesliestclair@yahoo.com if you would like to purchase tickets.

(Class of 72 members also should check-in with the 72 ORC, Sandy Gwynn Martin, at sandy@eastwestlm.net for information.)

12.  REQUESTS FOR DECAL SPOTTINGS.  Now that a fair number of the Foundation's "Surrattsville Alumni" car window stickers are in circulation, we'd love to have reports of decal spottings from our readers. 

13.  POSSIBLE 80/81 REUNION.  The Classes of 80 and 81 are planning a possible reunion for June 2010.  They need a contact person for the Class of 80.  Please contact Teresa Blandford Pepper at teresa@dlpinc.net to provide contact info.

14.  CLASS OF 89 PLANS REUNION.  The Class of 89 is planning a reunion.  Please contact Debbie Owen Pell at dpell@comcast.net for information or if you have any contact information for 89 grads or members of their families.

15.  CLASS OF 59 REUNION.  The Class of 59 wishes to remind any of their schoolmates from other Classes who would like to join them for their reunion on June 6th to contact Laura Owens (aka Chubby Nolan) at chubby041@yahoo.com.

16.  CLASS OF 85 SCHEDULES REUNION.  The Class of 1985 has scheduled its 25th Reunion for July 16 and 17, 2010, celebrating with a Mix & Mingle Reception and an All-Day Family Picnic.  The Class is still searching for some classmates, so please send any contact info you have to Mary Beth at mbklick@aol.com.

17.  DWIGHT REED (81) MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING.   The 7th Annual Dwight Reed Memorial Golf Outing will be held on Friday, June 12, 2009 at The Links at Challedon in Mt. Airy, Maryland.  Anyone interested in registering a foursome or sponsoring a hole can visit the website http://www.drgolfouting.org) or contact Dawn Reed Schumaker (84) directly dawnschu@hotmail.com.  All proceeds will be donated to cancer research.

18.  SURRATTS COOKBOOK.  As previously reported, Leslie St. Clair (70) and Diane "Cookie" Boyd (71) are putting together a Cookbook of Hornets' Favorite Recipes.  They're hoping that a number of you will submit recipes, and they'll break them down by category and have them bound and offer them for sale at the 2010 All Classes/Faculty/Staff events.  All proceeds will go to the Foundation.  If you have a recipe you'd like to share, please send it to Leslie and Cookie at surrattscookbook@yahoo.com.

19.  CLASS OF 76 NEWS.  We received this item from Evan Vutsinas, ORC of the Class of 76: "The awesome class of 1976 has now passed 80 members registered on its class specific Facebook site - "Surrattsville HS 1976 Alumni" and we're searching for more.  If you are a Class of 76 member, come join us!  If one of your siblings is a 76 member, please pass this note to him/her.  Thanks!  Evan"

20.  REQUEST TO CLASS OF 71.  Your editor, in his capacity of Class of 71 ORC, is asking members of the Class of 71 to consider joining the Facebook Group for the Class, "Surrattsville 1971," which is found at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=47813414650&ref=ts.  This should be an invaluable way for us to stay connected during the run-up to our "40th" Reunion on June 26, 2010. 


I hope this e-Notice finds you well and enjoying a great start to your summer season!

All the best,  Henry Smith (71)


In Memoriam

GARY MANESS (72) died on February 23, 2009.  Gary worked as a computer network consultant. He became ill and was hospitalized at Georgetown University hospital and died in Hospice Care of Washington DC from kidney failure.  Gary is survived by his sister, Patti Maness Harris (73).



MANY THANKS TO THESE (EARLY) DONORS TO THE 2009 CAMPAIGN!

Steve Profilet (71)
Bob Marr (71)
Debbie Cox Marr (72)
Teri Pepper Dimsey (77), In veneration of my classmates turning 50 this year
T. Summers Gwynn III (64), In memory of BillGwynn (64)
Ann Weaver Pelle (71)
Donna Rae Sturtevant Smith (70)
Henry Smith (71)
Jeanine Carroll Maclary (73), In Memory of Her Brother, James R. Carroll, Jr.
Vicky Simontacchi Young (57)
Linda Dorsey Blum (66)
Arvid Andresen (65)
Judy Gordon Mentlik (65), In Memory of Greg White (65), David Shriver (65) and Laura     Chovan (former faculty)