OUR YOUTH OF THE MONTH AWARD recognizes hard-working pre-high school and high school students who attain high levels of scholastic achievement, community involvement and leadership, and daily demonstrate good citizenship both at school and at home. Students recognized for the month of November were Joniah Holson from Sebastian River Middle School, Torilynn Roux from Sebastian Charter Junior High School, and Ayla Guven and Justin Land from Sebastian River High School.
Jonia Holson is mature, willing to advocate for help when she needs it, and as a student who truly values education and learning. She is not only an Advanced IB Student, but she also is the Vice President of the school’s National Junior Honor Society and a member of the cheerleading team at the school. She carries herself with a demeanor of wanting to learn, and not being afraid to admit when she needs support to get there. Joniah is a leader as well as a team player in the classroom, blending in where she needs to for the particular lesson.
Joniah puts forth her best effort in class every day. She is willing to ask for clarification and assistance when she needs it. She is caring, respectful, conscientious, always ready to learn and a pleasure to have in class. Joniah serves as a role model for her classmates to look up to and be inspired by. She has drive, integrity, and self-confidence. Simply put she possesses all the qualities necessary for success both in school and in life. She is the epitome of a model student!! In accepting her award Joniah said, “It is indeed an honor and privilege to receive this award . . thank you so much.”
Torilynn is focused, conscientious, responsible, creative, clever and funny. Tori is an incredibly hardworking and detail-oriented student. She works amazingly well with all the students in her class and is always willing to help out when needed. She is responsible, conscientious, respectful, pays attention to details, is creative and a perfectionist. Torrilynn consistently rises to achievement and leads with a calming demeanor. In the classroom, she leads discussion; as creative director of National Junior Honor Society, fundraisers are unfolding and bulletin boards are bursting with flair.
Torilyn is also a master in her craft of writing, and excels in all subject areas. In 7th grade she had an excellent Science Fair project which qualified her to compete in the Indian River Regional Science & Engineering Virtual Fair where she earned 3rd place in the Plant Sciences category. In accepting her award Torilynn thanked our club and her parents and teachers “who are her main inspiration.”
Ayla Guven is an IB Diploma Candidate with a weighted GPA of 4.5 and class rank of 7th. She is a National Honor Society Member, and has Digital Information Technology Certification in Word, Power Point, and Excel. She is a member of the Chick-Fil-A Leader academy, Peer to Peer Counselor in the mentoring program to help elementary Students, and interviewed veterans to record their stories in the Teens Listen program. She has volunteered for the Night to Shine prom for special needs students. Ayla works at Walgreens and loves to spend time with her family and friends, going to the beach, and fishing. In accepting her award she thanked our club and her mom and gramma for always being supportive to her in this “tough” IB Program. She has applied and been accepted to USF and UNF.
Justin Land is an IB Diploma Candidate with a weighted GPA of 4.51 and class rank of 6th. He is a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar, and member of the SRHS Excel Club. Justin is Executive Captain of Band Crew of Sebastian River High School Marching Sharks and Pride of Sebastian Band, 1st Chair Saxophone in Wind Ensemble and scored 4 superior ratings at the Florida Band Association Solo and Ensemble Festivals. He is also a member of the Varsity tennis team. Justin has worked in the Invertebrate Zoology Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History and interns at ProAquatix Ornamental Fish Farm, adhering to strict biosecurity protocols. Justin is employed as an Event Specialist at Magnolia Manor setting up venue for weddings and managing logistics during events. In accepting his award Justin thanked our club, school advisors and family for their support. He has applied to UF, Auburn, University of Miami and UNF.
Guest Speaker Series
On October 28th our guest speaker was Chip Humphrey, Cliff Diver. Chip retired recently from the IRCSD as Assistant Principal at VBHS and was previously at SRHS and SRMS. He has lived in Florida for 30+ years after traveling the world as a professional high diver. Chip grew up learning aquatics at an early age attending the YMCA. He continued swimming through high school and then attended the University of Miami where he perfected his springboard diving to begin his high diving career. In 1980 at the age of 25, he won the coveted Acapulco Cliff Diving Championships as seen on ABC’s Wide World of Sports
Chip lived in Hong Kong for 14 years where he formed his own high dive exhibition company and traveled all around the world from Hong Kong to Dubai and from England to Australia. He gave shows in 22 countries around the world, sometimes giving 10 shows at a time. He has performed very dangerous dives such as the Spotter 3 ½ (reverse summersault to diving board and then into water) and the Human Torch Fire Dive where he was engulfed in flame before diving.
Chip says that control is the key in high diving. You must get enough forward rotation and speed to get away from the cliff and then be able to slow for a perfect entry into the water. You must have a “white hot burning desire” to succeed. He believes that all professionals should be able to enjoy what they do while winning. In closing he quoted an acquaintance who once said, “Don’t let pressure spoil pleasure.”
Community Giving
On Friday October 2nd, thanks to all of our generous members our club delivered 1000 pounds of food valued at $2500 to The Ecumenical Food Bank. This effort was spearheaded by Terry Gardner. Pictured are Dennis Klamm from the food bank with club members Terry Gardner, Michael Natale and Paul Williamson. Way to go team!
On October 14th we gave a check for $1000 to Adrian Garcia and John McIntosh of Step up America, an interactive approach to giving our children effective lessons on the roots of Americanism; the importance of our freedoms, our founding documents, the 3 branches of government and why it is important to be a good citizen using “The Ben Franklin Project” message.
On October 17th club member Phil Barnes participated in a collaborative beach club with the Vero Beach clubs at South Beach. Members from the Youth Guidance Pathfinders club also helped out. Our teams collected a total of 20 bags and 400 pounds of trash!
Junior Blue Water Open Fishing Tournament
Our Junior Blue Water Open was held on October 24th at Riverview Park. We had 37 children participate. There were plenty of volunteers including some of our SRHS Excel students. The children loved being out on the docks. The weather was great — overcast with a nice breeze. Jason Gillette and The Sebastian Police Department Explorers served up snow cones and popcorn. Woody’s provided the food (bbq chicken, mac & cheese, cornbread, baked beans and cole slaw), McDonald’s provided the drinks and ice, and Captain Hiram’s provided the cookies. Tables and chairs were provided by the City of Sebastian. Trophies were awarded and each student received a tee shirt and fishing rod. Phil gives a huge thank you to our volunteers and JBWO committee, who made this event possible!
Community Giving
On November 17th we presented the Roseland Food Pantry with a check in the amount of $2,000. Volunteer Dennis Klamm thanked us for our very generous gift. There are more clients than ever this year, and our contribution will certainly help to defray the costs.
This and That
Ali asked members to contact Jeff Kagan with ideas for future speakers. A second person working with Jeff would be helpful. Ali said that the collaborative club event The 1st Annual Glow Walk & Pumpkin Carving Event will be postponed until October 2021. He also said that we need a head count for the collaborative club social at Big Shots. The cost is $100 for the club and $25 for each member attending. Terry Gardner is chairing the Community Involvement Committee. Karen McElveen will serve with her. They encourage members to give ideas for activities. Lyse McDonough and Debbie Fitzpatrick are also asking for ideas for their Hospitality Committee to consider. Eva Chapman needs to know of any volunteer work a member has done outside of Exchange Club. This counts toward credit we get from national toward year end awards. Please use her log or send her the name of the organization and number of hours you spent volunteering.
Paul Williamson reports that we are 42-member strong. Bring guests and ask them to join the best club ever!
Kathy Burns has a spread sheet for signup for the holiday gifts for Guardians for New Future children. She and Karen McElveen are heading up this project and this year our club will sponsor 18 children with 3 wishes each. Kathy will also accept cash and do the shopping for you! We have 9 children on the list that still need gifts. The deadline is Wednesday November 25th. Karen and Kathy say, “Thank you for considering sponsoring a child this holiday season. Your generosity will have a positive impact on the lives of the children. You may never know the true impact of your gift, but please know that in many cases this may be the first gift a child has received or simply a gift without ‘strings’ attached.”
COVID-19 Attendance Guidelines
Our New Guidelines Effective August 1, 2021. These guidelines shall apply to all members and guests that attend our Club meetings in person in the Tiffany Room at Capt. Hiram’s restaurant:
There shall be no more than 6 people at each table. Facemasks are optional.
- If any member/guest has tested positive for COVID-19, has experienced symptoms of COVID-19, or has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, he/she shall not attend any meetings in person until they become symptom-free or test negative. Additionally, he/she shall notify the Club President of their condition, so that we can determine if any other members/guests may have been exposed.
Calendar of Events
December
12/01 – No Meeting (Board Only)
12/03 – Deadline – Gifts for Guardians for New Futures Kids
12/08 – TBD
12/10 – Annual Christmas Parade (contact Kimball to help!)
12/15 – Students
12/22 – Holiday Gift Swap – Merry Christmas!
Birthday Cake
12/29 – No Meeting Happy New Year!
January
01/05 – No Meeting (Board Only)
01/12 – TBA
This and That
Karen McElveen says member Fred Jones solicited donations from acquaintances and collected $400 for the Guardians for New Futures Toy Drive. A big thank you to Fred for going beyond in seeing that these kids will have a Merry Christmas!
Please contact Ali Qizilbash or Kimball Stadler with ideas for future speakers. Suggestions are appreciated!
Eva Chapman needs to know of any volunteer work a member has done outside of Exchange Club. This counts toward credit we get from national toward year end awards. Please use her log or send her the name of the organization and number of hours you spent volunteering.
Phil Barnes thanked all who helped make the Junior Water Open another successful event. Forty-three kids attended to learn to fish, have lunch and go home with a t-shirt and fishing rod and reel. An enjoyable day for all!
Terry Gardner is chairing the Community Involvement Committee. Karen McElveen will serve with her. They encourage members to give them ideas. The next events are a food pantry drive and a toy drive for Guardians for New Futures. Please take an assignment so that these kids will have a merrier Christmas holiday – deadline December 3rd!
Kathy Burns and Margie Duffell are working with both Sebastian Charter Junior High School and Sebastian River High School to rebuild their Excel Club programs. Club meetings are held immediately after school at each school. Volunteers to assist with these meetings are needed! For more information please contact Kathy or Margie.
Eva Chapman says the Blue Water Open Sponsor Packet will soon be out. Many sponsors finalize their budgets before year end. We need to get our requests out to them soon.
Kimball Stadler is organizing efforts for our participation in the Sebastian Christmas Parade on Friday December 10th. We need volunteers for decorating the float and to walk and hand out candy canes. Wear your decorative hat and attire and contact Kimball if you can help.
December Birthdays
Susan Baron 12/01
Todd Finnegan 12/03
Paul Reeves 12/20
Rachel Cannon 12/24
December Anniversaries
Rachel Cannon (re-up!) 1 Year
Debbie Fitzpatrick 5 Years
Ali Qizilbash 11 Years
Excel Club of Sebastian River High School
An election of officers was held on September 13th. Approximately 25 students attended for the election!
New club officers are:
President Ray Temino
President-Elect Desiree White
Secretary Sawyer Held
Treasurer Adam Chester
Historian Dylan Weragoda
2021-22 Officers
2021-22 Club Members
Club meetings will be held on Wednesdays immediately after school at 2:00 p.m. Both clubs are learning/practicing Roberts Rules of Order protocol. For their first project students participated in a school-based Annual Care Package for Soldiers (Pillar – Americanism). Club Advisor Jaime Sturgeon is very supportive of our efforts and is enthusiastic about having members get underway with activities which support the ideals of Exchange. Volunteers are needed to assist with these meetings!
An election officers was held on October 13th. New club officers are:
President Amber Fuller
President Elect Shane Corley
Secretary Teagan Keefe
Treasurer Teagan Keefe
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month immediately after school. The next meeting is December 8th. The club is learning/practicing Roberts Rules of Order protocol. This year members have already participated in a school-wide dress down day for Hats Off to Heroes benefitting the Sebastian Police Department (Pillar Americanism) and for the Bill Wilson IRSC Student Scholarship Fund (Pillar –
Community). For their next project students wrote letters of appreciation to soldiers to be included in the SRHS Excel Club Annual Care Packages for Soldiers (Pillar – Americanism). They are working on a community project for December.
Volunteers are needed to attend future meetings and assist with helping the students achieve activities which represent the four pillars of Exchange. Any member wishing to assist should contact Margie Duffell or Kathy Burns.
| This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY |
4th Qtr. Visitors – Please Come Again!
10/13 – Joe Walsh, Florida District President
10/13 – Ashleigh Dupont, Treasure Coast Tees (Rachel Cannon)
10/13 – Dan Romance, Tax Savings Professionals (Ali Qizilbash)
10/13 – Linas Liubinskas, Tax Savings Professionals (Ali Qizilbash)
10/20 – Allison Zukowski, United Against Poverty (Kimball Stadler)
10/20 – Celeste Cashatt, McLeroy Realty (Sean Facey)
10/27 – Wilford Hart, Community Liaison IRSD (Donald Hart)
10/27 – Joy Votrobek, ASCF (Lane Solomon)
11/10 – Phil Weiler, Teri Eno, Jim Maxner, Space Coast Honor (Kimball Stadler)
11/17 – Omar Krespo, Director of HR Hiram’s (Kimball Stadler)
District Director Rene’s Corner
Indian River Club: The 5th Annual Toss Out Child Abuse Charity Cornhole Tournament was held on October 16th at Walking Tree Brewery. This year’s event was very successful with 33 teams participating. Over $11,000 was raised! Congratulations Indian River Club for your continued successes!
Fellsmere Club: The 2021 Shrimpfest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo was held Friday, March 19th through Sunday March 21st, 2021. This was a joint effort with the Rotary Club of Sebastian and roughly $55,000 was raised support youth sports and organizations throughout north Indian River County.
South Brevard County Club: Club members have recently packed and distributed another 25 Blue Bags with children’s items for donation to the Melbourne Police. These bags are for use when police are working with children in stressful situations.
Ron Smith says the One Nation Under God Pancake Breakfast was cancelled for this year. A car show is planned for the future – location and date to be determined. The Junior Fishing Tournament is planned for next spring, probably in late April. Contact Ron for more information at ronlsmith45@gmail.com.
Margie Duffell