The Newsletter of Saint John’s Episcopal Parish, Hagerstown, Maryland

SOUNDINGSSeptember 2014

–– From the Rector ––“..time past and time future / what might have been and what has been / point to one end, which is always present.”

-T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

Reading the Washington Post each morning sets thoughts in motion that linger well into the next edition. Wars, conflicts, diseases, economics, political dysfunc-tion, begin to resemble the sports section, with winners and losers. When I read the thoughtful posting by the Bishop Suffragan elect on the current events in Ferguson Mo., I remembered the events that shaped my life five decades ago. Scripture re-minds me of how central issues of justice are. Yet, justice seems like a slippery fish not wanting to be held or photographed. I am surprised that students struggle to define justice because we all know what it feels like to be treated unfairly. When the time is “now” and we are the “victim,” it is very different than when we read about an event some distance removed from our day to day experience. I read that retired Archbishop Rowan Williams spends a significant amount of time in prayer. He wrote an interesting piece for Christian Century recently in which he explored why and how we pray. He encourages that we as members of the body of Christ, as Christians, ought to pray daily. Imagine reading the morning news and highlighting every person – all people in need of prayer, including especially those whose lives are in danger due to violence, political and legal systems that bred and promote injustice, or who are simply victims of poverty or disease.

One of the dilemmas I have faced often throughout my tenure as Rector is who to pray for and how and when. I inherited a tradition of naming before God those who are in danger of harm, be it sickness, unemployment, discrim-

In This Issue:Health Tip pg. 3Youth Mission pg. 4Picnic Info pg. 5Music Notes pg. 8Meet Melonie pg. 11Hats Off pg. 13Birthdays/Anniv. pg. 14

ination, or war. We remember those who serve in our armed services although we do not name each one. We remember our leaders, naming some, not all. We pray for those who are sick and dying week after week recognizing that some medical conditions that would have been terminal a decade ago are now chronic conditions. The list grows and as we name those persons before God, we know there are others who need our prayer and whose names are not said aloud. Comments span the options available: that we don’t pray by name for everyone as we should; that we pray for too many people; that the prayer list should be limited for a time and then names removed.

I have chosen to trust the members of the parish to tell us who in their lives need cor-porate prayer. I believe God knows and responds to the needs of all people whether or not we can discern divine action or presence in certain circumstances. I know that prayer is important in our spiritual lives, individually and corporately. I know that those who struggle with illness, death, and injustice are encouraged that a community is lifting them to God. Although I believe God is already aware. It is helpful to know that there are people here in this world that care. Corporate prayer means we all pray for those on our prayer list and this should be done daily. I encourage every member of the parish to take the prayer list home and pray for each person daily and I invite all of us to pray for victims of injustice as we are made aware by various news reports. There are helpful prayers for various occasions BCP 814-841 and the psalms are useful prayers covering almost every human condition. The BCP offers prayers that punctu-ate our daily lives and are designed for individual or corporate use. For the beginning of the day, Morning Prayer invites us to center ourselves in the presence of God. Noon-day Prayer is short and useful in the thick of the tensions of work and responsibility. Evening Prayer helps us cease our labor and express gratitude for all that is. Compline at the end of the day enjoins us to rest in God’s peace. Spontaneous prayer, even a groan too deep for words, is also effective because God is always present and compas-sionate.

Ann+

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FLU Season is Coming!Some points to help you stay healthy:

· Get a flu shot !· Wash your hands· If you are sick, stay home, rest, drink fluids, avoid contact.· Wash your hands· Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.· Wash your hands· Avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes.· Wash your hands· Use hand sanitizer after touching things that may harbor “ flu bugs”· Wash your hands

Practice good health habits by getting adequate sleep, manage stress, eat healthy foods, and drink plenty of fluids.

Upcoming Program: Emergency Preparedness Program

Sunday, September 14 @ Noon St. Mary’s Chapel

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Youth in Mission!

On a hot summer day in July, our VBS children learned the story of the paralyzed man and his friends. These friends loved their friend enough to carry and lower him literally in front of Jesus. The kids got to act out lifting up a friend on a sheet and discovered that it was harder than they thought, never mind trying to balance a friend up and down the roof of a crowded house!

Like the friends who carried the paralyzed man, the Saint John’s mission team went out of their way, all the way to Avery County, NC with the Appalachia Service Project. This was Saint John’s first mission trip; Chantelle, Micah, Priscilla, Whitney, and I had no idea what to expect. We soon learned that ASP is a well-organized and dynamic vehicle for change – every summer 14,000 thousand volunteers gather from around the country to rural Central Appalachia to repair homes for low-income families. But ASP is more than just a home repair program; it is first and foremost a relational ministry. We bonded with our team mates, families, and fellow churches.

After a few days of hard work repairing homes with ASP, our hands grew a little tougher, our arms a little stron-ger, and our relationships with God a whole lot deeper. These teens returned home with a passion for service, a renewed compassion for other people, and a fresh appreciation for your place and purpose in this world. We were blessed with the outpouring of encouragement, prayers, and financial support from our Parish. Thank you!

Chantelle LaguerreDuring my week at ASP, I had many God moments. Whether it was making new friends or the breath-taking view of the mountains, each event was a blessing from God. But out of all the things that happened that week, I received a special gift. The little boy in the family gave me a drawing of us working on his roof. It made me feel so good inside. Seeing how happy he was to be part of the process made me realize that this trip was not just about repairing a roof, but more about knowing that we are God’s people. I feel that I was sent this family to make this little boy feel like he belonged, that he was loved. The relationships formed made the trip so worth-while.

Micah DatuThe mission trip definitely helped me to see that we shouldn't take anything for granted in life, not even the smallest things. My team worked on a home with water pipes that had burst and flooded the bedroom floor. We demolished room and installed new wood flooring. By the end of our project, I realized that by helping oth-ers, we are changed forever. We are transformed by the joy of helping others and seeing the happiness it brings. I really bonded with my family as well as my team members. I will never forget the smiles on their faces on the last day. I can’t wait to go back and see who's going to be on my team and I can't wait to meet my family.

Priscilla LaguerreMy experience at ASP was an experience of a lifetime and I`m so grateful for meeting my family. Although we were sent there to help them with their roof, I believe we were sent there for another reason. We connected with the members of the household and we got to spend time interacting with the children. I will never forget their smiles and conversations. I was really moved by the way they made the best of their situation and never com-plained about what they didn't have. It just made me remember what's really important in life: God's love is truly everywhere when we share it.

Whitney ChapmanI would honestly have to say that ASP changed my life. I have a whole new perspective on how I look at life. It was truly amazing to me that even though these people we worked for had little to nothing, they still made the best of their situation and were happy with their lives. The older couple that I worked with was just so grateful for everything we did for them. They bought and shared a watermelon for us. God was definitely present. While

I was working one another house I met a family friend of the family we were working for. While working for him he said to me and Ms. Grace “it doesn’t matter what denomination you come from God still loves you.” That was apparent throughout that entire week.

Another event that I was lucky enough to help plan and attend was the national Episcopal Youth Event. It was held in Philadelphia with over 1,200 attendees. 81 out of 99 dioceses attended including the Virgin Islands, Taiwan, and Honduras attended. It was so inspirational. From the worship services, to visiting all the different churches in Philadelphia, to our huge party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was an honor to be one of the fourteen youth nationwide to help plan the event. I would say that one of the coolest moments was getting to meet the Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. It was awesome! This summer has been amazing! I can’t wait to see what God has in store next!

The Youth at Saint John’s serve because the Parish supports them. Our young families devote countless hours of service and learning with Sunday School, Children’s Choir, Acolytes, Micah’s backpack, Summer Meal Machine, VBS, and the Community Café. The ASP mission trip is just one piece of pie, there are a host of opportunities for growth and exploration for our Youth during the year and we look forward to the journey with you!

Also, we owe thanks to...

Rev Ann will deliver book bags for St. Etienne students, along with book marks made by our children during VBS. A big thank you to Verna Anson, Helen Cook, Sue Sowers, Joyce Chabot, Missy McCray, Betty Markle, and Julie Barlap for sewing beautiful hand-made bags!

COME ONE, COME ALL –OUTDOOR SERVICE & PICNIC

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7 AT CITY PARK, HAGERSTOWN

We had such a wonderful time the first of June-- so much that we felt a need to do it again!

Please mark your calendars now, invite your family and friends, and come to the Parish Picnic at City Park, North Pavilion (between the Museum and Band Shell). There will be a sign up sheet on the table at the Antietam Entrance for your indication of dish you might bring and # of persons you are bringing with you so we can plan for Fried Chicken (probably) and quantity of drinks. You might also bring a chair or blanket and covered dish for this fun time in the Park in just about 1 month!

Know further that there will be an 8 AM Service at the church on September 7, and the 10:15 AM Service will be at the Park, followed by a picnic for the Parish. We have the pavilion from 9 AM – 3 PM for this date. We look forward to seeing all of you there for a great time!

Know further that we will be using the North Pavilion. Parking can be found by Museum or on south side of Park turning onto City Park Drive. If you park by Museum, walk on sidewalk through the Anne & Howard Kaylor Lakeside Garden up close to museum and it is just beyond the end of that path. There is a paved flat path the whole way over to the Pavilion from either side of the Park.

Card Making 103  

We’re going to be starting our third year in September. The class is open to anyone who would like to make some greeting cards and enjoy the camaraderie. We will continue in the same format of meeting the first Wednesday of each month from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and making 4 cards each class. The cost is $10.00 per class with a paid 7 day advance reservation necessary. (It is necessary for me to know how many to prepare for). The only thing you need to bring is a tape runner(if you don’t have one, I will provide this at the first class for an additional $ 5.25)...a happy face ready to have some fun. Please contact me, Jane Rozes, at 301-733-6132 or at Janerozes@aol.com to register for the first class which will be on September 3rd in St. Mary›s Chapel from 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Adult EducationForum between services led by Ann Boyd

• A Theology of Worship, L. Weil, The New Church’s Teaching Series (5 weeks with Sept 28 set aside for Legacy society program, so this series will likely end Oct 12.

• Horizons of Mission, T. Presler, The New Church’s Teaching Series (Oct 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 16, 23)

• Advent: to be determined

Monday evenings:

• Sacred Tracks: 2000 years of Christian Pilgrimage (Sept 8, 15, 22, 29 and probably Oct 6)• Blessed are the Consumers, Sallie McFague, Fortress Press• Advent series: To be determined

Five for the Future!Did you know increasing your pledge by just $5 a week could make a huge

difference for Saint John’s future? As a Parish, we have made it our top priority to fund youth programs. We knew it would be a commitment that would impact the budget, but we also agreed that strengthening our youth

program was an important investment.

That’s why each member of the Vestry has committed to increase their week-ly pledges for the rest of the year by $5. If every member of Saint John’s did

the same, we would be well on our way of achieving our goal.

We hope you will join us by giving an extra $5 for the future!

It’s SEPTEMBER … And you have met Vestry Members all summer long at Coffee Hour…

Thank you to all vestry members who have had an opportunity to host the Fellowship Hour on Sunday mornings since June 22 – Katherine Foreman; Charlie Chaney; Bob Rauth; Betty Thompson; Howard Whittington; Stephny Lietuvnikas; David McKinley; Ruth Ann Ogle and Pieter Bickford. Fellowship Hours provide a nice time of conversation for all who join in this special weekly time appointed to meet and greet our friends of the Parish!! The little people play on the stage or gather in the Hall and catch up with their friends too!

There will soon be a poster board showing Sundays needing extra helping hands to provide snacks or to help with set up or clean up after Fellowship Hour. I hope you might sign up to help this Fall sometime. It becomes another way to get to know one another and accomplish something nice for others all at the same time. Try it once! We’d be very pleased if you did, and hopefully you find it to be a good experience!

If you have questions regarding Fellowship Hour preparation., or if you would like to join us on Parish Life Commission to plan and prepare for other receptions and special meals and events, please talk with Betty Markle (or call me at 301-432-8871) or other members of the Parish Life Commission: Earlene Ayrer, Susan Rauth, Anne Morin, Jackie Alexander, Jennifer Sealing or Glenda Fuller. We’d be very happy to show you the ropes and get to know you better too! We appreciate any time you might have – a little or a lot – we can use your ideas and encouragement! Thank you!

Betty Markle, Parish Life

Food, Fellowship and Fundraising – Mayfest is all of that and more!

  

If you are interested in being a part of the volunteer team for Mayfest 2015, please plan on attending our first meeting to be held onSeptember 14th following the 10:15 service in one of the Sunday School class-rooms. Whether you have been a faithful volunteer every one of its 10 year history or are curious what it takes to put on such a grand event and want to see what it’s all about – join us!!

If you cannot attend, but would still like to volunteer, please contact Sareen or Kevin Hebb at sareen@myactv.net or by calling us at 301-766-0834.

Congratulations!  We did it. The final count for Mayfest is $15,836 which will be divided among the 3 charities: Washington

County Family Center, Community Free Clinic, and St. Etienne’s, Haiti. Since the inception of Mayfest ten years ago, we have given $105, 800 to outreach. A hearty thanks to all who contributed in any way to help us make/surpass our goal.

Music NotesNew Season for the Choirs

Saint Francis Choir (Grades 1-3): Beginning Monday, September 15, 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Light Dinner for the Choirs: Beginning Monday, September 15, 5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.Canterbury Choir: (Grades 4-12)*: Beginning Monday, September 15, 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.Parish Choir: (Grades 9 -12 and adults)*: Beginning Thursday, September 4, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.*Youth in grades 9-12 have the option of either singing in the Canterbury or Parish ChoirFor more information regarding the choirs, please speak with Mark King, or contact him at the church office, 301.733.2560, x 108, email him at mking.stjohns@myactv.net

South Prospect Street Porchfest

The Historic Heights Neighborhood is sponsoring a celebration of music and architecture of South Prospect Street on Saturday, September 13, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saint John’s has been invited to participate in the celebration, which will include tours of our church nave, and parish musicians per-forming on the porch of Saint John’s House. Free admission to the Porchfest. Greeters on the side walk by the tower entrance to our church are needed. If you are able to assist, please speak with Mark King.

A Big Thank You to Summer Musician

Vocalists: Kristy Gross, David McKinley, Ashley Myers, Brady Myers, Judy Myers, Robin Spickler.Instrumentalists: Julianna Chitwood (violin), David Davis (organ and piano), Julie Belle Huff (flute), Kathy McKinley (piano), Shannon Mendoza (organ), Robbie Wancowicz (piano).

September Carillon Recitals at Mercersburg Academy

September 7 – Jim Brinson (recital begins at 1:30 p.m. today); September 14 – Buck Lyon-Vaiden (Hampstead, MD); September 21 – Ed Nassor (Washington DC); September 28 – Jim Brinson. The recitals begin at 3:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted, and are free and open to the public. Feel free to sit in the chapel, or climb the steps into the carillon tower, or sit on the lawn, or stroll the gardens while listening to the music.

Internationally Acclaimed Pianist to Perform

Efi Hackmey, concert pianist from Israel, will perform in Thomson Hall at Wilson College on Friday, September 19, at 7:30 p.m. The program is free and the public is invited to attend.

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The Wisdom Years (aka Second Half of Life) JUNE 3rd Our meetings have moved to the FIRST Tuesday of each month, in St. Mary’s Chapel12:30 to 2:30 (BYO lunch if you wish to eat there with us at 12:30).

Our small group engages in discussions and prayer time; we share with one another for spiritual growth, as we grow in age and wisdom!

We have begun using a book written by Anne Lamott titled: STITCHES.

We will use each chapter for our discussion time, taking turns reading from the book. These are some of the questions we will consider: “What do we do when life lurch-es out of balance? How can we reconnect to one another, and to what’s sustaining, when evil and catastrophe seem inescapable?” Our June meeting will focus on Chap-ter 3, page 37

Where are you stitching together places in your life?

Please contact Sarah (Sallie) Bailey for more information:304-258-3057 salliebailey@earthlink.net

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Youth Acolytes, Choristers, Lectors Gathering

All current youth acolytes, choristers, lectors; and youth wanting to check out these ministries, along with their parents are invited to gather on Sunday, Sep-tember 21 at 11:30 a.m. for a time of refreshments and information about these liturgical ministries. The brief event will begin in classroom # 1 in the educa-tion hallway. After refreshments, we will move to the church nave for brief pre-sentations about these youth ministries. For more information about this event or these ministries, please contact: Bill Abeles Jr (acolytes) – bill.abeles@wells-fargoadvisors.com, 301.733.2306; Grace Bennett (lectors) – grace.stjohns@myactv.net, 301.733.2560, x 101; Mark King (choristers) – mking.stjohns@myactv.net, 301.733.2560, x 108.

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Christian Stewardship ChroniclesWhen Kristy and I met 16 years ago, we decided to find a church to attend together. Since I was raised Catholic and Kristy was raised Lutheran, the Episcopal Church was a perfect fit for us, and we have been members ever since. We were married at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Altus, OK in 2001, have baptized both of our kids as Episcopalians, and in the last 16 years we have been members of 5 different Episcopal Churches all the way from South Dakota to Maryland. Each church met our spiritual needs in their own unique ways. Some churches provided good youth and adult ministries, while others had strong music and choir programs. In fact, in one of our churches, Celie and Matthew were the only children in the entire congregation! However, none of these churches offered everything we were looking for, and this is why we feel so blessed to have found St John’s. St John’s excels in all these areas and more. I still marvel at how beauti-ful our church is every Sunday when I walk into the sanctuary!

Our family has had the unique perspective to experience all of these different congregations and tell you how lucky you are to have a church like St John’s to call your home. It’s a comforting feeling to know that we are a part of such a supportive church family here at St John’s.This year I was asked to join the Stewardship Committee, and I’m so glad that I did. I have learned a lot about our church, its history, and just how much it takes to operate a parish of our size. I was also pleased to learn about all the outreach programs our parish supports. I have already started to see parishioners from my generation starting to take on more responsi-bility in the church, and that’s exciting. We want to be involved and help our parish flourish and grow. The generations before us have given us a wonderful gift in St. John’s, and we need to do everything we can to ensure that our church endures for generations to come.

I hope everyone knows how truly blessed we are to have this amazing church that enables us to come together in worship. Most communities will never find what we have here at St. John’s. God is working through us in so many ways that many times we don’t even realize it. Just think about all the things we do every day leading our Christian Life that inspires others and draws them to our faith.

Kristy and I continue to pray for your continued financial support in order to maintain our vi-brant parish, not just for our current parishioners, but for our future parishioners that we haven’t even met yet. Chad Gross

Chad Gross

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MEET MELONIE ORR By Dolores Maletzky

The phone rings, the door buzzer sounds, the printer runs out of paper, and the person waiting at the desk is getting impatient. Our secretary calmly answers the phone, pushes the button to admit the person at the door, loads some paper into the printer tray, looks up smiling at the person waiting at the desk and asks, “How may I help you?” All this takes less than 15 seconds. That is our MELONIE, Saint John’s new Secretary.

Melonie comes to us with more than ten years experience in office management, safety coordi-nation, and human resources generalist at Caldwell Manufacturing Company in Williamsport, MD. Previously, she was the Administrative Secretary for Berkeley County Planning Commis-sion and followed as Assistant to the County Administrator for five years. Add to that, Adminis-trative Secretary for The Old National Bank Trust Department for 3 ½ years. Quite a resume!Melonie was born in Martinsburg, WV and raised at Tabler’s Station,Inwood, WV. She claims Berkeley County, West Virginia home for her entire life. She graduated from Musselman High School, Bunker Hill, WV and was a mem-ber of The National Honor Society. She played clarinet in the band and was first chair her senior year. She also played clarinet in the Shepherd College band. In 1974, Mel-onie received the John Livers Music Award for the senior exhibiting excellence in mu-sic.

Melonie’s mother, Clara Tabler, lives in Wilmington, NC. She was employed by the Berkeley County Board of Ed before her retirement and move to NC. Melonie’s father, Alvin Tabler, lives with Melonie and her husband Ronald Orr. Ronald is employed by Conway Freight. On June 8th of this year Melonie and Ronald celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary. They have two children, Jeremy Ruble of Denver, NC and Michaela Loja of Stevens City, VA. Melonie has a sister living in New Jersey and a brother in Wilmington, NC. He is also an accomplished musi-cian. These various locales provide Melonie and Ronald with great destinations for their travel. Of course the big reason to visit their children is to catch up with their grandchildren, Kayla, 15; Alexia, 6; and Kipton, 2.

Melonie began playing the piano at six years of age and took piano lessons for 13 years. Organ lessons were added and continued for 2 years. From early on she loved music. She had a child’s record player with those golden records which she played over and over. Her interest in music continued throughout her school years. She accompanied her high school chorus as a freshman, sophomore and junior. While still in school, she played piano once a month at Tabler Presbyte-rian Church for their Sunday youth program. She substituted for vacations and also played for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. In 1989 she played piano and organ at St. Ber-nadette’s Catholic Church. After taking a break from St. Bernadette’s, she began playing at Little Falls Presbyterian Church in Falling Waters, WV. She currently plays at both Hedgesville and Little Falls since the same minister serves both churches.

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Melonie has been a member of Hedgesville Presbyterian Church since 1990. She is organist and choir director. If by any remote chance she has “extra time” on her hands, she performs duties associated with her being an Ordained Deacon and Elder. As a Deacon the mission is with the people. The Elder is mostly involved with the running of the church. She also is Chair of the Worship Committee. WOW!

Noticing several references to “Tabler,” I decided to call on my old WV teaching friend and current Pastor of Tabler Church to see if he knew of any connection between “Tabler” and Melonie. Indeed, Melonie’s father is one of the original “Tabler family” members from which the church was named in 1910. The family name was also used for a telegraph station on the Cumberland Valley Railroad. This little town where Melonie was raised became Tabler Station. The “Station” was later dropped from the name of the church. Our secretary has strong roots!

I did not get to ask her about hobbies, travel or spare time. I see her hobby as being music, her travel as going from one church to the next, and her spare time - where would one find that?

Our lunch time flew by too quickly. It was inspiring to hear her story and come away with knowing the dedication of this talented lady and her life of devotion to church and especially, to music. She is no stranger to organizing an office, dealing with people, and most importantly, making the technology work--as her record of employment in various positions narrates. She will be a plus for our choir and Mark King with the knowledge she possesses on church music. We are blessed to include her as a member of Saint John’s community.

Welcome Melonie!

MEAL MACHINE

Did you know that members from St. John’s Parish visited with and nurtured children eating at the Meal Machine summer feeding program held at Otterbein Church on Mondays this summer? Many thanks to Florence Grant and her team of Verna Anson, Spencer Purple, and Betsy Mummert who engaged the children with conversation, books, bubbles, chalk, crayons and paper, play dough, and other activities. The children had fun and the volunteers had fun. Kudos and thank you.

Tina Angle, Service and Outreach

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HATS OFFThis month I thought it would be fun to highlight what some of our young (and borderline young!) members of St. Johns did over the summer. Looks like it has been a busy couple of months, read on!

Caitlin and Morgan Fuller started cheer training and are getting ready for competitions!

Eddie and Kevin Magno helped their Mom by doing dishes, weeding, and helping with Liam. This also had a wonderful side effect of keeping Annie sane!

Celie Gross ended the school year last year on the honor roll for the 6th grade at Clear Spring Middle. Her parents are hoping for an “equally strong 7th grade”!!

Brynn Lietuvnikas learned how to play “Ode to Joy” on the piano…….Did you read this Mr. King??

Brynn’s brave Mother, Stephny, jumped out of a perfectly good plane just cause she could and she did and I say that deserves a “HATS OFF” mention!!

Christina Argueso attended Girl Scout Camp for the first time with Claire Kaetzel in July.

Maya Wells attended the Heritage Horse Farm this summer and earned many, many first and second place ribbons.

The Burkholder’s have once again welcomed 2 new exchange students into their home. Please say hello to “Rosa” who will be starting the 10th grade and “Liang Liang” who will be starting the 11th grade.

Haley Burkholder, Paige and Claire Kaetzel for making the 2014-2015 dance team!!!

Liam Sealing who will be starting Kindergarten this year!!!! Way to survive those early years Jen and Chip!!!!

Brent Martin and Nathaniel Mummert have been very busy in the Scout department with being “tapped out” for the Order of the Arrow and faced many challenges over a weekend in July and now are moving up to the next rank in Boy Scouts. They will become members of the Tenderfoot rank. Rumor has it this also means their wonderful Moms will be “moved up” as well!!

For all those who dedicated their time, efforts, creativity, humor, prayerful thought, organizational skills and much needed patience in creating a Beach themed VBS this summer. Big thank you to Rev Ann Boyd, Kathy Argueso, Verna Anson ,Sherrie Burkholder, Brian Burkholder, Brenda Duffy ,Charles Brining, Sareen Hebb ,Jen Stealing, Nicole Martin, Florence Grant, Charles Chaney, Deanna Soulis, Bill Soulis, Stephny Lietuvinakas, Bet-sy Mummert, Mike Mummert, Tamara Martinez, Brian Miller, Sarah Miller, Kristy Gross, Betty Markle, Karla Davis, Howard Whittington, Mike Bennett, Grace Bennett, Raquel Snetsinger , Rebecca Connor, Jason Weibel , Tracey Happel, Judy Raysley, Delores Maletzky, Ed Masood, Melonie Orr, Kevin Gummy ,Annie Malloy, Jenni-fer Ashbaugh, Emma Williams, Evvie Williams, Glenda Fuller, Dusty Graham, Francis Young, Pieter Bickford, Becca Burford, Jerry Sowers, Gail Petre, and Georgia Lee Pierne, Bill Alexander

And a very special thank you to our “youth” who volunteered their time in helping make VBS this summer a great success as well. Those wonderful young people include: Grace Miller, Carrie Miller, Priscilla Laguerre, Whitney Chapman, Adam Hebb, Alex Cotto-Casey, Dylan Weibel, Paige Kaetzel, Kevin Magno, Eddie Magno, Liam Happel, Cailtin Fuller, Micha Datu, Rachel Datu

As always, keep me in the loop by sending information to my email address: uofapsu@verizon.net. Feel free also to pull me aside to share your good news so I may share it with St. Johns.

(If I have missed someone from being mentioned in the above sections, please let me know and I will make a correction for next month)

Kelly Slocum

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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Bob Rauth 9/01Helen Stevens 9/01Brandon Younger 9/01William Abeles Jr. 9/02Elizabeth Happel 9/02Shena Oller 9/02Bill Sturtz 9/03Michael Callas 9/04Boden Reisinger 9/04Fred Wright III 9/04Bill Mcclintick Jr 9/05Pieter Bickford 9/06Johnny Martinez 9/06Donna Wells 9/07Judy Potter 9/09Stanley Ellison 9/10Jason Knicley 9/10Craig Main 9/10Bill Graham 9/11William Maletzky 9/14

Ronald Bachtell 9/16 Del Carden 9/16 Erin Main 9/16 Mike Mummert 9/17 Tischer Christine 9/17 Caitlin Dawson 9/18 Ginny Kay Durham 9/18 Bunny Waltersdorf 9/18 Stephanie Bickford 9/19 Rylan Cox 9/19 Kathy Argueso 9/20 Paige Kaetzel 9/20 John Cozzoli 9/23 James Ballard III 9/25 Ivor Knight 9/26 William Mcgovern 9/26 Betty Burger 9/27 Bill Soulis 9/27 Paul Perryman 9/29 Randolph Young 9/30

Happy September Anniversaries!Harvey & Rebecca Hogamier 9/01Bob & Susan Rauth 9/02Chuck & Mary Wagaman 9/02 Pieter & Stephanie Bickford 9/10Phil & Julie Barlup 9/12 Charlie & Katherine Foreman 9/18Robert & Betty Markle 9/20Spence & Cinda Perry 9/22Brandon & Haven Younger 9/27Bill & Beverly Abeles 9/28