About
Sertoma

Programs:

February 2nd: Business Meeting
February 10:Mel Pendland- Georgetown Chamber of Commerce
February 17:Patrick Brown- Director of Appraisals for Williamson County
February 24: Christina Muller- Personal Trainer

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

Feb 23-Red Poppy Bike Ride at Getsemani Center 7:00 pm
Feb 27-4th of July Sponsorship Meeting at David and Martha Hoopers. 6:00 pm
Feb 28-New member orientation session at Bill Marsh’s house 7 pm
Feb 28-Jim Wilson and David Hooper giving Sertoma presentation to Weslyan Retirement Home
Mar 1 -Board Meeting at Holliday Inn Express
Mar 11-Sertoma Garage Sale at 1st TX Bank. Be there at 6:30 and bring your saleable items
April 1- Highway Cleanup Day
April 20/22-Heart of America Regional Convention in Lafayette, La.

February has been a great month for Georgetown Sertoma. The Hoopers have officially named their colt Pompous Cat. We are all hoping to see “the cat” in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. David and Martha’s connections to the racing industry have added a really interesting perspective to the Georgetown club.

The membership drive has been very successful. We will be having another new member orientation at the Marsh’s house on February 28th. The plan is for each member to bring in a new member each year. There is a new sense of vitality in the club these days and a great deal of it comes from the people that have come on board in the last few years. New blood, new ideas.

Ron Heine and Ellen Dutkiewicz brought in a bunch of hearing aids for the SHARP program this month. These things will be run through the recycling program at the University of Texas and will provide many needy people in central Texas with a solution to their hearing problems.

Alycia Heeneman reports that the Serteens are arranging an Intramural Flag Football Tournament at the school. Several teams are already signed up.

As the regional convention approaches it is time to update the club’s display. Jim Thompson has volunteered to head up a little committee and David Hooper volunteered Martha to help. Ellen Dutkiewicz has lots of current pictures which she will provide. If anyone else would like to lend their artistic talents we would love to include them.

The Heart of America Regional Convention is fast approaching. So far it looks like the Georgetown attendees are going to be: David and Martha Hooper, Russ and Ellen Dutkiewicz, Patty Riggs, and Jim and Mary Thompson. Jim has thrown his hat in the ring for Heart of Texas District governor and that vote will be taking place at the convention. Our Internation Director has sent a notice to all of the clubs in the region. Her words follow:

Sertoma International Heart of America Region
International Director’ Newsletter
January 2006

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF REGIONAL CONVENTION !!!

This is your “” call to the First Annual Heart of America Regional Convention. Mark your calendars! April 20-22, 2006, Lafayette, Louisiana. Registrations forms for the convention, golf registration, and hotel registration forms are all attached for each club. Your District Governors have all of these also. Please copy and DISSEMINATE to your club members! Thanks!

NOTE: Early-bird registration is BEFORE April 7th. AFTER April 7th, registration fees increase, so……… be sure to get yours turned in early! This will be an outstanding convention! Our “ Annual” Our new Regional theme pins will be
available for purchase for the first time ever at this convention! They are beautiful!

Things you want to know about convention:

• The Theme is: “ the Good Times Roll” !! and roll they will!!
• Golf Tournament is 11:00 on Thursday April 20th – great course – great fellowship & fun
– great price – and …… great golf??? Well – the jury’ still out on that one!!!
• Beautiful hotel – Lafayette Hilton – sits right next to the river – newly renovated – we
have the ENTIRE 4th floor for our convention.
• Big & gorgeous joint hospitality suite for all!!
• Each club, bring:

-Club banner for parade of banners
-Club exhibit for display & judging
-Work with your Gov on bringing food from your district
-Gold Honor Presidents – bring/wear your coats!!
-LOTS of First-Timers!!
-Wear your Sertoma pin – a must!! :)
-Country casual attire for the Friday night Cajun “fais-do-do” dance
-One door prize for each person coming ($10 value)
-One $50 auction item (per club) for Friday night Foundation silent auction;
-Mardi Gras attire for Saturday night Director’ Mardi Gras Ball
-LOTS of members from your Club!!

• Lots of things to see & do in Lafayette, your Governors will be circulating a list of tours, sights & things to do, as well as other visitor information.

RESOLUTIONS

There are two resolutions that will be brought to the convention floor for a vote at this convention. Each is attached. One is regarding locations for future regional conventions. The other regards a slight increase in regional dues. If you have any questions regarding either of these resolutions, feel free to contact me, your International Director, and/or your District Governor, as we had extensive discussions about these at the Mid-Year in Lafayette earlier in the month and all in attendance are in agreement with both resolutions.

CONVENTION-AT-A-GLANCE

Have you ever gotten to a Convention and wished you had known what was happening & when, – before you got there? Well – let’ fix that!! Below is a very brief outline of convention happenings. Obviously these will be fine-tuned and included with lots of detail in the final convention printed program. This is just to give you a brief outline for travel planning, clothing, and other purposes.

Thursday April 20th 11:00 Golf tournament - (Details on the registration form attached)
2:00 – Registration & credentials
(Hospitality also open during this time)
6:45 pm “ Bird” door prizes before opening session
7:00 pm – Opening Session
8:00 pm – Heart of America Hospitality Suite re-opens, with
music, mingling & food from across the region

Friday, April 21st Breakfast on your own (coffee available in rooms & meetings)
7:45 am – First Timer’ Meeting
8:00 – noon – Registration & Credentials continue
8:30 am – Early Bird Door prizes before opening session
8:45 am – General Session
10:15 – District Meetings – Part I
12:15 – Awards Luncheon for Regional Service to Mankind &
Sertoman of the Year
***KEYNOTE Luncheon Speaker (see details below)
2:15 – Professional Development Seminars (details to follow)
3:15 – “ the Officers” – Q&A about “ Sertoma”
4:00 – Hospitality opens
6:00 – Buses leave for Acadian Village dinner, dance, party &
Foundation Silent Auction – country casual attire
9:00 – buses return to hotel - hospitality opens

Saturday April 22nd Breakfast on your own (coffee available in rooms & meetings)
8:15 am – District Meetings, part II, followed by PAC meetings
**all district award winners to be turned into Regional Awards Committee chair by noon Saturday for regional judging, for Convention Exhibit, Bulletin, National Heritage, Convention Attendance and Club Excellence.
9:45 am – Early Bird Door Prizes given out
10:00 am – General (& final business) session
Voice vote on resolutions
Serteen & Serteen Advisor awards presented
District Governor reports
Introduction of 2006-07 Governors
Other business
Recess until Director’ Banquet (except 2006-07 Governors)
Afternoon free to enjoy the city, tours etc.
12:00 to 2:00 – Orientation and training for 2006-07 Governors
and International Director (box lunch provided)
5:00 pm – Mass to be held at the hotel
6:00 pm – Director’ Reception and cash bar (black tie optional)
6:45 pm – Director’ Banquet (Mardi Gras theme)
Regional awards presented
Governors installed
International President Sheila Reding’ remarks
Music provided After the banquet, Hospitality opens – LOGIC society meets!
So – how can you possibly want to miss all of this?? We hope to fill the hotel with
Sertomans at the First Annual Heart of America Convention. See you there!!

CYNTHIA LUNCEFORD KEYNOTE SPEAKER

If you were at the 2005 Sertoma International Convention in New Orleans & heard Cynthia Lunceford, you know what to expect – and you will encourage everyone you know to attend!! If you were not, you are in for a treat. Cynthia Lunceford was the keynote luncheon speaker last year in New Orleans. She was so impressive, our host club in Lafayette asked her right after the lunch, to come to Lafayette for our regional, to share her message with our region. She lives nearby in Baton Route, and she is coming to our convention!

Born with congenital nerve deafness, Cynthia has only 10 percent of normal hearing. Dependent on lip reading from the age of two, she has learned to adapt in remarkable ways. The effort eventually took its toll though, wearing her out both physically and emotionally. This burden, however, became a blessing. Seeking eye surgery to help her see and read lips better, she applied to the TV program, Extreme Makeover.

She was surprised to receive the televised “” most importantly becoming the
first person in the world to receive a breakthrough digital hearing device, the Widex Senso Power Diva hearing aid. The result was seeing and especially hearing her life in a whole new way. Her quality of life has changed in significant ways and Cynthia now puts the energy she wasted on struggling to hear, into enjoying people and life. Cynthia is giving back to others by promoting hearing awareness internationally. She has told her story to millions in numerous national talk shows, radio interviews, newspaper articles and in a documentary that will be used by Widex in 90 countries. She will give us an inside look at her experience during this inspiring luncheon!

END OF INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Other things to do in the Lafayette area include:

Heart of America Regional Convention 2006

Other Things To Do:

Downtown Lafayette
Museums
Acadiana Council for the Arts
University of Louisiana at Lafayette – Hilliard Museum
Mouton House
Natural History Museum
Outdoor Murals around downtown by local artists
Jefferson St. Market – gifts and crafts
Sans Souci Craft Gallery – Louisiana Crafts Guild
Odell Pottery Studio – can give demonstrations raku firing
St John the Evangelist Cathedral
Jean LaFitte Acadian Cultural Center
Vermilionville – authentic Acadian community
Casino Opelousas (15 minutes out of Lafayette)
Avery Island – (30 minutes out of Lafayette) Jungle Gardens
1 Tabasco Co.
New Iberia – (30 minutes out of Lafayette) Shadows on the Teche – Plantation home
Henderson – (30 minutes out of Lafayette) -McGees Landing Swamp Tours
Breaux Bridge – (30 minutes out of Lafayette) - gift shops, antiques
There is another potter just out of Lafayette if we have anyone interested we can go there also.
Depending on the number interested in each area we can tour Friday morning for those nonSertomans and again Saturday afternoon.

This is going to be a great time. If you are interested, president David Hooper has application forms.