THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604160129
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Long : 211 lines
THERE'S NO TELLING what folks who attend the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight's first big fund-raising auction will take home.
Local businesses and citizens have donated an assortment of items to be auctioned off - including a baby pig from Pilot Club member Debbie Deshields.
Proceeds from the auction, which is scheduled to be held during Smithfield's Olden Days festivities, will fund projects sponsored by the county's newest service club.
Mary Wells, the former county farm agent who in March died of cancer, left a legacy of leadership to the Pilot Club.
At the time the Pilot Club was chartered in December 1995, Wells was at the Medical College of Virginia, undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
But as one of the organization's 23 founding members, she was an energetic force behind the months of hard work it took to get the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight chartered, president Connie Hassell said.
``Because we knew her personally, Mary's death has helped strengthen our club's focus,'' Hassell said. ``And I think she helped make us aware there is a dire need for people to work in this community.''
Linda A. Bean, director of social services, said the Pilot Club is just one of many service organizations working to help residents of Isle of Wight County. Groups like the Smithfield Ruritan Club, the Real Smithfield Jaycees and Christian Outreach Program are working constantly and quietly to make Isle of Wight County a better place to live.
``In the new welfare reform, the government is looking to community, religious and civic organizations to pick up a lot of its slack,'' Bean said. ``But that's nothing new in smaller, rural localities like Isle of Wight County.
``We have always worked with civic and religious groups to meet the public's needs . . . and I know many of these organizations have helped people we don't even know about.
``These organizations are making a definite difference in this community.''
That's exactly what the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight is all about, Hassell said.
``There are a lot of talented people in this organization - bankers, insurance agents, attorneys and the like - who are using their talents to do good things for this community,'' Hassell said.
``On a local level, we operate where the need is greatest,'' Hassell said. ``We have tried to spread our resources around this year. We have not really made a dramatic impact on any one particular area but we have made a little difference to a lot of people.''
This year, for example, the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight has sponsored several projects, including:
The ongoing collection of magazines for mentally disabled adults.
Starting a pen-pal letter-writing campaign with 12 mentally disabled adults.
Decorating a Safety Tree in Windsor, at the intersection of U.S. Route 460 and U.S. Route 258, with green lights. Had any accidents involving a fatality occurred on county highways during the holiday season, a green bulb would have been replaced by a red bulb.
The Pilot Club of Isle of Wight has enrolled one new member since Mary Wells' death. But eventually, Hassell would like to see the group draw 60 or 70 members, like its sister organization, the Pilot Club of Suffolk.
``The more people we have, the more power we have,'' Hassell said. ``And the more power we have, the more we can get accomplished here.'' MEMO: HELPING HANDS IN THE COMMUNITY
PILOT CLUB
Meetings: The Pilot Club holds a dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. on the
third Thursday of each month at Smithfield Station.
Membership: Although this organization is open to men and women, all
members of the Pilot Club of Isle of Wight are female. For more
information, call Loris Jones at 357-3774.
CHRISTIAN OUTREACH
The Christian Outreach Program is working with county and town
officials in hopes of getting more youth-oriented businesses, such as a
skating rink or movie theater, to open in Isle of Wight County.
The organization, made up of volunteers from 22 local churches, says
such businesses would keep many of the county's teen-agers closer to
home at night and on weekends. Currently, youth often travel to
neighboring localities for such entertainment.
COP spokesmen recently have gone before county and municipal leaders,
asking them to actively recruit such businesses.
Christian Outreach got its start five years ago, when two local
churches teamed up to sponsor Souper Saturday, a fund-raiser supporting
the county's fuel assistance fund. Intended as a one-time event, Souper
Saturday instead became the catalyst that has triggered dozens of
projects that meet needs in the Isle of Wight community.
Top Service Projects:
1. Souper Saturday - Proceeds from this annual soup-and-sandwich sale
are used to fund the county's fuel assistance program.
2. Using donated materials and manpower, the COP will go in and
perform basic house repairs and remodelings for needy senior citizens.
3.The group has established a countywide dental assistance program
for the elderly and a prescription purchasing program for
underpriviledged.
4. Established programs enabling children to take music lessons or
learn karate, basketball or baseball.
Meetings: Not available.
Membership: People do not have to belong to a church to join COP. For
membership information, call president Becky Farmer at 357-4716 or ask
at any church in town.
THE REAL SMITHFIELD JAYCEES
The Real Smithfield Jaycees' active role in the Isle of Wight
community has made it one of the state's Top 10 Jaycee chapters each
month for the past year, president Patti Stephenson said. In Febuary, it
topped the list of 120 clubs.
Members develop leadership skills by helping run the multitude of
community service and self-improvement projects sponsored by the
organization: decorating the streets at Christmas, adopting a family for
Christmas and planting trees on county property.
While the backbone of the organization's work is its members'
manpower and time, the club relies on money raised from two of it
biggest annual fund-raisers - the Haunted House and Christmas Tree Sale
- to support its services to the community.
Projects:
1. Currently remodeling the Jaycee Building, the old high school
agricultural building, to be used as a community service center.
2. American Flag Project - The group places 57 American flags around
Smithfield on seven major flag-displaying holidays and Smithfield's
Olden Days.
3. Kidcare - Compiled vital information - height, weight and a recent
photo - and put it into a plastic folder for 130 county children.
4. JAYS Project - Jaycees Against Youth Smoking - Worked to get
Smithfield area businesses to agree not to sell tobacco products to
minors.
Meetings: The Real Smithfield Jaycees meet at 7:30 p.m. on the second
and fourth Thursday, at the Jaycee Building located on the corner of
James and Washington streets, across from the Smithfield library.
Membership: The Real Smithfield Jaycees currently has 43 names on its
roster. Membership, which is open to men and women between the ages of
21 and 39, cost $60 annually. These dues cover membership in the state
and national organizations, and monthly chapter and quarterly
newsletters.
Club Officers/Contact Persons: Patti Stephenson, 357-9136, or Scott
Kern, 357-9195.
THE LADIES AUXILIARY
The Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 249 works
to promote Americanism in the Isle of Wight community.
Community Service Projects:
1. Support Americanism by distributing educational material,
circulating petitions for the Citizen Flag Allegiance and participating
in the town's Veterans and Memorial Day festivities.
2. Provides financial aid to a local veteran and makes donations to
the Veterans Administration Hospital in Hampton and the Patrick Henry
Boys and Girls Home.
3. Sponsors a variety of youth-related activities, including two to
four dances annually, an essay contest for dance school scholarship and
line-dance classes for children and adults.
Membership: This organization, which has 38 members, is open to women
whose husbands, brothers or fathers were veterans. People can also join
if their deceased fathers or grandfathers were veterans.
Meetings: Contact Johnston for more information.
Club President/Contact Person: Jeanette Johnston, 357-3041.
LOCAL RURITAN CLUBS
Ruritan clubs are scattered across the county, all working to enhance
their communities through a multitude of service projects. Although we
were not able to profile each club, we have tried to highlight
activities provided by two local clubs.
Meeting Facts: Contact club officers in your community.
Membership Information: The only requirement for participation in
Ruritans is that members be of ``good moral character,'' said Sue
Irving, a spokesman for Ruritan National in Dublin, Va. National dues
are $6 per quarter. Each club also sets local dues, which vary depending
on the club's meeting place and other expenses.
The Zuni Ruritan Club
Community Service Projects
1. Donated money to numerous community organizations and projects,
including the 4-H Hog Show, the Windsor Athletic Association, the Zuni
Presbyterian Training Center, Windsor Library, the Pop Warner Football
League and several needy families.
2. Rechartered the Cub and Boy Scout troops No. 42 and gave the Scout
troops new banners.
3. Sponsored the Hunter Safety Class in Zuni.
Membership Information:
Officer/Contact Person: Harry Duval, 242-6011
The Smithfield Ruritan Club
Community Service Projects
1. Selects and honors local Farm Family of the Year and together with
the Smithfield Rotary Club, honors the Citizen of the Year from the
Smithfield community.
2. Sponsoring a pre-election public forum, giving citizens a chance
to meet with Smithfield Town Council candidates.
Officer/Contact Person: William E. Laine Jr., 357-2360
Thomas Woods Ruritan Club
President/Contact Person: Linwood Duck, 242-6829
Walters Ruritan Club
President/Contact Person: James E. Presson, 562-6365
Windsor Ruritan Club
President/Contact Person: Dan Atwood, 242-4503
Isle of Wight Ruritan Club President/Contact person: Dale Jones,
357-2342
ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
AT YOUR SERVICE
ON THE COVER
Pilot Club member Debbie Deshields is donating a pig for the
organization's upcoming auction. Staff photo by John H. Sheally II.
File photos
Lee Stiltner of the Christian Outreach Program helped repair the
home of an elderly person. The group is working with officials to
get more youth-oriented businesses to locate in the county.
A popular fund-raiser for The Real Smithfield Jaycees is their
Haunted House.
KEYWORDS: COMMUNITY SERVICE by CNB