This year’s District Conference in Blacksburg at The Inn at Virginia Tech was exceptional!  Activities started on Thursday with Pints For Polio gathering at Eastern Divide Brewing Co.   Things started ramping up on Friday with pre-conference break-out sessions from 10-11:30 followed by a First Timers Leadership Luncheon.  The General Session #1 & #2 ran all afternoon with speakers telling us inspiring stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things here at home and around the world.  The day was brought to a climactic close with a Casino Night and Buffet Dinner.  With good food, great fellowship, and a rousing fun time, everyone was a winner.  Saturday began early with General Sessions which ran until noon.  Motivating speakers emphasized the value of contribution, of living a more purposeful life, and how to regain motivation.  The afternoon was open to many options, from break-out sessions on subjects like yoga, dance, how to run a meeting, Scotch tasting, club size dynamics, and others, to the more personal like working out, taking a nap, going shopping, or reading a book.  Saturday was concluded with a hilarious Scotch & Plaid Rotary Foundation Celebration dinner.  Our own Paul Frank showed off his moves while wearing a kilt to everyone’s vast enjoyment.  On Sunday, a Memorial Service for those Rotarians we have lost over the past year and our final General Session concluded this amazing experience called District Conference.

Cabell Angle, the President of New Eve Maternity Home, shared
his organization’s mission, which is to assist mothers who are pregnant or raising children alone. Cabell “emigrated” to Winches-
ter here from Fairfax County in 2011, a year after New Eve Mater-
nity Home was founded by a small group from Sacred Heart Catholic
Church. The home is a 501c3 with no formal church affiliation, but they do get generous support from Sacred Heart. The organization’s philosophy is that being pro-life means supporting not only the newborn but also it’s mother. They have two homes within the Winchester city limits and can host seven mothers and their chil-
dren at a time. They are one shy of that mark but are expecting their seventh resident very soon. The center received 113 calls from women inquiring into their services in 2023 and are up to 21 calls so far this year. They have welcomed 45 newborn babies since their
founding. Although New Eve can help facilitate adoption once an expectant mother gives birth, Cabell said that most mothers opt to keep and parent their newborn. They can stay up to 2 years with no living expenses, but are expected to hold a full-time job and come up
with a plan for living independently when those two years are up. Most residents end up going to school full-time and/or working to save for their independence. The center provides mentors for the women to help them learn life skills and plan for the future. They also
offer weekly speakers every Tuesday night on topics ranging from fire safety to simple Auto maintenance. The women come from a variety of backgrounds, most of which are rough and have included human trafficking, drug use, and abandonment. The house operates on a demerit system- if you don’t follow the rules, you received a demerit and which can add up to expulsion. Newborn babies’ fathers are not permitted in the houses as they are often the reason a woman has come to the home. It also helps promote independence among the mothers. The maternity center is supported entirely by private donations and utilizes lots of volunteers for everything from babysitting to yard work and house repair.

EVANS HOME VAN FINALLY “WRAPPED”!  In 2021, our Club in conjunction with the Stonewall Ruritan Club and a generous donation by Chris Lewis purchased a van for The Evans Home from the proceeds from the Rummage Sale.  The van has finally been “wrapped” with decals indicating who sponsored the van.  A final presentation picture of the van and the principal players will be taken in the next week and published in the paper.  As the Rummage Sale reinvents itself, what a great way to transition out.  Many thanks to Wilson Gilbert for his tireless efforts to make this happen.

MEMBERSHIP SOCIAL – A GREAT SUCCESS!

Thanks to all those who brought prospective members to the Social.  About 65 Rotarians from not only our Club but also from the Frederick Co Club and NSV Club (Lake Frederick) brought 17 interested guests.  The Country Club outdid itself with a beautiful buffet and extensive cash bar.  Thanks to Chris Kyser and Annie Lamanna for manning the registration desk. Those present were treated to a short introductory video before being entertained and informed by our own Don Louque, Bill North (Frederick Co Club) and Mario Wisdom (NSV Club).  The event produced a lot of excitement at the prospect of growing our local clubs. The evening was still going strong even after 2 hours.  But don’t wait for next year’s Social to introduce someone to Rotary.  Bring your  member candidate to a lunch meeting and watch them be impressed!

     DON’T FORGET YOUR GUEST

Many of you brought a potential member to the Membership Social.  Now that you’ve got their attention, don’t lose them!  Remember to invite them to our next meeting to experience our Club and see if it’s right for them.  Applications can be picked up at the Sgt-at-Arms desk, on our website or contact Jean Barch at barchfam@comcast.net.

KIT REDMER – Kit is the new Communications Director for the City of Winchester.  Kit and his wife Pau moved here last summer from Westminster, CO where he was also a member of their Rotary club.  He is the one responsible for the “Snowbuster” volunteer program which the city’s citizens turned to during one of our few snows this past winter.  Kit even got out there and shoveled sidewalks himself.  That’s putting your hands where your mouth is! In addition to shoveling snow, Kit also likes music, sports, spending time with his wife & 2 young sons, current affairs, history, volunteering at food banks and serving the community. Besides event organizing and fundraising, Kit is also interested in A/V.  Dave Miles, your prayers are answered!  Kit was sponsored by Dick Kent and Jean & Cyril Barch.

ANGIE HAUSMAN  –  Angie was a Rotarian with the RC of Alexandria before moving to Winchester.  She is a retired Assoc Professor of marketing at SU and now has her own marketing firm called Market Maven.  When Angie is not helping clients, you can find her gardening, hiking, walking, or anything that takes her outdoors.  She likes to cook, as well, and has a knack for computers and website design.  Angie is very interested in helping in the areas of food insecurity, child services, and education.  We have Larry Weiss and Jaime Karalis to thank for bringing Angie onboard. 

PAT FINN  –  Pat is a retired air traffic controller and an ex-Navy radioman.  He has been the organizer and President of an inline hockey league since retiring 10 years ago.  In his spare time, he volunteers at CCAP and Froggy’s Closet, tinkers on cars, and tries his hand at electricity, plumbing and other basic home maintenance.  Pat likes to organize parties and events as well as getting his hands “dirty” on community projects that help the less fortunate.  We are very fortunate that John Lamanna and Paul Frank brought Pat into the Club.

LARRY CAIN  –  Larry has his own company, Insperity, where he is a business performance advisor.  A lifelong Winchester resident, Larry worked at WINC Q102 before becoming his own boss.  Besides being an avid golfer, he likes to play pickleball, ski, read, travel, and spend time with family & friends.  He has been the president (twice!) of WCC and also a member of the local Kiwanis Club.  Larry’s volunteer focus is on helping disadvantaged families with children with affordable housing and workforce development. His skill set includes business, media, finance and voice acting.  Larry seems like a perfect fit for our Club!  Thanks to Dave Miles and Darcus Breneman for getting Larry into the Club.

OUR NEXT FROTHY FRIDAY IS APRIL 26th
Frothy Friday will be meeting at a special place this
month! Since the Bloomin’ Wine Fest on the Old Town Mall is being held the same day, let’s all meet at EL CENTRO and enjoy the festive atmosphere from 5:30-7pm. Come earlier if you want to help us save seats. Let’s get our Bloom on! Hope to see you there!

Our Club’s latest Road Trip was to Vintage in the Valley in Strasburg on Saturday, April 6th. What a great way to spend a Saturday in Spring! The Box Office Brewery provided a fun lunch spot to start the day full of festivities, crafts and shows. Where will we go next? If you have an idea for another Road Trip, please email Jenny at jennybrockwellbaker@gmail.com