Jaycees Install 2010 Officers

For Immediate Release

Jaycees Install 2010 Officers

GERMANTON, Maryland, January 11 – The Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees installed their 2010 Board of Directors on January 9 during their annual Officer Installation Banquet. The incoming board of directors took the oath of office as administered by 2009 President Jason Silverberg of Gaithersburg. Silverberg in turn was sworn in as the 2009 Chairman of the Board by the Maryland Jaycees State President, Melissa Unger of Derwood.

The chapter's 2010 officers are:

• Community Development Vice-President: Kara Farrell, of Germantown.
• Individual Development Vice-President: Valerie Lefor, of Gaithersburg.
• State Director: Vicente Lopez, of Silver Spring.
• Treasurer: Dean Lefor, of Gaithersburg.
• Secretary: Valerie Palmer, of Montgomery Village.
• Chairman of the Board: Jason Silverberg, of Gaithersburg.

During the banquet, the organization also presented its 2009 year-end awards. The awards presented were:

• Rookie of the Year: Valerie Lefor, of Gaithersburg.
• Jaycee of the Year: Philip Pezzano, of Montgomery Village.
• Associate Jaycee of the Year: Blair Learn, of Germantown.
• Board Member of the Year: Katie Skinker, of Germantown.
• Management Project of the Year: Germantown Oktoberfest Souvenir Booth, chaired by Valerie Lefor, of Gaithersburg.
• Community Project of the Year: Seneca Valley After Prom, co-chaired by Lydia Stockton and Meghan Ryan, of Germantown.
• Membership Project of the Year: Membership Bonfire, chaired by Andrew Field, of Rockville.
• Individual Development Project of the Year: Self-defense seminar, chaired by Kara Farrell, of Germantown.
• Project of the Year: Paint-a-Pumpkin, chaired by Kara Farrell and Stephanie Rago, of Germantown.
• Helping Hands of 2009: Jeff Snyder of Damascus; Angela Jandrew of Gaithersburg; Melissa Unger of Derwood; and Lindsay Silverberg of Gaithersburg.

Established in the 1950s, the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees are the Montgomery County chapter of the Maryland Jaycees, the United States Junior Chamber, and Junior Chamber International. Offering a unique combination of Leadership Training through Community Service, the Jaycees organization gives young people the opportunity to develop skills they can use elsewhere in life. Additional information about the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees is available at www.ggjaycees.org or by calling 301-230-4930.

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Photos

2009 Rookie of the Year - presented to Valerie Lefor

2009 Board Member of the Year - presented to Membership Vice President Katie Skinker

2009 Management Project of the Year - Germantown Oktoberfest Souvenir Booth - presented to Valerie Lefor

2009 Membership Project of the year - Bonfire - presented to Andrew Field

2009 Individual Development project of the year - Self-defense seminar - presented to Kara Farrell

2009 Project of the Year - Paint-a-Pumpkin - presented to Steph Rago and Kara Farrell

Helping Hands award - Jeff Snyder

Helping Hands award - Angela Jandrew

Helping Hands award - Melissa Unger

Helping Hands award - Lindsay Silverberg

Presidential Award presented to Jason Silverberg

Your 2010 Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees Board of Directors

(left to right) Individual Development Vice President, Valerie Lefor; Chairman of the Board, Jason Silverberg; Community Development Vice President, Kara Farrell; State Director, Vicente Lopez; Secretary, Valerie Palmer; Treasurer, Dean Lefor

Number 70

This afternoon at approximately 4:30pm, G&G member Melissa Unger was elected to the office of the 70th President of the Maryland Jaycees.

Reflecting on Octoberfest

Months of planning came to fruition on October 3 with the Germantown Oktoberfest and again eight days later for the Kentlands Oktoberfest. Events were chaired by two teams: Katie Skinker, Angela Jandrew and Melissa Unger co-chaired the Beer Tent at the Germantown Oktoberfest while Kara Farrell and Stephanie Rago co-chaired the Paint-a-Pumpkin booths at both festivals.

Germantown Oktoberfest

Courtney Marburger and Valerie Palmer started off the day by inventing the Paint-a-Pumpkin dance.

Doug Secor and Phil Pezzano take a turn at pouring in the beer tent.

By mid-afternoon, we had a sea of colorfully decorated pumpkins.

The beer tent, with the full moon overhead.

The Germantown Oktoberfest always ends with fireworks.

Kentlands Oktoberfest

A sea of unpainted pumpkins at the Kentlands Oktoberfest.

A few hours later, many of the pumpkins were painted. Over the course of 5 hours, 237 pumpkins had been painted. That's the most we've ever sold at the Kentlands event.

After painting your pumpkin, you can leave it to dry. We put a numbered flag on each pumpkin and give you a clothespin with the number on it. To keep the clothespin from getting lost, you can attach it to a shirt sleeve, pocket, or as Katie Skinker demonstrates, even an ear.

Germantown Oktoberfest Coverage

The first news story about this year's Germantown Oktoberfest was published last Wednesday. Along with coverage about the activities planned for the festival - including a "Hans and Heidi" costume contest, a Futsal tournament, and, of course, fireworks - the article also included several quotes from G&G Member Katie Skinker (Katie is one of the chapter's representatives on the Oktoberfest Committee). Katie spoke to the reporter about the plans for the beer tent, including plans for a portion of the proceeds to be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The festival took place on Saturday, Oktober 3rd (photos to follow in a later post) and the first "day of the event" article from the Gazette appeared online today. Both the beer tent and Paint-a-Pumpkin booth were mentioned (I think I remember seeing the red, white and blue pumpkin the reporter mentioned) and the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees were mentioned by name. Also appearing in that article were several quotes from Sarah Knetzer who also mentioned our plans to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

(Speaking of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: There is still time to support G&G's team, The Tumorators, in the society's Light the Night walk.)

Replacing Myself.

When 2007 Community Development VP Nicole Loiselle asked me to chair the AfterProm, I agreed, contingent on one condition: Nicole had to find a co-chair. Specifically, somebody who'd been in the chapter for less than two years.

That way the knowledge and experience would go to someone who wouldn't be aging out right away and they could train the following year's project chair, who would train the next one, and so on. Kate Lindon agreed to co-chair and the project was a success.

My plan for Kate to train her successor was a bit less successful -- she and her husband moved to Pennsylvania so he could attend seminary. I tried to convince Kate to come back for the 2008 AfterProm, but no luck.

In 2008 Claire van Beek, the new Community Development VP, found out that I had experience with the project and asked if I'd chair it again. I gave her the same answer I'd given Nicole, find a co-chair and I'll work with them. A short time later, Kara Farrell agreed to chair the project and we provided food and beverages to the best attended AfterProm party yet.

Kara didn't get the opportunity to mentor this year's AfterProm co-chair. Instead, Lydia Stockton and Meghan Ryan were the veteran-rookie team-up behind a successful 2009 After Prom.

But a funny thing happened. With the confidence of her previous success chairing the AfterProm, Kara decided to chair the Paint-A-Pumpkin booths at last year's Germantown Oktoberfest. I answered some questions and helped out with ideas here and there, but it was definitely Kara's project.

The 2009 Oktoberfest takes place this weekend. The Paint-A-Pumpkin booth is being chaired by Stephanie Rago. Kara's been working with her for the past several months.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Something Fishy

"Remember when you were a kid and you'd go to a parade and ask your parents to get you a balloon?" That was the question Phil Pezzano asked right before Gaithersburg's Labor Day parade.

Phil must have done a pretty good job of asking...check out the balloon!

So what kind of fish is it? Well, according to the official program, it's a green fish. According to the rest of the baloon crew, it's a purple fish, though I'll go as far as to say that the fins are a sort of greenish shade of yellow. There's strong evidence that it's some variety of flying fish, or perhaps a kissing gourami.

Other parade memories:

• Endless fish puns ("I'm having trouble herring you!")
• Ducking under utility lines while shouting "Dive, dive, dive!" or "Reel it in!"
• Our new vocabulary word: Caddywhompus, adjective meaning broken, crazy, or messed up. (This word brought to you by Katiewhompus.)
• Speculating whether the parade's commemorative coins were made of plastic, aluminum, or chocolate.
• Nicole losing track of her kazoo and Katie losing track of her pet rat.

After the parade we adjourned to the Silver Diner for a late lunch before heading our separate ways around 4:00. It was a long day, but it was fun.

And, of course, your friendly neighborhood G&G Labor Day Parade Crew!

Top: Stephanie Rago (project chair), Phil Pezzano, Katie Skinker. Bottom: Don Barksdale, Nicole Loiselle, Blair Learn.

Photos in the paper

The Gazette "People and Places" column included a photo from the Bike Rodeo in this week's Gaithersburg and Germantown editions. I haven't been able to find the photos in the Gazette's online version, but having taken the photos, I may have the originals. :-)

Below, is the photo (with caption) which appeared in the Gazette, followed by two others which were also submitted.

Elizabeth Stockon, age 6 (left), helps her brother Alex, age 4, with his bicycle helmet during the Bicycle Rodeo organized by the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees at Black Hills Regional Park on August 29.

Monty Crown (left) of the Safe Kids Coalition adjusts the height of the seat for 6-year old Connor Castro during the Bicycle Rodeo organized by the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees at Black Hills Regional Park on August 29.

Hari Ramanathan of Germantown rides his bicycle through the slalom course during the Bicycle Rodeo organized by the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees at Black Hills Regional Park on August 29.

And, of course, your friendly neighborhood G&G Bicycle Rodeo Crew!

Front: Lydia Stockton (project chair); Back (left to right): Curt Wojnar, Claire van Beek, Sarah Knetzer, Katie Skinker, Courtney Marburger, Stephanie Rago