UPTOWN CIVITAN CLUB, July 2022

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA Volume 39, No. 10

UPTOWN UPDATE
Inside
This Issue Connecting with Maureen …Maureen Baiocco

“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities

Connecting with Maureen 1 that define us a human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to great-
Program 2 ness.” R.J. Palacio, Wonders

Membership Recruitment 3
Dear Uptown Sisters, Happy Independence Day!
This month we are engaging in preparations for our long-awaited Flag-
Personally Speaking 4 ship 2022, on Sunday, August 7, benefiting DESC, and setting the stage
for our upcoming 2022-2023 Leadership Team. Exciting times!! I encour-
CI Convention 5 age you to sell tickets, recruit sponsors, contribute a silent auction item
or basket, or solicit an organization to donate one. For example, I reached
Flagship 2022 6 out to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and they have donated a
one-year Family Membership. I am creating an Art basket with their won-
Junior Civitan 7 derful donation included. Let’s demonstrate our compassion to those in
need!
Uptown Activities / 8 Ladies, keep in mind, we have only one meeting on July 26th, due to
Blast from the Past the Civitan International Convention in San Antonio, TX. We look for-
ward to welcoming our guest speaker, Amanda Mehan, from Operation
Birthdays / Greeters / 9
New Hope.
Pine Castle
Hats off to Joyce DeVillez and Barbara Drake for hosting a wonder-
10
ful and welcoming New Membership Recruitment in their beautiful
home!! It was well-attended, convivial and a real success!! I am so
Officers 2021-2022 happy to sponsor new member, Cheri Parks to our Uptown Club! Hopefully
more to come! Continue to invite your friends and acquaintances to our
President Maureen Baiocco
meetings!!
President-elect Kimberly Reed
Heartfelt thanks to those who volunteered to be Greeters at our last
VP Membership Sharon Rosenblum
meeting! I appreciate you.
Secretary Dr. Judy Harrison
Treasurer Mattie Fraser, LST We’re on the home stretch,
Chaplain Tamer Britton my dear hearts! Let’s do this
Sgt.-at-Arms Stacy Santiago fabulous Uptowners!!
Education Jean Smith “ You are so much sunshine
Imm. Past President in every square inch.”
Ellen Rubens Walt Whitman
Directors
Susan Connors
Sherry Dotson
Sandy Myers Susan Hamilton, Cheri Parks,
Maureen
Ruth O’Leary
Nancy Reynolds
Jessica Waugaman
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 2

PROGRAM … Kimberly Reed

Challenging Small Businesses to GROW … On June 14 we had the pleasure of hosting Jackie
Perrault, director of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC), a nonprofit organization
operating under the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. A UNF graduate, Jackie was instru-
mental in starting Mentoring Monday, a networking event for women to meet with local profes-
sionals. The JWBC has been in Jacksonville for 18
years and is one of only 4 Women Business Centers
located in the state. It assists small business owners
in getting funding and provides an innovative space
for them to tell their story. JWBC is the only organiza-
tion in our area to offer the Athena Program which
focuses on eight principles - live authentically, learn
constantly, advocate fiercely, act courageously, foster
collaboration, build relationships, give back, and cele-
brate. They also offer an entrepreneur certificate pro-
gram that contains 5 modules to complete: venture
leadership, customer development, financial matters,
marketing matters, and legal matters. During the
pandemic JWBC was able to move many of their pro-
grams to a virtual platform but they are back in-
person now. To learn more about the programs they
offer, visit www.jaxwbc.com.
Ruth O ‘Leary thanks Jackie

Lend an Ear - You Cannot Close Your Ears … On June 28, Scott Hetzinger, Dr. Sharpe, and Dr.
Miller shared with us the wear on our ears since you cannot close your ears or select when you
will not listen to something; your hearing is always on. Lend
an Ear started in 2012 when a woman was having challeng-
es hearing and had to purchase a hearing aid on credit be-
cause she could not afford the expense. Lend an Ear almost
dissolved in 2016 prior to Scott Hetzinger being appointed
to lead the organization and continue to provide hearing
assistance to those who could not afford the expense of a
hearing aid. Hearing loss can occur for many reasons: age,
heredity, chronic ear infections, medical conditions, noise
exposure, and side effects of medicine. We learned that 37.5
million Americans have some hearing loss. On average,
people wait 10 years prior to seeking medical assistance
due to denial, cost, vanity, or not knowing they have hear-
ing loss. There are many emotional and physiological effects
associated with hearing loss: avoidance of normal activities,
reduction in interaction with family and friends, irritability,
fatigue, tension, stress, and increased sadness, depression,
and anxiety. They encouraged us all to continue to monitor
our own hearing and to share the word with anyone we may
know in need and refer them to Lend an Ear.

Mattie Fraser thanks our speakers, Dr. Miller, Scott, and Dr. Sharpe
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 3

MEMBERSHIP … Sharon Rosenblum

RECRUITMENT SOCIAL AT THE TOWER THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
Attending this Recruitment Social at the beautiful home of Barbara Drake and Joyce DeV-
illez, were: Barbara Drake, Joyce DeVillez, Sharon Rosenblum, Maureen Baiocco, Ina
Taffet, Linda Weinstein, Susan Connors, Sherri Stratton, Barbara Fiser, Nancy Reyn-
olds, Pat Vail, Lana Suggs-Champion, and Nancy Darlow. Each member introduced their
guest, and told about why she is a member, and what she likes about our club. Jan Miller’s
scrapbook was on display. Hopefully, these five guests will decide to join our wonderful Up-
town Civitan’s. If you have a prospective member that could not come Thursday night, feel
free to bring her to a meeting. We would love to meet her.
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 4

PERSONALLY SPEAKING …
Susan Connors reports … “My big personal news is about my beloved brother, Boz
Tabler. He was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in 2009, which was treated with
b-i-g abdominal surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapies. Surviving that, he
went on to lose 50 pounds, due to repeated abdominal infections. Needing a liver
transplant, he was referred to Cleveland Clinic, since the
transplant team in Louisville, didn’t think they could give
him a good result.
Five years ago, the transplant was performed. He just cele-
brated his 73rd birthday yesterday, and is finally thriving. He
plays pickleball, and will soon return to his first love, tennis.
He and his wife are spending more and more time at their
home in Nocatee, much to my delight. We are all so very
thankful for the prayers and intercessions of many, many
people.”

An Open Letter from Laura Crooks …

Dear Uptown Sisters,
My heart is full of gratitude for the notes, cards to Jim and me, phone calls and
support during Jim's open-heart surgery and the complications that followed. It
was the scariest time in my life, but I never felt alone! Having so many special
Uptowners rooting for him (and me) was very reassuring.
You all are truly an unsurpassable group of women in so
many ways! I appreciate being a part of this awesome organi-
zation that not only makes good things happen for each other
but for the Jacksonville community as well! AND …you do it
with thoughtfulness, thoroughness and love.
Jim is doing well. We look to the future with hope and joy as
we celebrate our 64th wedding anniversary on July 5th!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Laura Crooks
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 5

CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

The Civitan International Convention was
held in San Antonio Texas, July 4-7, 2022.
Ten members of Uptown participated, two
in person, Lana Suggs Champion and
Wynester Sherrer, and eight attended vir-
tually: Maureen Baiocco, Kimberly Reed,
Mattie Fraser, Judy Harrison, Nancy
Reynolds, Mary Jo Marjenhoff, Ellen
Rubens, Jean Smith.
Dee Hutsler was elected President-Elect for
2022-23; the CI BOD proposed bylaws
failed; two of four Arab proposed bylaws
passed.
Uptown was the winner of 1st Place Outstanding Youth Project for our project, Pace gradua-
tion, and Honorable Mention for the Shropshire Outstanding Club in all of Civitan (YAY!!).
Look for more information in the Florida District Sunbeam to be issued in the next week.
Lana interviewed Dr. Powell, CIRC during the Philanthropy
Session

Wynester
and Lana staying
cool.

Walk and Roll

walkers … Wynes-
ter Sherrer, Kim
Kelley, PIP Frank
Kelley, Lori Clapp
and Penny Bona-
witz from Tampa
Metro Civitan Club
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 6

FLAGSHIP 2022 … Nancy Chamblin

FLAGSHIP FACTS
Date: Sunday August 7, 1:30 -5;30
Place: Top Golf, 10531 Brightman Rd
TICKETS: $80 for adults, $40 children under 12
Sponsorships available at $500, $1,000, $2,500,
$5,000 & $10,000 levels

Do you remember Tee Up for NFSSE in August of 2019? We sold over 150 tickets
and more at the door. We sold $3,500.00 in sponsorships. We presented a check for
$32,239.00 to NFSSE. The silent auction raised over $6,000.00 for our other chari-
ties, a record high!. Do you remember how much fun it was?

Some things have changed since 2019. We are not asking each member to sell 5
tickets. The menu has been improved. There are no paper tickets. Tickets can be
purchased on line.

Many things are the same. Top Golf did not raise the event cost. Adult tickets are
still $80, children under 12 are still $40. The member who sells the most tickets will
pay no dues for a quarter. The proceeds will go to an incredibly worthy charity.

But as I write this, Tee Up for DESC is fewer than 25 days away - not even a full
month. We are embarrassingly lacking in ticket sales, sponsorships and silent auc-
tion items. We have one more meeting before our First Annual Post COVID Flagship
event.

So, at the next meeting, Sandy will arrive early and stay late to help you purchase
tickets on line. Nancy will arrive early and stay late to help you purchase tickets the
old-fashioned way.

We'll call potential sponsors if you give us names. We'll come to your house to pick
up your items for the silent auction. We'll bake you cookies. We'll beg if necessary.

Email to tell us how we can help you. We need you, our Unsurpassable Uptown
sisters!!

sandyinjax@comcast.net

nancham@comcast.net
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 7

JUNIOR CIVITAN … Stacy and Lana

NFSSE … Stacy Santiago …
Students are enjoying summer vacation and a few of them have found
summer jobs or volunteering opportunities in the community! Several
Junior Civitans have attended NFSSE’s summer camp this year as well.
Summers are full and exciting for campers of all abilities at NFSSE!
Children and young adults can participate in our summer camp pro-
gram or therapeutic riding lessons. All camps are offered in weekly ses-
sions from June 6 – July 22, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. with morning care begin-
ning at 7:30 am and extended day until 6 p.m. Campers can register for
a Specialty Camp or Activities Camp that includes art, music, PE, culi-
nary, and academics with breaks and lunch built into the schedule.
Specialty Camps include: Horse Camp, Adventure Camp, My Fair Lady
Camp, Barista Camp, Adventure Camp, and Vocational Rehabilitation
Camp. In addition, we will be hosting iCan Bike Camp for the second
summer and our families are so excited for their students to learn how
to ride a two wheel bicycle! Learn more about iCan Bike HERE: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXbyaBSSTxU

Sandalwood … Lana Suggs-Champion …

The Sandalwood Juniors are on summer break.

Junior Civitan International … Lana Suggs-Champion

The Junior Civitans held their virtual International Convention on Sat-
urday, June 25, 2022, 1-3p.m. There were about 56 participants with
Brittney Wagner as our keynote speaker. She was a motivational
speaker who referred to her book “10,000 Pencils” and gave exerts on
how to be successful. She stated that in every situation you have to
show up and participate. In referring to the “Pencil”, she said the pencil
has no value if you don’t pick it up and use it. We had break-out ses-
sions, games were played, the winners of competitive awards and
achievement awards were announced and lastly the new 2022-2023
president for Junior international is Arianna Womack.
 Volume 39, No. 10 Page 8

UPTOWN ACTIVITIES … KEEP THE DATES!!!

Ongoing Fundraising Candy/Coin Boxes, Dr. Judy Harrison
Ongoing Volunteer Clara White Mission
(Sharon Rosenblum)/Sherry Dotson)
Ongoing 2nd/4th Thurs. noon Volunteer Pine Castle Civitan Club
(Elaine Hall, Nancy Darlow, Ellen Rubens)
Ongoing Volunteer Baby Caps and Scarves (Linda Weinstein)
Ongoing Volunteer Ronald McDonald House,
(Ina Taffet/Sharon Rosenblum)
Ongoing Fundraising Sandy Myers
Annual Flagship Nancy Chamblin/Sandy Jones
Ongoing Social Nan Flood/Sherri Stratton
2022
Aug. 7 Flagship 2022 Fundraising Sandy Jones/Nancy Chamblin
Sept. 18 Ronald McDonald Volunteer Lesley Wolfson/Barbara Fiser

A social for the Duval Extension Canning Center is in the planning stage. Ruth O’Leary will be one of the
speakers. Let Nan and Sherri know of your interest.

If you have volunteer, social, or fundraising activities you would like to have added to this
calendar, please e-mail me. mandsfraser@yahoo.com

A BLAST FROM THE PAST ...

Can you identify these two ladies? They have been active Uptowners for many years.
Uptown Civitan Club, WELCOME
Jacksonville, Florida Guests … Cheri Parks, Betsy Sander. Rusty Stone,
Uptown Civitan Club New members Cheri Parks
P. O. Box 10266
Jacksonville, FL 32247 WHAT’S COMING
Membership: 84 Also see Uptown Activities Calendar,
July 13 Board Meeting, Noon, Zoom (change)
July 26 Staci Ellison, DBW Policy Center
Aug. 3 Board Meeting, Noon, Zoom
Aug. 9 Amanda Mahan, Operation New Hope
Visit www.floridacivitan.org Aug 23 Staci Ellison, DBW Policy Center
Visit www.floridacivitan.org
Uptowncivitanjacksonville.org
GREETERS FOR MEETINGS
HAPPY JULY July 26 Susan Connors, Linda Weinstein
BIRTHDAYS Aug. 9 Barbara Crass, Barbara Fiser
Aug. 23 Sherri Stratton …. Need one more
4 Jan Miller
6 Diana Fanning Editor: Mattie Fraser, mandsfraser@yahoo.com
11 Dr. Judy Harrison
13 Linda Hull
17 Linda Dacks Whatever the mind of
24 Carol Campbell
24 Lindy Prudencio (wo)man can conceive
28
30
Ina Taffet
Ann Mackey
and believe,
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
it can achieve.
If it’s your birthday and your Napoleon Hill
name is not here, let me know.

PINE CASTLE CIVITAN CLUB … Elaine Hall

Pine Castle Civitan Club celebrated its 33rd anniversary with the program led by Uptowners
and Pine Castle Club Builders Mattie Fraser and Mary Jo Marjenhoff. Special guests Jon
May, former Pine Castle CEO when the club was chartered and current CEO Lori Ann Whit-
tington were also present. They joined the ten Pine Castle members and Uptown members
Ina Taffet, Maureen Baiocco, Diana Flagg and Elaine Hall who participated in the event.
Mattie started the program with a brief history of the Pine Castle Civitan Club and shared
many memories from the past. Mary Jo initiated our newest member, Shawn S. The mem-
bers then shared what they liked about their Civitan Club and the activities they enjoy par-
ticipating in.

Pine Castle Birthdays