THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2009-08 as of August 1, 2009
Hello Hornets:
Here are some items that might be of interest:
1. PTA/PTO SCHEDULES LATEST EVENT. The School's very active PTA/PTO has scheduled its latest
event to be held on August 12 at 6:30. The event will combine a "chit and chat" session in a meeting
room, followed by a concert by R&B band Sugar Bear & Friends, followed by a showing of the movie
"Cooley High" on an outdoor screen. (The event is co-hosted by WPGC.) The event will be held at the
Stephen Decatur Community Center at 8200 Pinewood Drive in Clinton. There will be free refreshments,
games and a moon bounce for the youngsters. Attendees are encouraged to bring their entire families,
and their lawn chairs.
2. YEARBOOKS AVAILABLE. The Foundation has a limited supply of yearbooks from 2003 through
2006. If you'd like one of these yearbooks (which are available for $15 including shipping and handling),
please send me an email to hsmith@smithdowney.com
3. SURRATTSVILLE WELCOMES NEW PRINCIPAL. Surrattsville has a new Principal, Kristi Holden, who
already is busy preparing for the start of the new school year. The Foundation is delighted to welcome
Principal Holden to the Surrattsville community, and we extend our very best wishes for a rewarding and
enjoyable tenure at the School!
4. DONATIONS TO FOUNDATION MADE EASIER. The Foundation now has a "button" on the home
page of the Foundation's web site (www.surrattsville.org) that makes it easier for our very generous donors
to contribute to the Foundation using a credit card or paypal. (Of course, the Foundation is still happy to
accept donations in the form of mailed paper checks!)
A special request to our on-line donors: please include your graduation year/faculty years/etc. in your
on-line donation form.
5. SEEKING LOST HORNET. John Shultz (80) is trying to help an Eastern Shore neighbor, and former
Surratts Junior High student, who he recently met find her old pal, Pam Cooksey (79). Please email John
at plateump121@comcast.net or send him a message through Facebook if you have any information
about Pam.
6. REPORT ON VISIT TO COACH SAM COOKE. We received this great email from Don (61) and Jim
(62) Byroads:
"Hi Henry: Would you please include this in your next Surratts e-Notice. We heard a rumor that our
Surrattsville coach, Mr. Sam Cooke, was living at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, in Charlotte Hall,
Maryland. So, on July 13th, we went there to check it out. We went to the information desk and asked if
they had a resident by the name of Sam Cooke. To our surprise, the young lady at the desk quickly
replied "We sure do and he will be happy to see you." We were issued a name tag and quickly proceeded
to his room. We found out that Sam has lived at the veterans home for ten years and suffers with MS. He
is paralyzed from his neck down; however, that hasn't affected his sense of humor, wit or keenness of
mind. He was such a joy to visit with. He offered a lot of information regarding Surratts, including the fact
that his Aunt Fanny Tayman taught at Surrattsville in 1898, his mother taught at Richie Elementary School
in Upper Marlboro and, as we knew, his brother Donald Cooke taught shop and drivers ed at Surratts. I
told him about the Surratts e-Notices and asked him if he would like me to notify the Surratts community of
his location. He said he would love for people to get in touch with him. Sam's condition continues to
worsen and his prognosis is not good, so please try to drop by the veterans home and say hi to Sam. It
will make you feel as good as it makes him feel! Many thanks, Don Byroads (61) and Jim Byroads (62)
p.s. His contact information is: Mr. Sam Cooke, c/o Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Room B-128, 29449
Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, MD. 20622. Phone 301-884-8171 ext 265, and if no answer ext 250."
7. 2010 ALL CLASSES/FACULTY/STAFF EVENTS. Please don't forget to mark you calendars for the
Foundation's third "All Classes/Faculty/Staff" events to be held over the long weekend of Friday June 25 -
Sunday June 27, 2010. The schedule of events, which is similar to the schedule of the events for the great
2000 and 2005 events, is as follows:
-Friday June 25, 2010 - Golf Outing.
-Friday June 25, 2010, 7 P.M. - 11 P.M. - Surrattstock III.
-Saturday June 26, 2010, 10 A.M - 4 P.M. - All Classes/Faculty/Staff Picnic and School Open House.
-Saturday June 26, Evening - Saturday evening will be set aside for Class-specific events.
-Sunday June 27 - Sunday will be set aside for Class-specific picnics and other informal gatherings.
8. JUNE 26 AND 27, 2010 CLASS-SPECIFIC EVENTS. Please note that many Classes are planning
Class-specific events for the evening of Saturday June 26, 2010, and some for Sunday June 27, 2010.
Please check in with your Class's "Official Reunion Contact" to make sure he or she has your current
contact information and to get an update on any plans your Class has for the big reunion weekend. (ORC
contact information can be found on the "Classes" page on the web site at www.surrattsville.org.)
9. UPDATE ON FOUNDATION PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK. There are now approximately 750 members
of the "Surrattsville Alumni" Group on Facebook.
Please consider joining this Group on Facebook -- it's free -- because we will be posting information about
upcoming Foundation events there.
In addition, please consider joining your Class's Class-specific Group on Facebook, many of them titled
simply "Surrattsville [Year]" (for example, "Surrattsville 1970," "Surrattsville 1971," etc.), as a way to keep
connected with classmates and news on upcoming Class-specific events like those to be held on Saturday
June 26, 2010 and Sunday June 27, 2010.
10. CLASSES OF 83 AND 84 REUNION. The Classes of 83 and 84 will be having a joint reunion in
August 2009. On August 7th, there will be golf with tee times starting at 10:00 a.m. at Blue Mash Golf
Course in Laytonsville, MD. On August 8th, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., there will be a Social at the
Marriott Inn and Conference Center at UMUC in Adelphi, MD. On August 9th, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.,
there will be a picnic at Greenbelt National Park in Greenbelt, MD.
The Classes are in search of any teachers or faculty from the years 81 - 84 interested in attending. Also,
they'd like to locate any classmates that still may be missing. Faculty can contact Gary Stallings at
gstallings@yahoo.com. Class of 83 classmates can contact Becky DelVillar Levin at
dbrlevin@comcast.net. Class of 84 classmates can contact Debbie O'Clair MacKenzie at
debbiemackenzie45@ayhoo.com.
11. IMPORTANT UPDATE ON CLASSES OF 69-74 JOINT REUNION. The Classes of 69-74 are holding
a multi-Class dinner dance event, at the Ft. Belvoir Officer's Club, on the Saturday evening of the All
Classes/Faculty/Staff events (June 26, 2010). A number of Classes of 69-74 members have already
purchased their tickets.
Because of various space limitations at the Club, tickets are limited and the names of those attending must
be registered with Fort security. If you'd like to attend, please send your ticket order form and ticket
purchase price to Leslie St. Clair (70) at lesliestclair@yahoo.com ASAP.
(Note that, because of the space and security issues, the reunion committee is not permitted to "hold"
tickets for those who may or may not decide to purchase them.)
12. POSSIBLE 80/81 REUNION. The Classes of 80 and 81 are planning a possible reunion for June
2010. They need a contact person for the Class of 80. Please contact Teresa Blandford Pepper at
teresa@dlpinc.net to provide contact info.
13. CLASS OF 89 PLANS REUNION. The Class of 89 is planning a reunion. Please contact Debbie
Owen Pell at dpell@comcast.net for information or if you have any contact information for 89 grads or
members of their families.
14. SURRATTS COOKBOOK. As previously reported, Leslie St. Clair (70) and Diane "Cookie" Boyd (71)
are putting together a Cookbook of Hornets' Favorite Recipes. They're hoping that a number of you will
submit recipes, and they'll break them down by category and have them bound and offer them for sale at
the 2010 All Classes/Faculty/Staff events. All proceeds will go to the Foundation. If you have a recipe
you'd like to share, please send it to Leslie and Cookie at surrattscookbook@yahoo.com.
I hope this e-Notice finds you well and getting ready to enjoy a lazy and relaxing August!
All the best, Henry Smith (71)
In Memoriam
ROLAND VOIGT (48) died on June 12 at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home after suffering a stroke. Roland
moved to Clinton at age 14, served in the Air Force for 20 years, and returned to the Clinton area in 1970.
He was married for 54 years to Shirley Wentworth from Manchester, NH. They have five children, nine
grandchildren, and three great grandsons.
FRED GOSS (70) died of kidney failure on July 11 in Los Angeles. Fred, who was valedictorian of the
Class of 70, had juvenile diabetes since age 13, and it took a huge toll on his body. Fred's family and
friends knew that, throughout his life, he suffered many physical and health issues and yet never
complained. In his last days he remained brave, sharp and funny and gave all a lesson on how to die with
bravery and dignity. Any classmates who would like to contact Fred's sister, Jaquie Goss Leach (65) may
do so at jleach99@comcast.net.