Youth Programs

Derwood Bousum smiled as he opened the door of his newly acquired 2005 Pontiac G6. "My old car just sprung a leak in the radiator, so this is perfect timing," he said. But Bousum wouldn't be driving his car off the parking lot of a local dealership. He would be driving it out of the Grand Ballroom of the Four Points Sheraton on Dual Highway. The Hagerstown resident was one of almost 400 persons who attended Saturday night's annual YMCA charity gala. Each person who purchased a ticket was eligible to win the car. Through a process of elimination, the evening came down to three finalists.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - New Riders of the Purple Sage will present a fundraising concert for the Youth Skateboard Park fund and Morgan Arts Council youth programs Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Castle. Tickets cost $20 in advance and include transportation to the castle. Purchase tickets at The Red Guitar, U.S. 522, or call 304-258-3809.

Men and women dressed in their gala best checked out the 2012 denim blue Volkswagen Beetle parked at the front of the ballroom. More than 350 Hagerstown YMCA supporters had gathered Saturday night for the organization's gala fundraiser at Hager Hall, where the cheeky car was the grand prize. Ann Marie Downey of Williamsport stood out among one group of Beetle browsers. The light blue of her floral jacket matched perfectly the hue of the VW. “People were commenting on that.

The 22nd annual Hagerstown YMCA Gala Fundraiser will be Saturday at the Four Points Sheraton. Tickets for the Diamonds and Ice Gala are on sale and can be purchased from any member of the YMCA board of directors or at the Y's front desk. The cost is $300 per ticket, which entitles a couple to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from 6 to 7 p.m., dinner for two, one of 200 chances for the grand prize drawing of a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta and dancing to the sounds of D.V.K. Entertainment. Prizes from local businesses and restaurants throughout the community will be given away, as well as other drawings and door prizes.

Hagerstown's Women for Obama and friends gathered around a life-size cutout of President Barack Obama at Memorial Recreation Center's annual fundraiser dance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on West North Avenue in Hagerstown. This year's theme for the dance was "Living the Dream," which combined a celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Inauguration of President Obama. Proceeds from the dance will go to support the youth programs at Memorial Recreation Center.

Ravens Nest Tom Davis, Baltimore TV and sports announcer, will be the guest speaker at the Tri-State Ravens Nest No. 12 meeting Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at Burhans Station. The club meets the second Thursday of each month. Guests and new members are welcome. For more information, call Gary Shindledecker at 301-790-0717 or Mike Vaughn at 717-597-9740. Spaghetti dinner The Salvation Army youth programs will host a spaghetti dinner Tuesday, March 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the dining hall at 541 George St. in Hagerstown.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. - The administrative face at the Waynesboro YMCA is changing with new duties for the director, the hiring of an associate director and three new program directors. The changes are part of a long-range planning effort to expand programs at its main facility in Waynesboro and to develop a satellite program in Greencastle, Pa., said Alan Smith, recently appointed associate executive director. The changes affect personnel from the top down, beginning with Dick Marks, executive director of the YMCA since 1975.

Daniel Pelz had a runny nose Saturday. So did dozens of other people milling about the parish center at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church. The culprit was not the common cold, or even the chilly weather. It was chili. Pelz, retired innkeeper and chef at The Inn at Buckeystown, judged the Great Chili Cook-Off from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. to raise awareness of youth programs at St. Ann. Pelz, 72, of Buckeystown, Md., said the chilis he tasted were not overly bitey.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com MARLOWE, W.Va. - The Royal Rangers and the Missionettes, Bible-based youth groups fashioned somewhat after Scouting, got a financial boost Saturday at the Marlowe Assembly of God's first Summer Family Fun Festival. The youth programs - one for boys and one for girls - are ministries for children who belong to the church and for those who don't, said Wendy Chapman, group leader for the Missionettes. Many of the members are at-risk youths, said David Hite, 26, senior commander of the local Rangers unit.

Civil Air Patrol does more than search and rescue To the editor: Are you familiar with the local Civil Air Patrol in Washington County? Well, you should be. This program is one of the best youth programs in the area. I know this firsthand, because my son benefited greatly from his participation in this program, which encouraged him to make the military his career.  The first thing you notice about cadets is their manners. “Yes, ma'm” and “Yes, sir” are a constant.

After spending the summer working through a youth program at Battery One Inc. on Virginia Avenue in Hagerstown, Rodney Tennant was offered a part-time job there. “I wanted to do something with lifting a lot of weights,” said Tennant, of Hagerstown. “I've liked working here.” Tennant, 18, began working at Battery One Inc. through the Western Maryland Consortium Summer Youth Program, which provides work opportunities for financially disadvantaged youths ages 14 to 21. A spring graduate of North Hagerstown High School, Tennant works two part-time jobs, sometimes logging up to 70 hours a week between the two. He accepted the part-time job offer at Battery One, which sells services and installs batteries for a variety of items, from cars to cellphones.

Youth Services America has partnered with the Festival of Children Foundation to offer the National Child Awareness Month Ambassadors Program. If you know an exceptional teen or young adult between the ages of 16 and 22 who dreams of making an impact in Washington County but needs the training, support and resources to make his/her dream a reality, consider nominating him/her for the youth ambassador program before July 22. One ambassador will...

Tuesday's program will be about Massey H. Roe Youth Foundation scholarships. All members should be present, if  possible, to greet and honor these recipients from area high schools. Vacation Bible school to start June 24 Operation Overboard vacation Bible school will be held at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 802 Summit Ave., from 6 to 8:30 p.m. from June 24 to 28. There will be classes for those ages 4 to adult. Activities include Bible stories, games, crafts and music.

On the Wings of Dreams SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - On the Wings of Dreams, at 139 W. German St. in Shepherdstown, recently donated $220 to the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. This is the fifth year owner Laura Rau has set aside 3 cents from each crystal and mineral sold throughout the year to donate to the Audubon Society. This year's donation, based on money earned in 2011, targets the society's youth programs, which include camps, scholarships and naturalist programs that promote conservation and nature exploration.

Men and women dressed in their gala best checked out the 2012 denim blue Volkswagen Beetle parked at the front of the ballroom. More than 350 Hagerstown YMCA supporters had gathered Saturday night for the organization's gala fundraiser at Hager Hall, where the cheeky car was the grand prize. Ann Marie Downey of Williamsport stood out among one group of Beetle browsers. The light blue of her floral jacket matched perfectly the hue of the VW. “People were commenting on that.

Memorial Recreation Center Inc. will continue the last of the after-school programs previously run by the city of Hagerstown's CSAFE Coordinator. Hagerstown City Council agreed Tuesday to collaborate with Memorial Recreation Center to continue programs for older children in the area. Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith approached the council in August about finding new partners for CSAFE's youth programs after Carolyn Brooks left her post as CSAFE coordinator.   Brooks stepped down after 13 years coordinating CSAFE, which stands for Collaborative Supervision and Focused Enforcement.

The Hagerstown Housing Authority will work with the city to continue two afterschool programs that were previously part of CSAFE. The Hagerstown City Council Tuesday agreed to collaborate with the authority to continue the afterschool homework and dance programs started by CSAFE, which stands for Collaborative Supervision and Focused Enforcement. Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith approached the council in August about finding new partners for the youth programs after Carolyn Brooks left her post this month as CSAFE's coordinator for 13 years.

The Hagerstown Rotary Club sponsored two South Hagerstown High School students, Taylor Davis and Danielle Davis, to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award  program at Juniata College in June.   The training program is designed for young adults with proven leadership ability and a commitment to community service.   Danielle and Taylor developed their leadership skills and character, while gaining exposure to a variety of issues. They also had the opportunity to meet community leaders and to reach out to the local community.

It seems as though a week doesn’t go by that we don’t get a call at the Extension office from new clientele. You would think an organization nearly 100 years old wouldn’t be new to many people. I have had people tell me we are one of the best-kept secrets around. Part of that anonymity is our fault; we get so busy doing our job that we often forget to promote ourselves. Also, people attracted to this type of work are not seekers of the spotlight. It often amazes me that even some of our longtime clientele don’t know fully what we do. So what is it Extension does for the citizens of Washington County?