Hesburgh Lecture Series: The Club is planning to host a Hesburgh Lecture Series Lecture in November.  Stay tuned for additional details on time and location.  We are planning to have Dr. Kathy Sullivan present her talk on "Servant Leadership: The Intersection of the Beatitudes and the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".  In their simplicity, the Beatitudes offer a pathway to true success. The discussion will focus on each of the Beatitudes, mindful of the challenge and promise of these sacred words. An overview of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in light of the Beatitudes will enlighten our efforts to lead with the spirit of the servant leader. Kathleen Sullivan joined the Notre Dame Alumni Association in 1987 after receiving her doctorate degree in English from Notre Dame. In 2006, she assumed the role of senior director of Spirituality and Service for alumni. She eagerly looks forward to helping connect the Notre Dame family for good, for God, and for life.

Community Service Project for Fr. Ted: Our Club plans to do some activities with the folks at the Senior Service Center again this year. It will probably involve a bowling tournament on the Wii System at the Senior Friendship Center's "Living Room" facility in July.  We hope to have an ND student who is familiar with the Wii System (that's the video game system that was donated to Senior Friendship Centers - Living Room by the Class of '55) who will help us with the mechanics of using the Wii System .  If anyone would like to help, contact John Counsell at 768-0417 or counsfl@comcast.net.  More information on this community service project will be available at the Annual Meeting.  

Hospital Support Program

Established by the Notre Dame Alumni Association, the Club Hospital Support Program is intended to assist members of the Notre Dame Family (alumni, students, siblings, parents and friends of Notre Dame) when hospitalized while away from home, whether planned in advance or as the result of an accident or illness while traveling. The ND Family includes alumni, spouses, children, siblings, parents, in-laws, relatives, faculty/staff members and subway alumni (friends of Notre Dame).

The person needing support will call the new toll free 1-877-435-7086 number and identify what type of support is needed: emergency support (assistance to individuals hospitalized while traveling through a club's area), pre-planned support (pre-planned support for someone traveling for surgery to a club's area), or additional support (in-home assistance for a care giver). For additional information go to www.ndsenioralumni.org/hospital.html.

This Committee is chaired by Tom Brenner, '59, ''78. Committee members include Mary Kay Palmer, SMC '67 and John Counsell. '64.  Please call Tom at M-F Day 239-574-0383, Evenings 239-573-8358 or Cell 239-560-6194 for more information or to join the Committee.

Prostate Awareness Cancer Education (P.A.C.E.) Program

This program was established by the Notre Dame Senior Alumni Group as a Community Service Project. Established as a Joint Committee with the United Irish of South West Florida, the focus of this Committee is the dissemination of information in the fight against prostate cancer.  To this end, the Committee will host periodic seminars featuring local Urologists and Radiation Therapists.  The Committee is Co-chaired by Jimmy Rodgers, United Irish of SW Florida (239-481-0586) and Dick Schweers, Notre Dame Club of Lee County ( 239-495-6263).  Committee members are Chuck Bennett, '55 and Gene Paris. All are Prostate Cancer Survivors.  For more information or to join the Committee, please call Jimmy or Dick.

Ronald McDonald House

Thanks to all the members and their friends who prepared and helped serve dinners at the Ronald McDonald House last year.  We are looking to continue this tradition and would welcome any volunteers who wish to participate in this very worthwhile community service opportunity.  Our Club is committed to prepare the meal on the second Thursday of each month. If you would like to join our growing group of meal providers, please contact Marilyn Wyrick at 239-561-5460 or irishladym@comcast.net .

This is really a fun and easy way to give a little back to our community.  The staff wants us to meet there and prepare the meal in their kitchen. The volunteers have said the food smells so good they wished they could stay too!   You may choose the menu and bring the ingredients as a group for that month.  If you wish, the Club will reimburse you for the meat (i.e., ham, turkey, etc.) and you provide and cook the rest of the meal.  We usually do the entire cooking and set up in about 1 1/2 hours.  We do not stay to serve or clean up.  It is a wonderful chance to help families in distress and actually see the good we are doing.  After being by the bedside of a critical child, they can come 'home' to the smells of a real dinner in the oven and relax for a while. 

There is also a changing "Wish List" of needed items. See the web site at www.ronaldmchouse.com.

A Note from our Club President, Andy Wyrick:

"Many thanks to all who contributed your support for the families of all the children who are in the hospital for an extended time. So far, this year our "helpers" have been Peg & Jack Grace (twice), Marie & Dick Smith, Ronnie & Ray Kelly, Eleanor & Ken Knapp, Claire & John Bush, Maggie Yockey and Eileen & Bob Maguire.  If there was someone who helped you, but not addressed here, please convey our thanks to them also.  

The staff cannot say enough, thanking us over and over for the wonderful home cooked meals.  The parents, and sometimes siblings, must spend day after day watching and waiting for signs that their child may be able to come home.  The fast food and skipped meals take a toll and, without exception, they report opening the door, smelling and eating a 'real meal' is a morale booster.  We all really appreciate what you are doing for them.

As before, we provide the whole meal and share the cost between 2 or 3 couples.  The N.D. club will provide up to $25 toward the entree and we, the workers will do the rest.  We are signed up for the 2nd Thursday of each month and are looking for volunteers for the rest of this year.  We have the Wyrick's on June 11 and the Quinn's on July 9 and both couples could use one or two more couples to help out.  The other dates that we need helpers are August 13, September 10, October 8, November 12 and December 10.  Please e-mail Marilyn (irishladym@comcast.net) or call her at 561-5460 with your favorite month to help, and see if you can enlist old or new friends to help us next year.  Again God Bless You for feeding the hungry!"  

The Notre Dame Club of Lee County has a Young Alumni Coordinator to answer questions and organize Young Alumni events such as Meet n' Greet Happy Hour. Please contact Brad Kluesner by e-mail (bkluesner@alumni.nd.edu or Bradden.Kluesner@kofc.org ) or phone ((239) 313-0280) to let him know you are interested.

This and That

Some Board meetings will be held at Ron Dao's on McGregor Boulevard. All members are invited to come and give us your ideas for Club activities and to offer your support where needed. If you would like to serve on the Board or one of our committees, please give me a call at 561-5460. We hope to see you at a Board meeting.

Vice-President for ND Club: Many of you are already aware of this, but we are happy to announce that Chuck Bennett has been appointed to the Twenty-two (22) member Board of Directors of the NDSA. He will serve as the Regional Director, Region 17.  The appointment is effective July 1, 2009.   Along with five (5) other new Directors, he attended the NDSA Spring Board Meeting (April 22-25) that is integrated with the Alumni Senate.  In view of this appointment, Chuck will be stepping down as Vice President and Board Member of the Notre Dame Club of Lee County effective March 31, 2009.

This is a great honor for Chuck and to our Club. His shoes will be hard to fill.  We will greatly miss all the outstanding work, support and council that Chuck has provided over the years.  Our first order of importance will be to find an individual willing to step in as Vice-President for the Club with the intention of taking the reins in a year or so.  I would like to hear from any and all Alumni as to their interest in filling this position..  We would most certainly like to see more younger alumni get more involved in the operation of the Club.  Your thoughtful consideration of this request, prior to our Annual Meeting, would be most appreciated.

Again, congratulations to Chuck for being selected to this very prestigious Board that covers Senior Alumni for the entire Notre Dame Community

Sale of ND Club Inventory

We are currently having a sale on some in-stock inventory at the "Club Store" (aka Chuck Bennett's place!). Contact Chuck at 239-454-7083. Items available are:

The Shirt 2007 / color green / L and XL available / $10

ND Baseball Hats / hat color blue / gold ND / adjustable size / $10

ND Baseball Hats / hat color blue / blue ND / adjustable size / $10

ND Book, "he New Saturday Bible", an accumulation of articles about ND and ND football / $10