Return to Rotary Club of Lexington Park Home Page
Vocational Services Lane
 |
 |
The Vocational Lane Director leads projects and activities in which the Club participates to support vocational and educational endeavors. Projects include scholarships, educational awards, educational award events, supporting school groups, clubs, and student exchanges. The lane director supports committees for college scholarships, Teacher of the Year Dinner, Marco Polo Award, community outreach training, and the 4 Rotary International Youth Programs: RYLA, Interact, Rotaract and Youth Exchange.
Frank Taylor, Lane Director
INTERACT CLUB AT ST. MARY’S RYKEN HIGH SCHOOL
 |
 |
Rotary District 7620 Governor Anna-Mae Kobbe honors the St. Mary’s Ryken Interact Club during the 2017 District Conference. This very active new Interact Club is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. Pictured are the Student Interact President, Jake O’Hara, Interact Club Moderator John Pennisi and St. Mary’s Ryken President, Lexington Park Rotarian and Interact Club sponsor, Mary Joy Hurlburt.
Interact:Engaging Youth – The leader develops relationships with a high school in St. Mary’s County in order to establish active Interact Clubs in the high school. When a club is established, the leader ensures Rotarians are dedicated to attend the Interact Club meetings and to provide program speakers when requested and as needed. The leader strives to meet all the elements of the Interact Handbook.
Mary Joy Hurlburt – Chair
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Financial Literacy: Engaging Financial Awareness – With the massive changes in retirement plans, the recent recession and a bewildering array financial options, it is far harder for young professionals and those with reduced income to fully appreciate their opportunities and responsibilities. Focusing upon newly minted teachers, the Lexington Park Rotary seeks to ease the uncertainty in solid financial planning and execution through an educational approach.
Ed Turbush, Chair
DICTIONARY PROJECT
 |
 |
Dictionary Project:Engaging Early Literacy – Lexington Park Rotarians annually distribute some 600 dictionaries to third graders in 15 elementary schools throughout the southern portion of St. Mary’s County. This is part of a District 7620 initiative to get a dictionary in the hands of every student in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia where the District has a presence. Club members find a special reward in giving dictionaries to students who are instantly appreciative.
Bernie Taylor, Chair
FOUR WAY TEST SPEECH CONTEST
Four Way Test:Engaging Youth for Ethics – The entire Club, led by the President, recites the Four-Way Test at weekly meetings. Participation in the Four Way Speech Contest compete at the Club level and the winners compete at the District level. This committee ensures that contact is made with our district 4-way speech schools for candidate selection, schedule and submission timelines. It is the leader ensures arrangements are made to give the speech candidates to have the opportunity to present their contest submission to the club at a weekly meeting.
Michael DeManss, Chair
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships Committee:Engaging for Educational Opportunity – This committee selects worthy candidates for the Scholastic and Vocational Scholarships. The college scholarships vary from year to year depending on programs and funds available. One-year academic and vocational scholarships are typically given each year in the amount of $1,000.00. Currently, the Club is funding four $1,000 conditional four year sustaining college scholarships. The Scholarship Committee also administers the endowed scholarship programs for: The Greg H. Clarke Aviation and Engineering Scholarship, The Ann Houston Green Music Scholarship, The Doris Darrah Math Education Scholarship and the Merritts Academic and Vocational scholarship.
Dr. Mel Powell, Chair
JOHN BAETON MARCO POLO AWARD
John Beaton/Marco Polo Award:Engaging in Educating the Educators -This Committee selects a worthy teacher from St. Mary’s County to receive a $2,000.00 grant to be used for travel. The international travel is intended to broaden the professional horizons of an already dynamic teacher. Each year, the leader reviews the criteria for award selection and establishes a subcommittee to vet the applicants and select a winner.
Susan Paul, Chair
Service Above Self Award:
District Governor Greg Wins congratulates the 2017 Service Above Self recipient – Coach Tyrone Bell
Service Above Self: Engaging Community Excellence – This committee selects and recognizes members of the community who have gone “above and beyond”. The awards are given on the annual Charter Night event. An adjunct award recognizes worthy First Responders from the local Volunteer Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department.
Jane Sypher, Chair
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Teacher of the Year Dinner:Engaging to Recognize Educational Excellence – This committee organizes a joint project with nearby St. Mary’s County Rotary Clubs to recognize the outstanding teachers in St. Mary’s County. A teacher of the Year is also named. This committee identifies public and non- public honorees, selects a suitable venue for the event and coordinates ticket sales to the public.
Linda Lymas, Zora Siemasko, Co-Chairs
SO MANY JOURNEYS WAITING FOR U
So Many Journeys Waiting For U:Engaging for College Advocacy – The program, supported by an anonymous donor in honor of Mr. S.M. and Dr. Jane Wu is meant to assist in early college awareness among those not typically associated with going to college. This program is facilitated twice weekly as an after school program by a small team headed by the College Access Program counselor at Great Mills High School. The Rotary Club of Lexington Park stewards the funds. The Club also provides a weekly guest program facilitator, typically associated with the members’ vocations or avocations. To date, Rotarians have offered varied hands-on exercises for the 40 plus enrolled 9th-10th graders at Great Mills High School. A similar college readiness program under the SMJWU mantle began for nearby Spring Ridge Middle School for 7th and 8th graders in early December, 2014.
George Hurlburt, Co-ordinator
TREE PLANTING PROJECT
Members of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park plant trees on the 2018 Earth Day weekend in response to a Rotary International worldwide initiative to plant trees. A tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. Rotarians Frank Taylor and Paula Coxon (Center Panel) spearheaded the effort.
Frank Taylor and Paula Coxon, Co-Chairs
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE STUDENT
International Exchange Student: Engaging in International Sharing – From time to time, the Rotary Club of Lexington Park sponsors and hosts a foreign exchange student for an extended visit to America. This committee actively recruits club members to support the inbound youth exchange student. The committee leader maintains a working relationship with the Rotary District 7620 Youth Exchange Chair.
Chair -TBD
ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY (RYLA)
Rotary Youth Leadership Activity (RYLA): Engaging Youth Leadership – This committee provides guidance for the selection of candidates to attend the annual Rotary District 7620 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program and provides feedback to the club from the attendees as to the usefulness of the weekend spent learning about themselves and team building.
Chair – TBD
ROTARY PEACE FELLOW SELECTION
Rotary Peace Fellow Selection: Engaging Peace and Understanding -This process is sponsored by the Rotary International Rotary Foundation. The committee communicates with the District 7620 chair to schedule of submission and selection criteria. The committee seeks candidates throughout the region and helps potential candidates with a timely application.
BoB Parkinson – Chair
ROTORACT
Rotoract Committee: Engaging toInspire Young Professionals – This committee actively works to develop relationships with young professionals in St. Mary’s County for the purpose of establishing a Rotaract Club. When a club is established, leader ensures that dedicated Rotarians attend meetings and to provide program speakers when requested and needed.