MEDINA COUNTY WOMEN OF THE MILITARY

P.O. Box 1812  Medina, OH  44258-1812

February 2005

 

 

President’s Welcome

 

            It is an honor again for me to represent you as your President and Chaplain.  I am also thankful to each of the officers for volunteering for their positions, especially to the Board members, who have been doing this for a number of years.  

Are you aware that the Medina County Women of the Military is a unique type of group?   We have women veterans and active-duty representing all the branches of the services, all the wars since World War II, and (here’s what is really exceptional!) we are publishing our stories.   We provide a safe and compassionate space for women veterans to share their joys and challenges of serving in the military.  One of our missions is to increase awareness of the roles and value of women in the military.  Civic groups and schools often ask us to provide speakers.  We set up displays at county events and march as a group in county parades.  If you are unable to march, we provide vehicles to ride in.  We are a close-knit group because of our common service, and we openly accept newcomers.  

Our Board met on January 18th and we brainstormed goals for this year:  1) Publish Volume II of The Medina County Women of the Military.    2) Sponsor fun group activities such as group tours, 3) invite guest speakers to our meetings, and 4) see if there is interest in pursuing charitable activities as a group.  We welcome any other new ideas you might have.

If you are reading this newsletter for the first time, I encourage you to check us out.  Come to our meetings, feel your pride swell as you march with us, and by all means, consider capturing the stories of your military days in Volumes II or III of The Medina County Women of the Military.

 

Your sister who wore combat boots,

Sharon Kiesel

 

Election Results:

President:                   Sharon Kiesel              

skiesel@hotmail.com   

Vice Pres:                   Sharon Nicholson        

Sharon@nicholson.net

Secretary:                   Kathy Petras               

kathyjeanp@yahoo.com

Treasurer:                  Jennifer Syme  

Public Relations:        Pam Reusch

Chaplain:                    Sharon Kiesel

skiesel@hotmail.com

Membership:              Nancy Bender Notarian

Historian:                   Sharon Nicholson

Sharon@nicholson.net

Region 6 Liaison:       Doris Ramey

Social Director:          Viola Englert

 

Officers have been notified by Sharon Kiesel.  Congratulations to all and thanks for agreeing to take an office.  Our organization would not be able to carry on without your help!

 

The Board met at Cool Beans on January 18 at 7 pm to discuss goals and upcoming events for this year.  Do you have any ideas for fun activities to do as a group?  Please think about this and bring any ideas that you may have to the next meeting.  Also discussed were ideas for speakers at our meetings and causes that we can support as a group. The next board meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 5 at 7 pm at Sharon Kiesel’s house.

 

May 1, 2005 is the last day to submit your interview for Medina County Women of the Military, Volume II.   At this time there are twenty five interviews still out for editing.  Please call one of the officers if you need help or if you need someone to pick up your interview.  We have our Library of Congress number assigned.  Sharon Kiesel has written the foreword.  We have enough money in the Book account to cover printing expenses.  All we need to complete the book are your interviews.  Please return them as soon as possible.  The interviews are all on disk and can easily be reprinted if you need another copy.  Call Sharon Nicholson .

 

Included in this newsletter is the Membership List of all of our members.  Please do not share this information with anyone outside the membership.    At this time we have 105 people on our mailing list with 30 members paying dues for 2005.  Everyone on the mailing list receives the first newsletter of the year.  Only members paying dues will receive newsletters through out the year.   If you are unsure whether or not you have paid your dues, check on the mailing label.  If you have paid dues for 2005, there will be an asterisk (*) next to your last name. If you have not paid your dues for 2005, please send them to the P.O. Box.

 

We are still collecting donations for the Chair Fund at the Western Reserve National Cemetery. 

We have $90 in the fund and have set a goal to donate ten chairs.  At this time we have enough for six chairs at $15.00 a piece.  If you chose to donate money for this, please indicate so on your check.

 

The March Meeting will be held at the Golden Corral on March 12 at 1:00 pm. Capt. Alison Heck Domanich will be our speaker.  She has served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq and will be telling us about her experiences in the military.  We hope you all will attend and show your support for one of our own Medina County women veterans.  Some of our members have heard Capt. Domanich speak at other events and have commented positively on her presentation.  The cost of the lunch is $8.25.  Please bring the correct amount in cash or check.   We will be in the private room and have to pay as one group.  Do not pay at the door.

 

Upcoming Birthdays

Doris Ramey                                        January 27

LouElla McIntosh                                 February 8

Letha Hickox                                        February 16

Kathy Petras                                        February 16

Alice Whynott                                      March 25

Dodie Jewett                                        April 1

 

Please let us know when YOUR birthday is so that we can wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, too!

 

If anyone knows of any upcoming veteran’s events, contact one of the officer’s so that it can be included in the next newsletter and on the web site.

 

Please visit the Medina County Women of the Military website.  You will find a lot of information about our group, our founder, the history, upcoming events, pictures of our unit, and links to other veteran sites.  Thanks to Kathy Petras for keeping up the site and doing such a great job!  

 

The Memorial Day Parade is on May 30 at 10 am.  Meet in front of the Medina Court House at 9:30 am.  Wear your MCWM shirt, uniform, or anything that indicates your branch of service.  If you need a ride to the parade or you need to ride in the parade, call one of the officers.  We need to know how many cars to get for the parade.  This is a great way to show our gratitude and respect for those that served before us.

 

If you want to order a shirt with the Medina County Women of the Military logo, order forms will be available at the March meeting or call Sharon Nicholson to place an order.

 

If you know of any veterans from Medina County, please forward their name to Nancy Bender-Notarian so that she can contact them about our group.

 

Did you know?

Most Americans know that the “The Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 during the bombardment of Ft. McHenry.  Originally, the poem was none as “The Defense of Fort McHenry.”  By act of Congress, it became our official National Anthem in 1931.  What most Americans do not know is that there are four verses to the poem!

 

The Star Spangled Banner

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

                                    Francis Scott Key

 

 

Medina County Women of the Military Calendar of Events

March 12     Meeting – Golden Corral                    1:00 pm

April 12       Board Meeting – Sharon’s House         7:00 pm         

May 1          Deadline for turning in interviews

May 30        Memorial Day Parade                         9:30 am

 

 

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Email us at: mcwomilitary@yahoo.com