Wayne County Wanderings: Honesdale Area Jaycees celebrate 75th anniversary
It's been my pleasure to cover countless events all across Wayne County over the course of the past 30 years.
Whether as a “cub” back in my River Reporter days, or as the first sports editor ever hired by the Weekly Almanac, or for the past quarter century here at The Independent, I've always been amazed at the endless array of fascinating stories right here in our little corner of the world.
When I began writing Wayne County Wanderings almost a decade ago, I had envisioned a weekly column spotlighting all that's good about life in a small town … that which separates rural America from our “big city” counterparts.
Along those lines, one of the organizations that I've greatly enjoyed covering is the Honesdale Area Jaycees. This group of energetic men and women volunteers thousands of hours every year to make our community such a great place to live.
From holiday parades to homerun derbies, canoe races to Easter egg hunts, the Jaycees are always the first to step up and lend a helping hand.
On Friday, May 17, the Jaycees gathered at Sixth & River to celebrate a milestone moment. More than 100 current and former members cam together to mark the group's 75th anniversary.
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The event lasted four hours and featured an open bar, fabulous food, live music, silent auction and basket lottery.
State Rep. Jonathan Fritz was on hand and acted as the evening's keynote speaker.
“Members of the Jaycees have the biggest hearts,” the veteran lawmaker said. “They love their community and are always focused on ways to give back. I was so happy to help them celebrate their 75th anniversary.
“As our area enjoys this current renaissance, I honestly believe that these young leaders are planting the seeds for future growth and success.”
The big night
Rozalyn Burke is the current Jaycees president. She's been a member of the organization for 10 years.
“It was great to see so many past and present Jaycees come together for a fun evening to reminisce and reconnect,” she said. “I am extremely grateful to the planning committee for their tireless dedication and to local businesses for their generous support.”
Stephanie Schuman echoes those sentiments. The current vice president has been a Jaycees member for nine years.
“I just love being able to see generations of Jaycees come together to tell stories, catch up and celebrate so many years of giving back to the community,” she said.
“It was amazing to look around and see the doctors, lawyers, state representatives, district attorneys, local business owners and bankers who were all young professionals helping their community grow. I loved that we got the opportunity to honor them and keep the Jaycees legacy going.”
A bit of history
The Honesdale Area Jaycees formed in the late 1940s and received their official charter from the national level on Oct. 20, 1949.
The organization began day-to-day operations in early 1950, electing John “JJ” Koehler as its very first president. He served for two years and was succeeded by Walter Jennings, who then handed the mantle to Dr. Lenny Weiss.
The list of past presidents reads like a “Who's Who” of local legends from George Stanton to John Firmstone, Leroy Spoor to Lee Krause, Jerry Theobald to Ab Rutherford.
Attorney Alfred Howell was elected to the chapter's highest position back in in 1966. Fred had the distinction of being the oldest former president in attendance at the 75th anniversary party.
“It was great to be able to attend and witness the number of young men and women still engaged in supporting our community,” he said. “As the Jaycees Creed states: Service to humanity is the best work of life.”
Looking forward
Service truly is what the Jaycees are all about.
In addition to the events already mentioned, the group also hosts a popular food booth at the Wayne County Fair, conducts regular litter clean-ups and collects toys for kids at Christmastime.
Current board members and state directors of the Honesdale Area Jaycees are: Rozalyn Burke (president); Stephanie Schuman (1st vice president); Christopher Novoa (2nd vice president); Raynell Lenz (recording secretary); Meghan Gibbons (corresponding secretary); Clare Kerl (treasurer).
Ashley Gibbons (state director); Troy Langendoerfer (one-year director); Eric Avery (one-year director); Julia Blaskiewicz (two-year director); Craig Ciarrocchi (two-year director); Tiffany Dzwieleski (new member director).
Congratulations on your 75th anniversary. Here's wishing you 75 more years of community leadership!
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne County Wanderings: Honesdale Area Jaycees celebrate 75 years
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