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A Family Tradition Continues

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 16, 2008

BRANDON - When James Leon Linville graduated from Brandon High School on June 2, he was not the first member of his family to launch out of the Brandon High School Eagles' Nest. He was the fourth.

His mother, Aleta Linville, whose maiden name was Charles, attended Brandon High during the tenure of Principal Orlan Briant. She graduated in 1981.

Linville's grandmother, Ernestine Charles, whose maiden name was Miller, graduated from Brandon High School in 1961, when it was in the building that now serves as McLane Middle School. His great-grandmother, the late Oleta Miller, whose maiden name was Hendrix, graduated from Brandon High in that building 1943.

Linville, who was battalion commander of Brandon's JROTC program, graduated with honors. He was the rifle team commander, president of the Sabers Honor Club and a member of the cross country team. He has enlisted in the Army as a private first class, and reported June 18 for basic training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.
Brandon Lions Club Announces Officers

Members of the Brandon Lions Club inducted new officers and directors June 19 at their clubhouse.

After a welcome by immediate past president Ben Brown, an invocation by Marilyn Heroux, a rendition of "God Bless America" by Paul Heroux and a Lions toast by Bob Nixon, district Gov. Suzy Straus installed the officers.

The newly appointed leaders for 2008-09 are Nixon, president; Michael Kirk, vice president; Bruce Molen, secretary; Joe Kuebler, treasurer; Brown, immediate past president; Adam Buzbee, bulletin; Bo Hurley, lion tamer; Judy Brown, membership; and Harold Elza, tail twister.

One-year directors are Ken Donahue and Joe Desmarais; two-year directors are Judy Brown and Fred Brown; three-year directors are Art Schmidt and Kevin Rees.

"The district governor proved to be the best of the entertainment," Kirk said. "She made a poetic game of swearing in each of us, with the use of candy bars and candy kisses. She's ... comfortable with a crowd and makes everyone feel at ease."

Kirk agreed with Nixon's urging of club members to "pick it up in our efforts on behalf of the community." Ben Brown "gave a fine, but brief, speech about some of our hoped-for successes that didn't, for many reasons, pan out," Kirk said.

The Brandon Lions Club was chartered in 1954 and continues to seek solutions to local and global health and social problems. The main focus of the International Association of Lions Club has been sight conservation since 1925, when Helen Keller asked the Lions to become "knights of the blind."

"If you or someone you know has need of us, please ask," Kirk said.

The club welcomes new members. Dinner meetings are at 7 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month at the Brandon Lions Clubhouse, 619 Limona Road. Socializing starts at 6:30 p.m.

For information, call Kirk at (813) 928-2579 or Judy Brown at (813) 661-1419.

Membership Drop Dissolves Local AAUW

The Brandon Branch of the American Association of University Women, which was established in May 1974, has disbanded because of a decline in membership.

"We were saddened that it had come to the point it did," said Barbara Reed, a past president and publicity coordinator. "Most of our branch will remain in AAUW either as an at-large member or affiliate with either the Tampa or Sun City Center branch."

The branch's programs have assisted many women and girls. The Brandon Branch/Evelyn Sanchez Research and Projects Endowment, which exists within and is administered by the AAUW Educational Foundation, provides fellowships for female graduate students across the country. It has been fully funded by the AAUW Brandon Branch and has grown from $35,000 to $50,000.

Through the years, the branch contributed to the PACE Center for Girls Hillsborough, a nonresidential intervention program for at-risk girls; distributed treats at the Halloween Horribles Parade at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association; purchased a brick in support of Rotary's All Person's Playground, a park that caters to girls and boys of all ages and abilities; and helped Dress for Success Tampa Bay, which gives women proper attire for job interviews.

They helped brighten Brandon for 27 years by selling luminarias each November. The Brandon Lions Club, which joined them in this project in 2003, will continue the tradition.

"We plan to build on what was done in the past and make it much bigger," said Michael Kirk, Lions Club vice president.

Since 1994, their Girls Can! Program has awarded $41,700 in savings bonds to 335 eighth- and 12th-grade students who excelled in science and math. "We ... considered it the highlight of our year," Reed said.

Christine Sauciunac, project coordinator of the Girls Can! Program, would like to hear from any service organization that might want to continue the program. For details, call her at (813) 426-3367.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, call (813) 657-4531 or e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr.com.

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