SPJST YOUTH. P.O. Box Temple, Texas SPJST Graduating Seniors

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1 State Fraternal Director Frank Horak May 2018 SPJST YOUTH P.O. Box Temple, Texas Save the Date! 2018 LIT Camp June 15-17, 2018 Districts 2 and 6 Camp June 20-24, 2018 Districts 3 and 5 Camp June 27 - July 1, 2018 Districts 1 and 7 Camp July 18-22, 2018 Please be sure and check your calendars. We are looking for physically active adult chaperones very soon. Also, youth, if you are not able to make it to your district s camp - that is okay - you can register for any of the camps! SPJST Graduating Seniors As I sit here constructing my May Newsletter I can t help to think about our seniors getting ready to graduate and move on to their next journey in life. When I took on the State Youth Director position back in 2010, this year s graduating seniors were in the fourth grade. Uh-oh... I just gave away my age! It has been a blessing for me to watch you grow-up in the SPJST Youth Program and transform into the awesome adults you are. So spread those wings and make your SPJST family proud of you and always remember you have a home with SPJST. Congratulations and I wish you only the best life has to offer. Our youth program is top notch in the state. I wish more members would have their children participate in the program. Graduating seniors the photo above was taken your first year as an SPJST LIT. I hope it brings back great memories. Flag Day Essay Contest All SPJST youth between the ages of five and high school senior are encouraged to enter this year s Flag Day Contest. This 1

2 State Fraternal Director Frank Horak May 2018 contest will promote patriotism and creative literacy. There will also be a coloring contest for members ages eight and under. Several prizes will be awarded in the Flag Day Contest. All of the winners will be announced in the Vestnik leading up to Flag Day on Thursday, June 14. The deadline for all entries is May 31. Please make reference to the Flag Day Essay Contest guidelines enclosed with this mailing. This year s theme is Standing Up for Our American Flag. This would be a good time to talk about the right way to display the U.S. flag and flag etiquette. You may also consider having a member of the Boy Scouts or the American Legion come in as a guest speaker. Camp Tee-Shirt Orders Due June 1 Youth Leaders, if you are not purchasing t-shirts for your youth, please provide your parents with the camp t-shirt order form provided in this packet. This year s camp teeshirts are available for sale. The deadline to order is June 1. Tee-shirts can be delivered to camp, picked up at the Home Office or mailed to you for $2. Camp letter for Youth Leaders and parents of young campers While at chaperone training in District Seven, there was discussion about camp and the younger campers. I am attaching a letter to you, the youth leader and want you to review it with your parents of children who have completed Kindergarten to 8 years of age. Online Camp Applications Please know that applications for LIT Retreat and SPJST Summer Camp is available on the website or you can go directly to and sign on to complete your application. Chaperones you were to have application and training completed by April 30. Each camper need to fill out a separate camp application. Please be sure to fill in each blank and if it does not apply to you or your child fill in the space with N/A. Please get the camper application in as soon as possible... even though we set up the date of June 1, 2018 as the deadline. We have a lot of planning to do and the sooner we have the final number the easier it will be for us to plan out activities and make cabin assignments. The deadline date will be Thursday, May 10. Parents, when registering yourself and your child for camp do not pay for the insurance offered. If you think your child's camp is prorated, please contact the SPJST Youth Department at I will receive verification that campers have completed their camp application. If you have any questions please contact me at frankh@spjst.com or my cell phone or Fraternal Services Specialist Tammy Martinez at tammym@spjst.com or

3 State Fraternal Director Frank Horak May 2018 District Youth Achievement Day Dates Please make note of these spring meeting dates: Backing the Blob District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Sunday, July 8, 2018 at Caldwell Civic Center Saturday, July 14, 2018 at Lodge 24, Cyclone Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Lodge 183, Arlington Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Lodge 49, Rowena UPDATE: The Blob was purchased at a discounted price of $3,800. We are close to meeting that goal. As of April 19 we have collected $3,775. Please keep sending in those donations to P.O. Box 100, Temple, TX Our youth greatly appreciate your support. June Vestnik Project The June Vestnik Project will be about the Milky Way. Purchase a Milky Way candy bar for each of the youth club members. Challenge the youth members to find the Milky Way before the next meeting and ask them in the June meeting about the Milky Way. District 5 District 6 District 7 Sunday, July 22, 2018 at Lodge 88, Houston Sunday, July 15, 2018 at Taiton Community Center Sunday, July 1, 2018 at Lodge 107, Floresville State YAD Saturday, August 4 Temple Mayborn Center Please mark your calendar and start working on your YAD projects. Your State Youth Achievement Day is right around the corner. I will have a listing of blocked hotel rooms so you can make reservations in next month s newsletter. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Temple this August. Johnny Apple Seed Prayer for May meeting I mistakenly did not place the words to Johnny Apple Seed Prayer in last months packet. Please find the prayer insert in this packet. 3

4 Who is Johnny Appleseed? SPJST May Vestnik Project - Johnny Appleseed This project earns a maximum 1 point in the SPJST Youth Clubs Merit Points System. Mail completed project no later than June 1, 2018 to: SPJST Youth Program c/o SPJST Home Office P.O. Box 100 Temple, Texas Name Age Lodge Who is Johnny Appleseed? Johnny Appleseed lived in the days of early America. He became a legend, and many stories were told about him. Some people do not know he was a real person. His name was John Chapman, and he was born in the state of Massachusetts in His father, Nathaniel, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His mother, Elizabeth, died when he was still a very young child. When he grew up, he made it his life's work to plant fruit trees in the developing parts of the country. He carried sacks of apple seeds with him and planted orchards throughout the Northwest Territory. The states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois were formed from this area. His mission was to plant fruit trees so the settlers, as they moved west, would have something to sustain them as they tried to survive in the new land. In 1802, he carried sixteen bushels of apple seeds down the Ohio River. He had two canoes lashed together to transport the seeds. Most of the time he carried the seeds in leather bags on horseback, or on his own back. He dressed simply, wearing clothes he had traded for trees. Sometimes he cut a hole in a sack and wore it as a shirt. Material "things" just did not matter to him. You see pictures of him wearing a pot on his head for a hat. John Chapman was a Christian and conducted his life in a Christ-like manner. He would preach to the families he visited. He called it delivering news "right fresh from heaven". Source:

5 This Prayer was going to be in your April packet. Please use this in your May Youth Club meeting. Youth who have gone to camp will know the song-prayer. Have them teach the other youth in your club that have not gone to camp. You can also look the prayer up on YouTube. Johnny Appleseed (Start with arms above you head) (While saying Ohhhhh bring arms down). Ohhhh!, The Lords been good to me, (Clap twice) and so I thank the Lord! (Clap twice) For giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the Appleseed. The Lord s been good to me. (Clap twice), Amen, (Clap twice), Amen, (Clap twice) Amen, (Clap during third Amen) AAAAAAMEN!

6 Hey, Kids ages Five to High School Senior! Enter Today! S P J S T FLAG DAY E S S A Y C O N T E S T What is it? Each year, the SPJST sponsors a Flag Day Contest to promote patriotism and creative writing. Who Can Enter? All SPJST members age five to high school senior. Youth club membership is not required Theme Standing Up for Our American Flag Grand Prize Award $100 Gift certificate and winning entry will be submitted for publication in the Vestnik. Refer to the SPJST Youth Handbook. Runner - Up Prizes Ages 5 to 8 Ages 9 to 11 Ages 12 to 14 Ages 15 to High School Senior Participation Awards All participants will receive a participation certificate. Youth club members will also receive 2 merit points in the Merit Point System. Judging Entries will be judged by a panel of writing specialists. Judging is based on the entry s creativity, grammar and neatness. The Rules Write Flag Day essay or poem with the theme Standing Up for Our American Flag in mind. Essay length must be between 150 to 500 words. Entries must be typed. Entries must be original and created by the youth member. Entries become the property of the SPJST and will not be returned. Entries must include a cover sheet with the following information: participant s name, address, phone number, and lodge number. Entries must be postmarked by May 31, Got Questions? Call State Fraternal Director Frank Horak at or frankh@spjst.com Mail entries to: SPJST State Fraternal Director Frank Horak c/o SPJST Home Office P.O. Box 100 Temple, Texas 76503

7 Color the Patriotic Picture All SPJST members ages eight and under can participate. All participants names will be entered in a drawing for prizes. All entries will be exhibited at the SPJST Home Office in Temple. Entries must be postmarked by May 31,2018. Mail entries to SPJST Youth Program c/o SPJST Home Office P.O. Box 100 Temple, Texas Name Age SPJST Lodge No.