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Summer 2016 News from Boys Home of Virginia

Boys Home Awards Banquet 2016

Boys Home hosted our annual Spring Awards Banquet on May 14, 2016. The Awards Banquet gives us the chance to recognize all of the accomplishments of our young men over the past year. We highlight their achievements both on and off campus with awards ranging from school performance to community service. Many named awards and scholarships reward the young men for years of hard work at Boys Home. Resident Sequoia N. served as Master of Ceremonies for the second year in a row. Guests, staff, and residents enjoyed a performance from the Boys Home Singers, under the direction of Mrs. Sarah Jones, and enjoyed a wonderful meal before awards were presented. The most prestigious awards of the evening were the Michael Folland Award and the George Floyd Rogers Award. The Folland Award is given to a senior who

was selected by their fellow residents. The award winner shows his fellow residents that he took advantage of his time at Boys Home by working to reach his potential. Graduating senior Jokwaun S. was the winner of the Folland Award. The George Floyd Rogers Award is named in honor of the Boys Home founder. This award is based on staff votes and presented to the resident who by his spirit, example, and overall outstanding citizenship exemplified the ideals of Boys Home and its founder. Junior Sequoia N. was the winner of the George Floyd Rogers Award. We were honored to recognize and congratulate all award winners this year. Thank you to all of the special guests who presented awards and thank you to all of the teachers and school staff from Boys Home and the public schools who came out to support the boys! (See page 6 for a full list of awards and winners.)

Left to right: The Bill & Lang Wilson Scholarship presented by the Wilsons to senior, Raekwon K. The Michael Folland Award presented to senior, Jokwaun S. by Mr. Wheatley. The George Floyd Rogers Citizenship Award presented to junior, Sequoia N. by Mr. Wheatley. The Jhakee Avant Honorary Scholarship presented to senior, Deontaze D. by

Jhakee Avant.

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Boys Home of Virginia Founded by

The Rev. George Floyd Rogers Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal

Church

Board of Trustees 2015-2016

President Leonard S. Slater

Vice President Edwin P. Hopkins

Treasurer Bernard C. Syme, III

Secretary Donnie E. Wheatley ‘66

Immediate Past President Edwin W. Simpson

Ex Officio Alumni Representative

James D. Light Bishop, Diocese of

Southwestern Virginia The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas

Members Betty S. Brown

Patrick R. Cafaro Yvonne Harris

Stephen B. Lane Kelly O’Keefe

Kenneth O. Robison, II Ann Vest

Joseph P. Whittle Margaret N. Whittle

Honorary Member

Dr. Bruce Heilman

The Boys Appeal is published 3 times a year

by the Boys Home of Virginia Development Office.

414 Boys Home Road Covington, Virginia 24426

Phone: (540) 965-7700 Fax: (540) 965-7702

info@boyshomeofva.org www.boyshomeofva.org

From the Executive Director

Donnie E. Wheatley

The month of May is a whirlwind here on campus. It begins with Residential Education Day, followed by the Awards Banquet. Then a Senior Reception and Graduation. Each by itself is an important milestone. Taken together in a single month, it is a full load. The staff are fully engaged in preparing for each event, executing and then following up. A quick breath and on to the next. Given that each event celebrates a unique area in campus life, staff, and residents would probably not have it any other way. What a joy it is to observe the activities surrounding Residential Education Day where all aspects of education are recognized and celebrated. The pride of teachers and instructors in the residents and students is so evident. The faces of these young men as they demonstrate skills, conduct tours, and interact with visitors are priceless. The Awards Banquet is more of the same. Each and every resident is recognized for at least one accomplishment in the previous year. Again visitors are treated to priceless reactions throughout the evening. Our year culminates with a celebration of the seniors’ completion of high school. For many of them, this event represents a high point that is not always anticipated in their life. But, with support of so many of you kind folks, they took advantage of the opportunity, refocused, and made it. The first step toward successful manhood. Thanks for making it possible. Just as with many boarding schools, the cycle will start again with the beginning of the new academic year. Summer will be filled with many enriching activities and by August most residents and staff will be ready to begin anew. Fresh faces will arrive throughout the summer and we look forward to watching them next May. We welcome visitors any time. This summer we will be honored to have 6 different Episcopal mission groups make a trip to campus. Lots of activities, work and fun. Come check us out. You make this place happen. Hope you are as proud as we are of the young men.

Take care and God Bless,

Dr. Donnie E. Wheatley Litterarum Humanarum

P.S. As many of you know, I had surgery earlier this year. We decided to poll our Facebook community to choose my new style during my recovery. #3 was the winner with over 70 votes! #1 had 43 votes and #2 had 12 votes. Though the “goatee” won the vote, I was clean shaven by the next Monday morning. Thanks for your support and prayers throughout my recovery.

8th Annual Residential Education Day

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On May 6, 2016, we hosted our 8th annual Residential Education Day (RE Day) open house. We welcomed over 60 guests to campus for the open house events. The Boys Home School was featured with displays sharing different aspects of Boys Home and highlighting this year’s theme, “Opportunity. Education. Success.” Guests enjoyed self-guided tours of the campus and toured the Martha Terry Museum, All Saints’ Chapel, and several Cottages. The Center for Applied Trades program teachers and students had demonstrations set up in front of the gym featuring electricity, welding, and other class projects– including a flame thrower! Our Dining Hall staff, along with Chefs from Guest Services, Inc. and students from Jackson River Technical Center lead by Chef Tom Hamelman, treated guests, residents, and staff to a delicious lunch. Delegate Terry Austin surprised Mr. Wheatley by presenting him with a Senate Commending Resolution in honor of the work he has done at Boys Home over the last 30 years during the luncheon. We were so thankful to all of the loyal supporters and all of the new faces who came out to see us this year for RE Day. Boys Home wouldn’t be possible without our loyal supporters and it was a pleasure to spend the day with everyone. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the following businesses for sponsoring this year’s RE Day: Major Sponsors: Alleghany Asphalt and Construction, Inc., Alleghany Motors, LLC, Balchem Corporation, and Tri- County Furniture of Virginia, all in Covington, VA; Thor Incorporated in Roanoke, VA; Campbell Insurance in Lynchburg, VA; Greenbrier Technologies and Electric in Lewisburg, WV; and Ms. Palmer Garson of Silvercrest Management Group and Mr. Marshall Acuff, Jr. of Silvercrest Asset Management Group in Richmond, VA . Primary Sponsors are Loving Funeral Home in Covington and Dixie Gas and Oil in Verona, VA. Additional pictures and video can be found at www.boyshomeofva.org/news or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/boyshomeofva.

A l u m n i

C o r n e r

Boys Home Class of 2015 Alumni, Amearie K., graduated from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College with a Welding Certificate in May. We’re very proud of Amearie and his hard work to graduate from Dabney!

Boys Home Presents:

Aladdin The boys and staff, under the direction of houseparent Brittany Jefferson, did a fantastic job with their recent production of Aladdin! Visit our Facebook page for more pictures: www.facebook.com/boyshomeofva

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Meet the Boys Home Graduating Class of 2016!

Jokwaun (Jo) S. has been with us at Boys Home for 2 years. Jo came to Boys Home after getting in trouble at home. After he graduates, he will be coming back to Boys Home to study HVAC in the CAT Alumni program. While being here, Jo has seen himself improve in school and become a good leader. He feels Boys Home has helped him make better choices for his life. Jo will miss the residents and staff at Boys Home, but he will not miss the paper mill smell in the mornings!

Carlton (Cato) B. has been with us for 2 years. He came to Boys Home to get away from negative influences in his life and hoping to learn to be more independent. Cato plans to attend Virginia Military Institute (VMI) after he graduates and wants to become an officer in the military. He says he has learned a lot about being organized and managing finances at Boys Home and he has seen himself make better choices. Cato’s favorite memory from Boys Home was attending VMI’s College Orientation Workshop last summer.

Keondre C. has been with us at Boys Home for 3 years. He came to Boys Home to improve his grades. Keondre plans to go to community college for 2 years after he graduates and then transfer to Old Dominion University to study marine biology. Keondre says he’s learned to be less self-serving, to tell the truth, and not to complain when things don’t go his way. He says Boys Home has helped him to be more confident in himself. Keondre will miss the relationships he’s built with staff and residents when he leaves Boys Home.

Chris S. has been with us at Boys Home for 5 years. Chris came to Boys Home because his grades were bad and he wasn’t listening to his parents at home. After he graduates, he plans to attend community college for 2 years and then transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University to study pre-physical therapy. Chris says he’s learned time management, money management, and better manners since being at Boys Home. Chis is going to miss his close friends at Boys Home and the relationships he’s built with the houseparents.

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Adam B. has been with us at Boys Home for almost 4 years. Adam came to Boys Home because he was skipping school and having trouble getting along with his family. Adam is going to pursue trades school to become a certified HVAC technician after he graduates. Since being here, Adam says he’s learned that not everything is about him and he’s learned to be a better person. Adam’s favorite memory from Boys Home was going to a Baltimore Orioles game a few years ago.

Aurelius M. has been here at Boys Home since last September. He came to Boys Home to focus more on academics and graduate on time. Aurelius hopes to go to college to study culinary arts, sports management, or health sciences. Aurelius says he’s learned how to work with different personalities in both peers and adults since being here. He can tell he has more focus on his future now. His favorite memories at Boys Home were playing on the basketball team and taking road trips to away games.

Deontaze (Taz) D. has been at Boys Home for about 2 years. He came to Boys Home because he wasn’t listening to his parents and was getting in trouble. Taz will start community college in Baltimore, MD in June to study music and then go to barber school when he finishes his degree. Taz says that Boys Home has taught him strong work ethic, to set goals for himself and achieve them, and to look out for other people. Taz will miss the people in the community and staff who have stuck by him through everything.

Raekwon (Rae) K. has been at Boys Home for 3 years. He came to Boys Home because he was getting in trouble at home. Rae plans to attend community college for 2 years and then transfer to Virginia Military Institute to finish his education. Rae says he’s learned to take advantage of the opportunities given to him. Since being here, Rae says that his eyes have become more open to the world and he has become more wise in his decisions. Rae’s favorite thing about Boys Home is that the boys in his cottages have become like brothers to him.

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Awards Banquet, cont.

The George Floyd Rogers Citizenship Award Sequoia N.

The Michael F. Folland Award (voted by the boys)

Jokwaun S. The Berlin and Frances Lineberry Scholarship

Jokwaun S. The Donald “Pete” Dimick Memorial Scholarships

(for athletic camp) Abe A.

The Barry D. Mays Memorial Award (for outstanding ELA resident)

Deontaze D. The Joseph D. & Hilda C. Dent Memorial Award

Chris S. 1st Lt. Joshua Charles Hurley Memorial Award

Deontaze D. The David C. Hall Memorial Award

Shama B. The Bill and Lang Wilson Scholarship

Raekwon K. The Matthew Foster Scholarship

Chris S. and Raekwon K. Madeline S. Mumford Scholarship

Carlton B. The Sam Cunningham Award

Sequoia N. The Steven Rogers Memorial Award

Michael W. The Jhakee Avant Honorary Scholarship

Deontaze D. The Key Club Scholarship

Deontaze D.

Highest GPA (Public School) Elementary School: Maxwell D.

Middle School: Charles P. High School: Amara K.

Highest GPA (Boys Home School) Middle School: Carlos B.

High School: Darius J. Most Improved Student

Khalil C. Good School Citizen Award

Carlos B. The Tice “Think About” Contest

1st Place- “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a

brand new ending.” - Carl Bard Hunter W.

Farm Crew Worker of the Year Hunter W.

Tree Farm Worker of the Year Jonathan S.

Grounds Crew Worker of the Year Jonathan S.

HVAC Student of the Year Mark L.

CAT CORE Student of the Year Adam B.

Best Foot Forward Sequoia N. and Jokwaun S.

Helping Hands Award Maxwell D., Isaiah G., Samson K., Trey E., Logan F.,

Bryson M., Abe A., Carlos B., Hunter W.

Also recognized with Certificates of Participation were members of the Tae Kwon Do class, Hilltoppers Boys Basketball Team, the boys involved in theatrical productions, Key Club, and Boys Home Resident Council.

Pictured left: Chuck and Christine Hurley present the 1st Lt. Joshua Charles Hurley Memorial Award to Deontaze D. for his essay on what “service” means to him.

Pictured right: Ms. Sammie Brookman presented the David C. Hall memorial Award to Shama B. for his “never-give-up” attitude.

Pictured far right: Deontaze D. accepts Key Club Scholarship presented by local Kiwanis Club member, Gordon Specht.

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Summer Wish List Pillows

Twin and Twin XL sheet sets Twin and Twin XL comforters

Alarm clocks Towels & Washcloths

Bath mats Clothes hangers

Cups & Silverware Dish towels Door mats

Shower curtains & liners Work gloves Travel kits

Batteries (AAA, AA, C & D) Gift Cards

School Supplies USB Flash Drives

Highlighters Red pens

Glue Sticks Mechanical pencils

Calculators

Dates to remember… June 25 -Alumni Day July 25-29 -Staff Training Week July 28-29 -Board of Trustees meeting on campus August 10 -Back to School! Mission Groups in June -St. John’s and St. Paul’s Episcopal Churches of Lynchbug, VA -Trinity Episcopal Church of Portsmouth, VA Mission Groups in July -Old Donation Episcopal Church of Virginia Beach, VA -Galilee Episcopal Church of Virginia Beach, VA -Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Greenwood, VA Mission Groups in August -Epiphany Episcopal Church of Danville, VA

Tice “Think about it” Contest— Winning Essay By Hunter W. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.” -Carl Bard To me, this quote perfectly describes the Boys Home experience because all residents come here because of what they have done in their pasts. Boys Home makes the ending of our story a great one if we decide to change for the best. I was here once before for about two years and really thought this place was pointless. I was wrong. Eight months ago, after being at Boys Home for two years, I decided going home was a good idea. The first two weeks were pretty smooth, but then I got back in school and started hanging out with the same group of friends I had left behind. Once I started getting in trouble again, it was just like everything fell apart. My grades went down which led to me and my parents fighting. Every time I fought with my mom and dad, I would leave the house and go stay at a friend’s house for a few days. It eventually got to the point that my parents weren’t home either. As a result, I started staying home more often to watch my little brothers and sister. Every weekend, I would go to my friend’s house where we would smoke and then go hang out in the woods and do stupid things. It got to the point that I just didn’t care anymore. I started skipping classes and selling and buying tobacco when I was in school. The last thing I did that made me decide to come back was that I got into a fight with a kid at school. School officials said they were going to press charges. That’s when I decided to return to Boys Home. I came back looking to change my life around. Since I returned, I have worked to get my grades back on track and now have a 3.0 GPA. When I go home now, I don’t fight as much with my parents and I’m starting to hang out with the right group of friends. I have a job on the farm working every day of the week and I’m working on getting a job out in town. My goal once I’m out of Boys Home is to go into welding or HVAC as a career. I want to eventually live in the middle of nowhere and buy a big piece of land to use the skills I have been taught. I hope to continue to use the skills that Boys home has instilled in me such as good manners, a strong work ethic, and independence. Somewhere down the road, I want to come back to show some of the boys that will be here at the time how much Boys Home will help them in the long run. That is when I will prove to others and myself that my “brand new ending” is complete.

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A successful man has to start somewhere...

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Lynchburg, VA

PERMIT NO.161

414 Boys Home Road

Covington, Virginia 24426

(540) 965-7700

www.boyshomeofva.org

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Boys Appeal - Summer 2016

Boys Home School residents bring home blue ribbons from Covington Women’s Club Art Contest

From left to right, residents Bryson M., Carlos B., and Trey E. of Boys Home School all placed 1st at the local and District levels for their entries in the Covington Women’s Club Art

Contest. The boys are accompanied by teachers Terri Slusser and Kelley Calhoun as well as Joyce Loving from the Covington Women’s Club. We are very proud of these talented artists

and their accomplishments!