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Florida Heartland Connection Florida Heartland Connection November Newsletter 11/7/2017 Edition 2 Volume 11 We ARE 99’s UPCOMING EVENTS Meeting Nov. 4, 2017 L-R, Rita Spindler, Shira Ellsworth, Kathy Howitt, Ann Hamilton, Terri Crutchfield, Janice Rearick, JoAnne Alcorn, and Debbie Baker. (Not pictured, June Beers and Vikki Greenleaf) Next Meeting Dec 2nd 10 am Sebring FBO bring two We are back at work! Thank you to Janice Rearick and the “batches” of cookies or rest of the Board for allowing our Chairman to stay “up anything else you would north” moving from Massachusetts to New York. You all will like to fill boxes with. have a room ready for you up north in the cool weather this summer. Not only did you all have two wonderful meetings Scholarship Winner will be announced at Dec in my absence but you have made huge progress. A new 2nd meeting! process to control expenses has been put in place, our new programs coordinator has given us three excellent speakers, BRING A FRIEND! and there are more to come. January our own Kathy Howitt NEW Committee Chairs: will speak to us about nutrition & health, two things Membership: Terri important to a pilot. Kathy is a Register Dietitian Nutritionist Crutchfield the information will be very beneficial to all of us. The Scholarships committee worked hard promoting our very Programs: Janice Rearick first flight currency scholarship of $1,000.00 and it will be SES Meeting 2020 awarded at the next meeting. We had four very qualified Committee Chair: women that applied. Ginger Adelstone Member Spotlight - Shira Ellsworth I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1975. My parents were missionaries in Scotland for 4 years and then Pastors at a church in Manchester, England for 6 years. There was a lot of travelling between the States and the UK in my growing up years and I began to fall in love with travel and meeting people in different countries. In addition, my grandfather, who lived in Ohio, would take my brother and I flying in his Cessna 172 when we came to the USA to visit. I fell in love with flying in small aircraft! At the age of 15 I decided I wanted to be a missionary pilot so I could combine my love of flying with helping others. I went to Hesston College in Kansas in September of 1993 and obtained my Commercial Pilot license with an Instrument rating and graduated with an Associates in Aviation in 1995. I moved back to Ohio in September of 1995 where I completed my CFI. I simultaneously attended an aircraft mechanic school near Detroit, Michigan where I graduated with an A & P diploma and certificate. It was at the aircraft mechanic school that I met my husband Jeff. He too wanted to serve on the mission field through Aviation. We dated for 1 year, engaged for 8 months and after graduating A & P School May 1997, we then married in August 1997. I worked as a Flight Instructor at Willow Run airport in Michigan, then at the Ann Arbor airport where I also worked as an A & P mechanic so I could gain experience before going to the mission field. In March of 1999, Jeff and I moved to Kissimmee, Florida to serve Missionair. Missionair was flying a DC-3 to Honduras doing short term mission trips and they needed Pilots and mechanics. We volunteered with Missionair while Jeff worked for Spirit Airlines as a mechanic. Jeff also obtained his Private Pilot license in 2002. We were offered an airplane project in January of 2001, it was a Murphy Rebel, which is a taildragger and experimental airplane. Jeff and I (along with help from others) built the Murphy Rebel in two years. One of the wonderful memories I have is seeing the Murphy Rebel fly for the first time while holding our two week old son, Benjamin! To make a long story short, we took the Murphy Rebel to Belize in 2005 and served on the mission field full time for seven years. We were able to transport missionaries, Pastors and cargo around Belize. My favorite memory is flying the village children over their village as a reward for learning their Bible verses, and they knew exactly where to find their house and everything else in their village! Jeff and I moved back to Florida in 2012. We lived in Sebring for two years, then served in the Philippines at an orphanage and garbage dump for almost one year. We moved back to Sebring in January of 2016. The Murphy Rebel had some major repairs that needed to be done, due to hurricanes and a baggage cart that drove into the tail! So it was put in a container and moved to a missionary maintenance facility in Wauchula Florida where it is currently being worked on and it is almost finished! In the meantime, Jeff is working for Lockwood Aviation as a mechanic and I am working as an Independent Flight Instructor until we go back to the mission field. Jeff & I have been youth pastors for over 15 years, and we continue to do ministry while we are in the USA, and take short term mission trips in the summer time. We currently have three children; Benjamin who is 14 years old, Leilani who is 10 years old and Annabelle who is three years old. I am delighted to be a part of the FL Heartland Chapter, of the ninety-nines and look forward to getting to know more women pilots! Wicked Witches in Bartow! THE NINETY-NINES – Florida Heartland Chapter Saturday, November 4, 2017 10:00 – 11:00 am Sebring Airport Authority – Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF) Attenance: Vikki Greenleaf, Chairman Janice Rearick, Vice-Chairman JoAnne Alcorn, Treasurer Kathy Howitt, Secretary Ann Hamilton Terri Crutchfield Debbie Snavely Ellen Spindler June Beers Shira Ellsworth No visitors The meeting was called to order at 10:00am. There was a quorum present. Vikki, Chairman, welcomed all members. She thanked Janice for leading meetings over the last two months, in her absence. Secretary’s Report: Kathy summarized the minutes from October’s meeting. They were approved, motion by Janice, second by Debbie. Treasurer’s Report: JoAnne presented the Treasure’s Report. The current overall Chapter balance is healthy. 1. June asked what funds were needed/earmarked over the next couple months. Joanne provided the following: a. Scholarship of $1000 to be announced in December and paid out in 2018. Scholarship funds reside within the above Chapter balance for now. b. We may have possible January Sebring Expo expenses and Section Meeting expenses in 2020. 2. June expressed a desire for greater chapter involvement in merchandise sales currently handled by Ginger. No action taken. Vice Chair Report: Janice thanked everyone for their patience as she chaired the Sept and October meetings. Programs for the next 3 meetings are: 1. Today Shira: Aviation Weather 2. December: Christmas Festivities with boxing of cookies and candy for our friends at the FBOs, Airport Towers and others who help our pilots. Each member is asked to bring 3-4 doz cookies and some candy for the boxes. 3. January: Kathy Nutrition for Aviation Chairman Report: In thinking and planning for hosting the spring 2020 SE Section Meeting, Vikki described two Section meetings that she had attended: Miami and Memphis. The next SE Section meeting is during Sun ‘N Fun in April. Events will be at the Expo and offsite. Vikki encouraged members to look into the Lifetime Membership rates that were recently announced. Vikki asked for a volunteer to chair the recently vacated Membership Committee. Terri volunteered Committees: 1. Committee Reports Annual Sport Aviation Expo: Open Position. No report Scholarship: June, JoAnne and Ann. There were 4 applicants for the current scholarship, all Heartland 99 Chapter members. The scholarship committee devised a scoring matrix to evaluate the applicants in an objective manner. Details were shared. The committee will be meeting today and a decision will be announced at the December meeting. June suggested the Chapter to continue to make scholarships a primary objective of this Chapter. Aerospace Safety: June passed out a FAA flyer on Pilot Survival Tips. Ways and Means: No report Newsletter: No Report By-laws: No report. NIFA Coordinator: No Report Flying Activities: Open Position. FAAS Team. No report. Meeting Programs, Activities: No Report Website: Open Public Relations: Open Unfinished Business: 1. JoAnne presented some information on hosting the upcoming 2020 Section Meeting. In researching she found: a. “Barebones” is fine and not unpopular. “Showcase” provides more options. Most participants arrive Thurs/Friday and the event is Saturday. Average attendance is 60-80. b. Things to work on: hotel agreement, hospitality room, banquet hall, catering, fuel discount at airport, events, tours, lectures, transportation. c. Most Chapters break even, some generate income. d. The SE Section will provide a $1000 interest free “loan” for up-front costs such as hotel and catering down payments. 2. These items were discussed. a. Transportation challenges due to our distance from commercial airport. b. Discussion of our Chapter not becoming involved in transportation due to liability concerns. c. Possible tours: Lockwood, TLC, Tecnam d. Silent auction during event, plenty of time to collect donations e. Schedule expo during Sebring Light Sport Expo: pros and cons 3. Ginger has expressed an interest being Chairman of this event. Ginger has many aviation, business and 99’s contacts that would be very helpful. Motion for Ginger as chairperson by Debbie, second by Ellen. Approved by membership. 4. JoAnne presented reimbursement forms and approval guidelines for Chapter expenses. June expressed concern about $250 approval by JoAnne.
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