The SeaShell
Marco Island Shell Club Newsletter
April 22, 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Shell Club Members Extraordinaire!
Thank you, and let’s congratulate ourselves on a successful season and sale. Our club
is just an amazing group of ladies and gentlemen.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Board of Directors. Without their time, dedication, commitment and
wisdom, my tenure as president would not be as productive nor positive. Table chairs and committee leaders,
a big thank you. Every member, THANK YOU!
The Board of Directors says good-bye to Marge Tunnell, vice president and Mary Ann Coke as membership
chair. As membership chair, Mary Ann brought organization and innovation to the club. Marge, as VP, was
always by my side to offer assistance, support and reminders. The seminars for which she arranged
speakers were well attended and quite interesting and informative. Thank you ladies for jobs well done.
Welcome to our new officers. Kathy Benedik is President-Elect. She will “shadow” me for the year and then
become the next president. My enduring memory of Kathy is not that she was a great recording secretary, but
when I was a new member to the club, she not only invited me to join the jewelry table, but made me feel
truly welcome. My only hope is that I can mentor her as well as she did me.
Joan Robbins is our Vice-President. To list all of her contributions to the club would take all of my article
space. So, she has done it all. However, her greatest contribution to me has been her calm ability to advise
me when I stray off course. She is the by- laws “guru” and ensures that the Board of Directors stays true to
course.
Christine Hewitt is our recording secretary. I have no anecdotes to tell about Chris because we are still
becoming acquainted. What I do know is that she is a computer wiz, and that she did a super job at her initial
secretary task. Her minutes were accurate and she was an active participant at her first Directors’ meeting.
Pat Wood is our new excursion chair. She, too, had much to offer at her first Board of Director’s meeting and
will organize some great trips for our club.
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April 22, 2015
I have many fond memories of our 35th Shell Show. However, I smiled most at our young alphabet cone
contest winners. Their joy was just contagious. I also witnessed a member’s grandson make a purchase from
the critter table. He strode to the cashier table, paid for it while telling our cashier, Ruth, the amount of
change he was owed (it was correct) and then he wished all the ladies at the table a good day. Maybe he will
become a future treasurer in the club. It is truly inspiring to see parents encourage their children/
grandchildren to learn about shells and the environment.
The Sailor’s Valentine workshop was a tremendous success. Seven ladies met for three sessions, under the
tutelage and expertise of Connie Marshall Miller. We completed our valentines and you have never witnessed
such joy and pride from a group. Personally, I never thought I would complete the task as well as being
amazed at the result. Connie made me do it! Thank you.
As President, I had the privilege to announce that the Board of Directors’ approved three Honorary
Members. They were Phyllis Marco, Shirley Prushko and Dorothy Skender. All were past Presidents, but
more importantly, they were, for many years, tremendous contributors to our club. Congratulations on a welldeserved honor.
Phyllis Marco
Shirley Prushko
Dorothy Skender
.
There is a current vacancy for membership chair. An anticipated vacancy will be for Scholarship and Grants
Committee Chair. If anyone is interested in either position or if you want to ask questions, please feel free to
email or telephone me.
Finally, rest, relax, enjoy and come back prepared for season 36.
Marsha Prunetti -
President
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April 22, 2015
2015 SHELL SHOW CHAIR REPORT
Thank You!
Marco Island Shell Club Volunteers
With your dedication and hard work, once again, our show - this year surpassed all of our
expectations! You, ALL, are some of the best examples of what volunteering is all about
and that is why our club remains:
“one of the strongest in the state!”
Thank You! Marco Island & Surrounding Collier
County Communities
Iberia Bank, CJs on the Bay, Friends of Rookery Bay, and
Florida Gulf Coast University were among community sponsors
of our show this year. Their generosity was greatly appreciated!
Prizes for our very first “Hunt for An Anomaly” contest also came from right here in our Marco Island
community - Golden Gate Jewelers, Marco Island
Center for the Arts, and Rookery Bay Kayaks. We appreciate your support!
Happy
anomaly
Mark Your Calendars
winner
2016 Marco Island Shell Show
March 10 - 12
+++++++++++
Happ
y ano
maly
win
ner
For the complete list of award winners, check out our website!
www.marcoshellclub.com
Check out our Shell Show Picture Gallery on our website - COMING SOON you will be able to relive the
entire 2015 Shell Show in pictures! Watch for an email blast!
Have a fabulous relaxing summer!
Jae Kellogg - 2015 Shell Show Chair
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April 22, 2015
WORKSHOP, WORKSHOP, WORKSHOP
The Gift Shop at the 2015 Marco Island Shell Show was absolutely awesome. It
showcased the incredible talent and dedication to a cause by the MISC Workshop
Members. Collectively we raised a great amount of funds to be used for our
scholarship and grants program -- our ever-present goal.
The Workshop season is a blur to me in review! Each Tuesday
the room was buzzing with excitement, exclamations of wonder, pride in
achievement, camaraderie, and friendship. There were hugs, a few tears,
shouting on occasion, missing power
strips, lost table covers, and
general cooperativeness as we
completed our tasks.
The Table Leaders outdid
themselves this year as witnessed by
the photos that are included with this
message. There were so many
wonderful projects completed -- some
new, and some old favorites revisited.
The flood of buyers entering the Gift Shop on Thursday morning
was surreal and they continued to arrive until the close of the Show on Saturday. They were so anxious to
see what we had to offer and we did not disappoint. The displays were so well organized and showcased our
projects beautifully. As I looked around the
room, I watched buyers selecting items from
each table area. Now and then I saw
workshop members showing up with extra
merchandise they were producing as the Show
was going on. Thanks for that! Everyone's
willingness to help is what makes this CLUB a
great experience.
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April 22, 2015
In retrospect, we had a great Workshop
Season. There were so many positives in both the
shell art we created and the friendships we
established or cemented.
I am looking forward to my time at home in
Iowa to reacquaint myself with my plants, my birds
and bunnies who visit, and my daily bike ride
through my neighborhood. Soon, however, I will be
ready to get back to Marco, the geckos trying to get
inside, my daily beach walk, and the thrill of starting
yet another Workshop Season with the Marco
Island Shell Club. See you all soon......................
Becky Miller – Workshop Chair
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April 22, 2015
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
Thank you to everyone who worked so faithfully to make this year another rousing
success!
At the Thank You Dinner on March 25, attendees heard presentations from the two Florida Gulf Coast
University graduate students who each received $2,000 to support their graduate research projects. Matt
Gamel showed us how he is working in the field of intensive seafood management to minimize the negative
effects of fish waste. Working at the Vester Center, he is experimenting with various algae, the goal being to
identify algae that consume most of the waste at a rapid rate so that it is not a pollution problem for industrial
fish farming. A smaller version of this is being demonstrated at ECHO in North Fort Myers in order to help
underdeveloped countries provide food at the village level, but Matt’s work is attempting to address the issue
on a larger more intensive scale.
Katie Kaack is working with hydrodynamics or fluid dynamics to determine how the rate of water flow over
seagrass beds impacts their sustainability. She is attempting to quantify dissipation, deposition and
resuspension of particles in order to develop a mathematical model useful in comparing natural occurrences
against a controlled sample. She uses measurements taken in Estero Bay and compares them to
measurements she takes from controlled water flow in the flume at the Vester Center. Her goal is to develop
a model that will allow better management of naturally occurring seagrass beds.
Looking forward to 2015-16, the committee received approval from the membership and the board of
directors to award Elizabeth Salewski, the doctoral student whose research we support at the University of
South Florida, another $5,000 research scholarship. Her work is progressing well. She officially passed her
examinations so that she is now a “doctoral candidate.” In addition to her research studies, she’s also a
teaching assistant and supervises graduate students. Expecting that her research and subsequent studies
will go smoothly, she anticipates receiving her Ph.D. in the spring of 2016.
We expect to hear more from her during the coming season, as she periodically updates us.
Next season, the club will also support educational efforts at Rookery Bay with two grants. One will
significantly underwrite transportation costs for National Estuaries Day in late September. This event is well
attended by local families, whose children are always intrigued by what they see and learn. After visiting the
education center, families are bussed to the boat dock on Shell Island Road where they board pontoon boats
in order to closely examine life in Rookery Bay.
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April 22, 2015
The other grant will allow purchase of additional microscopes and a camera with projecting capabilities for
basic education on site. Each year school students visit Rookery Bay as part of their science curriculum. To
date, the instructor has had very limited means of showing students what microscopic life is actually in the
bay waters. The microscopes and projecting camera will enable everyone to look at the same creatures at the
same time, thus making the visit and its accompanying instruction much more meaningful for everyone. The
total value of these grants is $4,000, money well spent to support basic education in the marine sciences for
the general public as well as school children.
A generous gift from the Ciaramello family, combined with money from the club, will enable continuation of a
$2,000 competitive research scholarship for a graduate student at FGCU. We will be hearing the outcome of
that work at the March, 2016, thank you dinner. Stay tuned for initial details of the recipient and his/her work
in forthcoming newsletters.
I am sorry to say that Martha Bennett has resigned from the committee, as she contributed fresh and
innovative ideas for us to explore. We will miss her insights and thoughtfulness.
Please feel free to share your ideas, questions, or concerns with committee members - - - Paulette and Bruce
Carrabelli, Joan Robbins, and Carolyn Ginther, Chairperson
Carolyn Ginther – Scholarship Chair
EXCURSIONS
As your new Excursion Chair I have been able to schedule the following for the 2015 – 2016 season:
-‐ Florida Gulf Coast University -‐ Marco Island Shell Club Tour of academic building 7 which includes the Marine Science Labs, lunch on campus, and then a tour of the Vester Marine & Environmental Science Research Field Station will be on Thursday January 21, 2016
-‐ Fossil Dig with Gary Schmelz , Saturday January 23, 2016 Please send any requests to sign up or suggestions for possible excursions to me at
[email protected]
I am looking forward to serving you this season.
Pat Wood– Education/Excursion Chair
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April 22, 2015
SEMINARS - WEBSITE
SEMINARS TO COME The following speakers are confirmed for the 2015-2016 season:
•
•
•
• Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015: Our first seminar of the season will feature Elizabeth
Salewski, the doctoral candidate at University of South Florida whose research the club
is continuing to support, who will update us on her findings.
Thursday, January 7, 2016: Linda Shockley, full-time Marco Island resident and naturalist, will
present More of Marco’s Marvelous Mollusks, including her stunning photography of local shells.
Linda’s exhibits at our Shell Show have won numerous awards.
Thursday, February 4, 2016: Jim Cordy’s topic will be Shells of Eleuthera Island. Jim, who resides in
Merritt Island, Florida, specializes in self-collected shells of the Caribbean, and has exhibited often at
our Shell Show.
Thursday, March 3, 2016: TBA
Seminars will be held at the United Church of Marco and will begin at 6:00 p.m. (Note time change)….
ON THE WEBSITE The club website now has a new, more modern design which improves its responsiveness to a variety of
viewing platforms. Updated software has been added which expands its capabilities. For example, next
season, members will be able to sign up for excursions online. Check out the “work in progress” at
www.marcoshellclub.com , especially to view the preliminary 2015 Shell Show picture gallery. I will be
working with our website designer over the summer to have everything completed for our 2015-2016 season
Editor’s note: This new view now works very well on mobile devices
Joan Robbins– Vice President/Seminar Chair/Website Chair
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April 22, 2015
MEMBERSHIP
FINAL MEMBERSHIP THOUGHTS for 2015 • Excited to announce that we had a back-‐to-‐back increase in enrollment which exceeded last year’s count with a high of 180 members! •
Tuesdays’ Workshop participants’ attendance was also at a high of 100 artists designing and creating everything imaginable out of shells. No one can do it better than…the Marco Shell Club! •
Great support has come from our NEW MEMBERS with a new high of 45 this year! Check out the FULL list below! The new Workshop Photo Directory board has helped all to learn more faces with connecting names. It also showed a visual concept of the organization’s depth in creative expression. Saying Goodbye for Now… TEAM 2015 NEW MEMBERS A n t i c i p a t e y o u r r e t u r n i n 2 0 1 6 ! Ackermann, Karen-‐-‐Massachusetts Apy, Kathy—Florida Arnold, Judy—Ohio Bengston, Melda—Delaware Blonna, Heidi—Florida Braun, Raakel—Florida Calce, Suzanne—Florida Crossland, Chrystine—Spain Dallner, Diane—Iowa Giordano, Janet—Florida Goril, Jim—Illinois Graev, Nancy—Florida Griffith, Judy—Delaware Added after Feb. 24 Bellio, Barbara—Colorado Benner, Lois-‐-‐Pennsylvania Griffith, Paul—Delaware Hall, Fran—Massachusetts Heximer, Sally—Ohio Hicks, Pam—Florida Holmes, Meg—Michigan James, Emily—Florida Lenard, Nancy—Florida Markel, Joyce—Maryland McNeilly, Cathy—Florida Mefford, Diane—Florida Nathanson, Lynn—New York Nathanson, Marvin—New York Pitso, Fran—Illinois Added after Feb. 24 Hellerman, Doris-‐-‐Pennsylvania Marcho, Richard-‐-‐ Pennsylvania Powell, Linda—Indiana Runey, Christine—Massachusetts Russ, Marilynn—Iowa Schultz, Jean—Michigan Sternberg, Susan—Wisconsin Tomalski, Carole—Connecticut Togow, Marilyn—Florida Tyler, Andrew—Massachusetts Watson, Jan—Canada Whittwer, Judy—Florida Wise, Cindy—Florida Wood, John—Massachusetts Added after Feb. 24 Ruble, Rachelle-‐-‐Ohio Wilson, Donna—New Jersey Wilson, Julia—New Jersey MEMBERSHIP NOTICE— Think of me when you have a CHANGE OF PERSONAL DATA. Send me a quick email at [email protected] if you MOVE, CHANGE your E-‐MAIL address. This will keep you in the “know” with current Club news! Saying Goodbye for Now… Enjoy the approaching spring in your home state and a relaxing summer doing what you love. Mary Ann Coke – Membership Chair
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9 Marco Island Shell Club Newsletter
April 22, 2015
THANK YOU DINNER & ANNUAL MEETING
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
It’s!a!way!of!thanking!the!Shell!Club!members!who!contributed!their!time!and!talents!to!the!success!of!
another! season! of! the! Annual! Shell! Show.! ! As! the! night’s! final! affair,! friends! and! new! acquaintances!
chatted! over! a! causal! meal! with! the! elegance! of! bluePribbon! dining! and! a! repeat! performance! of! the!
infamous!homemade!coconut!cake!provided!by!the!Jewelry!Workshop!Table!!!A!great!thanks!to!Kimberly&
Porter’s!Dinner&Team,!for!providing!a!memorable!dinner!for!95!persons!!!!
in n
The*D
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!
Welcoming*Committee*
Mary&Archbold&&&Jae&Kellogg&
lmes.!
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Recognitions*at*Annual*Meeting*
Left.!New!Honorary!Member,!Dorothy&Skender,&Past!Club!Pres!!!
Right.!2016!New!Club!Officers—Kathy&Benedik,!Pres!Elect;!Joan&
ts *
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!!
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10 Marco Island Shell Club Newsletter
Read All About It…
shells turned in for
basketball…!
April 22, 2015
Ma rco S hell Club fea tured in pre -game & pos t ga me
ac tivi ti es ...at Florida G ulf Coa st Uni versity…Wom en ’s
Fin al Home Bas ketb all G ame o n Sa t, Feb ruary 28 th
Pre-Game Warm-Ups…!
High Fives…Good Luck
Ladies Eagles!!
Front. Member Nella Neary, a FGCU fan, arranged the
event with free admission, FGCU shirts & group photo.
The Lady Eagles performed with power & strong victory
over Jacksonville. What a GREAT night to cheer on our
sponsored university!
!
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11 Marco Island Shell Club Newsletter
April 22, 2015
PUBLICITY
Again our active season has come to an end. I think this newsletter is a celebration of
all the happened in the 2014 – 2015 season. By all measurement, it was a great
season.
I want to add my thanks to all of the newsletter contributors for doing such a great job.
And especialy to Mary Ann who submitted the Thank-you-Dinner page and the FGCU
basketball page.
Have a great summer. I encourage you to occasionally check our new website to see
the good work that Joan will be doing and to watch for news that our committee chairs and officers may post.
I look forward to putting out our next newsletter in October, highlighting the start of our new season.
John Tunnell– Publicity Chair
2015-2016 OFFICERS AND CHAIRS
Officers
Chairs
President......................... Marsha Prunetti
President Elect……….…. Kathy Benedik
Vice President................. Joan Robbins
Recording Secretary........ Christine Hewitt
Corresponding Sec.......... Carole Stavenas
Treasurer......................... Lisa Fitz-Gerald
Shell Show..................... Jae Kellogg
Membership....................
Contact........................... Carole Stavenas
Scholarship..................... Carolyn Ginther
Education/Excursions..... Pat Wood
Publicity.......................... John Tunnell
Website …………………. Joan Robbins
Seminar........................... Joan Robbins
Workshop............ Becky Miller/Debbie Towey
Address all correspondence to :
Marco Island Shell Club, Inc.
P. O. Box 633
Marco island, FL 34146
www.marcoshellclub.com
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12 Marco Shell Club 2015 -‐ 2016 Calendar DATE
DAY
TIME
ACTIVITY
LOCATION
Nov. 3
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Nov. 3
Tues.
12:00 PM
BOD mtg
U-Church
Nov. 5
Thurs.
6:00 PM
Seminar
U-Church
Nov. 10
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Nov. 17
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Nov. 24
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Dec. 1
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop/holiday pot luck
U-Church
Dec. 5
Sat.
9:00 AM
Holiday Sale
Winn Dixie
Dec. 8
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Dec. 8
Tues.
12:00 PM
BOD mtg
U-Church
Dec. 15
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Jan. 5
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Jan. 7
Thurs.
6:00 PM
Seminar
U-Church
Jan. 12
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Jan. 12
Tues.
12:00 PM
BOD mtg
U-Church
Jan. 19
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Jan. 21
Thurs.
9:00 AM
Excursion - FGCU Campus
FGCU
Jan. 23
Sat.
Excursion - Fossil Dig
Fossil Dig
Jan. 26
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Feb. 2
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Feb. 4
Thurs.
6:00 PM
Seminar
U-Church
Feb. 9
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Feb. 9
Tues.
12:00 PM
BOD mtg
U-Church
Feb. 16
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Feb. 16
Tues.
12:00 PM
SS mtg
U-Church
Feb. 18
Thurs.
7:30 AM
shell hunt/picnic
Sarazen Park
Feb. 23
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Mar. 1
Tues.
9:00 AM
workshop
U-Church
Mar. 1
Tues.
12:00 PM
BOD mtg
U-Church
Mar. 3
Thurs.
6:00 PM
Seminar
U- church
Mar. 8
Tues.
Show set-up
U- church
Mar. 9
Wed.
9:00am to 12:00 pm
Exhibitors set-up
U-Church
Mar. 9
Wed.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Judging
U- Church
Mar. 9
Wed.
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Reception
U-Church
Mar. 10-12
Thurs to Sat.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Shell Show
U-Church
Mar. 15
Tues.
9:00 AM
Team Leaders Mtg
U-Church
Mar. 23
Wed.
5:30 PM
Thank you Dinner/Annual Mtg
U-Church
Mar. 25
Fri.
10:00 AM
BOD mtg
U-Church
TBA