S-T Elementary Kids Come Through for “Operation Shoebox”

Several weeks ago, Lion Russ Duggins, Unit Commissioner for the Boy Scouts and Secretary of the Skidmore-Tynan Lions Club, received an email from the Scout Office in Corpus Christi with a request from Joy Kluss who is the manager of the Black Eyed Pea to have the scouts participate in “Operation Shoebox” by providing “handmade” Valentines for our Troops overseas. Mrs. Kluss is a Navy Wife and is personally involved with the project. Lion Russ looked at the time frame and realized that there was not enough time to present this idea to the Pack or Troop, so he sent the request to Barbra Seger, the Skidmore-Tynan ISD Nurse and with the blessing of Patty Holubec, the Elementary Principal, the ball got “kicked off.“

Mrs. Seger passed the idea to the teachers at a staff meeting on January 14th. The teachers caught the pass and carried it for the winning touchdown. Each class worked on their own individual Valentines or put their efforts into one from the entire class. Mrs. Seger informed Lion Russ that the Valentines would be ready to be picked up on the 21st of January. Within a week, some 317 elementary students put their thoughts into pictures and words. Then with the expert assistance from their teachers, that won the school a “National Blue Ribbon“, these amazing students put those pictures and thoughts on paper.

Lion Russ picked up around 75 “special” hand made Valentines on the 21st. from Mrs. Seger’s office. He was totally amazed at the thoughtfulness, care and talent that the kids demonstrated as he looked at a few of those “SPECIAL” Valentines. Some were put together with pop ups and the sentiments, if you were able to read some, would bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart. You could really tell that the Skidmore-Tynan Elementary Students really put their hearts into their work.

When Lion Russ approached Mrs. Holubec on January 22nd. with his thanks for her support with this project and indicated that the Skidmore-Tynan Lions Club would like to show their appreciation for the job that “her” kids did, she suggested he wait another day to see if more cards had been completed after the original deadline. Lion Russ agreed, not wanting to leave any of the students out, and went back to the school on Friday, January 23rd to pick up the stragglers.

Lion Russ was not prepared for what he saw upon entering Mrs. Holubec’s Office. There were four or five stacks of Valentines, each with twenty to thirty cards. "I'm going to have to rent a truck to take them all to Corpus Christi!" he joked.

“Too seldom do our children get recognized for the good that they do“ said Lion Russ, “and I am going to do my best to let the communities of Skidmore, Tynan, Papalote and Olmos know that their children deserve a pat on the back. My hat’s off to Mrs. Holubec and her staff for the job they are doing within the Skidmore-Tynan Elementary School.”