HEARTS Museum – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Five Flags Over Huntsville

By Jessica Northam

With the nearing of Veterans Day, the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum hosted a flag dedication ceremony to honor the men and women who have served our nation. Organized by Jeff Bradley, and executed by the great staff at the HEARTS Veterans Museum, the ceremony brought in some of our elected officials and many local notables.

Mark Robinson, the director of the HEARTS Museum, began the ceremony. The Huntsville Men’s Choir led “The Star-Spangled Banner” and everyone joined in. A few special guests were introduced: Senator Charles Schwertner; Mayor of Huntsville Andy Brauninger; Todd Stevens, the District Director for Congressman Brady; and others.

Following the introductions, the flags were dedicated. The United State Army Flag was donated by Champe and Virginia Miller in honor of Captain Robert H. Rucker and Captain William A. Miller. The United States Navy Flag was donated by Phyllis and Walt Pinegar in honor of W.M. Bill Pinegar and W.E. Walt Pinegar. The United States Marine Corps Flag was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Freeman in honor of Captain Stephen P. Freeman. The United States Air Force Flag was donated by Sue Trammell Whitfield in honor of William F. Whitfield. Lastly, the United States Coast Guard Flag was donated by Tom and Charlotte Oleinik in honor of Clarence Magee.

While the flags were being raised, the Huntsville Men’s Choir sang the Armed Forces Medley. It was a beautiful ceremony full of love, respect, and pride for our country.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the guests were welcomed into the Museum for refreshments and desserts. In order to continue honoring of veterans and the Armed Forces, the HEARTS Museum remained open with free admissions until noon that day. Some wandered through the museum enjoying the articles from past wars and learning about our military’s history, while others enjoyed conversation with current military members and veterans who were in attendance.

As noon came around, people began to shuffle out and thanked the staff for a wonderful ceremony.

With the flags flying high and the echo of the Men’s Choir’s chants resonating in our ears, we all made our way out from the Museum feeling proud of attending the ceremony.

Hunts-Vegas & HEARTS

Viva, Viva, Lost Wages!! Well, maybe those are not the exact words of the famous Elvis song, but as we all can imagine those words fit the exact same meaning of Las Vegas! Once again, the LEAP Ambassadors are back for the annual Casino Night at the HEARTS Veterans Museum. The theme for this year’s casino night was 50’s and 60’s retro, so the LEAP Ambassadors left their suits at home and came in retro costumes of varying authenticity.

Of course, the boys displayed their stylish bowties. It was a particularly poignant event for me. It was my first event as a LEAP Ambassador last year, and it is my last event of this academic year, my last as an SHSU student. THe roulette wheel, as it were, went full circle. So I went all in on the costume.

The H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum of Texas honors veterans both past and present. The museum serves as a place for former, present, and future veterans to all come together to reflect on and share their experiences serving the country. Just as important, the museum allows all people to see the price that our veterans and those serving today have paid for this country. They do this through exhibits and programming, the latter led by the capable Letty Clark and when she asked us to volunteer for this event, we were more than happy to do so.

After a delicious meal, and a concert from Marilyn Monroe herself…

…the gambling began and the crowd rushed to the games! The games included poker, black jack, bingo and many slot machines. All the LEAP Ambassadors were very busy with their tasks.

Alex and Karla sold tickets for the raffle.

Bryan helped develop fabulous pictures to capture everyone’s great memories of the night.

Karla and Beatriz enjoyed their time helping at the Bingo Table.

And the two most outgoing Ambassadors, Megan and yours truly, used our charm to sell poker chips.

Before the night ended, the Ambassadors were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play some of the casino games. For some, it was their first time playing, but I was there to guide them through the process.

We had some winners and some losers at the tables, but it was all fun!

After the gambling had ceased, the main event had come: the raffle for prizes. Megan was the prize announcer and Alex chose all of the lucky winning tickets. Some of the major prizes included a one-hour massage at The Facemaker, a barbecue grill, a shotgun, and a trip to a resort and casino!

With some time spent with Marilyn Monroe, some time spent with one of our favorite community members Letty Clark, and some time spent together for a good cause, made it a fun, rewarding evening.

Of course, on a sadder note, I’ll be leaving my SHSU family, a prospect that made everyone sad (except, apparently, for Beatriz and Brian) …

But I’ll be back–for next year’s football game and some other random occasions, and LEAP will continue doing its usual combination of volunteerism, programming, pre-lawing, and travel excursions. Until then…

HEARTS’ Veterans Day Gala: 2015 Version

To help commemorate Veteran’s Day, the LEAP Center volunteered at the HEARTS Veteran’s Museum 16th annual Veteran’s Day Dinner to honor and thank Huntsville’s local Veterans on November 11, 2015.

The event honored veterans from all military branches with dinner, a silent auction fundraiser, and many thanks. This year, the LEAP Center assisted in greeting guests, among which many were familiar faces.

The event began with the posting of colors and pledges of allegiance along with a welcome from the HEARTS Museum Director, Mark Robinson. Following the welcome, a video of the Armed Forces Medley played where each branch of military stood while their anthem played. The medley was a wonderful way to recognize all the veterans in attendance and something guests look forward to each year.

This year, dinner was catered by City Hall Café and Pie Bar providing a tasty treat for all.

Feeling satisfied, LEAP students headed to assist with the silent auction. Many items were up for auction such as picnic baskets, jewelry, paintings, and many delicious desserts. To conclude the program, the silent auction was closed, awards were distributed

Charlotte gives award to the Fordyces

and the clean-up began.

The annual Veteran’s Day Dinner provided the opportunity for the community to show appreciation for Huntsville’s own local veterans and to raise awareness for the HEARTS Veteran’s Museum.

The LEAP Center would like to thank the HEARTS Museum for the opportunity to volunteer each year and to all veterans for their selfless service and dedication to protecting our freedom.

Odds On Fun at the HEARTS Museum’s Casino Night

By Austin Campbell,

Today the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics took a step back in time to the roaring 20’s, an era where the stakes were high and the wins were well worth the risks. Wearing our best 20’s attire, the LEAP team assisted the H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum with their fundraising event. There was a full casino, a Bonnie & Clyde getaway V8 Ford car, a live band, great food, and of course the magnificent Marilyn Monroe. The event also featured many silent raffle drawings, as well as a major raffle drawing at the end of the event for an impressive grill.

The H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum of Texas honors veterans both past and present. The museum serves as a place for former, present, and future veterans to all come together to reflect on and share their experiences serving the country. Just as important, the museum allows all people to see the price that our veterans and those serving today have paid for this country, and the Museum is an inspiration for those of all ages. Having the chance to talk to veterans and hear their experiences directly was amazing, and their true love of the USA was clear.

Of course, the night was about having an enjoyable evening, and that is what we did–all while volunteering! The event started off with the draw-dropping musical stylings of a convincing Marilyn Monroe (Jane Maddox).

It happened to be Rick McFarland’s lucky birthday, earning him the opportunity to be the object of Ms. Monroe’s happy birthday routine.

Attendees had the chance to enjoy some delicious food offerings from donations of local businesses like McKenzie’s, and even a few sides from generous families themselves. After getting their fill of food and drink, everyone moved on to the casino games, such as bingo, blackjack, poker, and even slot machines.

The LEAP team did our part in the even as well. Starting with introductions at the door, to the officiating of the silent raffle, LEAP had a thumbprint over many endeavors. At the request of many of the veterans, we took part in some of the casino games, to which there were many laughs, smiles, and of course some sad faces. All in good fun (and not with real money)!

By the end of the night, after much work and play, it was great to see the smiles on the faces of people that support the H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum. And it was fun to play the part of 20s gangsters while volunteering.

As our school motto says “A measure of one’s life is in its service,” and LEAP strives to continue on that legacy with every event.

Many thanks to Letty Clark for inviting us to volunteer and for the chance to join the fun once much of the work was done.

HEARTS Veterans Valentines Day Celebration

Part of the LEAP Center’s mission is to assist non-profits, government agencies, and other public-minded organizations serve the community. One of the LEAP Center’s regular partners is the HEARTS Museum, which recently hosted a Valentine’s Day “Volunteer Appreciation” dinner. More than 130 people showed up, and it was a perfect event for a Museum named “HEARTS.”

Valentines_Day_Bette_Nelson — HEARTS Valentines Day, Photo by E. Barron

It was a wonderful event, with most of the Museum’s regular volunteers on hand (many will recognize Tom Oleinik and Citizen of the Year Bette Nelson in the picture above).

The HEARTS Museum preserves artifacts related to those who have served their country in the armed services, and the Museum is host to more than 13,000 visitors each year. In addition, the Museum hosts many community-themed events–including the Valentines Day Appreciation Dinner–educational events, and other service activities.

The LEAP Center is hosting a non-profit roundtable on March 20, with Nancy Bocskor as a featured guest. Ms. Bocskor is an expert in fundraising, and representatives from a dozen or so local non-profits will be on hand to share experiences with the challenges of fundraising in a small community. Among those attending are Letty Clark and Carolyn Wells from the HEARTS Museum.

HEARTS Veterans Day: The LEAP Center Volunteers

The HEARTS Veterans Museum held their 15^th Annual Veteran’s Day Banquet, appropriately, on Veterans Day, November 11, 2014. A silent auction, catered dinner, and a short but moving program rounded out the evening. We were fortunate to be asked to help in greeting attendees as they arrived, assisting with the silent auction, and meeting community members and leaders, and learning more about veterans and their sacrifice.

LEAP Center Students Listen to Champe Miller Discuss Veterans Day

It was heartening to see soldiers, former and current, old and young, men and women, from all walks of life, stand while the Huntsville Community Men’s Choir performed a rendition of the Armed Forces Medley. All five branches of our nation’s armed forces were represented by local veterans. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy veterans and current soldiers stood during their service’s song. You didn’t have to look far to see that not all eyes were dry.

There was a short presentation on putting the various services for Texas veterans in the palm of their hands – à la the new “Texas Veterans App” (free, available on iPhone and Android devices) by former TX Representative Suzanna Hupp. We were also able to meet several elected officials who took the time to honor those who have served to defend and protect our freedoms, including Congressman Kevin Brady.

Congressman Kevin Brady & LEAP Center Students — Congressman Brady & LEAP Students

It was a great evening, for a great cause – honoring our heroes and our history. For more information on the history of Veterans Day, see the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.

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