Sertoma Club to receive charter

The group will eat and be merry Tuesday at a banquet coinciding with the international convention.

By SHERYL KAY

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 23, 2000

LUTZ -- Almost one year after its founding, the Lutz Sertoma Club will enjoy a special celebration Tuesday evening as the group receives its charter at a banquet at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

The event will coincide with the annual Sertoma International convention, in Tampa this year. Several international club dignitaries will be in town and are expected to attend the Lutz banquet, including Bob Jester, the incoming president of Sertoma International, in Kansas City, Mo.

"We will now be officially recognized by our international organization," said Jerry Myer, chairman of the Lutz service club. "This is very important to us because when we apply for a grant for one of our projects, we can get up to one-half of the funds that we've raised matched by our international organization."

Founded in 1912, Sertoma boasts 27,000 members in 830 clubs throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The civic service organization takes its name from SERvice TO MAnkind. It primarily addresses projects involving people with speech and hearing disorders, although in recent years the beneficiaries have become much more varied.

"The thrust has been speech and hearing," Myer said. "But as long as the project is recognized as benefiting a large part of the community, it will receive support."

Even before receiving its charter, the Lutz chapter has been active, sponsoring a float in the local Independence Day Parade and joining with three other Sertoma clubs to host a garage sale that netted $5,000.

Myer said the Lutz club has narrowed its list of projects to 10 causes.

"We intend to get very involved with the Joshua House (for abused children) in a big way, in part because it's Lutz based. And then there's construction of the train depot, helping replace the new Christmas tree downtown. We intend to address a broad spectrum of community needs," Myer said.

Helping in a big way is what the club is all about, he said.

"Our members not only want to give back to the community, but they see a need and want to address it not only as an individual, but as part of a group," Myer said.

The club meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Quality Inn at the corner of Interstate 275 and Bearss Avenue.

For more information on membership, call Myer at 930-6336.

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