August/September/October 2009 Vol. 66 No.1

O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C AT I O N
o f
T H E
A M E R I C A N
T U R N E R S
August/September/October 2009
Vol. 66 No.1
Sr. Womens Champions from Akron
Sr. Mens Society Champion
s from Detroit
Team Champions - Aurora
Turners
Society Champions from Covington
Society champions from
Cleveland East Side Turners
Softball Champions “Slugs
” from
Aurora
Hello Fellow Turners,
Well here it is more than half way through the summer and where has it gone.
Hope you all are having an enjoyable and safe one. And I also hope that
everyone is enjoying some Turner activities as well.
I was recently invited to attend the National Turner Golf Tournament in Akron
and what a great time it was. The Turners in Akron went all out to provide
the competitors and bumblers with a remarkably fun week and the weather
cooperated too. Besides an excellently run tournament they had games,
entertainment, food, libation and plenty of Gemutlichkeit. Thank you golf
committee for the invitation and everyone involved for providing such a
successful event.
Our next scheduled event is the National Council Meeting to be held in Aurora
in early Oct., where the Executive Board, National Committee Chairpersons
and representatives from every Turner District as well as other involved Turners
come together for a grueling weekend of meetings and discussions in order
to find ways and means of benefiting the American Turners. So if anyone or
any society has items, concerns or issues that need to be discussed please
get them to your District Rep. and I assure you that they will be addressed.
We, the American Turners, is due to hold our National Festival in 2011 and
as yet, to my knowledge, we have not received a bid on hosting that event
so if your society has the means of putting on a Nat. Festival please discuss
it and submit a bid before our Council meeting in Oct.
Also we are hoping to revitalize our National Volleyball program with a new
Volleyball Championship in 2010. We tentatively have an enthused society to
host such a tournament and would like to get participating teams to compete
so if your society has Volleyball players please notify our Health and Physical
Education Committee, Nat. Volleyball Chairman or me of your interest.
Details on either of these two requests and contact information can be found
elsewhere in this issue of Turner Topics or on our web site or in your societies
copy of the National Directory.
While visiting a Turner society recently I was very happy to see children and
young adults participating in various ways and on one occasion a few kids
asked an official of the club if they could play in the gym. The answer was
“Yes, let me go get you ball”. I was proud of the Turners and proud to be
a Turner, Please keep our young people interested and involved, they, of
course, are our future.
With Turner Greetings
Bill Severns
National President
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AMERICAN TURNER TOPICS
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The issues for the remainder
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American Turner Topics
Official Publication of the
American Turners Dedicated
to “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”
Send all copy for Turner Topics to:
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Deadline for Next Issue is:
October 26, 2009
OFFICERS OF THE
AMERICAN TURNERS
William Severns................................ President
Tom Bozonelos................. First Vice President
John Tozier..................Second Vice President
Shirley Luckhardt.............. Secretary-Treasurer
Michelle Lesperance .......Health and Physical
Education Committee Chairman
Barbara Riley....Cultural Committee Chairman
Terry Bodine........... Bowling Committee Chairman
Daisy Leidy...................Past National President
Turner Seal and Emblem registered in
U.S. Patent Office #390643 and #393750.
Use is restricted to bona fide
Turner Societies authorized by
the American Turners.
DISTRICT and SOCIETY NEWS
Carlstadt
On June 13, 2009 the Carlstadt Turnverein, Inc. held their annual installation of new officers, for the corporation, The
Carlstadt Active Turners and the Mixed Chorus for the term of 2009-10.
Carlstadt Active Turner membership anniversary pins were given to, Judi Bonzkowskia 30 year member, Diny Albach
a 35 year member and Trudy Bartels a 45 year member. American Turner 40year honorary pins were presented to Heinz
Friedrich and William Kotter. Hans Bartels was presented with a plaque for 60 years of membership with American
turners.
Hors d’oeuvores and refreshments followed with music by Bud & Linda Gramer.
Diny Albach, Ron Schmidt, Pres, Judi Bonzkowski
William Kotter, Heinz Friedrich, Ron Schmidt, Pres.
Toledo
Our gym program finished another very successful season in May of 2009. Our 50’s-60’s Soc Hop Meet was held on
January 10&11, 2009 and was again a huge success! We hosted 175 girls representing 15 teams. We ran two sessions on
Saturday and one session on Sunday. Toledo Turners takes great pride in the fact that we run such a well-organized and fun
event. All competitors received a T-shirt, a really great goody bag filled to the brim, medals for each event and a trophy for
All-Around. First Place All-Around winners in age group also received a plush pink or white poodle. With the help of our
parents and coaches we managed to get all three sessions in during a snow storm that dumped 8-10” of snow during the
sessions on Saturday. Thank goodness one of our dads has a large backhoe. Our coaches, parents and gymnasts who helped
work and prepare for the meet were phenomenal!
Our boys’ and girls’ teams just finished competing in the State Championships. Our boys’ Level 4 Team came in second
at their State Competition. Our only Level 9 gymnast competing in the; State Meet, Joe Pritts, qualified for his Regional
Competition as well.
Our girls also competed at their USAG State Championships. Every girl on our teams qualified for their State Meets. Our
only Level 8 gymnast to compete at the State Meet, Stephanie Fuller, also qualified for the Regional Competition.
In February of this year we had quite the surprise one Sunday morning. A water pipe burst inside the gym and flooded
half of the gymnasium. We had approximately $7,000 worth of equipment damaged by the water, which was over 2’ deep.
That doesn’t sound like much, however, when you consider that the gym mats are mostly foam!!! “Biggest sponges you ever
want to see.” We had to shut down the gym for three days to clean up the mess. Thank goodness the insurance reimbursed
us for the damaged equipment.
The Toledo Turners have 136 gymnasts enrolled in classes. We also have the Bowling Green State University Club
gymnastics team practicing out of our gym this year. This is good PR and also added income for the program. We have eight
part-time coaches on our staff. Five are USAG Professional members and are also USAG Safety Certified.
American Turners - Toledo will hold its Honoree Banquet on September 27, 2009 in the Club House. We have a total
of 85 members. Of those, 21 are honorary members. This year we will honor Jack Bachman, William Candelore, Hans
Wandscher and Walter Yeager (40 yrs.); and the Auxiliary will honor Bea Anderson (50 yrs.). Congratulations to all our
dedicated members!
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DISTRICT and SOCIETY NEWS
(continued)
It was announced at the Central States Convention that Toledo’s Sabine (Wandscher) Croley had the most exercise miles
turned in the Central States District “Mile High” program. She clocked over 1300 miles and received a T-shirt from the
District for her accomplishment.
-Deb McGee
In closing, we would like to wish all of you a safe and relaxing summer. Perhaps visit us August 28, 29 & 30 for the Annual German-American Festival,
located just outside Toledo at Oak Shade Grove. With Turner Greetings, Sabine Croley
Wilmington Turners
Much has been occurring at the Wilmington Turners of the MidAtlantic District. The last year has seen the resurgence
of our youth programs. This past fall we ran a flag football program for boys and girls ages five to ten. We had twenty
participants. The program was a great success and encouraged us to continue more youth programs in the winter. During
the winter we moved indoors to our gym and had organized dodge ball and basketball games for the same age groups.
The Wilmington Turners also sponsored a club field hockey team and a local little league team. We plan on continuing
the current programs and adding another youth sport next spring.
Socially, we held our annual Irish Festival on March 14, 2009. This event drew over three hundred people into the
club. The event features music, dancing, kids’ crafts and games, and food, much of which is prepared and cooked
by our president Dave Mulrooney. We also held our annual Easter Egg Hunt in April. This year we allowed a local
community civic association to join us. We had over twenty five children ages one to eleven participate. After the egg
hunt was finished there was a sac race and indoor crafts, all were treated to hot dogs, chicken nuggets and beverages.
A fundraiser for capital improvements and youth programs was held in the hall on May 16. The band Love Seed Mama
Jump played to an enthusiastic crowd. The Wilmington Turners capital campaign is still ongoing. Several events are
planned for the summer. In July we will be holding a picnic on July 4th to celebrate the national holiday. We will also have
our annual member picnic on July 25.
As you can see we are very busy at the Wilmington Turners. We are looking forward to the fall as we will celebrate out
150th anniversary. More information regarding this event will follow.
New Jersey District
On June 12 C.A.T.S. Coach Taylor Trause was presented with the “Joseph Prochnicki” Scholarship, worth $500, at the
Senior Awards Assembly by the New Jersey District, by President Ron Schmidt.
Taylor attended the Henry P. Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Other awards presented to
Taylor were:
Carlstadt Mayor and Council-Carlstadt PBA Scholarship
Carlstadt PTA Scholarship-Carlstadt Board of Education
Becton Education Staff-Eclipse Lodge 259 F & AM Scholarship
Taylor is a four year varsity competition cheerleader, member of the Key
Club, National Honor Society and Vice President of the student council
to mention just a few of her extra curricular activities. Whatever spare
time she can muster is spent coaching girls gymnastics at Carlstadt and
coaching cheerleading with the Town recreation center. The C.A.T.S.
Family wishes her luck as she continues her education at Ramapo College.
Ron Schmidt, Pres. and Taylor Trause
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DISTRICT and SOCIETY NEWS
(continued)
Concordia
Dynamic Duo Earn 3 National Titles
Stefan Dumas & Alyssa Been from Concordia Turners earned 3 National Titles in Des Moines, IA at this years Amateur
Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics. Stefan Dumas placed first in Tumbling. Alyssa Been placed first in Trampoline and
Double Mini. Stefan and Alyssa are also on the AAU Trampoline & Tumbling National Team. Concordia Turners brought 20
athletes to Junior Olympics. Concordia had 32 top 10 placements which advanced to finals.
First Row – Noah Nieters, Lexi Opilka, Reagan Roderique, Brigid Zarrick, Alyssa Been,
Lexi Bracken, Daniel Nieters, Josh Hyatt, Rose Hetz & Romy Hetz.
Back Row – Samantha Inman, Samantha Been, Stefan Dumas, Kelsey Hyatt, Lindsey VanDuyne, Cailey Bracken, Cora Nieters, Abby Chambers, Katie Siebert, Chelsea VanDuyne
& Jeri Inman
Covington
Covington Turners Hit the Links
33 members of the Covington Turner Club participated in the
45th National Golf Tournament in Akron, OH. One thing can
be said about the Covington Turner Club: We like to have
fun!!!
Not only was fun had by all, we can also golf.
Covington Turner members were awarded the following:
Women’s Medalist- Laura Schild, Women’s championship
flight- First Place- Laura Schild, Second Place- Diana Ferguson,
Third Place- Connie Lenihan. Team Champions. Women’s
First Flight- second place- Kay Fessler
Men’s First Flight- first place- John Wischer, third place- Mark
Groger.
Covington Turner members have been long participants in
the National Golf tournament. Spear-headed by the late Glen Reed, Covington began participating the National Golf
Tournament for more than 20 years.
We look forward to seeing everyone in Ft. Wayne in 2010.
Kay Fessler
Covington Turners
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Florida Spring 2009 Picnic
The annual Turner Picnic held in April, in The Villages, Florida, was again a huge success with 49 Turner in attendance. It
again was held at the Chatham recreation center with it’s covered, sit down picnic area. It was a perfect day with plenty of
sunshine and a cool breeze.
As Turners arrived and checked in they received their name tags from George and Sally Sonnichsen and wandered about
saying “Hello” and exchanging hearty handshakes. It’s always a great feeling to see so many Turners greeting Turners.
Most grabbed a cup of coffee and a doughnut which was awaiting them, prepared by Tiny Cazel. It wasn’t long when
Turners were asking, where’s the “Chicken”. Shortly after those questions were asked, Ken Campbell arrived with the food
which was reassuring to all.
What great service we had, ask and you will receive. Ken and Tiny put the food in the ovens to keep it warm while
everyone was rounding up their better half, or group, like the Syracuse Turners did. Lunch was served, buffet style with
people helping themselves to Fries Chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and sweets. The cakes and cookies were
prepared by the Village Turner ladies.
Following lunch it was group picture time so we all assembled on the adjacent hill and Tony Garelli and Gary Rufa helped
the Turners get in the right spot so that all could be seen and visible to the camera. Well, we tried and the result is shown in
the picture, nice picture huh? Great subjects.
After attaining a full belly it became time for little exercise in the form of Bocci Ball on official courts with end boards and
side boards to contain some of those wild shots. As the sun was setting in the west Dale Alles’s elimination chart declared
Marci Irmisher and Pam Elste the Champions.
It was great to see and meet the Turners from Syracuse, NY. They attended the Florida Turners Picnic 2 years ago as
a smaller group. They winter in Leesburg which is a short distance south of The Villages. Turners from the Chicago area
included Ron and Toni Hain, Wayne and Pam Elste, Donna Short, Tracy Padula, Laurie Van Dahn, (Garelli); Turners from
Clearwater area were Marci and Kirk Irmisher. The Turner who probably traveled the greatest distance was Bill Horschke
from Belvidere in northern Illinois. Our Turner in attendance was Walter Schrader who is 93.
The picnic broke up around 6:30pm with a general announcement that everyone and anyone are invited to meet at
Arnold Palmers Country Club, Restaurant in The Villages, for dinner. We had great weather and a great group of Turners to
enjoy the day together.
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Turner Buc Cazel
The Michael R. Breunig Family
Education Trust Benefit
On March 22nd of this year we lost our son, brother, colleague,
neighbor, friend and Turner, Michael R. Breunig. After a thirteen
month courageous battle, Mike age 45, died of incurable brain
cancer. Mike leaves behind his wife of nearly 21 years, Michelle
and two sons, Jakob 17 and Jeffrey 14.
Mike was a member of Eiche Turners for 28 years, joining when
he was 18. His parents, Eric and Janet, have been Eiche Turner
members for 46 and 39 years respectively. Mike was on the Eiche
Board of Directors for many years including Eiche President for
two years and gym board chairman for seven years. He was chairman of the Illinois District Convention many times and
served on the Illinois District Council. Mike also served as chairman of the American Turners National Convention in 2006.
Mike was always there to lend a helping hand whenever he was needed.
One of our promises to Mike was to help him fulfill his and every parent’s dream of having the ability to allow his two
sons the opportunity to further their education. Family meant everything to Mike and providing for his boys future was
paramount to him. Although with Mike’s passing he will not be able to witness this himself, with a little help from his family
and friends, we can all see Mike’s dream come true. Jakob is entering his senior year at Minooka Community High School
and Jeffrey is entering his freshman year. As both of these boys deal with the loss of their father at a very young age, we felt
it was very important to inspire them to further their education and help provide some resources that will allow them to do
that. A trust has been established specifically for the future education expenses of both Jake and Jeff.
A benefit has been organized for November 14, the day after Mike’s birthday, in order to raise funds for Jake and Jeff’s
future education. The evening will include live music, food, raffles, auctions and a celebration of Mike’s life. We welcome
you to come out and join us.
The Michael R. Breunig Family Education Trust Benefit will be held on November 14, 2009 at CD & ME, http://cdandme.
com/index.php located at 23320 S. La Grange Road, Frankfort, Illinois from 5:00pm to 11:00pm. Tickets are being sold
for $25.00 each before November 14th and $30.00 at the door the night of the benefit. Many friends and relatives are
expected to attend.
We would be most grateful for your support. All of the proceeds from these efforts will go directly to The Michael R.
Breunig Family Education Trust. If you are unable to attend and would like to contribute, please send your check directly to:
Chase Bank
Attn: The Michael R. Breunig Family Education Trust
727 Roosevelt Road
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
The Michael R. Breunig Family Education Trust Committee
For Ticket Information Contact:
Ric Breunig 312-518-0015 Steve Medrow
708-479-7333
[email protected]
[email protected]
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NATIONAL COMMITTEE NEWS
Cultural
Fort Wayne Turners flooded this March 2009. I
had requested details to report in the Topics, as
follows.
Fort Wayne Turners Benefit Sale, April 30th thru
May 2nd, 2009
Fort Wayne Turners was hit with a devastating
flood in March 2009. The flood waters filled the
bar area with eight feet of muddy river water.
Many members tried their best to keep the water
at bay, but to no avail. The flood waters destroyed
almost everything in the basement; tables, chairs,
walk in cooler, ice machine, beer, liqueurs and
much more. The area had to be gutted....so
we made the decision to move the bar upstairs,
which didn’t flood. The estimate for the first two
phases of this project is sixty-five thousand dollars.
Therefore, the sale was formed to raise money.
The members were very generous...our entire gym
was filled to the brim! We made a little over five
thousand dollars. We had lots of items left. The
leftovers went to:
1. Two vans we loaded and went to St. VincentDePaul Store.
2. A van to Charis house. (Women’s Shelter)
3. Catholic Charities for the Burmese Refuges.
4. The Salvation Army filled a truck and then
returned again the next day to pick up all the
rest.
We at Fort Wayne Turners feel blessed to have
our members respond for the club, but also o be
able to help so many other people in out town.
Respectfully submitted by Valerie Miller, Chairman
of the Sale
The following article is to continue with the
restoration project of Fort Wayne Turners.
Fort Wayne Turner members have taken a huge
project in hand....to redesign and move the bar
8
room and social area to the upstairs location. This was warranted because
of a devastating flood that destroyed this area in the basement. This
undertaking has fallen to the members due to financial restrictions of
Turners. Many people have worked countless hours already, just with clean
up. The board asked for a volunteer to head the project and Joleen Burns
came forward. (Bowlers will be well acquainted with Joleen.)
She has a degree from Purdue in Interior Design And NCIDO Certified. She
is Currently employed at MSKTD & Associated, Architectural, Engineer, And
Interior Design. Some of her projects have been the Ivy Tech Student Life
Center, Ivy Tech Center Chancellor’s office, Indiana Tech Lab, Three Rivers
FCU office in Columbia City, IN, and The Embassy Theater Walk Way.
This project make take longer than we would like, but it will be completed
with “volunteers,” as much as possible with an eye on the cost, at the same
time, giving Fort Wayne Turners a wonderful new area for ALL members.
We Support our “New” Board, All our Volunteers, and Joleen Burns and
her Committee in this great endeavor.
Culturally, the donation of all the surplus items from this huge Sale is
worth points in the Annual Society Cultural Report. I have not received
that many reports for the year 2008, (this was due on January 31, 2009).
Therefore, I am asking for additional reports prior to September 15, 2009,
for the year of 2008. For your information, the people who have reported
previously and have usually WON, are no longer with us or not reporting
for their society any longer. This opens up this Cultural Competition to
“New Comers.” I will be happy to assist you in completing your report.
Please let me hear from you.
Barbara J. Riley, Chrm., Cultural Committee
([email protected] or phone 260/482-2140)
National Health & Physical Education Report
In July I had the pleasure of attending the National Golf Tournament in
Akron, Ohio. Thank you to Akron Turners for a warm welcome and great
hospitality. It was a well attended event and from what I could see everyone
had fun, both on the golf course and at the Turner Hall.
I want to thank River City Turners for stepping forward and hosting the
National Jr. Gymnastics Championship in June. Since we did not have
this meet in 2008, it was nice to get our gymnasts together this year for
a National meet. The National Softball tournament was held in Aurora
this year and had 6 teams compete. Unfortunately there were only three
Societies at the gymnastic meet and the softball tournament. I am grateful
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NATIONAL COMMITTEE NEWS
to both societies for hosting the events this summer, but I am urging other societies to participate in the future. If you aren’t
willing to host a national event, please send members to compete and make it a memorable event.
In April the NHPE Committee met for our annual meeting. I would like to welcome two new members to our committee.
Craig Sniezek representing the Illinois District and Larry Larimore representing the Central States District. Also in attendance
were MaryJo Bursig, New York Dist.; Fred Sontag and Jessica Hansen, New England Dist.; Paul Schneider, Lake Erie Dist., Phil
Klabunde, Mid Atlantic Dist.; John Beary, Golf Chairperson and Tom Bozonelos, Nat. 1st Vice President.
We started the weekend with dinner at the Milwaukee Turner Hall followed by a brief meeting Friday evening. We continued
our meeting on Saturday and were able to wrap everything up by 4:00 pm. We made a few minor corrections to the National
Festival Rulebook and have sent it to the National Office for printing and distribution. It will also be posted on the new American
Turners web site for easy reference. There was much discussion regarding the lack of participation at national events. One
reason being the cost of transportation. This concern will be brought up at the next Council meeting with ideas of how the
American Turners can possibly assist members with transportation costs.
As of the writing of this article the American Turners have not received any bids to host the 2011 National Festival. Once
again I am urging Societies to submit a bid to host the next National Festival, National Jr. Gymnastics Championship, National
Volleyball Tournament and/or National Softball Tournament. Please, let’s remember that we are all American Turners and it is
so important for our Societies to get involved at the national level. What a perfect way to show your Turner spirit by hosting a
National competition.
As Summer winds down and we get ready for Autumn, best of luck to everyone as you prepare for school, a new gymnastic
season, a new job or whatever is in your future.
Michelle Lesperance
NHPEC Chairperson
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9
Endowment Trust Fund
Each week seems to bring revelations of some business making
dramatic cuts or closing their doors after many years of serving the
public. Income is down across the board; even legalized gambling
is experiencing big drops in their income, and restaurants and bars
are having assorted troubles in getting customers and keeping a
steady clientele. And if lawyers are experiencing a drought in real
estate closings why would Turner Societies be immune to these same
current economic conditions?
Now that the 2008 financial statements have been completed and
membership records for last year are known it seems for the most
part we have held our own. It is no secret that income is down,
in some cases way down, from past years and have made cuts in
service and activity necessary. The glory days are gone and it will be
a slow process to recoup some of the losses.
Within the Endowment Trust Fund we are continuing all of our
programs the same as in the past. The “grants” for gym equipment
and computers remains the same thru at least the end of this year.
The scholarship grants will notice the biggest cutback financially as
income from investments from all sources has decreased sharply.
However, we are still honoring applications by the July 1st deadline
for the 2009/2010 school year but the amount of each scholarship
has not been determined as yet.
It still impresses me that since the inception of the Endowment Trust
Fund there have been several recessions, we have experienced the
loss of a few societies owing us monies, interest rates have declined
and yet the Endowment Trust has weathered the storm and has even
increased the benefits offered to individuals, Societies and Districts
thru regulated programs. Whatever the future may hold financially
we intend to continue what we have done for many years and honor
our Declaration of Trust to the fullest.
If anyone is able to consider a bequeath, our record of having never
turning down a donation remains intact, the same as the programs
we offer!
With sincere Turner greetings,
Ed Colton
President, Endowment Trust
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Endowment Trust Fund donations
since last issue of Turner Topics:
In memory of Val Roe
Tom Bozonelos
Aurora Turnettes
Richard Darfler
Aurora Turners
In honor of Donna Litza’s 50th Birthday
James and Gloria Pechous
John and Ann Litza
George Schmidt
Ronald Anderson
Gerald Nagle
Betty Neumann
Clara Zweifel
Tom Webb
In Memory of Minnie Sammer
Fred Beinert Family Trust
25/40/50 Year Club of ATNY
ATNY Altersriege
Aurora Turners in memory of
Theresa Sherman
James and Gloria Pechous in Honor of
Heidi Chmura
Robert and Anne Steeger in memory of
Angela M. Cummins
The following made contributions
to the Scholarship Fund:
Scott and Pam Lau in memory of Val Roe
Scott D. Lau Scholarship Fund in honor of
Donna Litza’s 50th Birthday
Lincoln Turners
Obituaries
Baltimore Turners
Angela (Angie) M. Cummins
Unfortunately, on June 4, 2009, Baltimore Turners lost one of our dedicated members. Angels M. Cummins passed away
after a lengthy illness at the age of 79.
Angie had been an active member for many years at the Baltimore Turners. She had served as President of the Ladies
Auxiliary as well as the Senior Club.
Most of the activities you could depend on Angie and her husband of 55 years, Norman, who was one of our faithful
bartenders, being there to lend a hand when necessary.
Angie will be missed by the members of Baltimore Turners. She is survived by her husband, Norman and four sons and
fourteen grandchildren.
Holyoke Turners
Elsie E. Rybak
Holyoke Turners will surely miss Elsie Rybak
Elsie E. Rybak 1919 / 2009
Mrs. Elsie E. (Kerkhoff) Rybak, 89, a lifelong Holyoke and Southampton resident, died peacefully at home on Thursday,
March 19, 2009. She was born in Holyoke on April 27, 1919. She was very active and caring for her neighbors and friends.
She was also very active and a former trustee of the Holyoke Turn Verein and the Camp Jahn Association.
A Letter To Heaven
Dear Elsie, you have only been gone a short time but you have already been missed an eternity. The days will never seem
as bright as your smile made them. We just want to say how much we appreciated your generosity and your kindness.
Please let us know that you received this letter by showing us the colors of flowers in spring and the smiles on children’s
faces. When we see these things we will think of you. . Thank You, from all your friends
Providence Turners
Norman Bilsky
The Providence Turners lost one of it’s most loved and respected members with the
passing of Norman Bilsky, 88, on October 14, 2008. He was a member of Providence
Turners for almost 40 years. He served as the clubs controller for almost 25 years. He
also served as a bartender and he would volunteer at our club during social events and
also at gymnastics competitions held at home and at other New England clubs. In the
last 15 years, Mr. Bilsky retired as an active member and enjoyed being a social member.
He would often recall the good old days of Friday night card tournaments, watching his
children compete in gymnastics, remembering the good times he had at the German
Picnics, and hanging out with all his friends at the club.
Mr. Bilsky was a 1942 graduate of Providence College with a Bachelor’s Degree in
American History. He was a W.W.II Army Veteran who was apart of the Occupation Forces
that aided in the rebuilding of Japan. He was awarded the Campaign Medal for his service. He retired from the New
England Telephone Company in 1983 after 37 years of service.
Mr. Bilsky was the husband of the late Caroline (Castiglioni) Bilsky to whom he was married to for 34 years. He leaves five
children: Norma Pigeon, Paul Bilsky, Gail Frigon, Jean Pigeon, and William Bilsky. He was also the grandfather of 8 and the
great-grandfather of one.
The Providence Turners will sadly miss you Norman! We are a better society because you were apart of our club and
family.
Submitted by his daughter: Jean Pigeon
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“American Turners National Gymnastic Manual”
The National Office of the American Turners has several copies of the “American Turners National Gymnastic Manual”
which was authored by C. “Bud” Marquette. At the time of printing (possibly in the 1960’s) this was a well written manual
with the most advanced information available for its time. However, with the rapid progress in the sport of gymnastics,
unfortunately this manual is now obsolete in many ways. The Executive Committee and myself have reviewed this manual
and made the decision to eliminate this manual from the American Turners current inventory. If anyone is interested in
receiving a copy for its historic value, you may request a copy from the National office. The manuals are free, however you
will be asked to pay postage.
I want to make perfectly clear that the American Turners does not recognize the manual as an official document of the
American Turners. It is not to be used for any instructional or self-training purpose. The only value this manual has is for
historic purposes.
C. “Bud” Marquette was a well respected leader in the gymnastic world. He was a coaching pioneer in women’s
gymnastics and considered by many as one of the world’s foremost gymnastic coaches, author and lecturer. He began his
career with the American Turners in Ambridge, PA in the 1920’s. He attended the Indianapolis Normal School and Slippery
Rock State Teachers College before entering the Armed Services in 1942. After his discharge he returned to his Turner roots
and coached at Rochester Turners. At that time he was developing most of America’s top gymnasts. Even after moving to
California and starting the famous Southern California Acro Teams (SCATs), he worked hard to preserve the American Turner
program. Bud was one of the original founders of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF), now known as USAG. In over 35
years of coaching he trained 61 men and women to become members of National, International and Olympic Teams.
The American Turners are proud to have had a member with such knowledge and insight into the wonderful sport of
gymnastics. Although Bud is no longer with us, he left behind a wealth of knowledge and the American Turners have a
portion of it captured in the “American Turners National Gymnastic Manual”. Although this manual is no longer considered
a Turner instructional manual, I encourage every Society to get a copy and place it in your library to be preserved with your
Society’s other historical memorabilia.
With Turner greetings,
Michelle Lesperance
NHPE Chairperson
Wilmington Turners 150th Anniversary
My fellow Turners, “We have made it.” We are very proud to be among the hierarchy of societies that have been practicing
“Sound Mind Sound Body” for 150 years. This year Wilmington Turners will celebrate our 150th anniversary on November
14th, 2009. We will be having a gala event to include a formal dinner, followed by a night of music, dancing, and fellowship. Like most societies Wilmington started out in 1859 with the idea that there should be a place in the community where
everyone could come together for social gatherings, and fitness programs. We have persevered through the good times
and the bad times, and we hope to be able to continue for many years to come. We are also proud to have had a National
President from our club helm the American Turners. Mr. Stephen Reskovitz served the national organization from 1968 –
1970. Our current facilities were purchased 90 years ago in 1919, and the gymnasium was added in 1961. If you are ever in
the area for whatever reason, please feel free to drop us a line or stop by. All Turners are welcome and encouraged to visit
fellow societies. We would also like to let everyone know that we are out on the WEB. Our website is www.wilmingtonturnersclub.org, and on Facebook @ Wilmington Turners Society.
With Turner Greetings,
David B. Mulrooney
Vice President Wilmington Turners
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American Turners 2009 National
Tournament News
2009 American Turner Jr. National Championship
River City Turners hosted the 2009 American Turner Jr. National
Championship on June 20, 2009. Aurora Turners had twenty gymnast
competing in four different levels, Ft. Wayne Turners had nine gymnast
competing in five different levels, and River City Turners had fourteen girls
competing in four different levels.
Age Divisions and Competitive Level’s
Level 8-15 year and up division
Heather Hoskins from River City Turners placed first on every event: Vault
9.25, Bars 7.95, Beam 9.35, Floor 9.3, and All Around 35.85
Mary Beth Reed from Ft. Wayne Turners placed second on every event.
Level 7-12-14 year old division
Breanna Acciardo from River City Turners placed first on Vault 9.125, Bars
8.75, and All Around 33.275
Morgan Moehle from Ft. Wayne Turners placed first on Beam 8.6
Kayla Hickernell from Aurora Turners place first on Floor 8.9
Level 7-11 year old and under division
Kaila Dyer from River City Turners placed first on Vault 9.45, Bars 9.1, Beam
8.7, and All Around 35.75.
Nicole Tatoglia from Aurora Turners placed first on Floor 8.9
Level 6-12-14 year old division
Rebecca Quade from Aurora Turners placed first on Vault 8.75, Bars 7.0,
Beam 8.15, and All Around 31.00
Alyssa Hoch from Aurora Turners placed first on floor 7.75
Level 6-11 year old and under division
Lauren Wagner from Ft. Wayne placed first on every event: Vault 8.0, Bars
7.25, Beam 7.85, Floor 8.0, and All Around 31.1
Level 5-11 and 12 year old division
Sierra Leanhart from River City Turners placed first on Vault 8.7, Bars 8.5,
Floor 8.4, and All Around 33.9
Morgan Nash from Aurora Turners placed first on Beam 8.65
Level 5-8 to 10 year old division
Mackenzie Davenport from River City Turners placed first on Vault 8.125,
Beam 8.7, Floor 8.15 and All Around 32.975
Mackenzie Smith from River City Turners placed first on Bars 8.1
Level 4- 11 year old and up division
Kendell Wolnievicy from Aurora Turners placed first on every event: Vault 9.2, Bars 8.8, Beam 8.5, Floor 8.9,
and All Around 35.4
Level 4-10 year old division
Katie Alexander from River City Turners placed first on every event: Vault 9.275, Bars 9.1, Beam 9.0, Floor 9.4, and All
Around 36.775
Level 4- 7 to 9 year old division
Taylor Novotny from Aurora Turners placed first on Floor 9.0, and All Around 34.7
Sierra Weird from River City Turners placed first on Vault 9.2, and Bars 8.45
Rachel Harreld from Aurora Turners placed first on Beam 8.5.
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Exhibitionist
River City Turners, Alyssa Watkins (4 years old) competed all four events as
an exhibitionist: Vault 8.6, Bars 5.0, Beam 9.0, Floor 8.6, and All Around 31.2
Team Scores
The team competition winners were:
Aurora Turners Level 7 team placed first with a 100.725
River City Turners Level 5 placed first with a 99.05
River City Turners Level 4 placed first with a 105.675
Society Scores
River City Turners placed first with a total score of 178.875
Aurora Turners placed second with a total score of 174.975
Ft. Wayne Turners placed third with a total score of 162.500
Immediately following the Jr. Competition the seniors competed. There were four ladies in the 40-50 year old age division,
all from River City Turners, Vicky Smith, Kim Pangburn, Marie Glass, and Audry Glossenger.
Kelly and Kerry Coak competed in the 19-29 year old age division, both from Ft. Wayne Turners, competing Level 8 routines.
They both displayed wonderful and unique routines. Kelly Coat suffered the only injury of the meet. She fell on her dismount
and hurt her knee. Everyone at River City Turners wishes her the best for a speedy recovery.
From our President Larry Larimore: We had a great time and would like to thank the National Phy. Ed. Committee for
allowing us to host this meet. We are hoping that it will continue in the years to come and grow bigger each year. John
Tozier, the Central States President and the 2nd National Vice President was also there with a few words of encouragement
for all Turners attending.
From a Parent’s point of view: Although the preparations for the National meet were overwhelming, and exhausting at times,
in the end it was an enjoyable experience to watch the Turner gymnast compete. We met a lot of very nice people from
Aurora and Ft. Wayne, and anticipate competing at the next American Turner Jr.
National Championship next year.
2009 American Turners National Softball
Aurora Turners hosted the National Softball Tournament on July 4 - 5, 2009.
An amazing weekend softball, fun, and great memories took place over the
weekend of July 4-5 as Aurora Turners hosted the annual Turners National
Softball Tournament. The weather was rainy and wet on Saturday. Of course,
it stopped raining 20 minutes after we finished play. We had a total of 6 teams
competing in Men’s Divisions representing Aurora, Illinois, Ft. Wayne, Indiana,
and Covington, Kentucky. On Saturday, play consisted of a round robin format
used to seed teams for the single elimination tournament held on Sunday. On
Sunday, the winner of the tournament was SLUG’s from Aurora Turners. I’d like
to thank all the players who participated.
We’ll be ready to travel next year and hopefully we can grow and build the Men’s
Divisions and keep producing great memories of what American Turners is all
about, good spirited competition followed by the enjoyment of each others’
company!
Best Wishes!!
Eric Petre
Aurora, IL Turner
Athletic Director
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American Turners National Golf
Flight Standings and Medalist from First Day
Men
Super Senior Men
1st- Bob Keim- NW Davenport
2nd- Al Kneiser- Syracuse
Longest Drive -Bob Keim
MeDalist-Bob Keim
Senior Men
Team Champions - Detroit
Paul Schneider
Chris Fletehor
Tom Szatkosky
Bruce Warken
Championship Flight
1st- Bob May-Beaver Falls
2nd –Terry Bodine-Ft. Wayne
3rd –Robert Wentz-Ft. Wayne
1st Flight
1st –Ed Innes-Ft. Wayne
2nd –Sarge Alberts-Monaca
3rd –Hans Dian-Eiche
Longest Drive -- Tom Szatkowski
Closest to the Pin -- Chris Fletcher
Medalist-Terry Bodine(86)
Men
Team Champions-Cleveland Eastside
Chris McGrath
Danny Chaski
Drew Vaneck
Jeffrey Hung
4th Flight
1st-Jim Rogan-Monaca
2nd-Andy Jones-Ft. Wayne
3rd-Kevin Smith-Covington
5th Flight
1st-Dave Benedict-Akron
2nd-Mike Hordszewsky-Holyoke
3rd-Dan Sitz-Detroit
Longest Drive Keith Brumbough Course 1
Longest Drive - Chris George Course 2
Closest to the Pin Mike Hoeoszewiki Course 1
Closest to the Pin Jeff Tierney Course 2
Medalist-Mitch Zehr (74)
Women
Senior Women
Team Champions-Akron
June Ewing
Evelyn Eplin
Sherry Miller
Ruth Vera
Championship Flight
1st-June Ewing-Akron
2nd-Evelyn Eplin-Akron
3rd-Sherry Miller-Akron
Longest Drive -Linda Paxton
Closest to the Pin -Judy Small
Medalist-June Ewing
Women
Team Champions-Covington
Laura Shild
Connie Lenihan
Donna Ferguson
Bonnie Benson
Championship Flight
1st-Laura Shild-Covington
2nd-Donna Ferguson-Covongton
3rd-Connie Lenihan-Covington
1st Flight
1st-Sandy Smith-Aurora
2nd-Kay Fessler-Covington
3rd- Marty Smiley-Covington
2nd Flight
1st-Julie Carlson-Eiche
2nd-Syble Kline-Aurora
3rd-Karen Muster-Akron
Longest Drive -Darla Medernach
Closest to the Pin -Louise Hamond
Medalist-Laura Schild(76)
Championship Flight
1st-Chris McGrath-Cleveland Eastside
2nd-George Lotosky-Akron
3rd-Dale Carlson-Eiche
1st Flight
1st-John Wisher-Covington
2nd-Mark Groger-Covington
3rd-Pete Musleve-Akron
2nd Flight
1st-Jack Small-Rochester
2nd-Dave Curfman-Akron
3rd-Dennis Eder-Elgin
3rd Flight
1st-Dave Dierdorf-Monaca
2nd-Greg Stoerkel-Akron
3rd-Randy Pickhardt-Keystone
President Bill Severns at the National Golf Tournament
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PERIODICALS
POSTAGE PAID
AT
LOUISVILLE, KY
American Turners National Office
P.O. Box 4216
1127 E. Kentucky Street
Louisville, KY 40204
2009 AMERICAN TURNERS TOPICS SCHEDULE
November/December 2009 Issue
All copy to Craig Sniezek by October 26
All copy to printer by November 2
Page proofs to Turners by November 6
Topics in the mail by November 16
Labels needed by November 12
Email Turner Topics info. to [email protected]
THIS IS YOUR COPY OF
THE AUGUST-SEPTEMBE-OCTOBER
AMERICAN TURNER TOPICS
It now costs 50 cents to get a change of address
correction from the Post Office. Save your
organization money by reporting your change
of address promptly.
NATIONAL CALENDAR
Coming Events 2009
2009
National Council Meeting
October 3, 4 and 5 - Aurora
2010
National Bowling
April 10-11, 17-18, 24-25
May 1-2 - Aurora
National Convention
Late July or early August
Aurora
Society__________________________________________________Year Joined_____________________________________
Change Of Address Form For American Turner Topics P.O. Box 4216, Louisville, Ky 40204
Member Name__________________________________________________________________________________________
New Street Address______________________________________________________Apt. No.________________________
City______________________________________________________State_______________Zip________________________
If This Is A Change Give Old Address Or Attach Old Address Label
Old Street Address_______________________________________________________Apt. No.________________________