www.boystownalumni.org

Success is a question of degree, not of completion. The most successful men and women, the men and women who have accomplished much with their lives, are precisely the ones who never seem to catch up with their ambitions. – Father Edward J. Flanagan

IN THIS ISSUE:From The Executive Director 2

Alumni Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Brother-Sister Reunion . . . . . 3

Former Mayor Remembered . 3

Bucher Plaque Dedicated . . . . 3

From The BTNAA President . 4

From The Senior Advisor . . . . 4

Statue Model Visits Home . . . 5

Alum Pens New Book . . . . . . . 5

’09 Convention Scrapbook . .6-7

2009 Alumni Awards . . . . . . . 8

Hall of History Inductees . . . . 8

Alumni Ambassadors . . . . . . . 9

Father Flanagan Honored . . 10

In Loving Memory. . . . . . . . . . 10

From The Auxiliary President 10

Where Are They Now? . . . . . 11

FALL 2009 – VOLUME 48, ISSUE 3ALUMNI MISSION:

We exist to unite and grow our alumni family, and champion

the dream and values of Father Flanagan through leadership.

BTNAA PO Box 2 Boys Town, NE 68010(800) 345-0458 www.boystownalumni.org

BOYS TOWN NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Alumni news

In the early days, it was Overlook Farm. Later, it became the world-famous Village of Boys Town. No matter the name, for nearly 92 years it has simply been “home” for tens of thousands of boys and girls seeking a new start in life. This year, nearly 400 alumni and family members made the pilgrimage to the Biennial Convention to celebrate their common bond and relive their roles in the storied history of Father Flanagan’s creation.

One sweetly solemn thoughtComes to me o’er and o’er;I am nearer home todayThan I ever have been before.

–Poet Phoebe Cary

www.boystownalumni.org 3 | Alumni News

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Alumni,

Wow! What a great Convention you had this year! All of us at Boys Town are so proud of you and the successes you have made of your lives. It was a joy to meet so many of you during the weekend and to meet your spouses and families. God has indeed been good to you and your Home, Boys Town.

From the first moment you stepped on campus till the last of you left the picnic, I witnessed a joy that can only come from a family reuniting and sharing time and lives together.

I am excited about the Boys Town Alumni Ambassador program and I look forward to developing a partnership that will help to spread the word about Father Flanagan, Boys Town and the good work we are doing today to help America’s children and families. So many alumni have asked how they can give back for all Boys Town gave them, and this will be a great way that will have positive and lasting results. You are uniquely positioned to tell the story of your success and the story of the successes we see today to your communities all across America. I am confident that when your friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances hear you speak about Boys Town, they will know and understand the value that Boys Town has brought to their community and our country.

We are working hard today to reach out to more and more children and families. Our In-Home Family Services are extending our proven and suc-cessful program into homes so we can help prevent children from being removed from their families. We can all agree that the best place to grow up is in a caring and loving family, and it is our goal to help create those

families in neighborhoods all across America. If we can’t do it there, then we can bring children into our Integrated Continuum of Care and give them the love and help they need through our Treatment Family Services. Many of you saw the Boys Town families working together at the Convention pic-nic; the girls’ homes helped with the small children and the boys’ homes set up and cleaned up the picnic area. We are making a difference, and are successfully making better lives for children and families. Your heritage is an integral part of this success, and that is why you are such a valued member of the Boys Town family.

The boys and girls are back in school now, and football, volleyball and cross-country are well underway. The children at all of our sites across the country are working hard to make the best of their second chance. I ask that you keep them in your prayers as they walk the path you have so successfully walked, and cheer them on when they succeed and become your brother and sister alumni.

God bless you and your families, and thank you for fulfilling and living Father Flanagan’s dream.

Father Steven BoesNational Executive DirectorBoys Town

Alumni newsBoys Town National Alumni Association

EDITORTerry Hyland

GRAPHIC DESIGNERAndrea Mason

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSLauren GarciaAnn Heaston

John MollisonMelissa OlsonMike SterbaStan Struble

PHOTOGRAPHYMike BuckleyEli HernandezAndrea MasonJohn Mollison

Terry Pumphrey,’87

ALUMNI ADVISORSMandalyne Atencio ’01

George Buckler ’64Sarah Williamson-Mohn ’92

John Mollison ’64Stephen Postert ’69

Stan Struble ’68

PRINTERBoys Town Print Shop

The Alumni News is published byBoys Town

14100 Crawford St. | Boys Town, NE 68010alumni@boystown.org

1-800-345-0458 (402) 498-1150 | Fax: (402) 498-1159

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ALUMNI PROFILE RONALD KRAMER, ’69

Alum Ron Kramer’s life since leaving Boys Town has revolved around power and energy, both in his work and his hobby.

Ron arrived at Boys Town in 1963 and was a resident for six years. The descendant of a Nazi concentration camp survivor during World War II, Ron came to Boys Town practicing the Jewish faith. After much soul searching, he decided to convert to Catholicism.

“Boys Town was a huge influence on my life,” he said. “I found my faith, as well as shaping my life after I left. This was my childhood, being there from the sixth grade through high school.”

Several years after leaving Boys Town, Ron enrolled in a technical school and earned a degree in electronic engineering technology. This was the beginning of a lifelong study in the field that led him to special-ize in everything from maintaining the electronic infrastructure of heavy industrial plants to exploring the complexity of robotics. He worked

many years in large industrial settings such as Hershey and Crane before deciding to set out on his own and become a contractor.

Today, Ron spends almost all of his time on the road, working all over the country and overseas for a variety of major corporations. His focus area is power plant startups, oil refineries and chemical plants. In the last several years, he has been drawn to alternative energy refineries that use biomass such as wood chips, switch grass and other sources to produce ethanol, diesel and jet fuels.

Despite his workload, Ron for many years competed in steroid-free body-building and weight-lifting competitions, frequently winning local and national awards. Remarkably, he competed until age 50.

Ron and his wife Sandra currently call Fort Collins, Colorado, home. Ron plans to retire in a couple of years, and then fulfill a lifelong goal of traveling in Europe and the United States.

An Omaha restaurant parking lot isn’t the most glamorous place for a fam-ily reunion, but Raymond Phelps, '76, and Debbie Warlick didn’t care. The brother and sister hadn’t seen each other for more than 40 years.

Separated since childhood, Raymond and Debbie reunited for the first time on July 16. The meeting was a result of Debbie’s quest to find the brother she lost when their mother died and their father decided to split up the children.

During a visit to Boys Town the day after their initial meeting, Raymond and Debbie recounted their amazing story.

Raymond was 5 when their mother passed away in 1963. Debbie went to live with a grandparent, while Raymond lived with several different relatives. Eventually, one of his aunts gave him the option of attending military school or going to Boys Town. Raymond visited a military school and saw all the kids in uniforms. After seeing a Boys Town brochure with pictures of open fields and kids riding horses, his decision was simple – Boys Town would be his new home.

Raymond arrived at Boys Town in 1968, made new friends and eventually graduated. During that time and for years afterwards, there was no contact between Raymond and Debbie, and they went about building and living their separate lives. After graduation, Raymond remained in Omaha, while Debbie lived in Michigan and then Florida, where she currently resides.

In the past year, Debbie felt a need to find and contact her long-lost brother. “I had a feeling that he needed me somehow,” she said. “It was a gut feeling.”

Debbie talked to her husband about her intuition, and her search for Raymond began. When an Internet search came up empty, Debbie’s hus-band suggested they contact Boys Town for help. Soon after, Raymond received a phone call from the Boys Town Alumni Office telling him that someone was requesting his contact information. Raymond asked for the person’s email address. Little did he know the person waiting to hear from him at the other end of the email was Debbie.

“It was kind of scary because I didn’t know how he was going to react to me wanting to get back in touch with him,” Debbie said. "But he was happy about it and I was really glad!”

The siblings soon started catching up for lost time.

“We started emailing pictures back and forth,” Raymond said. “I saw pic-tures of my mother I had never seen and of myself as a child.”

Then Debbie and Raymond’s wife began planning a surprise face-to-face reunion. The reunion was supposed take place at a dinner table in an Omaha restaurant. But the brother and sister never got inside the door.

“We saw each other in the parking lot,” Debbie said. “I knew it was him because he looks just like our mom. I could have picked him out of a crowd on the street.”

Raymond said, “It was a complete surprise. A very good one.”

BOYS TOWN ALUM, SISTER REUNITE AFTER 40 YEARS

Debbie and Raymond together again.

Ron Kramer, ’69

FORMER BOYS TOWN MAYOR REMEMBEREDFormer Mayor Caitlin Treat Huber, ’07, was remembered by her Boys Town family as a leader and role model after she tragically passed away at age 20 earlier this year in Chicago.

“Caitlin did a great job at Boys Town and was a leader during her stay here from June 2004 until she graduated in May 2007,” said Father Steven Boes, Boys Town National Executive Director.

Huber served as Boys Town’s mayor her senior year and was part of the first all-female leadership team in Boys Town history (both the mayor and vice mayor were female). She was Commander of the Boys Town Army JROTC, competed in soccer and swimming, and was a member of the Voices of Boys Town choir.

In February 2007, Huber was one of four youths nationally who attended the America’s Promise Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. There, she met former Secretary of State and America’s Promise Alliance founder Colin Powell. (Boys Town is one of America’s Promise 100 Best Communities for Young People.)

A private memorial service was held at Boys Town for children and families who knew Huber. Caitlin Treat Huber, ’07

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ALUMNI DEDICATE PLAQUE TO BUCHERA marble plaque posthu-mously honoring Navy Cmdr. Lloyd “Pete” Bucher, '47, was dedicated ear-lier this year at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego by more that 80 members of the Southern California chapter of the Boys Town National Alumni Association.

Bucher, of Poway, California, served as a naval officer from 1953 to 1973. He gained fame as commander of the U.S.S. Pueblo, a small electronics reconnaissance ship that was captured in international waters by the North Korean navy in 1968. Bucher and his crew were imprisoned and tor-tured for 11 months before being released. The Navy and the Department of Defense later recognized Bucher’s bravery and sacrifice, and he and his crew received Purple Hearts and Prisoner of War Medals for their courage in captivity.

Bucher died in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Rose Bucher, and a son.

The idea to honor Bucher came about when Jim Tapio of Lakeside, California, a 1969 Boys Town graduate and Navy veteran, saw a television report about the memorials at Mount Soledad. Alumni from the Southern California chapter and others contributed $1,500 for the plaque.

www.boystownalumni.org4 | Alumni News www.boystownalumni.org 5 | Alumni News

FROM THE BTNAA PRESIDENTBrothers and Sisters,

I would first like to take this opportunity to thank Bruce Dolan, ’68, for an outstanding job as Alumni Association President the past two years. Bruce is an awesome individual, who I am sure will continue

to support and lead this Association in any way he can.

Second, what an incredible Convention! Kudos to everyone who made the 2009 Biennial Convention the success it was, especially all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to attend.

It has been exciting serving on the BTNAA Board the last two years, and as I embrace the office of President, I have one thing to say – HELP! In all seriousness, the only way the Board and I can serve you and the Home is with your help. In order to lead the Association in an effective manner, it will take a combined effort by all of us. Visit the Alumni Web site and make use of the resources it offers. Update your personal information, keep us informed about activities in your chapter and provide us with feedback and suggestions as to how we can better serve you. If you are not currently in a chapter or you don’t have one in your area, we can fix that.

I am excited as we embark upon the Alumni Ambassador Program introduced by Father Boes at the Convention banquet. This program is designed to empower us as alumni to spread the good work that Father Flanagan started by giving us the proper tools and education to do so. In addition, this Ambassador Program will give us the oppor-

tunity to welcome new alumni to our communities by introducing them to the community – sort of like a Welcome Wagon. More details regarding this awesome effort will be coming from the Alumni Office in the near future.

Over the next two years, I would like to focus the Board’s attention on strengthening our relationship as an Alumni organization, opening more direct lines of communication with each other and the Home, and creating new and positive ways to be role models for the boys and girls who have left Boys Town, as well those who are currently there.

As President of your Association, I invite you to contact me personally with any ideas or concerns you may have. My contact information is on the Web site, and according to my daughter Mary, I am officially on Facebook! With God’s grace, I can and will learn how to use it. My door, so to speak, is always open, so please feel free to knock. I will answer.

In closing, I would like to extend great heartfelt thanks to you for your past and continued support. If any of you are ever in the Kansas City area, feel free to get in touch with me for a visit.

In His Name,

John Abare, ’81BTNAA President

FROM THE SENIOR ADVISOR FOR ALUMNI MATTERS

Dennis Zawierucha may not be a Boys Town alumnus, but his daily “presence” on Home Campus helps serve as an enduring reminder of Father Flanagan’s love of children.

More than 60 years ago, a young artist named Eugene Kormendi walked into a schoolroom in South Bend, Indiana, and chose Dennis to pose for a small statue, which he would later duplicate on a much larger scale for Boys Town. The stat-ue depicted Boys Town founder Father Flanagan surrounded by four boys.

At the time, Dennis knew little of the famous priest from Nebraska or his home for boys except what he had seen in the 1939 movie “Boys Town.” He knew nothing of how the statue would inspire all who saw it to revere the memory of a great and selfless man.

This summer, for first time ever, Dennis and his wife Patricia visited Boys Town and stood before the epic statue, which oversees the north end of Heroes Boulevard. Peering at the worn images of Father Flanagan, Dennis and the other boys, the couple marveled at how much Boys Town has grown since its humble beginnings depicted in the long-ago film.

“This is a wonderful place,” said Dennis. “I can tell that the children are in a very safe and protected environment.”

After taking several pictures at the statue, the Zawieruchas enjoyed Mass celebrated by Father Val Peter, learned more about Father Flanagan in

the Hall of History and explored some Omaha sites.

“This trip was meant to be,” said Patricia. “Everything has just fallen into place!”

BOY IN STATUE MAKES FIRST VISIT TO BOYS TOWN

Dennis Zawierucha at the statue. He modeled for the boy standing at Father Flanagan's left side.

Stan Struble, ’68, has always had a strong pas-sion for writing. Earlier this year, the Boys Town Hall of History assistant published his third novel, Xibalba.

“Writing allows me to express my thoughts and ideas in a creative way,” said Struble. “I especially enjoy writing mystery novels about historical events or a topic no one has written about before.”

Struble says his experience at Boys Town has played a key role in his success as an author and college professor. (He currently is an adjunct pro-fessor of sociology at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.)

“The education I received at Boys Town has helped me immensely,” he said. “The teachers pushed me and made me study hard. I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without the care and sup-port of the Boys Town teachers and staff.”

Xibalba, which was translated into Spanish and

published in Spain, is a thrilling story of mystery about two archeologists who try to recover lost Mayan texts. In December, the book will be sold at the Guadalajara Book Fair, and Struble expects to have it ready for publication in English in a year. He also is working on two more novels, including a sequel to Xibalba.

Struble’s first two novels, Filth Eater (published in 2001) and Sins of the Jaguar (published in 2004), have received praise from newspapers and notable individuals.

Struble earned a master’s degree in anthropolo-gy from Kansas State University, where he taught Social Anthropology and North American Indian courses. He has had a wide range of unique life experiences, including working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and living and working in the Sierra Madres of Jalisco and the coastal lowlands of Sinaloa on the Gulf of Baja. Struble is married and has three children.

ALUM DRAWS ON LIFE EXPERIENCES TO PUBLISH THIRD BOOK

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

You have made it another memorable Convention! Between 350-400 alumni and their family members attended events and gatherings over the July 24-26

weekend. We hope those who attended enjoyed themselves and will encourage classmates and friends to attend the 30th Biennial Convention on July 29-31, 2011. Thank you to everyone and a special thanks to all those who volunteered and worked so hard to make the reunion a reality.

This Convention saw the beginning of a new alumni relationship with Boys Town as Father Steve Boes, National Executive Director, announced the creation of the Boys Town Alumni Ambassador Program. This pro-gram, endorsed by a unanimous vote of the Boys Town National Alumni Association Board, will be the start of a partnership with the Home that will see alumni across the nation sharing their stories and telling the story of Boys Town to members of their communities, and their friends and acquaintances. The success of Father Flanagan’s dream and the reality that is Boys Town is embodied in generations of alumni all across our land. It is right and fitting that we, as alumni, give back to our Home in the most meaningful way possible. We can best do this by letting America know of the good work that gave us our chance in life and the good work that is going on today to help America’s children and families.

The Boys Town of today is built upon our legacy and heritage. The Home has grown and evolved to be a relevant national leader in youth care because it was able to change with the needs of children and families. It also adapted to address contemporary problems facing America’s families with leading-edge treatment systems and the old-fashioned love and care each of us knew. We need to let America know that we

are from Boys Town and that we are proud of our history, our legacy and our Home.

Children and families of today are benefitting from decades of hard work accomplished by dedicated staff members at Boys Town. It is a tribute to them that they weathered the necessary changes to keep Boys Town a strong and viable force in the care of children and families. The need is greater now than ever before. Children and families are suffering, and Boys Town has the solutions. This is the word we need to get out to our neighbors and friends who support Boys Town and members of the general public who we want to enlist as new supporters. They need to hear you say, “I am an alumnus of Boys Town. Let me tell you about myself and thousands of others like me who have been given a second chance in life.” When they meet an alumnus, they will feel like they have made (or can make) a difference in the life of a real person.

On page 9 of this issue, you can read excerpts from Father Boes’ address at the Convention banquet outlining the Ambassador Program.

Call or email the Alumni Office if you are interested in participating in the Ambassador Program, or if you have suggestions on how we can better promote the good work Boys Town is doing with today’s children and families.

Your brother,

John Mollison, ’64Senior Advisor for Alumni Matters

www.boystownalumni.org6 | Alumni News www.boystownalumni.org 7 | Alumni News1999

Nearly 300 alumni brought their families and returned to the place they call home July 24 through 26 to make the 2009 Biennial Convention a big success.

“When Boys Town alumni come back for a reunion, they are coming home, and when the home is as welcoming as Boys Town is, it makes for a great weekend,” said John Mollison, ’64, Senior Advisor for Alumni Matters. “This year’s celebration was marked by a meeting of the general membership of the Association to choose new board members and officers and present awards to those alumni who best represent the work of Boys Town.”

The weekend teed-off with a golf tournament Friday morning at the Knolls, giving alums an opportunity to catch up with old friends. The festivities continued into the evening with a social at the Great Hall. Throughout the weekend, alums and their families toured the campus, visiting the Hall of History and the Father Flanagan House, and reminisc-ing at the cottages and homes where they once lived.

The highlights of the weekend were Saturday morning's awards pre-sentations at the Music Hall and the well-attended Saturday night banquet. Among the award receipients were Bob Curtin, '58 (Father Flanagan Outstanding Alumnus Award); Jerri Novotny, widow of the late Ed Novotny, '43 (Les Dreifuerst Alumni Appreciation Award); and George

Buckler, '64 (Jerri Novotny Alumni Service Award). (See page 8 for more awards information.)

Five alumni were inducted into the Hall of History: John Sterner, '57; Mike Trevino, '58; Martin Kuhn, '39; James Acklin, '68; and Robert Maddux, '56. The Convention also celebrated the 25-year reunion of the classes of 1983 and 1984, and the 50-year reunion of the classes of 1958 and 1959.

The association also welcomed new leadership as outgoing president Bruce Dolan, '68, handed over the gavel to new president, John Abare, '81.

Though many supporters received special recognition, all Boys Town alumni continue to represent Father Flanagan’s dream as productive citizens who left the Home to lead successful lives.

The Convention wrapped up on Sunday with a noontime picnic at the lakeside picnic grounds.

“Many alumni left the convention vowing to return to the next one,” said Mollison. “I was particularly encouraged by the connections that took place within the different generations – old alumni and young alumni sharing their common heritage and bond.”

BOYS TOWN ROLLS OUT WELCOME MAT FOR 2009 BIENNIAL CONVENTION

www.boystownalumni.org8 | Alumni News www.boystownalumni.org 9 | Alumni News

JOHN STERNER, ’57

John is the retired head wrestling coach of Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Sterner joined the staff in 1988 after a 10-year stay as teacher and coach in the Rapid City (S.D.) Public School System. He also spent 10 years as defensive line coach with the MSUM football Dragons.

During his 15 years as Dragon wres-tling coach, John crafted a 157-101-2 career mark while his teams col-lected one national championship, 25 All-American awards and 10 Academic All-America certificates.

After graduating from Boys Town, John served in the U.S. Army. He later enrolled at South Dakota State University, where he was a graduate assistant coach for one year. He then began a teaching and coach-ing career in Iowa. Sterner later coached St. Mary's High School in New England, North Dakota, to the 1969 North Dakota State Class B wrestling championship,

and was honored as North Dakota State Class B Coach of the Year.

MIKE TREVINO, ’58

Mike is a long-time sup-porter of the BTNAA, serving as President of the Omaha Chapter, serving on the Association’s board and chairing the Convention Committee on a number of occasions. During recent Conventions, Mike has organized the very successful golf tournament. Mike has spent his professional career in the print-ing business, and is presently responsible for a number of in-house print plant opera-tions in Kansas City. While at Boys Town, Mike was in the touring Concert Choir and on the swimming team. Mike and his wife Carol are strong supporters of the Home and the Alumni Association.

MARTIN KUHN, ’39 (POSTHUMOUS)

Martin was a past president of the Omaha

Chapter of the BTNAA and a past president of the Association. A staunch supporter of Boys Town and the Alumni Office, he maintained a long-lasting correspondence with Father Flanagan after leaving Boys Town. Martin and his late wife, Pat, were fixtures at all the alumni Conventions and provided a home away from Boys Town for many boys who were living at the Home. Martin and Pat met as pen pals while he was in the service. Martin served his country in the Navy and raised his family in Omaha.

JAMES ACKLIN, ’68 (POSTHUMOUS)

Jim excelled at Boys Town and graduated with a scholarship to Notre Dame University. He completed his schooling and joined the U.S. Air Force, entering pilot training and becoming a B-52 pilot. As a major, he was chosen to become an instructor pilot for the B-1 bomber as it was introduced to the Air Force. During a low-level training mis-

sion over Colorado in 1987, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure. After directing two of the crew members to eject, Jim controlled the aircraft until they escaped. Jim and the other two crewmen were unable to eject and perished when the bomber crashed.

ROBERT MADDUX, ’56

Bob was a stellar athlete at Boys Town, earning honors at the state and national level for football and basketball. He served in the U.S. Army and earned his college education after leaving the service. Bob is a Speech Pathologist, Language Development Specialist, and worked as the Director of Compensatory Education and Director of Federal and Special Programs in California. He also was superintendent of three different school districts in northern California. He and his wife Christine now own and operate a bed and breakfast in Pahoa on the Big Island, Hawaii.

An important part of the Biennial Alumni Convention is honoring those who have continued to contribute to Boys Town’s mission as alums and support-ers. The Boys Town Music Hall was the site of this year’s awards ceremony, emceed by John Mollison, ’64, Senior Advisor for Alumni Affairs.

The top Convention award is the Father Flanagan Outstanding Alumnus Award. This is given to an alumnus who, by example throughout the years, has brought credit to himself or herself, his or her family, the Boys Town National Alumni Association and Boys Town.

Bob Curtin, ’58, was this year’s recipient for his long-time support of the Alumni Association and the Home, which includes serving on the BTNAA Board for many years and being an active member of the Kansas City Chapter.

The Jerri Novotny Alumni Service Award is given to an alumnus who has shown extraordinary support and assistance to Boys Town and the Alumni Association. George Buckler, ’64, received the honor this year for his tire-less work and leadership on the two paver projects by the Father Flanagan House. George also taught math and driver’s education at Boys Town High School for nearly 30 years.

The Les Dreifuerst Alumni Appreciation Award goes to a non-alumnus who, by example throughout the years, has brought credit to himself or herself and his or her family and community, and is a strong and active supporter of the Alumni Association. The winner this year was Jerri Novotny, the widow of Ed Novotny, ’43, and a long-time supporter and volunteer with the BTNAA. A Boys Town retiree, Jerri worked in administration all her adult life during Monsignor Wegner’s tenure as executive director. Jerri handles all of the day-to-day financial matters of the BTNAA and takes care of the annual and lifetime membership applications and processing.

Also honored were the 25-year reunion classes of 1983 and 1984 and the 50-year reunion classes of 1958 and 1959.

Five alums also were inducted into the Hall of History. They were John Sterner, '57; Mike Trevino, '58; Martin Kuhn, '39; James Acklin, '68; and Robert Maddux, '56 (see their profiles below).

ALUMNI AWARDS HONOR DEDICATION, SERVICE

In his keynote speech at this year’s Convention banquet, Father Steven Boes, Boys Town’s National Executive Director, outlined a new program designed to develop a stronger relationship between alumni and Boys Town and its mis-sion. The following excerpts from his speech describe the Alumni Ambassador Program and what it will mean to spreading the word about Boys Town’s past, present and future work with children and families.

Last October I asked John Mollison, Class of 1964 and retired Vice-President for Human and Physical Resources at Boys Town, to come out of retirement and serve as the Senior Advisor for Alumni Matters to help us craft a new partnership with the Boys Town National Alumni Association. As Boys Town moves into this new century, we are dealing with the prob-lems of today’s children and families using systems and techniques that are leading edge and right for this time. We must, however, not lose the connection to our past because our common history is the foun-dation of who we have become. This is where I see the Home developing a strong and vibrant partnership with the alumni and the Alumni Association.

One new program I’d like to devel-op is to identify and train Boys Town Alumni Ambassadors. With the help of your Alumni Association, we would identify alumni who are willing to tell their success stories and link them to the story of what Boys Town is doing today for kids and families across America. One alumnus shared this story with me. He was at a meeting of a commu-nity organization and mentioned he was from Boys Town to one of the attendees. The first comment he got was, “I didn’t even know Boys Town was still open.” The next comment from those in atten-dance was that they had never met anyone from Boys Town, and were not aware of the success stories of the youth who had left Boys Town. They were amazed to find that alumni were contributing members of their communities at all levels and all walks of life. In short, by meeting an alumnus, they associated a real person with a real successful outcome and it changed the way they thought about Boys Town.

Think of the thousands of wonderful success stories from all generations of Boys Town alumni. Think of how, if each was told, it would help America to better understand the mission of Boys Town and to want to become part of the success by contributing to help today’s children and families that are served by our staff and programs. We must tell our fellow Americans about the Boys Town successes that live right next door to them. These stories must be told.

This is what I am talking about in achieving a partnership with you. You and your lives are inextricably linked to Boys Town. This is another way to give back that doesn’t cost anything but a little time sharing your story and tell-ing the story of Boys Town today. We need you to tell America what you have done with your life after Boys Town. We want you to share your story with the people who support Boys Town. They are discriminating donors – they

want to know what their donation will produce. You were once the benefi-ciary of someone’s kind donation, and now your success will tell them that they made a very wise choice in helping you to become successful in life.

Over the next few months, your Alumni Association will develop a program to help you share your story in your community. In your welcome packet, you received a short DVD about our current program and the develop-ment of our new Integrated Continuum of Care. It is a good way to get an understanding of how Boys Town has evolved in the care of youth and families. It tells how we are positioned today to address the significant and overwhelming challenges facing our children, families and nation in the area of youth care.

A second function that our Boys Town Alumni Ambassadors would have is to welcome new graduates to their town and invite them to stay connected

to their local Boys Town Alumni Association chapter. Alumni would meet with the new Boys Town grads to help them to find their way around the community and offer advice about where to live, where local churches are located, which schools are best for kids and maybe even help them find a job. This ambassador would be available to answer questions by phone or email and be a friendly person to talk with when questions arise. There would be no financial or material commitment other than time or perhaps a breakfast or lunch. Look for more information in the coming months as this program gets established. This sort of partnership is one that really binds our past, present and future as one. I encourage you to think about this and let the Alumni Office know if you are interested.

The Home has a great appreciation for the success you have made of your lives. Becoming an Alumni Ambassador will help Boys Town to grow as we prepare to celebrate a century of changing the way America cares for children and families.

FATHER BOES INTRODUCES NEW ALUMNI AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

2009 HALL OF HISTORY INDUCTEES

Bob Curtin, '58 (center)

Jerri Novotny (center) George Buckler, '64 (center)

Father Boes greets alumni at the 2009 Convention. A new program will ask alumni to be ambassadors for Boys Town.

www.boystownalumni.org10 | Alumni News www.boystownalumni.org 11 | Alumni News

Father Flanagan was a hero to many boys who found life-changing guid-ance at Boys Town.

Fittingly, he now holds an honored place in the “Heroes” gallery of stained glass windows at St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Besides the founder of Boys Town, the section of windows recognizes other Americans who have contributed to the welfare of the nation, includ-ing Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Seaton and Mother Elizabeth Lang.

The idea for the Father Flanagan window was planted several years ago when Boys Town alum Robert Cross, '58, shared the story of the iconic priest and his mission to give a second chance to boys everyone else had given up on with members of the church’s men’s club. Cross is a retired social worker living in North Carolina.

“I told about my experience in the Home and how Father Flanagan worked tirelessly to help give boys of all races, religions and creeds a home,” said Cross. “Boys Town was a big help in my life, and even though I never had the privilege of meeting Father Flanagan, I feel I know him through the stories I heard and read about him. Spreading his good work to others is just a small way of giving back and thanking him for giving me a chance.

“The pastor of the church (Father Daly) was so impressed with the impact Father Flanagan had on so many that he suggested adding Father Flanagan to the ‘Heroes’ section of the stained glass windows in the church.”

Today, a window depicting Father Flanagan holding a prayer book and

guiding three boys serves as a reminder to the congregation of the millions of children Boys Town has served in its history. Father Val J. Peter, Boys Town executive director emeritus, and Boys Town alumni made a donation toward the window.

“When I came to Boys Town in 1954, Father Flanagan had been gone for six years but he was a part of my life every single day,” Cross said. “The older boys never let us forget that the reason we had a chance at success was because of that great man.”

MARYLAND CHURCH HONORS FATHER FLANAGAN IN STAINED GLASS

MICHAEL E. BINDER, ’62, passed away on July 17, 2009, in Omaha, Nebraska.

JOHN CRANDALL, ’69, passed away on July 22, 2009, in Hawk Point, Missouri.

GLENN W. DARNELL, ’70, passed away on May 22, 1997, in Duluth, Minnesota.

NORVELL FREEMAN, ’49, passed away on June 12, 2009, in San Diego, California.

DONALD HENRY GUNNELL, ’45, passed away on March 26, 2009, in Dundee, Oregon.

CAITLIN TREAT HUBER, ’07, passed away on May 30, 2009, in Chicago, Illinois.

DAVID A. KNEELAND, ’67, passed away on June 22, 2009, in Hamburg, Michigan.

LAWRENCE MAYER, ’62, passed away on May 21, 2009, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

W. MORRIS “MORRIE” TASKER, ’65, passed away on May 17, 2009, in Omaha, Nebraska.

MIGUEL C. PENA, ’61, passed away on May 8, 2009, in Taos, New Mexico.

JOSEPH J. PLINE, ’39, passed away on June 7, 2009, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

PAUL WILLIAMS, ’88, passed away on May 23, 2009, in Omaha, Nebraska.

IN LOVING MEMORY

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

RON FISHER, ’61 GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN

“I try to keep in contact with friends from here but it’s hard. As a member of the Alumni Board, I’m helping to make a database for alumni to use. Father Flanagan started the biggest and happiest family in the world. It’s important to know about each other.”

ROGER HINESH, ’56 WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS

“I’m so grateful for my experience at Boys Town. I always try to carry a

Welcome to a special edition of this section of the Alumni News. We’ve included for your enjoyment some stories and memories shared with us by alumni who attended this year’s Convention. Our regular alum-ni summaries will return next issue.

SEAN KUDLACZ, ’98 JACKSONVILLE, N.C.

“Boys Town always had our best interest at heart, no matter what we did. They worked with us and helped us get where we are today.”

CHRIS HOLDER, ’99 OMAHA, NEBRASKA

“When we came to Boys Town, we knew that all of our bad decisions were immediately forgiven. We learned and had fun. And going to Okoboji was always a blast.”

RICHARD BASKE, ’55 MOKENA, ILLINOIS

“I was the commissioner my senior year, I was a pep club cheerleader and I played fresh-man football one year. I keep in contact with some of the guys. We email each other. Without Boys Town, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be in jail or dead, one of the two.”

message of hope, compassion and caring everywhere I go. It’s time for pay back. We need to be ambas-sadors of Boys Town.”

TOM JACOBS, ’72 AKRON, OHIO

“Boys Town changed the path of my life. They accepted me when I was really down and got me on the right track. When I needed direc-tion, someone would keep me in line. It was either your brothers or the counselors. I have very fond memories of this place.”

BOB NELSON, ’53 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

“Boys Town provided everybody with the institution, instruction and education of character. All of us guys left here with character. They gave you an education, home and a new life. Those are some things you cannot purchase.”

We want to hear from you! Your alumni brothers and sisters want to know what you are doing. Please send information about yourself to: BTNAA, 14057 Flanagan Blvd., Boys Town, NE 68010.

FROM THE AUXILIARY PRESIDENT

919-465-2242 | 214 Beckingham Loop, Cary, NCamargaretcross@bellsouth.net

Practice for the Alumni Choir drew more than three dozen singers, who later provided music for Sunday Mass at this year’s Convention.

Auxiliary Members,

Thanks to the Auxiliary for the great job on registra-tion at this year’s Convention. We had a lot of help from volunteers (non-Auxiliary members) and we send a special “Thank you” to all of them. Gail Page

made our job easier with her great preparation and organization – Kudos to Gail!

Our Convention Auxiliary meeting went well. Your new Executive Committee consists of: Margaret Cross, President; Lisa Abare, Vice President; and Marcy Vogt, Secretary-Treasurer. Rita Berthelsen served two terms as Secretary-Treasurer, and did an outstanding job. We all owe her a big “Thank you” for all she gave and will continue to give to the Auxiliary. Nineteen people attended the meeting; a total of five people signed up as Lifetime Members. Special thanks to Lisa Abare for taking charge of the Silent Auction, which raised more than

$800. This money will be used for general expenses and our annual scholarship to a graduating senior at Boys Town.

We made the following major decisions at our meeting:• National Alumni Auxiliary members may be any family member or

friend of Boys Town who wants to help and support the Auxiliary as it supports the Alumni Association. This change will be made in the Auxiliary By-Laws and Constitution.

• When a National Alumni Auxiliary Lifetime Member dies, a donation in that person's name will be made to the BTNAA Scholarship Fund.

Marcy Vogt will send out information about a “Bakeless Bake Sale,” so please respond with enthusiasm. We need your continued support.

God Bless,Margaret Cross

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBoys Town, NE PERMIT NO. 1

The Original Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home

www.boystownalumni.org

Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home Boys Town, NE 68010

In war and peace, the contributions and sacrifices of Boys Town alumni who have proudly served their country in the military are innumerable. Veteran Bruce Dolan, '68, outgoing president of the National Alumni Association, paid tribute to those brave men and women during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Alumni Armed Services Memorial during this year’s Biennial Convention. The Boys Town JROTC Color Guard presented the colors for the ceremony.

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