I Made Myself A Snowball By Shel Silverstein I made myself a

P AGE
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
Volume IV, Issue IV
December, 2013
I Made Myself A Snowball
By Shel Silverstein
Inside this issue:
Christmas with the Castle
Boutique
2-3
The Gavel
4
Book Donations
5
2013-2014 Board
6
Board Meeting
7
Castle Ball
8-9
Scholarship Opportunity 10-11
Obituary
12-13
In Memoriam
14
Member Celebrations
15
Media
16
Membership
17
2013
I made myself a snowball,
As perfect as could be,
I thought I'd keep it as a pet,
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas,
And a pillow for its head,
Then last night it ran away,
But first - it wet the bed!
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CHRISTMAS WITH THE CASTLE BOUTIQUE
Connie Semonite
Ways and Means
Chairperson
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
This Christmas, you have a wonderful opportunity to purchase unique gifts from the
Castle Boutique. Remember that the proceeds will help with the scholarship fund!
Throughout this issue, you will see pictures of Engineer merchandise. Please visit
the website to see even more items available! Happy Shopping!
Engineer Castle Ornament
Our custom Engineer Castle Ornament is made in the small German village of
Speicher, located near the French border, and is a must for your holiday
decorating and all-year gift giving.
The high relief of this decoration depicts a very detailed Engineer Castle
surrounded by a gently rounded band on which the motto "ESSAYONS" is
displayed beneath the castles' foundation. A rope trim edges the 2 ¾" brass
or silver-plated disk which is finished with an antique coating that not
only prevents any tarnish or color change, but also enhances the beauty of
the intricate brickwork on the castle and its' turrets. While the ornament
is pressed in heavy brass, it is still just the perfect weight at 0.9 ounces
to hang from its' red satin ribbon without distorting your tree branch.
The owner of our one-of-a-kind ornament will surely display it during the
holidays for years to come and we are certain many will exhibit it in their
home and businesses throughout the entire year to illustrate their fond
association with the Corps of Engineers.
http://www.armyengineerspouses.com/souvenirs-and-gifts1.html
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
The Gavel
Stained Glass Castle
Our stained glass castle is the perfect
gift. 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" will add a touch
of Engineer pride to any window in
your home. Shown here on ivory
fabric and in a window, it's details are
lovely to behold. Surrounded with
clear beveled glass rectangles, this
piece with sparkle in the sunshine
and brighten any grey day. http://
www.armyengineerspouses.com/
souvenirs-and-gifts1.html
Finally ~ a Tervis Tumbler with our beloved castle!
Our newly offered 16-ounce Tervis Tumbler is personalized with a custom red and
white Engineer Castle emblem created as a replica of an unofficial uniform patch worn
between 1948 and 1956. Still representative of todays’ Engineer soldiers and Corps
employees as well as their families and fans alike, our tumblers are the perfect gift for
anyone. We also offer the Tervis travel lid - a must have for your commute, daily walk,
or just to keep drips from decorating your paperwork.
Did you know Tervis Tumblers are Made in America, keep drinks cold, keep drinks hot,
prevent condensation, are dishwasher safe, ecologically logical and have a lifetime guarantee? All of that AND an Engineer Castle? We recommend a set of four
for all households!
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CASTLE BOUTIQUE
Engineer Wrapping Paper
You asked - we got it! Our Engineer wrapping paper
comes in three styles for any occasion. The graphics are
approximately 1" and the clarity is superb. The gift
wrap is 24" wide and sold by the foot. (1 ft. x 24" =
$3.50, 2 ft. x 24" = $7.00, etc.) Paper will be cut to the
desired length and folded for shipping. Choice of Corps
of Engineer Castle, Engineer Regimental Crest, or Corps
of Engineer Crest.http://www.armyengineerspouses.com/
souvenirs-and-gifts1.html
THANK
YOU!!
2013
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
...a note from our President
Dear Friends:
The Gavel
Kathy Moakler
President
I’m preparing for Thanksgiving at home as I write this letter. Our daughter and her partner are joining us and we will have a comfortable dinner
for 4, long on good food and warmth and short on formality – my favorite kind. Our Christmas will be totally different as her two brothers and
our daughter-in-law join us in Hawaii while she heads to California.
Sound familiar? As military families we often find ourselves separated
physically from our family members at the holidays but know that we
will reconnect at those times we can all be together, no matter what the
date.
Our Capital District group plans to bring the holiday season in with style.
We will share a little Christmas cheer at our Board meeting at Debbie
Rapp’s house in December. Members are always welcome.
Be on the lookout for your Red Book in your mailbox soon. Thanks to
Jackie Caldwell for her wonderful work as membership chair and editor
in chief of the Red Book. Makes keeping contact with old friends all the
easier.
Don’t forget our book drive for the Fort Belvoir Pediatric Clinic. Contact
me if you need to donate a book and we will get it to Rene Bostick for
the presentation to the clinic.
This fall has been a sad one. Many of the Board attended a wake for
CSM (retired) Mike Buxbaum in November. Our condolences go out to
Bobby, her daughters and other family for their loss. Mike was the just
retired Command Sergeant Major for the Corps and Bobby was a valued
Board member and advisor for our club. Next week, many of us will be
attending a service for Stephen Wright, the son of Susan and Greg Wright
who died suddenly this month. Susan is our webmaster. We hope our
condolences offer some comfort at this difficult time.
May you all have a warm and wonderful holiday season. Hold your family a little closer.
Essayons!
Kathy Moakler
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
The Gavel
Book Donations Needed!
Donate a book for a Military Child!
We will be collecting children’s books for the
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Pediatric Clinic
New Children’s books – picture, story, game, Sudoku
Bring donations to the December AESC events or
contact Kathy Moakler ([email protected]) for drop off
information.
Thanks to Rene Bostick, spouse of the Chief of Engineers
for
leading this wonderful effort.
BOOK DONATIONS
welcome
THANK
YOU!!
2013
6
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
2013-2014 AESC
Elected Officers
2013-2014 AESC OFFICERS
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President – Kathy Moakler
Vice-President – Rosemary Davis
Secretary – Allison Chamberlayne
Treasurer – Debbie Rapp
AEMA Chairperson – Holly Scherer
Appointed Board Members
Parliamentarian – Roz Riley
Membership – Jackie Caldwell
Hospitality – Lynda Flowers
AEMA Scholarship – Laura Putnam
Media Team: Publicity/Historian – Glenda Hudson
Newsletter – Karen Anderson
Webmaster – Susan Wright
Facebook – Elizabeth Hill
Circulation – Kara Anderson
Reservations – Anita Link
Ways and Means – Connie Semonite
Welfare/Services – Mollie O’Neill
Liaison Chair: Knollwood – Betty Swygert
Fairfax – Joyce Rebh
Knollwood Bake Sale – Priscilla Noah
Nominations – Bette Meuleners
Nominations & Ad Hoc Volunteer—Pat O’Neill
Ad Hoc Volunteer – Gene Villiva
Beth Mazzanti
Advisors
Renee Bostick - Spouse, Chief of Engineers
Vicky Groninger - Spouse, CSM of Engineers
Jackie Caldwell– SES spouse, Director– MILPO
Joan Stockton-SES Spouse, Director-CEO
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
Upcoming Board Meeting
AESC Board Meeting
Refreshments provided by: Anita and Allison
***********************************
BOARD MEETING
December 4
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
At the home of
Debbie Rapp
212-B Lee Ave
Ft Myer, VA
2013
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
146th annual engineer castle ball
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014
CASTLE BALL
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The Army Engineer Association
on behalf of
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
cordially
invites you and your guest(s)
to join them for
the
146th Annual Engineer Castle Ball
on
Friday, 31 January 2014
at
the Marriott Crystal Gateway
beginning at 6:00 P.M.
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
Additional information about the Castle Ball:
Cost: $70.00 per person
We hope you'll be able to join us for this special time with friends,
family and our many shareholders and partners as we honor our
NCO of the Year, our Wounded Warriors, and continue the Corps
tradition of this annual event.
Be part of the legacy. ESSAYONS!
For reservation and payment information please click the link below. The rsvp deadline is 17 January 2014.
http://www.armyengineer.com/castleball2014.htm
CASTLE BALL
Attire: Mess Dress or Army Blues with Bow Tie for Military;
Black Tie or Dark Business Suit for Gentlemen; Evening Gown or
Cocktail Dress for Ladies.
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS—1
Menu:
SALAD
ENTRÉE
beef and chicken entrée #1
salmon entrée #2
vegetable napoleon #3
DESSERT
10
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
ARMY ENGINEER SPOUSES’ CLUB
Army Engineer Memorial Awards
Geraldine K. Morris Award
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
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The Army Engineer Spouses’ Club announces the availability of
the 2014 Army Engineer Memorial Awards and the 2014 Geraldine
K. Morris Award.
The Army Engineer Memorial Awards were established in 1973 as
a living memorial to Engineer Officers killed in Vietnam and are
given annually to honor all Engineer Officers who died in the line
of duty. To qualify for an award, you must be a graduating high
school senior who is a citizen of the United States and whose sponsor, parent, or legal guardian is a U.S. Army Engineer (active duty,
retired or deceased) or current Department of the Army employee
of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The scholarships
are open to students in all fields of study and are based on academic and extracurricular achievement during high school. All
monies awarded must be applied toward tuition or scholastic expenses at a college, university, technical or vocational school.
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
The AESC 2014 Application is now available at http://
www.armyengineerspouses.com/scholarships.html
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
For more information about scholarship donations, contact the
AEMA Chairman at [email protected].
2013
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS—1
The Army Engineer Spouses' Club, through efforts of its membership and outside contributors, has established a permanent fund
for the perpetuation of the Army Engineer Memorial Award. Individuals may make a tax-deductible contribution to this fund,
either as a gift or as a memorial.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Geraldine K. Morris Award was established in 2006. Mrs.
Morris served as an Army nurse, was Honorary President of the
Army Engineer Spouses’ Club and wife of the 44th Chief of Engineers, LTG (Ret) John Morris. The award designed to honor her
service and memory is available to a graduating high school senior who intends to enroll in a program leading to a nursing degree or certification, and is a citizen of the United States whose
sponsor, parent, or legal guardian is a U.S. Army Engineer (active
duty, retired or deceased) or current Department of the Army
employee of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. This
award will be renewable based on the student's GPA and their
maintaining full-time enrollment in a nursing program.
NOVEMBER
12
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army, retired)
Micheal L. Buxbaum
OBITUARY
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Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army, retired) Micheal L. Buxbaum,
passed away in his sleep on Nov. 9, 2013, while in Afghanistan, where
he was working as a contractor supporting deployed soldiers, his lifelong calling. Mike was born Dec. 31, 1959, to Don and Barbara
Buxbaum of Manitowoc, WI. He spent his childhood and formative
years in Wisconsin., where he spent time with his family, and particularly enjoyed fishing at Tomahawk with his father. He was an avid
wrestler in school and loved having fun with his wrestling buddies. After graduating from Lincoln High School's Class of 1978, he entered
the Army under the buddy system with his best friend, Dale Hietpas. In
1982, Mike married the love of his life, Roberta Reiter Buxbaum
(Bobby), and they shared a long and happy marriage full of worldwide
adventures and a love for Harley Davidson that was never more evident
than by their regular participation in the American Legion Legacy Ride.
Together, and with great joy, they raised two wonderful daughters,
Katie and Christina, of whom Mike was an incredibly proud father.
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
OBITUARY
Mike served his country with distinction for 33 years. Achieving the
rank of Command Sergeant Major, Mike was stationed throughout the
United States and overseas during his career. He served in virtually
every leadership position in the Army, from Team Leader to Brigade
CSM. He deployed to hostile locations multiple times with combat
tours in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm in the early 1990s,
Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 in 2003, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in
2007. He was also deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo in
the late 1990s. He retired in June 2012, as the 10th Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Most recently he
was employed by Exelis Systems Corporation, a defense services
company supporting U. S. Forces. All who had the privilege to know
and work with Mike knew him as a passionate advocate for the Army,
his soldiers, and Corps of Engineers civilians, a legacy that will live
on in the people he touched and mentored throughout his life. Mike is
also survived by his parents, Don and Barbara Buxbaum of Wisconsin; sisters and brothers-in-law Susan and Scott Esson, and JoAnn
and Joe Hall, and sister, Kathy Buxbaum Williams, all of Wisconsin;
sister-in-law Cyndi Sanford of California and brother-in-law, Ron
Reiter of Indiana; many nieces
and nephews; his loyal pet
Breacher; and all of his Army
friends and family. Interment
will be at Arlington National
Cemetery in February. In lieu
of flowers, donations to the
American Legion Legacy
Fund, 700 N. Pennsylvania
Street, Indianapolis, IN
46204, are appreciated. Please
indicate, "In memory of CSM
Micheal L. Buxbaum" in the
check memo line.
NOVEMBER
2013
14
IN MEMORIAM
P AGE
ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
Our sympathy is extended to the family
of Stephen Wright, the son of Susan and
Greg Wright. Stephen died on Thursday
morning, Nov 21, 2013. He was 24 years
old .
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
Birthdays…………………………….
December
Dec. 4
Dec. 5
Dec. 7
Dec. 7
Dec. 10
Dec. 14
Dec. 15
Dec. 21
Dec. 28
Dec. 29
Dec. 31
January
Joyce Rebh
Priscilla Noah
Marna Rockwell
Harbans Singh
Lynne Jackson
Julie Strock
Sheila Hancock
Brandie Sinkler
Elisa Kinsman
Paula Van Antwerp
Marilyn Milne
Jan. 5
Jan. 6
Jan. 10
Jan. 10
Jan. 13
Jan. 16
Jan. 21
Jan. 22
Jan. 23
Jan. 25
Jan. 28
February
Betty Moss Swygert
Deborah Kalisz Wehr
Elizabeth Hill
Sharise Spellmon
Sue Wright
Karen Anderson
Bobby Buxbaum
Toni Mudd
Feb. 4
Feb. 4
Feb. 5
Feb. 6
Feb. 6
Feb. 7
Feb. 16
Feb. 29
*Please let me know if I have missed your Birthday!
MEMBER CELEBRATIONS
Janice Smith
Mary Beth Savre
Jay Burcham
Shelly Hatch
Jenny Offringa
Tanya Dalton
Isabel C. Stevens
Holly Scherer
Nicole Gallagher
Joan Stockton
Shannon Hendrickson
2013
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MEDIA
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013
The Army Engineer Spouses' Club welcomes membership from spouses of
all U.S. Army
Engineers and civilian employees of USACE and, with approval of the Executive Board,
other persons who are associated with the Corps of Engineers.
2013-2014 AESC MEMBERSHIP
This is an exciting year for AESC membership. Horray! We now have two
options for submitting our 2013-2014 membership and dues.
http://www.armyengineerspouses.com/online-membership-form.html
1. An electronic membership form with paypal on the AESC website!
2. Our traditional mail-in membership form.
We look forward to receiving many electronic memberships. As always,
our AESC post office mailbox will be checked frequently for mailed memberships.
Jackie Caldwell
Membership Chair
“LIKE” us on Facebook!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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ARMY
ENGINEER
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
AESC 2013-2014 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
PRINT NAME as you would like to be listed in the Castle Directory (The Redbook)
Last _____________________________ First_______________________________
Mailing Address
___________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________ State ____________
Zip Code______________
Preferred contact phone:
__________________________________________________
Your Birthday (month/day only) ________________
Check one: □ New member □ Returning member □ Rejoining member
Spouse's Name______________________________________________________
Check one: Is Spouse: □ Active □ Retired □ Deceased
Spouse's title/rank/job assignment or firm
______________________________________
By sending this application, you agree to have the above information listed in the
Castle Directory.
Membership runs from July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2014. Membership information
received by Oct 31st,
2013 will be included in the 2013-2014 Castle Directory. Thank you.
Annual dues + 1 copy of the Castle Directory $25 ___________
Additional Castle Directory: Each $5 ___________
Total: ___________
Please make check payable to AESC and mail to:
AESC MEMBERSHIP
P.O. Box 6332
Alexandria, VA 22306-6332
Join online at www.armyengineerspouses.com
The AESC mission is to keep our Army Engineer family connected. We value membership as a
way of keeping Army Engineer friendships alive through member information in the Castle
Directory. We welcome your active participation. Let a board member know if you would like to:
 write regular or occasional articles for the Castle Gram,
 volunteer your computer skills,
 host an AESC-sponsored activity or fund-raising event in your area,
 provide pictures of member weddings, births, retirement, or other events of interest to the
Army Engineer family.
MEMBERSHIP
E-mail
__________________________________________________________________
The Castle Gram is sent to you via email unless you request a mailed copy □ .
2013
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ARMY
ENGINEER
AESC
P.O. Box 6332
Alexandria, VA 22306-6332
SPOUSES’
CLUB
NOVEMBER
2013