First Ever Member/Guest Event

Judge Jim Thompson; Tammy
Surratt (Uncommon Friends
Foundation, Board Member)

Joseph Pescatrice (Red Cross of
Lee County, Board Chair); Jody
Van Cooney (Uncommon Friends
Foundation, Board Member)

Connie McCormick; Berne Davis;
Roxie Smith (Uncommon Friends
Foundation, Board Members); Dot
Orthman (Advisory Board Member)

In education the foundation has revised and reprinted the highschool/college/continuing adult education curriculum and educators who have received the foundation’s Character Education Award have formed an advocacy group called the

Oswald Trippe CEO, Gary Trippe; attorney Gail Markham); Mills- Associates’ Todd Adams; SWFL Community Foundation Vice Julia East; Dr. Larry Byrnes, FGCU; and (back to camera) Knight, foundation Education Committee Chairperson.

FAMILY MEMBERS
•Mr. Todd Adams
•Mr. & Mrs. Robert Adkins
•Mr. & Mrs. Robert Albright
•Frank & Betty Bireley
•Dr. & Mrs. Fred Bisplinghoff
•Mr. & Mrs. Liston Bochette
•Mr. & Mrs. Rudolf Bredenbeck
•Mr. & Mrs. Melville Brinson
•Dr. Jim Browder
•Winnie Brueck
•Anthony Bube, Ph.D.
•Elaine McLaughlin & Michael Burrock
•Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Clapp
•Mr. & Mrs. Danny Cox
•Mr. & Mrs. Barney Creech
•Mr. & Mrs. Warren Durling
•Mr. & Mrs. Fred Entwistle
•Allen E. Fox
•Pat Limegrover & Max Furbringer
•Mr. & Mrs. Mike Geml
•Mr. & Mrs. Bruce T. Grady
•Mr. & Mrs. Peter Gravina
•James P. & Kelly Gyarmathy
•Wayne & Myrn Holbrook
•Mr. & Mrs. Tom Hoolihan
•Mrs. Mary Francis Howard
•Mayor Jim & Nancy Humphrey
•Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Jacobs II
•Dr. & Mrs. John Kagan
•Mr. & Mrs. D. Hugh Kinsey
•Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Kinsey
•Reggie & Ada Knight
•Mr. & Mrs. W. Bernard Lester
•Dr. & Mrs. Gregory Lignelli
•Gail Markham
•Roger & Wendy Mayes
•Mr. & Mrs. Jim McCaughan
•Mr. & Mrs. Gerard A. McHale, Jr.
•Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Morgan
•Mr. & Mrs. James R. Nathan
•Mr. & Mrs. Jack W. Orthman
•Mr. & Mrs. Thomas F. Orthman
•David & Sharon Owen
•Mr. & Mrs. Samuel L. Perry
•Erik & Lana Petersen
•Mr. & Mrs. D.J. Petruccelli
•Mr. & Mrs. Ward Posey
•Mr. & Mrs. Harry Powell, Jr.
•Mr. & Mrs. Homer Pyle
•Dr. Lorraine Reagan
•Ted Reckwerdt
•Mr. & Mrs. Max Rieves
•Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Rothenberg
•Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm W. Schroeder
•Mr. & Mrs. Al Schultz
•Mr. & Mrs. Michael Sentelik
•Denny & Donna Sharma
•Mr. Bob Shrader
•Robert & Nancy Sizemore
•Mr. & Mrs. Michael R. Smith
•Mr. & Mrs. Tom Smoot, Jr.
•Mr. & Mrs. Peter A Spuhler
•Mr. & Mrs. Dan Stevens

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
•John Albion
•Charles J. Basinait, Esq.
•Mrs. Ruby Rietta Bell
•Susan Bennett
•Mr. Paul Bush
•Frank Byers
•R. Paul Cochrane
•John M. Crowley
•Frances D’Alessandro
•Berne Davis
•Jeanne Dozier
•Julia East
•Ms. Virginia L. Fleming
•Mr. Sam Galloway, Jr.
•Porter Goss
•Robley Greilick
•Mrs. Frances H. Gresham
•Kenneth Griffith
•Darlene Ann Grossman
•Ann H. Hamilton
•Jody Hendry
•Mr. James Hof
•Mildred Hunter
•Jennifer E. Inskeep
•Ahmad Kareh
•Kathryn Kelly
•Rosemary Kelly
•Mrs. Edith B. Kingsley
•Senator Connie Mack
•Barbara B. Mann
•Connie McCormick
•Mary Murphy
•Fran Myers
•B. Pat O’Rourke
•Cheryl Parker
•Aubrey Posey
•Greg Rasmussen
•Dr. David Robinson
•Arlene Roth
•George Sanders
•Mr. John E. Scanlon
•Robert Scharlau
•Dr. Elinor Scricca
•Maureen Shannon-Jefferson
•Mr. John Sheppard
•Jon Simmons
•Gerald Smart
•Mr. G. G. Smart
•Roxie Smith
•Rev. Israel Suarez
•Tammy Surratt
•Kitty Taylor
•Sharon Thierer
•Mrs. Sue Totterdale
•Mr. Harold G. Van Sciver
•Leiana Verwest
•Lillian Wang
•T. Michael Wight
•Bob Wigley
•Dr. Irvin D.S. Winsboro
•Gloria F. Wood
•Reverend Jon Zehnder

Lenny Katz,
UBS Financial Services, Inc.

1. Robert sells his stock and donates the $10,000 cash. Result he is
entitled to a $10,000 charitable deduction, but must report the $8,000 gain
on the stock.

2. Michael, on the other hand donates the stock directly to the
charitable organization. Result: he is entitled to the same $10,000
charitable deduction.

However is not subject to any tax on the capitol gain.

So, as you can see, how you donate the property to charity may have a significant tax difference for you. The amount of the charitable deduction for the stock held more than one year is limited to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income (20 percent for “qualified appreciated stock” contributed to a
private foundation) for that year. Any excess may generally be carried forward for five years.

Keep in mind that you must complete you gift to a charity in the year that the donation is made in order to be able to claim a charitable contribution on your tax return for that year. If the donation is at or near year-end, you should be particularly aware of the December 31st deadline.

Thank you Meryl!

Robert R. (Bob) Jones, Lee Campus
PresidentEdison College

Mike Scott, Lee County Sheriff

Andrew W. Mikulaschek, M.D.
Director, Dept. of Trauma & Surgical
Critical Care, Lee Memorial Health System

James and Ellie Newton firmly believed that there was a destiny and a plan that accompanied human beings throughout their life. The mere act of waiting for life to happen was not part of their plan. Instead, the ability to know the sound of opportunity knocking and the subsequent changes that could improve their lives or the lives of others was an irresistible calling. Some people pursue their destiny better than others, perhaps because they possess a “Sense of Purpose” and “A Spirit of Adventure” making it easier to visualize how an opportunity can make a difference in our own life and for those close to us. It’s hard to say why some people spot opportunity better than others, but it is clear that we all have missed great opportunities that could have changed our lives. On the other hand most of us have made decisions that made a profound and positive difference in our lives. In my mind, an individual’s destiny can best be fulfilled by having a clear vision of where we want to be in life and recognizing the opportunities that accompany this vision. Unfortunately, one opportunity often only represents a piece of a cryptic puzzle that only becomes recognizable with a little bit of hindsight. Almost all great and small success stories started with a vision and an opportunity. However, very few truly understood their destiny and where their quest would take them. Bill Gates had no clue he would revolutionize the computer industry and become the richest man in the world, Pope John Paul had no idea he would become a Pope, Sam Walton had no idea that his five and dime store would change retailing forever. Jim and Ellie Newton were masters of their destiny and clearly had a “Sense of Purpose” which was their vision and “A Spirit of Adventure” which enabled them to act upon the opportunities that presented themselves. In 1987 Jim Newton memorialized his life in a book called ‘Uncommon Friends’. Since that now memorable day when Jim Newton met Mina Edison he had himself led a pretty incredible life and he had a story to tell. However, he had no idea his book would change the lives of so many. In 1993 when John Albion and Fran Myers approached the Newton’s about creating a Foundation to preserve the historical papers, documents and artifacts of the Edison, Ford, Firestone,Carrell and Lindbergh era, the opportunity was clear but they had no idea that the Foundation would eventually pursue greater causes. In 1995, who could have known that a Character Education Curriculum would be adopted by our school system for Elementary and High School students, chronicling the Story of the Uncommon Friends. Thanks to Sandy Stilwell, Reggie Knight, David Boon and all the wonderful teachers who wrote this curriculum.

Nobody could have dreamed that The Uncommon Friends Foundation would have a Chair of Ethics at Florida Gulf Coast University, but thanks to an  initiative by Bob and Linda Taylor and the contributions of many more, we do. Jim Newton never imagined that his book would become a PBS documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite. However, because of the efforts of Producer John Biffar, Benefactor Paul Bush and the City of Fort Myers it was a resounding success. When Walter Cronkite, Jimmy Buffett and 1500 people showed up for the premiere at Barbara B. Mann Hall, one could only wonder about purpose and destiny. Education changes lives  and thanks to the generosity of Berne Davis, Meryl and Verne Eriksson and the efforts of David and Connie McCormick, Jodie Van Cooney, Sharon Thierer, this foundation has a well funded Scholarship Program and has provided over 250 scholarships for the last 12 years. On June 8th at the Sanibel Harbor Resort, The Uncommon Friends Foundation will bestow the first Uncommon Friends Business Ethics award to a business that exemplifies high ethical standards in their business environment. Thanks to Tammy Surratt and her committee, the Foundation continues to grow stronger every day. In 1987, Mr. Newton had finally published his book, and no doubt felt a great sense of relief in knowing that his story had been told. Already in his eighties, I am sure that he felt that his and Ellie’s amazing life would be the final chapter in the Uncommon Friends story. He probably hoped that in his humble way, that a few people would read and maybe be inspired by his story... Little Did He Know!

This grand event will be like no other Uncommon Friends Foundation event you have attended in the past. You won’t want to miss this elegant, black-tie - optional evening of celebration and recognition!

Join us as we celebrate new opportunities for Uncommon Friends of Tomorrow (scholarship recipients), and we recognize Uncommon Friends of Today (a local business) with high standards of ethical behavior in its organization.

The First Annual Uncommon Friends Ethics in Business Award has stirred a great deal of excitement. But you might ask, “How does the Uncommon Friends Ethics in Business Award nomination and award process work?” A committee of 65 business, community and religious leaders in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties nominated 24 companies that they felt consistently demonstrated ethical conduct. A panel of nine independent business ethicists, ethics educators, and renowned business ethics authors will judge the nominated organizations’ applications. The top five organizations will be announced in the NewsPress on Monday, April 17. “An Uncommon Evening” on June 8 will conclude with the announcement of the Uncommon Friends Ethics in Business Award winner.

Special thanks to An Uncommon Evening” presenting sponsors Oswald Trippe & Company and Traveler’s Insurance, as well as the Platinum Sponsors Chico’s, Congress Jewelers, NewsPress, Edison National Bank, and Moorings Park. My heart-felt thanks go to these organizations for their enthusiasm and commitment to ethics and character education.

Seating is limited please call for reservations at 239-533-2130.

And then the day came when the risk to stay tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom. -anonymous- Uncommon Friends Foundation is facing a year of great change in 2006 with vision, courage, conviction and a new mission statement that sums up for all who would ask “what is the Uncommon Friends Foundation?” We are a character education foundation whose mission is to instill ethics, moral values and a sense of purpose in tomorrow’s leaders.

This mission is accomplished through the character education curricula developed by the foundation for grades 3-8 and another for high school, college and continuing education. The foundation’s mission is also accomplished through a needs-based scholarship program, a teacher recognition program, an annual business ethics award and the Uncommon Friends Chair of Ethics at FGCU.

In 2006 we move forward to broaden our scope of influence by expanding our character education curriculum program into Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties and beyond. In the next thirty days I will be hiring a full-time Character Education Coordinator with a job focused on moving our curriculum into the school districts of all of southwest Florida, the rest of the state and beyond.

In 2006 we move forward to expand our commitment to ethics in business by awarding the First Annual Business Ethics Award and instituting Business Ethics Roundtables in collaboration with the FGCU College of Business.

In 2006 we move forward in our leadership role as a champion of ethics by unveiling the Uncommon Friends of the Twenty-first Century Lecture Series, an event to showcase speeches by modern-day heroes who have the same spirit of adventure, commitment to friendship, sense of purpose, and unending personal growth that the original uncommon friends, giants of the Twentieth Century showed. In 2006 we move forward with a renewed commitment to one of the cornerstones of our mission through an expanded recruitment of scholarship funds for those who show the uncommon promise of desire and determination for personal and professional growth.

Until next time,
ARLENE

Arlene Roth- Executive Director