Pioneer of the Year 2003 -  Linda Winman

We are pleased to announce that Jim Crosbie has been selected at our 2003 Hall of Fame recipient.  Jim served as Central Mass Council President in 1997-1998.  He has served on the Denver Chapter Board in various positions since and is currently Community Service Chairperson.   Jim also maintains his position on the Central Mass Council as Community Service Chairperson. Jim is very active with the Council and the Chapter.  For the past several years Jim organized and provided the transport for the Hay Ride for the students at the Clarke School for the Deaf Walkathon as well as helping prepare hamburgs and hotdogs.  Jim also served on the Special Olympic Committee for the Worcester Games.

He volunteers at Jeremiah’s Inn shopping for the food, cooking and serving the monthly meal, which Jim recently changed to serve his own recipe of Meatloaf which was a big hit with the clients.  He collects clothing for their clients and organized a work party to install smoke

alarms in each of the bedrooms at the Inn.  He also helped with cooking, serving and the cleanup at the 2002 Memory Ride in Fitchburg, Ma.  For the Clara Barton Camp he delivered a canoe, paddles and life jackets purchased by the Council.  In addition to that he organized another work party to assist in the opening of the camp for the upcoming summer season.  As an example of his unselfish dedication he befriended a client suffering from multiple sclerosis.  He provided rides for him to his doctor’s appointments and assisted him in obtaining an apartment and a car.  When this client moved to Maine, Jim was there to help him move and settle in.  He is active on the Special Olympic committees both in the Worcester games, which he assisted in organizing, as well as volunteering at the Gardner games.  Jim is involved in clothing drives for the Elm Park Community School as well as food drives for Jeremiah’s Inn and the Central Mass food pantries.  Jim can also be seen at schools through the council area painting Pioneer Playground MAP’s for the children.  He is also a past participant in the Elm Park Community Elementary School Reading Day.  Jim has volunteered in a mentoring program for 2 adults with disabilities.  Jim travels outside his council area to volunteer at Region, Chapter and council projects like the Slater Park cleanup in Pawtucket and most recently the Camp Nawaka project is East Otis, Ma.

Jim is always showing the councils fundraising items at the garage in the hopes of raising money to support the Councils projects.   He also promotes the sale of Chapter items like the recent Telephone ornaments from Poland.  For many years, when raffle tickets could be sold at his work location, his wife Jean would make a Xmas Tree Skirt to be raffled to raise funds for the Christmas Projects that the Council would undertake.  Over the years this has brought in over $1500

Jim has been a valued volunteer for over 10 years touching the lives of those that he has helped.  Jim was awarded the 1997-1998 William J. Denver Chapter “Pioneer of the Year” award for displaying the ideals of pioneering and the objectives we strive to meet as a Chapter as represented by the Pioneer triangle:  creating opportunities for fellowship with those we’ve worked with; while taking part in community service projects to help those in need and loyalty to our sponsoring companies for providing an avenue to continue our career friendships while ensuring needed services in our communities continue.   Jim was nominated by a family member and awarded the honor of representing the Worcester area in carrying the Olympic Torch in 1996 as it passed through Massachusetts on it’s way to the games in Atlanta.  He was recognized by the Elm Park Community Elementary School for his participation in the Community Reading Day and at Jeremiah’s Inn in appreciation for his volunteering.

Jim is a very quiet and un-assuming and doesn’t like to be made a fuss over.  He is always there for anyone and anything- willing to help wherever needed.   Jim’s wife Jean is a loyal supporter of pioneering, participating in many projects with Jim.  Jim is a welcomed member of our Pioneer team and we are proud to have him on our team.

Pioneer of the Year - Linda Winman   Linda has served on the Mclellan Council for more than 7 years and has been a very active volunteer organizing and participating in many social and community service events and activities that have benefited the community. She has never missed an opportunity to promote the spirit of pioneering by volunteering her time and services.She has organized a very successful 50’s dance, raising funds to complete various community service projects in the Mclellan Council area. She has been a volunteer at the Special Needs Day in Rhode Island for the past several years assisting the 60

"Special Needs Adults" that participate with the Special Olympic style games and helping to prepare and serve lunch. Linda can also been seen assisting at the bake, candle, book and Sue’s Sweets fundraisers that are held at the Green St., Providence location.

Linda participates in the Heart Walk, the Ronald McDonald Walk, and Cystic Fibrosis Walk either by soliciting pledges or volunteering at a "watering hole". Linda helps with the monthly meals for Ronald McDonald House at their temporary location while repairs are being made to their building. She also shops for the food and serves meals at the Welcome Arnold Center for the Homeless.

Over the years Linda has not missed an opportunity to sort and pack food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas time which she helps deliver to clients at various hospitals, shelters, nursing homes and families throughout the Rhode Island area.

Yes, she even finds time to support the Pioneer Playground MAP project and has assisted at most of the paintings over the past 4-5 years, most recently at the Rebuilding Providence, Christmas in April project at the Carl Lauro Elementary School and Holy Ghost Elementary School and Day Care Center in Providence.

The Mclellan Council and Providence Life Member Club know that Linda is always there when needed to lend a hand and is deserving of this important distinction as "2003 Pioneer of the Year".

Life Member of the Year - Ken Boehm   Ken has been a pioneer for over 40 years and is currently a member of the TelecomPioneers Providence Life Member Club. For the past 33 years Ken has sponsored the Deborah Jean Boehm Golf Tournament held in memory of his daughter who died from Leukemia in 1963. Through this tournament Ken has raised and donated over $250,000 to both national and local charities. The Deborah Jean Boehm Memorial Tournament is the largest one-day 18-hole shotgun tournament, held at one golf course at one time, in the world! It started out 33 years ago on a 9-hole course with 72 players at the Woodland Country Club in North Kingstown, RI. It grew so rapidly it was moved to an 18-hole course at Sun Valley Country Club in Rehoboth, Ma. 

Approximately 240 golfers now play and about ½ of them are telecom employees or their relatives. Local golf companies are solicited for prizes as well as local and national companies for hole sponsorship. The TelecomPioneers of the Providence Life member Club support this tournament by sponsoring a hole and donating team prizes as well as volunteering at the event by serving food and drinks, helping with raffle ticket sales and passing out of team trophies and prizes.

Over the years many non-profit organizations have received generous checks from the tournament, such as: The Leukemia Society, The Hemophilia Society, A Wish Come True, The Trudeau Therapeutic Center, Ronald McDonald House, The American Cancer Society, as well as several local charities. The proceeds from the 2002 Tournament were given to the Cancer Society, which supported the Summer Camp Program, which sends children with cancer to a special camp for a week in the summer to enjoy activities with other children with similar afflictions.

Tragedy struck Ken in early 2002 when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had part of one lung removed and underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. As of this date Ken has completely recovered and been pronounced cancer free!!! While going through this trying time Ken only missed 2 board meetings but continued to keep in touch and still edited our newsletter.

Soft spoken and a gentleman best describes Ken Boehm, he displays the ideals of pioneering and the objectives we strive to meet as a Chapter as represented by the Pioneer triangle: creating opportunities for fellowship with those we’ve worked with; while taking part in community service projects to help those in need and loyalty to our sponsoring companies for providing an avenue to continue our career friendships while ensuring needed services in our communities continue.

Pioneer Partner of the Year - John Winman   John has served on the Mclellan Council for several years and is a Verizon employee. He is a loyal supporter of pioneering, participating in many projects by giving of his time, talent and helpful advise.

He assisted Linda in arranging the 50’s dance. He helps with the Thanksgiving and Christmas Food drives, sorting, packing and delivering the more than 50 boxes to clients at various hospitals, shelters, nursing homes and families throughout the Rhode Island Area.

He participates in the Pioneer Playground MAP project, having worked on most of the MAP’s over the past 4-5 years, most recently at the Carl Lauro and Holy Ghost Elementary Schools in Providence.

As a "TEAM Member" with his wife Linda, they have supported the efforts of the Mclellan Council and the Providence Life Member Club by volunteering at projects throughout the years, never with a complaint and always there to do whatever is needed on the job.

We are proud of the support these individuals have given to pioneering.
They are true leaders in answering the call of those in need
and the objectives we strive to meet as a chapter.

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