When you stroll round Santa Clara County, you’re sure to search out initiatives created by Eagle Scouts. There are benches, pavilions, little free libraries and lots of others dotted round our faculties, parks and public areas.
But when San Jose teenager Yousof Alsum needs to go to his Eagle mission, he’s bought to journey fairly a methods. All the way in which to Tanzania, in truth.
Final summer season, Alsum — a member of Scouting America Troop 399 in Santa Clara — constructed two school rooms for a college within the Jendel village in Zanzibar. He didn’t do it alone, working with greater than a dozen Scouts from his troop and from others in two completely different nations, together with Perspective Improvement Abilities, a charitable group in Tanzania.
“I always knew I wanted my project to have a larger impact,” mentioned Yousof, 16. “I knew that there were places internationally that really could use my help.”
He was impressed by a visit his mom took to Zanzibar, and he realized that greater than half the kids there don’t have entry to instructional amenities. A global mission of this nature was so uncommon for the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council of Scouting America that there weren’t actual examples to observe. However his troop’s scoutmaster, Masroor Malik, didn’t have any doubts.
“This was a very challenging project,” Malik mentioned. “But it was not a surprise when he brought it up. Yousof had been talking about this for a while, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities throughout the time. I couldn’t think of anyone better than Yousof to accomplish this.”
Yousof labored with the nonprofit PDS to arrange an internet site and begin fundraising for the mission, which was initially solely to construct one classroom. However as soon as he raised the primary $15,000, he knew he might do extra. Ultimately, he raised $31,000 — sufficient for 2 school rooms, a pc room and a library, plus a “human foosball” subject. The pc room was sponsored by the Hidaya Basis in Santa Clara.
When the 8-day mission was full, everybody celebrated with a farewell get together and matches of human foosball into the night time. “It was a really great feeling. It was the best moment of accomplishment,” mentioned Yousof, who handed his Eagle board of assessment in December.
CALL FOR HELP: Lyric Theatre, which began life because the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of San Jose within the early Nineteen Seventies, has issued a determined name for donations to avoid wasting its summer season Mild Opera Pageant. The corporate — whose Victorian carol singers additionally entertain vacationers at San Jose Mineta airport throughout the holidays — says it wants to boost $200,000 by the top of the month.
Lyric Theatre Board President Tressa Bender mentioned in an e mail that elevated manufacturing prices and the lack of a grant — plus the final monetary points almost each arts group within the Bay Space has been dealing with lately — has put the corporate at a crossroads.
“Without immediate support, we risk not being able to move forward with our planned 2025 festival, a cornerstone of our community’s cultural offerings,” Bender wrote. “This funding will directly support our ability to bring you the productions, opportunities, and performances that have made us a cherished part of the San Jose arts scene.”
Lyric’s board of administrators began the ball rolling by elevating the primary $40,000 earlier than the decision for assist went out, and as of Monday night time, they have been a couple of third of the way in which to their objective. You may get extra data or pitch in at lyrictheatre.org.
ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Santa Clara College’s Board of Fellows has been placing on its Golden Circle Theatre Celebration because the Rev. Walter Schmidt began the annual fundraising custom in 1967. Katy Kelly — the present chair of the Board of Fellows — doesn’t return fairly that far with the occasion, however she does have some fascinating historical past.
When she was a senior at Santa Clara in 1976, she bought a ticket to attend the after-show get together at McCabe Corridor following the principle occasion that featured Buddy Ebsen, then starring as TV’s “Barnaby Jones,” because the headliner. “Little did I know back there in the ’70s, I’d have the opportunity to stand in front of you today as chair of the Board of Fellows,” Kelly informed the gang of about 2,100 folks on the Middle for the Performing Arts. “It goes to show that anything is possible.”
Kelly wasn’t the one return engagement for this yr’s Golden Circle, which raised almost $2 million for scholar scholarships and different packages. Bay Space band Prepare was the headliner, after performing on the occasion in 2017. Lead singer Pat Monahan informed the viewers they have been honored to be requested again and understood they have been among the many few acts to get an encore efficiency. “Somebody called Frank Sinatra or something,” Monahan joked. “So that’s good company to be in.”
Certainly, Sinatra was the headliner in 1974 and once more in 1980. Different repeats included Bob Hope (1968, 1991), Paul Anka (1979, 1995) and Bob Newhart (1972, 1998).
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