Reservoir High School soccer teams 'pitch' in by helping with annual community service projects

The Reservoir High School soccer program "kicked off" their 2011-2012 season by continuing the tradition of serving the local community through service projects.

The girls varsity and the boys junior varsity teams spent several hours in late August sorting and folding donated clothing at the Grace Clothes Closet. Grace works closely with the Howard County Public School System, the county's international community, apartment complexes and other local organizations to help families in need by collecting gently-used clothing.

Likewise, the boys varsity team also spent a day in late August sorting donated supplies for the Prepare for Success program, a program that supplies county students in need with a backpack and essential school supplies for the new year. The program also distributes loose school supplies throughout the year where these items are most needed. Thanks to Colleen Konstanzer for sharing this information.

What would your guess be for the average distance the Reservoir High marching band marched during band camp? Two miles? Five miles? More than 10, but less than 20?

Sandy Aleksie, a member of the music boosters at Reservoir, posted an interesting statistic to the RHSmusic@yahoogroups.com group. In it, she reported that during this year's band camp, one band member from four different sections wore a pedometer each day to track the distance marched that day.

The answer is very surprising. The average distance marched by the marching band for the entire band camp was — drum roll please — 69 miles! To put this distance into perspective, they would be about five miles short of marching from the Route 216 interchange on Interstate 95 to the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. A more familiar route may be to send them off in an easterly direction: they would have marched from RHS to the Easter Airport on Route 50.

In several past columns, I commented on the fun that we've experienced watching the different birds that visit our back yard. Bob and Jo Solem, of Laurel, sent me an interesting email that started a correspondence with Ward Ebert, the president of the Howard County Bird Club.

The club is celebrating its 40th year in existence, having began in 1972. There are about 200 members and it is a 501(c)(3) public charity, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Over the years, the club has donated about $65,000 for habitat conservation, preservation and reconstruction through their annual seed sale, which is going on right now. Go to its website for full details and to place your order.

The club is one of 15 chapters of the Maryland Ornithological Society (http://www.mdbirds.org. They are an active bunch with many local bird walks, open to the public and led by an experienced birder. They meet on the second Thursday of each month, September through May, at 7:30 p.m.

The club has been meeting at the HC Recreation and Parks headquarters, but wants to relocate to the new James and Anne Robinson Nature Center, on Cedar Lane, in Columbia. Club dues are $30 per year for individuals and $45 for a family. Ward reported that on one recent outing with a group at the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, they spotted a golden-winged warbler.

"I haven't seen one (of these birds) for many years", Ward said. He noted that several rare sparrow species have recently shown up and have caused a lot of excitement among members of the club.

Well, that's all for this week. Commit a random act of kindness. Look in on your neighbors. Say a prayer for our troops who are serving in harm's way and remember their families, too.