Vote for the Levy - Words to Campaign Song

* Note - I, Karen Kelly, daughter of Lois Brown Dale (now Angel Lois) wrote words for the first Clermont Senior Citizens' campaign song that was played on cassette players with  speakers (bought at Radio Shack) then put on transportation vehicles and cars. This song was also sung at events. (I still have a tape around here - somewhere). Found it - but it says Issue 4! Will listen and figure out if the words below are for another campaign. (It took 3 times to get the levy passed!) Thinking now that I may have learned something about songwriting from my Daddy - who was a songwriter - Allied Music Company - 4th & Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio.
 

Sing to the tune of "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee"

 

Vote for the Levy!

 

Vote for the Levy,

I said, Vote for the Levy,

Yes, Vote for the Levy

Vote for the Levy

What are you voting for is Issue Two

Grandpa and Grammie

Aunt Susie and Sammie

All will Vote for the Levy.

Yes, Vote for the Levy

Vote for the Levy.

What you are voting for is Issue Two!!

It's Your Future Too!!

Keep on singing this song,

Keep on shuffling along.

We really can't wait

Don't hesitate

Yes, Vote for the Levy

I said for the Levy

Keep on singing this song

Keep on shuffling along

  So, Vote, Vote, Vote for Issue, Issue Two

It's Your Future Too!!

Keep on singing this song,

Keep on shuffling along

We really can't wait,

Don't hesitate -

Yes, Vote for the Levy

I said for the Levy.

Keep on singing this song.

Keep on shuffling along.

So, Yes, Vote for Issue Two

Vote for Issue Two

It's Your Future Too!!

It's Your Future Too!!

VOTE for the LEVY Background - Impetus to Undergird Services for Older Citizens of Clermont County

* Note - Mama typed this out on her computer - not sure of "when". Still have her old computer - maybe it's on there!

What was the impetus for a LEVY to undergird services for Older Citizens of Clermont County?  One has to look back beyond 1980 to put into perspective some of the historical background of funding social services.

This country has a relatively short attention spand and "we" move in about thirty year cycles.

In the thirties the concern for our fellow beings brought some massive social changes. Churches and small charity organizations could no longer take care of the needy, so Social Security or Federal Insurance came into being to protect the ordinary citizen from being destitute when industry or businesses made poor deciswions.

The 60's brought a 'I Gotta Be Me" syndrome, but it also brought the Older Americans Act and with it Medicare. As e follow the hisory of the LEVY we need to go back to some of the effort that ws needed to even get such an issue on the ballot!

I became overly ambitious and decided Ohio needed a bill similar to those for MRDD (Mental Retardation DD?)  and the Mentally Ill.

I rewrote those bills to establish a County Dept. of Aging ith state funding. At that time Ohio was putting in $50,000 and all the rest was Federal funds. Despite his misgivings, Bill Bogart set up an appointment with Governor Rhodes and Martin Janis to talk over the possibility of legislative backing. The idea was SHOT DOWN immediately. The state wasn't ready for sucha sweeping change. Now I wonder whatever gave me the "chutzpah" and conceit to start such a thing!

In the meantime, Clermont Senior Services, Inc. had been established and funding came for the OAA (Ohio Age ______), U.W. and nine other sources. *(Note - Need a list of these......). The need was growing with the number of older persons (more people getting old).

Ah! Ha! The legislature passed a bill allwing a County to raise the sales tax.

The CSS (Clermont Senior Services, Inc.) board agreed that we should approach the Clermont County Commissioners to raise the sales tax to benefit the Senior Citizens nd the Sherfif's office. (We made a lovely presentation). The tax was raised, but for the General Fund.

The tenor of the country was changing and we needed to look "down the road' to determine how the needs (for Senior Citizens) coule be met. Our level of Federal Funding had grown to about $800,000 a year. Our Home Health Program, Protective SErvices and Foster Car Program were totally dependent on the Title XX funds. About half of our staff were funded by CETA, U.W. and supported the Centers, the Volunteers and some Transportation. But most of the credit belongs to the Clermont County Commissioners for the Transportation.

At this time I would like to recognize Harold Bizzantz and Jerry Weisenhahan, and ask the to stand and be reconized. They represent that caring attitude of the Commissioners throughout the years to Clermont County Senior Citizens.

After the Ohio Governors conference that year - we went back to the legislature to request that a bill be passed to allow the County Commssioners to place a LEVY n the ballot to raise funds for Senior Programs. It happened!

Urbana and Mariemont placed levies on their ballot and were successful. The CSS Board requested Clermont County Commissioners to place a 1/2 mil. levy on the ballot. The answer was YES!

1980 - We gathered together every friend and foe we ever had and began to work to convice the electorate that this levy was needed. People were fed up with the War on Poverty - we had been at it for fifteen years and we hadn't yet won it.

Both of myh daughters were most helpful. Karen designed lyers, sandwich boards, paper hats, bumper sitckers and a song to be blared over the loud speakers (bought cassette players @ Radio Shack - put in transportation buses). Joyce rounded up the Volunteers that had worked on the Hospital and MRDD levies. The Seniors made hundreds of phone calls, bumper stickers were donated, businesses donated funds to buy publicity and the flyers and the yeard signs. The Chamber gave excellent support. One can nt count the hundreds of man-hours put into that campaign by employees, board members, volunteers and the community. Talks were given to every organization tht would let us into the door. The enthusism was high and we really were a joyful crowd working together.

We lost that "round" by 1000 votes. Miami Twp. was our Achilles Heel! Well, back again to the business people, the volunteers, the staff and board, the friends, the Commissioners. All the same approach only more of it. We lost again by 600 votes in 19811.

1982 - One more time with the full cooperation of the County Commissioners, the businesses, the white elephant sales, the bake sales, every place we could raise dollars to pay for supplies for the campaign.

The "Vote for the Levy" sng blared again from the buses and cards, poll workers wore the sandwich boards, combs and matchbooks were given out at the Clermont County Fair - using every gimmick we could think of to make the campaign a success. There were hundreds of volunteers phoning and sending out mailings and giving talks. I even decided to run for State Representative (District 66) to gain every bit of exposure. "They" hd to let me talk at all those Political meetings!!! CSS Board and stafe many many presentations to reinforce the need for this LEVY for Seniors to pass!!! Thousands of flyers were distributed.

Well! We won by 1100 votes in 1982 - a 1/2mill levy!

Federal Funding began to fade (again) so the County Commissioners put a one mill levy on the ballot in 1986. It was a hearteneing expwrience as most everyone saw the need for the services and worked to be sure the levy passed. We all had a dandy time following the procedures laid out in the earlier campaigns and the success reflected again in the support of the business community, the political groups, the friends, the volunteers and the Seniors.

CSS pioneered a county-wide levy. Ane one of the pleasues our staff has had is the helping of other Counties including Hamilton. A Conference was held about three years ago where it was noted that seventeen counties (now 19) have passed County-wide levies to support services for their Older Citizens. The leadership of Clermont County n establishing groundwork for passage of levies and also innovative services was recognized.

There is much more that can be said about individual efforts, each and every time a levy has been on the ballot. In 1991 and again in 996 - it has taken a tremendous amount of physical work - the big 4x8' signs, that were erected strategically and the hundreds of yard signs that volunteers and employees were responsible for - can make one's head swim!

We wanted this to be a short little talk - but condensiving sixteen years and six campaigns into one page - anyway, it was planning, discussing, discarding ideas, conjoling, gegging, pleading, cussing now and then and a lot of praying for guidance and help for all of us as we met together to continue the success of S4.CSS and replace the 1991 levy.

At this time, I would like to congratulate George Brown, the agency Board members and the Levy Committee members on their success.

Will the Committe Members please stand?

Thank YOU!!!

Thank you letter from LBD - Found in Mama's Files

Many of you know I have been. am and will probably always be "fanciful. So here goes:
If there had not been a Sandy Carlin, a Mary Curlis, a Marcia Courts, Hank Russell, Rose Papier, Martin Janis or Governor James Rhodes, there would not have been a Senior program in Clermont County.

All of these people had a hand in bringing to fruition the small program of Senior Centers to the full service organization that it is today. If there had not been a Robert Slade and a Jim Mack there never would have been a hearing testing program that has grown to a comprehensive health screening program with the monitoring of Linda Lang and Jack Fee's willingness to work on Saturdays to bring persons for testing.

If there had not been a Joanne Jenkins, unafraid to tackle a different concept of home care and her co-workers and her nurses and a grant from Council of Aging, through John Fleming and Bill Bogart and the Cincinnati Home for the Aged and then Jim Sauls and Harold Flannery for financial undergirding to continue the program - it would have been lost!

Transportation loomed large for the Centers, and for the programs. Bless Hank Russell for the funding to buy our first van and Wayne Oney for working out the operational dollars. Harold Bissantz and Tim Hogan found a way to buy the 25 passenger GREEN MACHINE for the agency and we really began to transport our Seniors.

Somewhere along this line - names are going to be lost, but count that to the age of this author.

Participants numbers increased for all services and with each year new goals were et and with the strong support of board members and dedicated staff - services also increased. Some programs worked well and we had a few falures (one a garden at East Fork Lake for Sight-Impaired).

All along the willingness of the Seniors to participated in community projects:
making baby layettes to dresses and shirts for Headstart youngsters, dolls and toys for children at Christmas, white elephant sales to sponsor young men and women for their Senior Prom, lap robes for Veterans in VA Hospitals (hundreds of them), toys for the Burns Institute, gown's for children in Children's Hospital, supplies for cancer patients, making telephone visits for shut-ins (and on and on - the list goes and grows).It was wonderfully rewarding!

Dance classes, kitchen bands, a roving library, travelogues and a myriad of interesing programs and crfts, ceramics, quilts, discussion groups and the inevitable Bingo games (and on and on- the list goes).

Foster Care along with Protective Services were much needed services. A training program was developed for Home Care Operators with the Kent school of Social Work. A Sign Language  training course for family members of Heaing Impaired under the leadershiip of Betty Herring, Warren Hamblin, Judy Atcheley, Dee O'Leary - made the Foster Care Program a model for other communities.

Argie Dudley organized and monitored a Volunteer program that grew into over 400 energetic helpers - The Adopt-A-Gran program, Persons Alone and Sandwich Groups (for caregivers) all burgeoned - Volunteers at the Centers, Volunteer Friendly Visitors (and on and on - the list goes on).

Transportation included buses for handicapped - making it possible to begin a program for Stroke Clients.

*A Tax Levy passed in 1982 after two failures rescued all the programs from oblivion as Federal Funds nealy disappeared. Passing that tax levy, the first county-wide levy in Ohio - inspired seventeen other counties to "follow suit".

Bob Proud became an able assistant in the Volunteer Department and took on the resonsibility for writing and disseminating all publicity. He began a weekly column that has continued under the imaginative leadership of Cindy Jenkins.

Wilma Kurz took on the awesome task of enlarging the Meals program from its beginning with a small group of volunteers who organized themselves to deliver meals from Clermont Mercy Hospital led by Wanda Barrett and her friends. A small Federal grant allowed prchse of the meals from the hospital. But, without those volunteers, the program would never have come to be.

Then the opening of two meal sites - one at Mt. Moriah Methodist Church and one at Clerco. Angie MacKay and her sister Debra managed those wo sites, with programs for the participants as well a the five day a week delivery of Meals on Wheels.

A Council on Aging program allowed a worker to transport persons int Cincinnati for medical visits - another bonus for the Seniors.

(Mama's hand written note at bottom of this computer-written Thank You: N. Rich. vol survey - New Richmond bank for helping to start - Joe Kill - Kelly?)

LBD - Job Application Resume

Here's another resume for Lois Brown Dale typed by Mama (Helen Lois Karch - Brown - Dale)

RESUME

OF

LOIS BROWN DALE

 

 

PERSONAL DATA

 

Home Address:       5433 Carterway Drive   Milford, OH 45150

Home Phone:          831-0975

 

Business Address:   Clermont Senior Services, Inc.

                                233 Main Street, Batavia, Ohio 45150

Business Phone:      732-0183

 

Health:                     Excellent

Marital Status:         Married

 

Education:               High School Graduate - Indianapolis 1934

                                Tudor Hall School for Young Ladies 1935

                                Courses at Butler University and University of Cincinnati

 

References:             References pertaining to my personal attributes as well as

                                my business capabilities are readily available as circumstances warrant.

 

EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVES

 

1. A sensitive executive level position in the social work field with significant service. It should have growth potential.

 

2. The position may involve management of others or may focus upon my own personal performance. Preferably, it will draw most heavily upon my experience and capabilities to be imaginative, enthusiastic, persuasive and analytical.

 

3. Salary commensurate with abilities.

 

EMPLOYMENT RECORD

 

October 1969 to present:

 

Director of Clermont Senior Services, Inc. Wrote the original proposal fo submission by the Y.W.C.A. for funding to start the Senior Center Program in Clermont County with a Title III grant from the Older Americans Act. This grew into a multi-faceted program that is now offered, with seven Center locations, a transportation system, Adopt-A-Gran, Home Health Aides, Hearing Testing. Employment Program (Green Thumb) and Information and Referral. Have worked with other agencies public and private to obtain benefits for Clermont County.

 

October 1967 to October 1969

 

Consultant to Clermont County Commissioners. Responsibility to implement "648" Board, "169" Board, Hospital Commission, Youth Commission, supervised N.Y.C. program, helped arrange funding fort C.A.C. programs, served as a representative on the Working Committee to put together CORVA for the Commissioners. Attended Conferences and meetings to represent their viewpoint on the loca area and state levels, made trps to Washington, D.C. for them related to funding, wrote a transportation proposal. (Actually, duties too numerous to detail).

 

June 1967 to October 1967

 

Community Chest's United Appeal Campaign. Set up tours and guides' schedules and arranged for gencies to "profile" for fund raisers. Wrote an appraisal to maximize use of tours.

 

January 1966 to June 1967

 

Internal Revenue Service in the "Error Resolution Department", responsibility to ascertain  why returns were not accepted by the computer. A demanding, boring, fascinating job.

 

December 1960 to December 1965

 

Studied and researched facts and figures on companies in the Eastern half of the Country as prospects for mergers for H.E. Lunken and my late husband. Stock Reprts, Financial Reports and News Reports were included in these analyzations.

 

SPECIAL ABILITIES

 

The success of Clermont Senior Services, Inc. overall organization and effective performance is my personal responsibility. The ability to recognize needs and select programs to be of service and sell them to the community is great in value. The agency has needed continuous motivation of personnel to achieve objetives and establish and maintain excellent working relaitons wiht limited financing.

 

I was able to obtain necessary funding from various sources to enhance programming. The confidence in our agency is predicated upon our forthrightness in presenting our problems and on our acumen in dealing with them. The challenge of coordinating people (paid and volunteer) programs and money over the past five years has culminated in a well reconized agency in the community doing an outstanding job.

 

The County Commissioners will be happy to tell you about my abilities to bring people together, to get the job done with excellent follow-thru, as related to my responsibilities to them. As a creative and analytical thinker I was able to offer sensitive direction compatible with the political structure.

 

I feel I have a great deal to offer based on varied experience dealing with "PEOPLE PROBLEMS".

 

I can organize new activities and improve established ones involving small or large groups.

 

I can organize, recruit and train volunteers and maintain their enthusiastic support.

 

I can handle public relations activities including speaking before groups, writing publicity and fostering harmonious relationships between groups.

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVIES

 

Chairman of the Volunteer Bureau - 3 years, Vice Chairman - 3 years, Secretary - 2 years.

Chairman of Family Life Federation - 3 years, Vice Chairman - 2 years.

Member of Executive Committee of Ohio Citizens Council - 6 years, Board Member - 9 years

Member of Board of Directors - Health and Welfare Council - Cincinnati Area - 7 years

Member of Clermont County Health and Welfare Committee*(*Council) 14 years

Member of Legislative Council of the Cincinnati Area Health and Welfare Council - 8 years

Director of Volunteer Employment Service for Clermont County

      Demonstrated by organizing and operating the service for one year the need for better service

      by the Ohio State Employment Service to place people on jobs in the county.

 

Organized a retail outlet (Heart Mart) for the Children's Heart Association in Clermont County - 2 years as a volunteer - 3 days a week.

Organized Clermont County's League of Women Voters and served as President for 3 years and a board member for 6 years. Helped to write a booklet on County Government.

 

Served as a volunteer for programs for the retarded, song leader at Longview Hospital, twelve yeas as a 4-H Advisor, PTA board member in various offices, board member For several Community

Chest agencies.

Actually, I've worked as a volunteer in many different capacities, too many to enumerate.

 



LBD's Employment History

Note* I've been going through many files of Mama's (Angel Lois') - finding a "time line" for her work history.  I'll be matching the newspaper articles and other memorabilia to her lifetime of accomplishments. Here's  her resume - probably written sometime in 1982.

Lois Brown Dale

5433 Carterway Drive

Milford, Ohio 45150

 

Resident of Clermont County thirty-seven (37) years. (twenty-one (21) in Miami Twp, sixteen (16) in Union Twp., ten (10) on a farm.

 

EMPLOYMENT:

 

Director, Clermont Senior Services, Inc. thirteen (13) years.

Consultant to Clermont County Commissioners

Research Assistant for Marathon Associates

Manager, Children's Heart Mart of Clermont County

I.R.S. Tax Resolution Department

Public Relations - United Appeal

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Secretary, Ohio Council of Homemaker/Health Aides 1978-82

Member, Clermont County Welfare Advisory Board 1977-82

Member, Clermont United Appeal and Community Chest Health & Welfare Council

     1959-72, 1976-1980

National Home Caring Council Nominating Committee

President - Family Life Federation of Community Chest - six (6)years

Member of Ohio Citizens Council, Executive Committee - six (6) years

Withamsville P.T.A. Board Member - six (6) years

4-H Leader - twelve (12) years

First President of Clermont County League of Women Voters and Board Member - six (6) years

Clermont County Library Board Member - seven (7) years

Clermont 648 Mental Health and Retardation Board - four (4) yers

Ohio Commission on Aging Advisory Committee 1969-72

Ohio Commission on Aging Nutrition Advisory Committee 1972-1977

Clermont County Community Action Committee (First Chairman) 1965-70

Cincinnati Area Community Action Commission (Vice President) 1969-71

   Served on board six (6) years.

Altrusa News Letter Editor

Received the Clermont Chamber of Commerce - Paceseter Award 1976

   (Only woman to receive this honor.)

Family Service Award for significant contribution to family life in Clermont County.

Epsilon Sigma Alpha International DIANA Award

"The Distinguished International Academy of Noble Achievement"

  for exceptional service to humanity.

Milford Area Community Service Award