THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020124
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 39 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
It could be a case of dueling ornaments.
But it's actually a matter of cooperation between two civic groups, each trying to spread some holiday cheer, do a little boosterism for the city and earn some money for good causes.
For the second year in a row, both the Luncheon Pilot Club of Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Cosmopolitan Club have sold Christmas tree ornaments highlighting a local city site.
The Luncheon Pilot Club is a civic service club made up women executives, business and professional leaders. The Cosmopolitan Club, also a civic service organization, raises funds annually to help diabetic youngsters in Chesapeake.
Both hit on a novel idea to offer citizens unique ornaments showing a well known city landmark or site.
Last year, for its very first in a series of yearly bulbs, the Cosmopolitan Club offered a tree ornament showing the new Chesapeake City Hall.
Past Luncheon Club ornaments have depicted Lakeside Park, Great Bridge Locks, Oak Grove Methodist Church and also the new Chesapeake City Hall.
And with both clubs looking for other well known city sites to highlight, it was bound to happen: for this year's ornament both wanted to feature Chesapeake General Hospital's new atrium.
That's when the cooperation came in.
Mildred Barber, vice president of the Luncheon Club and a member of the ornament sales committee, said she had phone discussions with Jim Chellew of the Cosmopolitan Club to make sure neither offered the same landmark.
``I had some wonderful conversations with them about what they want to do and what we wanted to do,'' Barber said. ``When they found out we were intent on using the atrium on our ornament, they were gracious enough to allow us to use it and they chose another design.''
``We spoke to each other,'' Chellew said. ``And when we found out their intentions, we went to another design.''
Chellew said they turned to Chesapeake's history and commissioned well known Chesapeake and Clipper artist Mark Carey to design an ornament that depicted the Emma K, a 59-foot long wooden steamship that traveled up and down the Dismal Swamp Canal, delivering goods and passengers to various Chesapeake locations.
Now, with each club offering a different design on its respective ornaments, both think there's no real competition. Just complementing seasonal keepsakes.
``We're not competing with each other,'' Chellew said. ``We think there's enough people in the city for both of us to do well with these sales.''
The Cosmopolitan Club will use its funds to help send diabetic Chesapeake kids to a Chesapeake General Hospital sponsored summer camp. The Luncheon folks will use their money to fund an annual Chesapeake senior citizens dance along with helping fund Chesapeake Care and the Our House shelter in South Norfolk. MEMO: The 1995 Christmas tree ornament offered by the Cosmopolitan Club of
Chesapeake sells for $8 or $15 for both this year's ornament and last
year's. Ornaments personally autographed by artist Mark Carey sell for
$20 a piece. For more information, call 435-1778.
The 1995 Christmas tree ornament offered by the Luncheon Pilot Club
of Chesapeake sells for $5 and is available from any member. Call
420-2156 for more information.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Two organizations are selling Christmas ornaments to aid the needy.
by CNB