Out of the Garden and Onto the Water
The Bay Gardener took a day off from gardening to go fishing with 15 heroes and four staffers from the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. The Lothian Ruritan Club sponsored the fishing trip.
To make a memorable event, the busload of veterans was escorted 40-plus miles from Charlotte Hall to Deale by nine motorcycles driven by State Police and Anne Arundel County police all flashing red and blue lights. Passing the Deale Volunteer Fire Station, the convoy was saluted with sirens and horns from the fire engines and ambulance. Citizens and Scouts saluted and waved flags. At Skippers Pier, the party boarded three charter fishing boats, where breakfast sandwiches and coffee waited.
Coast Guard Auxiliary escorted the boats to the Bay, where the gentle waves and mild breeze made for pleasant fishing. The sky cooperated by shading us from the sun with a layer of thin white clouds.
Veterans from WWII to the Iraq war, some with walkers and canes, caught white perch and hard heads. Each of the boats filled a five-gallon pail with fish.
Back at Skippers Pier, the party enjoyed dinner, compliments of landlord John Hiser. While the veterans relaxed after eating, the crew and mates cleaned and filleted the fish, packing it in ice for the return trip to Charlotte Hall.
This is one of many projects of the Lothian Ruritan Club. For 10 years we provided Snacks for Heroes weekly at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. We give 10 graduating seniors of Southern Anne Arundel high schools $1,000 scholarships. Our members collect trash along Rt. 2. And we provide financial support to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Hospice of the Chesapeake and other 501c(3) organizations.
We meet at the Fellowship Hall of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church on the fourth Monday of every month at 7pm for buffet dinner, speaker and business. Join us to experience fellowship and the great feeling of giving and helping others. You’ll be my guest.