The College of Southern Maryland held its 52nd Commencement this evening on the La Plata campus. It was notable for many reasons. This year 430 degrees were given out, and one in four students graduated with honors! It is a testament to the hard work and serious intention of these excellent students. CSM President Brad Gottfried was rightfully proud, and so was special guest U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer, who has done so much to help the college finance important new programs.  In recognition of this, he was presented an Honorary Degree from the Board of Trustees Chair Mary Krug. The commencement address delivered by renowned speaker, Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III, President of UMBC, focused on a message of purpose and persistence, which was surely reflected by all the graduates, from the youngest, who was 16 years old, to the oldest at 67 years of age.  Congratulations, Graduates!

Today, on this beautiful sunny Saturday, I had the privilege of emceeing the 38th Annual Maryland Special Olympics Spring Games in Charles County at Lackey High School. The featured sports for the particpants were swimming, bocce ball, and track and field. These athletes make this one of the most enjoyable events that I attend each year. They are always so happy to be part of the competition and have such joy in seeing their fellow competitors succeed. We can all be inspired by the efforts of these  Special Olympics Athletes.

The Charles County Zekiah District Boy Scouts held their Leadership Awards Dinner tonight at the Brasas Rotisserie and Grill Restaurant in Waldorf.  District Chairperson Jessica Barnes, and Zekiah Awards Chairman Bill Thompson made the award presentations to the worthy recipients.  These annual awards are given to the parents and adult volunteers who put in the time and tireless work that make our local Scouting troops the character building organizations that we want our kids to participate in. Congratulations, and thank you, to all the winners.

Would you like to find out which bills were passed and what decisions were made during the 2011 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly? I want my constituents to be well informed on the issues that were worked on during the annual session, and to that end, I’ll be doing legislative forums over the next weeks to keep you up to date. I hope you will come to the legislative wrap-up which is most convenient for you. Here is a list of the meeting locations:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011 – WESTERN CHARLES DEMOCRATIC CLUB:
I will be one of the Charles County Delegation speakers for this monthly meeting at Sartik’s Restaurant, Route 225 and Marshall Corner Road, La Plata, MD. $15.00 fee for the dinner. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. Buffet supper is at 7:15 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011 – THE NORTHERN DEMOCRATIC CLUB:
I will be their guest speaker for this monthly meeting at the Old Country Buffet, 2916 Festival Way, Waldorf, MD. $10.00 fee for the dinner. Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 – LEGISLATIVE FORUM:
I will be hosting this forum at Christ Episcopal Church (next to the Court House), 112 E. Charles Street, La Plata, at 7:00 p.m. No refreshments provided. Free event.

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011 – THE 4TH & 5TH DISTRICTS DEMOCRATIC CLUB:
I will be the guest speaker at this bi-monthly meeting at Shymansky’s Restaurant, 16320 Cobb Island Road, Cobb Island, MD. $18.00 fee for dinner. Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m.

For those of you who have never been to a local Democratic Club meeting in our county, I recommend them for their interesting conversation, hardy meals, and knowledgeable guest speakers. The April meeting of the 4th & 5th District Democratic Club was held at Shymansky’s Restaurant on Cobb Island with guest speaker Al Coleman, Chairman of the Charles County Democratic Central Committee. He spoke about the role that the CCDCC plays in helping to get Democratic candidates elected. They are responsible for finding poll workers, passing out literature, and setting up early voting. They can also provide absentee ballots to voters, and arrange rallies for Democratic candidates. The CCDCC annually hosts the Truman-Kennedy Dinner to celebrate the Democratic Party. This year it will be held on July 9 at the Waldorf Jaycees Hall with Governor Martin O’Malley as one of the guest speakers. Finally, for those who want to follow the CCDCC more closely, their meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Tuesday of every month at the American Legion Hall #82 at 7:00 p.m.