When Kevin Stefanik was working towards his Eagle Scout, he needed a community service project. His Scoutmaster asked him what he was interested in, and Stefanik said “music.” "I wanted to do a concert, but I didn't know what I would do," said Stefanik; based on Scout laws, he couldn't hold a fund-raiser.
Even though he attends West Potomac, he started tossing around the idea of sponsoring a concert last December at Bishop Ireton, where he knows several students. "I had gotten a bunch of people together, but the date and time at Bishop Ireton never worked out," said Stefanik.
After Christmas, he was involved in the musical “Titanic” at West Potomac, so he put the project off a little longer. Then, in the spring, he decided that he wanted to hold the concert before summer.
Stefanik talked to Ron Duquette, owner of RonArt Associates Recordings. Stefanik has worked for Duquette doing school concert recordings at West Potomac and Mount Vernon High School.
"He told me about a few people [musicians]," said Stefanik. With that, the scout started assembling another group. Some musicians Stefanik knew because they took lessons from the same music teacher; others found him through word of mouth.
Stefanik needed a cause, a reason to put on the concert. While he couldn't do a fund-raiser, he could still provide information about a needy organization; he could also accept a free-will offering. His mother Marlene Stefanik suggested he contact the Poor Clares Monastery to see if they needed help.
Tucked away off Popkins Lane, the Franciscan nuns in this little-known enclave are cloistered, having no contact with the public other than accepting donations of food and clothing. Their sole purpose is to pray for the intentions of people around the world.
The sisters said that they did not need the money for their monastery, but suggested that a group trying to build a monastery in Newport News might need help. When Stefanik contacted them, they said that would indeed be able to use some money for their new building.
FINDING A PLACE TO PERFORM was still an issue. The concert was originally booked for June 14 at Bethany Lutheran Church. But that didn't work out.
He tried other churches before deciding to hold it at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. There was no charge, but they did agree to have the piano tuned.
After just a couple of practices, he put together some flyers, made some phone calls, and the concert was on. "They had about 100 people," said Marlene Stefanik. "I was impressed with the quality of people. Kevin had some very talented musicians."
Stefanik said it was more like 75 people and he was disappointed with the turnout. He knows now that he should have advertised more; he also knows that they should have practiced more.
But all in all, he's pleased that it went as well as it did.
"The sound system was better than I thought," said Stefanik. His mother said that everybody at Good Shepherd was very accommodating, especially Irene Campanaro, the food manager at the church.
"She gave us flower arrangements, tablecloths and even donated $5," said Marlene. By the end of the evening, they had collected almost $900.
Stefanik will go before the Troop 680's Eagle Board of Review soon to determine if he has completed all the requirements for Eagle rank. He is planning to apply to Carnegie Mellon and Virginia Tech next year, and hopes to become an engineer, possibly musically oriented.