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Northeast Ohio Inner City Outings (ICO) lost a dear devoted friend
on October 12, 2008. Jim Soeder, long time leader of the Cleveland
ICO Goodrich-Gannett group, passed away from brain cancer. We are
all still in shock since the diagnosis was just made at the end of
June. Jim had been active with the ICO group up until that time.
We have all known Jim for different periods of time but, have all
held him in high regard for his unwavering dedication to Inner City
Outings.
Steve McPhee, treasurer of the NE Ohio ICO chapter, has known Jim
since 1990 when they both trained together to become outing leaders. “Jim
has been one of the most consistent and giving ICO leaders and administrators
I have known.As chairperson, I always relied on Jim’s counsel
and hours of hard work to make Cleveland ICO one of the strongest
in the country. Over the years, Jim and I have served just about
every role for ICO but, Jim always was first, an outings leader.
His special gift for working with the children made him indispensable.
I will always remember Jim as a gifted leader of children, and will
continue to find inspiration in those memories. As an administrator,
Jim was the reliable stalwart volunteer. His commitment to ICO was
unwavering, whether it was setting up at the Zoo for Earhfest at
9 AM on Sunday morning, attending meetings, or writing and mailing
the Happy Camper newsletter. Jim was, and will always be for me,
an inspiration. I believe that hundreds of children who have been
on ICO outings through the Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center would
agree.”
Claire Brugnoletti, one of the current leaders of our group, has
fond memories of Jim, “surrounded by kids during our outings – either
bending down or looking up at the trees. He was very knowledgeable
about nature and could always answer their questions and explain
what they were seeing at just the right level – depending on
their age. Jim was always the leader of our pack when we drove to
the Metroparks and we followed in 2 or 3 other cars – full
of kids. He loved to drive, and had a great sense of direction. He
spent his summers driving to all 50 states (he had to fly to Hawaii,
of course). He especially liked Alaska and made several trips there.
He also participated in numerous Sierra Club service projects during
the summer.”
As current chair of the Cleveland ICO, I have known Jim for about
10 years, and have always admired his love and knowledge of nature
and concern for the environment, as well as his manner of dealing
with the children. Sometimes the group could get a little rambunctious
but, Jim never let that bother him or interfere with his patient
attitude. The children always liked him because he was very approachable
and easygoing, always making them feel comfortable. He sometimes
was just a big kid himself, especially when he was sled riding down
a big hill with the rest of the group, yelling and laughing.
Jim Soeder will be missed immensely by all of us who worked with
him, as well as the children he took under his wing. We are currently
looking for someone who is willing to devote some of their time every
month to carrying on Jim’s work. Jim served as a strong, positive
male role model for the ICO participants. Anyone looking for some
fun and adventure working with a sometimes challenging group of 7-12
year olds is strongly encouraged to contact either myself or Claire.
Rita
Warner, Chair, Cleveland ICO, Claire
Brugnoletti
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The City of Cleveland's 
Do you know of a local environmental issue in need
of attention? Do you have inside information on what's
going on in your city or township? With over 5,000
members in Northeast Ohio we count on you to be the
Club's eyes and ears of the region. While the Federal
government and large corporations continue to wreak
havoc on our environment, it is more important than
ever before to act as watchdogs in our own backyards.
For those new to
calling state or federal representatives, it's easier and
less confrontational than it sounds. You will never
speak directly with your rep or senator - an aide
will answer the phone, take brief notes plus your name and city (sometimes), and that's it.