Does your club want to grow — I mean REALLY grow? If so, listen to this Growth
Team 
The 2008 Capital District Convention will be held this year from Thursday, August
14 through Sunday, August 17th in Richmond Virginia at
the Downtown Marriot and the Richmond Convention Center,
just
a few blocks from the State Capitol. Hosted by the Heart
of Virginia Region of the Capital District, this year's
theme is "Prescription For Success,” and one of the big highlights-not
to be missed-is Friday night's Birthday Party at the Marriott
to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the District Convention. A
Garden of Cheer Created by the Kiwanis Club of LaPlata
by
Judi Gorney
In early June, 10 members and 1 prospective member of the Kiwanis Club of LaPlata went to work at the LaPlata branch of the Charles County Public Library.
Emily Ferren, Director of the libraries in Charles County, and a member of the LaPlata Club, asked the Club to help her brighten up one of the meeting rooms by painting a mural on the wall. The meeting room is used by the public, including young children, so Emily asked for a garden mural and then left the rest up to the designers in the group. Betty Lindsay, her daughter, Virginia Lindsay, and Linda Parong started out with a blank wall, painting it blue on the top and green on the bottom with a nice horizon line just above table level, per Emily's request. Judi Gorney then designed the mural creating several flowers, butterflies, a tree with lots of leaves, birds, a rainbow with clouds and stars for the rest of the members to come and paint. Headed by Judi Gorney, who coordinated the colors with the volunteer efforts of our own President elect, Jonnie "Matisse" Mann, members Jim Gorney, Linda Parong, John Reith, Emily and Bert Ferren, Donna Avery and, last but not least, Barbara Sellner, all added color, stroke by stroke and expertise to the mural. As you can see by the finished wall, we did what was asked of us, we brightened up the room! By the time we were all finished, we could almost smell the flowers! This is the third mural painted by the Kiwanis Club of LaPlata. The murals we completed in 2007 are on display on the walls of Health Partners, a non-profit medical facility in Waldorf and Angel's Watch, a woman's shelter in Hughesville.
| Before the flowers grew! |  |
| Painters: from left to right, Barbara Sellner, Jim Gorney, John Reith, Jonnie Mann, Bert Ferren, and Emily Ferren.(Not pictured, Linda Parong, Judi Gorney, Donna Avery, Betty and Virginia Lindsey). |  |
| Master Gardeners: Standing in back, John Reith, Jim Gorney, Emily Ferren. Seated, Linda Parong, Judi Gorney, Barbara Sellner, and sitting on the floor, Jonnie Mann and Donna Avery. (Not pictured, Bert Ferren, Betty and Virginia Lindsey. |  |
