by David Landis
New officers for the 2007-2008 year of the Kiwanis Club of
Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City were installed at the Carousel
Resort Hotel in Ocean City on September 24th. Pictured (from left to right) are incoming President-Elect, Corky Widerman; Special Advisor to the President and former Kiwanis Governor and Lt. Governor, Dick Feeser, performing the ceremonies; and new President, Ed Schaefer. Other officers installed were First Vice President, Dan Peletier; Reporting Secretary, Mark Page; Recording Secretary, Dick Jacobs; Assistant Secretary, Dave Lloyd; Treasurer, Cliff Andersen; Assistant Treasurer, Ron Graybill; and the Board of Directors: Celeste Dove; Dick Jacobs; Joe Bagdon; Tim Collins,V; Phil Lassiter; Jerry Powell; and Don Schmid.
Immediate Past President, Al Kastner, was honored by receiving the coveted Hixson Fellowship which is awarded for strongly supporting the Kiwanis International Foundation. Many events and milestones occurred during Kastner's tenure as president of the local Kiwanis Club including the chartering of a new Key Club (Kiwanis at the high school level) at the Salsibury School and chartering a new K-Kids (Kiwanis at the elementary school level) at Buckingham Elementary. The club also funded and promoted the Child Car Seat Safety Sticker program, enabling identification and medical data about the child to be placed on car seats to assist with vital information about the child in case of emergency situations in which adult passengers are rendered incapable of doing so.
There was continuing annual fund-raising in support of scholarships for deserving students as well as enabling donations by the club to worthwhile local organizations such as Worcester County G.O.L.D. and Priority One, Diakonia, the Wellness Community, Worcester County Developmental Center, Childrens' House by the Sea, 4-STEPS Therapeutic Riding Program, and our local schools. Some of the fundraisers were three pancake breakfasts, the Italian dinner, the German dinner, hot dog sales at local events, the Carolina pork barbeque sale, the Duck Race, the Golf for Scholarships Tournament, the Holiday Fruit Sale, and the first time ever, car raffle on the Ocean City Boardwalk.
The local club also continued its service to the community with its Senior Chores Program in the Pines, changing announcements on the Ocean Parkway bulletin boards, selling and maintaining Ocean Pines house number signs, working bingo at the Berlin Nursing Home, and delivering Meals-on-Wheels from the Berlin Senior Center.
Now, with great anticipation, begins another eventful year for the local Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City, Maryland, as it "Serves the Children of the World", the goal of Kiwanis Club International. That said, the Kiwanis Club thanks the community for its continuing support of Kiwanis Club events, for without that support, the work could not be accomplished.
