David Maloney, Editor

September 2006

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• Holley’s Heroes — Together we CAN, Together we WILL
• Art Riley New Capital District Gov-Elect
• District Convention 2006 Highlights
• Kiwanis DateLine
• Governor Yvonne Works in Division 8!!
• Wilmington, DE Kiwanis Club Holds Golf Tournament
• Kiwanis Club of Poquoson Supports Rider
• Corporation for National & Community Service Gives Scholarships via Clubs
• Kiwanis By the Bay Awards Scholarship
• Kiwanis By the Bay Member Sherry Warren Recognized
• Kiwanis Club of Old Town Charters
• Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 Completes Painting Project
• Alexandria Kiwanis Club Challenge Cup Annual Golf Outing
• Kiwanis Launches THRIVE Program
• Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County Helps Cancer Patients - A Walk for John Tyner
• Kiwanis Club of Poquoson Supports Library
• 2nd Annual Greenwell State Park Cleanup Day
• Kiwanis Club of Norfolk Helps Host Harbor Party & Seafood Feast
• Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City Golf Tournament
• Wilmington Kiwanis Announces New Meeting Schedule
• Suburban Norfolk Kiwanian Wins 2006 Environmental Award
• Kiwanis Club of Northeast Washington Publishes Book
• First Capital District Key Leader Weekend Set for 2007
• Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines/Ocean City Donates to Meals on Wheels Program
• Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City Makes Three More Donations
• Kiwanis of Montgomery Village Bowls to Benefit Hungry
• Pembroke Kiwanis Helps with Nepture Festival
• Kiwanis Club of Rossmoor Collects Toys
• Mount Airy Sponsors New Mentoring Program
• Div. 15 Lt. Gov. Home Club Banner Passes On
• Service-Packed Summer for Mount Vernon Kiwanis
• Charlottesville Kiwanis Interclub in Reston Interclubs to DCON

Wow, what a wonderful year we had. Where did the time go? The Holley’s Heroes team’s year is almost over and I want to thank each and every one of you for making this a memorable year. This was a year of change and challenge and we did accomplish the goal of changing the way we conduct our business and the challenge of increasing the retention of our great base of Kiwanis members.

One of the greatest honors and privileges I have had this year as Governor of the Capital District has been the opportunity to visit the various Kiwanis Clubs within the District. I met so many wonderful Kiwanians and friends. I was inspired by all the great services performed by our District Kiwanians.

We saw the addition of four new strong clubs organized this year (DC Metro Young Professional – Division One; Council – Division 8. This was the first club chartered in Division 8 in 18 years; Old Town – Division 19, and Hopewell – Division 18). There are several other new clubs under construction and I expect to witness their opening soon. Thank you to all who had a role in the organization of these clubs.

Some of the highlights of this year were my official visits to the divisions, my visit to Chincoteague Island and my trip to the Grundy area where I participated in their Relay for Life and worked the concessions at their County Fair.

Our service leadership program members served as an inspiration to many, if not all, Kiwanians in the District. We should all be very proud of the fact that the Capital District is now represented on the International Board of Key Club and CKI. . During the CKI International Convention, held in Boston last month, Immediate Past Governor Monica Price and Immediate Past Lt. Governor Paula Chrin, were elected to serve as CKI International Trustees. Also, as I reported in my article last month, Immediate past District Editor Avanti Kollaram was elected to the Key Club International Board as a Trustee. Congratulations Monica, Paula, and Avanti. Keep us the good work.

As you are aware, my special project this year was Reading and Mentoring. I am happy to report that the results far exceeded my expectations. Eight-seven percent of the District’s club made a difference in the life of a child by participating in a reading and/or mentoring program. Thank you so much for everything that you did to make this project a huge success. You are changing the world one child at a time.

We had 8 successful Regional Midwinter conferences, attracting more than 900 members. Eighty-nine percent of our clubs had at least one member attending a regional midwinter conference.

I take this opportunity to extend another special Thank You to District Convention Chair Jeff Wolff and his entire production crew for a job well done. Their attentions to details were amazing. With over 700 attendees, it was easily our largest District Convention in recent years. They have raised the “bar” for the standards of future conventions and conferences. I also thank all convention attendees for helping to make this year’s convention a great success. I will always remember my time spent with you during a fun filled and enjoyable weekend. Your overwhelming enthusiasm made this convention a truly memorable experience.

A really BIG THANKS to Ellis Stroup. Thank you, Ellis, for sharing your Kiwanis knowledge and wisdom. You always had the right answers. The District is truly blessed to have you as our Secretary/Treasurer. What would we do without you?

Holley’s Heroes, (Trustees, Lt. Governors, Committee Chairs, Committee Members, Club officer, ALL CLUB MEMBERS) together we can and together we will. TOGETHER WE DID!

Thanks again for a wonderful year and for the privilege of serving you as Governor of the great Capital District.

At the recently-held Capital District Convention, delegates gave the nod to Art Riley for the position of Capital District Gov.-Elect for 2006-2007. Following the election, Art said "Vickie and I thank you for your support in making my campaign for 2006-2007 Capital District Gov.-Elect a success! A special thanks to my talented campaign manager, Don Dudey for all his hard work, and to my very capable opponent, Tom Ganse, for a race well-run. I look forward to serving as your Gov. Elect."

Vickie Riley congratulates husband, Art, following his election.	Art Riley gathers with his family.	Trustee Webster James installs Art as '06-'07 Capital Dist. Gov-Elect as wife, Vickie, and Gov-Desig, Bob Cressy, look on.

Hailed as a convention which has set the bar of excellence a notch higher, Capital District Convention Chairman Jeff Wolf and the Reston Club convention planning committee were recognized for their tireless efforts in organizing the 88th Annual Capital District Convention at the Reston Hyatt Regency August 18-20, 2006. And a "tiring" effort it actually was. By the end, several hard-driven committee members simply could not keep their eyes open! Here some highlights:

International Trustee Webster James (l) presents past Dana Cable (r) with commendation for service provided as International Trustee as Gov. Yvonne Holley looks on.
Secretary-Treasurer Ellis Stroup receives a Special recognition of the Capital District Foundations Founder's Society Award for his dedicated and outstanding contributions to the District over the years. The award was presented during the 88th Annual District Convention in Reston, VA by Christine Semon (l) representing all the Kiwanis Clubs of Ellis' home Division 9 and District Governor Yvonne Holley.
Kiwanians and spouses gather for Mystery Dinner Playhouse on Friday Night.
Convention chairman, Jeff Wolf (l) shows convention program to Cap. Dist. Key Club Gov. Peter Simasek (c) and Circle K Gov. Justin Sanders (r) after the Saturday morning Awards banquet.
Gov.-Desig Bob Cressy and his wife, Nancy (right) join to welcome International Trustee Webster James and his wife, Celia.
There were many excellent training sessions including Paul Mehler (r) presenting "Publicity - The High Road to Membership"
The Saturday evening Governor's Banquet & Ball was well-attended and featured the relaxing Sinatra-esque singing of Steve "Flynnatra" Flynn.
Kiwanians flocked to the Delegate's Session on Saturday to conduct business and to vote for Gov.-Elect. 2006-2007.
Vickie Riley congratulates husband, Art RIley of Division 9, for his successful bid for the position of Capital District Gov.-Elect. 2006-2007.
Outgoing Gov. Yvonne Holley thanks her class of Lt. Governors.
International Trustee Webster James makes a special presentation to Past Gov. Warren Kane and his wife, Dale, recognizing them for their exemplary service to the Capital District.
Trustee Webster James (l) inducts Bob Cressy as Gov.-Desig. for the Capital District as Bob's wife, Nancy, looks on.
Gov.-Desig. Bob Cressy (l) welcomes his 2006-2007 class of Lt. Governors. Incoming Div. 9 Lt. Gov., Fred Lohnes (r), accepts Bob's congratulations as Cap. Dist. webmaster, Bob Powers, captures the moment.
Outgoing Governor Yvonne Holley (l) welcomes incoming Governor Bob Cressy as she presents Bob with the Governor's Official gavel.
Gov.-Desig Bob Cressy (far left standing) joins his team of incoming Capital District Division Lt. Governors for a class picture.

Click here for the August 11, 2006 issue of the Kiwanis Dateline which contains upcoming events and notices from Kiwanis International. And click here for the August 25, 2006 issue.

The Wilmington DE Kiwanis Golf Classic is the biggest fund raiser of the year for the Wilmington Kiwanis Club. On October 2, 2006 the members and their golfing friends hope to raise $20,000. The chief beneficiary will be the H. Fletcher Brown Boys and Girls Club. The money is used for education scholarships that keep youngsters busy during the summer, learning things that will help get them better grades when they return to school in the fall. A local car dealer, Delaware Cadillac, Olds, Saab and Subaru, has signed on to the event, offering a free 2-year lease on a brand new Cadillac to the first golfer who hits a hole in one on a designated par-three hole. Kiwanis members are busy signing up sponsors, and soliciting attractive items for the always popular silent auction.

The Kiwanis Club of Poquoson is supporting Dan Kehoe of Poquoson during his participation in Lance Armstrong's Ride for the Roses in Austin, Texas this October. The Ride for the Roses raises funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which serves the cancer patient community through education, advocacy, public health and research program. Since its founding in 1997. the foundation has funded almost $10 million in cancer research and over $3 million in care centers and cancer education and outreach programs. This is Dan Kehoe's sixth year and in past years he has met Lance Armstrong and Robin Williams, as well as other celebrities.

Click here for my next article about governmental club resources. This one is about the federal government's Corporation for National & Community Service.

This is the group that will match $500 given by an organization (like the Kiwanis), to high school juniors or seniors, in recognition of their civic service. (I checked their website and only 10% of the school districts in Virginia are in the program. And none of those districts have teamed with a Kiwanis Club.) I have also included info from their 2006 newsletters on several corporations that fund scholarships - also based upon civic activities. These corporations state they will accept nominations from local organizations such as a Kiwanis Club! Some of the announcements are currently open for nominations. [Thanks, David, for continuing to bring this valuable resource information to our attention. - Ed.]

Kiwanis By the Bay is proud to announce the winner of the 2006 Joseph Kalista Scholarship Award is Donna Jones, left, from Phoebus High School. Donna is a recent graduate who will begin at James Madison University later this month. Also shown on the right is Ashley Huggar, the first scholarship award recipient who is currently a junior at ODU. Joseph Kalista, the esteemed Kiwanian for whom the scholarship is named, is also pictured.

Sherry Warren, Assistant Principal at Bryan Elementary School, was recently honored as a "Strong, Smart and Bold Woman" by Girls Inc. Center for Youth of Southwest Hampton Roads. In recognizing Mrs. Warren, she was commended for "enriching our community through her accomplishments and serving as a role model for our young girls". Mrs. Warren has been a board member for HELP for the past 16 years and involved with the following organizations; AAUW, Portsmouth ADA Commission, League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads. Olde Towne Civic League, and Kiwanis By the Bay.

Shown left: Susan Masters, (left) of the Kiwanis Club of Old Town receives the official club Charter from Kiwanis International from Kiwanis Capital District Governor Yvonne Holley during the Charter Meeting on August 14th. Thirty new members signed up to meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at noon of each month at Donato's "Only For You" Restaurant in Winchester. Shown right: Trustee Robbie Atlins (left) of the Kiwanis Presidential Region presents the President's Bell to President Susan Masters. Also attending the presentation is Lt. Governor Kyle Homan (right) of Kiwanis Division 19.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Mercury 64 recently painted two large classrooms and several other areas for the Downtown Hampton Child Development Center at their Old Hampton Community Center location. The project took 68 labor hours to complete and involved 12 volunteers. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Downtown Hampton Child Development Center is a non-profit, educational organization offering affordable, quality early childhood care, parent training, school readiness programs for low income and at-risk preschoolers. Pictured above from left to right; Secretary Frank Dulong; Vice-President Amy Thorstad, President Monte Correll, member Stan Winarski and President Elect Lorie Vega.

On Monday, September 18, 2006 our club will host the Kiwanis Challenge Cup Annual Golf Outing. The golf tournament will be held at the newly opened Laurel Hill Golf Club located at 1201 Laurel Crest Drive in Lorton, Virginia. Registration Begins at 12:30 pm. Shotgun Start is at 2:00 pm. The cost of playing golf is $150 per player or $550 per foursome. The deadline for team and individual sign-up is September 13, 2006. Lunch and dinner will be provided as part of the entry fee. Trophies and prizes will be awarded the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. The will also be a raffle and a live action of certain items. For more information contact Anthony Morse at 703 915 0561 or eve Blood- 703 998 6760.

By now, your club should be well on its way to implementing a THRIVE program to educate the community on the importance of influenza (flu) vaccination. But if your club has not yet planned a flu vaccine campaign, it’s not too late to put together a program that just might save a life.

THRIVE (Tackling the Health Risk of Influenza with Vaccination and Education), which is a Young Children: Priority One service program, offers clubs three ways to spread the word about the seriousness of influenza, who is most at risk for flu complications, and the value of vaccination: education, outreach, and vaccination.

Ideally staged from September through November, THRIVE programs often culminate with clubs assisting or promoting flu vaccination clinics during November. THRIVE materials and details about the three THRIVE program components are available online at www.kiwanis.org/service/thrive.asp. General information about the flu, including facts about the flu vaccination and tips on preventing the flu are available at the (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, www.cdc.gov/flu/.

Fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and muscle aches are good enough reasons for people to get vaccinated and avoid the flu. Bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, worsening of chronic medical conditions, hospitalization, and death are even better reasons. Think it’s “only the flu?” According to the (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States:

• 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the flu.
• More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications.
• About 36,000 people die from the flu.

On September 16, 2006 a team from our Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County will be participating in the "Light the Night" walk in Leonardtown, Maryland. "Light the Night" is a national fundraising event to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer. It creates public awareness about blood cancers and raises funds for the ongoing work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At the Capital District Convention this past weekend, I learned that John Tyner is currently battling lymphoma. I would like to honor John by walking in his name, and am soliciting financial support you, his friends throughout the Kiwanis family, toward this cause. If you would like to make a donation in honor of John, please see the options below. I encourage you to make a personal donation, and/or present this information to your club, so the club can make a donation.
Donations can be made online by going to my fundraising webpage or by mailing checks to my home at 23146 Esperanza Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653. Deadline for checks to be received is Sept. 9, 2006. Please make checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Kiwanis Club of Poquoson responded to a last minute request from the Poquoson Public Library to support their annual Summer Reading picnic, supplying and cooking hot dog lunches for over 200 children and their parents. After receiving the call for help just weeks ago, club president Tom Meree put his call for help out to the club board of directors and to the general membership, with more than ten members volunteering immediately. The club provided the food and cooking equipment and cooked hot dogs on site. Pictured are some of Poquoson's summer reading children with Elizabeth Tai, Poquoson Public Library Director, and Kiwanis volunteers (left to right) Don Elliott, Jack Moran, Garry Kwist,Richmond Long, and Brian Wilson.

Calling all Kiwanis family members from throughout the Capital District! You are cordially invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Greenwell State Park Cleanup Day and Welcome Back Picnic for Service Leadership Programs. The event will take place Sunday, October 1, 2006. Cleanup begins at 9:30 a.m., with picnic lunch to follow at 12:00 noon, at Greenwell State Park in Hollywood, Maryland.

Please RSVP by September 24 to Glynnis Schmidt at (301) 737-6311 or bwsges@yahoo.com. This event is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County. From the North: Take Route 5 South to Mechanicsville. At the traffic light at Wawa, stay straight onto Route 235 South continuing to Hollywood. Turn left onto Sotterly Road, and then right on Steer Horn Neck Road. Park entrance is ahead on left.

The Kiwanis Club of Norfolk and RBC Centura Bank will host the 14th annual Kiwanis Harbor Party and Seafood Feast on Thursday October 12 from 4:30-7:30 pm at Town Point Park in downtown Norfolk. The Harbor Party has become one of the most popular outdoor events in the region, attracting some 1500 people each year to enjoy all they can eat crab cakes, clams, oysters, fish, scallops and our world famous Harbor Party Clam Chowder. Everything is prepared by members of the Virginia Seafood Council. Money raised supports local children's charities. Since it began in 1993, proceeds have exceeded $400,000. Besides the great food and beer, there is a silent auction and the opportunity to meet local and state political candidates and officeholders who come to be seen and heard. "The Harbor Party has become a great institution in Hampton Roads," says Bob White, club member and event chairman. "We have a number of Kiwanians from other clubs who come down for it and we hope even more will do so this year." To purchase tickets or receive more information, interested persons can call 757-456-5212 or go online at www.harborparty.org.

The 7th Annual Kiwanis Golf Tournament tournament will be held at The Bay Club, East Course, in Berlin. Play will be followed by an awards dinner at Phillips Seafood House on 21st Street in Ocean City starting with cocktails from 7 to 8 PM. Dinner will include soup, salad, choice of prime rib or crab imperial, dessert, coffee and complimentary wine and beer. The entry fee remains the same as last year - $90/individual, $360/ team and for those who do not or can not play in the tournament, dinner only is $40.

The tournament features a grand prize for low gross as well as awards for closest to the line and closest to the pin. A HOLE-IN-ONE wins a brand new car. Other prizes include rounds of golf, dinners, gift certificates, golf equipment and more. There will be a men’s division and a women’s division, so get a foursome together and have a good time while helping to support the youth of our community. SPONSORSHIP and DONATIONS are most vital to the success of the tournament. We are seeking sponsors at a cost of $100 for a hole or green and ask that sponsors provide a flag with a company team or name. If sponsorship is not possible, DONATIONS of cash or a gift suitable for a raffle or door prize would be most appreciated. Kiwanis needs your support to make it happen. Our community has been and will always be our biggest asset. Please call Corky Widerman for forms, information or to offer suggestions at 410-208-6380 or by e-mail at tewsr@msn.com or Mary Lee Jansen at 410-208-4131 or by e-mail at jjansen19@mchsi.com. All proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund.

Beginning in September, the Kiwanis Club of Wilmington will schedule its noon luncheon meetings at the Hotel DuPont on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. According to Kiwanis president Robert Bromwell, this will clear time on alternate Wednesdays for busy Kiwanis members to hold committee meetings and give more hands-on time to the club’s many community projects. Wednesday luncheon meetings will continue to host such special events as police and fire quarterly and annual awards, Armed Forces Recognition Day, topical programs and invited guest speakers.

John Deuel, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Suburban Norfolk, has been honored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation with its William H. Savedge III Environmental Achievement Award for 2006. Deuel is the Executive Director of the Norfolk Environmental Commission. The Suburban Norfolk Club has focused on the environment as their major community service effort. By supporting the Norfolk Environment Center’ the club promotes the advancement of education for young people in the area of our environment. Deuel is the principal driver in this effort.

The award recognizes Deuel’s outstanding contributions to protecting the environment in Hampton Roads. The award was presented on August 15th before the Norfolk City Council. A contingent of Suburban Norfolk Kiwanians were in attendance

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation cited Deuel’s leadership with the Keep Norfolk Beautiful campaign and his community-based approach to encouraging environmental activism and stewardship. It is the fifth time the award has been given.

The Kiwanis Club of Northeast Washington has recently published a children's book, Little Georgia and the Apples. The story is by our outgoing President, Carolivia Herron, and it includes photos of children from our children's creative writing program, PAUSE (Potomac Anacostia Ultimate Story Exchange). The photos are by Jim Auerbach. The children presented a copy of the book to DC council member, Kathy Patterson, in honor of Family Literacy Day. In conjunction with her publications for children, Carolivia is being honored along with many other African American artists by the Congressional Black Caucus and Essence Magazine at their Gala on September 6, 2006. Contact the club at kiwanis@nedckiwanis.org to purchase a copy of our book at $15.00. All royalties go to support our programs for youth.

The first Key Leader Weekend for the Capital District youth has been set for October 5 – 7, 2007, at Camp Letts in Ann Arundel County, Maryland. Barbara Lee, Chair for the Capital District Key Leader made it official at the District Convention in Reston. International Chair Dick Peterson has placed the weekend on the 2007 list of Key Leader locations. Furthermore, Immediate Past Governor Yvonne Holley has been appointed as the site coordinator for Camp Letts. Barbara and Yvonne will be formally trained at the New Jersey Key Leader weekend October 20-22 of this fall, as well as in January at the International Kiwanis Key Leader training in Dallas, Texas. Key Leader is a new leadership education program for students in grades 8 to 12. Its mission is to provide a “life-changing experience” that inspires young people to achieve their personal best through service and leadership. The events have no limit as to participation from the same school. It is not limited to K Family members, but does provide a $25 scholarship to any current Key Club member. The all-inclusive cost of $150 (2 nights lodging and 5 meals, plus materials) may be paid by a school, Kiwanis Club, a community organization, church group, family, or others.

Individual Kiwanis Clubs are being encouraged to add Key Leader support in their 2006-2007 budgets as funds must be sent with registration and fall within the coming year’s budget. Each club may determine the number of students they plan to assist. It is recommended that no more than half ($75) be provided for each student attending from a particular jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the Key Leader Weekend will be promoted throughout Capital District, both now and at each of the Regional Mid-Winter Conferences. Members of the Key Leader Committee will be making presentations in their respective regions. Regional planning committees are asked to include Key Leader in the workshops or open forums. Additional information will be coming in future editions of the Builder. It is hoped that each region will have students participating in the inaugural Capital District event in 2007.

Every week, Monday through Thursday, members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City assist in the packaging and delivery of meals for those in the community in need of the service of Meals on Wheels. The meals are sent out from the Berlin Senior Center and each day deliveries are made to an average of 40 + persons in the Berlin, West Ocean City and Ocean Pines area. On any given day the M.O.W. delivery people might be the only contact the recipients of the meals have. All Kiwanians are volunteers to the program and will tell you they receive a great deal of satisfaction in serving the community.

In addition to donating their time to the program, the local Kiwanis Club donates funds to the M.O.W. Program. On Wednesday August 16th, Sylvia Dixon, Berlin Senior Center Outreach Coordinator, accepted a $500 check for Meals on Wheels from Kiwanis Club liaison Jerry Powell at the Senior Center.

If you too would like to be a part of a great service organization, Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City, please contact membership chairman, Don Schmid, at 410-208-0219 or by e-mail at drs438@cs.com for information. Membership is open to both women and men. Try it, you'll LOVE it! (Pictured are (L to R) Kiwanis liaison to the Berlin Senior Center Meals on Wheels Program, Jerry Powell, presenting a check for $500 to the Senior Center's Outreach Coordinator, Sylvia Dixon, for the Meals on Wheels Program which she coordinates)

The Kiwanis of Montgomery Village will be having a full buffet breakfast with two games of bowling (shoes and balls included) to benefit Manna Foods. You may bring a can of food for Manna, or one non-perishable food. As you may note, we are trying to give back to Manna and gain some money for Manna Foods as they have lost a few grants due to Katrina and other catastrophes that have left them short on feeding many in need in our area. The event will take place on September 17, 2006. Breakfast from 10:00 to 11:45, bowling after. Bowl America, Clopper Rd. $25.00 a person, children under 5 bowling free. $15.00 for full breakfast. Please help us give back to the hungry and less fortunate!

Pembroke Kiwanis will once again conduct its beer pull at Neptune Festival 2006 on September 29 – October 1. In 2006, the annual Neptune Festival of Virginia Beach, VA, celebrates its 33rd year and our club has supported this event for almost all of those years! When it was first conceived, its founders wanted the festival to be a community celebration of Virginia Beach's unique heritage. Today the Neptune Festival has evolved into one of the country's top 100 festivals and Top 10 on the East Coast. Kiwanians, their friends and families look forward to this annual fundraising event. Last year, the club made nearly $5,000 for our charities.

The Kiwanis Club of Rossmoor is collecting "Toys for Tots", together with the Olney Kiwanis Club. We have been doing this for several years, and plan to continue doing it, This big box contains teddy bears, monkeys, books, games, crayons, one elephant, one giraffe, one purple frog, and several puppies. We are still collecting items, and we will give this box to the Olney Club in September, so that they can organize the project.

A growing number of students at Mount Airy, MD Middle School (MAMS) will have access to a new mentoring program during the 2006-2007 school year thanks to the involvement and support of Mount Airy Kiwanis.

Ms. DeAtley, school counselor at MAMS, approached the local club in the Fall of 2005 with her intention of starting a mentoring program at the Middle School beginning with the Spring semester of 2006. Mount Airy Kiwanis responded by contacting all of the local service clubs in town plus the Chamber of Commerce and coordinating financial support from all of the groups. The mentoring effort kicked off with a total of 9 volunteer mentors paired with 9 children chosen by Diane, the MAMS principal and teachers.

Results from the first semester were significantly positive: improved attendance and positive impact on all of the children's self-esteem, a strong and healthy relationship between each of the children and their mentors, improved grades for the majority of the students, and a shared desire between all of the children and their mentors to "pair up" again if the program continued.

And the program will definitely continue into the new school year thanks to full funding by Mount Airy Kiwanis! With a semester of positive results in hand and both last year's mentors and mentees eager to provide testimonials, the opportunity exists to recruit more adult mentors from the local community and therefore expand the program to more children who can benefit from this type of intervention and enrichment. The club's funding ensures that opportunity.

Now here's the rest of the story: Diane DeAtley, the MAMS counselor and dynamo behind this program knows first-hand the power and value of mentoring programs as she was a mentee herself while in Middle School. She claims that it turned her life around, caused her to decide to major in education and become a school counselor. Now, many years later, she is taking the initiative to provide local children in our community with the same opportunities that she enjoyed.

Pictured right are, Diane DeAtley (left) receiving a check to fund the program in the 2006-2007 school year from Glee Butts (right), Youth Services Chairperson for the Mount Airy Kiwanis Club.

Mentoring Programs provide wonderful benefits for all involved. If your club is looking for another good way to make a huge difference in the lives of children in your community, you should consider sponsoring and participating in a local mentoring program. For more information on the Mount Airy Mentoring Program, contact Glee Butts, 301-829-8827, gleebutts@hotmail.com.

It's been a year of service for Ralph Chinn of the local Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City, but time's up. The "Home Club" Banner for the Lt. Governor of Kiwanis Division 15 has proudly been display every week at meetings of the Kiwanis Club of Greater OP/OC but it's time to pass it on to the new Lt. Governor, Barbara Hickman which was done at the last Division meeting August 31st at Wright's Restaurant in Atlantic, Virginia.

Kiwanis is a service organization of men and women who work to achieve the Kiwanis goal of "Serving the Children of the World". The local club's biggest project is raising money for scholarships to give annually to deserving seniors at Steven Decatur High School, but there are many other local good causes that receive Kiwanis donations like Worcester County G.O.L.D. (Giving One's Life Dignity) children's programs, school projects at Showell Elementary, Ocean City Elementary and Buckingham Elementary, Agape and others. The local club also donates manpower to Meals on Wheels, Berlin Senior Center Bingo, Ocean Pines Senior chores, Delaware Eastern Shore Blood Drives, the Annual Walk to D-Feet ALS, to name a few.

It's leadership and dedication to serving the community, like Ralph Chinn provides, that makes it all happen. Thank You Ralph!

This summer season has been especially busy for the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon. The club’s Community Services coordinated several educational and developmental field trips for the children at our local neighborhood community centers. With schools closed for summer, we seized the opportunity to help them experience new and educational things through field trip visits.

In June MVK sponsored a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium (right). Thirty-three children and nine chaperones attended the trip that included a dolphin show. The children especially enjoyed the dolphin show because they had never seen dolphins before. In June we also sponsored a “Finish Strong” Tutoring program to help students do well on their SOLs and exams during the end of the school year.

In July, MVK sponsored ten children from needy families to attend a two-week summer camp program. Each family was able to select from a list of specialized camps including sports and training camps, cheerleading and gymnastics camps, and summer fun camps. Each family selected the cam that best fit the needs of their children. With help from MVK the children were able to attend the camps at no cost to them or their families.

In August, we funded a trip for 24 children to visit Wolf Trap’s Theater in the Woods (right). The children enjoyed two terrific performances from the Maryland Youth Ballet and from a hula dance troupe. The kids had tons of fun at the show, as the performers actively encouraged audience participation. At one point, the dancers even invited several of our kids on stage to learn and perform a hula dance!

Also in August, MVK sponsored field trips for the children to visit Washington, D.C. The children visited the Air and Space Museum where they especially enjoyed the “How Things Fly” exhibit. Some children were able to show off their video game proficiency at the flight simulator. During a second trip to the city the children visited the Natural History Museum. From the dinosaur bones to the lifelike dioramas, there was plenty to keep the kids enthralled. The best part of the day was when the children surveyed the museum’s Orkin Insect Zoo where the children saw a “Giant bird-eating spider” feeding!

The Charlottesville Kiwanis Club sent an interclub "plus one" to the 88th Capital District Kiwanis Convention in the Reston Hyatt Regency Hotel in August. Pictured are (from left) Club President-Elect Philip Day, 5th Division Lt Gov Designate Herb Ely, Past Southwest District Circle K Governor Morgan Estabrook, and Incoming Club Secretary Jim Hart. Past Lt Gov Don Jones (not pictured) attended the Capital District Foundation board meeting and is pleased to report that over the past fifteen years, the Capital District Foundation has contributed more than $57,000 to the Children's Medical Center at the University of Virginia, including a $5,000 grant made during the Miracle Network Telethon held in late May. A Kiwanis interclub is achieved when four club members visit another club or participate in an official K-Family function or fund-raising event. The Charlottesville club has set itself a goal of achieving at least one interclub per month, and as it enters the final month of the 2005-06 club year Charlottesville finds that it has accomplished that goal.