An Invitation: K-Family pg 6.
kEY CLUB SCHOLARSHIP EXTENSION pg.29
February 2023 (Issue NO. 27)
A Texas-Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International Publication!
KI-Notes
cIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL: AS OF LATELY pg 31.
Contact us
Governor: Patrick McCage Governor-elect: Kathy Culbertson Immediate Past Governor: Brad McKenzie
KI Notes Staff
The first Kiwanis Club in what is now the Texas-Oklahoma District, was officially completed February 10, 1917, at Dallas, Texas, with a membership of 200. Due to the increasing number of clubs across the country members realized the need of setting up the District organization. In October 1918, the Dallas Club selected one of its members to serve as interim Governor of the Texas-Oklahoma District until an organization conference could be arranged. The first meeting was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and on February 10, 1919, the Texas-Oklahoma District was organized.
Workshops for Kiwanis members and advisors! Learn the tricks on re-energizing your slp programs!
3 We Are Bringing K-Family Backto TX-OK 4 Governor's Greeting 6 An Invitations: K-Family 10 Events 12 A Look at Clubs 26 Club Strengthening: Step-by-Step 28 Kiwanis Children’s Fund Day of Giving 29 Key Club Scholarship Extension 30 Registration for ICON 31 Circle K International: As of Lately 32 Texas-Oklahoma Kiwanis Foundation Scholarships 33 Support the Kiwanis Causes 34 In Loving Memory 35 Editor's Message
www.instagram.com/texas.oklahoma.kiwanis/
Contents
www.txokkiwanis.org
https://twitter.com/txokkiwanis
22-23 District Officers
We are bringing K-Family Back to Tx-OK
Editor: Evelyn Herrera District Marketing Chair: Marshall Kregel
txokdist@swbell.net
P.O. Box 13160, Arlington 76094-3160
817-640-7711
OUR STORY
April 15th
Anatole Hotel, Dallas, TX
REGISTRATION INFO HERE
texas oklahoma district
www.facebook.com/texasoklahomakiwanis
Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis District Governor's Greeting Patrick McCage
Happy 2023 to each and every one of you. I hope and pray that your new year has far exceeded your expectations. We just completed our first quarter of our fiscal year in the TO district, and WOW. We’re not sliding backward, we are taking small forward steps. This brings to mind again, time and purpose in what we do. I had the blessing of traveling to East Texas and then to West Texas. I’ve had discussions with members in rooms packed with 70 people and spoken at events with just seven people. First, let me make this very clear. It’s not about the number, however; it’s about my fellow Kiwanians who are giving of their time for the betterment of their community. Second, as Governor, you have the best job anyone can have (I encourage you to raise your hand one day). I get to listen and experience firsthand the awesome, impactful, and altruistic service that you and your clubs are making. You see, it’s not about a club's numbers that are listed on a roster; it’s about people. You, and you, and me. By representing you, you have filled my heart over and over with the service you are creating and maintaining. “Maintaining”. That’s a keyword. We need to maintain the time you give back to your community. In order to do this I need you to do one thing. Ok, maybe a couple things. I need you to invite a guest to this week's meeting. Invite a friend, coworker, brother, sister, or cousin to your next community project. Can you do this for me? Can you do this for your Club? Can you do this for the District? If not for the ones listed above, can you invite someone on behalf of the kids we serve? We owe it to them. One way your Club can get this “inviting” going is by implementing the Two for Two Program. This is a simple way your club can spread out membership recruitment every week and month. I ask every Kiwanis Club to reset their vision on membership. I ask every club's president and club membership chair, to set up the Two for Two with your club. Clubs with more members, means only one thing to me…MORE HANDS TO PROVIDE MORE SERVICE…to your community. Your time and the club's time is precious and You only have a little amount of time. Let’s show our friends the fun time we have while performing service for others. I will be asking our Texas Oklahoma Lt. Govs. for a little bit of their time too. Your Lt. Govs. are my eyes and ears for the district. They are a direct connection to the division. I will be asking of our Lt. Govs. for two new cities in their division where communities are missing out on the services of the Kiwanis Family. If you have ideas and suggestions please call or email your Lt. Gov. to start a discussion. We have the ability to do this, we just need to commit the time! Purpose My second topic pertains to our purpose. Plain and simple our purpose is the nurturing of kids. To guide them, instill community service in them, and to help them develop a little organizational structure. I can’t think of a better example of our purpose than our Texas Oklahoma Key Club District. Our TO District Key Club is led by administrator Adrian Thompson. I asked Adrian to lead this year and he raised his hand and accepted. Speaking for myself, it takes a couple weeks/months to get organizations going. Not Adrian. As the new TO Key Club Administrator he has this train running full steam ahead. Adrian is patching things up, putting the young adults' visions first, and building young leaders for years of service to come. This is where you come in. I ask that each and every Kiwanis Club help support the Kids wanting to or attending the Key Club Convention, LEDCON. Whether it’s $10 or $1,000, we need to support the upcoming Texas Oklahoma Key Club LEDCON. LEDCON is their annual convention in April. (Dallas, TX). This is Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis' future! As I mentioned above this is why we do what we do. Not only are we trying to build our home clubs with more hands for service, we need to continue to build and support our Key Club District. Your Club should send a couple Key Clubbers to LEDCON. If you do not have a Key Club, support LEDCON with a monetary sponsorship. Your sponsorship will assist the other Key Clubs who lack a Kiwanis Club to help them get to convention. But we are not done yet! Because the future of these young adults are so important. The Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis is teaming up with Key Club at LEDCON. We are calling all Lt. Govs, trustees, club presidents, club SLP advisors, and club members working with our students. Susan Hennum is at it AGAIN! With her leadership we are bringing back K-Family and inviting everyone of you to attend!! A certain few in your club may have an interest in creating a new SLP or you may need help with new ideals and strategies. This is the place to get it. You will have an opportunity to ask these young adults about their vision, ideals, and dreams. Please checkout the article in this publication for Service under the Sun LEDCON April 2023! And to get it going, there will be a gathering and discussion for all Lt. Gov. and trustees Saturday morning! As you are aware, your personal family requires time together to develop and experience the beauty of human kindness; this, in turn, ensures that your heart and mind are at ease. Your Kiwanis Family requires similar or the same mind set. Kiwanis family has endured for well over 100 years and our time is now. Let's do our part now to ensure another 50-100 more years. It starts with you. We can make a little time, for our purpose is to reach every child in Texas, Oklahoma, and the world. I look forward to sharing our time and purpose together. Patrick McCage Governor, Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International Kiwanis Club of Gainesville Texas 940-736-1603
Calling all LT. Governors Trustees Club Presidents Kiwanis SLP Advisors & Club Members Working With Our Students
Saturday
Dress code for the day follows key club dress code -kiwanis professional-
Saturday April 15
Randall Estes
There will be a meeting for all LT.Governors and Trustees on Saturday Morning at 10 AM
Governor patrick would like to invite you to K-Family
Schedule
10Am-12PM Lt. Gov. & Trustee Meeting 10AM Supporting your key club and other slps 11Am Involving your Students in your service and fundraising 12:30 PM Joint lunch with LUNCHEON key club and t/o foundation 2PM Region 1 M&M Workshop everyone is invited! Counts towards distinguished club 4PM Membership tips to growing our k-family 5pm starting a bug, k-kids, or builders 6pm Key Club awards banquet by ticket only (not included in price)
For information on this event contact your m&m team at txokdistrict@gmail.com.
Life After high school Speaker: Professor michael Bromberg university of Texas Dallas CKI Faculty Advisor Saturday april 15 Hilton anatole/dallas , texas
Registration required to attend Proceeds from the day's luncheon will benefit the women in kiwanis fund which provides funds for our students to attend leadership events.
We hope to see you there! Hotel Information is provided on the Family-k page.
OUR DISTRICT KIWANIS TEXAS-OKLAHOMA DISTRICT
Join Southlake Kiwanis on Feb. 15, in recognizing this year's SRO of the year. This annual award recognizes an outstanding Student Resource Officer serving in their community and school district.
Kiwanis Club of Arlington is gearing up for their annual Pancake Day. Come join them February 25th to chow down on some fluffy pancakes! All tickets are $7 and the event is from 8AM-12PM.
Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Special Guest Submitted by Lyndel Cook
Our guest speaker today is Cindy Schneible, who is the president of McKinney Community Development Corporation. The half-cent sales tax is used to provide grants to projects and events that would enhance McKinney’s aesthetic, cultural, and leisure amenities. Over the past 25 years, MCDC has invested nearly $200 million back into the community. Buy McKinney. Spend it here, Keep it here. McKinney Community Development Corporation Kiwanis International
Texas Oklahoma Governor Patrick McCage visited the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene on December 8th. He took a selfie with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene gang and Division 35 Lieutenant Governor Randy Roewe. LTG Randy Roewe introduced our speaker, T/O Governor Patrick McCage. Patrick is a 21-year member of the Kiwanis Club of Gainesville, has been married for 26 years, and has been the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Gainesville for 22 years. His message today was about "time and purpose." We need to find the time, but most importantly, we must find our purpose. Find time to raise your hand! Purpose impacts our community; it helps individuals grow. Service clubs throughout the United States are losing members. Community service is declining in the US but increasing overseas. Whenever this club brings in a new member, you bring on two more helping hands to continue your club’s impact. Membership is important, and Patrick asked us to grow our clubs. He thanked us for supporting our Greater Abilene Club. Governor Patrick also congratulated the club on chartering a new K-Kids Club at Stafford Elementary in Abilene, Texas. The K-Kids Club will join the Greater Abilene Club’s other SLPs, including CKI, Builders Club, and Key Club.
It was a chilly, windy Friday and Saturday in Greenville, Texas, as Kiwanis members from the Greenville Golden Kiwanis (GGK), the Lakes Regional Aktion Club (LRAC), and the Greenville High School Key Club (GHSKC) began the holiday season by ringing bells for the Salvation Army. The Red Kettle was located at the grocery entrance to the main Walmart, and shoppers were very generous in feeding the Red Kettle. On Friday, the GGK and the LRAC manned the kettle, ringing bells and wishing folks a Merry Christmas. On Saturday, the GHSKC took on the task and had lots of success. On Saturday, as shown in the above picture, Aaralyn Wright (left) and Lydia Spivey (right) did their 1.5-hour shift and had some GGK members, Glover George (on the left) and Barry Gluck ( on the right), stopped by to put some money in the pot and wish these young ladies a Merry Christmas. When you see a red kettle and hear the bells ringing during this holiday season, be sure to feed the kettle and help some of our needy citizens.
Creating massive impact one project at a time.
Golden K Kiwanis Club of Greenville rInging Bells Submitted by Pat Bowman
A Look at Clubs
Kiwanis Club of McKinney McKinney Meeting today Submitted by Shannon Patterson
Kiwanis club of Abilene Christmas in the City Submitted by Esther Cox
Christian Homes & Family Services is a small foster care agency in Abilene, Texas. They have 25 active foster families, and during the Christmas season, they had 36 foster children placed in these homes. Christmas has always been a struggle for this agency. Since they are small, their foster care workers and foster care director are responsible for making sure the foster children in their care have Christmas gifts, and they are all delivered to the children before Christmas. In the past, they filled stockings with random items they received from donors. It was a long and arduous task to find donors, make sure they donated their items, and make sure we received them on time. The foster care workers have court hearings, monthly visits, and permanency conferences to attend every month, along with completing paperwork, so adding this large task to their load was very stressful. The Kiwanis Club of Abilene was a godsend to Christian Homes this December! When the discussion first began for a signature project, I knew this could be a game-changer for Christian Homes and foster children, but I didn’t know if it would be something the committee would want to do. When it was presented to them, the committee immediately jumped on board. They wanted to provide Christmas presents but also host a party for the foster families, their biological children, and the foster children. One of the members mentioned having it at the Melvin Martin Center for Children’s Safety, also known as Safety City, and I got chill bumps. Where better to host a Christmas party for foster children than at a place that represents safety for children? The children served by Christian Homes are removed from their parents by the state of Texas for abuse or neglect. The first need that is met when they are removed is safety. It was perfect. Christian Homes sent out lists for the foster children to write down a couple of gifts they would like to receive for Christmas, and Kiwanians stepped up in such a big way! Not only did they buy the gifts, but they also had a gift-wrapping party at the Christian Homes office with food, music, and lots of laughter! Kiwanians are joyful when they serve! Gift wrapping may not seem like a big deal, but one of the foster parents said it perfectly: "The gifts were wrapped and ready-to-go, so we were able to just put them under the tree ready for Christmas!" "That was a gift to me!" Gifts were delivered by the caseworkers, and all the children received their gifts before Christmas. "Kiwanis Christmas at Safety City" was a huge success. Kiwanians had several craft stations set up, and they had helpers at each station. One of the foster parents said that it was unexpected and so helpful. She shared with me that she was able to watch and enjoy the children making crafts because the helpers handled everything. There was also a station set up for cookie decorating for the children and snacks for the children and their families to eat. When asked what her favorite part of the evening was, a foster mom said, "Just being with other foster families and children, and knowing that if my foster child has a meltdown, they understand exactly what’s going on." Dated Christmas ornaments were given to each foster family upon their arrival at Safety City. The thought behind the ornaments was that the foster families could put the ornaments on their tree every year and remember the children that were placed in their home that specific Christmas. One foster mom shared that after they took their tree down, their foster child took the ornament and hung it on the wall in her bedroom. She wants to be sure to take it home with her. Isn’t that perfect? She will look at that ornament every year and remember the Christmas party and that she was loved by a special family that Christmas. The Christian Homes staff that attended the party at Safety City were so thankful to the Kiwanis Club of Abilene. At events such as this, the staff is usually assigned a job and does not get to mingle with the foster parents. This event was so wonderful for them. They were able to visit and take part in all the stations with the foster families and children and walk around Safety City to view the lights. After the event, I received text messages and calls from foster parents telling us how perfect the party had been. You can’t order perfect weather, but we received it anyway! Kiwanians enjoyed themselves because they were doing what they do best—serving children. The families, children, and staff had a wonderful time and are hoping it becomes an annual event.
TSTC Opportunities Fund
Kiwanis Club of Texarkana Trunk-or-Treat Submitted by Monty G. Murry
On Thursday, January 19, the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana held a Business After Hours event in coordination with the Chamber of Commerce. The event was held from 4:30–6:30 at the Hilton Garden Inn/Convention Center and was a huge success. This was part of a conscious effort by our club to become more engaged in the community. Although we have held membership in the Chamber for many years, we never took advantage of the opportunities that were available to us through that membership. Hosting an "After Hours" event has helped us to promote our club, recruit potential members, and bring in new sponsors for our pancake day coming up on March 4. As a matter of fact, the following day, we had a local business commit to a $1,000 sponsorship as a result. If your club is not actively working with the local chamber of commerce, we encourage you to do so. It is something we should have done years ago, but better late than never, as we always say.
Kiwanis Club of Sapulpa Past Presidents' Dinner Submitted by Kathy Berryhill
Submitted by Lyndel Cook
Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene president Lyndel Cook congratulates Kiwanian Floyd Miller on receiving a $500 donation to the Floyd Miller TSTC Opportunities Fund. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene had a program presented by Delton Maguire, senior field development officer of the Texas State Technical College Foundation, on November 10. During his PowerPoint presentation, one of the slides highlighted a campaign to increase minority student enrollment at the Texas State Technical College Abilene campus. The campaign includes the Floyd Miller TSTC Opportunities Fund. Needless to say, club members were pleasantly surprised to learn about this fund. Without any hesitation, the Greater Abilene Kiwanis board voted to approve a donation of $500 to the fund in honor of Floyd and two other members who have been battling cancer, Nelson Wilson and Dennis Tarrant. TSTC has technical degrees that students can choose from. What an honor it is to have Floyd as a distinguished member of our community and of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene.
Freddie's Steakhouse & Bar B Q recently hosted the Sapulpa Kiwanis Club's annual past presidents' dinner. Due to the closing of this restaurant, this was the last celebration at this location after many wonderful dinners and meetings. The fabulous meal included smoked steak, tabouli, cabbage rolls, and all the trimmings. Classical violinist Kiersten Moser provided entertainment for the many Kiwanis members in attendance. The theme for the evening was Oscar Night, complete with glamorous decor and even a red carpet! Past President Joe Hardzog was honored for his service along with other past presidents of the Sapulpa Club. The photo shows the 2022–23 president, Beckie Iverson, of Spiritbank, who attended with her husband, Chris Iverson, and new member Kasey Parish, of Servpro, OK, who attended with finance director Dewayne Bruner.
Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch Kiwanis Club Finishes Successful Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army Submitted by Ed Ahrens
Texas Hill Country Kiwanis Club No Grinches Allowed….Our hearts grew one (Key Club) size that day Submitted by Glenda Rast
Christmas came early for the Texas Hill Country Kiwanis Club as we welcomed our newest Key Club from the Hill Country College Prep High School. Members of the Texas Hill Country Kiwanis Club were joined by new Key Club members at the charter ceremony held on December 9, 2022. Mike Clark, the immediate past president, addressed the newest addition to the Kiwanis family, stressing the importance of the day and the significance of being a member of the new club before inducting faculty advisor Marla Byrd and the Key Club officers. Upon being presented with the president’s gavel, Key Club President Lillian Vickers performed her first official act, cutting a cake to celebrate the occasion. It’s a great day to be Kiwanis.
Mary Kay Phelan with the Borger Kiwanis Club presented a $250.00 check to Loretta Rosebaugh with the Hutchinson County Junior Livestock Show Committee. Loretta said, "We appreciate the Kiwanis Club's support for their donation." "Each year they help support our kids." The Kiwanis Club believes in supporting the youth of our community, and this is just another avenue to help our youth through this organization. We have supported the Junior Livestock Show for over 40 years. We believe it helps our youth aspire to set and meet goals by working diligently and being committed even when they don't feel like it.
Borger Kiwanis Club Junior Livestock show Donation Submitted by Sara Bumgarner
Numerous members of the Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch participated in the annual bell ringing for the Salvation Army at a local Kroger grocery store. Members worked in two-hour shifts over a two-week period. Each year, members work hard to engage store customers with holiday greetings and show appreciation for donations. Festive Christmas attire, music, and, this year, live trumpet music created a warm and inviting environment to encourage donations. The Club members are excited each year to participate in this Salvation Army program to raise funds for so many worthy programs for those in need in our communities.
Borger Kiwanis CluB Borger Fire Department donation Submitted by Sara Bumgarner
The Borger Kiwanis Club gave a $3500.00 donation to the Borger Fire Department to help host the "Panhandle Firefighter Wellness Event and Marriage Encounter." Speakers are Mike and Anne Gagliano, who wrote the book, "Firefighter Marriage," which shares their 30-plus years of personal experience on how marriage can thrive in the chaotic world of firefighting. There will be three events in one day on Saturday, January 28, 2023. All area firefighters in a 100-mile radius have been contacted and invited to attend. The two events during the day are just for firefighters, but the evening dinner date will be for their spouses to join them. Events are also planned for the spouses during the day. The Borger Kiwanis Club wants to support our first responders, and we believe this is a worthy way to do that.
Kiwanis club of greater Abilene Merry Christmas to Long Early Learning Center Submitted by Lyndel Cook
The Kiwanis Club of Allen provides a new dictionary to every 3rd-grade student in the Allen and Lovejoy Independent School Districts. Or, as the students call it, "a paper Google." The Kiwanis Club of Allen has sponsored this program for over 20 years and has seen tremendous growth as the communities have grown over the years. Kiwanis Club members visit each school and personally hand out the dictionaries to the students. This year alone, the club distributed over 2,000 dictionaries to students. Recently, a college student informed the Kiwanis Club that she still has the dictionary given to her and that she brought it to college with her.
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Young Children/Priority One (YC/PO) Committee announced that because of our members' generosity, 150 families at the Long Early Learning Center (ELC) will be having a Merry Christmas! The "Toys for Kids" Christmas Basket program was a great success!! Not only did we exceed the goal of 105 toys set by President Lyndel to honor the service of long-time members George Woodfin and Lee Stanley, but we also trounced it! Greater Abilene donated 150 stuffed animals and 22 toys for a grand total of 172 items. When the teachers and principal saw how many items we donated to make Christmas special for underserved families at Long ELC, they were in tears. Long ELC Mission statement: Long Early Learning Center promotes and advances the school readiness skills needed by young children. This is accomplished through enhancing student's cognitive, social, and emotional development while also supporting and strengthening parent-child relationships. The Abilene Food Bank and several local supermarkets were able to donate food to go along with the toys. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, every family received food and toys.
Kiwanis Club of Allen A paper google Submitted by Matt Giordano
Kiwanis club of Waxahachie Timeline Waxahachie Submitted by Roger Herring
Submitted by Jeanne Balkman
The Golden K Kiwanis Club of Greenville, Texas, a group of approximately 30 members all over the age of 65, builds handicap ramps to provide safe home access to local residents with limited mobility. The effort is a signature project for the club and is funded via the Texas Ramp Project, which matches funds from the local United Way of Hunt County and the Hunt County Hospital District to build 30-35 ramps per year. The funding covers materials, and the Golden K Club provides all labor, including site surveying, demolition, and ramp construction. The ramps are provided free of charge to the recipients, some of whom make free-will donations back to the project. The Golden K Club also supports the local Greenville High School Key Club, a group of approximately 65 students. Over Christmas and the Martin Luther King holiday, the Golden K Club and the Key Club were able to partner on two ramps while the Key Club students were on school break. On Friday, December 30, 2022, the combined team built ramp #35 for the calendar year 2022 in Greenville, Texas. The ramp was 42 feet long and was constructed with a total of 71 volunteer hours from 8 Key Club members and 10 Golden K members. The grateful client treated the team to pizza and made a $200 donation for the ramp, and the local paper published the achievement as shown in the photo below. On Monday, January 16, 2023, the two clubs partnered again to build a 32-foot ramp in Celeste, Texas. This ramp, the first for the calendar year 2023, consumed 42 hours of volunteer labor from 3 Key Club members and 7 Golden K members. This ramp was #438 for the project overall, which has constructed over 2.1 miles of ramp in the past 12 years. The Key Club partnership and participation with the Golden K also involves other Golden K service project activities during the year when school is out. These include packing weekend meals for the Marginally At Risk Kids (MARK) project through the local food bank and local school district; ringing bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Drive; building bed kits for Hunt County Kids, a local organization that works with Child Protective Services; refurbishing curbside lending libraries and pantries through United Way; and helping deliver approximately 75 Meals on Wheels weekly in support of the local senior center. The partnership enriches both clubs, exemplifies the Kiwanis principles of service, and is making a difference in many lives locally.
The original Kiwanis club in Hays County, Texas, began with 52 members in February 1923. Originally exclusive to men, the club began offering membership to women in 1987. In 1971, the Balcones Kiwanis Club merged with this club to become one—the Kiwanis Club of San Marcos, Texas. At one time in the club’s history, the emphasis was on the support of individuals. Now the club supports and serves organizations and institutions that generally meet the needs of children in our community. The local club sponsors leadership clubs at the high school and elementary school levels, gives scholarships to high school seniors, and funds the Children’s Summer Reading Program at the Public Library. In addition, donations are frequently given to community charities such as the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Shelter and the Hays County Food Bank. In 1944, the Kiwanis Club purchased seven acres on the Blanco River and developed a camp for youth groups to use at no cost. Scouts and other groups use the camp year-round and come from all over the state to work on badges and leadership skills and enjoy the natural setting. A pavilion with restroom and shower facilities welcomes campers who stay overnight, and campers often kayak and canoe on the Blanco River. Club members maintain and use the camp year-round. The Kiwanis Club raises funds in a variety of ways, including a clay shoot, the Great Pumpkin Dash 5K, and our Patriotic Flag Program. Local businesses pay a yearly fee, and Kiwanis members put out and take down U.S. flags on eight holidays. This support enables the club to keep its commitment to the library for the Children’s Summer Reading Program. The flags will be flown proudly around the Hays courthouse on Presidents' Day, February 20th, along with a Kiwanis banner. We take pride in our nation and our community commitment over the past 100 years.
Golden K Kiwanis Club of Greenville Partnering to Build Handicap Ramps Submitted by Pat Penland
On Saturday, December 3rd, the Kiwanis Club of Allen hosted its annual Breakfast with Santa event. Thanks to our very own Santa and Mrs. Clause and with the help of Key Club, Circle K, First Baptist Church of Allen, and all of our sponsors, it turned out to be a great community event. Each year, the Kiwanis Club of Allen hosts this event to bring holiday cheer to the community and celebrate the spirit of the holidays. While there is no cost to attend, donations are accepted and go right back into supporting the Kiwanis programs in our North Texas communities. Highlights of the event include a visit with Santa and Mrs. Clause, live holiday music by The Note-Ably North Texas Chorus, and, of course, pancakes, sausage, and all the fixings prepared by our very own K-Family.
Kiwanis Club of Allen Breakfast with Santa Submitted by Matt Giordano
Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville Bartlesville Christmas Parade Submitted by Konrad Brandemuhl
On October 15, 2022, Diamond "K" Kiwanis organized Ada, Oklahoma’s first-ever annual Pioneer Day. Area families were invited out to see an authentic 1800s-era schoolhouse with Kiwanis member Ruth Ann Taylor dressed as a school marm (teacher). A log cabin was also on display, complete with chickens. Lucy Shire, a local youth, showed off her favorite chicken, "J-Bird." Children enjoyed learning how laundry was washed, rinsed, and hung out to dry. The women’s quilting group from the Stratford Methodist Church provided a quilting demonstration. Visitors were able to see an old west gunfight, square dancing, wool spinning, and weaving, as well as knitting. Member Paul Crownover shelled corn to show children how corn on the cob turns into seed for planting next year's crops. Bonnie Townsend taught the long-lost art of jacks and pick-up sticks. Members and visitors enjoyed a meal cooked in Dutch ovens by Scout Master James Jackson. Lucy, the cow, provided the milk and cream in the traditional manner, and the children made their own butter. Cowboy poets were weaving their tales, and Bill Penn, the mountain man, told his stories of the mountains, including his story of "The Bent Nose Bear." Southern Neon, a local group of cowboy balladeers, provided the era's music. An 1800s-era hearse was also displayed and provided by Estes Funeral Home, while guests enjoyed carriage and covered wagon rides provided by Lincoln Franklin and Family. Kiwanis members enjoyed the day by inviting new members and sharing how to join our organization. President Sharilee Strickland oversaw the entire event and provided an interview with the local news. The day was such a success,
Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville finished the year by hosting the Bartlesville Christmas Parade on December 3, 2022. This year’s theme was "Toyland Christmas" and was well attended, with over 100 entries, 2 marching bands, and 8 first responder groups. Sutterfield Financial Group won the Parade Theme Award, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company won the Overall Parade Winner Award. The event was worked on by many Kiwanians and community members. As seen in the pictures, the community came out in force to compete in the various parade categories. Our club presents the Christmas Parade as a fundraising event with 10 corporate sponsors and individual entry fees. Our club is grateful for the enthusiastic community support. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season and wrap up a busy service year. Photos by Carl Bowman
The winter issue of the World Christian Broadcasting newsletter has an article mentioning the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Lowell Perry Award. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene announced that Julie Neill was the recipient of the Lowell Perry Award last fall. Andy stated that he has enjoyed visiting the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene for the past several years when they present the award. Greater Abilene member Julie Neill is pictured with Andy Baker, president and CEO of World Christian Broadcasting. This award is named after Greater Abilene Kiwanian Lowell Perry. As the founder of World Christian Broadcasting, Lowell was a great teacher, friend, husband, father, and Christian. Lowell died in a plane accident off the island of French Martinique in 1977. His team was searching for locations for a broadcasting station for World Christian Broadcasting.
Diamond K Kiwanis of Ada Pioneer Day Submitted by Brenda Adams
Kiwanis club of greater Abilene Lowell Perry Award Submitted by Lyndel Cook
club activity: Hosting an open house
CLUB STRENGTHENING: STEP-BY-STEP Submitted by Marshall Kregel
learn more
Want to increase your membership? Here are 12 steps to excite your members, impress your prospects and enhance everyone’s Kiwanis experience. 1. Make your purpose known. Create a vision with your club and mention it in every meeting, newsletter, news release, fundraising ticket, and advertisement. 2. Remind them often. At every meeting ask, “Who have you invited to come to Kiwanis this week?” Remind every member to look for prospective members and invite someone to come to your meetings. Yes, at every meeting, talk about growing your club! 3. Give them a reason. Host a contest: Why? It gives everyone an excuse to ask others to come and join Kiwanis. If you get your club excited and they just ask people to join, you will grow. 4. Promote friendliness. Compile an accurate membership list with names, addresses, phone numbers, cell phone numbers, and email addresses, and distribute copies to every member. Follow that up by emailing them a copy. Keep the list updated and redistribute copies at least every three months. This is a must—the club members must be able to communicate with each other before the club will grow. 5. Speak their language. Communicate often and in many formats. At least monthly, publish a club newsletter, and mail and e-mail a copy to each member. Have additional copies at meetings for guests and prospective members. Send weekly e-mails to remind members of programs, special projects, fundraisers, etc., and include past club visitors in your distribution. 6. Plan your program. Have a set agenda every meeting. This is a huge component of the member experience. Your members will more readily invite prospective members when they know there is a good program planned. Programs should be planned at least two months in advance. Don’t just meet and talk over fundraisers. 7. Stay young. Invite kids to be part of your programs! Remember, we are an organization dedicated to helping youth, so keep young people the focus of your program agenda. 8. Don’t forget the fun. Every two months or so host a “fun” program to which members invite their friends and family. 9. Show them you care. Send a “we miss you” card or note to members who have missed two meetings in a row, even if you know why they’ve been away (vacation, etc.). Especially send one if you know someone is sick. If a member goes into the hospital, take up a collection and send flowers. No matter why they’ve been absent, send a note telling them they are important and missed. 10. Extend a warm welcome. Greet new visitors at the beginning of the meeting and introduce them to the club. In the three weeks following the prospective members’ visit, send a follow-up letter or postcard…even if they don’t come back immediately. 11. Make it personal. Send a letter of invitation to every prospective member who has been invited to join. Each month, compose a prospect list of names and addresses and share this list with current members, asking them to contact those on the list. A personal invitation to come and join can be very effective. 12. Show appreciation. Send thank-you notes for every donation, no matter how small. Include a picture of your fundraiser or project that they were a part of, particularly any news coverage; it is easy and impressive to the community and prospective members. Brag on your team every chance you get! NOTE: Check your club meeting room. Your club will only grow to 70 percent of the capacity of your room. Period. Do you need to move to a bigger room, or maybe even a different place? Also, is your room bright and cheery? If not, offer to paint it and clean it up. THIS IS OFF THE KI WEBSITE
Are you proud of your club and want to show it off? Consider hosting an open house! It is a club-strengthening experience where members bond through the preparation of the event. Through this, you can also look forward to possibly gaining a few new members!
Kiwanis Day of Giving
Kiwanis Children’s Fund Day of Giving Submitted by Konrad Brandemuhl
Kiwanis Children's Fund
Mark your calendar: April 7th is the anniversary of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund (KCF). KCF has designated April 7, 2023, as its first-ever Day of Giving to commemorate its 84th anniversary. KCF set a higher goal of $45,000 to mark this occasion. That amount will unlock an anonymous donor match as well as impact over 20,000 children around the world. Please join me in giving to this worthwhile endeavor on April 7th. #KIWANISDAYOFGIVING Please also remember to remind your club officers to give to the KCF club giving program (as well as to the Texas-Oklahoma Kiwanis Foundation). All club presidents and secretaries should have received a mailer from the KCF about club giving around October 2022. It includes a club donation card (with the club name and club number) and a postage-paid envelope. This is a very quick and simple way to fulfill each club’s KCF club giving effort. Contribution to KCF is also part of the 2022-2023 Distinguished Club criteria: "The club will contribute $5, $10 preferred, per member to the Kiwanis International Children’s Fund 5 points."
https://form.jotform.com/223114668627156
This exciting event will take place June 21–24. Thursday and Friday are packed with keynote speakers, workshops, and Kiwanis Launchpads, and Saturday will be filled with the annual meeting. Speakers this year include drummer Clint Pulver and Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern. To learn more about other featured guests, including Dave Kelly, Mark Lindquist, Neil Guiliano, Precious Williams, Rasheda Williams, Sam Leicht, and Kim Ramsey-White, visit the convention website at kiwanis.org/convention/2023-convention. Regular registration will take place from February 15–May 15, and late registration runs through June 19, but you can register on-site too. Each level of registration adds another $100: regular registration is $375, late is $475, and on-site is $575. Great news if you register for all three days: lunch is included! For those only available to attend Saturday's annual meeting, your prices are $199 for regular registration, $249 for late registration, and $299 for on-site registration. If you would like to attend virtually, the fees are $59 regular, $79 late, and $99 for immediate access during the convention. Additional events that you can attend in person are the Signature Project Breakfast ($40), the Kiwanis Children's Fund Luncheon and Annual Meeting ($35), and Kiwanis Country Night Starring the Oak Ridge Boys ($75). Stay tuned for more information about our district caucus and joint district happy hour at the Hilton Garden Inn, coming soon.
https://txokcki.square.site/
Registration for the 2023 Kiwanis International Convention in Minneapolis opens soon! Submitted by Courtney Fallway
Scholarship Information
Donate Here
TO Foundation
It is the time of the year when our SLP organizations (Key and CKI Clubs) begin to prepare for their annual district conventions (LEDCON and CKI DCON). One of the primary missions of the TO Kiwanis Foundation is to provide scholarships to our service leaders in our SLP organizations. We have transitioned both application processes from the traditional paper form to an online form. We hope the online application process will be well received. Both applications are now live. Please visit the TO Kiwanis Foundation website to find information and apply: At the present time, the Foundation has only received a few Key Club scholarship applications, so please encourage your graduating Key Club seniors to apply. (See flyer information in this edition of the KI Notes.) The Key Club application deadline has been extended to March 21, 2023! The CKI Club application is just now going live, and the CKI Club application deadline is February 11, 2023. As our SLP students make their way to their respective district conventions, please support their efforts. If your club has not donated to the TO Kiwanis Foundation, please consider doing so, as this is how the foundation raises funds to fund these scholarships.
Texas-Oklahoma Kiwanis Foundation Scholarships Submitted by Konrad Brandemuhl
KI Notes submissions can be emailed to txokkiwanis@gmail.com.
Month
Division
Club
Name
December
26
Athens
Norman Tumlinson
35
Abilene
Carl Lockett
1
Lake Granbury
Carol Lippincott
David Southern
January
8
Lake Kiowa
James Kelley
12
Pecan Valley (The), Early Club
Zonya Smith
34
Tyler-Rose City
Lowell Hinsch
Durant
Ernest Sturch
All listed with sympathy and memory.
In Loving Memory
“"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living."” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis District Editor's Message Evelyn Herrera
Hello Fellow Kiwanians, Did you notice the theme of this issue? Of course you did! This issue focuses on our love for our SLPs! Members, like any other organization, are what make the magic happen. Without new members, we forgo new ideas and opportunities for growth. As you take in our organization's stories, think to yourself: what can you do to inspire the younger generations? During these difficult economic times, many potential young members may experience obstacles that prevent them from joining volunteer organizations like ourselves. What can we do as a team to support them and continue to support our community? Perhaps you find that some of the members of your community have been facing food insecurity, or maybe some are having difficulty paying their tuition. As college tuition, food, and rent skyrocket, many college students find it difficult to make ends meet. Perhaps now is the perfect time to assist them and your community by establishing a food pantry, supporting grants, or creating local college scholarship funds. Such acts of generosity and action are what inspire the younger generation to build up their community. By touching one person's heart, you end up impacting many more.