June 2024 KI Notes

A Publication of the Texas-Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International June 2024 (Issue NO. 35) KI-NOTES Contact us Governor: Dr. Kathy Culbertson Governor-elect: Bobby Quinten Immediate Past Governor: Patrick McCage 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. 4 Governor's Message 6 DCON 2024 8 Events 10 A Look at Clubs 28 DCON Fundraiser 30 New Disaster Relief Program 34 ICON Time 35 TX-OK Circle K 36 M&M Team 37 PLGA Youth Leadership Award 38 In Loving Memory 39 Editor's Message www.instagram.com/texas.oklahoma.kiwanis/ Contents www.txokkiwanis.org https://twitter.com/txokkiwanis 23-24 District Officers Editor: Evelyn Herrera District Marketing Chair: Marshall Kregel txokdist@swbell.net P.O. Box 13160, Arlington 76094-3160 Call for donations 817-640-7711 OUR STORY Donations are needed for the Kiwanis District Disaster Relief Program We have shared 350 Disaster Backpacks in the past 45 days and we are out! We are presently building 100 more kits for distribution in June if needed. Each kit (adult) costs 35.00 to put together. Children's kits are 25.00 each. You can go to the district website and click on the PayPal button to donate. You do not need a PayPal account, you can just use a regular credit card or your club can mail a check to the district and put Disaster Relief on the memo line. The Link to the website page is: https://www.txokkiwanis.org/support-our-programs/ In the picture, members of the Gainesville club load up 75 backpacks to take to the Valley View club for immediate distribution just hours after the large tornado swept through the town of Valley View. What a blessing that the Gainesville club had these in stock and ready for an emergency! texas oklahoma district www.facebook.com/texasoklahomakiwanis Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis District  Governor's Message Dr. Kathy Culbertson Mighty Texas-Oklahoma Kiwanians, It’s hard to believe I only have four short months remaining on my term as your Governor! Wow, how the time has flown and there's still so much remaining to do! Have I reached all my goals? NO! Am I pleased with what has been accomplished so far? YES! Are we continuing to focus on improving the Mighty T-O District? ABSOLUTELY! I am so pleased with the Long-Range Planning Committee’s focus on the 5 areas of our strategic plan – Membership & Engagement; Leadership & Education; Community Impact; Financial Viability; and Branding & Image. Their work will be presented to the District Board at our Tahlequah convention in July, and upon approval, it will be disseminated to all clubs throughout Texas and Oklahoma. This document can be used to provide focus for all clubs on improving any or all five of these areas. By initiating these, we should see significant growth in our clubs, a significant increase in willing leaders throughout the District, and a significant impact we make within our schools and communities. Kiwanians, YOU are the most important factor in the K-Family. Without you, we are nothing! The T-O District desperately needs YOU in every aspect of our organization! We need YOU – serving in club leadership roles – as presidents, president-elects, secretaries, treasurers, membership chairs, and heading up committees within your clubs. Each of you possesses a unique talent that can provide strong leaders within our District as well as within our individual clubs. We need YOU – serving as Governors, Governor-Elects, Trustees, Lieutenant Governors, and District Chairs! Find your niche and volunteer to fill that role that matches your talents. Each of you can grow into amazing leaders and serve as mentors for others. We need YOU – serving as Kiwanis advisors to our “children” organizations for K-Kids in elementaries; Builders Clubs in our middle schools; Key Clubs in our high schools; Circle K Internationals in our colleges and universities; and our Aktion Clubs for our disabled adults. Our “children” need your expertise, your encouragement, and your enthusiasm for developing leadership through service. We have much to do, limited time to get things done, and children and communities needing our helping hands and words of encouragement. It will take each of us in order to make the community impact we desire to have. Ask yourselves, “What is my talent/gift that I can extend to others? What is my passion? Where do I desire to serve?” Opportunities to serve abound in our communities and schools. If you have an idea for service, share it with your fellow club members. No gesture is too big or too small. Someone will benefit from your commitment to serve. And, at the same time, you will get satisfaction and enjoyment out of doing so. You know my motto quite well by now – “Serving with Passion and Compassion”. By combining both attributes – passion and compassion – we are unstoppable! Let your passion shine forth, and share the Kiwanis goodness with everyone with whom you come into contact. Sometimes it is only a smile, a hug, a pat on the back, or a nod – just a gesture that we see, we care, and we acknowledge others. On another note, have you made your reservations for DCON in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, from July 25-27? The Tahlequah club has been hard at work all year long organizing and preparing for our visit. Don’t disappoint them. Plan to make the trek north to see what great things are in store for us – great forums, great fellowship, great activities, and great food! Make certain you attend and get re-energized for another outstanding Kiwanis year. A special thanks goes out to the convention committee – Tere Feller, Denise Deason-Toyne, Governor-Elect Bobby Quinten, Susan Hennum, Marshall Kregel, and Laura Arnhart. This team has been working tirelessly for YOU! I’m excited to be hosting a convention in Oklahoma; I’m excited with the forums Governor-Elect Bobby has put together; and I’m excited that it’s really just right around the corner—July 25-27! Registration is open, as are lodging reservations, so take care of both now. Don’t put it off. And not to be overlooked – thank you to the clubs that have opened their doors and invited me to visit. Each of you is truly amazing! As I have repeatedly shared, I am so glad that our clubs are not “cookie cutter” style! The uniqueness of each of you is what makes my visits so refreshing. One of my greatest joys as your Governor is personally meeting our membership and getting acquainted on a personal level. Plus, I steal ideas from your clubs and share them with others so they, too, might integrate your ideas into their processes and programs. Through the sharing of ideas, we are able to strengthen our impact and service. Along these same lines, I would like to suggest that next year, during Governor-Elect Bobby’s year, you let him know when you schedule your “big events” so that he doesn’t miss out on the fun and service projects. Occasionally, I have made a club visit only to find out that I have missed your wonderful service projects that you have taken all year to plan. That is unfair to you, so allow Governor-Elect Bobby to participate along with you in your amazing activities. In closing, keep the main thing the main thing – one child and one community at a time! You are desperately needed; our children need you; our communities need you. Don’t let them down. Thank you for being a leader among our clubs. Thank you for making an impact within our communities. Thank you for serving the children and communities. Thank you for stepping up and being passionate, persistent, and purposeful in making our Mighty T-O District the leader once again among all the Districts within Kiwanis International! Serving with Passion and Compassion, Governor Kathy Support Women in Kiwanis today! For more information visit: https://www.txokkiwanis.org/wik/ This year's convention shirts are the WIK T-shirts. Not only do we have some to empower our female membership, but we have new ones for men too! To order your shirts please make sure to check off on the registration page the necessary information. DCON 2024 The next TX OK District Convention is right around the corner! July 25, 2024 - July 27, 2024 is almost here. This will be an awesome convention with music, adventures, gaming, great speakers, amazing food, and perfect hotels. We’ve got 4 different hotels, all within $120 per night (plus tax) and free breakfast. We have transportation arranged for some fun events and tours for spouses during the convention. The countryside is really gorgeous and worth coming early to spend a few days camping or in the RV before the convention starts. Check out the links below! Award Order Form Register DCON Info Shirt Order Form Convention shirts View Agenda OUR DISTRICT KIWANIS TEXAS-OKLAHOMA DISTRICT   Peach sale funding local scholarships. $60 for 22 lbs of Texas peaches. Pick up at New Covenant Church parking lot: 1604 Central TX Expressway. Must order by June 28th. The Fiesta Noche del Rio's opening night is June 7th, just 22 days away! Grab your tickets at FiestaNocheSA.com today! The Kiwanis Club of Abilene hosted the 25th Annual Big Country Area Spelling Bee again this year. The club has hosted the bee every year since 2019. This year, the bee was held in February on the campus of Hardin Simmons University, and 28 schools participated in an exciting morning of spelling! The day before the bee, the club hosted a luncheon for the spellers, their teachers, and their parents. On the day of the bee, a good number of Kiwanians turned out to greet and support the spellers. Sariah Titus, a sixth grader from Mann Middle School, was the champion for the second consecutive year. Gabriel McGregor from the AISD Center for Innovation was the runner-up. Sariah is excited to attend the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, in May. With the assistance of generous sponsors, the Kiwanis Club of Abilene will be able to send Sariah and a parent to Washington, D.C., with all expenses paid for the National Spelling Bee Competition. The Kiwanis Club of Abilene Big Country Spelling Bee Submitted by Faye Dodson Creating massive impact one project at a time. A Look at Clubs Sulphur, Oklahoma tornado aftermath Featuring The North East Dallas County Kiwanis Club The North East Dallas County Kiwanis Club is proud to serve communities throughout Texas and Oklahoma when families need it most. Their Signature Service Project focuses on disaster preparedness by gathering supplies and packing Disaster Backpacks that can be delivered to storm-affected areas when disaster strikes. On April 28, 2024, members of the club jumped into action in the early morning after tornadoes ripped through Sulphur and Holdenville, Oklahoma, the night before. The areas were devastated, and families were left without anything. But Kiwanians were there, bringing hope and needed supplies to give families comfort. Sue Mifflin (pictured on right) is the Committee Chair for this project and was deeply touched by what she experienced. “Packing supplies is one thing, but seeing the devastation firsthand brings a new level of reality to the need to be prepared.” She recalled seeing one family sitting in lawn chairs next to their home, which was completely destroyed. Today, the club is asking for community support so they can quickly replenish their supplies in order to be prepared for the next storm. Donations can be made online on their website, with 100% going directly to this project. https://www.nedckiwanis.club/donate Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene  Convention time Submitted by Lyndel Cook Lt. Gov. Melissa Burney presented the Kiwamis Club of Brownwood with the 2022-2023 Distinguished Club certificate and patch to place on our banner! She also presented 2022-2023 President Jesse Mendoza and Secretary Jessica Hardy with their respective pins for the award. Jesse stated that they were honored to be awarded the pins, certificates, and patch, but that we could not have done it without our entire club! We appreciate the effort our members put into the club. Our members are truly what make us distinguished. The Kiwanis Club of Brownwood was 1 of 24 clubs in the Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International to receive this recognition and the only one from Division 12! BUILDERS CLUB HELPS OUT AT PANCAKE DAY  Gabe Gallegos, Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene’s Builders Club Advisor, rounded up the TJ Jones Boys & Girls Club Builders Club and headed out to help at the Abilene Club’s pancake fundraiser. The kids even got up early on a Saturday morning! Gabe is graduating from Hardin Simmons University and will continue his education at Abilene Christian University. Gabe has done a great job with the Builders Club this year by getting the kids to help in the community, organizing their own fundraiser, and helping at the Boys Girls Club. Go Builders Club! Kiwanians Gail Jay and Nancy Baker delivered breakfast goodies to the teachers and staff at Stafford Elementary and Long Early Learning Center for teacher appreciation week. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Pancake day Helpers Submitted by Lyndel Cook CLYDE HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB HEADS TO CONVENTION The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene’s Clyde High School Key Club has been very busy the past few months. Not only did they have 2 fundraisers, but they made the trip to Denton, Texas, for the Texas Oklahoma Key Club District Convention. Also, Greater Abilene Key Club Advisor Lyndel Cook presented a $100 Amazon gift card to Clyde High School Advisor and science teacher Cathy Gerhart for all the help she gives the kids! The key club had two fundraisers in January and February. The first was the winter formal, and the second was a daddy-daughter dance. The club grossed about $9000, with a net of about $6000. The club also had its elections for officers for the coming school year, starting in September. Way to go, Key Club! Kiwamis Club of Brownwood  Distinguished Club for 2022-2023 Submitted by Jessica Hardy The Kiwanis Club of Harker Heights Teacher Appreciation Submitted by Vivian Marschik The Kiwanis Club of Harker Heights made a visit today to Harker Heights Elementary School to show their teachers and staff their appreciation for all they do every day for the children of our community. Members Darrel Charlton, David McClure, Vivian Marschik, Norm Dunbar, and Charles Sweeney visited each classroom and office and talked to the students about appreciating their teachers and staff that take care of them every day. It was such a fun visit. Many students said they do appreciate their teacher. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Appreciation at stafford Submitted by Lyndel Cook The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene was honored to hear T/O District Governor Kathy Culbertson on May 16th at the weekly club meeting. Governor Kathy served 38 years in public education and held many positions except School Superintendent. She was an English teacher, Coach, and Key Club Sponsor. She is presently the President of the Gordon School Board. Governor Kathy grew up in a family of ten children. She feels that it is very important to pass on to children the values you learned during childhood. Governor Kathy stated that women were not even allowed to join Kiwanis until 1987. She is dedicated to doing all she can as a woman to make children aware of the value of being in Kiwanis and has a theme for her year as Governor. It is "Serving with Passion and Compassion." She explained the acrostic for the word Passion as: PURPOSEFUL ACTION (Activity) SERVICE (Core of Kiwanis) SATISFACTION INCLUSION OF CHILDREN (K-Kids, Builders Club, etc.) ON-GOING (Continue to Build) NURTURING (She's a hugger!) T/O District Governor Kathy also assisted LTG David McCaghren in presenting five women members with the "Women in Kiwanis" award. It was a red, blown glass flame with each recipient's name on the base. The recipients were Dr. Angela Nicolini, Dr. Cameo Harvey, Gail Jay, Julie Neill, and Nancy Baker. These awards were based on their service to Kiwanis. The criteria included their participation in these categories: membership, club committees, officer/board director, annual fundraiser, service leadership programs, and other programs. The first award was given to Governor Kathy at the T/O District Convention last year in Granbury. Today, she said she has traveled all over both states and presented this award to deserving women, but never had she presented five at once. Each of these women have demonstrated a love of Kiwanis and service to children. Submitted by Gail Jay Featuring The Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene Governor Kathy Culbertson visited the Division 34 Council Meeting hosted by the Holly Lake Kiwanis Club. This division, located in the Piney Woods region of Texas, has no trouble finding Lt. Governors. During the Governor’s visit, Matt Pool of the Gilmer Kiwanis was elected Lt. Governor for 2024-2025, and Roy Shockey of the Mineola Kiwanis was elected for 2025-2026. Members of the Gilmer Kiwanis club met at the Gilmer Police Department to present stuffed animals collected in their Cuddles for Kids campaign. The GHS National Honor Society partnered with the Kiwanis Club. These will be given to children in need of CPS. The photo features (l to r): Rhonda Dunn, Michele Barnes, Lula Johnson, Police Officer Stith, Crystal White, and Cheryl Pool. Kiwanis Club of Mineola  Governor visit Submitted by Joyce Curry Daisy Day Hab Aktion Club Posting 500 US flags seven times a year is the largest service/fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Mineola. One of their customers is the Mineola Middle School Builders Club. Part of the group shown in the picture enjoys displaying their flags in front of the school. Greenville Golden Kiwanis  Aktion Club Impact Submitted by Pat Bowman FISH Ministries Meals for At Risk Kids The average citizen is often inundated with negative information. With so many bad events at the forefront of the news, it is important to push out positive stories whenever possible. Among all of the issues surrounding communities, so much of it goes unchecked. Volunteering is the solution. Unfortunately, there are never enough volunteers, and it is getting harder and harder to find folks who are willing to give of themselves for the greater good. Service clubs, churches, and other organizations are having trouble finding enough members or volunteers to stay in business. The Kiwanis International Organization had the foresight to allow clubs to organize and operate Aktion Clubs (AC) for Adults with Disabilities (ADW), a new source for volunteers. In the past (and in some people’s minds today), AWD folks were relegated to facilities where there was little or no exposure to the real world. For the Greenville Golden Kiwanis, both of their Aktion clubs are allowing AWD folks to interact and serve their community. In the first link below, the first 6 months' activities of their newest AC, Daisy Day Hab Aktion Club (DDHAC), are chronicled in pictures and words that describe not only how they are making a better world but also how they are having fun and developing self-esteem. A true win/win for AWD and the community. The second link involves both of their ACs but also shows other Kiwanis efforts in assisting in a truly valuable FISH program that provides meals for at-risk kids (MARK). The current program serves over 570 children with weekend food for the roughly 40 weekends in the school year. Kiwanis Club of Mineola  US Flags Submitted by Joyce Curry The Gilmer Kiwanis club Cuddles For Kids Submitted by Lula Johnson It is no secret that the costs of higher education continue to rise. This issue causes a barrier of entry for many intelligent and hard-working students. Financial aid alone is no longer enough for students to excel in their studies as they try to support themselves. That is where we come in. To combat this issue, our district works diligently to raise funds to support the future leaders of the country. This all starts on the ground with clubs, volunteers, donors, and the youth. Together, our members collaborate to gather funds, connect with higher institutions, and seek out worthy candidates. Over the years, our clubs have been able to award thousands of dollars to aid students on their journey towards higher education. As graduation season has come to a close for many schools in Texas and Oklahoma, we have many club stories to share about student recognition. Join us as we congratulate our graduates and encourage high schoolers to strive for the best. Supporting Scholars Clubs around the district award scholarships Recognizing and warding our future leaders. (Image 1) Pictured L - R. Principal Jorge Soldevila, Counselor Deleen Price, Scholarship recipients: Heema Solanki, Vyom Patel, Serenity Howery, Hanah Kim, Ashley Jackowski, Robert M Shoemaker Citizenship Awardee Ava Perry, and Sophomore of the Year Mervin (Jayden) Narito. Past President Norm Dunbar and President Jody Nicholas.  KIWANIS CLUB OF GREATER ABILENE RATLIFF SCHOLARSHIPS Submitted by Lyndel Cook The Kiwanis Club of Harker Heights awarded $7,500 in scholarships to Harker Heights High School seniors. Each scholarship is $1,500. Kiwanis members, the principal, guidance counselors, high school staff members, parents, siblings, and friends attended the presentation at the high school library. We are very proud of the students who applied, and it was a difficult choice to choose only 5 of the applicants. They were all outstanding students, many of whom will have earned their associate degree before receiving their high school diploma. KIWANIS CLUB OF GREATER ABILENE AWARDS 6 RATLIFF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR A TOTAL OF $15,000 Lyndel Cook, Chairman of the David Ratliff Scholarship Committee, gave a brief history of the David Ratliff Scholarship at the May 9th meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene. David was the treasurer of our club before he passed away from cancer. In memory of David and his interest in the youth of Abilene, Greater Abilene established the David Ratliff Memorial Scholarship. Lyndel said we broke three (3) records: The number of scholarship applications received The number of scholarships given The amount of the scholarships, which is $2,500, for a total of $15,000! These students were from Abilene High School, Merkel High School, and Clyde High School. Congratulations to these high school seniors, and good luck in your college careers. The Kiwanis Club of Harker Heights HH Scholarships Submitted by Vivian Marschik Kiwanis Club of Arlington TCC Scholarship Submitted by Evelyn Herrera This May, the club had the privilege of awarding a $1,000 Tarrant County College scholarship to Kennedale High School Key Club Senior Izabella Salazar-Cervantes. A big shout out to all the graduating seniors and all of the key clubbers who work diligently to make the world a better place. May your futures be ever brighter! The Kiwanis Club of Capitol Hill High School presented three scholarships during the senior awards ceremony at Capitol Hill High School on May 8th. The club also recognized two high school Key Clubbers for their leadership and service to the school. Pictured are Carolyn Sopher, Key Club Advisor, Key Clubbers Lilia Garcia, Anai Vidana, and Kiwanis Club President Rhonda McGuire. Kiwanis Club of Capitol Hill HS  Scholarships Submitted by Rhonda McGuire Kiwanis Club of Weatherford TX Tom DeBeauford Scholarship Submitted by Shawn Loiacano The Gilmer Kiwanis Club Recog nizing Upshur county students Submitted by Lula Johnson The Gilmer Kiwanis Club presented senior scholarships to 14 students from 5 Upshur County schools. Joe Neitzel began the adult education program to prepare for the GED exam on January 9, 2024. Joe is now enrolled and attending class at Weatherford College in the logistics certification class. He has also started the GED exam and has completed 50% of the exam while at the same time taking on a new job. Even with attending the adult education class, college, and a new job, Joe has maintained perfect attendance in all programs. Joe's work ethic has made a huge impression on many staff members, especially myself. In the Adult Education class, Joe has perfect attendance, a strong work ethic, outstanding academic skills, and, most importantly, demonstrated a natural leadership and teaching ability. It was no surprise to me when Joe asked me about becoming a teacher! Without asking him to, Joe began helping students with math questions and even went to the front of the room and used the white board to teach the entire class. I now encourage him to help whenever possible. Joe intends to pursue a degree in education (mathematics) starting at Weatherford College with an associate's degree and then transitioning to a bachelor's degree. His character, skills, and work ethic give me no hesitation in recommending him for the Kiwanis Scholarship. (John Beverung, HSE Instructor, Adult Ed.) Because of his humanitarian beliefs and work, DeBeauford was honored by the Kiwanis with a scholarship in his name, granted to an adult learner seeking to continue his or her education and life-long learning. 1st picture: Joe Neitzel - recipient and James Loiacano - Kiwanis Treasurer 2nd picture: Karen - sister, Ken - Father, Joe Neitzel - recipient, John Beverung - HSE Instructor, Adult Ed., Brittenie Polk - Director, Adult Ed, and Becky Nelson - Academic & Career Coordinator, Adult Ec. 3rd picture: Joe Neitzel - recipient and John Beverung - HSE Instructor, Adult Ed. Kiwanis Club of brownwood Various scholarships Submitted by Jessica Hardy The Kiwanis Club of Brownwood loves supporting and celebrating their graduating seniors! This year, they had 12 applications turned in for the 3 scholarships they offer. It is tough to decide who will receive them; everyone who turned in an application has amazing dreams and goals for their future and the club members loved reading what their plans are for the future. They learned some of their fears, some of their goals, and a lot about their lives and what they have faced and how they have overcome issues. Members were honored to present three students with scholarships from their Kiwanis Club as well as three students with scholarships from their Kiwanian Jerry Sims and his wife, Jan. They invited the students and their parents, along with Brownwood ISD staff, to their luncheon on May 30th. They appreciated the parents for their love and support throughout their senior's life and for joining them. Kiwanis recipients were: Alleson Jameson, a Key Club member, will be attending University of Houston majoring in Stage Management. Cadyn Christmas will be attending Cisco Jr. College, eventually going to Weatherford College to major in Radiology. Joshua Diaz will be attending TSTC majoring in Welding. Sims recipients were: Kamryn Williams will be attending Texas Tech University majoring in Pre-speech/Language Hearing Science. Marisol Rodriguez will be attending Tarleton State University majoring in Business Management Yovani Figueroa is still determining the school of her choice. The club can't wait to see what these young adults will accomplish in life! The Kiwanis Club of Abilene awarded scholarships in the amount of $1500 to five graduating seniors on May 15, 2024. The recipients were Alexandru Petrescu, Page Braden, Noelle Mathis, Malia Williams, and Joshua Alden. In addition to awarding scholarships, the club also recognized the valedictorian and salutatorians from each of the city's high schools. The featured speaker for the program was Kasey Nixon. She is the university recruiting coordinator for First Financial Bank of Abilene. Kasey delivered an inspirational speech, urging the students to shift their focus away from themselves toward serving others. TLCA Salutatorian and TLCA High School Key Club President, Luke Miller, requested the photo below with First Financial Bank former and current employees who have had a big part in his life. His mother, Dinah Miller, is a 30-year employee of First Financial Bank. This photo serves as an example of Kiwanis fulfilling our goal of “improving the world one child and one community at a time.” Kiwanis Club of Abilene Kiwanis Club of Abilene Awards Scholarships Submitted by Faye Dodson THE KIWANIS CLUB OF TAHLEQUAH HAS CHOSEN TWO LOCAL NON PROFITS AS BENEFICIARIES FOR THE SILENT AUCTION AND RAFFLE AT THIS YEAR’S DCON CASA OF CHEROKEE COUNTRY CASA of Cherokee Country provides volunteer advocates to be an independent voice for children who are in the juvenile deprivation and neglect court system in Cherokee and Adair counties and in tribal court. Club members have served as CASA volunteers for many years. These volunteers give a voice to the children and work to ensure that the “best interests” of the children are at the forefront of every case. In 2023, CASA of Cherokee Country had 16 volunteers who served 48 children. It is hoped that with additional funding, more volunteers can be recruited and more children can be served, as there are over 100 children in deprived or neglected cases in Cherokee County. JIM WILSON LUNCH ACCOUNT - TAHLEQUAH PUBLIC SCHOOLS Jim Wilson was a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club of Tahlequah and was a state senator from one of the most impoverished counties in Oklahoma. Jim focused on the health, education, and general welfare of all children. He was a board member of the Tahlequah Public Schools and was passionate about the Child Nutrition Program. Jim advocated for all children getting a nutritious lunch and not an “alternative” lunch because their family couldn’t pay. After his death in 2018, community members stepped up to help pay the outstanding lunch bills, and TPS decided to create a general fund to receive these contributions. The school board named the Jim Wilson “All About the Kids” account in his honor. Kiwanis is "all about the kids," and we want to honor Jim's memory and help continue to provide nutritious meals to the children in Tahlequah Public Schools. All District Kiwanis Clubs are encouraged to donate an item for the silent auction to support these worthy service programs in Tahlequah and to show our support for the Kiwanis Club of Tahlequah. Gifts can be delivered to the silent auction tables in the front hall of the convention center Thursday afternoon, all day on Friday, and Saturday morning too. If possible, please send information regarding your donation, including the estimated value (a suggested minimum of $50), to Sueann Freeman at groovygranok12@gmail.com. Increased emphasis on disaster relief programs for district clubs The idea behind the New Disaster Relief Program is to get ALL clubs in the district to work on ways that they can respond to local, regional, and district-wide disasters by having members trained in basic first aid, CPR, first-responder training with local fire departments, and participating with the district-wide Disaster Relief Backpack Program, which gets packs filled with supplies to families and kids who have lost their homes due to fire, flood, tornadoes, or other natural disasters. We feel (at district level) that having this type of program that all clubs can participate in will help "brand" the organization as a group of volunteers that are ready and able to help their communities during times of trouble. We're prepared to make this a very long term commitment so that all incoming governors for the next 4 or 5 years will all share this program and will strive to promote emergency preparedness as a district-wide Kiwanis effort. Who should be involved in this effort? There is only 1 way in which this effort can be successful, and that is to get all the core members involved, as well as ALL the SLP programs. This means that Key Clubs, CKI clubs, K-Kids, and Builder’s Clubs should be included in this district-wide effort at education and training in disaster relief. With many thousands of members, the SLP programs could be a major player in the effort to inform local communities of the Kiwanis Disaster Relief Program! There is no reason to stop there. Imagine if the FEMA CERT volunteers were enlisted to support the Kiwanis Disaster Relief Programs. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. These are folks who have already volunteered to undergo training at a local level to assist their towns in times of need. They are perfect volunteer models for membership in a Kiwanis Club that is working toward the same goals. Furthermore, it is imperative that the Salvation Army and Red Cross (both are Kiwanis Partners) participate in training programs and provide personnel to assist the local Kiwanis Clubs develop training classes for the community. Local fire departments, medical clinics, and EMT programs should be enlisted to help with “Basic First Aid Training Fairs” sponsored by Kiwanis clubs. All training material handed out to participants should have the big KIWANIS “K” on the front of the documents. There are clubs in the district that are providing classroom instruction in Stop The Bleed programs as well as CPR classes for the public. Many of these FREE classes are standing room only! What will the Marketing Team do? The Marketing Team will design a program that will let communities around the 2 states know that Kiwanis stands, not only for great kids' programs, but for disaster relief. With good marketing, we can get the word out that this program needs volunteers who are willing to be trained in some aspect of emergency preparedness and who can help on the backpack programs by enlisting community support to fill the packs with donations of clothing, toys, books, school supplies, hygiene materials, blankets, first aid kits, and other items. Working within the district’s marketing budget, a plan for disseminating this information across the 2 states will be established using radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, and all forms of social media. It would be desirable to have all materials used in training or disaster relief to be marked as Kiwanis Approved. This means that backpacks for families will have local or district Kiwanis markings, training materials will be developed or published with Kiwanis markings, and disaster relief supplies like first aid kits will also have the Kiwanis markings. This program should be marketed as a great way for people to volunteer and serve the local community. Participating clubs: 1. Shall work on putting backpacks together and getting them to first responder units in their communities or store them for Regional or District use 2. Team up with local EMT, RN, or Paramedic personnel to provide basic first aid and CPR training to club members and folks in the community. 3. Shall enlist new members to promote community awareness about the need to be trained in basic first aid and CPR as well as the important Stop The Bleed programs. 4. Shall enlist new members to handle the backpack programs and deliver supplies when needed. 5. Could establish fund-raisers where disaster relief supplies are sold to the community like first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and first aid books on the subject, or perhaps enrollment in local classes sponsored by the Kiwanis club and paid for with local grants or participant enrollment fees. 6. Shall enroll new members who can work with other community groups to increase awareness of Kiwanis programs that are designed to save lives. What are our long-term goals? 1. Develop a long-term program that excites members of the community and makes them want to participate with the local Kiwanis clubs. 2. Establishes brand awareness that Kiwanis is a major organization concerned with saving lives AS WELL AS having great programs for kids in all levels of education. 3. Build grass-roots awareness of Kiwanis even in communities without existing Kiwanis clubs which will make new club building easier in the future. 4. Bring many thousands of people back into the organization to participate in these worthy programs. 5. Get many additional community organizations to partner with Kiwanis clubs to get trained in disaster relief and emergency preparedness. For information about all of these programs, contact your Marketing Director, Marshall Kregel, at mkregel@hotmail.com. Marshall was part of a team that put the first plans together for a district-wide program in September of 2012. Since then, the district has sent thousands of backpacks to people in need and delivered millions of dollars in supplies along the way. See us at the District Convention in Tahlequah in 2024 to learn more details! Tag any pictures you share on social media during the conventions with #kiwaniscon24 Convention season is here! In addition to your hiking books and Kiwanis pins, here are a few things to pack. Delegate Forms: Let your voice be heard! Bring a copy of your club delegate form with signatures from your president and secretary. Discuss the proposed amendments and election candidates with your fellow club members before you leave town. www.kiwanis.org/members/kiwanis-convention/elections-amendments-and-resolutions/ Pen and paper: You never know if your hotel will have spare pens and paper for notetaking, but you can be sure that the convention will provide great ideas to take back to your club. Don't let those ideas escape your mind during the long trek home! Take notes and enlighten your club. Shopping List: Check your club supplies for membership pins, officer pins, and other Kiwanis goodies. If your inventory is low, skip the shipping fees and take advantage of the Kiwanis Store at the convention. Women in Kiwanis T-shirts: Show your district pride! Plan to wear your red WIK shirts on Friday, during the day, and to the joint-district social. Contact District Secretary Al Richard for more information about the social. If you suddenly feel a pang because you did not register for the Denver convention, there's still time! Prices will increase as the event grows closer, but you can even register on-site this year. iCON Time! PLGA Youth Leadership Awards Announced Each year, the Past Lieutenant Governor’s Association honors those Kiwanians who have exemplified the tenets of Kiwanis while working with their community’s youth often spending many hours interacting with the youth as leaders, mentors, teachers and more. The persons listed below were nominated by their club to receive that honor and recognition. In addition to a Certificate of Appreciation, a donation was made in their name to the Texas-Oklahoma Foundation. They will be honored again during this year’s convention in Tahlequah, OK. This year nine individuals were selected, they are: Carolyn Sopher, Kiwanis Club of Capitol Hill High School Chris Bunkoff, Kiwanis Club of NE Dallas Jeremy Lusk, Sapulpa Kiwanis Club Heather Patteson, Alamo Kiwanis Club Harold Wright, Sun City-Georgetown Kiwanis Club Patrick Bowman, Greenville Golden K Kiwanis Peggy Johnson, Hi-Plains Kiwanis Club Lyndel Cook, Greater Abilene Kiwanis Club Nancy Ternes-Hodson, Kiwanis Club of Allen Congratulations to these honorees. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to Kiwanis as we work together in “a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.” KI Notes submissions can be emailed to txokkiwanis@gmail.com. In Loving Memory Month Division Club Name May 32 Wolfe City Rob White May 30 Chickasha Jason Pruner May 16 Stillwater James Lambert May 16 Stillwater Thomas Williams May 1 Fort Worth Walter Naff April 25 Tulsa Matthew Coughlin April 28 Galveston James Miller April 34 Hideaway-Lindale Joe Harper April 31 Tahlequah Kirk Boatright March 18 Vernon Jerry Spears March 24 Austin-Northeast H Davis February 30 South Oklahoma City Betty Blasdel IN LOVING MEMORY IN LOVING MEMORY "What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." — Helen Keller Texas Oklahoma Kiwanis District  Editor's Message Evelyn Herrera Life is filled with many unknowns. There are many ways one can cope with this, one such being planning. As you have seen, many of our members have been on the frontlines responding to the natural disasters taking place in our community. Because our members have been planning ahead of time, they were able to respond in a timely manner. This is why it is so important to be proactive. Raising funds, buying materials, preparing items—there is so much that has to happen before we can meet the needs of others in dire times. If you or your club have been debating joining the disaster relief program, do not put it off any longer. Get started today! Be prepared, no matter when danger strikes.