Workshop                                                                                                     

         Ed Ethington updated the Club on the beginnings of what could be the standard bearer for future youth leadership conferences. Based at the FFA Conference Center on Lake Pierce Ed, along with Les Adams, Karen Phillips and Michelle Forsythe, aided and watched as 22 attendees ages 15 – 18 spent 3 days honing their leadership skills. These high schoolers focused on working together on teams in a “community” format to develop relationships and meet goals. They practiced consideration for the views and needs of others as a service leadership objective. Over the weekend the groups growth in mind, body and spirit was obvious.

             Nationwide, Key Club is the oldest and largest service club for high school students. Florida has 14,000 Key club members in 37 state wide divisions. Attendees to the conference did not have to be Key Club members but most were. It is hoped this is a venture that will grow in the coming years. The target attendance is 60 leadership candidates.

Hospice and the therapy of Music                                                                                                    

Legion of Honor

Kiwanis International has created the Legion of Honor award to extend appreciation to  Kiwanians who have achieved  milestones in Kiwanis. It recognizes members with 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, or 75 years of service. Appropriate certificates and attractive lapel pins are presented to those eligible. Club president Larry Forsythe with club secretary Kelly Casey recognized the following members.

·         Glen Coppock 35 years

·         Jim Gray 50 years

·         Carroll Teeter 55 years

The club congratulates you and thanks you and for your years of service.

Sal & Suzie Moraco

Sal & Suzie Moraco were presented a framed group of pictures taked from the Focus Magazine in appreciations for all of the work they do in the Winter Haven area. Our club members also wanted to recognize them for all of the service projects that they have worked on for our Kiwanis club. Suzie has been outstanding at getting articles of club activities in local newspapers. She submitted 33 articles to our local newspapers and they published 28. Also Polk County TV did a special segment on our Stuff the Bus Project. Sal spent many hours placing these articles in a slide presentation for our Club of the Year application. Thanks guys.

Boy Scout District Executive Director Speaks                                                                                     

        David (Dave) Riley spoke at our Club meeting this week and brought some fresh insights on current scouting. For one thing, we discovered that there were 3 of our own who had become Eagle Scouts in their day; to wit : Lewis Wright, Jim Gray and Jim Webb.

Secondly we have several of our members who are quite actively involved in various Scouting projects. Under the umbrella of the Gulf Ridge Council, Dave is responsible for the 8 central Florida counties that comprise the Lake Region Chapter.

        Funding, especially these days, are a big need and concern for the financial future of Scouting in our area. Our local economies are more depressed than much of the rest of the nation. Funding is underwritten by several initiatives:          

•   Friends of Scouting ( regular, subscribed donors) – 29%
  
•   Activity fees (including camping) – 16%
  
•   Endowments (including bequests) – 14%
  
•   United Way – 14%
  
•   Indirect support ( donated services) – 9%
  
•   Product sales -  8%
  
•   Shop sales – 5%
  
•   Other incomes – 5%
  
•   In turn, these funds are spent on :
  
•   Camping and Outdoor Programs -  36%
  
•   Direct Unit Service – 51%
  
•   Program Management – 3%
  
•   Fundraising – 10%

            The Gulf Ridge Council maintains and operates 4 area campsite facilities :

•   Camp Brorein
  
•   Flaming Arrow Reservation
  
•   McGregor Smith Reservation
  
•   Camp Alafia

              The Council receives no funding from the National Council of BSA and, in fact, annually sends all Boys Life (magazine) and registration fees directly to National.

Cook Out & Social by the Kiwanis Club of Winter Haven.

On Saturday November 22, 2008 we had a hamburger and hotdog cook out at the Lake Ship Community Park. The event was planned by Amanda and Dave Nicholson, who did a wonderful job. Amanda bought Angus burgers from Sam’s Club and they were delicious. Members brought side dishes and desserts from home. Berry Chatas did the cooking on Dave’s gas grill and we had more food than we could ever eat. The event started at 1pm and went to 5pm. We ate in the covered pavilion in the park. We had a total of 31 members and guest attending. Les Adams brought a few games for entertainment. It was a little cool with wind coming off the lake but all in all it was a beautiful day. By Joe Schroeder

Lt. Governor speaks, we listen

        We had the distinct pleasure of Bartow’s  District 15 Lt. Governor Jim Meyer as our guest presentation today.   He mainly reviewed the objectives, hopes and expectations Governor Dave Liddell has laid out for our Division :

· Show your “K” - wear your K pin to church and other public events/activities.

· When you meet and greet in public ask folks to come to a meeting and      “try us out”.

· Seek out diversity in the search for new members.

· Each Club should commit to at least 1 service project a month.

· Adding members is not enough - work on membership retention – if a recently joined or prospective member quits coming we need to find out why – lack of service participation or being ask to participate is often the reason.

            Jim also reviewed to First Lady Project of “Hats and Hugs” :

The purchase and distribution of hats (baseball style caps are ideal) for children with cancer and, consequently, no hair – if it carry some type of Kiwanis identification, all the better. Often children’s hospital cancer treatment centers are a welcome place to visit and distribute.

The “hugs”  are  teddy bears (or other stuffed animals) which can be placed  with responders who interface with children  under stress ie., police, firefighter, EMT, and others who may need to relieve the fear of small children in difficult situationsFirst in Florida : Key Club – Service Leadership by Tom Dryden

Tim Hart the Division 15 Foundation Trustee talked about the importance of funding the Florida District's Foundation. He awarded sustaining members pins to club members for their dedication to this program.

Joe Schroeder and Lisa Baker were presented the new Ralph Davis Felow pins in recognation of their contribution of $1,000.00 to the Florida District Foundation. Lisa was also given a pin for her mother Bettie Hoosier. Ed Ethington will also receive his pin. by Joe Schroeder 

Kiwanis Club installs officers, directors

To learn more about the Kiwanis Club of Winter Haven, visit the club's Web site at www.winterhavenkiwanis.org or call Larry Forsythe at 863-651-1276 or Michelle Forsythe at 863-651-0079.9.