June 3, Kiwanis noon meeting

Greeters today were Ken & Gail Pitz and Lee Saathoff. Invocation was given by Ron Veburg.

Don Siffring asked for Kiwanis volunteers to help plant some more trees this coming Saturday, 8:00 am, June 5, at the Highland Park Arboretum. This is a good project!

Drew Ceperley explained that our Kiwanis Club has been invited to be a Community Partner with the Kool-aid Days Committee and the City of Hastings in building a community playground project at Lake Hastings Park. If our Kiwanis Club signs on to participate, we need to have some members to help plan and to help build the playground on Friday, Aug. 6, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. I hope Drew or Doug Neinhuesser will write a separate blog about this project!

David Kempf passed out the sign-up sheets, reminding the members of the different volunteer opportunities. Police Officier Ed Burmood, chairman of the Hastings Life Safety Coalition, is asking for Kiwanis volunteers to help install smoke detectors in Smitty's Trailer Park on Saturday, June 26, 2010. We are supposed to meet at the Lincoln Park Fire Station at 9:30 am to get instructions and assignments to start installing at 10:00 am. The Hastings Life Safety Coalition has already completed the installations in another trailer park. Officier Ed Burmood had invited other organizations as well, so we may be able to finish in 60 or 90 minutes.

On Tuesday, June 15, 6:00 -8:00 pm, our Kiwanis Club will have our own KAH packing event. Family members are welcome to join in this event! And, lunch will be served!

Father Benton's guest, today, was a person who lives in Venezuela. (The guest was a board member of Father Benton's Foundation for a school in Venezuela.)
Maureen Mohlman's guest was Ruann Root.
Kathy Schultz's guest was her husband, Dale.
Darla Bruna's guest was her sister Kathy, Darla's office manager.

Rob Lloyd announced that Linda Stark was selected as today's Atta-Kiwanian for her all day effort at Pancake Day!

Don Goodrich, along with Darla Bruning, led us in singing. We needed to raise our arms anytime we sang a word beginning with a B, so we got our exercise, also!

Karen Kempf was the first Happy Basket person! She was happy that the June Astonisher was complete and was ready for distribution! She announced that if anyone received an Astonisher with blurred printing on the inside, they could exchange it for another.
Darrell Nelson was happy to introduce the two Camp OK scholarship winners, Cirus Wingler and Joe McDonnell. Darrell also thanked Ron Janssen and myself for providing transportation.
I probably should have put in a dollar for being happy that my wife, Joyce, agreed to be the second adult with me to take the campers to Omaha. However, she told me that I owe her big, so I don't know if I can afford the dollar.
Margaret Shaw was happy that Lloyd's foot was improving. There had been a serious concern with his foot. She was also happy that they are celebrating 23 years of marriage!
Greg Schultz was happy that the Red Cross is having a fund raiser this Saturday, June 5, at Reno Bar. (Greg's on the Red Cross Board) There is a cook-off and eating, 11:00 -2:00 pm, car show until 5:00 pm, poker tournament starting at 7:00, and karaoke at 8:00pm.
Kathy Schultz was happy that Dale came to Kiwanis today, and that he helps her whenever she facilitates at KAH.
LeRoy Hahn was happy that he and Rose got married last Saturday! LeRoy and Rose both looked happy! I think our Kiwanis Club is fortunate to have both of them as new members!

Our speaker today was David Witt, Hastings Public Schools Teacher of the Year! In his speech, he told how he was drawn into becoming a teacher. While attending college he started realizing that the people, who were the most important to him, wanted to help others, rather than wanting to get rich or famous. Even though he has received numerous awards in teaching, he soon forgets them. The only thing that inspires him is seeing successes of his students in his English classes. He teaches students how to learn, and to learn new things, such as Romeo & Juliet and Scarlet Letters. He teaches students to learn after their formal schooling. David Witt emphasized that the Teacher of the Year Award is not about his own teaching, and that the award is to represent the good teaching methods of his fellow teachers. However, Larry Ross, at the end of the talk, commented that he saw the comments written by David Witt's former students. He said the comments of the students were heart wrenching of how David Witt had helped them. That may be the reason for his selection as Teacher of the Year.

On adjournment, Doug N.'s closing thought was, "I plan on living forever, so far, so good."

neil g