The Greater Kingston Kiwanis Club is gearing up for a busy spring and summer, and we are excited and ready.
There will be a food drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1 at the Kingston Food Market and Albertsons. Please put this on your calendar.
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Scholarship applications are due on April 15 to the Greater Kingston Kiwanis Foundation.
Students: Be proactive and ask your adviser about these scholarships. We consider community service as well as good grades. If you have any questions, contact Vice President Glen Malin at gpmalin@comcast.net.
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Kiwanis member Dave Mueller is actively making sure we have the best fruit for our berry sales. More information soon.
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You don’t want to miss this treat. Dick and Judy Osborn are working on finding all the fresh wild salmon for our annual “Salmon Slam,” so keep an eye out for the date.
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We are looking for business partners to support Kiwanis activities for our youth. Not everyone can attend Kiwanis meetings, but most can contribute $100 per year as business partner, or $250 as a major event sponsor. Even individuals can become involved with a “Friend of Kiwanis” donation of $25 or more. Contact President Rob Shoaf at 907-306-7611 for details.
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Hone your safe bicycling skills: From 1-4 p.m. May 7 at Kingston’s Village Green, Greater Kingston Kiwanis will stage a Bike Rodeo where participants will learn and practice bike safety skills.
Whether you have been biking for one or 80 years, you can always learn new skills. Bring your bike and helmet. Parents will fill out release forms at the event for their children. We would also like for parents to participate and help.
This event will take place rain or shine. For more information, contact Helen Hoover at heladho@comcast.net or call 360-731-0904.
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One of the rewarding things about our club is each great speaker we enlist to get up early and enliven us on important local and state issues.
Recently, we had the honor of listening to a Kingston High School sophomore, Thaddeus Smith, an award-winning member of the KHS debate team.
Thaddeus is concerned that many programs for youth in Kingston are focused on young children and Kingston Middle School students, but not high school students.
He suggested the Kingston Library, which has book clubs for adults, form book clubs directed toward high school students.
Another idea was to have a more advanced curriculum for teenagers in the library’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs.
Some other subjects he touched on: an aviation club at KHS, to encourage students to go into the aviation field because of the demand for pilots; and a sailing club designed for high school students.
This young man will be one of our future leaders for sure.
If you would like to join in the fun, come down to the Village Green Community Center at 7 a.m. every Thursday. For more information about our club, contact President Rob Shoaf at 907-306-7611, or me, Bob, at 360-297-4462.
— Bob Lee is a member of the Greater Kingston Kiwanis Club. Contact him at glencarin@aol.com.
