Kiwanis Club of Grantville-Allied Gardens January 2015
“Serving Our Community since 1960”
www.alliedgardenskiwanis.org
Sluggish Sales Sap Tree Lot Some members of our club like to celebrate the opening of the Tree Lot each year. Others celebrate more when it closes. Although G.A.G. Kiwanis managed to sell close to a thousand trees this year, sales were slower than anticipated. At the conclusion of the final weekend of sales, more than 150 trees could still be found on the lot in various stages of preparation. Fifty-nine of the remaining trees were donated to the military families of MCAS Miramar, thanks to our connections with a past club president, Luisa Moore. Another twenty went to The Grove Church, and a dozenplus were donated to a food bank in Serra Mesa through the efforts of District 7 City Council Representative Scott Sherman and staffer Liz Saidkhanian (people picking up free food, they reasoned, might also be in need of a free Carry On, Circle K: A smiling Kristoff Aragon is more than happy to carry a Douglas Plantation Christmas Tree). fir at the G.A.G. Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lot. Student volunteers from SDSU Circle K generously While the club did make enough to cover contributed more than 300 service hours at the Lot, despite final exams and holiday travel plans. expenses, overall sales were down this year due to several contributing factors. Prices skyrocketed this year throughout the industry, leading to a very noticeable difference in the cost of the Douglas Plantation firs. A shorter selling season (due to a late Thanksgiving holiday) meant less time for people to shop for trees, and of course, there was some inclement weather to keep customers at bay. Still, many of the “regulars” that we see each and every year were there as usual to pick up their Kiwanis Christmas Tree in support of the Grantville-Allied Gardens community. As the inventory of trees dwindled (as did the prices), there was some concern from members who thought the lot closed too soon, and that we should still be selling trees right up until Christmas Eve. As it turned out, they may have had a point – during the club’s customary Tree Lot Closing Party on Monday, December 22nd, no fewer than fourteen trees departed with customers looking for a last-minute bargain. There were many lessons to be learned at the Tree Lot this year – whether or not Kiwanis members shall return for another year of tree Cut, Rinse, Repeat: At left, John Crawford takes a chainsaw to one of the remaining trees on the sales is a discussion for another day. last day of sales; Earlier, Doc Yelvington carefully tended to the trees with garden hose in hand.
Mid-Year Conference:
A Holiday Hello From Cloti Simpelo
Helping Mom and Dad at the Tree Lot
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Page 7
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In This Register Now for Riverside Issue:
COMING NEXT WEEK: Special Centennial Issue
The Br idge Builder by President Tony Orosco
Staff Box The G.A.G. RAG is the official publication of the Kiwanis Club of Grantville-Allied Gardens (#K05285), our Foundation, and our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs). Our club was chartered by Kiwanis International in 1960. The G.A.G. Kiwanis Club meets at 7:00 a.m. every Thursday morning at the Allied Gardens Park and Recreation Center, located at 5155 Greenbrier Ave. in San Diego. We also offer our TNT meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. We can be reached through our website, on Facebook, or grantvillealliedgardenskiwanis@gmail.com. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 601211, San Diego, CA, 92160-1211. This newsletter is published on the first Thursday of each month. To submit articles or photos for publication, please send them directly to the editor at kiwannabee@hotmail.com. We encourage articles, photos, letters, or other contributions from all members of the club and the community.
The Tree Lot has created a major rift in our club. There, I said it! But then, it does every year! YES. I had a quick talk with Luisa Moore, our past President, about last year’s Tree Lot. She stated that there several incidents where the leaders were yelling at each other about several things, just like this year. Every member mentioned their opinions about pricing, display, discoloration of trees, and other things. G.A.G. RAG Contributors THAT’S OK. The Tree Lot leaders listened and reacted. Some, and Writer and Editor ………………………………………………… John Crawford most, suggestions were valid. Do you think, last year, these comments Editor Emeritus …………………………… Dr. Byron Y. Newman, O.D. would have been listened to? We worked VERY HARD TOGETHER Principal Photography ………………………………………………Mary Haas and still came out winning. On the third week, we were ALL tired. I Additional Writing & Photography ………………… Kathy Butterstein respect that several members were concerned about the health of Other contributors this month include John Chandler, Tony Orosco, myself, Dave Erlanson, and Bobby Frankhouser. The fact is we, the Kathy Wiskur, Mickey Zeichick, Darien Delfin (SDSU Circle K club) and Kai Sampadian (Serra High School Key Club). Tree Lot morning crew, enjoy the hard work. I slept very well almost every day I worked the Tree Lot. Where members went beyond themselves is when it came to yelling at a member. Please understand, we do not always get 100 percent of what we think should be done. Our club is comprised of strong individuals who come together for community service and good works. Each leader fulfilled their part of the commitment. I will be the first to say that I made my share of mistakes at this year’s Tree Lot. There were many things that I learned on the job. I heard from members about what they thought had transpired at the Tree Lot last year. I am not going to judge any past member on hearsay. Before this Tree Lot started, I heard many comments about “can we do this without Terry Shanklin or Luisa.” WE DID IT. Now, Terry spent many years as a strong club leader and Tree Lot general. Luisa, as well, put in more hours then any other member. It is true that every year, we have fewer and fewer members who are physically able to work at the lot. In 2009, when we had fifty members, we had our best year. Now we have only 32, and many, through no fault of their own, have already spent their best years helping the club with our ONLY major fundraiser of the year. There is a reason why we all go through TREE LOT HELL. This is, and has been for many years, our only fundraiser to build our budget for next year. There will be a Special Board meeting on January 14th at my house to consider if the club will commit to another Tree Lot in 2015. I Registration is now available for the 2015 Mid-Year have received a letter from John Chandler that he may be moving out of Conference South at the Riverside Convention Center on state, and will not be able to participate in the Tree Lot for this coming February 21st. These conferences are full of dynamic TraK year. Other members have mentioned that they would not participate in presenters, inspiring entertainment by the Burbank for Fun another Tree Lot ever again. With that, the club needs to set up a Aktion Club, and so much more to rocket you and your club contingency plan for either eliminating the Tree Lot or opening another into the next hundred years! tree lot with many more new members able to help. Hover in for the knowledge and stay for the fellowship as My suggestion is to introduce two more major fundraisers so that Tree we celebrate our 100th Anniversary of Kiwanis! Lot is not that critical to the club’s funding. I propose restarting the First Lady Melissa Guire is requesting each member to Anchovy Open, and creating a major “Fun Run” with the entire community bring a book to the conference to donate as part of her First through Mission Trails Regional Park. I also propose getting major Lady's Project. Books can be dropped off in the designated corporations to donate money to place their logos next to our event signs. box at the conference and will be donated to children in the So, we start our new year this January 8th with our regular board Riverside and Monterey communities. meeting at my house in the evening, and a special board meeting on the Those who wish to arrive a day early can participate in a 14th, also at my house, to fully discuss the club’s plans for the future of the Friday night bowling fundraiser for the Eliminate Project. Tree Lot. Again, this is IMPORTANT for a club that is widely known for Reserve a room in Riverside by calling the Mission Inn at our Christmas Trees. Any suggestions will be welcomed by this president (951) 784-0300. Mention the Kiwanis Mid-Year Conference as long as they are positively constructive. Call me on my cell please. to get a special rate just for Kiwanis members.
Tony
Excitement Builds For Kiwanis Centennial Celebration Pop quiz! Which of the four men pictured above was the very first member of Kiwanis? Each of them is significant in some way to the earliest history of our organization, but only one of them was the first to sign his name to a membership application. The G.A.G. RAG will mark this unique once-in-a-century milestone next week with a special issue, featuring some fascinating historic photos and an in-depth look at how Kiwanis got to be the global impact organization that exists today. We’ll also remember the earliest days of the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis club, along with some of the historical moments and people that shaped Kiwanis International through the years. Don’t miss this special issue!
Courtesy of Club President Tony Orosco January 8th Jose Montano, Make-A-Wish Foundation K.O.D.: Jack Scott January 13th TNT Meeting at the Benjamin Branch Library January 15th 2015 San Diego Padres Season Preview Allison Eddy, Fan Programs and Communications Manager K.O.D.: John Crawford January 22nd Judge Carolyn Caietti, San Diego Juvenile Court K.O.D.: Gary Blume January 29th Eric Paredes Save-A-Life Foundation K.O.D.: Kathy Butterstein
SLP Meeting Schedule SDSU Circle K meets on Thursdays in the Park Boulevard Room, Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. Contact Susan Rodden or Joe Huston. Patrick Henry Key Club meets Thursdays at 11:45 a.m. Meetings are now being held in the school’s auditorium. Contact Kathy Butterstein or John Crawford. Lewis Middle School Builders Club meets Thursdays in Room 410, 2:20 p.m.. Contact Byron Newman or John Crawford. The Hearst Elementary K-Kids Club meets on alternate Fridays after school in Room 12, at 2:15 p.m. Contact Doug Grosmark.
Deliverance: A smiling Dan Yauger helped lift Christmas trees off the delivery truck, fresh from Oregon, while John Crawford put his own truck to use to make tree deliveries within the community.
January 2015 100th Anniversary of Kiwanis International
21st
Special Celebrations in Detroit, Michigan Plus Additional Observances Worldwide 24th
Division 21 Key Club DCM Westview Park, Mira Mesa, 1:00 p.m.
February 2015 21st
Cal-Nev-Ha Kiwanis Mid-Year Conference South Riverside Convention Center & Mission Inn
March 2015
Many Kiwanians and community volunteers gathered at The Longhorn on December 6th, celebrating the success of the brick and clock project. Kathy Wiskur and City Councilman Scott Sherman deserved to celebrate after their hard work.
TURN BACK THE CLOCK Look back into the history of G.A.G. Kiwanis to see what the club was doing yesteryear! Special thanks to Mary Haas for maintaining our club’s archives.
One hundred years ago (January 1915) – The State of Michigan officially approved the incorporation of the Kiwanis Club, effective January 21st. Detroit tailor Joseph Prance was the first man to sign a membership application for the new club. Twenty-five years ago (January 1990) – The Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club presented a $1,000 donation to the Benjamin Branch Library on January 11th, which would be used to purchase new children’s books. The sum of $1,000 was the largest donation made by G.A.G. Kiwanis to any program or project in over a decade, and was doubled by the City of San Diego as part of a “matching donation” program. Kiwanis President J.B. Harward made the presentation to librarian Linda Hahus…. Several Circle K members from SDSU were making plans to host their annual Spaghetti Dinner at the home of G.A.G. Kiwanis member Al Jones…. Fundraising Chair John Chandler announced that the club would net a healthy $6,400 as a result of the 1989 Christmas Tree Lot. That was considered a good amount at the time, but Chandler was hopeful that the Tree Lot would turn a five-figure profit in the years to come. Ten years ago (January 2005) – It was a big New Year’s Day celebration at the home of Dr. Doug Grosmark, with most of the club in attendance. Among some of our newer members at the party that night were Dan Yelvington, Antonio Orosco (with his wife, Maria), and a recently transplanted longtime Kiwanian from Orange County named Byron Newman (along with his wife, Bunny).
7th
Official Visit of District Governor Alan Guire Ronald McDonald House, 2929 Children's Way
13-15th
69th Annual Cali-Nev-Ha Key Club District Convention Anaheim Marriott and Convention Center
14th
San Diego River Park Foundation Cleanup Event Mission Trails Regional Park
27-29th
61st Annual Cal-Nev-Ha Circle K District Convention Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills, CA
27-29th
Key Leader Weekend Camp Cedar Glen, Julian, California
G.A.G. Kiwanis Board Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month, location to be determined. All are welcome. T.N.T. Meetings, for those who can’t attend our regular breakfast meetings, are held on the second Tuesday each month, 6:30 p.m., Benjamin Library. All are welcome.
January Birthdays 13
Imani Baldi (SDSU Circle K)
21
Kiwanis International (100 years old!)
25
Jonathan Chau (PHHS Key Club) January Wedding Anniversaries 1
Joe and Seren Huston
Membership Anniversaries in January 2008
George Butterstein
2008
Kathy Butterstein
2009
Mary Haas
2009
Tony Haas
2010
Sandy Vish
2013
Kathy Wiskur
December 4th – A Great Day to Appreciate Our Guests
Summarized by Kathy Butterstein, Mary Haas, and John Crawford
Our guests nearly outnumbered our members today, and that's a very good thing. We're always happy to welcome new faces and friendly neighbors who want to “test drive” our club! In fact, today's meeting was almost entirely focused on our guests! Among our guests today were Circle K members Stephen Jin and Kevin Zinkofsky, along with Taylor McDonald, a graduate of SDSU and a past Lieutenant Governor of Circle K. Taylor was making his second visit in less than a month, so we hope he will keep coming back for more. John and Susan Rodden, two of our newest Kiwanians, brought their son Tanner to join us for breakfast... and to help us unload some 400 Christmas Trees from a truck at our Tree Lot. We hope Tanner got plenty of bacon and tater tots, because he would be hard at work as soon as our meeting was over! Speaking of hard workers, where would we be without our friends, the Elders from the local LDS Church? A team of six Elders fueled up on French toast before coming to rescue us at the Tree Lot after our meeting. They really made a positive difference today. Also joining us today were Staff Sergeants Ryan A. Anderson and Jamie K. Weaver from the U.S. Army recruiting center in Lemon Grove, K.O.D. George Butterstein saved the day for President Tony Orosco which serves our area. Because the Navy and the Marines are so important when our regularly-scheduled guest speaker couldn’t show up. to our city, many people don't think of the Army when they think of San Diego. Sergeants Anderson and Weaver want us to know that the Army is here, too, with a long and proud history in our region. We enjoyed an interesting presentation from Rod Houdyshel and his son, Derek, who is working toward his Eagle Scout project with Troop 324 in La Mesa. Derek is rebuilding eight planter boxes at Northmont Elementary School in Fletcher Hills, since the old planter boxes were worn out and in terrible shape. Derek has already demolished the old boxes and will be buying dirt and supplies for the new boxes in another week. His innovative new design will help keep underground pests such as burrowing rodents out of the elementary school garden! Derek has already raised $200 toward the $1,400 final cost of this project, and he recognized La Mesa Lumber for agreeing to provide materials to him at cost. We look forward to seeing the final results of Derek’s fine project. Of course, the first meeting of the month means we get to welcome our Student of the Month Award winner from Hearst Elementary School. This month, it was fifth-grader Garrett Mellinger, a smiling youngster who was gracious and eloquent when Dr. Doug Grosmark presented him with his award. Garrett was there with members of his family, his teacher, Dr. Doug Grosmark and representatives of Hearst Elementary School congratulate Garrett Mellinger on his Student of the Month award. and Principal Jamie Jorgensen of Hearst. Congratulations, Garrett! We had plenty to talk about today, including our Christmas Tree Lot and our board meeting to be held at the home of President Tony Orosco. All members are welcome to join us and participate in the board meetings, where a lot of the “behind the scenes” work takes place. We also sung “Happy Birthday” to one of our most valuable members, John Peterson, and we invited our members to not one, but TWO parties this Saturday... our Kaiser Hospital Holiday Party at 1:00 p.m., and our celebration later that night at the Longhorn to commemorate our success with the Allied Gardens Clock and Brick project. Finally, we turned to our local college professor, George Butterstein, as our Kiwanian of the Day and our guest speaker! (Sadly, our regularly scheduled guest speaker with the San Diego Police Department had a last-minute change of plans, but we will reschedule!) Good thing George was there to pitch in! Although George was primarily a professor of biology, today we got a lesson in geography instead! George and his wife, Kathy, took a recent vacation back to their home state of New York, and so we got to see a side of New York that many people don't appreciate. "New York is more than just Manhattan," George explained, as he showed several photos of the gorgeous farmland, beautiful rolling hills and shimmering lakes, and wonderful historic landmarks like the Erie Canal, the Hudson River, and West Point. George told us about the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90), which is the fastest way to get from Buffalo to Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Cooperstown, or Schenectady. We also learned about the agricultural side of New York, which is a leading producer of grapes (and wine), apples, cheese, cabbage, and maple syrup. New York has a lot of natural beauty once you get past the "hustle and bustle" of New York City. Perhaps George and Kathy would still be there if not for the lousy winter weather.... so of course we are thankful for those nasty Buffalo blizzards, which drove them both to Southern California (and to our Kiwanis Club) several years ago!
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December 9th – TNT Meeting
President Tony Orosco brought our TNT (Tuesday Night, Too) meeting to order at promptly 6:30 p.m. Our attendance was a little light this evening, as members are spending extra time working at the Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lot, our annual fundraiser. Some of us had pine needles on our clothes, sap on our fingers, and more than one tired back, but we’re happy to say that it’s going well. We are most grateful for the community support, and for all of the extra help that we are getting from neighboring Kiwanis Clubs, SDSU Circle K members, Patrick Henry Key Club, Lewis Middle School Builders Club members, volunteer Elders from the LDS church, military volunteers, and good-hearted people from the neighborhood. Tonight, we had a special guest speaker, Robin Gephart, who represents JustServe.org, a new online service that matches churches, civic organizations, non-profit groups, and governmental agencies who need volunteers with volunteers who are willing to help. JustServe.org is provided as a service by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; it is not for proselytizing or publicity for the Church. Instead, it is simply a clearinghouse service to match community needs with available volunteers. Students who need community service hours for graduation requirements can find many opportunities to make a difference, as well as people and organizations in the community who want to help serve the community. San Diego is the seventh area in the nation to get a JustServe site, and the website is gathering service projects. Heads of these needful organizations create projects, and submit those projects to the website for approval. Interested volunteers register online and then select projects which they find suitable to their interests and their time. Our Kiwanis Club currently has two postings for volunteers to help at our Tree Lot. We thank Robin for sharing with us a new and valuable way to use social media to provide information about ways in which we can work side-by-side with members in the community and lend a helping hand.
Seated at the head table for our December 11th meeting were (L-R) guest speaker Jay Wilson, Kiwanian of the Day Mike Brown, President Tony Orosco, and President-Elect Alex Zubak.
December 11th – Mission Trails, Our Nearby Natural Wonder It was a delight to welcome back Joe Huston after several weeks away from our club. Joe has been fighting off a nasty medical issue, but we were all happy that he was able to join us today for breakfast. We hope to see him much more in the weeks to come! Making return visits to our club were Staff Sergeants Ryan A. Anderson and Jamie K. Weaver from the U.S. Army recruiting center, as well as Taylor McDonald, a realtor with Keller Williams Real Estate and a past Lieutenant Governor of our Circle K Paradise Division. Could he be ready to sign his name to a Kiwanis membership application? We certainly hope so! We also welcomed Brian Frankhouser, who has been very helpful as we sell Christmas Trees to the community, and four current members of the SDSU Circle K club. Gary Blume led us in singing, as usual, and he wanted to welcome Joe Huston back to our meeting in song… so we all got to sing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” for Joe! (Couldn’t we have gone with “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” instead??) We also got a good laugh when, instead of his usual Joke of the Week, Byron Newman shared a great photo of himself on stage in Las Vegas with Tony Orlando in the 1970s. Byron sure did look groovy in those bellbottoms! We learned about an upcoming event at the Benjamin Branch Library, where volunteers are needed to judge a children’s coloring contest on December 19th. We also made another push for Tree Lot volunteers to get us through what we hope will be a very busy weekend. Many of our members have pushed themselves to the limit at the Tree Lot, so we are very thankful to have our Circle K and Key Club members helping out! And finally, K.O.D. Mike Brown quizzed us on some very early history of San Diego. With our Christmas Tree Lot in progress, many of our members have been getting in touch with nature... So what better time to learn about our local natural playground, Mission Trails Regional Park? Guest speaker Jay Wilson, himself a longtime member of Kiwanis, is a friend to our club and to our community on a larger scale. In addition to his current role as Executive Director of Mission Trails Regional Park, he has served as a close assistant to former City Council members Judy McCarty and Jim Madaffer, and he is currently the chairman of the Del Cerro Action Council. Today, however, he was here to tout the natural wonder of Mission Trails, as well as the artwork and outdoor activities that can also be enjoyed within the park’s boundaries. Along with some breathtaking images from the park’s annual amateur photography contest, Jay captured our attention with many facts about this hidden gem of San Diego County. Even though it’s right in our own back yard, it’s amazing how many local residents still don’t know about this beautiful park!
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December 18th – Spreading the Holiday Cheer Our meeting room looked very festive this morning with pine cones, evergreen sprigs, menorahs, and a big fat inflatable holiday hippo (our Key Club mascot)! We owe our thanks to Gary Blume and Stephen Jin, who both arrived early to get everything arranged. Joining us for our holiday celebration were our good friends Melissa Kondon (guest of John Chappell) and Mission Trails Regional Park Executive Director Jay Wilson. To get us in the spirit of the season, we sang just the chorus of “Jingle Bells,” quitting while we were ahead. Byron Newman gave us a very funny Joke of the Week, and we then honored our Student of the Month from Patrick Henry High School, Chris Berkoben. Chris is currently a senior at PHHS who was nominated by his teachers for his selfless commitment to helping others in his school and community. PHHS Vice Principal Bill Miller describes Chris as “an easygoing student who works hard and appreciates the help and support he receives from his current and former teachers.” He believes they have given him the necessary tools to succeed in college, thereby helping him follow his dream to one day enter the field of sports medicine. We wish Chris and his family all the best. Mickey Zeichick surprised us by announcing she will be taking a leave of absence to follow her dream to bring the play “Talley’s Folly” to the stage in Point Loma this February. It is a two-person production that takes place in the days after World War II. We are happy for Mickey, but sad for us... we will miss her! John Crawford added to the holiday spirit by leading us all in our own Kiwanis version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas!” Instead of turtle doves and calling birds, our version this year contained references to Starbucks, ice hockey, turkey sausage, and of course, our famous Tree Lot! While we’ll never make it on “America’s Got Talent,” we make up for our lack of musical ability with our great enthusiasm! Our K.O.D. was Ross Mallette, who solicited Happy Dollars to help us keep up with events in our members’ lives. Since he and his wife recently took a Mississippi Riverboat cruise, he quizzed us on interesting facts about “Old Man River.” The mighty Mississippi runs 2,350 miles from its headwaters in Minnesota, touching ten states on its way to the Gulf of Mexico! Ross then introduced our Lieutenant Governor, Cloti Simpelo of the Torrey Pines Kiwanis Club. Cloti, who was previously a Lieutenant Governor of her Kiwanis division when she lived in the Philippines, shared with us her goals for Division 21: 1. Growth: increasing our membership and establishing at least one new club; 2. Support for the Eliminate Project, a Kiwanis International Campaign; 3. Publicity: to celebrate our accomplishments and make our friends and neighbors aware of the Kiwanis presence in our communities. … We look forward to another exciting year under Cloti’s expert leadership!
Sweethearts Melissa Kondon and John Chappell were present for our final meeting of the year 2014.
Lt. Governor Cloti Simpelo and K.O.D. Ross Mallette got better acquainted with each other over breakfast.
Because their District Convention is so early this year, Key Club members all over the California-Nevada-Hawaii District are holding elections super early as well. The Patrick Henry Key Club has already started accepting nominations for the 2015-16 year, with club elections to be held on Thursday, January 8th. The nominees include (grade level in parentheses): President Secretary Jonathan Chau (10) Cecilia Hoang (10) Nick Patton (9) Tyra Roberts (9) Vice President Calvin Nguyen (10) Lisa Nguyen (10)
Treasurer Melina Ho (10) Yven Tran (10) Mark Vo (10)
Interesting to note that none of this year’s nominees are in their junior year at school. It’s a very young group of student leaders at Patrick Henry, which we hope will bring some excitement in the years ahead! PHHS Key Club members last month participated in another fundraising effort at the Elks Lodge in San Carlos, as well as a special screening of “Mockingjay,” the latest in the “Hunger Games” movie franchise. Key Clubbers also had a holiday party to raise money for Division 21, as members enjoyed the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy “Elf.” Of course, the big news for each of our SLP groups last month was the Christmas Tree Lot. The numbers speak for themselves….
Colleen Wilson was named the Builders Club Member of the Month for November 2014, and was our top volunteer at the Tree Lot among middle school students this year.
Student Volunteers Contributing At Least 10 Hours at the Christmas Tree Lot • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Madison Kennedy (SDSU) Kevin Zinkofsky (SDSU) Yvonne Velasco (SDSU) Kristoff Aragon (SDSU) Jake Wong (SDSU) Andrea McLean (SDSU) Megan Thai (SDSU) Patrick Cuaresma (SDSU) Stephanie Lozano (SDSU) Colleen Wilson (Lewis MS) Melissa Farlow (SDSU) Andrew Tran (SDSU) Dereck Lau (PHHS Key Club) Khang Le (PHHS Key Club) Jennifer Tran (PHHS Key Club) Calvin Ha (Serra HS Key Club) Brennan McDonough (SDSU) Nick Patton (PHHS Key Club) Gabriel Platt (Lewis MS)
25.5 hours 24.5 19.5 19.25 19.25 19 17.25 14.25 14 12.75 12 11.75 11.5 11.25 10.5 10 10 10 10
SDSU Circle K – 30 volunteers, 292.5 hours PHHS Key Club – 23 volunteers, 118.25 hours Lewis Middle School Builders Club – 7 volunteers, 31 hours Serra High School Key Club – 3 volunteers, 18 hours University City High School Key Club – 1 volunteer, 4 hours Clearly, the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club got plenty of support from our student groups while the Tree Lot was open for business. Beyond just the raw numbers, however, it’s important to note that our students helped keep our lot in business on several occasions when we otherwise would not have had sufficient volunteer staff to remain open. The SDSU Circle K club was particularly helpful, even despite the specter of final exams looming on the horizon. Circle K members developed an online signup sheet where students could sign up in advance to work at the Tree Lot, helping Kiwanis anticipate which shifts would need the most attention and which were relatively well covered. With only a few exceptions, the Circle K’ers were true to their word in terms of showing up on time, sometimes even on short notice. Even those without any mode of personal transportation were reliable for Tree Lot duty. It’s no stretch to say that SDSU Circle K made our 2014 Tree Lot possible. Meanwhile, Circle K members are getting prepared for their “January Weekend in Paradise,” an event hosted by the Palomar College (San Marcos) Circle K club. The three-day event will start with a game night and potluck on Friday, January 16th, followed by a pair of service projects on Saturday. In the morning, Circle K’ers will help the YMCA provide needed supplies to the homeless youth of North County, then head to Palomar College for a scavenger hunt to raise money for the Eliminate Project. The night concludes with a Paradise Division DCM, hosted by Lt. Governor Gerald Biando. On Sunday, the college students will wake up to enjoy a spirit workshop and another service project, as they create bookmarks and flashcards to promote literacy. In addition to their Tree Lot work last month, Lewis Builders Club members held a holiday party, where they made oversized Christmas cards for Meals-On-Wheels recipients. Susan Rodden and Angie Elmore made the Christmas Day deliveries.
This Group is Dynamite: Participants at last month’s TNT meeting included (L-R) John Peterson, Mary Haas, Seren Huston, Tony Orosco, guest speaker Robin Gephart, and Kathy Wiskur.
Fashion Statement: Either John Chandler was getting into the holiday spirit, or his wife has been dressing him in the morning! John was looking positively festive in his Christmas T-shirt.
Left: The task of inspecting and constructing Christmas Tree stands fell to Kathy and George Butterstein, who completed the task with flying colors! Center: Kiwanian of the Day Mike Brown directs trivia questions toward the audience when it’s his turn to take the podium. Right: Boy Scout Derek Houdyshel and his father, Rod, have been hard at work as Derek attempts to achieve the noble rank of Eagle Scout.
Already, Key Club Election Season is Upon Us So soon? An unusually early Key Club District Convention this year (coming March 13-15th in Anaheim) means our students are already choosing their leaders for next year. PHHS Key Club is holding their club elections on January 8th and 15th on campus. The Region 2 Conclave, to select the next local Key Club Lieutenant Governors, is being held on January 10th, 3:30 p.m., at Rady Children’s Hospital. Current Lt. Governor Kai Sampadian of Serra High School will cohost the proceedings. Adults are welcome (and encouraged) to attend and supervise.
Kiwanians Kathy Wiskur and Mary Haas served at the Kid Comfort quilt sewing event at the local LDS church, December 16th. Quilts were made for Armed Services YMCA by volunteers from the LDS Church and from the community at large.
A young Marine unloads a few of the fifty-nine Christmas Trees donated from the G.A.G. Kiwanis Club to the military families of MCAS Miramar. This delivery was possible thanks to Luisa Moore and John Chandler.
This brick-themed cake awaited Kiwanis members and others in attendance at the celebration held at the Longhorn last month for a job well done!
Delivery Schedule January 8th January 15th January 22nd January 29th
Kathy Wiskur and Gary Blume John & Pam Chandler George & Kathy Butterstein Sandy Vish and John Peterson
February 5th February 12th February 19th February 26th
Tony & Mary Haas Ross Mallette and Dan Yelvington Kathy & George Butterstein John & Suzy Rodden
March 5th March 12th March 19th March 26th
Gary Blume and Kathy Wiskur Mary & Tony Haas John & Pam Chandler Mary Haas & TBD (New Member?)
Sign up for an opportunity to partner with a fellow Kiwanian. New delivery volunteers are encouraged to sign up and learn the routine. If you would like to volunteer for a shift, contact Mary Haas.
TREE LOT: THE NEXT GENERATION
Second Generation Stars: Some of our outstanding Kiwanis Tree Lot helpers this year included (L-R) Brian Frankhouser, James Vish, and Tanner Rodden, each the son of a current Kiwanis member.
Como El Padre: Club President Antonio “Tony” Orosco got some help at the Tree Lot from his son, Tony Jr.
Cash Us If You Can: Kiwanis members Ross Mallette and Angie Elmore both spent time in the cashier’s booth at the Tree Lot this year. Angie is a third-generation helper at the Tree Lot, taking after her grandfather, Gene. Photos courtesy of Mary Haas.
Forget about Douglas Plantation firs, Noble firs, or Nordmanns. The tree getting the most attention at the Tree Lot this year was the “family tree,” with the sons and daughters of several Kiwanis members stopping by to help out. Most notably present this year was Brian Frankhouser, who cut and displayed trees as part of the morning crew. Each morning, Brian and his father, Bob, would get promptly to work, cutting and watering trees. Brian did much of the heavy lifting, with Bobby at age 92 inspecting tree stands and watering trees, helping out however he could. While we are all proud to have Bobby still helping out as our original charter member, of course Brian deserves a lot of credit for his work ethic and for taking charge each day with the difficult task of staging each tree. At night, James (Jimmy) Vish, the son of Sandy Vish, volunteered at the Tree Lot, as did his sister, Julie. It’s clear that the entire Vish clan has experience in handling Christmas Trees. Sandy’s late husband, Jim, served as President of G.A.G. Kiwanis in 200607, so both Julie and Jimmy grew up with Kiwanis Christmas Trees at home! It also helps to have some newer volunteers, too. Tanner Rodden, son of John and Susan Rodden, helped unload trees from the big truck on delivery days, and worked a few shifts while his Mom and Dad were on the lot. Club President Tony Orosco got his sons involved as well, helping build and maintain the lot’s infrastructure. Truly, this year’s Tree Lot was a great way to spend time with the family for the holidays!
Kiwanis Club of Grantville-Allied Gardens Board Meeting Agenda – Thursday, January 8th, 2015
2014-15 Club Officers
Board of Directors
President
Antonio “Tony” Orosco
Gary Blume
2013-15
President-Elect
Alex Zubak
John Chandler
2013-15
Vice President
(Position Vacant)
Gene Elmore
2013-15
Secretary
John Crawford
Byron Newman
2014-16
Treasurer
Seren Huston
John Rodden
2014-16
Immediate Past President
Joe Huston
Norm Townsend
2014-16
(Position Vacant)
2014-16
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Call to Order
Foundation Trustees
Introduction of Guests
Tony Orosco
Correspondence
John Crawford
2012-2015
Presentation of Minutes
John Crawford
George Butterstein, Chair
President’s Report
Tony Orosco
Treasurer’s Report
Seren Huston
Foundation Treasurer’s Report
Norm Townsend
2013-2016
Finance
Norm Townsend
Joe Huston
Community Service
Angie Elmore
MMQ & Eliminate Project
George & Kathy Butterstein
Youth Services
Alex Zubak
Y.C.P.O.
John Peterson
Membership & Member Outreach
Kathy Butterstein & Mickey Zeichick
Interclubs
George Butterstein
Fundraising & Tree Lot
John Chandler
Circle K (SDSU)
Joe Huston / Susan Rodden
Key Club (Patrick Henry)
John Crawford & Kathy Butterstein
Builders Club (Lewis)
John Crawford & Byron Newman
K-Kids (Hearst)
Doug Grosmark
Scholarships
Gary Blume
Conservation
Byron Newman
Publicity/Newsletter/Social Media
John Crawford & Joe Huston
Website
Mary Haas & Kathy Butterstein
House
Gary Blume
Socials
John Peterson
Unfinished Business
Tony Orosco
Dan Yauger Dan Yelvington
Norm Townsend, Treasurer (Position Vacant) 2014-17 Tony Haas Byron Y. Newman John Rodden, Secretary 2014-15 Club President Antonio “Tony” Orosco
New Business Divisional/District/International Adjournment Questions? Comments? Changes? Please contact Tony Orosco or John Crawford. Committee Chairs Subject to Change.