David Maloney, Editor

March 2006

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February began as a very difficult month for me with the death of my brother on the third day of the month. Your phone calls, cards, and personal words of comfort received during my time of sorrow made it easier for me to continue to move forward with my duties and responsibilities as Governor. THANK YOU.

I attended two successful midwinter conferences (Hampton Roads and Heart of Virginia Regions), the Circle K District Convention, the Board of Trustees Meeting, the District Finance and Budget Committee Meeting, Division 14 Council Meeting, Bethesda Kiwanis Club’s 61st Anniversary Celebration, Alexandria Kiwanis Club Valentine Day Luncheon, and four Kiwanis club meetings. I even did something non-Kiwanis. I attended my Church Women’s Retreat.

I don’t believe there is a Governor who doesn’t find pleasure and excitement announcing the organization of a new Kiwanis club in their district, and I am no different. Last month, I informed you that the second new club for the District was very close to being organized. Well, the new club is now a reality and I am extremely excited to announce that the Kiwanis Club of Council, Division Eight, was organized February 16 with 22 members. A big “THANK YOU” to Division 8 Lt. Governor Jon Rife, Trustee Jack White, Scotty Rose, co-sponsoring Kiwanis clubs of Grundy and McClure River, and all others who played a role in helping us to get one step closer to the 8 new club for the year. ONLY six more clubs are needed to reach the goal of eight new years this year.

There are a few other members of our District who deserve to be recognized. Please join me in congratulating:

• Circle K Administrator Jeffrey Wolff for his appointment to the Kiwanis International Committee on Circle K. He is one of only six Circle K Administrators to receive this International appointment. We are proud of Jeff for receiving this appointment since this is his first year as a Circle K Administrator.
• Chincoteague Kiwanis Club president, Betty Mullins, for sponsoring five of the eight new club members. The members were inducted by Division 15 Lt. Governor, Ralph Chinn, during his visit to the Club on February 23. Club members Gary Mason and Linda Lust also sponsored new member that evening.
• Governor-elect Bob Cressy for sponsoring and inducting three new members during the Bethesda Club’s 61st Anniversary celebration. One of the three members was none other than his wife, Nancy.

We are building our District one member at a time. One can make a difference and I hope YOU are the ONE who will make the difference in helping us to realize the vision of 1000 new members for our District this year. The opportunities to change the world one child and one community at a time are endless when we welcome new Kiwanians into our clubs.

PLG Barbara Lee was appointed District Chairperson for Key Leader and will be responsible for coordinating Key Leader activities within our District. As a reminder, Key Leader is Kiwanis International’s new leadership education program for students, primarily in high school. Its mission is to achieve their personal best through service leadership.”

It is official that our District’s assigned goal for attendance at the Kiwanis International Convention in Montreal June 28 – July 2 is 402, including Kiwanians and guests. As of today, we have 53 Kiwanians and 24 guests registered which puts us at 19.15 % of our goal. I have already registered, how about you? If you haven’t, and your plans are to attend the convention, please take a moment and complete the registration form now.

Those clubs participating in the District’s interclub competition should not forget that my official calendar is on the District website. Review my many visits to club meetings and activities during the month. Put together an interclub and join me at one or all of my scheduled meeting and activities and earn extra interclub points.

Art Riley has indicated his intention of being candidate for the office of Governor-elect of the Capital District for the 2006-2007 Administrative year. He has filed his intentions on a timely basis and is now being announced by the District office in accordance with the date line outlined in the Capital District Policy Statements. The Kiwanis Club of Westminster, Maryland, supported by all of the clubs in Division Nine, has presented Past Lieutenant Governor Arthur N. Riley as a candidate for the Office of Governor-elect of the Capital District for the 2006-2007 administrative year.

If you have a passion for serving the children of the world (and I know you do); if you have a passion for this global organization of volunteers called Kiwanis (and I know you do); if you have a passion for changing the world (and you know you do), then join me in Montréal, Québec for the 91st Annual Kiwanis International Convention June 28-July 2, 2006. We are going to celebrate like we’ve never celebrated before. We are going to learn new ideas and how to use new tools. We will see old friends and make new friends. We will share and listen to one another’s success stories. We will celebrate our past and plan our future. And we are going to convert our Kiwanis passion into action. Make a difference in your Kiwanis club, your community, your world, and yourself by attending the 2006 Kiwanis International Convention in Montréal. A Kiwanian by Choice & A Kiwanian for Life, Stephen K. Siemens, CSP, International President.

Major Convention events include: Opening Session on Thursday afternoon, June 29 at 1:30 pm; Live On-Stage: Spotlight on Broadway, Thursday evening, June 29 at 8:00 pm; First House of Delegates on Friday afternoon, June 30, at 1:30 pm; Second House of Delegates on Saturday afternoon, July 1, at 1:00 pm; and the Closing Session on Saturday evening, July 1, at 7:00. Our own Dana Cable will be a featured speaker on June 30 at 10:00 am and then again on July 1 at 9:30 am. For the complete KI Convention 2006 Brochure, click here (PDF, 528k).

Attendees should arrive on Wednesday, June 28, or by Thursday morning, June 29, to participate fully in the convention activities. With the exception of those selected to serve on the 2006-07 KI Board of Trustees, departures may be scheduled any time on Sunday, July 2.

Note: Those attending the 2006 KI Convention in Montreal, Quebec, Canada will not be required to carry a passport. (Passports for travel to Canada will not be required until December 31, 2006.) However, a passport is your best means of personal identification. If you don't have a passport, be prepared to provide a photo ID and proof of US citizenship such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

The 2006 Capital District Kiwanis Convention Planning Committee is hard at work to make the 88th Annual Capital District Kiwanis Convention an experience you will never forget. Click here for the latest Convention 2006 Newsletter.

This year's convention will take place August 18-20, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia. The theme for this year's convention will be "Service Takes Center Stage" as we put a spotlight on the basis of Kiwanis International. For the latest information, go to the Convention Web site at www.tysonscornerkiwanis.org/dcon2006. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you in Reston next summer.

The 2006 District Convention Planning Committee is now accepting applications for training workshops to be held during the convention on Saturday, August 19th, 2006. If you are interested in leading a workshop please go to our website (www.tysonscornerkiwanis.org/dcon2006/forms.html) and follow the instructions on the "workshop application form". The deadline to submit workshop proposals is April 15th, 2006.

Please direct any questions related to workshops and training at the convention to Derek Dupuis.

As you attend your regional Mid-winter conferences, you will be seeing a presentation on District Convention by a member of the 2006 Kiwanis Convention Committee. The convention will be held August 18-20, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Reston just outside of Washington DC.

Just confirmed is our Keynote Speaker for the weekend, Ms. Kate Forbes, National Director of Volunteers for the American Red Cross. Ms. Forbes is a dynamic speaker who will provide us insight into the direction the Red Cross has taken in handling recent emergencies here in the US and around the world.

Please consider taking out an ad in the convention program for only $50 for a half page or $100 for a full page. This year, we have also added an Honored Donor List for those would like to support the convention without the full expense of a program ad. Our Gold level donor commitment is $10, Platinum level is $25 and Diamond level is $50. You can find a link to the form to place an ad or be an honored donor on our website under the “Program” section.

Our featured entertainment at convention this summer will be Flynnatra. With more than two hundred shows booked for 2006, Steve Flynn has set a record pace for establishing himself as the most popular Sinatra tribute artist in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area. He sings the songs that Sinatra sang in a remarkably similar voice and style. Steve will be entertaining us at the President’s Banquet as well as the Masked Ball that will follow dinner.

Registration forms will be published in the next printed issue of the Capital Builder and will be available on our website at http://www.tysonscornerkiwanis.org/dcon2006 shortly. Online registration will be available at our website as well.

Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations at the Hyatt Regency Reston by calling 888-591-1234 and letting them know that you are with “Capital District Kiwanis” to receive the $107/night convention rate.

We look forward to seeing you all in Reston this summer as “Service Take Center Stage”.

• Bethesda
• Charlottesville
• Dover
• Poquoson
• Richmond
• Rockville
• Tyson's Corner
• Washington
• Williamsburg
• Woodbridge

Click here for the Capital District Multiple Service Projects Annual Achievement Awards for the 2004-2005 administrative year. Congratulations Kiwanis Club of Poquoson!

Click here for the Capital District Single Service Project Annual Achievement Awards for the 2004-2005 administrative year. Congratulations Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg!

The month of March is a busy time for Young Children: Priority One not just in with our current projects but also the many coming up. Here is a quick rundown on some of what is going on in the Capital District:

• Although March 3rd brings a close to the 2nd annual Read Around the World project, clubs should be inspired to continue to work this project year around. This is a great Kiwanis family project as well so if you have not done, get your sponsored program clubs involved in this as well.
• If your club/division/region has not already planned for it, this is the prime fundraising season for Children’s Miracle Network. Many areas in the district already have participated in radio-a-thons, selling balloons, and other major fundraising events. The Heart of Virginia’s Region’s annual Bowl-a-thon was held in January and brought in over $9,100. The 2006 TV telecast is slated for the first weekend of June. Check with your local CMN hospital for time and location. Remember our district goal this year is to raise $165.000.
• Coming to the e-builder soon is an article about a project in Division 17 Kiwanis. They are launching an expansion of their poster project "STEPS FOR CHOKING EMERGENCY" with a goal of having their posters in all 1400 of the Day Care Centers that operate in Montgomery County, Maryland.
• We have some new members of the District Committee who have joined recently – Rick Colley for the Southwest Virginia Region and Don Schroeder in the Heart of Virginia Region. This gives clubs in those regions an additional resource in developing YCPO projects for their clubs. They join Bernice Oden (Potomac), Ford Hamilton (DelMarVa), Dick Hoover (Presidential), Ron Gates (Hampton Roads), and myself (Northern Virginia) on the committee. Welcome Rick and Don to the team!
• A reminder to those Kiwanis clubs who mail in their Young Children: Priority One monthly committee reports. They should mail them to me at my home address at: David Lurie, 47748 Allegheny Circle, Potomac Falls, VA 20165. Many of you are still sending to my predecessor, Sue Bentley, and while she enjoys reading them, the new district chair really needs to get them.
• The Heart of Virginia Region is moving very close to their goal of raising $100,000 for the Kiwanis Family Care Center in the pediatric ward at VCU Hospital. The center is designed to provide parents and family members of children in the pediatric ICU ward a place for them to be able to stay close to their children during their stay. The facility is already opened and operating a formal dedication ceremony will hopefully be happening very soon. If you want more details, contact Roy Sheets, Jr.
• Finally, we can not get past this particular month without recommending to our clubs looking for projects to contact this member organization of the Kiwanis International Young Children: Priority One Advisory Council - the March of Dimes! Many clubs support their fundraising and awareness efforts this time of year especially the WalkAmerica walks that place in the spring.

The Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital and James Blair Middle School conducted its annual Middle School Basketball Classic on January 27 and 28, 2006, at the James Blair Middle School in Williamsburg, Virginia. This year marked the tournament’s 21st anniversary.

Eight teams participated. Four teams were from Williamsburg: James Blair, Berkeley, Toano, and Walsingham Academy. Four teams came from elsewhere on the Peninsula: Queens Lake, Western Branch, St. Christopher, and Yorktown. Each team played three games over the two-day period, and nearly 150 young athletes competed.

The Queens Lake Panthers took first place honors by defeating the Yorktown Falcons in the championship game. The host James Blair Spiders finished fourth.

The Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital’s sponsorship of this event covers the expenses for the tournament, while the proceeds taken at the door by Kiwanis volunteers are used to benefit James Blair athletic programs. This year a record $3,200 was collected.

Since it inception in 1986, this annual classic has seen over 3,000 participants from 29 schools compete. The players’ enthusiasm, competitiveness, and sportsmanship exhibited over the years have been a tribute to these young people. The Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital and James Blair Middle School takes pride in hosting this event that has had such a positive impact on the students and their families.

At a ceremony in City Hall, Poquoson Mayor Gordon Helsel proclaimed February 11 as “Kiwanis Day” in recognition of the community services provided by the Kiwanis Club of Poquoson, on the occasion of the Kiwanis Capital District Midwinter Conference. (Pictured, Kiwanis Club and Poquoson High School Key club members join Mayor Helsel and Kiwanis governor and Lt. governor at City Hall to proclaim February 11 as Kiwanis Day.)

More than half of the 91-member local Kiwanis club joined the Mayor, Kiwanis Capital District Governor Yvonne Holley, and Kiwanis District 23 Lt. Governor Al Meadows in front of Poquoson’s television cameras for the event, which will be broadcast for a week on Poquoson’s local cable channel 46...read and see more.

It’s time to start giving some thought to the 2005-2006 Newsletter Contest. If your club publishes a Newsletter please check out the “Checklist for Evaluating Club Newsletters”. If your club doesn’t publish a newsletter then this might just be the time to check the list and attempt to start a newsletter. This and more newsletter-related information can be found at http://www.kiwanis.org/pr/newsletter.asp. To enter, complete and send in this form. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at vtan10@widomaker.com, or call 747-898-3246.

Since the Heimlich Maneuver, considered the most effective treatment for the elimination of choking, was introduced in 1974 it has saved more than 100,000 lives including those of former President Ronald Reagan, Cher, Elizabeth Tayler and Goldie Hawn. The "STEPS OR CHOKING EMERGENCY"poster, created by the American Red Cross, clearly illustrates the correct application of the Heimlich Maneuver as it applies to infants, children and adults.

Anita Mc Farlane, alarmed by the news of a 9 year old girl choking to death while eating a hot dog in the cafeteria of her grandson's school in Cumming, Georgia, became concerned about the children of Montgomery County Maryland. Her first concern was about the danger of children choking to death because no one in the vicinity knows how apply the Heimlich Maneuver. Her second concern was the psychological impact on the other students who actually witness such an tragedy. Consequently, Anita immediately contacted the Montgomery County Board of Education, Health Department where she learned that during 2002 County teachers were trained in a First Aid program which included the Heimlich Maneuver. She was, also, informed that the First Aid training program is currently available to High School seniors as an elective. Finally, the Health Department indicated that there were no graphic aids such as the "STEPS FOR CHOKING EMERGENCY" poster available in the 125 Elementary and
38 Middle schools of Montgomery County.

The Question remaining was then, How can the Kiwanis Clubs of Montgomery County help? Anita, Chairman of the Kiwanis Division 17 Young Children Priority One program and Distinguished Member of the Kiwanis Club of Leisure World presented a proposal that Division 17, as a 1st Phase Effort, procure and distribute "STEPS FOR CHOKING EMERGENCY" posters to all elementary and middle schools. At the Division 17 Council Meeting, Lieutenant Governor Gary Boswell and the nine Kiwanis Club Presidents approved the project, the project moved forward.

Following authorization by Dr. Jerry Weast, Superintendent of Schools, to display the posters in the school system cafeteria areas, 163 posters were purchased and delivered to the Health Department office. During the past few months, posters were also delivered to several Montgomery County Shelters, the Leisure World Restaurants, Our Lady of Grace Church Parish Center and Interfaith Fellowship Hall. If you are concerned about a location of potential Choking emergencies, please contact Anita Mc Farlane at 301-598-8207.

Having completed Phase I of the project, a contact was made with the Health and Human Services Department of Montgomery County where it was learned that the Earlier Childhood Department staff is very concerned about the safety of the young children in the Day Care Centers. Earlier Childhood Dept. staff members, who license and monitor the Day Care Centers, welcomed the idea of having "STEPS FOR CHOKING EMERGENCY" posters in all 1400 of the Day Care Centers that they work with in Montgomery County.

Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital has initiated a "member memories" column to share the exceptional and diverse backgrounds of our members. It has proven very popular and is seen as a means of bringing our members into closer friendships as we serve the shared goals of Kiwanis.

Click here to read Al Albright's memories.

The 1st Annual Hampton Roads Region Kiwanis Family Mid-Winter Conference was held February 11th, 2006 at Old Dominion University. What a wonderful successful event! There were 218 attending, all eager to attend this conference and see exactly what the planning committee had in store or us. The 4 Division Lt. Governors, Trustee Harold Laurent, Governor Yvonne Holley and Governor Elect Bob Cressy were there to start it off. The Training Sessions were interesting at least the ones I had attended and heard about. The Circle K members were there to direct the Kiwanians to the seminar rooms and act as hosts at their school.

The Planning Committee had arranged the Red Cross to have a Blood Drive and we collected books for Governor Yvonne's reading and mentoring program. After enjoying a great lunch the meeting was called to order all business was taken care of. The House of Delegates met and Floyd Brown, Division #13, Old Point Comfort Club, Hampton, Virginia was elected as our Trustee for a 3 year term. Congratulations Floyd! No one seemed to want to leave and say good-bye but leave we did. It was a few hours that was spent finding out new things and seeing old friends. I have to say I was one of those people that were very skeptical about doing a local Conference. But I will be the first to sign up for the next one in 2007. Congratulations to the Mid-Winter Conference Committee for planning such a marvelous day. You worked extremely hard and your efforts showed from all the positive comments we heard.