Issue #1: 1Q 2021-22
FL District Newsletter
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A MESSAGE FROM
2021-2022 Governor Harvey White
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Happy Kiwanis New Year! I hope everyone is doing well. I am Harvey White, your 2021-2022 Florida Kiwanis Governor. The past year and a half have been a challenge for all of us. I want to thank Past-Governor Mary-Lynn and her Board for doing such a fantastic job under the circumstances they faced. They still brought in not only new members, but also with the help of Joe Myers and his crew, new Kiwanis Clubs.
Thanks also go to the SLP administrators and Governors who added new SLPs last year. For this first month of the 2021-22 Kiwanis year, the Florida District has added 117 new members. In just the past month we have had more than eighteen people inquire about Florida Kiwanis. This shows us that people are still looking to do service in their communities. So, if we do not ask, they will not join.
My theme this year is “Building Bridges.” By this I mean we need to build a line of succession through the entire K Family. For example, if your club sponsors a Key Club, is there a Builders Club whose members progress into that Key Club? I would like to see Elementary School children (K-Kids) cycle into Middle School (Builders Club) and then continue to High School (Key Club) followed by College (CKI) and ultimately join a Kiwanis Club. If we teach them young, hopefully these children will grow up in the Kiwanis family and one day become proud Kiwanians.
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As we move into November, let us all be thankful for what we have and what we can offer to those who are not as fortunate. I would like every Club which donates food baskets this Thanksgiving to let me know. We need to show the world what Kiwanis does!
First Daughter Abby and I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Governor Harvey
561.262.4093
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SIGNATURE PROJECT
KIWANIS CLUB OF SEMINOLE
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Miracle League, sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Seminole as one of its signature projects, is a nationally organized affiliate of Major League Baseball. The program is designed to provide authentic baseball experiences to special needs youth and their families.
Our Miracle League team plays on Violet's Field in the Walter Fuller complex on Saturday mornings. The field, designed especially for the physically challenged, was constructed through funds donated by Joe Madden's Respect 99 Foundation, Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation, and the City of Clearwater. Tampa Bay Rays has provided support through volunteers, uniforms, hats, and backpacks full of gifts for each team member. Texas Roadhouse provides the team with free banquets at the end of each season where each team member receives a first-place trophy.
The Miracle League plays two seasons a year; fall season is eight weeks long and spring season usually runs for thirteen weeks. All team members are divided into two teams (the Yellow and the Blue Rays!) and play two - three innings per week. Volunteers from Seminole Middle Builders Club, Seminole High Key Club, Kiwanis Club of Seminole, and other community supporters help to pitch, catch, field, sometimes push wheelchairs around the bases, and act as rousing cheerleaders along with the proud, enthusiastic families.
Everyone agrees there is no better way to spend a Saturday morning than to be an integral part of this heartwarming and thrilling excitement generated by those twenty-plus youngsters as they hit the ball and make it home!
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CKUDOS TO KIWANIS CLUB OF STUART
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Congratulations to the Kiwanis Club of Stuart, Florida, the winner of the 2021 Legacy of Play contest. Sponsored by Kiwanis International and its partner Landscape Structures Inc. (LSI), the annual contest awards US$25,000 in playground equipment to the Kiwanis club that best demonstrates the need for a new playground.
The other Kiwanis clubs that entered the contest will receive a complimentary OmniSpin® Spinner if they continue their playground plans with Landscape Structures.
Looking ahead to early 2022, Kiwanis and LSI will launch another contest for a Kiwanis club to receive an Aquatix® AquaSmart™ Package splash pad, valued at up to US$50,000. Start planning now!
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KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL BOARD DECLARES EMERGENCY CONDITIONS PERSIST
The Kiwanis International Board of Trustees extended a declaration that emergency conditions exist because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This declaration lasts until September 30, 2022. The board believes the COVID-19 virus or a mutation will continue to impact operations of the organization.
“We took this unprecedented step to give Kiwanis clubs and districts the flexibility they need to organize the 2021-22 administrative year according to the conditions in different communities and jurisdictions,” said Peter Mancuso, 2021-22 Kiwanis International president. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our members and communities. This action will help organizers make responsible decisions, especially when planning for Kiwanis, Key Club and Circle K district conventions.”
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News From Your District Chairs |
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Hello Fellow Kiwanians!
I hope you and your club have had a successful launch of the new year! In the Key Club world, we have also begun the process of collecting dues for the 2021-2022 year. We need your help! Please check with your Key Clubs (and other SLPs) to see where they are at in the dues process. Early bird deadline for dues payment is December 1st.
I am very excited to see the growth in our clubs that have already paid dues. As the students are coming back to school in person, they are excited to find those opportunities and Key Club is a great service and leadership opportunity for them! If you can, talk with, visit and/or encourage your clubs and officers about ways they can find those enthusiastic students.
On behalf of our District Governor, Arianna Longo, and her District Board, we want to thank you for the continued support and mentorship you show the Key Club members and officers! Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can ever be of any help to you or if your Kiwanis Club has something exciting they want to share with us. We are looking forward to a great service year with all of you!
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Homestead Kiwanis, The Children’s Trust, Miami Book Fair
Partner to Launch Expansion of Ongoing Literacy Initiative
Into Two Miami Clippers Family Barbershops
The Kiwanis Club of Homestead-South Dade (HomesteadKwanis.org), one of South Florida’s most active community service organizations, recently joined with The Children’s Trust and Miami Book Fair to launch the expansion of an ongoing literacy initiative through the placement of children’s bookshelves in two Miami Clippers’ barbershop locations in Homestead.
Pictured above, members of the Kiwanis Club of Homestead-South Dade proudly display ‘The Children’s Trust Books for Free’ bookshelf at the Miami Clippers Barbershops’ Crystal Lake Plaza location. With the Kiwanis members is Miami Clippers owner Alberto Erias, who, as part of his ongoing community service, has placed the popular bookshelves in two of his barbershop locations.
Miami Clippers offers a 10 percent discount on the cost of a haircut for children who read a book aloud during their haircut and the kids get to keep the book as part of ‘The Children’s Trust Books for Free’ program.
“Having the kids read out loud helps instill self-confidence,” said Emily Guzman, president of the Homestead Kiwanis at the recent South Dade kick-off for the program. “In addition, taking the book home with them gives them pride of book ownership and enhances their lives. This is a great program for the kids, their parents and the entire community.”
The two Miami Clippers’ locations at Crystal Lake Plaza, 3336 NE 7th Street and Waterstone Plaza, 3040 NE 41st Terr., are among the most popular of the program’s 65 locations throughout Miami-Dade County. The two venues each distribute about 200 books every month.
At the South Miami-Dade launch, three students from nearby Keys Gate Charter School came into the Miami Clippers’ Crystal Lake Plaza location, selected books from the eye-catching bookshelf and began to read aloud while photographers and the media recorded the event.
Reading with kids has been one of the key, ongoing community service projects for the Kiwanis Club of Homestead-South Dade, which is currently looking for two more locations for ‘The Children’s Trust Books for Free’ initiative. For the past 16 years, the club has held weekly reading sessions with local elementary school children, including reading to them via Zoom during the pandemic.
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Three students from Keys Gate Charter School, left to right, Rafael Dedamel, Sebastian Stanley and Caleb Bravo, read aloud while getting their haircuts at Miami Clippers Family Barbershop as part of the South Dade launch of ‘The Children’s Trust Books for Free’ initiative.
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Rafael Dedamel, Sebastian Stanley and Caleb Bravo each proudly show off their haircuts and the books they’ll get to keep as part of ‘The Children’s Trust Books for Free’ program. Joining the happy students are administrators from Keys Gate Charter School, from left to right, Daniel Verdier (principal, grades 6-12), Corinne Baez (principal, grades K-5) and Sarah Cordero (K-12 activities director).
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Governor Harvey and I will be conducting quarterly Zoom meetings to educate new members about Kiwanis. This New Member Orientation Zoom meeting will provide information about Kiwanis International, the Florida District, and Divisions.
The first New Member Orientation meeting will be held before the end of the year. The date and time will be announced soon. Email invites to join the Governor and I and special quest speakers will be sent.
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The Kiwanis Children’s Fund is the Kiwanis International foundation with a mission to develop resources that transform the goodwill and vision of Kiwanians into programs that serve the children of the world. We do this through raising funds, granting funds, providing services and resources to the clubs throughout the world. You may be familiar with the very successful IDD and Eliminate (MNT) programs, services for both continue globally.
The Children’s Fund is a resource for you. We can help you develop fundraising strategies, manage district and club foundations, apply for grants and more. We offer club and district grants that can benefit children in your community. We work in conjunction with our Florida Kiwanis Foundation, not in competition.
The Children’ Fund returns a percentage of annual, gift giving back to the District every year. This has funded the extremely popular Large Scale Service Project at District Convention, the food packaging, over the past few years.
We are extremely grateful for all donations. We especially thank all the clubs that have continuously budgeted their annual donations. For simplicity in the future, the Children’s Fund is in the process of changing to a per club suggested donation of $365, but we realize you may have budgeted as in the past and are happy with whatever amount works for your club. Please note: This year, International President Peter Mancuso has included a $10 per member donation in his distinguished criteria.
Please mail all donations to Allen Yergovich, District Chair
433 76th Avenue
St Pete Beach, FL 33706
Or give to your Lt Governor or Florida Foundation Trustee for bulk mailing.
Thank you all for all that you do!
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Hello, everyone!
My name is Barbara Breuer, and I am the new K-Kids administrator for the Kiwanis District of Florida. Please consider me your resource for K-Kids! I enjoy being hands-on and love helping people. But, more importantly, the kids need us more than ever – we need to be there for them!
A bit about me: I am a past lieutenant governor of Division 9 and a current Key Club advisor for Tavares High School in my home club of Mount Dora. I am a REALTOR® by trade as well as a freelance writer, Avon representative, and a consultant for Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski. I have been married for 27 years to my husband, Charlie, and we live in Tavares, Florida, with his 95-year-old mother. Here is a fun fact about my husband and me: while most people have cats or dogs as pets, we have rats as pets (five boys and six girls). They are extremely intelligent and are sweet, loving pets.
I am excited about my new position, especially since many K-Kids clubs are coming out of covid status and becoming active again. In addition, I am already getting feedback about some clubs rechartering and new clubs just starting!
If you would like me to visit your clubs or need information and guidance, please let me know. I can attend virtual meetings; however, I am also willing to travel to visit clubs with adequate notice.
I am trying to update KI's records as much as possible; however, I need your help. I have reached out to all of the Kiwanis clubs in the district to update the records to include the correct faculty and Kiwanis advisors for the K-Kids clubs. Several have responded so far; however, many have not. If you have not yet had the opportunity to contact me, or if my email did not reach you, would you please reach out to me at Barbara.kiwanis.fine9@gmail.com with the names of your Kiwanis and faculty advisors?
I realize that some schools are not allowing the K-Kids to meet. That is unfortunate; however, that is something with which we need to work.
I have reached out to KI about this, and Lisa Pryon, the Kiwanis Service Leadership Development Specialist, responded with this valuable information:
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Kiwanis clubs that sponsor K-Kids clubs will receive an invoice to pay this year's annual fee of $180. If the K-Kids club isn't meeting due to COVID-19, the Kiwanis club needs to let Kiwanis know this. The club can email memberservices@kiwanis.org and share this information. Kiwanis will place the K-Kids club in inactive status. This way, the Kiwanis club will not continue to receive invoices asking for the K-Kids renewal fee.
As it stands now, the K-Kids club will be placed in inactive status and can reactivate next year by paying a small reactivation fee along with the annual $180 renewal fee. Kiwanis is tracking the number of clubs that can't meet this year due to COVID-19, so it's important that the sponsoring Kiwanis club informs Kiwanis about this.
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Kiwanis may change how this is handled after tracking this information. So, stay tuned.
I'll let administrators know if there's any change in how Kiwanis is handling this.
All K-Kids clubs that were identified as inactive due to COVID-19 last year, were automatically placed in active status this year. Sponsoring Kiwanis clubs were sent notification about renewing this year, and will not be penalized, they're being asked to pay the $180 renewal fee only. So, there's no need for a Kiwanis club or K-Kids club to provide proof about not being able to meet because of COVID-19 last year.
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Remember that I am here for you – please reach out to me with any questions you have, and I will work to get them answered for you. If it is important to you, it is important to me.
I look forward to working with you this Kiwanis year.
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Division 18 celebrated Kiwanis One Day doing our annual park clean up at the Larry Taylor Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte, FL. Both Key Clubbers and Kiwanians participated! |
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The Kiwanis Club of Jupiter-Tequesta heard from Valerie Mathieu, President and Founder of "Chariots of Love" at their club meeting on October 20th. The goal of her non-profit organization is to provide wheelchairs to mobility-challenged children in the U.S.
Governor Harvey attended his home-club meeting. The Kiwanis Club of Jupiter-Tequesta gave a donation to "Chariots of Love." To learn more about this important organization please visit their website Click here to learn more about "Chariots of Love" Pictured L to R above is FL Gov. Harvey White, Valerie Mathieu, Past Div. 20 Lt. Gov. Maribeth Lenz.
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