Kiwaniscope for Thursday, November 9, 2023 Breakfast meeting. Speaker: Knox Watson, U.S. Military Academy Cadet

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Good morning ! This week in Kiwaniscope - breakfast meeting on Saturday, with 2020 Service and Leadership Awardee now West Point cadet Knox Watson, delivering new winter coats to Norwalk Project Head Start, a list of future events, Kiwanis International convention announcement, and a video: What If?

Editor

MEMBERS’ MILESTONES BEFORE THE NEXT KIWANISCOPE

Reverend Bernard Wilson married Nereida on November 15. Next Wednesday is their wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

THIS WEEK

This Saturday, November 11, 2023

Breakfast meeting. Speaker: Knox Watson, U.S. Military Academy Cadet

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall - 8:30 a.m.

Foundation board of trustees and foundation officers meeting

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 10 a.m.

Weston Kiwanis member may remember Knox Watson as 2020 Weston Kiwanis Service and Leadership awardee and Weston High School 2021 graduate.

Knox is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in American Politics and a minor in Terrorism at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with a background in leading teams and organizations. His work at West Point, including intelligence products produced at a summer internship with the Defense Intelligence Agency this summer, has been included in the President's Daily Brief. He has written articles sent to the offices of the Chairman and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of State Policy Planning Staff, Regional Combatant Commanders, and the NATO Secretary General.

From his experience at the local to the international level, Knox is comfortable with research and analysis, public speaking, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Knox holds a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance and is looking for any opportunities to serve the country through military and/or civil service.

LAST WEEK

President Amy checks out a new sponsor graphic displayed by Past President and Reservoir Run organizer Paul Schultz. Weston Kiwanis sponsors enjoy visibility at the Reservoir Run and other Kiwanis events during the year of their sponsorship.

Past President Paul Schultz and Chief Technology Officer Jim McMorris unveiled new Weston-Kiwanis-branded signage for our food drives at Weston Shopping Center.

Our club is sponsoring a food and healthcare products drive on Saturday, November 18, at the Weston Shopping Center. We’ll give Westonites the opportunity to help their neighbors in need. Organizer Dan Gilbert would like to have two Kiwanians at Lily’s and one at the Weston Pharmacy on each shift: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm. Dan's inviting Weston High School Key Club members to help. The Weston Food Pantry is the drive’s beneficiary. Please let Dan know if you’ll volunteer for one of the shifts.

Membership Committee Co-chair David Weber installed Joan Clayton, one of our newest members at last Saturday's meeting.

Michael Schwartz, Joan's husband, sponsored Joan to Kiwanis membership and shared the story of their first acquaintance as residents in overlapping clinical residencies. Michael shared that Joan's interaction with a patient is referenced in the book Michael is holding. Barbara Gordon's memoir, I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can which is also the basis of the eponymous 1982 Jill Clayburgh movie.

President Amy inducted our second new member at last Saturday's meeting, Summer Clayton-Schwartz.

Summer is co-sponsored by her humans, Joan Clayton and Michael Schwartz. Summer is a constant companion to Joan and Michael at Saturday morning breakfast meetings and is better behaved than some of the human members.

President Amy in the nearby picture is adorning Summer with a custom Kiwanis-themed bandana Amy designed and promises future canine inductions.

Hunter College professor Larry Shore Ph.D. spoke enlightened members in his talk "A model for understanding the media and IT industries - past, present and future." at last Saturday's meeting.

NEWS

COAT DRIVE TO KEEP KIDS WARM - DELIVERED

by Frank Ferrara, Community Service Committee

Thanks to all the members who opened their wallets and supplemented a $1,000 grant from the service account, I purchased our goal of 138 new winter children's coats.

Project Head Start in Norwalk warmly (groan) received me, Past President Bill Brady, and Harry Falber on Monday when we delivered the coats.

Last night, past presidents Steve Thomas, Frank Ferrara, Ed Hutchins, and Community Service Committee co-leader Tom Failla

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND

Next Saturday, November 18, 2023

Breakfast meeting. No speaker - food drive.