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Clarion

Publication Date: April 4, 2006
Volume 57, Issue 7

Recent Programs 

March 14–Elizabeth Franklin,  a March of Dimes representative  of Claremont, traced the history of her organization from its founding in the 1930’s when its original mission was to stamp out polio.  In 2004 it celebrated 50 years of success in supporting the Salk vaccine.  

Building on its past successes, the March of Dimes  restructured to focus on improved infant health, including  prevention and treatment of premature birth problems.  Today, it continues to seek funding to successfully research these fields.                                     

March 21–This week’s program featured two outstanding community leaders, each of whom is devoted to character building among young students. 

• John Norway, Catawba County BSA Executive, heads up the county’s 3500 boys and 800 adults who are focused on learning and character building under the general scout program. He also touted a newer scouting program Learning for Life, which is a structured auxiliary program targeted for the county’s 2nd and 3rd grade students.

• John Black, Principal of Long View Elementary School and recipient of Wachovia Bank’s 2004 State Principal of the Year Award, heads,   arguably, the most challenging school in the Hickory system in terms of poverty levels and minority percentages among its students.  He and his staff work extremely hard to equally motivate all their students and improve their self-esteem.  He cites improving the character of young people as his biggest challenge and commends Kiwanis and Scouting for lending assistance with their sponsored programs, including Terrific Kids, etc.

March 28–The Hickory Kiwanis Club joined the community-wide effort to promote more reading under the BIG READ campaign.  The majority of the program was devoted to reading one’s own book or selecting one from those brought by Helen.  Contributions were also taken to help restore school libraries devastated by Katrina.

April 4–Continuing the community-wide Vietnam War memorial theme, Jay Tate, General Manager of Benco Steel and veteran assault helicopter pilot in the Vietnam campaign, related his wartime experiences and reviewed author Tim O’Brien’s book The Things They Carried.  The fictional book is intended to reflect the realities of life and death in a wartime environment.  

Announcements

· We’re extremely saddened to learn of Mary Jane Stiver’s loss of her sight.  Our hearts reach out to Mary Jane and Stanley.

· Danny Seaver reported a great convention and another big win for the HHS Key Club at their District Convention in Greenville,SC.  (More on this next month)

· Ron Simmons reported a rewarding interclub visit with North Wilkesboro on March 24.

· President Helen has ordered 400 dictionaries to be given to the 2nd and 3rd graders at Longview Elementary School.

· Jamie Straka, a hardwood lumber wholesaler, was a guest of Wendell Cramer.

· Albert Lee, currently on LOA, attended the March 14 meeting. He reports having lost 15 pounds to aid his sciatica problem and hopes to return near the end of May.

· We commend Dr. Sanford Steelman for his having funded a memorial scholarship for the Divinity School at Gardner-Webb University.

· We regret to learn of Linda Baker’s recent fall and resulting arm fracture. Here’s hoping for her speedy recovery.

Adopt-A-Highway, Sat. April 15

Mark Vollinger, Committee Chairman, announces the annual spring highway cleanup project, starting in the Arts and Sciences’ 3rd Avenue NE parking lot at 9:00 am .  Make your plans to help with this community improvement project–usually lasts slightly over an hour. 

Announcements

• Mark Walters, a relatively new member attending his first Terrific Kids presentation, reported he was thrilled to be attending Maiden Elementary School as a sponsoring Kiwanian and was highly impressed with the school's preparation and the discipline among its students.
• Former member Hoke Whisnant and potential new member Colon Bowers (guest of Dr. Harrison Jahn) were among the March 7 visitors welcomed by President Helen.
• From the March issue of Wake Forest Magazine your editor noted a familiar name among the highlighted senior achievements - that being Blake Brandes, a former outstanding president of the HHS Key Club and son of Prof. and Mrs. Rand Brandes. Blake has been named a Marshall Scholar and his four-year fast friend Lakshmi Krishnan of Texas has been named a Rhodes Scholar. The due winners "share more than keen minds and leadership skills, they practice their passions of volunteerism and art with enthusiasm apparent to all."