News Items

The final speaker of the month was Maconite Tino Sheridan, President of formerly Fairfield Financial, now Security Mortgage. He spoke on a sobering topic, the problems with the housing market both here & elsewhere. There needs to be a willing borrower with sub prime mortgages sold as packages. Standards are not met & they are sold @ private securities. Whom do we blame? It is wide & deep. Wall Street pools loans & people with sub standard credit could borrow like never before. They even do a no document loan where if the market turns down just a bit, there is big trouble. The government will have to bail out Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac in the next two quarters or the country will be headed into a depression. The problem is human greed- how much can we make? Home ownership is not a right, it is a privilege. The FDIC has $50B to pay insured depositors: $20B of that goes to the Indy Mac failure. ‘Fannie & Freddie’ have to be broken into smaller pieces. Sales are forced in a down market & it all feeds on itself; right now there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Only a small % of loans are in default but they represent a big % in numbers (over a trillion $).Locally here we remain relatively steady: most of the losses in the region are through the Atlanta banks. There were many questions & comments from the group including should shareholders if “Fannie & Freddie’ are bailed out- the answer according to the speaker is yes. However, there are many unknowns now & remains to be seen what happens with the Presidential election occurring this November. Pictured with Club Director Shea Smith is Mr. Sheridan.

Important Note: We had significant discussion during the meeting about a change in plans the way the talent acts of the Art & Talent Show are handled at the District level. It seems that the folks in Carrollton wanted to have only music related acts since they could only get judges that could handle that type of entertainment. Our club opposes this strongly since it cuts out a majority of talent that normally is judged at the local level. The club plans to continue ‘business as usual’ here & if the winners here are not what the District wants, they will not have our winners to work with.

The Fall Training Conference will be held at Wesleyan Saturday October 4. Our club will again be involved with registration & running golf carts. If you want to help that AM from 7:15 for 2 hours, contact Jim Tessmer to sign up.  IF you want to attend classes that day see him as well. The club will pay your registration fee deadline October 1^st.

Congratulations to NEIL STRUBY for his 30 Year Award!  Thanks to Neil for all his hard work, loyalty, and dedication to the Club! Neil (right) is pictured with Club President Paul Boggs.

Also please welcome Janell Jones to our Club.  Janell is the Women's Head Basketball Coach at Mercer University and is very dedicated to helping young people and is a perfect fit for our Club!  Janell is pictured below with Club Secretary Jim Tessmer.

Director Shea Smith introduced our speaker, Susan Long, the Executive Director of the Allman Brothers Band Museum. Back in December 1969, Linda Oakley rented a 3 story house on the corner of Vineville & Rogers Avenue. She & her husband, Berry, moved in as it became the communal hub for members & associates of the Allman Brothers Band. This house was built in 1900 by former GA Gov. & GTech establisher, Nathaniel Turner. Berry, Duane Allman & Greg Allman lived there thee years & it was the headquarters for the band. The 3^rd floor of this 18 room house contains a large ballroom where the band’s archives will be stored. The Allman Brothers Band was formed in March 1969 with 6 outstanding musicians. It was an opportunity to record an album for Phil Walden & Capricorn Records. Their debut album was released that November when a different style of music was born. With their long hair & loud music, they were an unusual sight around town. This group was the first band to tour the South that was racially integrated. In October 1971 Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident on Hillcrest Avenue & about a year later, Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident very near that area. They stayed together after this, bringing in Chuck Leavell as another keyboard player. Three of the original members are still touring with the band. Kirk & Kirsten purchased the house back in 1993, first, with the idea of turning it into a Bed & Breakfast but, later, decided to create a museum to honor the musicians. The Big House Foundation was formed for the purpose of renovating the structure into a high tech, interactive museum (they hope to open it next April). The plan is for it to contain instruments, photos, videos & tapes of their performances. It might be possible for children to play with the instruments, too. The Department of Economic Development plans to help sponsor the opening. The Foundation plans to sponsor an after- school enrichment program for student of L.H. Williams Elementary School. Board members of the Big House are from NYC, Chicago, Houston & here in Macon.

HEALTH OF THE MEMBERSHIP

We note that Doris Christopher’s father passed away last week. Her grand daughter in CA is in for more tests.

Our speaker this week was Ben Sapp with the GA Sports Hall of Fame. He noted the hall started back in 1956 just honoring high schools. It was expanded in the 70’s & started here in 1999 as the largest of its kind in the US. It is governed by the state authority board (3 year terms). There is a three tier process to be elected: 1. there are 9 consulting committees (a total of 264 this year) – they can forward up to 12 from the different categories; 2. Screening committee is next – they will meet August 28 to narrow the numbers from 79 to 35; 3. The Honors Court then selects the class which is limited this year to 9 (normally 7) then the next day the planning starts for the ceremony February 28 here. The day before there will be golf at Idle Hour & the jacket presentation that night. The 28^th there will be the fan fest/autograph session with past/current HOFers there. We hosted here the 2007 International Sports Heritage Association with over120 professionals here (this year it will be in Cincinnati). Currently here they emphasize an education program since there is a health crisis with youngsters having problems with obesity/ diabetes. There are steps for life with health & wellness for all 5-6 graders in the public school system.  This has been funded by the ATL Falcons Youth Foundation & Arthur Blank. The focus is on diet/exercise- they are able to calculate their body mass index & they get a pedometer & journal to keep up with the exercise routine. Other counties in this program are Taylor & Washington. In state funding, their budget was cut 18% & they are supposed to be self sufficient by 2013. (This also applies to the Music HOF.) They are being proactive by 1. cutting expenses; 2. increasing revenues; 3. increasing private fund raising. Attendance is up in the last 3 months & they do not anticipate cutting staff positions. Additionally, they are pursuing grant monies. The hotel/motel tax increase to 7% will be also used by the Music HOF. They are hopeful this will go to the legislature. If someone is nominated after July 1, 1999 they are still on the ballot. At the turnstiles they have had 18,000 this year –there are more school tours at the Sports HOF & more concert attendees at the Music HOF. There is a stringent verification process to nominate a candidate since many of the older nominees have sometimes sketchy backgrounds. We wish them more success as all of the folks in the room have bee to the venue & know how valuable it is to the entire area!

The first speaker of the month was Greg Phillips a 7 year veteran of law enforcement in Forsyth. They are proactive in criminal enforcement looking for criminals on I-75. He was a fireman out of high school before changing working in Gray, Twiggs County then Forsyth. Additionally, he was assigned as a marksman in NO after Katrina hit. Now he works at the GA Police Academy @ the drug recognition school & teaches the FL highway patrol. He spoke of no racial profiling- we need criminal profiling. His partner is a 105 pound German shepherd. He was asked to testify against drug runners in Miami- those drugs came out of Columbia. He performs Interstate checks- enforcement stands between civilized society & chaos. There is a Fear Induced Adrenalin Rush from suspected criminals when they are being caught. He tries to speak to people when he stops them- they try to do the least possible to draw attention to themselves. They also can make a stop due to a call from a concerned citizen. He uses the ‘passenger side’ approach on the highway so he simply does not get run over by crazy drivers that do not want to pull over to the middle lane or get shot by the driver at close range. If a vehicle has dark tinted windows, he will tap on the glass of the vehicle before getting close to the situation. Statistically, he makes more drug arrests with the dark glass versus any speeders that are caught. We thank him for the information in front of the largest group of folks we have seen in several months!  Pictured with Club Board Member Shea Smith is Officer Phillips.

The Club also honored today three Kiwanians for their PERFECT ATTENDANCE:  Charlie Cloaninger, 29 YEARS!!!!; John Blanks, 21 YEARS!!!; and Jim Tessmer, 15 YEARS!!!  Congratulations to all these  Club Members for their outstanding attendance.

Finally, the Club honored two Kiwanians for their LONGEVITY in the Club:  Frank Craven:  45 YEARS of Service to the Club, with a Legion of Honor Past Governor's Pin!  Also, we honored Dan Brundige:  34 YEARS of Service to the Club, with a Legion of Honor Past President's Pin.  Congratulations to these outstanding Kiwanians!

This week's Guest Speaker was Prof. Sarah Gerwig-Moore, Co-Chairperson of the College Hill Corridor Committee in Macon.  Sarah is a Professor of Law at Mercer Law School where she specializes in Criminal Defense Law.  A Macon native and a graduate of the public school system, she received her undergraduate degree from Mercer University where she majored in English and Music.  She later attended Emory Law School in Atlanta, receiving her J. D. in Law and Religion.  Following law school, she worked in Atlanta in the Public Defender's Office.  Since her return to Macon in 2006, she has been with Mercer University.  Sarah serves on Macon's Planning and Zoning Commission as well as her work with the College Hill Corridor.  In her discussion before the club, she noted that the purpose of the Collge Hill Corridor is to both better connect Mercer University students to Macon as well as improving the neighborhoods in the Corridor's area.  The Commission is in its infancy and is mainly oriented on planning and idea gathering, seeking to gain support among the residents of the Collge Hill Corridor, which generally runs from Mercer University down Collge Street and then to the Law School, with branches off streets throughout the route.  The Commission has put on several events throughout the year, to include "Screens in the Park" which was the showing of movies on an outdoor screen in Tatnall Square Park, as well as "Second Sunday" which brought a well known gospel singer to perform before a crowd in Washington Park.  Food was catered by Luigis, and the event attracted over 150 people even on a very hot Sunday.  If you didn't go, you missed the mimosas!   She urged all of us to support the College Hill Corridor in its efforts to better our community.  Pictured are long time club member Max Stout (left), Sarah Gerwig-Moore (center), and Program Director Kyle George.

The month started with NYC native Steve Glassroth speaking. He is the Executive Director of the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Middle District of Georgia. He said he has gone from ‘Crime in the Streets to Crime in the Suites” since he was in the Montgomery, AL legal system in private practice for many years. In the middle GA area, this is the first Federal Public Defenders Office that was started with a phone, pad of paper & pen in January 2007. Historically, his job came out of the 6^th Amendment & the right to council- he cited the case of Gideon versus Wainwright in 1963 – you have the right to a lawyer if you can afford one or not. Congress passed the Criminal Justice Act in 1964 that allowed Judicial Districts to provide defense of poor private lawyers; the Federal public defender system & community system. Legal Aid Societies started back in the 1920’s in NYC & Chicago- here we were represented by the private bar at a reduced fee. This led to diffused representation. There are 94 judicial districts with only three not having this office. His area covers 70 counties in the state- from Hart County to Valdosta to Columbus. The client community has had normally a less than stellar record in their experiences.  They have a less than average education. We heard that Federal sentencing has little parole & that sentences are in months. They help clients with the process in the strategy of trial or plea. They now handle 250 cases. He feels that their needs to be a revision of the sentencing in crack cocaine versus powdered. Other issues they will cover include bank/mortgage fraud; immigration/FEMA cases. They also provide support for lawyers. Non- violent offenders are supervised. There needs to be a better way to spend resources. We are not winning the war on drugs since this started in the Richard Nixon administration. We wish him well & he hoped he would never have to see us on a professional capacity!  Pictured with Steve is Board Member Kyle George on the left and Grady Gafford, fellow longtime Alabama resident.

We had two speakers representing the American Red Cross at this week’s meeting: Regional Executive Director Bo Stollenwerck & Emergency Services Director Ryan Logan. The former is an Alabama native who did disaster volunteering for awhile. He spoke to us about the recent disaster here (the Mother’s Day tornado). The blood services division is a different area of the Red Cross & he spoke to us on what numbers were needed last month. Disasters will happen anywhere & if necessary they can call on other regions or even International for help. They served 32,000 meals here, utilized 8 response vehicles, opened 290 cases at an operations cost of $266,000. They are also involved in smaller situations: there are 13 counties in this chapter & he mentioned there were 96 fires affecting 359 people for a cost we pay of $43,000. There is not always publicity on most home fires: they provide just the basics: food, clothing & shelter. He emphasized they are NOT a government agency. They give hope with effort. Mr. Logan explained 1. We should be prepared in an emergency by getting a kit together: Water, non perishable foods, manual can opener, and flashlight with batteries, a first aid kit, and battery powered radio, tools, duct tape, & plastic sheeting. Other things needed are clothing/bedding, medications, pet supplies, money/coins, sanitary supplies, important papers, contact information/map. 2. Make a plan: talk, plan, learn, tell & practice. It is easiest to educate children who then tell their parents the right thing to do. 3. Be informed:  we need a weather radio so we can know what is happening around us. Things never will be the way they seem once a disaster strikes. A prime example of this is Hurricane Katrina- for the first week the lack of basics turned life upside down. It was also noted that we should all be able to perform CPR & First Aid. The number for more information locally is 743-8671 with the web site www.redcross.org. We appreciate both for taking the time to visit us!

The Club welcomed Carole Radney- Director of Diabetes Management w/Coliseum Hospital- “Diabetesprevention, types, risk factors, complications."  Carole Radney, the Director of the Diabetes Management Center@ the Coliseum Hospital was our speaker. She graduated from GA Southwestern & has 20 years experience as a nurse. In our country, one of 16 (20.8 million) has diabetes- the 5^th deadliest disease. This lowers our lifespan by 10-15 years. In the past ten years, death form this disease has increased by 45%. Additionally, it is the leading cause of blindness & it can lead to kidney disease, nerve damage, amputation of limbs, cardiovascular disease, strokes, heart attacks & a loss of circulation in arms & legs. Diabetes is a circulation disorder caused by a high level of blood sugar attributable to defects in insulin production. Type 1 diabetes affects juveniles & Type 2 adults. We were also informed of pre-diabetes where the sugar level is slightly raised. There are 41M who suffer from this & heart disease. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes & may suffer from this 2-5 years before detection. Some warning signs are: frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, extreme fatigue, blurred vision & frequent infections. She urged us to have an A1C test every year. This is a test that shows the average amount of (glucose) sugar in our blood over the past 2-3 months. This can be measured with a blood test in a lab. The way to prevent diabetes are- better choices of food, lower size portions, moderate weight loss, more physical activity & annual physical checkups. We should walk a minimum of 3 days a week for 30 minutes at a time. (Preferably we should walk 5 days a week for an hour each day.) We were warned about ‘fast food’ meals & soft drinks with large amounts of sugar. African- Americans & Asians are at greater risk to develop diabetes. Other factors are heredity, if we are over 40, overweight or have high blood pressure. We appreciate the sobering information!

GA native Lauren Hamblin was our speaker this week & her topic was “Macon Discover It”. She indicated that in the year 2000 GA Power & Fantus  Corporation identified Macon as one of the top three communities in our State with regard to growth potential. As a result of this, an Executive Community Assessment was conducted to evaluate the city & to identify potential issues. The assessment indicated that we were successful in retaining our existing industry but lacked a unified economic development strategy & an effective marketing plan. In response to this, a team of volunteers met in 2004 to develop a plan that would take Macon’s existing business, industry & recruitment of new businesses to a more effective level. Because of this, the Macon  NOW!” campaign emerged in 2005 as a five-year, three-fold initiative with the primary objective of gaining a better understanding of the needs of existing businesses, increasing visibility in target industries & developing a comprehensive image campaign to position Macon as a dynamic & vibrant community in the minds of the residents. The themes directly correlate with the research findings. The survey indicated that residents of the area feel more positive about our music, heritage, the colleges & universities here, our central state location & small town feeling. The “Macon Discover It” campaign is designed for the residents here. It poses an active challenge for us to become more involved – many of us do not take advantage of what is here because “I will go later” which sadly sometimes does not happen. We thank her for taking time to visit our group!  Pictured are Club Board Member Mike Leonard and Lauren Hamblin.

Our final speaker of this month was the new Mercer Men’s Basketball Coach, OK native Bob Hoffman. He has 400 wins in a 25 year coaching career that included being in the NBA Development League last year. He spoke of the challenge ahead of him- Mercer University has is a great administration and the basketball team has to learn to become a consistent contender. He believes success is destiny and part of our daily choices. Pictured with Coach Hoffman (the one towering over the other guy) is Club President-Elect Charlie Etheridge. Go Bears!

The Club welcomed Mr. Chip Cherry, Executive Director of the Macon Chamber of Commerce.  Mr. Cherry was excited about all the great things that are happening in Macon and explained to club members the enormous potential that Macon and the surrounding area have to offer incoming businesses. 

The Club also presented the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Awards to four of the five recipients.  Pictured are Sam McDuffie, Hamilton Holt Scholarship Committee Chairperson, Kaitlyn Haygood (Tattnall Square Academy), Brianna Randall (Central High School), Malcom Hunter (Northeast High School), Morgan Deems (Stratford Academy), and Paul Boggs, Club President.  Not pictured is Kaeleigh Heath from Mount de Sales Academy.

The Club welcomed Dr. Valerie Biskey, Executive Director of the Macon Volunteer Clinic who told us about the Clinic's mission of providing health care to people without medical insurance.

Also, congratulations to Alexa Gregory and Becky Wyche from Mt. de Sales Academy for being the Runners Up in the Georgia District Art and Talent Showcase.  Alexa and Becky won our local competition when they tap danced their way across the stage!  Way to go, girls!

Club Member Anthony Hayes (second from left) welcomed to the club Mr. Warren Silbey, Jr., Board Chair of Macon Regional Crime Stoppers (far left), Sergeant Zachary Self, Executive Director of Macon Regional Crime Stoppers, and Mr. Charles Hubbard, Student Crime Stoppers Executive Director.

The Club also welcomed our new Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Don King from Milledgeville. 

The Club celebrated its 88th birthday this month!  Happy Birthday Kiwanis Club of Macon!  We look forward to the next 88 years!

The Club welcomed this week Frank Malloy, anchorman on WMAZ-TV news, who spoke to the club about the future of digital cable TV.  Once again, President Paul Boggs did not break the camera.

Also, so you know the great people who prepare and serve the outstanding food at the Mulberry Methodist Church, they are:  (left to right) Ms. Doris Andrews (chef extraordinaire), Ms. Betsy Abbott (coordinator extraordinaire), and Mr. Clifton Carswell (chef extraordinaire).  We are very happy to eat the delicious food that they serve up for us every week and we much appreciate their efforts to make our meetings successful!

The Kiwanis Club of Macon welcomed Mr.Peter Ranalet, the Macon City Forester.

Mr. Ranalet is pictured with Tom McEachern, Club Member

The Kiwanis Club of Macon hosted the Annual Georgia District Training Conference, held at Wesleyan College.  Over 15 members from the club as well as several volunteers from the Macon State College Circle K Club assisted in getting the event set up, people moved from the parking lots to the event, and registering participants

David Cozart and Annette Barnett helping out                      Omega Woods and Charles Baima at the "G-L" Table

Mike Dinehart "cruising" with his golf cart.                                John Blanks managed not to kill anyone.

Paul Boggs and Chad Hancock                                            Paul giving the Welcoming Remarks at the Conference

The Club welcomed Mr. Steve Dillard, an attorney with the firm of James, Bates, Pope, and Spivey.  A cum laude graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law, Steve specializes in Appellate Practice, Complex Litigation, Constitutional Law, and Telecommunications Law. Pictured with Mr. Dillard are Board Member Tom McEachern and Club President Paul Boggs.

Charlie Etheridge NOT selling Jesse Griggers the winning ticket in the weekly raffle.

Mulberry United Methodist Church, our new meeting location.

Installation Banquet

September 10, 2004

The Russians Have Arrived!

For more information on this exciting new Kiwanis project, go to the Russians Project page on this website.

Kiwanian of the Month for July

Tony Rojas was recognized as Kiwanian of the Month for July.  Tony is chairperson of the Russians Project Committee and has been hard at work preparing for the arrival of our Russian guests on September 10.  This is a new project for our Club and we were very fortunate to have Tony take charge since he worked on this same project as the President of the Moultrie Kiwanis Club several years ago.  We thank Tony for his leadership and devotion and congratulate him on being selected as our Kiwanian of the Month.

August 10, 2004

Dues Increase Proposal

The Board of Directors, at its meeting on August 10, 2004, voted to present to the membership a dues increase proposal based on the need to cover certain Kiwanis International costs.  The increase, if approved, would be effective October 1, 2004.  The proposal is to increase active member dues $10/quarter from $160 to $170, senior member dues $25/year from $98 to $123 (per year not per quarter as reported in the bulletin), and leave of absence member dues $8/quarter from $22 to $30.  These KI costs of about $25/year are for liability insurance, the Kiwanis magazine, and the Georgia Kiwanian publication.  The budget committee and Board overlooked these costs in preparing and adopting the 2003-2004 budget.  We have absorbed the extra amount in this year's operating budget but would not be able to do so again.  The vote is scheduled for August 31 at our regular luncheon meeting.  Please contact Bill Adams at 477-6874 if you have any questions or comments.

July 27, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for June

Greg Boland was recognized as the Kiwanian of the Month for June.  Greg is chairperson of our Key Club Committee.  He attended th International Conventions in St. Louis for Kiwanis, Circle K, and Key Club.  His two week visit to St. Louis was productive and beneficial to our club and our sponsored clubs.  We thank Greg for his dedication to our Kiwanis family and congratulate him for being selected as Kiwanian of the Month.

July 13, 2004

William Jacob Little Award Presented

This special award of the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund was presented to Shirley Allen by her husband Bob.  In making the presentation Bob gave credit where credit was due - his wonderful wife!  We congratulate and thank Shirley for her many years of devotion to Bob and our club and for being the great woman behind a great man.  To learn more about the William Jacob Little Award, go to the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund page, which is located under the Committees tab. 

Hamilton Holt Scholarship Awards Presented

This was a very special day for our Club as HHSF Chairman Joe Jones presented six scholarships of $1000 apiece to some deserving high school graduates.  This year's winners were:  Michelle Avery, a graduate of Tattnall Square Academy and headed to Mercer University; Haley Blair, a graduate of Tattnall and headed to Georgia Tech; Peyton Etheridge, a graduate of First Presbyterian Day School and headed to the University of Georgia; Kyle Gochenour, a graduate of FPD and headed to Armstrong Atlantic State; Lauryn Whitfield, a graduate of Tattnall and headed to Georgia Tech; and Justin Wright, a graduate of FPD and headed to Mercer.  We congratulate these fine students and are delighted we could be a part of their plans for college.

June 29, 2004

Kiwanis International Convention

Vice President Jesse Griggers presided as Bill Adams and John Blanks were away at the annual Kiwanis International Convention in St. Louis as delegates from our Club.  The trip and the convention went well.  Delegates voted on a number of issues and candidates.  The proposal for annual, rather than semiannual, payment of dues to International was approved.  For a full report on the decisions made at the Convention, go to the Kiwanis International website at www.kiwanis.org. 

June 22, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for May

Jeanna Fennell was recognized as Kiwanian of the Month for May due to her outstanding leadership with the Priority One Committee and our support of Camp Maheta Luputke, which had another great camp session with the severely emotionally disturbed children from Elam Alexander Academy.  We thank Jeanna for her hard work with this very important part of our Club mission.

May 27, 2004

Kiwanis Night at Camp Maheta Luputke

We had another special evening being fed and entertained by the staff and campers at Camp Maheta Luputke at the annual Kiwanis Night.  Ten of our members were in attendance, including five for the first time.  Camp Director Mary Haney presented us a plaque in appreciation for our 30 years of support for the Camp.

May 25, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for April

Hap Aldrich was recognized as our Kiwanian of the Month for April for his continued good work with the annual onion sales.  We thank Hap for all his hard work for our Club.

May 21, 2004

Art and Silent Auction

This fundraising event was held at the Ballroom of the Wilson Convention Center at the Macon Centreplex with the food being catered by Carrabba's Restaurant.  It was a very enjoyable evening, including a first time wine toss event.  We thank Cathy Avant Banasz and the members of her committee for their hard work in putting on this event.

May 13, 2004

First K Kids Club Chartered

Our Club's first K Kids Club was chartered at St. Joseph's Catholic School.  This gives our Club sponsorship of all levels of Kiwanis sponsored clubs.  We appreciate the efforts of teh Mount de Sales Key Club in making this happen.

April 27, 2004

William Jacob Little Award

Joe Jones, Chairman of the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund, presented this prestigious award on behalf of the Fund to Edgar Gostin, posthumously.  Carolyn Owens received the award on behalf of her father who was a member of our Club for over forty years.

April 20, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for March

Anthony Hayes was recognized as our Kiwanian of the Month for the month of March.  Anthony is one of our newer members but he jumped right in to help with the annual United Cerebral Palsy Shootout.  He not only did a great job of shooting baskets, he actively sought contributions with the result being he raised over $1000 for this very worthwhile cause.  Thanks Anthony and congratulations!

April 13, 2004

Big Card Game Raffle Winner

The deck of cards was down to 17 cards.  The pot was up to $2361 with the winner's share up to $1062.50.  Ticket sales had been strong.  Neil Struby had the winning ticket, but would he be the one to finally, after 8 1/2 months, draw the Ace of Spades?  YES!  Congratulations Neil!  We will now start over with a new deck and with the starting pot at $236.

April 6, 2004

Our First K Kids Charter

Greg Boland reported that the K Kids Club at Saint Joseph's Catholic School has now been chartered by K Kids International.  This is our first K Kids Club and the first one in middle Georgia.  Greg and Mount de Sales Key Club President Katie Garofalo were instrumental in making this happen and we thank them for their efforts. 

March 23, 2004

Two New Members Inducted

The Club had yet another very special day with the induction of two new members.  Cathy Garofalo was presented and pinned by Kimberly Rowell.  David Becker was presented and pinned by Cathy Avant-Banasz.  We welcome these new members into the Club and look forward to their participation in our activities.

March 16, 2004

Three New Members Inducted

The Club had a very special day with the induction of three new members.  Rob Matson was presented and pinned by Charlie Cloaninger.  Orbin Howell was presented and pinned by Dan Brundidge.  Jim Macklin was presented and pinned by Syl Thuente.  We welcome these new members into the Club and look forward to their participation in our activities.  Committee chairpersons need to check them out!

March 16, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month

Jamie Gibson was honored as the Kiwanian of the Month for the month of February.  In his role as chairperson of the Talent and Art Showcase Committee, he was responsible for putting on this event at the Grand Opera House on February 28.  The Showcase allowed local high school students to demonstrate their talent and was a wonderful event.  Jamie is also treasurer of the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund and has an outstanding record of service to our Club and the community.

Congratulations Jamie!  And thanks for all you do.

February 28, 2004

Talent & Art Showcase

Click on the Talent & Art Showcase page for a report.

January 29, 2004

K Family Event - Macon Trax Game

We had a great turnout  for our most recent K Family Event, namely the Macon Trax game against the Miami Manatees at the Macon Coliseum.  It was not necessary to be a hockey fan to come out and enjoy time with other members of the Kiwanis Club and its sponsored clubs.  We sold 123 tickets with Mount de Sales and the Aktion Club leading the way.  Mount de Sales Key Club member Winslow Rumph sang the National Anthem before the game and did a beautiful job, making us all proud of her.  The Trax lost 3-1 but we were treated to an incredible hockey shot by one of our own.  Between the 2d and 3d periods, 4 fans were asked to step onto the ice and take a single shot at hitting a satellite dish set up in the middle of the net.  One by one from the blue line, they gave it their best shot.  Two young men went first and missed the net by a mile.  Then Katie Garofolo stepped up and hit the puck within inches of the dish.  Finally, the last contestant was Miranda Defore and she hit the puck straight and true and nailed the target, making her the first person to win the prize this season!  Not bad for a couple of people who have never hit a puck with a hockey stick before.  You should have been there.

January 27, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for December

Jim Barnes was presented with a gift in recognition of his selection as Kiwanian of the Month for December.  Jim is chairperson of the Community Services Committee and once again organized the Club's efforts in support of the Salvation Army's Christmas Bellringing.  He did his usual great job in getting members to sign up for time slots over a two week period before Christmas.  This is a very worthwhile project for our Club and the Board was pleased to recognize and thank Jim for his hard work and dedication.

January 6, 2004

Kiwanian of the Month for Novenber

Bob Fleisch was presented with a gift in recognition of his selection as the Kiwanian of the Month for November.  Bob does a great job as emcee of the Travelogue shows.  He is also a leading seller of ads for the Travelogue program and tickets for the shows.  His dedication and efforts and for this important fundraiser of the Kiwanis Club warrants his recognition by the Board.  Thanks Bob!

December 9, 2003

 William Jacob Little Award Presented to Joe Jones

Joe Jones was presented with the William Jacob Little Award by Bob Allen and Sam McDuffie on behalf of the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund Trustees.  This is the most prestigious award that can be presented by the Hamilton Holt Fund.  It requires a minmum donation of $1000 and must be approved by the Trustees.  The award is named after a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Macon who is considered to be the father of the the current scholarship fund.  Joe is the fifth winner of this special award.  Joe is especially deserving of this recognition based on his long term service to Kiwanis and this community and especially his outstanding leadership of the Hamilton Holt Scholarship Fund.  Congratulations Joe!

December 2, 2003

Kiwanian of the Month

Shea Smith was presented with a gift in recognition of being selected Kiwanian of the Month for the month of October.  Shea is a hard working member of the Travelogue Committee and is in charge of ticket sales.  We thank him for his dedication to this important part of our club's fundraising efforts.

November 12, 2003

Wesleyan Circle K New Member Induction

The Wesleyan Circle K Club welcomed 17 new members in an induction ceremony at the Trice Room.  Three Kiwanians, Bill Adams, Jim Tessmer, and Greg Boland, were present for the event.  Katie Hunley, the District Convention Chair and a member of the Georgia Tech Circle K Club, was also present along with two other members of the Georgia Tech club who made the trip from Atlanta to promote attendance at the District Convention in February.  Wesleyan President Miranda Defore and Vice President Wanja Mwangi talked about CKI and activities planned for the  new members.  Bill Adams talked about why it is special to be a part of the K Family and expressed the commitment of the Kiwanis Club to helping Wesleyan Circle K have a great year.   The new members were presented a Circle K International Pin and a membership certificate as they were congratulated for joining the world's best college service organization.  The Kiwanis Club of Macon is proud of the Wesleyan Circle K Club and its service to the community.

November 9, 2003

Key Clubs Canned Foods Drive

This annual event was once again a big success for the benefit of the Food Pantry at Macon Outreach, a ministry of the Mulberry United Methodist Church.  Key Clubs from Mount de Sales, Central, Stratford, and Westside collected 5715 food items to stock the Food Pantry.  Ten Kiwanians assisted in the unloading and sorting of the items as they were brought in by the Key Clubbers, and a few parents too.  Mount de Sales led the way with 1865 items collected. 

  October 18, 2003

First Annual K Family Picnic

The first ever K Family Picnic was held at Lake Juliette for members and family of the Kiwanis Club and all of its sponsored clubs.  Every club was represented - the Circle K Clubs from Mercer University and Wesleyan College, the Key Clubs from Mount de Sales, Central, and Stratford, the Builders Club from Mount de Sales, and the Aktion Club.  Over 220 folks attended the event.  The weather was perfect.  Those willing to compete in the contests were divided into 3 teams - Red, Yellow, and Green.  They then competed in the following contests:  volleyball, tug-of-war, giant ball, hula hoop, canoe race, and pie eating.  Everyone else watched and enjoyed the entertainment.  What a show it was!  There were many highlights of the day, but seeing Andrew Maffessanti bounce several feet in the air off the giant ball was one of the best.  Watching rookie paddlers try to figure out how to make a canoe go in a straight line was also good for a lot of laughs.  The pie eating contest was actually the removal of M&M's from a pile of whipped cream to see who could get he most and resulted in some great photos, some of which can be seen elsewhere on this site.  After a lot of fun, everyone enjoyed grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a great day and will be done even better next year.  Thanks to all those who planned and helped with the event.  We welcome your comments and suggestions .