April 2015

Sincerely, Dertroit Kiwanis #1 Board of Directors

Club Officers

Eric Sabree President

Eric Sabree

Immediate Past President

Marian O’Higgins

President Elect

Kris Miranne Vice President

Greg Zink Treasurer

Gloria Smart

Secretary

Club Board of Directors Jeremy Cnudde

Marcia Ford Lynn Kleiman Joe Lentine Jr. Karen Walker

Detroit #1 Kiwanis Club meets at noon on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.

Detroit Athletic Club,

241 Madison St.,

Detroit, MI

Detroit #1 Kiwanis

PRESIDENT’S CORNER While we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Kiwanis, it is very interesting to know what Kiwanis clubs were doing in the earlier years of Kiwanis existence. During the 1930's, The St Clair Shores club promoted an extensive dental clinic for underprivileged children. The Jackson club started a Potato Farm and Lot Garden project in cooperation with the local welfare agency to enable the unemployed to grow and harvest some of their food. Detroit College Park provided for five families for one month. Michigan was well represented in the leadership of Kiwanis International during the 1940's. Ben Dean of the Michigan District was International President in 1945 and Walter Ray of Kiwanis Club No.1 was elected to the International Board of Trustees in 1947 and again in 1949. During the Second World War (1941-1945), there were several activities initiated by Michigan Kiwanis clubs. The Cheboygan club was the first to report the purchase of war bonds. The Royal Oak Club held a breakfast for 75 young men drafted for active duty and the Ypsilanti club purchased an electric washing machine for several hundred men at Willow Run Air base because the laundry facilities were inadequate. South Lyon presented a 2 hour show with a cast of 28 for the 375 wounded veterans at the Veteran's Hospital in Dearborn. The Detroit Association of Kiwanis Clubs sponsored a blood drive. These are a few of the activities that kept Kiwanians busy during the war years. There was a huge effort to recycle coat hangers and other metal to support the war effort and Kiwanians were involved. Stay tuned, more Kiwanis history to come!

Eric, Your President

APRIL BIRTHDAYS Congratulations to our members with birthdays in April!

Jeremy Cnudde

Stephen Mayhew

Joe Lentine, Sr.

Gloria Smart

Wendy Briggs

CLUB MEETINGS We’ve had some dynamic speakers and more to come! Thanks to all the club members who have braved our crummy winter weather to make our bi-monthly meetings. Spring is here so no more excuses – hope to see many of you at upcoming club meetings. Be sure to let Lucas know if you are coming so he can give the DAC an accurate head count: lucas@hacketbrass.com. March 17th: Andrea Brown, Executive Director, Michigan Association of Planning Andrea shared the work of her organization state-wide to help educate and support professional urban planners. She reminded us that there is a need to break down barriers between municipalities and that regionalism is the wave of

the future. She also discussed the efforts MAP is taking to bring social equity into planning practice. April 7th: Rashida Tlaib, Sugar Law Center and former Michigan State Representative.

Rashida shared her newest work on a campaign titled: “Take on Hate", an effort from the National Network for Arab American Communities and ACCESS. Imagine…

Taking your child on a family outing to a waterpark and having a complete stranger tell her to take that rag off their head.

Hearing that same stranger shout racial slurs at her and insist she should leave because she is unamerican.

Learning from your third-grade son that his classmates told him my mom says you are a terrorist.

As Rashida shared, all these stories are true and they happened in America to Americans. The campaign is built on three areas of important impact: changing policies, chaning perceptions and building community capacity. In addition to the speaker, those in attendance approved the new Detroit Kiwanis club bylaws. Although we had an approved document in place, Kiwanis International mandated that all clubs

submit their bylaws using a standard format established by KI. Kudos to the club board of directors who went through our original bylaws and compared them to the new format. Thanks in particular to Jeremy Cnudde who used his critical attorney eye to be sure we didn’t miss anything.

Mingling during the lunch meeting

Upcoming Speakers April 21st: Meagan Dunn, Director of Community Outreach and Partnerships, Henry Ford Health Systems May 5th: Therese Quattrociocchi-Longe, Children’s Hospital May 19th: Cindy McCann-Clissold, Michigan Business Professional Association June 2nd: Joe Rashid, Outreach Director, Brightmoor Alliance June 16th: Theodore Van Buren, United States Coast Guard Academy July 7th: NO CLUB MEETING (4th of July Holiday)

AKTION CLUB NEWS So, who is the Detroit Aktion Club preparing to help out now? The Michigan District – that’s who!!!

Lead by the multi-talented, Detroit Number 1 member, Chris King, the Detroit Helping-Out Aktion club is preparing song and dance numbers for the District Convention. We are not sure of the time slot, but they will help the Michigan District celebrate 100 years of Kiwanis and have a great time while doing so. Photographs are members learning to breathe and get ready for the work of their presentations.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ONE OF OUR OWN! Each year, the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan

honor women for their outstanding contributions to our community. Our very own Karen Palka has been recognized in 2015 for leadership of character in her

personal and professional life. She is one of 11 this year to receive this honor. Karen – you do us proud!

INTERCLUB OPPORTUNITIES As Lieutenant Governor, Marian O’Higgins is working diligently to organize interclubs throughout our division. Not only is this a great way to meet other Kiwanians and hear what they are doing during their meetings, we earn extra points! Below is the upcoming schedule. Email Marian at marian.o@sbcglobal.net if you are interested in going. It only takes four of us for an interclub and as Marian will be there for all of them, we only need three more club members. Please consider joining her at one or more of these club meetings throughout District 1. March 24th: We had an interclub at the Shorewood Club – Detroit No. 1 members who attended were Eric Sabree, Marian O’Higgins, Sheila Connolly, Jeremy Cnudde and Kris Miranne.

Your newsletter editor needs to brush up on her photography skills (or use her camera vs. her phone) – only got a good picture of Marian but trust me, the other four were there as well! April 9th: We had an Interclub at the Warren Club. Thanks to Marian, Jeanette Harris, Sheila Connolly and Kimmee Reed for attending – showing Detroit No. 1 is out and about and getting us some additional brownie points.

Upcoming Interclubs April 16 @ 6:30 PM (Thursday) at Cosmopolitan Club. Philippine Cultural Center, 17356 Northland Pk., Southfield (between 8 Mile Rd. and Westland Ave.). April 22nd @ 12:15 PM (Wednesday) at New Center Club, International Institute, 111 E. Kirby, across from DIA. Park in pay lot just east of the DIA. April 28th@12:00 Noon (Tuesday) at Lac St. Clair, Rose’s Restaurant, 31301 Harper, St. Clair Shores (between 13 Mile Rd. and Share St.). April 30 @ 12:15 PM (Thursday) at Eastpointe, Cloverleaf, 24443 Gratiot, Eastpointe (between 10 Mile Rd. and Stephens).

CAMPERSHIP SUPPORT Many years ago, Bill Drevant, a member of our club, donated funds to the club’s foundation to be used for campership scholarships. The interest income earned on that investment is what we use to fund programs. Each year, we put out a call for proposals and the result is our foundation provides a wide-range of campership opportunities for metro Detroit children and youth. In the early spring, the Club Board of Directors review the proposals and then make recommendations to the Club Foundation Board, who in turn, make the final determination as to which project to support and for how much. This year we will disburse $14,600 to the following programs, several of which are new applicants.

Camp Mak-A-Dream: Children and young adults with cancer attend a camp in Gold Creek, Montana. The camp was founded by Harry and Sylvia Granader who donated 87 acres of their Montana ranch and seed money to begin construction of a new camp facility. Harry was involved in building a Ronald McDonald House in their hometown

of Detroit, Michigan. When he visited children in the hospital there, he decided he wanted to give them a chance to see a working ranch in Montana. Campers can forget about cancer and be “normal” young people by enjoying opportunities to hike, fish, and swim and participate in arts and crafts, music, etc.

Circle Y Ranch: Located in Bangor, Michigan, recruits African American children from Detroit to participate in a weeklong camp.

Detroit Young Life: Part of a national organization, this program provides a six-day multicultural camping experience where campers participate in group building, social skills activities, small group discussions and life mapping exercises while experiencing traditional camping opportunities.

Fellowship for Christian Athletes: metro Detroit athletes, ages 12 to 18, participate in a sports camp by using athletics to impact their faith. This camp is one supported by Kiwanis clubs throughout Michigan.

Fowler Center: This camp provides an away-from-home experience for children and youth with developmental disabilities and other special needs. The emphasis is on the outdoors, learning to care for and protect the environment, personal growth and just having fun.

Girl Scouts: Research conducted by Girl Scouts found that camping was the girls’ number-one memorable outdoor activity, Girls from the metro area whose families can’t afford the camp fees are supported so they can attend either Camp Hawthorn Hollow or Camp Playfair.

Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind: Children and youth with visual impairments participate in various summer day camps meant to help them learn essential skills of independence and self-reliance.

Racquet Up Detroit: This program works with 85+ students from northwest Detroit

to engage them in afterschool and weekend programming focusing on reading, writing, homework and the physical activity of playing squash. Support will enable students from Racquet Up to attend residential summer camps.

Salvation Army: The Salvation Army engages underserved children and their families in various outdoor activities, including attending overnight camps at Echo Grove, the facility maintained by their organization.

Sandcastles: This organization provides weekend bereavement camps for children and teens who experienced the loss of someone they loved. Campers interact with peers who understand, share and learn and together grieve and heal.

St. Frances Camp on the Lake: The children served by this camp have a wide array of developmental disabilities including Autism, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, congenital birth defects and other conditions that affect an individual’s cognitive, emotional and physical function/health. Participating in camp activities helps improve confidence and reinforces there are no limits to their boundaries.

St. Vincent de Paul: Children who attend Camp Ozanam come from metro Detroit economically disadvantaged families. The program focuses on lessons in ecology, fitness, character development and the arts.

Tamarack Camps: Jewish children from the metro Detroit community are provided the opportunity to have a Jewish residential camp experience. For many campers, this experience has had a profound impact on a child’s Jewish identity. Life-long friendships, experiencing the traditional weekly rituals of the Sabbath, and building memories that will last a lifetime are all part of the camp experience, in addition to traditional arts and crafts, water-sports, land-sports and more.

Urban Methodist Youth Camp: This camp focuses on providing fun-filled overnight camping experience for multi-cultural youth from metro Detroit. The intent is for youth to enhance their leadership development, personal discipline, self-esteem and teamwork skills. Urban youth interact with their peers in a healthy, non-violent way utilizing a values-based curriculum.

Wildwood Ranch: As with many overnight camps, this program focuses on using nature to help broaden each child’s horizons, self-awareness and leadership skills. Low-income children are able to participate at no cost to their families.

YMCA: Through our support, Detroit children ages 9 to 15 attend Camp Ohiyesa. This overnight camp provides the traditional camping experiences while the program also strives to develop those developmental assets children need to succeed as adults.

In addition to these camps, our Foundation is supporting four youth who will attend Kiwanis’ Key Leader Camp scheduled for late April. Attendees have the opportunities during this extensive weekend retreat to participate in large and small group workshops, discussions and team-building activities. They learn leadership skills that will help them to change their schools, communities and the world for the better. The students will also develop friendships and have positive experiences with other Key Leader graduates.

ADDITIONAL FOUNDATION SUPPORT Besides supporting campership programs, the Detroit Kiwanis Foundation Board has limited discretionary monies that can be distributed to other worthwhile projects serving children and youth. Recently, the Board approved funding for:

Kids Kicking Cancer: This program provides free weekly programs for children, both inpatient and outpatient, in the mind-body techniques found in the martial arts. The

mission is to ease the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually and emotionally. Our support helped purchase uniforms for 25 participants. To quote an 11 year old battling sickle cell anemia:

“The first time I put on my uniform, I felt happy and excited because it helped me to know I was going to be part of something that would help me through hard times.”

Strategies to Overcome Obstacles to Avoid Recidivism (SOOAR): This program works to increase the literacy and knowledge while enhancing vocabulary and reading comprehension. Participants are youth struggling to achieve academic success, many of whom have already repeated a grade. Funding will be used to purchase supplies, material and provide gas cards for parents of children participating in summer programming.

As with our campership applications, there is an online application on our website for interested parties to complete and submit. Of note, the monies are quite limited and when all funds have been disbursed for 2015, we will post a notice on the website indicating we can no longer accept proposals. If you have any questions, email Kris Miranne at: kristine.miranne@att.net.

Eliminate Week is coming up!!! May 4-May 8 is when the Kiwanis Family of Clubs will the Eliminate Program. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you can save a life for less than the price of a cup of coffee? My heart swelled with joy as I looked at the beautiful children in their new clothes searching for plastic Easter eggs. Their faces filled with joy.

Contrast this with an unforgettable image of a baby racked with pain as its bones crack; sensitive to light, sound and touch who will die because the it or she was unfortunate enough to be born in the “wrong” part of the planet to the “wrong” family. A baby will die because many ignore the images of their dying bodies and blood curdling cries. Please don’t let this be you. Skip the latte, take your lunch once a week, check the book out of the library or share the Wall street Journal… If you don’t know how to make an individual donation, I will be happy to show you and mail the forms for you. (I have stamps and envelopes ready to mail donations to Kiwanis International). As a Model Club we are very close to our aggregate goal of $750 per member. This is thanks to the silent auctions, Happy Dollar give backs and individual contributions. Thank you Kiwanis Number 1 members who have signed pledge sheets and made individual contributions to the Eliminate Project. Your support is invaluable – oh no, it is very valuable. You have shown that all lives matter.

Jeanette

KEY CLUB CONVENTION From March 13 – 15, our own Marian O’Higgins attended the Service Leadership Convention of Key Club. She was able to talk to High School Key Club advisors and fellow Kiwanians from around the

Michigan District. Our club provides four students with the opportunity to attend the spring Key Leader Camp.

Conducting business during the convention

A talent contest was part of the festivities

2014/2015 Key Club President Allie Clipfell (and friends)

Supporting the Eliminate Project OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE Kiwanis IS a service club and many of us joined because we believed in the mission of the organization – serve the children of the world – and we want to follow the Six Objects of Kiwanis. As newsletter editor, I get to pick and choose articles and photos and I have no problems being shameless and focusing on my grandsons! Not because they are so smart and handsome, but because they are participating in service projects and at this young age, they understand how important it is to give back to your community. We have to start teaching the next generation the importance of service and who better than Kiwanis? Kids against Hunger Desmond and Caleb helped package meals for the Kids against Hunger Project – the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church was packaging 150,000 meals to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Not only did I snag a couple of photos, the boys were seen on Fox 2 News and were featured in an article in the Grosse Pointe News. Even though Kiwanis was not mentioned in the article, etc. we did make sure that those filming and talking to us knew the boys were there because of their connection to Detroit No. 1! I had a chance to chat with Michael Burwell who runs the program here in Southeastern

Michigan. Many of you know him from when our club packaged meals at Metropolitan United Methodist Church – he says hi to all and hopes to see more of our members at future packaging events.

The truck and trailer used to be small – they are now both ENORMOUS – shows the growth of this important project.

Warming up with coffee after volunteering!

Books for Kids On March 14th, 60+ volunteers (kids and adults) stickered books at the Dencap warehouse. We blew through several skids of books and spent time reorganizing the shelves. After we finished the hard (and fun!) work, several Kiwanians met to discuss the future of the project. As many of you may know, Dencap’s business is growing in leaps and bounds and while we are delighted that Joe Lentine Jr and Sr are so successful, we are going to need to move the project to another location as they will be expanding into the warehouse space where the project is currently located. Lots of good ideas shared and look for further information as we move forward. Of note, the project WILL continue but perhaps with a focus on books for zero – 10

years of age. Look for more information on the project in the coming months.

Baby Shower

On March 27th, the Cosmopolitan Club hosted a baby shower for teens from the Salvation Army’s Denby Center. Six (out of eight) of the Division 1 clubs participated. Along with Cosmopolitan and Detroit No. 1, Kiwanis clubs representatives came from

East Detroit, New Center, Roseville and Shorewood clubs.

The tables were filled with baby items and gifts. Wonderful outpouring!

Impact of Our Service

Sometimes we forget that our club has had a long history of service to our community. We recently received a letter from Children’s Hospital thanking us for our 2014 donation of $2000 (partially from peanut sales). Since 1961, our club foundation has provided over $140,000 to support the needs of hospitalized children. In addition, in 1995, our foundation began supporting the Walter J. L. Ray Project at Children’s (named for our own past president of Kiwanis International). Initially begun as a way to fund a Child Life School teacher, the project has provided over $275,000 that now supports the Child Life Services Art Therapy Program – many of you will remember when we had the Children’s Hospital art therapist come as a speaker. So stand proud for the work we have done and know that Detroit No. 1 is serving the children of our community!

Upcoming Service Opportunity Our Kiwanis club is scheduled to help out Gleaner’s Food Bank on May 2nd from 9:00 – 11:30. We need

13 members to pitch in. The work is not difficult – sorting food and packing boxes but they do ask you wear closed toe shoes and casual clothes. Please email Kris at: Kristine.miranne@att.net if you are interested in participating. We need a head count by Friday, April 24th. Details will be sent to those coming once we get closer to the date.

THE ACCOLADES KEEP ON COMING… We continue to hear from clubs and individuals heralding the 100th birthday celebration hosted here in Detroit. Here are a few snippets from notes and letters recently received:

Hi Eric –

It was a pleasure to meet you in Detroit @ the Kiwanis # 1 celebration! Thank you for the coin and for the fabulous weekend! Your club did a phenomenal job hosting Kiwanians from around the world – I was so impressed! Yours in Service, Amy Zimmerman (Cincinnati Kiwanis)

UPCOMING EVENTS

27th Annual Kiwanis International

Canada-USA Goodwill Week Banquet

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015 Location: Port Huron Golf Club 4101 Fairway Drive,

Fort Gratiot Township Social Hour: 6:00 p.m. Dinner: 7:00 p.m. Ticket cost: $26.00

Make checks payable to: “Kiwanis Club of Port Huron” Mail to:

Lyell Schneider 2879 Westland Drive Port Huron, MI 48060

Reservation Deadline: Friday, April 24th Host Club: Kiwanis Club of Port Huron Co-chairmen: Lyell Schneider, 810.982.5117 (h)

Stan Arnett II, 810.364)6674(h) 810.841-35340 (cell)

Email: ac8w@comcast.net

Kiwanis Club of _____________________________ (name of club) Those attending: ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

DIRECTIONS

From Detroit: Take I-94 east to exit 275. At stoplight turn left on to Pine Grove Avenue (M-25). Turn left on Krafft Road. After passing High School on your right, turn left on Fairway Drive. Parking lot will be on your left.