Augusta Kiwanis Club

UPCOMING

 May 8th: Board Meeting at KV credit union 5:30

Program Meeting May 10th :  11:30

May 10                       Distinguished Youth Awards….

May 17                       Youth Services meeting – speaker is Virgil Hammonds, Supt. RSU 2

May 24                       Col. Eric Lind, Director of Staff, National Guard – Ron Trahan intro.

— SAVE THE DATE — June 9th: 90th Anniversary celebration 5:30 @  the Senator.  Invitations on the way soon.

 

Seeing all the attention Russ brown has been getting on his 90th birthday….Don Nichols…just a couple of years away is back at a meeting.  Nice to see Don, a past president and past Lt. Gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Russ…he was presented his 14th year

perfect attendance pin this week by Secretary Paul

Michaud

 

 

 

Chairman Matt Ellis presided over the monthly

community services meeting.  Up next…one of the years best programs will be this comming Thurday when we honor students from area high schools for THEIR community services

 

 

 

 

 

As is Kiwanis tradition, we celebrated Law day.

Betsy Pohl Introduced todays speaker James Glesner

 

 

 

 

State Court Administrator James T. Glessner told Kiwanians Thursday of improvements in accessibility and safety at court houses throughout Maine.

Glessner said some $50 million is collected each year in Maine through fines and fees, none of which is retained by the court system but is deposited directly into the State’s general fund. He said the Governor and Legislature approved new funding this year to enable the court system to increase entry screening at 30 percent of the courts to about 50 percent. He told of several instances recently when court houses without proper screening experienced some frightening disruptions from spectators who had not passed through a screening process.

He told also of renovations in the works at the court house in Dover-Foxcroft and plans for a new Kennebec County Court House, which is scheduled to be opened in Augusta in two years. The new court house will feature a second story connector between the old building and the new.

 

Glessner also described a program for greater accessibility to the court system through a call center which can handle telephone inquiries in nearly 70 percent of the cases. Information can also be provided in 100 languages through an online interpreter program to avoid language barriers.

 

 

 

 

Russ Brown made off with the pot of gold (again). Roy Hussey won the Senator brunch certificate.

 

 

 

Remember, the date is June 9th a Saturday Night

 

Invitations on the way …PLEASE RSVP

WE’RE 90 YEARS OLD!

The Augusta Kiwanis Club is celebrating its 90^th birthday this year, having been chartered at the Hotel North on June 16, 1922. H.E. Dunnack, the State Librarian, was the first elected president, serving in 1922 and again in 1923. During our first 89 years, we counted in our membership a number of honored members. Among the names of especially distinguished Augusta Kiwanians: Maine Gov. Horrace Hildreth, who was also U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan; Gov. Frederick G. Payne who was also a former Augusta mayor and U.S. Senator; William R. Pattengall, former Attorney General and Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court; Frank G. Farrington, Kiwanis Past President and member of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court; Robert Cony, former Augusta mayor and member of the Superior Court; Charles P. Nelson, former Augus

UPCOMING

May 3                          Observance of Law Day w/ James Glessner, State Court Administrator – Betsy Pohl intro. Grace:  Rick Maxwell

11:30 Thursday:  Community Services Meeting

May 10                       Distinguished Youth Awards

May 17                       Youth Services meeting – Speaker TBA

May 24                       Col. Eric Lind, Director of Staff, National Guard – Ron Trahan intro.

— SAVE THE DATE — June 9th: 90th Anniversary celebration 5:30 @  the Senator.  Invitations on the way soon. 

Welcome back President Chuck following a long tax season

the year so far…

another

good

crowd

this

week

 

 

Attention!!  All Kiwanis Members!!

The nominating committee will be meeting this week.

If you would like to be considered for a position or have a suggestion,

please alert Sherry Gregory or Chuck Calligan.

Help steer the club into the future!

Joining leadership can be fun and rewarding.

 

Lt. Governor Bob announces at the recent Division Four Kiwanis Caucus KIim Michaud was elected as next years Lt. Governor…some mightty big shoes to fill replacing bob…along with mighty big shirt and pants too.   Bob, Kim and President Chuck in front of the banner that will remain in Augusta another year.

 

 

 

 

Leo Murphy leads a line of Happy Dollars

 

 

 

Meghan Loubier introuduced this weeks speaker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betty Palmer, executive director, Mid-Maine Homeless shelter, described the program’s history, mission, and expansion plans Thursday in an address before our Kiwanis Club

In addition to providing safe emergency shelter, food and support services, she said the shelter, located in Waterville for the past 21 years, engages in an intensive homeless prevention program with 25 percent of the people served coming from Augusta.

A new building is under construction on Colby Circle in Waterville which will open in September with a 40-bed capacity, featuring dedicated family and children spaces.  The Shelter’s needs of up to $3 million will be met by endowment funds, annual giving, and state and federal funds.

Ms Palmer said 365 current volunteers out of about 500 needed are making a bigger dent in homelessness every year.

She described the Augusta Kiwanis Club as “one of the most incredible groups in Augusta for its awesome dedication of watching out for the greater good.”

 

Russ Brown who told us he  received more attention over his 90^th birthday than any other  event in his life, won the 5 0/50 drawing.  Phil Davidson who is less than 90, got a birthday gift of a Senator Inn brunch certificate.

AND SPEAKING OF 90

 Remember, the date is June 9th a Saturday Night

 

Invitations on the way …PLEASE RSVP

 

 

 

The 1970’s

 

1970  Augusta Kiwanis Scholarship Foundation Created. (Now approaching $350,000)

1972  Past Presidents’ Club was founded.

1973  Augusta Kiwanis Radio Auctions began.

1976  Radio Auction expanded to include television.

 

The 1980’s

 

1987  Jan Bunker was inducted as the first woman member.  (There are presently more than 20)

1988  Club meetings moved to the Senator Inn.

1989  Spiritual Aims Committee serves as catalyst for first annual area-wide Faith Awareness Week, and Project Aspirations began at Buker School.

The 1990’s

1990  Buker Project Aspirations became the 2^nd Builder’s Club in Maine.

1991  Rose Project fundraiser began.

1992  Cony High School Key Club Chartered.

1993  Annual Major Project funding began.

1994  Arlene Prescott elected first woman President.  (Seven have been elected since.

1996  Club received Spirit of America Community Service Award.

 

2000’s

2001   Kiwanis conducted a successful  $32,000 Charities Auction.  It also  promoted the annual boat trip and lobster bake, attracting at the time over 100 Kiwanians and guests.  The Senator’s double room was still being used to accommodate an average of 85 members each week.

 

2002  The Club promoted the candidacy of Past President Carolyn Perry who became New England Governor of Kiwanis International.  In that same year, Alice Savage was recognized as Distinguished Lt. Governor, selected among all lieutenant  governors in New England.

 

A note posted on the New England District of Kiwanis Facebook page by Governor Vesta:

Ever wonder how special your guest speaker can become?  While traveling through Maine in September, we stopped in to visit the Augusta Club for a noon meeting.  Their speaker that day was author Terry Tibbetts who spoke about his book:  A Spartan Game:  The Life and Loss of Don Holleder.  The book was about a football player, Don Holleder had died in Viet Nam.  In the book, Tibbetts made a case to have Don’s Silver Star upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross.  On April 27, today, his efforts will be realized at Arlington National Cemetery where Don Holleder will be so honored.  Check out the story in Sports Illustrated page 22, dated April 30, 2012.  Best Man Tom is very pleased he had purchased that book.

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