Kiwanis January 7 Meeting Program: Doug Simon, Political Science Professor Emeritus from Drew University presented a "World Affairs Update".

Doug Bryant (right in above photo), member of Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club introduced Doug Simon (left), Political Science Professor Emeritus from Drew University at the January 7 Kiwanis luncheon meeting held at Charlie Browns. Professor Simon gave a “World Affairs Update”. The audience was fascinated by the extensive overview of the many issues facing the United States. Following a question and answer period, the audience enthusiastically applauded the thought-provoking talk.

Kiwanis November 20 Program: Drew University Circle K President Victoria Dayton described the club’s fund-raising and service projects.

Bob Stannard introduced Drew University Circle K President Victoria Dayton at the November 20 Kiwanis breakfast meeting. Chatham-Madison Kiwanis proudly sponsors the Drew Circle K and Bob is the Kiwanis advisor. All officers attended training for their positions this year.

She reported that the club has grown their membership to 25 student members who come consistently to all the meetings. The $600 International dues is paid by Drew and students pay $8 individual District dues by the end of the month. Victoria reviewed some of the recent events by the club locally and with the District.

Some projects are carried out at the meetings. One is Cards for Kids. Kids with serious illnesses are located via the Internet and cards are made to cheer them up, even though some have terminal illnesses. The club also does Trick or Treat for UNICEF, going door to door in Drew dorms. Over $100 was raised and donated to the ELIMINATE project.

The club went to a NJ state rally (a day of fun) held at Rutgers in October. They brought canned goods to contribute to fighting hunger. Drew came in third in point score for the day.

The club had a T-shirt designed for their club and will now order them to proudly wear to events.

They raise funds and made contributions by reselling used books. They had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich social where they made and took over 100 sandwiches, to Hurricane Sandy victims in Toms River. Fifty went to the Salvation Army and the rest were handed out by the students as they went door-to-door to help people.

Victoria organized a Drew project to collect Sandy relief donations - then they drove a truckload of donations to Toms River. She also sent out a flyer to Drew students reminding them to return from Thanksgiving break with more donations for Sandy victims. Victoria is heading up a Drew disaster relief committee. This week they went to Staten Island to provide relief.

Victoria and other students found tragic damage to houses at the shore. She invited Kiwanians to donate relief goods. One thing that is needed is pet supplies. Food, blankets, and other items are needed to help displaced pets.

The club held a “Dance the Damage Away” to raise funds for Hurricane Relief. The event was a success, raising $253.

They also are doing a Six Cents Initiative to collect used water bottles, turn them in for cash, and then donate the funds to bring good water to people in need. She thanked the audience for bringing in water bottles for her. They also collect can-tops for the Ronald McDonald House.

Upcoming events include the Free Rice Competition. When you answer a trivia question on-line, 10 grains of rice are donated to the World Hunger Program (freerice.com). Students will come to the event, group into teams, generate points (rice), and compete for prizes based on which team has the most rice.

Next year, they plan to hold a bowling social in the Madison shopping center near Staples. The club will attend the state-wide NJ District Winter Social to be held at Centenary College in February. There is also a NJ District Convention being planned for next February.

There will be a NJ District large scale service project hosted by Drew in April. Also, the Walk to Eliminate will be held again this year. A Dance for Dimes is in the planning stage to raise money for the March of Dimes. Also a Clean-up on Drew campus is being planned for next year in the spring.

The audience loudly applauded the great work of Victoria and the Drew University Circle K. Their extensive programs and enthusiasm are an inspiration to everyone.

Drew Circle K Club holds Walk to ELIMINATE Fund Raiser

Drew Circle K Club held a “Walk to ELIMINATE” fund raiser to save lives. It was held on April 29, 2012 on the Drew University campus in Madison, NJ.  Sign at entrance to Simon Forum. Click here to learn more about the Kiwanis ELIMINATE Project.

Registration for the event was held in the lobby of the William E. and Carol G. Simon Forum & Athletic Center. Participants paid admission and bought tricky-tray tickets.

There were plenty of donated refreshments.

The tour of the Drew campus was escorted by a trained guide who gave an informative description the buildings.

There was even a tour of the Zuck Arboretum.

Photo of one of two ponds in the arboretum.

After the walk through the campus, everyone was entertained by the Drew U. MadAve a capella. There were also two solo singers.

The Drew Circle K Club posed for a group photo at the end of the event. Chatham-Madison Kiwanis is proud to sponsore this enthusiastic and dynamic Drew University Service Club.

Drew University Circle K Officers Presented an Update at April 17 Kiwanis Meeting

Drew University Circle K President Victoria Dayton (left) and Vice President Savanna Arabi-Katbi (right) with Bob Stannard, Kiwanis Circle K Advisor at the beginning of the April 17 meeting. Victoria and Savanna gave an update on status of the Circle K Club, listing the newly elected officers. The also described several honors given to their club at the Circle K New Jersey District Convention in March. Awards were given for most improved club, collection of canned food, for outstanding President Dayton, for outstanding Advisor Stannard and for outstanding support by the Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club. Circle K  also participated in the Free Rice competition at Drew. The Walk to Eliminate will be held on the Drew campus on Sunday, April 29.

Doug Simon gave a talk to Kiwanis on "Presidential Elections and American Foreign Policy" at the March 7 luncheon meeting. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Drew University.

Doug started out with two quotes: “All politics is local” and “It’s the economy, stupid”. These quotes reinforce the notion that “Foreign Affairs” do not play a significant role in American Presidential elections.  However, war influenced the outcome of some elections.

He went on to give an enlightening and entertaining talk filled with many interesting stories. His analysis of current and past election campaigns rang true. The audience heartily applauded this wonderful presentation about the history surrounding American elections. 

Drew University Circle K Club – February 21 Meeting

Drew University Circle K Club President Victoria Dayton (right) and VP Savanna Arabi-Katbi (left) gave the Kiwanis breakfast meeting an update on their status.

The reinstate Drew Circle K is making plans for the coming year.  Victoria is the only continuing member who has “stuck it out” during the process of reinstating the club. She and Bob Stannard (in photo), working with the Drew faculty advisor and university administrators, have restructured Circle K and are ready to move on. Membership is now at 19 people. Circle K is planning a “Dance to ELIMINATE” event in March, a “Pizza Dinner”, a “Walk to ELIMINATE”, and making “Hug-a-Bears” for children. Election of club officers will take place the end of March and they will send nine representatives to the NJ District Circle K Convention in March. Victoria thanked Drew University for paying the fees for the club to attend the convention. Victoria also thanked Chatham-Madison Kiwanis for helping Drew Circle-K back on their feet. Members of Kiwanis loudly applauded the speakers and the fine work of the Circle K.

Program: Andy Bobeck explained how to improve digital photographs

Award winning Chatham photographer Andy Bobeck spoke to Kiwanis about editing and printing photographs. At the January 10 meeting Melanie Sze introduced Andy, who is active in the Art League of the Chathams. Working with a renowned Drew University archeologist, Robert Bull, he brought to life details of figures in a film photograph of a fresco.

The fresco is located in the city of Caesarea Maritima in the western part of Israel on the Mediterranean coast. Andy explained the history of the city, now a resort town. Dr. Bull led a research expedition to the city in 1972. Excavation uncovered a statue and a stone structure containing a fresco. The Vault #1 structure containing the fresco is a Mithraeum, a meeting site for members of the cult of Mithras. The original research is described in book entitled King Herod’s Dream.

A photograph was taken of the fresco but it was not clear enough for analysis. Andy showed in his talk how he used digital editing software to bring a laser print of the fresco photo to life. Using a scanner, he created a digital photo and applied descreening to eliminate the laser-generated lines. He explained the photographic histogram (available on most digital cameras) and how it is used to edit digital images. The edited images were much clearer than the original, as everyone in the audience could see in the images projected during Andy’s talk.

As a bonus, at the end of his talk, Andy showed how he created photographic prints that look like an artist’s painting. He starts with five RAW images shot with a range of exposures. Files from these images are blended using special High Dynamic Range imaging (HDRi) software (e.g. Photomatix). HDRi adds detail to very dark and very bright areas of a photo taken in a wide range of lighting. He prints the photo, using an ink-jet printer, onto a canvas sheet. The print is sealed with acrylic and then bonded to glass with Gesso. He showed a framed photo of the center of Madison, NJ. Everyone in the audience thought it looked very nice. Samples of Andy’s work can be viewed at the Art League show now running at the Chatham Township Municipal Building.

The audience loudly applauded the very informative and helpful talk. Many of the Kiwanis members stayed afterward to talk with Andy.

Victoria Dayton, President of Drew University Circle K Welcomed by Kiwanis

Victoria Dayton (photo above) spoke to the club about latest developments in the Circle K club at Drew University. She is the new President of Circle K. All of the current officers are graduating so there will be new officers in all positions. Nadia Roof will be the VP, Savanna Arasbi-Katbi will be the Secretary, Abigail Dingle will be the Treasurer. Victoria is also the webmaster for the Drew Circle K Website (click here). She invited Kiwanis to give her items to post for advertising on the Circle K website. Victoria’s goal next year is to increase membership in the Circle K club.

Doug Simon Presents: "Current U. S. Foreign Policy"

Doug Bryant (left) welcomed and introduced speaker Doug Simon (center), Political Science Professor Emeritus from Drew University. Club President Dick Plambeck (right) also welcomed the speaker. Professor Simon is a good friend of the Kiwanis Club and has spoken to the club many times, sharing his expertise on international relations and foreign policy. As in the past, there are a lot of international issues today. Doug Simon shared his analysis and thoughts on current foreign policy.

He did an assessment of the Obama administration - where it has been and where it is going. He was both supportive and critical of this administration in trying to assess where we are going. Upon entering office, Obama was challenged by critical issues: an economy in free fall, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and worsening conditions in Pakistan.

The President put together a highly qualified, main stream, centrist foreign policy and national security team. New visions and directions in foreign policy came from Obama himself. However, progress has been slow. Obama is not a soaring visionary – he is a thoughtful problem solver. He has had some serious reality checks on how the international system works, learning from situations he has been forced to confront.

Early on, Obama quickly set a tone for his new administration by, for example, granting a Presidential interview with radio station Al Arabyia. He also re-conceptualized American foreign policy, renewed emphasis on diplomacy and reconstituted the war on terrorism. He placed more emphasis on relations with China and Russia, increased pressure on Iran and continued attention to the Israel-Palestine problem.

Doug devoted his remaining time to analysis of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan; recent events in North Africa and the Middle East; as well as a few comments on our relationship with Russia and China. Events are still unfolding and we are not sure where this will all end up. Pakistan is a very serious problem, perhaps the most dangerous country in the world. Yemen is becoming a significant problem.

China is growing in financial and political influence. By 2040, China could constitute 40 percent of the World’s GDP. This compares to the present 11 percent. Presently, the United States GDP produces only 21 percent of the World’s GDP.

The essence of Obama’s foreign policy and what might be in store: he has worked hard to change America’s image in foreign countries, his choices for his foreign policy team were very good, he has placed renewed interest on personal diplomacy, and he experienced a giant reality check on his ability to accomplish objectives. Stepped up operations against Al-Qaeda have been successful.

After a brief Q&A, the audience gave Doug an enthusiastic round of applause for his informative and entertaining talk.

Dr. Amy Koritz tells Kiwanis about Project Pericles at Drew University

Dr. Amy Koritz, Director of the Center for Civic Engagement, Drew University spoke at the June 22 meeting about Project Pericles. Drew University is a member of Project Pericles, a consortium of 28 colleges and universities committed to incorporating civic engagement into their core educational mission. Project Pericles is a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.

Dr. Koritz described the ways that Drew is participating in Project Pericles. She distributed a “Drew Today” handout describing the program. The mission of Civic Engagement at Drew is to connect education and action for the common good. Project Pericles supports this by providing training, assistance and networking between member colleges. With this help, Drew is starting a course on Economics of Non-Profits.

Drew now has a Civic Scholars Program. Scholarships are awarded based on incoming student’s High School record of excellence in community service. Civic Scholars enroll in a special seminar their first year and then participate in weekly workshops to develop their skills. All are expected to do 100 hours of community service each year and to organize a Drew activity involving the community during their first year. Of 133 applying for the scholarship, 26 were accepted into the program.

Visit the Drew and Project Pericles websites to learn more.

Drew University graduate Kristin Germinario speaks to Kiwanis about KSTF

Kristin Germinario has received a fellowship in biology from the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, an advocate for new teachers and the teaching profession. Each Fellow receives a five-year fellowship valued at up to $150,000 that includes mentoring, classroom materials professional development and access to a network of like-minded colleagues and educators nationwide.

At the June 22 Kiwanis club meeting, she briefly described the KSTF and her teaching experiences. Germinario taught biology to incoming eighth graders and was inspired by this experience to become a teacher.

While she was an undergraduate at Drew, Germinario was a member of the Circle K club, a student service club sponsored by Kiwanis Club of the Chathams. She was Editor of “The Duckling”, the club’s newsletter. She thanked Kiwanis for the learning experience she received while in Key Club and Circle K.

Click here to read the Drew Today article on Germinario’s award. Click here to learn more about Knowles Science Teaching Foundation.

Announcements for April 27 Breakfast Meeting

President Rich announced at the April 27 meeting that Joan came through her knee surgery, is in rehab at RIM and is doing well. Drew Circle K Club is having a textbook drive and a flyer is available on the club website. Drew will take encyclopedias and other large books, which can be dropped off at many locations on campus. Numbered stakes were made by Dick Ligertwood for the May 15 Yard Sale. Rich and John will place the 24 stakes on table sites the night before the sale. About a dozen table spaces have been sold so far. The sign-up sheet for the Sale was circulated again. Rich reported that the Church Service and Brunch was great and recommend that more people come next year. Brunch was held in a very nice semi-private room at Winberie’s. Rich also showed a plaque from Madison Little League of members of the Kiwanis team. Charlie Brown’s will be asked to mount the plaque in the Kiwanis meeting room.

Jerry reminded all that the Madison May Day Cole Park clean-up will be next Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Members should bring their own tools but some may be provided by Madison. After the meeting, AD said she will pick up T-shirts and available tools on the Thursday before the event.

Nancy Boucher announced the names of the nominees for 2010-2011 officers of the club. Look at the list in the page in the right margin of this Blog. Joan May will be the new Vice President and the three 2013 Class Elected Directors are Douglas Bryant, Karen Schwartz and Melanie Sze. Per our club by-laws, we announce the slate at the last meeting of April. Nominations from the floor are accepted at the next meeting on May 4. Members vote on the slate at the second meeting in May, which is May 11. The Secretary position is filled by the Board at a later time.

Drew University Circle K Club - Guests at April 13 Meeting

Photo (left to right): Circle K Club Faculty Advisor Professor Amy Koritz, Special Activities Coordinator Gabrielle Kostiuk, President Danielle Gregor, Member Victoria Dayton, and Club Secretary Sarah Cronholm. Professor Koritz described the work of the Drew Center for Civic Engagement. Started in 2008, the mission is to connect education to effective action in the world. Click here to learn about the Center for Civic Engagement.

President Gregor described recent club activities: helping Kiwanis with Pasta Dinner, Nut Sales and Fish & Chips Dinner; raising almost $500 through the “Relay for Life” and working to support “Alex’s Lemonade Stand” at Drew. The club attended the NJ District Circle K Convention where they received the Robert J. Mascenik award, which is given to the club that has done an outstanding amount of service throughout the past year. Click here to view the website for NJ District of Circle K.