Breakfast with Santa was held on December 1, 2012

On December 1, 2012 the Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club hosted Breakfast with Santa at the Madison Community House.

Madison High School Key Club helped make the event a success.

Key Club members served breakfast.

Simon Mandel taught children how to do magic tricks.

Children posed for photos with Santa.

Monty and AD spent some time with Santa

Kiwanis November 27 Program: Alan Robertson presented "The French Connection", including a slide show from Joan and Alan's recent trip to France.

Alan Robertson presented an entertaining and informative slide show for his and Joan’s recent trip to France. In above photo, Joan is displaying a beautiful towel she brought back from the trip. At the end of the talk, Alan shared with the audience samples of excellent French dark chocolate. This was a Tauck Tour.

They started in Paris and then took a train to Provence

They ate many fine meals. Codfish is surrounded by slices of eggplant and tomatoes.

There were beautiful gardens.

Charming markets.

Beaujolais vineyard.

Famous Avignon bridge.

A happy finish to a wonderful trip.

Announcement: Kiwanis November 27 Meeting

Dave Mutchler announced that holiday nut sales continue to go well. There are still plenty of 26 oz. tins of mixed nuts, 16 oz. bags of almonds, and peanuts.

Caesar Sweitzer inducted into Kiwanis Club at November 27 meeting

Jerry Cunningham (left) introduced Caesar Switzer (right) to members attending the November 27, 2012 breakfast meeting at Charlie Brown's Steakhouse. Caesar lives in Chatham Borough and has worked in the banking industry.

Kiwanis marches in November 23, 2012 Madison Santa Parade

Thirteen Kiwanians and spouses marched in the November 23 Madison Santa Parade (aka Christmas Parade). Madison High School Key Club was well represented with eight student marchers, the club advisor, and her family. Many thousands of adults and children crowded the sidewalks to watch this annual event. After marching, Kiwanians went to Charlie Brown’s for supper.

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.

Announcements: Kiwanis November 20 Meeting

Dave reported on nut sales. About $2,300 total have been sold - still have $2,500 to sell. Cashew bags, mixed nuts bags, pistachio bags, 26 oz. cashew tins and 16 oz. mixed nuts tins are all sold out. However, there is a wide selection still available. Please order soon so you won’t be disappointed.

Gary announced the Chatham Ogden Road clean-up is scheduled for November 28 at 8:00 AM.

Joan announced the Madison Christmas Parade on Friday at 5:00 PM at the Ambulance Corps parking lot on Prospect St. Also the Breakfast with Santa is on December 1 at 9:00 AM at the Madison Community Center.

Kiwanis Key Club Mixer a Success

The Kiwanis Key Club Mixer held in the evening on November 14, 2012 at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse was a very nice affair.  Karen Swartz did a great job in putting this night together:  A total of 73 CHS Key Club members/parents were there, and 13 Kiwanis Club members were in attendance. (Thank you, folks for helping to make this a successful evening).

Karen opened the meeting and greeted all and spoke about our club and Kiwanis in general. She spoke on the history of Kiwanis, the fact that we are International and sponsor youth clubs from Builders through Key Club and Circle K on the college level, and that students participating number in the many thousands over the entire world.  She also spoke of the special projects we support in particular our local charities and scholarships. Statewide, Children’s Specialized Hospital and, Internationally: the Eliminate Project.  AND … most importantly that we are going down in member numbers, while the clubs we sponsor are going up in number of members, which is great, but we need help and members to continue to lead and support the young people and asked that our guests join us in continuing our work with youth and to “Serve the Children of the World”.
 
Key club President Olivia Antao (in photo above with her father) then officially opened the Key Club meeting and spoke very movingly about what being in Key club has meant to her and how she is thankful to Kiwanis and the Key Club for giving her direction in life.  She was basically drifting with no direction and, on a whim, joined Key Club.  Key Club changed her life and now she wants to continue to seek a future in a service oriented field.
 
Key club officers gave reports and their meeting was concluded. Thanks to Kiwanis Club President Joan May we have these photos and description of this fine evening.

Kiwanis November 13 Program: Marc Litwack Spoke

At the November 13 Kiwanis meeting, Marc Litwack spoke about his career serving Kiwanis. His next step is to run for a position on the Kiwanis International Board of Trustees. In photo taken before the meeting, Marc is talking with Bob Stannard.

October 6th and November 13th Meetings Cancelled

Because of Hurricane Sandy, two Chatham-Madison Kiwanis regular Tuesday meetings in a row were cancelled. Everyone was without power for up to two weeks and damage to buildings, cars, etc. was extensive due to high winds and falling trees.

Kiwanis October 23 Program: Micki Chaput, RN, Director of Senior Services of the Chathams spoke on their many activities.

Micki Chaput, RN, Director of Senior Services of the Chathams (on left) with Joan May, President of Kiwanis. At the October 23 Kiwanis meeting, Micki gave an overview of the many services provided to residents of the Chathams and other Seniors in the general area. Visit their website to learn more about the organization.

Announcements: Kiwanis October 23 Meeting

Joan May announced the Governors meeting November 5 at Craftsman’s Farm and Parsippany wine-tasting on October 25. Gary Arnesen thanked everyone for supporting the Pasta Dinner. He reported that hundreds of meals were provided to very satisfied customers. Dave Mutchler announced that many nuts were sold at the Pasta Dinner. He urged members to keep selling.  Marty Sechehay reported that 14 people attended Monday’s CPR class. He asked anyone who was unable to attend the classes but would like to attend one in the future to let him know. He also handed out the wallet cards showing important medical data. A sign-up sheet was distributed for the Madison Christmas Parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Jingle Bells favors will be put together after next week’s breakfast meeting.

Chatham Emergency Squad CPR Training for Kiwanis and Friends

The Chatham Emergency Squad held training classes for Chatham-Madison Kiwanis members and friends on October 16 and October 22, 2012. Over 20 students were trained at the two classes. This is a public service activity provided free of charge by the Squad. Included in the training was how to use a defibrillator and the abdominal thrust (first aid for choking victims – used to be called Heimlich maneuver). The students came away with a better understanding of how to prepare for and to deal with emergency situations. Visit CES website to learn more about the Chatham Emergency Squad.

Kiwanis 2012 Pasta Dinner - a grand time for all

On October 18, 2012 hundreds of spaghetti and meat ball dinners were served by Chatham-Madison Kiwanis with the help of 37 volunteers from sponsored youth service clubs, including the Drew University Circle K Club, Chatham High School Key Club and Chatham Middle School Builders Club.  Everyone had a happy time and funds were raised for community youth activities and scholarships.

Kiwanis October 16 Program: Chatham Borough Police Chief Crosson and Lieutenant Brian Gibbons Spoke on Identity Theft.

Chatham Police Chief Crosson (right) and Lieutenant Brian Gibbons (left) spoke on identity theft at the October 16 Kiwanis meeting. Chief Crosson gave a complete presentation on the growing problem and Lieutenant Gibbons described steps that residents can take to avoid problems.

Documents covering identity theft were given to members to read after the meeting. Included was a complete list of steps to take to avoid becoming a victim. The audience enthusiastically applauded the interesting and helpful presentation.

To learn more about the Chatham Borough Police, please visit the Borough website.

Announcements: Kiwanis October 16 Meeting

Joan May announced that there will be a NJ Kiwanis District Governor’s Visit at Craftsman’s Farm at 6:30 PM on November 5 (cost is $35). Nancy Boucher announced the Parsippany Kiwanis Wine Tasting to be held on October 25 at the Hanover Manor (cost is $50). Gary Arnesen announced the Pasta Dinner on October 18. Dave Mutchler announced the nut sale. Jerry Cunningham announced the Averett reception on October 28.

Kiwanis October 9 Program: Trinity Solar Talked about Solar Energy

Representatives of Trinity Solar company spoke about solar energy. Left to right in photo: Glen Thomas, Ken Ebbert and George Obenhofer. To learn more about services offered by the company, check out the Trinity Solar website.

Announcements: Kiwanis October 9 Meeting

Gary Arnesen urged members to sell tickets for the October 18 Pasta Dinner. He also has posters which members can put up around town.

Dave Mutchler asked members to drop their used newspapers off at the Kiwanis newspaper recycling dumpster near the Chatham Post Office. He also reported that the nuts have all been received and he handed out order forms for members to use to start selling the nuts. The forms will also be on-line at the Kiwanis website. Members can send order forms to him and he will fill the order.

Karen Swartz reported that the CHS Key Club held a meeting last week. She invited Kiwanis members to come to future Key Club meetings. On November 14 in the evening Kiwanis will host a special reception with CHS Key Club members who bring their parents to learn more about the Kiwanis Club. More detail will follow.

Bob Stannard reported on last Thursday’s meeting with Drew Circle K officers. The Circle K will speak at the November 20 Kiwanis breakfast meeting and will also help with the Pasta Dinner. Bob said Circle K is very enthusiastic and making plans for the coming year. They meet once a week at 9:30 PM and everyone is invited to attend.

Betty Anne Keat announced that the Chatham Middle School Builders Club meets this Thursday at 2:45 PM.

Karen Shippey announced that the MHS Key Club meets every Thursday at 10:50 AM. She went to the recent car-washing fund raiser, which will support the purchase of a “helper dog” for a needy student. Karen also mentioned a recent Madison Eagle “letter to the editor” sent in by the MHS Key Club.

Kiwanis October 2 Program: Lucille H. Deutsch, Director, Geriatric and Caregiver Outreach, Family Services of Morris County spoke on Preparing and Organizing the Most Important Documents of Your Life”.

Lucy Deutsch spoke on “Preparing the Most Important Documents of Your Live.” Lucy (left in the photo) is the Director, Geriatric and Caregiver Outreach, Family Services of Morris County. She was introduced by Karen Shippey, on the right in the photo.

She passed out handouts explaining important document. The four most important documents are Last Will and Testament, Durable Financial Power of Attorney, Living Will (a.k.a. Advance Directive), and Medical Power of Attorney (a.k.a. Medical Proxy). She explained the purpose of these documents and inspired members of the audience to update or prepare these documents for themselves.

This excellent presentation was one of many given by the Family Service of Morris County. Please visit their website to arrange a talk for your organization.

Announcements: October 2 Kiwanis Meeting

Gary Arnesen handed out posters for the October 18th pasta dinner. Dave Mutcchler announced that a partial nut shipment has been received and he expects the rest to be delivered next week. He recommends asking your children to sell the nuts - his daughter already sold $100 worth. Karen Swartz announced the CHS Key club is tomorrow night 7:00 pm at the cafeteria. Karen Shippey went to the MHS Key Club carwash on Saturday and introduced herself. The Key Club has about 150 members this year, because of the “block system” at MHS. Bob Stannard reported that Drew Circle K will meet with Kiwanis at 8:30 AM this Thursdays to discuss plans for the year. Joan May announced efforts at FDU Madison to start a Circle K club - dues for first year are included in sponsoring club fees. Marc Litwack is chair of an International Committee, Service Leadership Program (SLP) Alumni – Marc is charter chairman. The President of KI said Marc did the best job of any international committee chair – he is “the founding father of SLP Alumni.” SLP includes youth programs. Growing rapidly, they got 10,000 members recruited this year. Key Club International has the highest membership in history, 268,000 members. Circle K is also at its highest membership. Kiwanis has less than 250,000 members. Pat Davidson announced the Randolph Kiwanis antique show on October 19-21. Marty Sechehay announced that the Seeing Eye sent a picture of Skye, a dog Kiwanis is sponsoring which was funded by the Kiwanis pennies for puppies. Two weeks from tonight is the first CPR class at the Squad building. There are still plenty of openings.