Charlottesville Kiwanis Club

by Jim Hart

Charlottesville Kiwanis Welcomes Newest Member


On Monday evening, February 20, Dr. Jack King was inducted as the newest member of the Kiwanis Club of Charlottesville at a ceremony held at the Elks Lodge. President Barb Ritter called upon Lt. Gov Herb Ely who conducted an elegant ceremony which included a reading of the "Objects of Kiwanis." Jack (pictured from left) was introduced to the club by Immediate Past President Jim Hart, and he was accompanied to the meeting and pinned with the Kiwanis pin by his wife, Wendy. A retired Air Force officer and former academic dean and senior consultant in the Washington DC area, Jack directs Walnut Ridge Consulting, specializing in logistics, leadership, and learning (see www.walnutridgeconsulting.com). Along the way, Jack's non-profit organization promotes the principle of "servant leadership" especially among children and youth who aspire to become community leaders (see www.servanthearts.com). Jack's Cherokee heritage has inspired him to model his work and his life after the traditional Native American ideals of community, service, compassion, leadership, and love. Jack and Wendy live in Earlysville and have four delightful young daughters.

Charlottesville Kiwanis Family Sponsors K-Kids at Venable Elementary School


Kiwanis-Kids is a student-led service organization for kids in elementary school. Members will be learning important leadership skills by running meetings and volunteering in the school and for the Charlottesville community. Some of the planned service projects approximately 15 second, third, and fourth graders will be doing this year include making goody bags for the patients at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital, writing letters and cards that will be sent to service men and women, and making colorful bookmarks for the children's department at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Members of the CKI Club at the University of Virginia, led by Tameka Glover of Smithfield, Virginia, have stepped up to organize this club. They plan and conduct the activities every Monday afternoon between 3 and 4:15 p.m. Volunteers from the sponsoring Kiwanis Club, including President Barb Ritter, have come out to observe and to join in this outstanding intergenerational project.

On February 13, Past Capital District CKI Governor, UVA grad, Brian Cofrancesco (left), paid a visit to Charlottesville, and working alongside current CKI at UVA President Nathan Cunnigham, showed the K-Kids how to make dog toys. Brian is now a proud member of the Kiwanis Club of Meriden, Connecticut.