by Michael Laing
It
started in May 2007. Michael Laing, then President
of Front Royal Kiwanis Club, sought permission to start
a K-Kids Club at the school where he teaches, E. Wilson
Morrison Elementary School. Principal Margaret Holmes
agreed to have the club with the stipulation that only
the top three grades be eligible for membership. By
June Michael had a fellow teacher, Angie Patton, volunteer
to act as the Faculty Advisor. Then came the summer
break and a period of inactivity, except for planning.
September rolled around and students returned to school.
By the end of September thirty-two students had shown
interest in being a member of the K-Kids. Michael and
Angie had a membership drive and by the end of October
there were twenty-eight paid members of the club. Due
to a family medical emergency the K-Kids Club did not
have its first meeting until December. At that meeting
they elected officers, and determined to have two meetings.
Interbake, Inc., a new industry in Warren County, volunteered
to donate snacks for each club meeting. Then came the Christmas break. In January the members developed
by-laws and established two committees, Public Relations
and Service Committees. The first order of business
for the Public Relation Committee was to write a thank
you letter to Interbake, Inc. If you have ever had
a committee-of-fourteen try to agree on anything you
know this was a feat. The Service Committee drew up
a list of projects to start and hopefully complete.
To say the least they were very energetic and had a
list of fifteen projects. With adult suggestions they
settled on two; Teacher Appreciation Week and Earth
Week. In February the club continued working on the
service projects and finished the thank you letter.
In mid-February the President of the K-Kids, Chelsea
Spicer, attended the Division 19 Governor's Dinner
and stole the night. During the March meetings members
created thank you cards for each teacher in the school
and started planning for the April Earth Week Project.
The documentation for the club was completed and sent to Kiwanis International. In April the club members held an "Aluminum
Can Drive" Contest within the school to show how recycling
can help. In a five day period they collected 82,000
cans, totaling 563 pounds, earning $416 for the club.
With this success the May meetings were dedicated to
electing officers for next year and planning the Charter
Meeting. The last meeting of the year was held on June
11 and was a combined meeting with the Kiwanis Club
of Front Royal. This was the Charter Presentation Meeting
and was attended by twenty-two K-Kids, twenty-five
Kiwanis members, and thirty-six family members. It
was held at the school auditorium and was presided
over by Front Royal Kiwanis President, Dick Hoover,
and Division 19 Lt. Governor, Mike Didawick. Mike presented
the Charter to Principal Margaret Holmes and the 2007-2008
K-Kids President, Chelsea Spicer. Following the presentation,
Mike installed the new officers. The new president,
Michael Duggan, presented a $100.00 check from the
K-Kids Club to Mrs. Holmes for the new playground equipment fund. This was the second Service
Project completed by the K-Kids Club of E. Wilson Morrison
Elementary School. Over all this has been a very successful
year.
