Fantastic Month for Arlington Club: Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Visits Club

by PG Warren Kane

President Khalid Siraj has been driving the Arlington Club towards more hands-on projects this year and in August it all came together with a major surprise. Community Services chair Derick Malis pulled together 3 projects for the Club to do in August, a major effort.

The first was the annual dinner for the women and children of Arlington's shelter, Doorways for Women and Children. Twenty-six Kiwanians prepared and served a home cooked meal to 59 residents of the shelter. Project Chair Julia Wright coordinated this annual event and the Club emphasis on home cooked items is most welcomed by the residents.

At the Doorways dinner the members got their big surprise with the news that Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (right) had accepted a long-standing invitation from Edd Nolen to speak to the Club. The kick was that the Justice decided to come the following Wednesday, or during the week of the other two service projects, and the District Convention. Preparations got underway in a hurry and the result was a total attendance of 89 including 16 Kiwanians from the Alexandria, Fairfax, Manassas, Mount Vernon, and South Arlington Clubs for this major event, plus 28 visitors who seemed to be almost all lawyers.

Justice Stevens is currently the longest serving member of the Court taking his seat in 1975 after being nominated by President Ford and confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 98-0. Justice Stevens made some remarks comparing the recent confirmation of Judge Sotomayor to his, and Justice Souter's confirmations and the failed nomination of Judge Clement Haynesworth, noting the impact of television on the confirmation hearings, and responded to numerous questions.

The following week the Club participated in two additional new projects. Five members coordinated by Project Chair Julie Martin Mangis over a five day period helped 18 out of 24 developmentally disabled children learn to ride a bike via the Lose the Training Wheels program. The Club provided 100 T shirts, featuring the Kiwanis logo for the children and program volunteers. The Club finished the week with Project Chair Barbara Allen assisting with the end-of-summer picnic of the Greenbrier Learning Center. Long supported by the club the GLC provides an after school and summer program for children. The club provided the food and supplies and Barbara's help to the picnic.

In September the Arlington Club will turn to fund raising with the annual Kiwanis Peanut Days and selling the ENTERTAINMENT discount book while getting ready for the annual Oyster Feast/Pig Roast on October 24, 2009.