Officers

President
Christine Semon

Pres Elect
Phil Pople

Vice President
Dave Maloney

Secretary
Rob Summers

Treasurer
Ellis Stroup

Immediate Past
President
Ken Dell 

Directors

2005-2007
Larry Fellows
Charlie Mertz
Ed Crawford

2006-2008
Leslie Bruchey
Terry Proescholdt
Eric Gatrell
Jim Wiggins

Committee Chairs

Community Service Bud Jackson

Young Children: Priority One
Ed Crawford

Sponsored Youth
Eric Gatrell

Public Relations
Dave Maloney

Fund Raising
Phil Pople

Membership Growth & Education
Phil Pople

Interclubs
Jim Wiggins

Human & Spiritual Values
Ken Dell

Click here for District-wide Calendar of Events

Read the Capital District's online eBuilder

Jan 4 - Christine's Crazier - Board Meeting

Jan 11 - Karl M. Noah, Cubmaster Pack 285

Jan 18 - Tom Slater, PC - 2006 Election Analysis

Jan 25 - Robin Linton, Heartbreakers Girls Fast Pitch Softball

Christine's Connections by Pres. Christine Semon

Happy New Year Suburban Frederick Kiwanis Club!! I wish you all a safe, wonderful and healthy 2007!! It seems that winter is finally here, so please stay warm and remember to do lots of snuggling with your loved ones!!

As usual, our club had a very busy December. We had the fruit sale delivery (thank to Phil, Debbi, Dave, Jim K., Ed, and Carmi Sayler III) who were able to get to the drop off place bright and early one December morning to meet the delivery truck to unload it!! I know there were many happy recipients of fresh fruit this year.

Next comes our annual gift-wrap. This year we made an agreement with the mall to be open for wrapping on Black Friday, during the first weekend of December for their family fun weekend, and finally continuously from December 8 – 24th. We were very busy the majority of the time we were open (especially the last week). This year we earned the most monies we have in many years – I think since the times several years ago when we were open all mall hours were operating, from Black Friday to Christmas Eve. I would like to thank each and every member and volunteer that assisted with our wonderful fundraising success this year!! All the names, specific duties and numbers of hours are too numerous to mention here, so I would like to just shout out one big, resounding THANK YOU to all!! I am honored and humbled by your service and commitment! Stay tuned for the upcoming date of our Thank You/Appreciation dinner (within the next few months) for all the volunteers that helped us with our fundraiser.

Generally in December we don’t have a speaker program, because of the gift-wrap activity the club is involved with. This year our Vice President, Dave Maloney felt the need to fit one in before the end of the year. We were all very entertained by “Tales of Polar Bears and Penguins”, presented by our own Dave Maloney. Thanks Dave! I am looking forward to a great program series in January. As a reminder, if any club member or committee chairperson has ideas for speakers, please contact the link on our webpage for available dates and let Dave know your desired date. Yes, program organizing is under his responsibilities as VP, however there are lots of club members with lots of community connections that I am sure the club would be interested it listening to, so let's work together as a team on this and have a great, diverse program schedule this year!!

On January 6th our club is celebrating 35 years of service to Kiwanis and to our community. We still have several very active charter members, and we are planning on celebrating this event in conjunction with our annual Christmas party in the near future.

I wanted to conclude, as usual, with a few quotes that ‘spoke’ to me this month. Frank Outlaw once said: “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. When we walk to the edge of all the light we have, and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on… or we will be taught to fly." And also, Helen Keller said that: “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” I truly believe that the Suburban Frederick Kiwanis club and its members have done and will continue to do many fabulous things in our community and the world. Thanks to all of you that contributed in your large and small ways to assist with these accomplishments!!!
To end, how about a new term for us to continue to strive to be: Possibilitarian: Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Become a Possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities — always see them, for they are always there. Please keep up the great work and commitment to our community. Remember that we are , as Kiwanians, a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

Club Welcomes New Member Bill Muffi

New Member Bill Muffi was inducted into the club recently. Bill and his wife, Chris, have two children Nick (16) and Ryan (14). Nicholas plays guitar and Ryan plays piano. Chris loves to Ski and Bill enjoys golfing. The boys also snow board. Chris gives blood to the Red Cross and does volunteer work for St. Joseph Church. She presently sells skin care products for Arbonne Int. Bill is a manufactures rep. in the furniture business. And they live next door to Charlie Mertz! (L to R, Co-sponsors Ed Crawford and Charlie Mertz, Bill Muffi, Capital Dist. Gov.-Elect Art Riley who conducted the induction ceremony.)

Reading in Alaska

Member and Snowbird-now-residing-in-FL Paul Sheets and wife Marie were recently featured in the Frederick Magazine. Traveling all the way to central Alaska this past summer, they pose right with a copy of the Frederick Magazine while enjoying Denali National Park. Some people will do anything to get their picture in a magazine!

Christmas Fund Raisers are a Success by Phil Pople

As your fundraising chairman for 2006-2007 year I want to personally thank each and every one for all your efforts in getting this year off to a fantastic start with all your efforts. Year after year this club never ceases to amaze me how everyone like to roll up their sleeves, work up a sweat, and get a little dirty in order to raise money for all the causes to which we donate. Our goal, of course, is always to beat the previous years totals. This year we not only beat it -- we smashed it. I don't have the final stats on the two fundraisers but its safe to say we left last year in the dust by raising approximately $300 more in fruit sales, and approx $7000 more in the gift wrap. Special thanks go out to Larry "the supply guy" Fellows for his outstanding work in ordering the paper/boxes/bows etc. and for keeping us constantly supplied throughout the wrap. Special thanks to Larry also for using his garage as storage for our supplies during the off-season. Special thanks to Dave Maloney, too for being our go-between with the mall, updating the schedule on a daily basis, and being our accountant. Dave put in a crazy amount of time and effort into pulling this off and he proved again how valuable a member he is. This gift wrap could not have been pulled off without the effort of both Dave and Larry. Special thanks go out to people like Glenn, Charlie, Ed, and Jim for manning the wrap during the morning and afternoon hours while the rest of us are at work. And to Bill Muffi for filling in at critical times. Thanks to everyone one involved with all the setting up and tearing down we did. And, of course I want to thank all of our volunteers who came out to help. Included are Mount St. Mary's Circle K, SAFE Kids, Middletown Builder's Club, Tuscarora and Walkersville Key Clubs, Special Inspirations, Cub Scout Pack 285 and people that have helped us over the years that don't have any affiliation. They are all a God send. Click on the below for larger images of our FSK Mall Gift Wrap fundraiser.