RKC (ROSEMEAD KIWANIS CLUB) WEEKLY REPORTER – 02/24/2008

Greetings to our K-Family (Kiwanis affiliated group of clubs), RKN (Rosemead Kiwanis Network) and other friends.  And yes, this is a catch-up issue.  Last week’s issue was delayed awaiting the Fax of Life which went on an unscheduled hiatus, then got bumped entirely due to efforts relative to the Afghanistan airlift (see feature story below).

          Below are:

· NEWS: Recent developments and activities related to Rosemead – a brief

Section this week due to time constraints.

· EVENTS: Activities in and around Rosemead, with emphasis on Rosemead Club meetings and Rosemead Kiwanis Network activities. Featured are speakers for March’s Kiwanis meetings.  

· FAX OF LIFE: An inspirational email attachment, courtesy of Scott’s Valley Kiwanis. This one is titled “The Old Man and His Dog.”

· SPECIAL REPORT: Rosemead Groups Help with Humanitarian Airlift

    (Please note that we have attached a picture courtesy

of Rosemead Kiwanis President Scott Wick)

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NEWS

RIF (Reading is Fundamental) related activities are entering their second cycle in Rosemead despite proposed deletion of Department of Education support in the present Federal budget.  They will be covered in detail in our next issue.    

EVENTS:

Thursday, March 6, 2008, Don Bosco Tech

Darlene Nichols, Director of Student Activities, together with some KEY Club officers will be re-establishing communication and cooperation between our Club and Don Bosco Technical Institute, including its KEY Club via a special presentation about the institution.  Darlene is herself a former KEY Club member and Kiwanis liaison at an earlier stage of her career.

Don Bosco Technical Institute is an all-male high school in Rosemead, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education. Students select four quarter-long technology courses to take during their freshman year in the high school program, and at the end of that year, they select one of those four to continue with throughout the next three years. Students can graduate in four years with a high school diploma.

Don Bosco has always maintained a legacy of academic excellence, but gained its reputation as a "tech" school. The school has grown in size since its 1955 opening and has been recognized for its renowned debate team. Technology courses include computer science, construction, design, electronics, graphic communication, material science, manufacturing and power and transportation. Surveys show that seventy-three percent of Bosco's graduates are working in engineering, math, science or technology-related professions.

12:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, 2008, Rice School Rhythmatics (Note: Meeting is from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.)

Rice Elementary School instructor Marina Tahmizian will conduct a student choral group in a contemporary program for our members and the residents of California Mission Inn. The public is also invited. This remarkable e group of K-6 pupils has performed at a number of community events. Standing ovations are normal!  At 1:30 p.m., our members will go to the adjacent Chapel for the program.

Thursday, March 20, 2008, United Parcel Service (UPS)

Diane Lavalette, Account Manager, Sales, will discuss the 100+ year history of United Parcel service.  UPS has grown by investing, not only in its business, but also investing in its employees and in the communities it serves.

Thursday, March 27, 2008, Our Philippine Mission

Rev. Miguel DeGuzman, Rosemead Kiwanian and Pastor of the United Methodist Church in Rosemead, will present the program on his current trip and building mission in the Philippines

* - unless otherwise indicated, Kiwanis meetings are at 12:10 in California Mission

Inn chapel’s multipurpose room, 4807 Earle (north of Mission ½ block on west

side of street), Rosemead. Street parking is normally required.

WEEKLY FAX OF LIFE INSPIRATION – “The Old Man and His Dog” - see fIle attached

     (Note: the rosemeadkiwanis.org website now has a two year accumulation

of Fax of Life inspirational monographs available for review  – see the Fax

of Life link at bottom of the “Newsletters” section of the website.)

SPECIAL REPORT – Rosemead Groups Help with Humanitarian Airlift

An humanitarian airlift of clothing, blankets and other to Afghanistan has been facilitated by a coalition of Rosemead based groups. The Rosemead Kiwanis Club, Wal-Mart Super Center, several Rosemead spiritual groups and the local Budget Rent Car franchise were all involved.

The project began with a simple description of needs by a serviceman serving in Afghanistan in an email to his grandfather, who happened to be an active member of the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club.  Investigation revealed that it would be possible to utilize a military air transport to fly needed infant wear, clothing, blankets and other materials to Afghanistan.  The Club arranged for a drop off point and circulated information within its local Kiwanis network, expecting to gather perhaps 15-20 boxes of materials.

This initial perception grossly underestimated the appeal of the project. By early February numerous other groups were supporting the effort. A new and larger collection point had to be designated. Publicity was enhanced, including an email flyer from bethecause.org, a group active in the Huntington Beach area. This flyer, with its prominent Kiwanian reference, reached the Rosemead Kiwanis Club in early February initially by sheer coincidence. After a few confirming phone calls it was forwarded with the weekly RKC Reporter email to Rosemead residents.

From there matters in Rosemead took off.

Several Rosemead groups took a major interest.  Members of the Evergreen Baptist Church, two of whose pastors (Steve Rivera and Ken Fong) Kiwanians, came up with over 100 bags of clothing.  A member of the Mission United Methodist Church, pastured by Kiwanian Miguel De Guzman, arranged for another 80 bags from former residents of the Alliance Hospital in El Monte. Kiwanian Jorge Lopez, manager of Rosemead’s Wal-Mart Super Center, arranged for a large quantity of returned merchandise and plus a hundred dollar redemption certificate. Two other spiritual groups and several individuals also contributed.

A logistics problem quickly surfaced as all these materials began to be assembled. . With rainy weather threatening there were more materials than the available four SUV’s and pick-up trucks could handle.  But, through the good offices of Kiwanian and Rosemead Allstate Insurance agent Ernie Ayala, local Budget Car and Truck franchisee Bob Wu stepped in with offer of a truck.

Using volunteers from the Servants in Deed Outreach and Evergreen’s youth group the truck was loaded on Friday.  Saturday it was driven by SIDO head and Kiwanian Art Landing to Huntington Beach where Rosemead Kiwanis President Scott Wick was on hand to see a massive sorting and packing operation involving over 100 local volunteers under Kiwanis direction (see attached picture).

According to an email from packing volunteer coordinator Sonali Fiske, over 10,000 pounds of materials – enough to pack an entire plane – was assembled due to the help of the various Kiwanis Clubs and other groups involved.  Rosemead was one of three clubs who brought an entire truckload. She and the members of the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club have expressed their appreciation to all the involved Rosemead groups for their assistance.

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