Friday, July 14, 2017


June 29, 2017 - Guest speaker Josh Potter spoke on what you might be missing by not letting your kid play youth football (for 10-12 year olds).  He coaches youth football and talked about the life lessons that youth football offers:
  •    engaging in new and  uncomfortable activities:  running into another person is counter-intuitive; the sooner they learn how to deal with being uncomfortable the sooner they can have fun
  • he treats 5 day a week practices as 'work' and the game as 'payday' - this mirrors the work world.
  • the first month of practices is like going to school - there is a lot to learn, the kids need to be stretched to grow and then have fun
  • it is more inclusive than other sports - it takes 20-22 kids to have a team and this means that a broader variety of backgrounds are represented.  A participant does not have to be from the 'right" family or have the 'right' physical characteristics to be on the team.
Concern about concussions - Concussion rate is very low and coaches receive extensive training on how to recognize symptoms and proper follow up.  Helmets are primarily designed to prevent skull fracture and building neck strength and knowing how to safely tackle are the main ways to reduce concussions.

Anna Payne, our scholarship recipient, spoke about her involvement with Key Club and her education plans when she attends the University of Washington.  Her mother also attended the meeting.  Sixteen members attended the meeting.

Club business:

   Rodeo parade cotton candy sale on July 8- the machine will be set up around 9:30am and sale will be from 10am until about 11:30 when the parade starts.
    Blackhawk/Kiwanis golf scramble on July 16 at 8am - fee is $75 for round of golf, cart use, lunch and chance to win prizes.
    Looking for a treasurer for 2017-18:  probably involves about 1-2 hours of effort a month to track incoming money and money paid out and update the budget. 

June 22, 2017 - We didn't have a formal speaker; member Bob Quinn spoke about the weather.  An El Nino is developing but is not very strong.  The entire North Pacific is warming up and that may generate some thunderstorms.   He expects summer to be warm but not blazing hot.  A question was asked about people surviving lightening strikes.  Strikes are the highest mortality weather event and lightening bolt temperature is about 50,000 degrees.  About 90% of people 'struck' by lightening survive - this is because most people are not directly struck but are very near the strike.  Of the people directly struck, about 50% survive because the are struck by a smaller branch off of the main lightening bolt.  Trees that are struck are heavily damaged since they are mostly water and the water expands and vaporizes due to the heat of the lightening bolt.  Fifteen members and one guest attended.

Club business:
     At Betz Elementary recognition event, Clara and Paul were recognized for being the Kiwanis K-Kids liaisons.
     Pat donated $41 to our scholarship fund in recognition of his 41st wedding anniversary.

June 15, 2017 - Member Bob Quinn was our scheduled speaker.  He explained that when there is an El Nino winter about 50% of the time the storm track splits around us and we have a dryer than usual winter.  Most of the rest of the time we may have a warmer and wetter winter due to being on the edge of the storm track.  HE said that short term forecasting (up to 10 days) is becoming more accurate but beyond 10 days the forecasts are still not very accurate.  He discussed global warming:  it exists but it isn't certain how much man has contributed to its development.  Levels of carbon dioxide, which holds in infrared heat, have doubled since 1900.  Fossil fuels are a source as are natural causes such as vegetation decay.  Fifteen members and one guest attended.

Club business:
     Roger reported that Cheney Outreach hasn't received their usual level of donations and have had to cut back on assistance provided to needy residents.  Outreach provides up to $100 to assist with rent and utility bills, provides bus passes and pool passes among other assistance.  The club has a donation budgeted and Jeri will find out if it has been paid.
     Golf Scramble - attendance and donations may be down since the athletic director left.


June 8, 2017 - Sixteen members attended and we did not have a scheduled speaker.  We continued with members sharing their personal histories, including when they came to Cheney and why.  Rande talked about his time in the military and about the ongoing development of Camp Comia.  Carl talked about growing up in South Dakota and how he came to Spokane after working in Sheridan Wyoming.  Jeri talked about growing up in western Washington, coming to eastern Washington to go to college and then coming to Cheney when she got at job at EWU.  Sixteen members attended.

Club business:
     Krista Delaney will return as Key Club staff advisor next year.

June 1, 2017 - Members Gary Shamblin and Tom Whitfield provided a concert of country and old time rock and roll music.  Seventeen members attended.





    

May 25, 2017 - We were unable to schedule a guest speaker. Club member Kirk Madison gave an impromptu presentation on shrimping on Hood Canal.  He explained that shrimping is only allowed for 4 days a year, for 4 hours on each day and the limit is 80 per person per day.  Their shrimp trap was bated with a combination of wet cat food, oysters and oyster juice.  Traps are set out about 100-150 feet from shore, about 40-60 feet apart and about 220-250 feet deep.  They are marked with buoys and left in place for about one to one and a half hours.  Twelve members attended.

Club business:
     Betz K-Kids trunk sale was cancelled due to rain; on May 26 they will have a participation celebration and then will be recognized on June 16 at an end of the year event.
     Care Center flower planting, part 2 will be this Saturday at 9am.  Five members plan to attend.
     The Blackhawk/Kiwanis golf scramble is July 16 at 8am.  Tom and Mark are soliciting sponsors and prizes.


May 18, 2017- Dustin Flock, recently selected as a Fire District 3 division chief, spoke to us.  The district was started in 1945, covers 565 square miles and also handles medical and wildlife events.  There are 125 personnel and 45-50 apparatus in the district.  In 2016 they handled 1,517 calls and  expect to handle over 1,600 calls in 2017.  The highest call volume is at Four Lakes due to SR 904 and I-90.  A ladder truck is being added to this station due to increased industrial plant development in the area. Average response time is 14 minutes which includes time to go from volunteers' homes to station to event.  Recruit training happens year round:  about 120 hours of structure fire training happens in fall, wild land fire training is in spring and about 60 hours of emergency medical responder training (EMS) happens in winter.  The EMS training prepares recruits for a national test.  If they pass the test EMT training and certification is the next level.  Eighteen members attended.

Club business: 
     Betz K-Kids will have a trunk sale this Saturday.  Money raised goes to Second Harvest; unsold items go to Goodwill.
     Care Center flower planting will be at 10am and will be followed at 11:30 with pizza party for the assisted living residents who put candies into plastic eggs for the egg hunt.  Daisy scouts and mothers will also join in both activities.


May 11, 2017 - Mike Flansaas from the Christian Motorcycle Association spoke about the organization and its international efforts to spread Christianity.  They just finished holding their Run for the Son ride to raise money to provide transportation to missionaries.  Provided transportation has included motorcycles, bicycles, boats and camels.  The organization began in 1975 and is present in all 50 US states and 18 foreign countries.  Eighteen members attended.

Club business:
   We have received the applications for our scholarship.  Roger and Vonice will review and select the winner; Carl will make the presentation.
   Margie asked for club volunteers to work on July 20 packaging dry pet food to be delivered to Meals on Wheels recipients.  Five members volunteered.

May 4, 2017 - Mike Doggett, the after care director at Union Gospel Mission (UGM) spoke to us about the after care program.  UGM has a 18 month addiction recovery program and then after care is available for life.  Nationwide, 65% of recovery participants relapse within 3 years; if a participant does not relapse in 3 years they have a good chance of staying addiction free; if they go 5 years without relapse they will probably stay addiction free for life.  After care also includes help in getting GEDs and vocational education; seminars on how to be a good employee and about 110 businesses offer practicums for participants to get experience.  About 65% of practicum participants are hired by those businesses.  Sixteen members attended.

Club business:
     Special Olympics lunch packing will be this Saturday starting at 7:30am.  EWU women's soccer team will help pack.  Club members will lead the packing and help set up on Friday morning.
     Mayfest, May 13 - Kiwanis will have an information table and silent auction for 2 - $50 restaurant gift cards.  Tom and Mark will work the table from 9-2.