KiwaNews, Thursday Dec 13, 2007

By: Bob Carpenter, Secretary 941/ 629-5238 carp 813 @ comcast.net

¨ PGI CHRISTMAS LIGHT CANAL TOUR : We still have 15 tickets left to sell at $10 each. Coordinator Joan Greene leased out and the club paid for the 49 passenger King Fisher Cruise boat to tour the PGI canal lights Sat. Dec. 15 . Boat leaves sharply at 7:30pm from Fishermen's Village. Please buy a ticket for a friend, employee, neighbor, etc. Call Joan at 575-6660 or e-mail at joangreene@earthlink.net .

ANY KIWANIAN IN DIV-18S CAN GET TICKETS . Contact Lt. Gov. Joan Greene as shown above.

NOTE TO DIV-18S CLUBS : Dec. 20th is our annual Christmas Luncheon. Lunch is $20. Call in advance if you plan to attend.

¨ MEMBERS TO VOTE ON MEETING PLACE : Your Board has discussed this issue for more than a year. Some members want to move, others want to stay. Your Board decided to seek members votes via an e-mail ballot, and those without e-mail, will get a ballot mailed to them with a deadline to be returned at the Dec. 20th meeting. As per the new By Laws approved by membership July 26, and approved by Kiwanis International Aug. 29, 2007, our By Laws no longer state what a club must do to change the meeting place. Kiwanis International left this up to the Club's Board to decide the procedure and manner of voting. After extensive research, here are the three options for meeting sites available in Punta Gorda. Please do NOT RESPOND until you have your e-mail ballot or written ballot. This is a VERY IMPORTANT issue and should be thought out by all members as to what is best for the club and for its members; all members are expected to r espond. The three choices will be: (1) Stay at American Legion Post-103 with a price increase going to $10 per week Jan. 1, 2008; (2) Benedetto's at Best Western, $13; or (3) the Isles Yacht Club $16.

¨ ROBIN STUBLEN'S CHRISTMAS DISPLAY : Please plan to see Robin Stublen's huge Christmas display at his home. Robin hopes to increase donations significantly which he gives half to our Club and half to KFCC. There are 200,000 lights synchronized to music, a castle and Santa on the weekends. Please go to Robin's website at www.ridgeharborchristmas.com for more info. Robin's home is in Ridge Harbor, east of Punta Gorda off US 17.

¨ PUNTA GORDA KIWANIS POSTERCHRISTMAS GIFT: Ralph Jordan continues selling our color posters, a great Christmas gift; $5 each or framed for $20. These also make a great house warming gift, an anniversary, for the office, etc. Please see Ralph or go to Joan Greene's Accurate Accounting, Bill Martin's Insurance, Rick Fox's dentist office, Peace River Wildlife Gift Shop, Nolan Family Insurance and Bobbie Diehl's CC MotorSports Park.

¨ CHRISTMAS CARD LANE WINNERS : There were 52 entries this year. Please drive by Gilchrist Park to see the creativity. Gloria Walker reports: Best of Show Religious, Lutheran Church of the Cross; Best of Show Non-Religious, Graddy Insurance (Member Mick Graddy); Most Unique, Red Hat Studio; Most Humorous, PG Marina; Most Artistic, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra; 1st place Amateur Artwork, Northern Dependable Drywall; 2nd AA, First United Methodist Church (Sponsor Eddie Webb); 3rd AA, PGCC; 1st Place Professional Artwork, Burnt Store Grill; 2nd PA, Red Hat Studio; and 3rd PA, Tiki's Clothing.

¨ MEMBERS ATTEND PGCC CHRISTMAS PROGRAM : Yesterday at Marine Bank (John Fersner), Pres. Sheryl Flavin had the opportunity to tell what our Kiwanis Club was doing in our community. Robin Lindecamp, Membership Chair, saw to it that PGCC members got info about joining our club. They also heard about Robin Stublen's Ridge Harbor Christmas display.

¨ PGK KALENDAR:

Dec. 14: H&SV Salvation Army Bell Ringing, 9am-5pm, Publix.

Dec. 15 : Club's King Fisher Cruise to view PGI Canal lights.

Dec. 17 : Love of Kids Dinner/Gifts, here at Am. Legion.

Dec. 20: Spouses Christmas program/82nd Club Anniversary.

Dec. ?? TBA: Christmas Food Basket delivery. See Roger Enger.

Dec. 31: Deadline to submit KFCC scholarship nominee.

Jan. 5: Christmas Card Lane take down at Gilchrist Park.

Jan. 8: Board meeting moved from Jan. 1 holiday; 5:30pm.

Jan. 12: Gov. Mark's Div-18S Visit/Banquet in Englewood.

Mar.1: 3rd Kiwanis Family Kar Show, Jones Loop/Piper Rd.

Mar. 29-Apr. 3 : Florida District cruise to Grand Kayman & Jamaica. Go to www.floridakiwanis.com for details or see Carp.

¨ NEXT PNM LUNCHEON TUESDAY JAN. 8 : Prospective New Members and their sponsor meets at River City Grille at 11:30 a.m. We have 3 PNM's who members brought to meetings, they are: Darrin Metz (Diehl); Ed Miller (Hicks), and Don Rutherford (Ginter) . Please turn in application ASAP. For Kiwanis to do more community service, we need more members.

¨ LAST WEEK : Bill Klossner on KFCC scholarships.

¨ TODAY's PROGRAM : Randy Spence, Love of Kids Dinner.

¨ SPEAKERS: Dec.Chair Bill Klossner. Dec. 20/27 TBA.

¨ DOOR GREETERS : December is Roger Enger.

¨ BIRTHDAYS LAST WEEK : Dom DePalma, Jane Sturges.

¨ ANNIVERSARY LAST WEEK : Dom/Kathy DePalma, Bruce/Linda Hughes, Ben/Norma Scott, Jane/Frank Sturges.

¨ WELCOME BACK LAST WEEK : Sturges, Geach, DePalma, Webb, Ginter, Mulkey, Perez, Milburn, Walden, Ullah.

¨ GUESTS :

¨ 50/50 WINNER : $71, Frank Desguin.

¨ ALUMINUM CANS : Members are asked by Community Service to bring aluminum cans for The Peace River Wildlife Center. Please double-bagged cans and put in Ben Scott's car .

¨ What we are … Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time!”

¨ KIWANIS CRUISE MAR. 29-APR. 3 : Gov. Mark invites Kiwanians to join in a fun-filled cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, then a huge Kiwanis shore party by the George Town, Grand Cayman Kiwanis Club. There's no Kiwanis business, just fun. For info, go to www.floridakiwanis.com and download details. We have 3 going so far. See Joan Greene or Carp for details.

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