Dear Friend,

Welcome to the Kiwanis Club of Cincinnati Monthly Newsletter. We hope you find each edition informational and helpful in planning your calendar. We expect the newsletter to evolve based on input from our readers, so please provide us your input!

In this issue you will find:

• Kiwanis Inspirational Moment


• Celebration!


• Upcoming Events


• Kiwanis Club News


• New Members


• A Club Member Feature


• Kiwanis International News


• Did You Know?


• A Word of Encouragement


• Membership Information




Inspirational Moment U.S. President John F. Kennedy said, “If we who have, cannot help those who have not, then we cannot help ourselves.” Kiwanians have been helping themselves for nine decades by helping others. Our motto, “We Build”, refers as much to ourselves as to our communities. We become better men and women when we help others.




Celebration! Join us in congratulating our club members on these recent and upcoming milestones! Birthdays Alyson Gerwe - January 14 Laura Omeltschenko - January 31 Congratulations! Tony Fischer received an invitation to ride the train to the inauguration with President-elect Barack Obama, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden, and soon to be First Lady Michelle Obama. Congratulations, Tony! Read the Story at Cincinnati.com Happy Anniversary! Congratulations to club member Dick Martin and his wife on their upcoming anniversary (Jan 25th)!




Upcoming Events To RSVP for any event, please either contact the RSVP Contact or email us at info@cincinnatikiwanis.org. Division Meeting: Governor's Visit and New Member Induction - Thu Jan 8 - 6pm–8pm - Kip Crain (Ohio District Kiwanis Governor) and his wife, Becky, will be visiting and will speak about Ohio Kiwanis. We are also inducting our 3 newest members (Sopheap, Monica and Tony). Evening Schedule: Cocktails 6:00 pm. Dinner and Program 7:00 pm-8:30pm. Cost: $20.00 Where: Receptions Banquet Center, 5975 Boymel Dr, Fairfield, OH 45014 RSVP Contact: Amy Zimmerman Planning Meeting - Mon Jan 12 - 6pm-7pm - At this meeting, we will be discussing club goals for this year, as well as many other important items. All members should plan to attend. Where: Ronald McDonald House Board Room: 350 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen - Wed Jan 14 - 4:15pm–5:45pm - We are serving dinner at the St Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen on the second Wednesday of every month. It is fun, rewarding, and your help is greatly appreciated! The work includes preparing food, cleaning pots/pans, and serving food. Where: Parking is available in the fenced-in lot behind St. Francis Seraph Grade School, located on Liberty Street between Vine and Moore Streets. Enter the parking lot from Moore Street. RSVP Contact: Bill Swanson Club Lunch Meeting - Mon Jan 19 - 12pm–1pm - Cancelled Due to Martin Luther King Day Ronald McDonald House: Service Project - Mon Jan 26 - 5pm – 7pm - We cook and serve dinner for the residents of the house, so they can spend quality time with their family or just relax after a long day at the hospital. After working so hard, we also get to eat dinner with the residents! Where: Ronald McDonald House Dining Room: 350 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 RSVP Contact: Brian Yacucci Check out our club calendar for more details





Kiwanis Club News Monthly Quiz Winners Congratulations to Hubert, Alex, Jeanette, Jim, and Laura R who correctly answered this month's quiz! They will get to choose a mystery prize from the bag of treasures. Want the answers to December's quiz? Ready to try your hand at January's quiz? Check out the Quiz page on our club website > Event News from December 12/1 - Lunch & Learn: Leadership and Kiwanis - Alyson Gerwe spoke about the tie between Kiwanis and leadership, how we as Kiwanians are entrusted to not only serve our communities, but also to build leaders in the kids we serve and to become leaders ourselves. [Attendance: 9 members] 12/5 - Hillrise Senior Center Christmas Party - We had a great time helping out at the Hillrise Senior Center Christmas Party. We helped by serving food, bringing gifts for the residents, and spending time with the residents. We even got to see our own Linda Gramke clog to a song! [Attendance: 9 members, 1 guest] 12/8 - Monthly Planning Meeting - Last month we discussed dispertion of foundation monies, as well as were updated on Ohio District and Division 6 news. If you weren't able to attend, the meeting minutes are available on our website: Read the Meeting Minutes [Attendance: 8 members] 12/10 - St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen - As always, the soup kitchen project was a rewarding experience. This month Tim and Linda Gramke, Rob Porter, Bill Swanson, and Bill's friend Andrea helped out. Join us in January for an experience you won't forget! [Attendance: 4 members, 1 Guest] 12/15 - Lunch & Learn - Southwest Ohio Kiwanis for Kids Safety - Krista Jones came to talk to our club about SOKKS and how we can get involved. It's a great way to get kids thinking about home and bike safety. One way we can get involved is to "sponsor" a Safety Rocks program by reading to the kids during the program. [Attendance: 7 members, 1 guest] 12/19 - Adopt a Class Christmas Party - We had a blast with our Adopt a Class kids. Cookies, candy and juice abounded (and so did the kids from all that sugar!). After a visit from Santa Claus, where the kids got to have their picture taken with him and received their present from our club, we made photo frame ornaments for their trees at home and stockings to hang in their classroom. It was so much fun that one kid said, "This is the best Christmas ever!" A little girl asked Jim if he would be her dad. The kids are so sweet and they all asked when we were coming back. A truly rewarding experience! 12/19 - Club Holiday Gala - The Christmas party this year was amazing. Hubert and Claudia hosted it at their house, which was a perfect casual location. The food was wonderful and the drinks were too. The Yankee swap gift exchange was fun and lasted about an hour! It was great to celebrate the season of giving with our Kiwanis friends. [Attendance: 16 members, 1 guest] 12/22 - Ronald McDonald House Service Project - Despite being 2 days before Christmas Eve, we had a great turnout. We even had visitors from other Kiwanis clubs! It was as fun and rewarding as always. [Attendance: 9 members, 7 guests] Total Service Hours for December Total Club Sponsored Service Hours: 72 hours More past events.....




New Membership Congratulations to Our Newest Member, Tony Fischer Tony Fischer joined our team in December 2008. He is a long-time friend of Jim and Alyson Gerwe. Tony is currently working with Hayes Porter Elementary as our club's school liaison. We hope to be starting the Terrific Kids program there this year thanks to Tony's efforts! 1,2,3 You Hold the Key More than 12,000 people have joined Kiwanis International since the beginning of the 1-2-3 You Hold the Key program. Recruit new members during the current administrative year and you’ll be rewarded, too, with keys to wear proudly. Plus new member recruitment adds towards achieving your Distinguished Member status! Distinguished Member Status So far Jim (recruited 1 new member) and Alyson Gerwe (recruited 2 new members) are on their way to achieving Distinguished Member status for the Kiwanis year 2008-2009. You can too! To qualify for Distinguished Member status, club members must: • Recruit two (2) new members, • Attend either a Mid-Winter Conference (April 25, 2009 - Columbus, OH), International Convention (June 25-28, 2009 - Nashville, TN) or District Convention (August 15, 2008 - Sharonville, OH), • Participate in six (6) Kiwanis service efforts, and • Financially support the Kiwanis International Foundation. Details: The club president will verify those Kiwanians qualifying for Distinguished Member recognition. Distinguished Members will receive a lapel pin and recognition at the 2010 Kiwanis International Convention (for 2008-09 recipients) and at the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention (for 2009-10 recipients). Get Details About Distinguished Member Status




An Interview with Jim Gerwe (Club Member since July 2007) Each month we have featured one of our club members so our readers can get to know the people who make up our club. Enjoy! Jim grew up in Mount Lookout attending Cardinal Pacelli Grade School until the summer between his 7th and 8th grade years when he moved to Mount Washington (East side Cincinnati). He then made the trek across town to Finneytown to attend St. Xavier High School, where his dad and brother also went. He really enjoyed St. X because his dad was a Jesuit (something not a lot of people know about him), and so his dad had instilled in him those similar values. Jim enjoys working on the house (most of the time), spending time with his wife and kids, doing service projects, travelling (especially to Spanish speaking countries), soccer (especially the Columbus Crew), and theater (although he doesn't make it out to the theater as often as he used to). Jim also enjoys strategy board games and role playing games. Jim and his wife, Alyson, bought their house together in Fairfax in May of 2008. Their big project was to fix up the basement, which at the time was one big unfinished room with some water leaking in and a nasty, musty drop ceiling. Along with their family and all of their friends, they fixed the water problem, put in walls, a bathroom, a finished living room and dining room, as well as a laundry room and work room. While he calls it a finished project, he says it's still not completely finished. Jim has enjoyed working on home improvement projects since as a service project in Circle K in the spring of 1999 they remodelled an apartment in Over the Rhine. With his wife and kids, they spend a lot of nights driving out to various places to have dinner with family and going to the store. But what they really enjoy doing is going to the Museum Center and The Zoo, where they have memberships to both. In addition, there's a park at the end of their street they can walk to or they walk to Mariemont Square for Greater's ice cream. Jim has traveled to half a dozen countries and probably enjoyed the natural beauty of Costa Rica the most, the food of Argentina, and the history and architecture of Spain. In Argentina, you can get a great steak, a full course meal, and a glass of wine for $15 or so. Hard to beat. While Jim really enjoyed the reaction of the kids at the Adopt a Class project and their appreciation of our presence and support, the Tom Geiger House was probably his favorite recent service project because of the immediate visible impact of transforming a worn-down and unusable space into a bright, fun atmosphere for kids. It was a lot of hard work, but with the paint by numbers we did, Jim says "even he could be creative in painting the murals we did on the walls." Outside of work, family and Kiwanis, Jim is looking to join the Board of Directors at the Tom Geiger Guest House. He is the treasurer for his childhood friend, Tony Fischer's, Cincinnati City Council campaign and is also member of the local PMI chapter. Jim has considered playing broomball again, but hasn't found the time. One thing a lot of people don't know about Jim is that he's dressed in drag three times. Two times he was one of many people dressed in drag for a Circle K charity fundraiser. The first time he dressed in drag was to promote the fundraiser. He was the only one in front of 200 other college students in Circle K. Jim said, "My dress wasn't red but I was, and my first reaction was 'This is all the material there is?'" Their club raised $1000 that first time for Kiwanis' fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD). More club stars...




Kiwanis International News Kiwanis International Convention - June 25-28 in Nashville, TN Come to the 94th Annual Kiwanis International Convention June 25-28 at the Nashville Convention Center. You’ll meet new friends, reconnect with old ones—and have a blast in Music City. We’re planning a dynamic program this year, with targeted educational tracks and specialized sessions on member retention, club development and growth. And don’t forget the fun! It starts with the Chart Toppers celebration in the exhibit hall on June 25 and builds to the Saturday Night Stampede on June 27 at the Wildhorse Saloon, where there will be dinner and dance lessons at an exclusive Kiwanis party. If you've never been to a Kiwanis International Convention, this is your year to try it out! Get all the details on the convention website > Kiwanis International Foundation Since its inception in 1939, the Kiwanis International Foundation has grown to a multimillion-dollar foundation providing grants to thousands of organizations worldwide aimed at making better the lives of children. Thus, their mission – “to assist Kiwanis International in serving the children of the world” – is their priority. The Kiwanis International Foundation is on the threshold of one of the most exciting periods in our history. Powerful forces are reshaping the landscape of children’s issues, and we are responding by remaining focused on our mission, strengthening our programs, and securing the resources needed to meet these challenges and excel. The Kiwanis International Foundation Board of Trustees meets officially three times per year. Grant requests from throughout the world are reviewed at these meetings. Because funds are limited and needs are great, priority is given to programs that are Kiwanis family-related, national or international in scope, serve young children, and are consistent with Kiwanis International objectives. Funding for these grants is made possible by the generous contributions to the Foundation’s Annual Club Gift Campaign and Kiwanis Children’s Fund, among other donations. In 2007, KIF granted just under $420,000 for 40 grants for Kiwanis Club projects and disaster relief for children around the world: 21 grants for children’s projects totaling $293,488, which includes $100,000 for KI Service Leadership Programs and district matching; seven disaster grants from restricted funds totaling $68,830; and 12 disaster grants from unrestricted funds totaling $59,280. Learn More at http://kif.kiwanis.org




Did you know? * The concept of "Peace and Joy" over the Christmas season originates from the pagan belief in the magical powers of mistletoe. Enemies meeting under a mistletoe had to call truce until the following day. * In Finland and Sweden an old tradition prevails, where the twelve days of Christmas are declared to be time of civil peace by law. It used to be that a person committing crimes during this time would be liable to more stiff sentence than normal. * During the Middle Ages, many churches were built in honour of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. Wearing his red and white bishop's robes, he would ride on a donkey to deliver gifts to children. In 1860, illustrator Thomas Nast introduced Santa Claus in the fashion we now know him.




A Word of Encouragement Kiwanis members are servant leaders, leading by example and serving those we lead. We help people to become more autonomous, stronger and independent. We are ambitious not for ourselves, but for the common good. As servant leaders, we work together with those we lead, casting the vision and motivating the team. We help bridge the gap between "is" and "could be". This is our role as Kiwanians, to inspire ourselves, our club and our community towards a common goal. This is why our service leadership programs are so important, especially in underprivileged neighborhoods. More than extracurricular activities to keep kids active or to put on their college and scholarship applications, they provide: - understanding of self in community - encourage and emphasize giving back - develop servant leaders - and inspire community improvement and progress towards common good. Our responsibility to our youth organizations and their efforts is not just because of the service they provide, but also because of the hope and leadership we instill in the children and the community. We help them realize that if they wish to see change, they must be the catalyst and lead the way, just as we Kiwanians are catalysts for change in our own communities. Kiwanis is not just a group of volunteers. We are servant leaders, inspiring leadership and change for the better. Therefore it is our responsibility to also continue to hone our own leadership skills. We must communicate, coach, listen, build relationships and act as catalysts for change in our club and our community. We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. ~Franklin Delano Roosevelt More about Kiwanis and Leadership

Membership Information

We always welcome new members to our team! If you are interested in becoming a member of Cincinnati Kiwanis, either contact a Cincinnati Kiwanis member or come to a meeting to fill out a membership application. Our membership is open to the public. New members means more volunteers working together to make a greater positive impact on our community...read more


Not a member, but want to come to our events? No problem! The public is invited and encouraged to join us for all our activities and events. Hope to see you soon!

Thanks everyone for all the hard work this past month in putting this newsletter together!