Tag Archives: fond du lac

Check Out What These Incredible Kids Accomplished!

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Monday Morning

We had 18 members at our Monday meeting along with 11 guests.  Joining us as guests were the seven Odyssey of the Mind team members, their coach, Archie Barribeau and three parents.  Gary Ring thanked all the members that donated books for the Grief Relief Raffle Basket.  The Human & Spiritual Aims Committee was able to actually put together three baskets due to our member’s generosity.  “Happy Bucks” were offered by Dawn Scannell for her wedding anniversary and the end of tax season being in sight, Pete Vercouteren for being glad to be back and Bonnie Baerwald for her birthday and also a great vacation that she and Lisa had in Florida.  Gary Miller was the 50/50 Raffle winner on Monday and he drew the Six of Diamonds, a non-winner.  Next week’s drawing will have 41 cards, including seven pay cards, and a pot of at least $128.

STEM Academy, Odyssey of the Mind

Fond du Lac STEM’s Odyssey of the Mind team was awarded the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award in Madison on March 21 and invited to the World Finals at Michigan State University. The team concluded months of hard work and dedication by becoming Wisconsin’s latest Ranatra winners for their solution of the problem, “Pandora’s Box.” The team won the overall solution by receiving 187 out of a total 200 points and also won the style category by scoring a perfect 50 points.

The six-month process included the team researching Greek mythology, scientific principles, special effects, different types of communication, music history, figurative language and stage techniques. The team also developed creative problem-solving strategies, a script, and building plans. In addition, students operated power tools safely and integrated art and music into their solution. Students then combined all their acquired knowledge and skills to create the eight-minute production.

The students will represent Fond du Lac and the state of Wisconsin at Michigan State University in East Lansing on May 19 through May 23. At the World Finals, they will compete against students from over 33 countries.

Archie Barribeau is the faculty leader for this team and truly believes in these kids.

You Went Where on a Mission Trip?

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Monday Morning

We had 16 members at our Monday meeting along with our guest speaker, Melissa Hildebrand.  Charlene noted that our Annual Club Elections will be at our April 27th meeting.  The Nominating Committee is still looking for additional Board of Director candidates if anyone is interested.  “Happy Bucks” were offered by Bob Kahl and Gary Miller for a good showing by the Badger’s basketball team.  Dave Lefefer was the 50/50 Raffle winner on Monday and he drew the Ten of Spades, a $10 winner.  Congratulations Dave.  Next week’s drawing will have 42 cards, including seven pay cards, and a pot of at least $113.

Melissa Hildebrand, Blue Mountain Project

The Blue Mountain Project (BMP) is a grassroots, non-profit, volunteer organization that has been working for 11 years in the rural villages of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. By living and working directly with the communities they serve, they identify key areas of needed development and facilitate sustainable solutions. Their priority program areas were determined in consultation with their communities and by a belief in a holistic approach to sustainable community development. Working with local and international volunteers, they make the most of every resource and donation to effect lasting, productive change.

The villages where the BMP works are the most isolated communities in the poorest parish of Jamaica, St. Thomas.  The villages are located towards the peak of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains and the only roads are dirt roads at incredible inclines and transportation in and out of the communities remains a serious barrier to economic, educational and health resources.

Melissa joined 15 other students from Moraine Park Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and Lakeshore Technical College in the Blue Mountain Project’s latest mission trip.  Melissa described to us the various things they did in their recent trip to Jamaica and described the living conditions of the people in the Blue Mountains.

Are You Doing All You Can to Enforce Life?

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Monday Morning

We had 17 members at our Monday meeting along with our guest speaker, Keywon Brown from the Fond du Lac Police Department.  Charlene noted that our Club received a Round Robin Patch at Saturday’s Mid-Year Conference in Appleton.  She also noted that Kiwanis One Day is scheduled for April 11th (see attached) if anyone is interested in participating; unfortunately, it’s the same day as our NFDL PDQ Brat Fry.  She also noted that District 11 is looking for Lt. Governor candidates for the upcoming Kiwanis Year.  “Happy Bucks” were offered by Sharon Kollman in celebration for her granddaughter’s wedding this past weekend and Charlene Pettit for her attendance at the Kiwanis Mid-Year Conference this past weekend.  Marlin Towne was the 50/50 Raffle winner on Monday and he drew the Three of Diamonds, another non-winner.  Next week’s drawing will have 44 cards, including eight pay cards, and a pot of at least $98.

Keywon Brown, Life Enforcement

Life Enforcement is a newly formed non-profit organization focused on organizing community oriented volunteer projects.  Life Enforcement was started in 2014 and from the start hit the ground running, looking for positive ways to make a difference in our community.  The founder, Keywon Brown, saw that many people were complaining and looking to place blame for what they believed was a drop in our community’s quality of life.  There was so much negativity, but Keywon knew that more could be done.  The mission of the Life Enforcement is: “To find creative ways to inspire people in the community to take responsibility for spreading kindness, generosity and joy.  While creating and maintaining a better quality of life in this community and our own lives”.

Keywon closed by talking about the T-Code part of their program.  T-Code stands for: “To Take Care Of or do something generous for someone else, regardless of your relationship or lack thereof.  To do this without the expectation of benefit, besides feeling good about the kind act in and of itself and how it has helped spread joy and kindness in the community.”