| Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. |
Back to Home pageNEWSLETTER Kiwanis Club of Cedar Rapids Wednesday, April 1, 2009 The meeting was called to order by President Bob Hatala, Esq. 26 Members in attendance. Guests: None Birthdays: Kelly Moore 3/27; Jim Platt 4/7 Anniversaries: Mike Poggenklass, Steve Walrath, Janet Blackledge Announcements: Bob Dye is working on joint volunteer opportunities with Key Club and Circle K – Coldstone Creamery on April 24 and an upcoming Mission of Hope event; Mary Corkery is collecting names to work Kernels games. This fundraiser should net between$1500 and $2100, and we get to see ball games, too; Dan Breitbach is looking for volunteers to work a Four Oaks golf tourney at CRCC on June 8. Happy Bucks: Jim Moriarty was happy to be through with a recent course of treatment from his dentist; Charlene Boardman was happy to be back from snowbirding, and was joined by husband Dick and “son” Dan Breitbach; Janet Blackledge threw in a buck to celebrate her 15th anniversary as a Kiwanian; Dr. Graeff took much of the club’s time with a shaggy dog story – something about his assistant spilling gasoline, catching fire, and then being arrested for “waving a firearm”. Upcoming Programs: A visit from a representative from SCORE Speaker: Kelly Myers of New Melleray Abbey went over the history of the monks near Peosta, and how they got in the business of manufacturing caskets and urns. The community got started in Iowa as they fled the potato famine in Ireland, arriving in 1849 with a land grant from the Bishop of Dubuque. They need to be in a paying business to support themselves and to supplement their mission as a retreat house. The monks (average age: 71. Sounds like Kiwanis.), observe the Rule of St. Benedict. They assemble for prayer seven times per day, and observe silence at meals. They do employ several lay people in the casket factory, but most of the work is done by community members. They harvest 100, 000 board feet of lumber each year from their 1400 acre forest. Some lumber is traded for casket materials, but mostly they use their own. Their caskets range from simple to elegant, but all exhibit superb craftsmanship. The prices range from $900 to about $2450. Many are sold pre-need and stored on site. They are OK with any funeral home, and have revenue sharing agreements with some. Word for the day: Corthunus – stilted stile of acting in Greek trajedy. No one got it. Shockingly predictable. Submitted: Chuck Wehage |