Kiwanis Key
Volume LXXIX               Number 22           April 4, 2024

In a “first of its kind” event fashion, President-Elect Jim “Take me out to the Ballgame” Schaffer did an admirable job filling in for our wayward President Al Aycock.
 
President-elect Jim got us started and called on Kirby White who led us in singing and the Pledge.
 
Worth “I have how many kids?” Smith gave the invocation.
Please remember the following members in your prayers:
Jerry Teele, Grace Moon, John Byers (our food preparer/server), Grant Gabriel, LD Brock, Steven Moore, John Holmes, Mark Hurley, Robby Talton’s wife Deanna and Worth Moore’s family.
 
Our guests today were Susan Dunn, much better half of Tim Dunn and Major Lee Hicks (Fayetteville PD).
 
 Club News
  1. Terrific Kids Committee members – please check with your school contacts on Monday to confirm their award recipients.
  2. Interclub visit – Richard Everette is leading the Interclub visit to Lillington on 04/16. Meet at Kiwanis Rec Center at 11am. Let Richard know if you plan to attend.
  3. Worth Smith – Family Fun Day is planned for 06/23, please mark your calendars.
  4. Youth Baseball – due to schedule conflicts, there is no opening day ceremony this year.
Birthdays this week: Happy birthday to Ben Sutton (04/02) and Cheryl Gleason (04/05)
 
The Program
 
The program (introduced by Tim Dunn) was presented by Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden. Chief Braden gave an update on his presentation to our club last year. Some of his goals were to get officers working on different shifts to improve morale and efficiency/effectiveness. That move has proven to be valuable and overall morale is up. Recruitment and Retention are a serious issue for the department. Part of the problem is the pay scale and the Chief is working on a plan to resolve that issue. If he can solve the retention problem, recruitment will follow. He noted a 10% reduction in crime last year and all but one murder has been solved. Youth crime is trending up and the Chief is working on a plan to mitigate that too. Contrary to popular belief, Fayetteville has had a youth curfew for 20+ years. This was a great program, thanks Chief Braden and Tim Dunn!
 
Will Gillis walked away with $39 from the Presidential Coercion Fund activity.
 
Next week’s program: Former member Dr. Elton Hendricks will speak.
 
Editor’s Note: Your Board of Directors is putting considerable time and effort into evaluating the operations of the club given the aftermath of the pandemic and how we “do Kiwanis”. Each of us joined this club for the expressed purpose of providing growth opportunities for the children of this community. One of the ways that you can help the club is to ramp up your attendance, not only on Fridays but also in the work of the committees. It takes all of us to make this club a thriving civic club, what many call the best civic club in Fayetteville! Give some serious thought to your commitment this week.
 
Parting words: You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.
Mark W. Rice