Smaller crowd this Friday, perhaps some folks started the three-day weekend a day early or perhaps it was the nasty flu bug making the rounds. President Elect Stephen apparently missed for the latter.  At any rate, another great lunch from Chef John of homemade lasagna. We had two guests, Faye Highsmith and John Malzone’s lovely daughter. The prayer list was unchanged so keep all these folks in your prayers.

 

All the club’s great sales force was out in force today as Garry Two R’s announced that the Virtual Reverse Raffle will be held Friday, March 14 this year.  Get your ticket from Garry, Al Winters, or Mike Pleasant to support one of our biggest fundraising events.  We’ve already sold tickets across state lines, thank you Ray Quesnel and Eva Hansen has already secured her ticket.  Our former presidents are still supporting the club from afar. Under the revised format, we have 10 prize winners out of 300 ticket holders. For you State grads, which gives you a 1 in 30 chance of winning some serious big bucks!  Tickets are only $100.

 

Congratulations to J. Danny Highsmith on his well-deserved induction into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame last week.  Danny had a distinguished career in radio spanning half a century, all with the same company.  Quite a feat and certainly HOF worthy.

 

Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 30 for our first Kiwanis social of the year.  This promises to be a really good one with an interesting venue, and Rick Booth’s famous smoked barbecue.  Bring a friend, a spouse or a potential member.

 

Treasurer Richard Everett led his merry band on another interclub road trip to Ed’s Family Restaurant in Angier for a division meeting.  Everyone said the food was matched only by the great fellowship.  Richard reported on how the Lumberton club has managed to grow its membership in tough times by forming satellite clubs.  To learn more about this, talk to President Jim.

 

We voted on two great candidates for the prestigious E. J. Wells Cup.  The winner will be announced at our annual Awards Night on Friday, February 21.  Stephen Wheeler and his committee have lined up a great spread for us in the executive suite at Segra Stadium.  If you haven’t been, this is a fabulous meeting venue in the heart of downtown. Parking is free after 5 PM.  Stay tuned for the E-Invite to this event.

 

Well, we had two speakers of Friday, a Baptist minister and Tim Dunn.  Guess who talked longer? The loquacious lawyer used his time at the podium to honor one of our oldest and most distinguished members, Dick Lewis, on the occasion of his 90^th birthday.  In Tim’s defense. Dick’s resume is long and impressive.  Another Kiwanian worthy of Hall of Fame Status, Dick is in the North Carolina Bar Association HOF.  Dick was raised in Whiteville, played football for Notre Dame, served in the US Navy and attended law school at the University of North Carolina. Thanks, Tim, for honoring one of the finest gentleman barristers to ever practice law in our fair city.

 

During Dr. David Crocker’s tenure at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, he founded the local Operation Inasmuch Blitz Day.  Since then, Dr. Crocker has gone on to lead OIAM expansion into 24 states, and 6 countries on 4 continents.  The past 18 years Dr. Crocker has traveled the country helping churches establish OIAM programs.  In the course of his work, Dr. Crocker learned that God has hard-wired us to serve, that serving releases endorphins and other hormones that make us feel good while we are doing good.  That effect is compounded when the service is done with others.  On these principles he put his findings in a book, Unleash the Power of Serving Others. Thank you, Dr. Crocker, for your service to humanity and thank you Danny Highsmith for a great program.

 

Don’t miss next Friday’s program as Kim Thomas brings us a demonstration from the K-9 Unit of the Fayetteville Police Department. Kim advises all Kiwanians to leave your contraband at home or risk extreme embarrassment and arrest.  Unless those dogs alert on Motrin, Metamucil and Ben Gay, I think this group will be okay. See you then!

 

John Holmes 910-988-8040

jholmestarheel@gmail.com