Presidential Thoughts
Denny Nelson

As the calendar year comes to an end, the Kiwanis year is just getting started.  I look forward to the up coming year as president of this club.  I just wanted to thank you again for asking me to be President of the Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth. 
 
As I mentioned Thursday night, I have two goals for the upcoming Kiwanis year: membership and participation.

Membership is the life blood of our group.  We are SO close to the magic number of 100 that I feel confident we can make it!  The membership committee has started an aggressive campaign to bring in new members.  With your help, the committee will be able to bring in the new members needed to insure our future as a viable club.  We as a club have created a list of 50+ names of both individuals as well as companies/organizations that would be good members.  If you would like to assist in contacting people off this list, please email Tricia at the office and she would be glad to assist in getting you started.  If you are not comfortable with contacting people but would like to assist in other ways, we are always looking for help in any way we can find it!!

Concerning participation, we need your help!  As everyone knows, the annual TV auction is the largest fund raiser we have.  This year we are in need of your assistance.  We are looking for an auction chair, or two.  With the addition of the Auction Board, the chair person will have assistance like never before.  There is now a team of people behind you willing to assist you in putting on this year's fundraiser.  This is our 40th annual auction.  There is already work being done behind the scenes to improve upon this already great event.  If you have never worked at the auction, I invite you to join us this year.  You don't have to be on camera to participate. If you like to be in front of the lights, I am sure George and his team of auctioneers would welcome you.  Blair and his phone bank team always have fun and do a great job.  With the bidder number process, it is even easier to receive the calls and bids (writers cramp is a thing of the past!)  It is never too early to start thinking about the auction!!!

Let's all pitch in and make this another outstanding year for the Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth!

Past Presidential Thoughts
Don Lilyquist

 This is my last message as president of the Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth, however when you read this I will be the immediate past president.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all my Kiwanis friends for the support you have given me this past year. The send off that you gave me was fantastic, highlighted by my daughter receiving the  Kiwanian of the Year Award.  It is an honor to bring in a new member who, after 3 years, has earned the respect of her fellow Kiwanians to have been given that award. This last year we have had great programs, a monthly newsletter on the Internet, a web site, and Tricia’s Blog, published weekly.

We’ve had excellent programs, a very successful auction, a great committee that handled the distribution of the funds, we participated in a very successful Schools Out Picnic, and a Kite Fly, where we gave out 1600 kites, and saw more than 1600 smiles on the faces of all who attended, including those if us that were there to help assemble them.

And I can’t forget the 90^th Anniversary Banquet, and all who participated in both planning, and attendance.

This has been a great year, and I want to thank each one of you for the privilege to serve you.

 Don

WHAT AN EVENING!

Lt. Governor Chris Kellett-Sauder
Congratulating Our New President...
Denny Nelson

Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS

Dennis E. Nelson of Duluth, MN was installed as president of the Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth during the President’s Dinner on Thursday, September 27, 2007, at the Holiday Inn & Suites.  Also installed were President-Elect Robert Swor Jr., Vice President Kurt Erickson, Treasurer and Secretary Josef A. Stariha.

In addition, the following members will serve on the club’s board of directors:   JC Olsen, Jason Malmstrom, Anthony J. Macioce, Ron Carlson, Bob Aspling, Keith Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Shawn MClaughlin

The immediate past president is Don Lilyquist.  He will continue to serve on the club board for the next year.

Dennis E. Nelson will be serving as club president on the worldwide Kiwanis leadership team with newly elected Kiwanis International President Donald R. Canaday of Fishers, Indiana.  Kiwanis International’s major service focus, a program called “Young Children: Priority One,” will continue during 2007-08.

Lt. Governor Chris Kellett-Sauder,
presenting Don Lilyquist with his pin.

She then thanked Don for a very successful year as the
Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth President 2006-2007.

Kiwanian of the Year

Carol Snoeyenbos

We are proud to announce the 2006-2007 Kiwanian of the year is Carol
Lilyquist-Snoeyenbos!
Carol has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth since
2002, she has worked very hard  this year on the Annual Kiwanis Auction, Kiwanis 90th Anniversary Celebration Gala, Kiwanis monthly Newsletter, Kiwanis Website, and more!
Carol’s father Don Lilyquist, was Kiwanian of the year in 1999 - 2000, Don Lilyquist is the immediate past president.  He will continue to serve on the club board for the next year. We are honored to have a Father/Daughter team and Kiwanian’s of the year.
Kiwanis is about service to our community and our youth, we are very proud to have Carol Snoeyenbos as a member.

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!!

It is time to get working on what has become one of our most important and visible events of the year, the 15^th annual Kiwanis/Rotary Food Drive. We need everyone to pitch in to make this a success. We work with a number of different agencies in the area. Soon they will be providing us with a wish list outlining their needs including type of goods, preferred package size, amounts and their prices.

It is always our goal to provide them with what they need in the most cost-effective manner. The bottom line is this; if we can not get it cheaper than they can, we will give them the money.

To date our clubs have provided over 500,000 lbs. of food and $23,000.00. The agencies serving those in need really need our help. If you have creative ideas for fund raising or contacts for bulk commodities, please contact George Lah at 218 393-8045.

Paul Manning named new executive officer to lead Arrowhead Builders Association

A Duluthian with 15 years experience in the building trades has been hired to lead the Arrowhead Builders Association (ABA). Paul Manning (right) is the new executive officer of the non-profit trade association.
Manning has a bachelor’s degree in Technical Illustration from Moorhead State University. He has lived in Duluth for the past 18 years.
Manning and his wife own Duluth Window and Closets. He’s worked at Skip's Home Center, and with the Boy Scouts of America.
Manning’s role as Executive Officer is to work with the builders and associate members of the ABA to better inform the public about the building industry in our region, and to serve the public with their building and remodeling needs
Manning has been a member of the ABA for six years, though Terry Hammack, president of the ABA Board of Directors, says that was not a factor in the hiring decision.
“Paul was selected from over 31 applicants based on his experience working with non-profits and skills. He understands the nature of a member-driven organization,” said Hammack. “Plus, he has an outgoing personality that will work well with our members.”
The ABA has more than 290 member businesses and organizations serving the home building and remodeling industry in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Established in 1952, the ABA is a non-profit trade association consisting of builders, commercial land developers, remodelers, sub-contractors, and businesses related to the building industry. In addition to providing resources for homeowners who are building or remodeling, the ABA serves its members with educational and networking opportunities, insurance programs, technical and political information, and industry promotions. The ABA is affiliated with the Builders Association of Minnesota and the National Association of Home Builders.

Congratulations Paul!

Celebrating 20 years of women in Kiwanis

In 1987, Kiwanis opened it membership to women, and a new era began.  Twenty years later, Kiwanis celebrates this anniversary by profiling some of our organization’s outstanding female members.

Some are active business or professional women, some are retired.  Some have climbed the ladder of Kiwanis office, others have walked the walk of community service—and many have done both!  Each was nominated by a fellow Kiwanian as an example of the talents and dedication women are bringing to Kiwanis.

Two new profiles of amazing Kiwanis women will be posted each week.  The first honorees are:

• Sue Hulse, Kiwanis Club of Highland, California; a daughter in Key Club led her to Kiwanis.

• Berniece Irhke, Kiwanis Club of Atlantic, Iowa; after a heart attack, cancer, and hepatitis C, she promised to do something good with her life.

Read these profiles and more each week to learn how women have left their mark on Kiwanis—and how Kiwanis has changed their lives too.