Golf Tournament

Join the Kiwanis Club of New London for a fun day of golf at our annual charity golf tournament on May 20, 2010. Don't miss out on a chance to play a round of golf to benfit the John Kashanski Community Servcie Fund, the Valeda Grills Pre-K Reading Scholarship Fund, and the N. Blake King Scholarship Fund. For more information go to www.golf.newlondonkiwanis.org.

Bob & Valeda Grills Honored

Event Nets Over $14,000 to Kick Off Valeda Grills Pre-K Reading Scholarship Endowment, John Kashanski Community Service Fund and Kiwanis Club of New London NB King Scholarship Endowment

Over ninety people attended the honor banquet at the Alumni Center at the US Coast Academy to recognize Bob and Valeda Grills for a lifetime of community service on February 5th. Featured speakers were New London Mayor Rob Pero who presented Bob with a Proclamation . Father Joseph Castaldi from St. Joseph’s Church discussed Valeda’s tenure as church secretary in a thoughtful, yet humorous manner. Former Congressman Rob Simmons offered insight into his relationship with the Grills and how he and Valeda share the same birthday- February 11th. Dick England, Immediate-Past Governor of the New England District of Kiwanis, shared his
memories of Bob and Valeda in their roles with the district and Kiwanis Foundation of
New England. Carol Ballestrini, fellow club member and owner of Ballestrini’s
Childcare Centers, enthusiastically spoke about joining Kiwanis and the impact both Bob
and Valeda has had and how their friendship has grown. It is now ten years that the New
London Kiwanis has sponsored Reading is Fundamental (RIF) at the Ballestrini
Childcare Centers. New London City Councilor and Past Distinguished Governor of the
New England District of Kiwanis Marty Olsen discussed his longtime friendship with
the Grills that spans over twenty-five years. Bob Grills closed the speaking with a
thoughtful, and at times emotional, overview of Valeda’s and his community service and
thanked club members- over half the club in attendance- Kiwanians who traveled from
afar along with friends and neighbors for attending and their support. Although this
dinner was planned last July, much thought went into how Bob and the club could
recognize Valeda in perpetuity after her sudden passing last October for her outstanding
contributions, especially working with children and her love of reading. It struck a chord
to initiate the Valeda’s Pre-K Scholarship Endowment, which will provide opportunities
for preschoolers to gain access to books, literacy and the joy of reading. In an effort to get
this worthy endeavor going, Bob Grills and the Grills family has contributed $10,000
with the club donating $1000 of the function proceeds. Approximately $2000 will
support the John Kashanski Community Service Fund and $1000 the Kiwanis Club of
New London NB King Scholarship Endowment. The club thanks all those who
contributed to this very special evening. A special thanks to Jim Sylvester, event
coordinator, and his committee consisting of Rich Cheatham, Bob Grills and Marty
Olsen.

Bruce Patterson enters Legion of Honor

Past Distinguished Governor Marty Olsen welcomed Dr. Bruce Patterson into the Legion of Honor and presented him with a certificate and twenty-five year president’s pin. Bruce joined the Kiwanis Club of New London on September 12, 1984 and served as President 1987-88. The Legion of Honor is a Kiwanis service award that requires twenty-five years of membership. Dr. Patterson has served on the Scholarship Committee and Golf Committee over the years. Recently he has actively supported the Defenders partnership, Ham & Turkey Sale and been a Golf Tourney sponsor. The photo,submitted by Rich Cheatham, features from left to right: President John Russell, Marty Olsen and Dr. Bruce Patterson.

Reading is Fundamental

Program Coordinator: Rich Cheatham

Volunteer Readers Needed

Readers are needed at 9:30 AM on Wednesday mornings at the Waterford and Niantic
locations and Thursday mornings at the Salem center of Ballestrini’s Childcare Centers.
The adult readers will read two books to 10-12 three to five year old preschool children.
Contact Rich Cheatham at 860-271-6608 or richcheatham@hotmail.com to volunteer or
sign-up at a club meeting. This project qualifies as an official Kiwanis International
Young Children Priority One and Read Around the World program.

Connecticut Sun

Club members are asked to buy or sell a Connecticut Sun game for 2010. Each game
consists of ten tickets each for $80 per game. They are great for family, business or to
donate to a local youth group or charity. The All-Star game is $110 for ten tickets.

Actions of the Board

The Board of Directors took the following actions at their meeting on February 9th:
♦ Approved renewal of our partnership with the Connecticut Sun for the 2010 WNBA
   season. The club will buy ten tickets for seventeen home games at $80 per game and
   request club members voluntarily buy and/or sell the games. The club will be
   recognized at each game by the public address announcer as well as electronically.
   The club will also have two opportunities during the season to have a display table on
   the concourse to promote the club and Kiwanis. The club will also have one game to
   participate in the pre-game ball exchange.
♦ Approved up to $480 plus $160 donated by David Stender in the memory of Valeda
   Grills, to send Mitchell College Circle Kers to the New England Circle K District
   Convention the weekend of February 26-28 in Concord, NH.
♦ Approved $1000 to be used to help send Key Club students to the New England
   District of Key Club District Convention the weekend of April 9-11 in Springfield,
   MA. As of this board meeting, members from Fitch and Montville are planning on
   attending.
♦ 2010 Scholarship Committee: Glenn Hamler (chair), Sherry Lombardi, Rich
   Cheatham, Jim Sylvester and Ted Nelson.
♦ 2010 Nominating Committee: John Russell, William Everett and Rich Cheatham

Odds & Ends

Board of Directors: Tuesday, March 9th, 4:30 PM, Waterford Public Library

Division 29-A Key Club Caucus: Nastasia Humphries from Ledyard HS was elected Lt.
Governor for 2010-2011

Pam Stevens Moriarty was elected on February 3rd to fill a board vacancy for a two-
year term.

Golf Tournament:Volunteers are needed to serve on golf committee sought. Please contact Sherry Lombardi at 860-437-0293 or slombo@msn.com.

Online registration is now available on the district website: www.newenglandkiwanis.org
for the Mid-Winter Conference that will be held the weekend of March 5-7, 2010 at the
Crowne Plaza in Worcester MA. Please use the online registration, as it is a simple and
quick way to register for the conference.

Farewell to a Good Friend

Valeda Grills 2/11/40-10/17/09

From the moment Valeda Grills joined the Kiwanis Club of New London on January 12, 1999, she immediately stepped into a leadership post as club treasurer. Her love of children and dedication to Kiwanis at the local, district and foundation levels manifested itself with nine years of perfect attendance. During her entire tenure with the club Valeda served in leadership positions: club president, treasurer, secretary and board director. She also served as Lt. Governor for one and a half years from October 2004 through March 2006, earning Distinguished Lt. Governor honors. Valeda also served with distinction as a Director of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) including Vice President for 2008-09. Valeda also supported the Kiwanis Foundation of New England’s Red Jacket program as a Friend of the Foundation that signified a $1000 contribution to the KFNE endowment, which supports the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Valeda also supported the Kiwanis International Foundation’s Hixson Fellowship program with a $1000 contribution that is dedicated to supporting the Kiwanis International Worldwide Service Project to eliminate Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), which is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation as well as goiters and other thyroid related disease. Over time, Valeda convinced her husband, Bob, to join Kiwanis, especially to earn an interclub credit to the Kiwanis International Convention in Taipei in 2001. As a team Bob and Valeda have traveled throughout New England, the United States and the world, including numerous trips to Bermuda in their roles as Kiwanians.

Valeda, you have been a wonderful friend and you will be missed. Rest in peace. A complete obituary is available in the October 20, 2009 edition of The Day. Donations
in her memory can be made to The Kiwanis Club of New London, P.O. Box 333, New
London, CT 06230; Saint Joseph Endowment Fund, 17 Squire Street New London, CT
06320; and Saint Mary Star of the Sea Capital Fund, 10 Huntington Street, New London,CT 06320. Cards can be sent to Robert Grills, 105 Thames St., New London, CT 06320.

Division 23 Council Meeting

The Newington Kiwanis Club hosted 18 Kiwanians from six Division 23 clubs on
January 11th for the second Division Council meeting. Club members Tom Moriarty,
Jack Russell and Rich Cheatham attended. Representatives from the various clubs
updated the group on their club’s activities. We will be hosting the next Division Council
meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at 6 PM in the private dining room at Mitchell College.
Submitted by Rich Cheatham.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

With a big snowstorm on the horizon, a full complement of Kiwanis and Key Club Bell
Ringers fulfilled their obligations on Saturday, December 19th and made their way to the
Crystal Mall in Waterford to ring the bell for the Salvation Army. Volunteers staffed the
entries at Charlie’s Eating & Drinking Saloon, the Christmas Tree Shop and Food Court
from 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM in the evening. A plethora of Key Clubbers from all of the
clubs we sponsor- Fitch, New London, Montville, Waterford, East Lyme and Lyme-Old
Lyme- volunteered, including a group from the newly formed Ledyard High School Key
Club. Four Faculty Advisors aided the cause as well: Erin McGuire (New London),
Kim Glover (Montville) and Amanda Marchese and Ian Cheney (Waterford). The tally
at each location was as follows: Charlie’s Eating & Drinking Saloon- $481; Christmas
Tree Shop- $769 and Food Court $308. A big Kiwanis thank you to those members who
volunteered their time: Pam Stevens Moriarty, Gordon Jackson, Glenn Hamler, John
and Jack Russell, Sam Christy, Bob Grills (double shift), Andrew Ely, Paul Holden,
Ted Nelson, Carol Ballestrini, former member Rusty Ballestrini, Rich Cheatham
(double shift and more) and Marty Olsen.

Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner

Lead by Billie Hadley in the kitchen, the club provided its annual Thanksgiving feast
complete with turkey and all the trimmings at the Salvation Army on November 24th.
Over one hundred people enjoyed the meal. This annual service project was again very
successful and our Key Club participation was extraordinary with nineteen Key
Clubbers representing New London, East Lyme, Waterford, Fitch, Montville and
Lyme-Old Lyme High Schools volunteering their services! Ian Cheney, Faculty
Advisor at Waterford High School, along with Erin McGuire, Faculty Advisor at New
London High School, pitched in once again. We are proud of our Key Clubbers who did
an outstanding job at all of the various tasks. The following club members volunteered
and/or donated pies for dessert: Andrew Ely, Glenn Hamler, Pam Stevens Moriarty,
Sherry Lombardi, Gordon Jackson, Tom Moriarty, Bob Grills, Rich Cheatham, and
President John Russell. Submitted by Rich Cheatham.

Salvation Army Christmas Kids

Christmas Party Filled with Fellowship and Cheer Salvation Army Youth Guests Wowed by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Eleven children from the Salvation Army Youth Program, ranging in age from 4-14, joined the club for its annual Christmas Party on December 16th at the Officer’s Club at the US Coast Guard Academy. Bob Grills played the keyboard during the meeting and reveled us with seasonal songs. Santa and Mrs. Claus appeared right on time with bells a ringing! The children, young and old alike, were in Santa’s spell. Big smiles and sparkling eyes were to be found on every child. Each child received a gift(s) from club members who adopted them for the occasion along with donated gift bags and books donated by Bob Grills. Our young guests and their hosts are as follows: Zachary (John and Jack Russell), Ryan (Jim Sylvester), Crystal (Carol Ballestrini), Dylan (Gordon Jackson), Hailey (Bob Grills),George (Marty Olsen), Makayla (Rich Cheatham), Ariana (Sherry Lombardi), Everett (Sam Christy), Chris (Pam Stevens Moriarty), Matthew (Ted Nelson) and Makai (Loreen Lockwood).Thanks to Jim Sylvester for making the arrangements to use the “O” Club!

Ham & Turkey Sale

Bob Grills, event chair, reported that the Annual Ham & Turkey sale was another
success. A total of sixty-four units were sold for a net profit of $1150. Ted Nelson led the
sales effort with twenty units sold followed by stalwart Paul Holden with fourteen.

Circle K Club forms at Mitchell College

A new Circle K Club has formed at Mitchell College this fall. To date nineteen students
have signed on with great enthusiasm. The group has already embarked on a clothes drive and is seeking information on how to get involved at the soup kitchen on Montauk Ave.

Rich Cheatham is our Kiwanis Advisor to the club and he has worked with the students
as they have adopted the Standard Form of By-laws and elected officers. Formal
paperwork will soon be filed with Kiwanis International and a Charter Celebration will
be scheduled. Marty Olsen, an adjunct instructor at Mitchell College, will be the Faculty
Advisor. The officers for 2009-2010 are Randy Coons: President; Lauren
Chiaramonte: Vice-President; Karol Gejda: Secretary and Tom Henderson: Treasurer.

Third Annual Holiday Gathering

An intimate number of club members and spouses enjoyed a delightful evening at the
home of Andrea and Michael Kaiser on December 5th. The club thanks the Kaiser’s for
again opening their home for seasonal fellowship and cheer.

2010 Golf Committee

Sherry Lombardi: Co-chair

Ted Nelson: Co-chair
Rich Cheatham
Marty Olsen
Bob Grills
Pam Stevens

John Russell Installed as President for 2009-2010

Jack Russell Celebrates 88th birthday

On his father Jack’s 88th birthday, John Russell was installed as President of the Kiwanis
Club of New London for 2009-2010 on September 29th at Ocean Beach Park by
Governor Designate David Koohy. President John has established a goal of twelve new
members for the upcoming year- or one new member a month! A total of forty-two
members and guests celebrated the installation of officers and directors including District Treasurer Designate Bill Jenkins, Division 29-A Key Club Lt. Governor Kathleen
Cicchese, an interclub from the Guilford/Shoreline club, representatives from the
Waterford, Montville and Ledyard High School Key Clubs and two Mitchell College
students working on chartering a Circle K club at the school.. Governor Dick England
installed the following officers and directors for 2009-2010: President-elect Rich
Cheatham; Vice President Andrea Kaiser; Immediate Past President Tom Moriarty;
Treasurer William Everett; Secretary Marty Olsen; Directors One Year LCDR
Andrew Ely, USCG; Sherry Lombardi; Ted Nelson; Glenn Hamler and Directors
Two Years Jim Sylvester, Sam Christy and John Vincent. Lt. Governor Designate
Toni Walker retired the 2008-09 Officers and Board of Directors. The following
members were recognized for Perfect Attendance: Rich Cheatham (2), Bob Grills (5),
Tom Moriarty (5), Valeda Grills (9), Ted Nelson (11), Marty Olsen (21) and Gordon
Jackson (38). John Kashanski (56), Frank Penny (40) and Gordon Jackson (38) were
acknowledged for their years of service as members of the Legion of Honor. Glenn
Hamler did an outstanding job as Master of Ceremonies.

Serviceperson-of-the-Month

YN1 Brian Lewis was recognized as Serviceperson-of-the-Month at our club meeting on September 30th. This important program is co-sponsored by the Navy League and the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. Each month a different service organization hosts this program. Denny Hicks, Director of Strategic Planning for the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, made the presentation to Mr. Lewis. Joining the celebration was Lewis’ wife, Veronica, along the following officers and enlisted Coast Guard personnel from the Coast Guard Academy: Lt. Tammy Michelli, Command Master Chief John Niece, Chief Yeoman Kathy Pliska, Fireman Nathaniel Gerson Vega, CWU Sam Pederson and YN3 Melissa Beeker. Lena Blanche, Community Liaison from the Naval Sub Base, also attended. Mr. Lewis was recognized for his superior work at the academy as well as his volunteer work in the community, especially with children. On behalf of the Kiwanis Club of New London, President-elect John Russell presented Mr. Lewis with a $100 US Savings Bond along with a club mug, program certificate and certificate recognizing a book being donated to the Otis Library Children’s Department in his name.

Kiwanis Funding Policy

The Board approved a new funding policy that was prepared by the Giving and Standards Committee at its last Board of Directors Meeting on September 8, 2009. This new policy has been mailed out to all members for their information. The primary focus of this new policy is to address requests outside of the Kiwanis Family. Andrea Kaiser chaired the committee and was joined by Sherry Lombardi, Andrew Ely and Rich Cheatham.
Click here for more information

Team Kiwanis

On a glorious day Team Captain Andrea Kaiser led fellow club members Sherry Lombardi, Rich Cheatham, John Russell and Marty Olsen at the American Diabetes Association StepOut Walk held September 20th at Harkness State Park. Each member made the three-mile trek and enjoyed a morning of fellowship and camaraderie. The team has collected a total of $590 to date. Donations and pledges are still being accepted.

All photos submitted by Rich Cheatham.