(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
Stories
BULLETIN FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12, 2016
"I've known.....lightning strikes and hammer blows, tripping falls face-to-ground. I drag heavy fears....and I've hurt a lot. But why nurture the negative? With each adversity and graying year comes a brighter, giddier laugh and a more sincere, deeper smile. My heart gets both weaker and stronger with each blow, and even mere seconds, being miserable or resentful or smeared with the filth or the past. Wash myself clean each morning and brave the new day.....I'll take what I can get in lessons and give whatever I can in smiles." (Terri Guillemets, "Kicked Happy, Fallen Grateful."...2012)
Here Are The Greeters for the Month of December 2016
December 15, 2016.........Tracy Herman
December 22, 2016.........ROUNDTABLE FOR CHRISTMAS
December 29, 2016.........ROUNDTABLE FOR CHRISTMAS
"BIRTHDAYS DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2016"
December 26, 2016..........Lon Shell
Rob Martin had more surgery that was expected, and he is having to stay in Rehab for longer than he had anticipated. But news is that he might be coming home this coming Wednesday, but will be pretty much confined to his home for an unknown period of time.
Gary Nelson has obtained a wheelchair for Rob and will be taking it over, along with a little stool to help him get in and out of a vehicle when that time comes. When he gets home, a phone call might perk him up.
Terrific Kids Award Ceremony!
Our club hit a historical highpoint this last Thursday afternoon when 15 Kiwanians handed out a multiple number of donated 'goodies' to 92 'Terrific Kids at DeZavala. It was a thrilling time. Those club members that came out in faithful droves were :Rhonda White, Glen Rydl, Pam Cook, Del Brown, Randy Cook, Francis Mendez, Tracy Herman, Kelli Whigham, John Polk, Garry White, Chester Banks, Charles Johnson, Frederick Case, Gary Nelson and Doug Balkman. Thanks Guys and Gals!
"Hear Ye! Hear Ye!...Mark your Calendars if you are a member of the Board of Directors.
The monthly Board meeting will meet right after the noon meeting this coming Thursday, December 15.
Our Christmas Party was a Grand Success and a Lot of Fun.
Even though it was supposed to be an Interclub Christmas Party no one from the other Division Clubs showed up, but we had 16 of our members and wives over at Kent Black's BBQ last Thursday at 12:00 for a great meal. and lots of food mingled with lots of BBQ and great side dishes from Blacks, followed by each member giving an idea what they might wish for in their lives during the next year, then we all sang a few Christmas carols, and everyone got into the joyful Christmas spirit. Thanks John Polk for setting it up, and taking charge of the program. Those who were able to be there were: Tracy and Gary Herman, Charles Johnson, Doug Balkman, Randy & Pam Cook, Ted & Frances Breihan, Frederick Case, Gary & Sherry Nelson, John Polk, Del Brown, Chester Banks, Moe Johnson, Glen and Marilou Rydl, Lon & Phyllis Shell, Kelli Whigham and Rhonda White, It was indeed a great event and everyone had a great time.
"Kiwanis Is A Verb"...No.22.....Getting Involved!
It takes a while for people to acquire a sense of "ownership" in a new organization.....and new Kiwanians, too, are understandably often a bit shy about getting involved in club activities,
New Kiwanians sometimes fear being too "pushy" as though they thought they might be encroaching on someone else's territory if they volunteered too quickly or offered a new idea too soon.
This attitude shows up in ways other than not speaking out too much at first. As a new Kiwanian, for example, you may:
*Put off joining an interclub outing to a nearby club.
*Decline the opportunity to provide piano accompaniment for club singing, or writing articles for the Club Bulletin, etc. even though you have the skills needed.
* Stay away from Board meetings because you feel you "don't belong there"
* Avoid Kiwanis Conferences such as Division Council meetings, Spring Training conferences, and District and International Conventions.
New Kiwanians sometimes feel that they should be be invited to participate first and, even then, that it's 'tacky' to appear too eager to get involved. Well, sponsors of new members are supposed to encourage new Kiwanians to experience as much of the diversity or Kiwanis membership as possible. They are supposed to personally take them to Board meetings, service projects, fund raisers, inter club meetings, etc, For his or her part, the sponsor may fear 'overdosing' the new member on Kiwanis. It's a dilemma for which there is no easy resolution but, when it happens, both the club and the new members are the losers.
An advantage of getting into lots of Kiwanis activities right away is that it firmly establishes your sense of investment in your club. It's easy to assume that others might think you "don't belong" in your club's Board meeting And you might feel that you're "not quite ready" for a district convention yet. In both cases, and the others too, just the opposite is true. Inter-clubs, Board meetings, Conferences, and Conventions are all opportunities to learn about your newly found Kiwanis and what your membership offers you. Active participation will launch you onto the fast track of Kiwanis. Take in as much Kiwanis activity as you can....as soon as you can. You'll enjoy your membership more and you'll be a more effective Kiwanian.
1............Texas is home to Dell & Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
2............Professional sports teams include the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Houston Astros, Houston Comets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Texas Rangers.
3............Laredo is the world's largest inland port.
4............Port Lavaca has the world's longest fishing pier. Originally part of the causeway connecting the two sides of Lavaca Bay, the center span was destroyed by Hurricane Carla in 1961.
5............The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes, representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22 acre garden.
6............Amarillo has the world's largest helium well.
7............The world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
8............The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over the water.
9............The Heisman trophy is named for John William Heisman the first full-time coach and athletic director at Rice University in Houston.
10...........Jalapeno pepper jelly originated in Lake Jackson and was first marketed in 1978.
"What is So Amazing about the Number 53?
1............'53' is the 16th prime number. It is also an Eisenstein prime and a Sophie Germain prime.
2............'53' is the atomic number of iodine.
3............'53' is the racing number of Herbie, a fictional Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own, first appearing in the 1969 film The Love bug.
4.............'53' Days," is a northeastern USA Rock Band.
5.............Part of the title of the 1912 movie North of Fifty Three, remade in 1917.
6.............Ringo Starr's book "Postcards From the Boys" (2003) contains 53 postcards from fellow Beatles.
7.............In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!", and its animated TV special, Grinch says he's put up with the who's Christmas cheer for 53 years.
8.............Fictional 53rd Precinct in the Bronx was found in the TV comedy, "Cars 54, Where Are You?"
9.............'53' - the maximum number of players on a National Football League roster,
10...........'53' - the most field goals (three game series, NBA playoffs) by Michael Jordan, 1992
Beware what you do when you go out in your automobile!
"It seemed that all our appliances had broken in the same week, and repairs were straining our budget. So when I picked up the kids from school and our Jeep started making rattling sounds, I decided that rather than burden my husband, I'd deal with it. I hadn't reckoned on my little tattletale, however. They rushed into the house with the news: 'Daddy, the jeep was breaking down, but Mom made the noise stop!' Impressed, my husband asked, 'How did you fix it?' 'I turned up the volume on the radio, 'I confessed""
Fun Facts About the Month of DECEMBER.
December 9, 1993.........A five day repair job in space on the $3 billion Hubble Space Telescope was finished by U.S. astronauts.
December 10, 1896..........Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel died at San Reno, Italy. His will stipulated that income from his $9 million estate be used for awards recognizing persons who have made valuable contributions to humanity. Nobel recipients are chosen by a committee of the Norwegian parliament. Prizes for Peace, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Economics are presented annually in a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on the anniversary of his death. Each prize is valued at about $1 million.
December 11, 1941............A major turning point in World War II occurred as Japan's Axis partners, Italy and Germany, both declared war on the United States. The U.S. Congress immediately declared war on them. President Roosevelt then made the defeat of Hitler the top priority, devoting nearly 90% of U.S. military resources to the war in Europe.
December 12, 1998............The House Judiciary Committee approved a fourth and final article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with making false statements in his answers to written questions from Congress,
December 13, 1862.............During the American Civil War, the Battle of Fredericksburg occurred in Virginia as the Union Army of the Potomac under General Burnside suffered a costly defeat, losing 12,653 men after 14 frontal assaults on well entrenched Rebels on Marye's Heights. "We might as well have tried to take hell," a Union soldier remarked. Confederate losses were 5,309. "It is well that war is so terrible - we should grow too fond of it." stated Confederate General Robert E. Lee during the fighting.
December 14, 1962.............The Mariner II space probe sent back information from the planet Venus, the first information ever received from another planet.
December 15,1939..............Gone With the Wind had its world premiere in Atlanta, introduced by producer David O. Selznick and featuring appearances by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
2.............Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers were all invented by women.
3.............Each king in a deck of playing cardsa represents a great king from history. Spades - King David; Clubs - Alexander the Great; Hearts - Charlemagne; and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
4.............Pearls melt in vinegar.
5.............If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
6.............Honey is the only food that does not spoil.
7.............Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building, it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving that a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It su9pposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realize what is occurring, relax and correct itself.
8..............Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason.
9..............More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in aircrashes.
10.............If you toss a penny 10000 times, it will not be heads 5000 times, but more like 4950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.
"America the Beautiful"
Natural Bridge is a geological formation in Rockbridge County, Virginia, in which Cedar Creel (a small tributary of the James River) has carved out a gorge in the mountainous limestone terrain, forming a natural arch 215 ft high with a span of 90 ft. It consists of horizontal limestone strata, and is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the creek once flowed. Natural Bridge has been designated a Virginia Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
The Natural Bridge was a sacred site of the Native American Monacan tribe, who believed it to be the site of a major victory over pursuing Powhatans centuries before the arrival of Europeans in Virginia.
Some believe that George Washington came to the site in 1750 as a young surveyor on behalf of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. To support claims that Washington surveyed the area, some tour guides claim the initials "G.W." on the wall of the bridge, 23 ft. up were carved by the future president. Legend also has it that George Washington threw a rock from the bottom of Cedar Creek over the bridge. In 1927, a large stone was found, also engraved "G.W," and bearing a surveyor's cross, which historians accepted as proof that he indeed surveyed the bridge.
"Someone once described FEAR in an acronym: False Expectations Appearing Real. For the most part, what we fear is not real - - it is merely our mind imagining something awful that has not yet happened."
'Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil' (ARISTOTLE)
'To him who is in fear, everything rustles." (SOPHOCLES)
"I've known.....lightning strikes and hammer blows, tripping falls face-to-ground. I drag heavy fears....and I've hurt a lot. But why nurture the negative? With each adversity and graying year comes a brighter, giddier laugh and a more sincere, deeper smile. My heart gets both weaker and stronger with each blow, and even mere seconds, being miserable or resentful or smeared with the filth or the past. Wash myself clean each morning and brave the new day.....I'll take what I can get in lessons and give whatever I can in smiles." .jpg)
