Gravette Kiwanis Club installs new officers
GRAVETTE — Members of the Gravette Kiwanis Club installed new officers at a dinner meeting Monday, Sept. 25, at the Billy V. Hall Senior Activity and Wellness Center. Members and guests enjoyed a banquet meal of mixed green salad, roast beef, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, green beans, rolls, and peach cobbler prepared and served by Center staff.
Lavon Stark, the outgoing president, welcomed members and guests and said she was pleased with how well the club responded to help reach the goals she set last year at the beginning of her term. These included gaining five new members, getting more publicity for the club and holding two social events. The club has added four members and held an enjoyable Christmas party and summer social. Fundraising was also successful, she said, with $3,000 raised at a club auction at Barber Auction House.
Service is a primary focus of the club, Stark said. She noted that $100 was donated to the Share the Harvest food pantry the previous week, making a total of 22 community service projects this year.
Jay Chalk, the incoming president, thanked Stark for her year’s service and presented her with a candle and gift certificate from a local business and a past president’s pin.
David Bailey, lieutenant governor of Mo-Ark District 19, was the guest speaker and installed the new officers. He said that there are Kiwanis clubs in more than 80 countries, with their main focus being service to children, including giving scholarships and the BUG (Bringing Up Grades) and Terrific Kids programs in the schools. Another major success in the past few years was the Kiwanis drive against iodine deficiency disease, which has nearly eliminated the disease, and, more recently, against neonatal tetanus.
Bailey said Gravette is the second largest club in District 19, second only to Siloam Springs. He commended Stark on her successful year as president and especially praised the club’s growth, saying gaining four new members was very noteworthy since, on average, clubs in the district are losing two members yearly. He said he hoped to see other clubs in the district grow and he also has a goal to start a new club.
Al Blair and Bill Mattler, two members of the Old Town String Band, provided musical entertainment and sang three songs, “Chicken Truck,” “Leavin’ On a Jet Plane” and “Amazing Grace.” Blair sang the last verse of “Amazing Grace” in Cherokee.
Club directors Steve Huckriede, Richard Page and Zane Vanderpool were introduced. Directors Patrick Hall, Bob Kelley and Dan Yates were not present.
Bailey then read job descriptions for each officer and installed Jay Chalk, president; Dr. Nancy Jones, president-elect; and Malcolm Winters, treasurer. He presented pins to each new officer. Secretary Brenda Yates was on vacation and unable to attend.
After his installation, Chalk addressed the club and said he plans to continue to strive to be a “model club.” He praised Stark for her leadership, saying, “Lavon has done a great job. She’s a hard act to follow.”
Chalk said he hopes to reach out to the community more, do more community service projects and “make a difference.”
The Gravette Kiwanis Club holds regular breakfast meetings at 7 a.m. every Friday in the cafeteria at Ozarks Community Hospital.