My Kiwanis Moments
I have three Kiwanis moments that stand out in my mind.
My first one took place on May 10, 2001. Kiwanis International president Bo Shafer was in our little town (Ridgetown, Ontario), population 3,300. He was here to dedicate a plaque in Kiwanis Park commemorating our donation of almost $200,000 to the Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) project and the fact that this resulting in 4,000,000 million people being saved from IDD.
At that time we had a car, BOB, which we used in parades. BOB was made up of the front ends of two cars, welded together. Each had its own steering wheel and the car was capable of some very interesting maneuvers. Naturally we gave Bo a ride. My Kiwanis moment was the look on Bo Shafer’s face when he got out of that car. I’ve seen Bo several times since then. He always says, “Ridgetown. Funny car.” That was obviously one of his Kiwanis moments as well.
I remember my Kiwanis Moment number two taking place on April of 2000. My wife and I had gone to the Eastern Canada District Key Club convention in St, John, NB along with 6 members of the Ridgetown District High School Key Club. The feature speaker was Karen Wooten, a past governor and a past member of our Key Club. When Karen joined Key Club she was a shy girl who barely talked. At that convention, she gave an uplifting speech in both official languages, captivating the audience. How much she had grown and matured, through Key Club. A Kiwanis Moment for sure.
My third Moment happened in July, 1993. I was president of the Kiwanis Club of Ridgetown and was representing our club at the International Convention in Nice, France. I was there for the birth of the Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) project – an historic occasion and a true Kiwanis Moment. (Oh yes, I also got to meet Orville Redenbaucher, of popcorn fame, who was celebrating 60 years as a Kiwanian).
Moments such as these remind me why I joined Kiwanis, and why I continue to serve the children of the world.
LG Randy Ross
Division 4, Colonel Talbot Division
Kiwanis Club of Ridgetown
