Veteran’s Day Tribute

Wednesday Nov. 11--Club member Stan Whelchel was a U.S. Marine in the 1950s. He spoke today about how Veteran’s Day came into being as a national holiday and day of remembrance.

Established at the end of World War I as Armistice Day, the name was changed to Veteran’s Day during the Eisenhower administration. Stan also pointed out that yesterday was the 240^th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.

He rounded out his interesting program with a video titled “Story Behind the National Anthem” that tells the story of Francis Scott Key and the Battle of Fort McHenry. Click on the link below to see this moving story.

Veteran's Day - The Story Behind the National Anthem

November 11 is Veteran's Day and the US National Anthem is a symbol of our country. We are fortunate as Stan Whelchel will be telling us the story of the Marines as well as share a poem he wrote. This video by Joshua Richard tells the story of the night battle portrayed in Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner. 

You might want to review the song's lyrics.  Typically we only sing the first verse the true story is found throughout the 4 verses in the whole song.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Let's Be Grateful for Our November Programs

Wednesday, November 4 - Business Meeting     

Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day Tribute

Stan Whelchel will tell us the meaning of Veterans Day and share the story of the Marines.  We will view a video about Francis Scott Key and writing the Star Spangled Banner.

Wednesday, November 18 – Previewing Possible Shows at the Gallagher Bluedorn

Steve Carignan, executive director of the Gallagher Bluedorn, will share a number of possible acts/shows that they are considering for next season. It’s exciting to know that we will help form the playlist for next season's programs at the GBPAC.

Wednesday, November 25 – The Thanksgiving Message

Bob Ericson, a “retired” Lutheran minister, will share a Thanksgiving message with the club. We will talk about those things for which we are grateful.

Join Us for the Gift of Giving on Saturday, Dec 5 @ 6:00 AM

Saturday, Dec 5 at 6:30-9:00 AM @ UAW in Waterloo

Sat. Dec 5 at 6:00-9:00 AM @ UAW in Waterloo

Every year, the Cedar Valley Jaycees organize the Gift of Giving event. This occasion involves taking at-risk children in Cedar Valley shopping to purchase holiday (like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Chalica) gifts for their family members.  Our Kiwanis Rough Risers group has been involved with this wonderful opportunity for many years.

In this event, we take at-risk kids from all backgrounds shopping. These kids from across Cedar Valley deal with many challenges: broken homes, foster children, handicapped, academically challenged, battling illness and financially disadvantaged.  These boys and girls are typically from elementary schools.

The event is an early one. We gather the wee shoppers early in the morning, take them to Blains Farm and Fleet before it opens to the public, and return for breakfast and wrapping. We meet at 6:00 in the morning at the United Auto Workers (UAW) hall in Waterloo. Volunteers are matched up with one or two kids and they climb aboard one of the school buses donated for the event.

Blain’s Farm and Fleet opens its doors at 7:00 am for us to go shopping.  Each child is given a $35 credit (it varies from year-to-year) and the shopping teams go forth to find gifts for family members using a list each shopper created before the event. This is the best part because the kids and volunteers get to discuss and plan how they can stretch their money to buy important gifts for those they love.

Once everyone has made their purchases, they climb back on the bus and return to the UAW hall by 8:30 where they wrap gifts and enjoy breakfast.  

This is a wonderful event. I must admit that it is one of the highlights of my year.

Join us for this wonderful event. You have the option of joining the "wee ones" on their shopping sprees (Shopper) or staying at the UAW to help prepare and serve breakfast (Cook).

If you are interested in signing up for this, go to our Gift of Giving sign-up sheet. If you want to learn more about it, ask a grizzled member and s/he will share the joy with you.

Sat. Dec 5 at 6:00-9:00 AM @ UAW in Waterloo

Photos and Images from CedarValleyJayCees.org

Civil War Myths Debunked

Wednesday Oct. 28—When we think about the Civil War, we assume that our Iowan ancestors were 100% on the side of the North, and that all the battles were fought in distant states.

Not true, according to Sherman Lundy of the Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable who spoke to our group today. The southern counties in Iowa were largely settled by people migrating from Missouri and states further south via the Mississippi River. The term “copperhead” was coined to describe a resident of Iowa or other Union state who was loyal to the Confederacy and helped supply material and information.

A raid by Confederate guerrillas in Bloomfield, Iowa was the northernmost action during the Civil War. Other skirmishes took place near the Missouri border. 

While the Civil War occurred 150 years ago, it has not been forgotten and we learned many interesting facts from Mr. Lundy’s presentation.

What’s New In 2-Wheeled Fun

Wednesday Oct. 21—Did you know that most Cedar Falls residents live within one mile of a bicycle trail?

According to Brent Johnson, the owner of BikeTech, a bicycle specialty store, that is one of the reasons why bicycling in one of its various types and styles is such a popular pastime. There are bikes designed for common recreational riding as well as models suited for mountain and off-trail riding and even for extreme sports.

One of the latest advances is electronic shifting, which replaces mechanical cables with a computer cable for smooth and precise shifting.

A state association is working to improve the image and importance of bicycling for recreation, fitness and basic transportation.

We appreciate the time Brent spent with us today and for his informative comments.

Rough Riser Kiwanians Scan the Walls for QR

October 20, 2015 - What do you do when your walls are covered with secret codes like this?  You do what any other 21st century person would do . . . you pull out your smart phone (or tablet) and scan this QR code to see what it does.

(Scan this one and you will have a big surprise.)

Last Wednesday, we had Leigh Zeitz, associate professor of Instructional Technology at UNI, introduce us to QR codes.  The codes are codes that we can create and scan with our smart phones.

Zeitz instructed us in downloading the scanning app - I-Nigma onto our phones (or the iPads he brought.)  Once we downloaded the apps, we started to scan the black code boxes that were taped on the walls and placed on our tables.

It was fun.  These codes connected us with a lot of cool things including videos, websites, songs, text messages, photos - there was one that even sent a tweet on Twitter.  It was a fun opportunity.

What to see what Rough Risers look when they are let loose to have fun with technology?  

October is an AWESOME Month for Programs

Wednesday, October 7 - Business Meeting    
Wednesday, October 14 - QR Codes: What are They and How Can I Use Them?
Leigh Zeitz, associate professor of Instructional Technology at UNI, will share QR Codes and what can be done with them. This will be an experience where you will pull our your smartphone and open a new world.

Wednesday, October 21 - The World of Biking: Present and Future

Brent Johnson, owner and leader of Bike Tech, will join us to share the world of biking.  He will describe the basics of biking in the present day and then take us on a tour of his insight into the future of biking.  It should be an exciting tour.

Wednesday, October 28 - The Hidden Story of Confederate Iowa

Sherman Lundy will be sharing  “the rest of the story” as Sherman tells tales of confederate raids on Iowa as well as stories about Iowans who fought in the confederate army during the United States Civil War.

New Officers Selected for the 2015-2016 Kiwanis Year

Leading an active organization like our Kiwanis Rough Risers is not an easy task.  Therefore, it is necessary to keep the leadership fresh and alive.   We turn over our leadership on October 1 of each year when newly elected leaders assume their new roles.

Our leadership is divided into the Executive and Legislative Branches (sorry, no judicial in this system.)  The Executive members are those who lead the club: President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer.  The Legislative members are those who govern the club as the Board of Directors.  In order to keep an on-going critical mass of experienced directors in the group, the term length and expiration dates for directors will vary.  (You can see these in parentheses on the lists below.)

The Executive Branch that will "enter the ring" on October 1, will include:

• Tony Reid - President
• Alan Czarnetzki - Vice-President
• Jim Larson - Secretary/Treasurer
• Rod Hamer - Past President

Our Legislative Branch (Board of Directors) will include:

• Sue Loy - 2016
• Cindy Hahn - 2016
• Bob Ericson - 2017
• Leigh Zeitz - 2017
• Gery Deaver - 2018
• Tim Jones - 2018

Greeters for the Rest of the Year 2015

Here is a brief list of the members who will be greeting you in the upcoming weeks. Find your name and put it in your calendar.

October 7          Dave L.
October 14        Sue L.
October 21        Doug N.
October 28        Bob N.
November 4      Tony R.
November 11    Tom R.
November 18    Jerry S.
November 25    Greg S.
December 2      Nick T.
December 9      Gene T.
December 16    Stan
December 23    Jeff W.
December 30    Liz W.