Learn what the busiest service club in Cedar Valley is doing. The Cedar Falls Kiwanis Rough Risers is composed of 32 active members who pop kettlecorn, build shelters, pack food, and a myriad of other activities so that they can support the youth of the valley.
Wednesday Nov. 18—Perhaps everyone who attends performances
at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus fantasizes about
who they would bring in to the center if they were in charge.
Today we served as a focus group and gave guests Steve
Carignan and Diane Campbell of the GBPAC our input after viewing 18 video clips
of a wide variety of performers.
Comedians, musical
solo artists and groups of every genre, and other types of entertainment were
represented and we got to pick our favorite six out of that collection for the
2016-17 season.
How will our votes compare to other focus groups? We’ll find
out next summer when the schedule for the new season is announced! Steve's Rough Risers mug collection proves he is a frequent guest speaker!
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 240th 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
