Members from the three clubs representing the St. Johns Kiwanis Service Leadership Program posed following a presentation recently at a Kiwanis meeting. Seated, from left, Kaytlyn Krish, Bailey Woodruff, April Mullikin, Meredith Robbins and Jessica Hafner. Standing, Christine Shoup, Sarah Uribe, Mason Pieters and Jamison Cleaver.
Every service club pursues a major objective designed to benefit common good within a community or, to a larger extent, on a national level. Kiwanis is no different, but within the framework of community service, Kiwanians around the globe have one unique pursuit, reaching out to young people through a system of Service Leadership Programs.
Locally, St. Johns Kiwanis Club maintains three levels of activities designed to foster and develop awareness of community service among youngsters from middle through high school along with adults living with disabilities.
Jan Havlik, who serves as an advisor and coordinator for the program, recently addressed fellow Kiwanians on status of the effort and introduced student representatives. She identified the three groups that St. Johns Kiwanis sponsors in the Service Leadership Program: Builders Club, Key Club and Aktion Club. “Each of these groups has a unique identity,” she explained, “and each develops and engages in its own community service project.”
Examples of contributions include cleaning city parks, raking leaves from the yards of private homes, assisting other organizations in specific benefit efforts, such as the annual Walk for Warmth program. Specifically, the Service Leadership Program identifies the following segments:
Builders Club – Comprised of students in middle school with service projects commensurate with age levels.
Key Club – Key Club members are high school students and, like the younger Builders Club, activities are coordinated through school district staff.
Aktion Club – St. Johns Kiwanis is one of 200 clubs assisting adults living with disabilities to develop leadership skills through hands-on service and return to the community the benefits and caring assistance they have received.
“These special groups,” commented Ms Havlik, “have one commonality under the Service Leadership Program; to experience the spirit of Kiwanis community service and the importance of becoming competent community leaders.”