We thank you for considering membership in our Berea Kiwanis Club. We have been in existence since 1921 and have provided over 100 years of service to children and the community.

 

As a potential new member, it is important that you understand some of our club’sexpectations for your membership. We are a very active club, busy 12 months of the year. We want you to get involved as much as you can, as your time and schedule permit. Thereis no penalty for not meeting these expectations, but for our club to continue to grow andimpact kids and the community, we need you to be an “active” member and not just a “dues-paying member”.

 

We meet generally weekly, currently at Tony K’s Bar & Grille in Berea. Our meetings startat 6:30 pm, and dinner is optional. If you want to eat, we want you there about an hour earlier so you can finish dinner before the meeting starts. On some Tuesdays, we may meetat other venues (such as Citizenship Day or our annual picnic, or our Holiday Concert atthe high school). ATTENDING THE MEETINGS EACH WEEK IS DIFFICULT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE MEETING/MONTH TO STAY ENGAGED WITH THE CLUB AND FOR US TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER AND VICE VERSA.

This is our FIRST expectation.

 

Our club year runs from October 1 to September 30, and yearly dues are currently $150. Most of this goes to Kiwanis International and the Ohio District Kiwanis. It covers their operational expenses, the magazine, and liability and officers/directors insurance. About $29 remains in the club and is part of our Administrative account. We also have a Community Account, which is used to fund our service projects and community requests for funds. Paying your yearly dues promptly when it comes time to renew is our SECOND expectation.

 

We are a VERY active club. Each year (in chronological order), we sponsor/support thefollowing events and/or work on the following fundraisers:

 

Sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt at St. Mary (Berea) – MARCH, APRIL

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Sponsor the Empty Bowl (provides funding for the 4 Berea food banks) – APRIL (Note: Members are requested to sell/buy tickets)

 

Berea City Club Rib Cookoff Pop Booths at the fairgrounds – MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

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Ohio Scottish Games (work the gates and beer caddies at the fairgrounds) – JUNE

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Cuyahoga County Fair (work the information booths and beer stands) – AUGUST

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Support a Summer Lunch Program – AUGUST

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Baldwin Wallace Home Football Games (work the gates) – AUGUST - NOVEMBER

 

Oktoberfest (work the gates at the fairgrounds) – SEPTEMBER

 

Operation Berea Kind (located at the Berea Rec, provides clothing items to people in need)-- DECEMBER-MARCH

 

Sponsor the Pancake Breakfast & Sausage Festival (Baldwin Wallace Student Union) –DECEMBER (Note: Members are requested to sell/buy tickets).

 

The above list is the main events and fundraisers we do. There are also several other volunteer opportunities throughout the year, such as Read Around the World at the Berea Library, Safety Town at the Berea Recreation Center, Madzy Run & Dog Walk, Community Dinners, Harvest Festival, and several requests for help at Grindstone Elementary.

 

We generally use SignUp Genius or have a signup sheet to ask for volunteers to work thesefundraisers and events. Volunteering for as many of these as you can is our THIRD expectation. Specifically, for the 4 fairground events, we ask you to work at least two of these.

 

A key part of our club is our support of our “Service Leadership Programs”. They consistof K-Kids (Grindstone Elementary), Key Club (Berea-Midpark HS), Circle K (BW), and the Community Aktion Club. We ENCOURAGE you to engage with these clubs as much as possible and assist when requested.

 

The Kiwanis organization consists of four major parts: the club level, the division level (we are one of eight clubs), the district level (the state of Ohio), and the international level. There are monthly Division meetings you are invited to attend. In addition, in a given clubyear, there are 3 major conferences (Mid-Year Education Day in March, InternationalConvention in June, and the District Convention in August). Again, we ENCOURAGE you to attend at least the Mid-Year Education Day to get engaged with Kiwanis at the state and international level.

 

So, in summary, our club is VERY active and VERY VISIBLE in the Berea community. Weare one of the largest clubs in Ohio with approximately 100 members. As stated previously, in order to continue to make a strong impact, we need to replenish our membership with people who embrace the mission of Kiwanis (“Serving the Children of the World”) and can relate to the Kiwanis Objects. These objects are:

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• To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life

• To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships

• To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards

• To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship

• To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, render altruistic service, and to build better communities

• To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

 

If you feel you want to join this club and help to make an impact on the lives of children and in the community, we WELCOME you! Along with this is a commitment to meet our expectations and get involved with our club as much as possible!

 

These Expectations along with our Membership Information Sheet, should provide you with the information you need to consider membership.

 

THANK YOU!