December 18 Meeting Summary
The Manhattan Solar Kiwanis Club met at noon on December 18, 2023, at the Blue Hills Room. There were 11 members present. Club President Karl Dean led the meeting. Doug Denning led the song, Doug Ackley led the pledge and Vera Williams gave the invocation.
We had no club members with a birthday before our next weekly meeting. We had four club members with an anniversary before our next weekly meeting: Ed and Dee Herde (December 23), Brent and Cheryl Jones (January 2).
Announcements were led by President Dean. The Solar Kiwanis Board of Directors at their monthly meeting voted to donate $400 to a local businessman who has a very serious, undiagnosed ailment that is getting progressively worse. He is the owner of Hard Knocks Small Engine Service and has a wife and five children. The Board hoped that the donation might help bring some joy to the family, and especially the children, during these times when joy is hard for them to find. We will keep him in our prayers. Our next weekly meeting will be on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, and Solarian Greg Doering will have the program.
Happy Dollar donations were given for various reasons: our speaker Liz Nelson, the University of Nebraska, actor Charles Nelson, hoping that eye surgery goes well this week, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
President Dean called on Solarian Doug Denning to introduce our speaker, Liz Nelson who is the Director of the Manhattan Senior Center. Nelson has worked at the Senior Center for five years and has been the Director for the past two years. She is the only full-time employee and has four part-time paid employees. The Manhattan Senior Center provides services and activities for persons aged 60 years of age and older living in Riley County and the Manhattan area. Services and activities provided include fitness and social activities, educational programs, information and referral services, cooperative efforts with service providers to address older adult needs, and volunteer service opportunities. Membership dues are $25 per year and they have 700 current members and serve over 2,500 people annually. The North Central Flint Hills Agency on Aging serves meals out of the Senior Center, and they serve 220 meals per day and 55,000 meals per year. The Manhattan Senior Center has numerous events and activities, including, fitness classes, health and wellness classes, social events and art and entertainment.
Solar Kiwanis meets at noon at the Blue Hills Room next to RC McGraw’s in the Blue Hills Shopping Center. Our next weekly meeting will be Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Contact Secretary Doug Ackley (rda@ksu.edu, or, 785-539-4945) if you have any questions. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers (male and female) dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.