Attendance was very, very low this week.  Remember to come to Thursday's meeting!   We have a really great program scheduled!

 

 

1.  District Updates:  Rick Pickering reported on several items involving the district clubs:

          a.  Early Bird: Registration of $55. for the Texas/Oklahoma conference will continue until May 31.  After that, the cost will be $75.

          b.  Kiwanis coloring books:  Our club has submitted several photos from the Good Citizen Camp.  These will be converted into coloring pages that will appear in an upcoming coloring book.  Our club currently has 18 coloring books from a previous publishing, and it has been suggested that we pass them out to kids during the Kiwanis Cornhole Tournament and Picnic, as well as during the Public Library Summer Reading Program.  Future coloring books can be ordered at $1.05 each with a minimum order of 50.

          c.  Upcoming Club Officers:  In order to stay on the Kiwanis International timeline, we only have a few days to turn in names for candidates.  Please consider volunteering for Club President, for next year, as well as future board members.

          d.  Distinguished Club Award:  Initially, club calculations indicated that our club had earned enough credits to receive Distinctive Club recognition, but feedback from Kiwanis International stated that we were short by several credits.  Maybe next year.  We will be receiving Presidential recognition, though.

 

 

2.  Financial Report:  If you are paying club dues in 2 installments, this is a reminder that it is time to pay dues again.

 

 

Education and teaching someone to read, as well as to establish a love for learning, has always been Athena Reiche's passion. By discovering the world of books, you can open up to explorations in fantasy, geography, science, and a new way to see the world.  The best thing about reading is that it doesn't matter what age you are, because it is something that everyone can take part in.  Reading is also a way to improve brain function, reduce stress, and reduce feelings of loneliness.  

 

 

Unfortunately, reading literacy isn't always a strength in US adults, nationwide, as studies have found that 21% are unable to read by the time they leave school, and 54% are only successful in reading up to a 6th grade level.  These low levels of literacy actually cost the US up to 2.2 trillion dollars per year.  Sadly, when a book becomes too difficult to read, the reader often gives up.

 

 

There are general ways to determine the reading level of a book.  Athena shared that although there is no special formula, the frequency of specific words that appear, the length of sentences in the passages, the complexity of the words, and the font size, pictures, etc. are things to look for when determining what level that book is geared towards.  Also, in the schools, testing materials such as benchmarks, STARR, and other state mandated tests help to determine if the reading material is on a success level.  

 

As parents and grandparents, we can help with reading and improve our own reading.  Role modeling, time to provide reading practice, and making books available are some ways that help. The first 2 are pretty self-explanatory, but how do you pick out books?  Athena Reiche explained that you start out with using the 5-finger rule.  You open a book and look for words that you don't know: 0-1 means the book is too easy, and 5 means the book is too hard. From there, you pick books that are interesting to you, whether that is fiction or non-fiction, classics, award winning books, etc.  Still not sure what to read.  Read a few pages, and if it captures your attention, you have found a book.

 

In conclusion, remember that practice makes perfect, and it's a great way to spend your time, you are learning things, and helping your brain.

 

 

 

 

Apr. 16, 2026:  History of Mermaids with Mary McBeth (Mary's mother will be in attendance, as well: She was the original choreographer for the Mermaid show)

Apr. 23, 2026:  The History of San Marcos (part 2) with Linda Coker. - You will be sorry if you miss it!