Watch this space for a future report by Karen Chrisley.

Above: Membership Committee Co-chair Juan Negroni welcomed members and guests at the Kiwanis tent.

President-designate Tom Watson, Membership Committee Co-chair Juan Negroni, and Secretary Bob Uzenoff attended the 106th annual convention of the Kiwanis New England and Bermuda District in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, August 17, 2024 as the Kiwanis Club of Weston’s delegates.

At the 2023/2024 District Board Retirement Dinner on Friday, the day before our delegation arrived, Patrick Tokarz was inducted as our Division 17 lieutenant governor, and club was named recipient of the Governor’s Exemplary Club Secretary award for consistent completion of monthly club reports. President Amy nominated our club for this award. Congratulations to Assistant Secretary Dan Gilbert for this well-deserved recognition. Dan prepares our club’s monthly reports and submits them to Kiwanis International.

Weston was selected awarded the District Publication Award. The award honors Kiwanis clubs in the New England & Bermuda District that produce high-quality communication materials. These materials help share Kiwanis news and grow our outreach. President Amy nominated our club, submitting supporting documentation demonstrating our worthiness.

On Saturday, a Memorial Breakfast paid tribute to Rick Amil, Tom Glass Tom, and other district members who died since the last convention. Juan, and Bob divided up the schedule and the three participated in varied leadership training workshops in the morning. The Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) and Meet the Candidates Luncheon prepared delegates for the House of Delegates business meeting where the main business was the election of Kristin Holden as 2024/2025 Governor.

District Members filled 100 backpacks for local children and 100 Jared Boxes for children in hospitals all over New England. Saturday concluded with a cocktail hour, 2024/2025 Board installation dinner, and a magic show presented by a member, the District Parliamentarian.

On Sunday, the Key Club Governor and Circle K Governor reported at the Kiwanis Family Breakfast on the amazing work our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) are doing. The annual meeting concluded at noon with concurrent Kiwanis and Key Club board meetings.

The annual meeting is a valuable experience when members meet, learn, share, and are inspired realizing how together we do so much more for children.

Pictured above: District 20 attendees at the Saturday luncheon were Foster Crawford (Danbury), Paula Conte (Norwalk), Tom Watson (Weston), Kathy Crawford (Danbury) Bob Uzenoff (Weston), Fil Magrino (Danbury), Juan Negroni (Weston), Joe Magrino (Danbury), and Cindy Perham (Fairfield, not pictured because she is taking the picture.

by Carol Baldwin

What a fantastic year at Lachat!

We are so grateful to have a space – the new Offutt Center at Lachat – that we’ve been able to bring the community together for wonderful gardening and nature education for young & old, fabulous live music and theater, cozy Sunday Suppers, and terrific cooking classes in Brian’s Kitchen!

To mark our first year anniversary, we will host our 2nd Annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday September 1st – sponsored by Brian Gordon’s family – to showcase the kitchen named in memory of their son.

Besides delicious home-made pancakes (Thank you, Weston Kiwanis!), we’ll have hay rides, live music, and some fun surprises!

It has been a magical year at the Farm and it has been such a pleasure to work side-by-side with so many of Lachat’s amazing volunteers that help make it all happen! We want to thank again the Offutt Charitable Trust and the many donors from our community that helped make this terrific new asset to our Town a reality.

Thank you – and see you down at the Farm! Tickets will go on sale for the breakfast this Friday!

Carol Baldwin is president of Friends of Lachat, Inc.
This article is from FOL’s Summer Happenings, Monday August 12, 2024 Newsletter

from Lachat Town Farm’s Summer Happenings Monday August 12, 2024 Newsletter

The Kiwanis Club is one of Weston’s most active community service organizations. Lachat is thrilled to maintain a relationship with Kiwanis and the farm would like to acknowledge their generosity of time and resources on a variety of local projects which benefit all residents. 

On Saturday August 24th from 4pm-7pm, the Kiwanis Social Committee Co-Chairs, Karen Chrisley & Jacqui Morrison, and Lachat Town Farm will host the annual barbecue at the farm. This event is both for Kiwanis members and is open to the general public.

Note: This is a free event but registration is required so that Kiwanis can have the appropriate amount of food.

Date: Saturday August 24th
Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm 
Cost: FREE

Our Reservoir Run Flyer Distribution Team braved rain, thunder, and a dash of lightening to distribute flyers at the Fairfield Police Department Sunset 5K Wednesday evening Wednesday, July 17, 2024 .  This year, “Sunset” was a misnomer.  No one at Jennings Beach where the event was held saw sunset.  Start time was moved to 7:30 p.m. due to the inclement weather.  The event was sold out.  Race organizers reported registrations of over 1,200 runners/walkers.  The race’s website listed actual runners/walkers at 596. 

Dan Gilbert distributed flyers to over 200 vehicles.  Paul Schultz must be complimented on the quality of the flyers.  The flyers are water proof.  Channel 12 News was on-scene.  Dan provided the driver with a Reservoir Run flyer along with a description of our Weston Kiwanis Reservoir Run half marathon and 5K foot races and kids fun run on Sunday, October 13, 2024. 

To paraphrase the U.S. Postal Service “motto”*, “Neither rain, nor hail, nor dark of night will stay this carrier from his appointed rounds.”

Next up for our distribution team is the Faxton Law New Haven Road Race on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2024. 

The Weston Kiwanis Reservoir Run half marathon and 5K foot races and kids fun run is the signature fundraiser of the Kiwanis Club of Weston, part of  a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  We change children’s lives in their own communities and through international initiatives — helping young people develop mentally, physically and emotionally. The Kiwanis Club of Weston and our foundation has raised and donated over $1 million since 2000. Contact us for more information and to learn how you can become a member.

*While the Postal Service has no official motto, the popular belief that it does is a tribute to America’s postal workers. The words above, thought to be the motto, are chiseled in gray granite over the entrance to the New York City Post Office on 8th Avenue and come from Book 8, Paragraph 98, of The Persian Wars by Herodotus. During the wars between the Greeks and Persians (500-449 B.C.), the Persians operated a system of mounted postal couriers who served with great fidelity.

HISTORIAN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
OCTOBER 1999

Lachat Town Farm hosts Farmers Markets from June to September. Markets are held the last Friday of the month from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. These popular markets offer fantastic Food Trucks, local fresh produce, hearth baked breads, local honey, jewelry, soaps, clothing, and much more. We also provide free live musical performances at every market. In December we host a Winter Market giving the community a chance to shop local for the holidays. Pop up markets will be announced.

From a Friends of Lachat Facebook posting. Photograph by Karen Chrisley.