INSPIRED TO SERVE

BY ALEXANDER

HOLMES JR. High School Builders Club

Why be a Kiwanis family member? Why be a Builder, or a member of Key Club, or Circle K? More than half a million Kiwanis family members are committed to serving others in their community in 79 different countries (according to www.kiwanis.org). They are inspired by existing members, or their inner drive wills them to do so. I became interested when I was handed a brochure on Open House Night at my current junior high school when I was in sixth grade. Since then, I have had the pleasure to work with other members of the Kiwanis family on many projects to better our area. I was inspired, on all of these occasions, to continue working with other Kiwanians to build a better community. I worked to improve parks and other places, and attended Kiwanis-sponsored meetings to learn about assisting others. These projects all made me realize that to serve your community is to better yourself, and they inspired me to join more Kiwanis Clubs as I grow.

I have worked at Rainbow City, a local park, to make it safer for the community, at a church to set up a meal to serve the poor, at the local Kiwanis family house to paint, and at Grassland Park to plant trees, all with other Kiwanis groups. At these projects, I was able to meet other members from Key Club, Circle K, and Kiwanis. It was fun to learn about their projects, and to talk about sports, or current events, or whatever was on everyone's mind. At Rainbow City, the Kiwanis members seemed to know exactly what to do, and their attitude was reflected upon everyone else, and we were able to make the park safe. At the church, I can remember Circle K members meeting each other, talking about aspects of college life. I can recall talking to Kiwanis members, who were cheerful as they worked. At the Kiwanis House, President Gary gave us an informative tour before we went to work, helping to form a more pleasant environment for all of the occupants. Finally, during our most recent project, we learned how to plant trees from other Kiwanis members, and were able to again see how well the Kiwanis groups worked with each other. All around me, I could see young and old, working together, laughing together, serving together. All of these projects inspired me to join Kiwanis clubs at the higher levels, because I was able to see what they can achieve.

I have also attended a Kiwanis Club meeting and a Leadership Training Conference. At these events, too, I could sense the cheerful spirit, positive attitude, and their deep commitment to service. At the meeting, all of the members knew each other and enjoyed working with one another. There was a genuine feeling of trust, and they were concerned about each other and their projects. In attendance at the Leadership Training Conference were Kiwanis members, Key Club members, and former Key Club members. The officers of our club were able to learn about leading, organizing projects, and public speaking. There was ample excitement among the Key Club members. There was also a former Key Club member, Dennis, who taught us how to improve our club- he obviously loved what he did. His exuberant manner resounded throughout the room, inspiring us to act out what he taught. The attitude of the Kiwanis family members inspires others to join them in their quest improve the community.

Whether working on a project, or at a meeting, it is easy to see why so many people join clubs affiliated with Kiwanis throughout the world. I have definitely seen this in my personal experiences. The positive attitude of the members has inspired me to join the clubs at the higher levels. A brochure led to my membership in Builders Club, and my positive experiences along the way have kept me coming back to serve, and will keep me serving as I grow older.

- HOLMES JR. HIGH SCHOOL BULIDERS CLUB -