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March 18, 2008 No. 23 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program: Dr. Peter R. Betzer
Peter Betzer is Dean of the College of Marine Science at the University
of South Florida and CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.
Born in Delavan, Wisconsin, Dr. Betzer received his B.A. in geology
from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and his doctorate in chemical
oceanography from the University of Rhode Island.
Dr. Betzer is the author of more than 64 publications and co-recipient
of the 1985 Distinguished Authorship Award from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. In 1989, Dr. Betzer was selected for
American Men and Women of Science and in 1990 he was elected to The
University National Oceanographic Laboratory System Council Dr. Betzer
is credited with bringing together St. Petersburg's business community
and civic leaders to help build a series of endowments for a major
marine science complex. He used both academic and political acumen to
build the powerhouse marine program and negotiated a big high-tech
partnership with a Silicon Valley firm. Dr. Betzer received a Community
Betterment Award from the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce in 1991; in
1994 he was the single recipient of the St. Petersburg Bar Association's
Liberty Bell Award, and in 2000 he received a Community Service Award
from Leadership St. Pete Alumni Association. In 1991, and again in 1994,
The Maddux Report named Dr. Betzer as one of Tampa Bay's most
influential people.
Betzer cites as his proudest
accomplishment establishing the Oceanography Camp for Girls in
1991 to motivate young women to consider scientific careers. The
three-week program takes 33 Pinellas County eighth-graders and teams
them up with women graduate students, who take the students on a day at
sea aboard a research vessel, on coastal field trips and into the
laboratory for hands-on research experiences.
Dr. Betzer lives with his wife, Dr. Susan Betzer, a
family physician, in St. Petersburg. They have two grown daughters.
Last Week’s Program: Kiwanis Easter Program with
Pastor Tim Whipple
Kiwanian-of-the-Day J. C.
Russell introduced his friend of many years and his daughter’s youth
pastor, Tim Whipple, Senior Pastor at BridgePoint Church.
Pastor Whipple explained that BridgePoint is a
“church plant” in St. Petersburg, a plant being a branch church outside
of and in addition to the main church. It represents the “flowering” of
other churches to reach special or just additional congregants. Pastor
Whipple said their target is those people “unchurched” or “dechurched.”
Mostly, he sees “dechurched” people – those who have lost connection
with their church or their faith. He said that four times a year, he
puts up a sign that says “Gone Servin’” and tells his congregation not
to come to church, but to go into their communities and serve. He
likened their service to that of Kiwanis Clubs. He commended us for the
work our Clubs do and moved into the main message of his Easter program.
Pastor Whipple told us a Christian version of an
old Buddhist cautionary tale, traditionally known as a “Too soon, too
soon” story. He said we often react too quickly to a situation before we
have all the information. As the whole story unfolds, our emotional
response changes dramatically as we gain more insight into the truth of
the situation and not just its premature and superficial manifestation.
. He told us of taking his car to a repair shop for a funny noise only
to be told that the repairs needed were extensive and would cost $2600.
Hoping to shave off a few hundred dollars, he took his car to another
repair shop that quoted him $1800. He decided to take it to a friend of
his who was a former mechanic, who said only a slight repair was
necessary and could be corrected for just $95 for a part. He then told
about the ordeal of Ruth Deller who was informed by military officials
that her son had died in the war. The pain of her loss was overwhelming
and she was angry and full of grief for three days. Then suddenly, she
received a call from her son, who told her the Pentagon had made a
mistake. He was alive, he said. Her joy knew no bounds, she was elated
and thankful because what she thought had been taken from her was
returned. This story is much like the Easter story, he told us.
Followers of Jesus were devastated by his crucifixion. The one who was
to save them had been taken away. Their loss was unbearable and left
them without hope. Just three days later, they experienced a joyous
return of hope. Their initial judgment had come “too soon” before the
whole story became clear. The reality of Jesus’ resurrection is as true
as your having dropped a dollar on the table, Pastor Whipple said.
Christ died for our sins, he said, which brings us renewed hope. Without
Jesus’ resurrection, there is no hope, hope for love, hope for
salvation, hope for eternal life. God loves you, he said, so much that
he sent his only son into the world to die at the hands of the Romans.
But grief was premature, because the only hope for eternal life, the
only hope for life abundant comes through Jesus Christ, said Whipple,
who had to die to for our sins to become a Savior.
Guests and Visitors
We had 46 members attend our Easter program last
Tuesday and three guests besides our speaker. It was nice to have guests
present during our Easter program! Harry Eisenaugle brought Pastor Bob
Findlay, Markus welcomed new member Peter Hamilton, and Frank Ranieri
hosted staff member, Aaron Lukosavich. Welcome, gentlemen! Join us again
for another program.
What’s Happening?
Does Kiwanis Have A Future?
Former Lt. Governor Eddie Lee sent us the following
urgent message about our future as civic leaders and community partners.
“Continuing to do the same thing over and over
expecting different results is a flawed strategy. Membership in Florida
Kiwanis reached an all time high of 15,923 in 1983-84. In the next 21
years membership plunged to 10,584, a loss of 5,339 good men and women
and 10,678 hands for service. In the six year period, 1993-94 to
1999-00, we lost 3,753 members an average of 625 a year. We have never
recovered. And, we won’t as long as we continue to go about new member
recruitment the same old way. In Florida we need to face the truth. What
we have been doing in the past does not work.
We must reverse this dangerous trend or some day
Kiwanis will become irrelevant in many, if not nearly all, communities
in Florida. I propose two things that are new and that we can do right
now. First, we have begun something we refer to as Membership Revolution
Training. Presently we have 42 trained instructors from nearly every
Division that we are asking to come to your Club and train members how
to identify, recruit and enlist new members. The thrust of this training
is to show you how to make recruiting personal, as easy as telling
others your Kiwanis moment. If your Club has not been contacted about
this training, please contact me at
elee34@tampabay.rr.com. Much
like CLE training, we envision this to become an annual event. The
second thing we are asking each Club to do is really easy and if ALL
Clubs will make a concentrated effort to accomplish it, we will really
be on our way. It is called “FOUR=ONE.” We are asking Clubs to split
into teams of FOUR and have each team recruit and install ONE new member
between now and August 21, the first day of our annual District
Convention. If each Club does this successfully we will have a net
increase, after our typical 15% non renewals, of 1,177!
The time for waiting until “they” do it must be
over. Growth is every Kiwanian’s responsibility. Let me give you just
one example why we need to grow Florida Kiwanis. While we lead the
Kiwanis world in Chartered Service Leadership Programs, there are over
3,100 Public Schools in Florida without any Kiwanis-sponsored youth
organization. Growth has been, is, and will remain, about SERVICE. Ask
yourself this simple question. Do I care enough about Kiwanis, and the
Club I belong to, to ask someone to help me change, for the better, the
lives of the children who live in my community?
Please participate in the Membership Revolution
training and FOUR = ONE. The lives of four million kids in Florida may
depend on it.”
Cruisin’ With Weyman
Weyman Willingham announced that the next Social
Committee event will be the popular yacht cruise down the intercoastal
planned for April17 (raindate is April 19). Only 6 spots are left on
this 98’ yacht, so act quickly to enjoy tenderloin and seafood by
Harvey’s and the camaraderie of 53 other fun people. Get your $45 check
in now to reserve your spot.
Dinner With Kiwanis International CEO Rob Parker
Last notice: Harvey and Markus encouraged us
to make a special effort to attend the March 27 dinner at the Lakeland
Kiwanis Club from 6 pm-8 pm. CEO Rob Parker will set out the mission and
goals for the year.
Bone Marrow Donors Save Lives, One Key Club
Member’s Sister’s Inspirational Request
Cynthia Mulligan (who’s going to be known as St.
Cynthia soon!) passed along an important medical message from Gaye
Burnsed. Catherine Lester, a member of Key Club, has a teenage sister,
Emily, who suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which she has been
fighting since she was 12. A bone marrow transplant saved her life, but
she has relapsed several times and is struggling right now to stay
alive. Emily and her family urge all of us to take the test to see if
you match her or someone whose life depends on a transplant. If you
would consider being a marrow donor, Florida Blood Services will
administer the test and waive the $52 fee if you give blood. Your
bulletin editor was moved by Emily’s story and is going to take the test
and is taking a couple of friends as well. Won’t you come, too? To read
about Emily, go to
http://www.caringbridge.org/fl/emilylester/. Her courage and
perseverance is inspiring!
Easter Made Special For Sally House Kids
Cynthia Mulligan will give us the good news today
about the Easter Eggstravaganza, but wanted to pass along the following
thanks to some “good eggs” in the meantime.
“Thanks to Jan Willingham for the Easter baskets!
Thanks to Mitch Cochran for the cooler, ice &
drinks!
Thanks to Harry Eisenaugle for coming as Snuggles
the Clown!
Thanks to Chick-fil-A for providing lunch for the
kids!
Thanks to Bikers Against Child Abuse for joining us
and providing the Easter Bunny!
Thanks to Maryann Lynch for agreeing to photograph
the event!”
We thank Cynthia and all of you for being such
eggstraordinary Kiwanians. This is what it’s all about and you make it
happen every day.
Upcoming Community
Service Events
The community service committee reminds us that
volunteers are still needed for some pretty cool events – the Honda
Grand Prix on April 6th, and Bob Piplitz’ favorite,
Bluesfest, April 11-13. Sign up sheets are circulating. For more
information on or to help out at the Grand Prix, please call Ron
O’Neal (phone number above). If Blues Fest sounds more like your
groove, call Bob Piplitz at 824-7402.
4th Annual Jim Fischer Birthday Bash
Mark your calendar on June 14th to
attend our annual Jim Fischer Birthday Bash, a fundraiser that raises
college scholarship money for high performing grade-schoolers and
middle-schoolers from low-income families. Please save the date and plan
to attend.
Promote Your Business For A Good(y) Cause
Bob Byelick is looking for goody bag items
for the golfers who’ll compete in the Jim Fischer Golf Tournament on
April 14th. If you have company promotional items, donate a
hundred of them to this good cause and give your business valuable
exposure.
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1.
What now deceased, famous writer said, “Any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”?
2.
Name the only nut tree native to North America.
3.
Today is International Waffle Day. In what country did
waffles originate? Extra credit and a free waffle cone if you can guess
in which century they originated.
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
1. Part Two of
Handel’s Messiah deals with the Passion, death and
resurrection of Christ.
2.
Ned Nickerson was Nancy Drew’s boyfriend.
3.
Orthodox Greeks celebrate Easter on a different date than
other Christian religions because it must always fall on the first
full moon after Passover.
4.
The common factor of these four books, Truman Capote’s
In Cold Blood, Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea,
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and Harper Lee’s To
Kill A Mockingbird is that all four were “banned in Boston.”
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God, our Creator, as we reflect on the mysteries of
the ocean depths and what we may learn there, we celebrate the wondrous
design of the seas that surround us. Help us to discern how we have
polluted our oceans and to empathize with the groaning of creation.
Teach us to know the presence of God in the tides and currents and
creatures of the seas. Teach us to care for the oceans and all our
waterways. In the name of the Wisdom of God, the creative force that
designs and governs all creation. Amen.
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