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June 8, 2009
Today’s Program: Commander of the United States Central Command, General
David Petraeus
Our speaker today is the commander
of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Headquartered at MacDill
AFB in Tampa, CENTCOM is responsible for protecting U.S. security
interests in 20 countries primarily in Southwest Asia and the Middle
East.
When General Petraeus assumed
command of CENTCOM in October, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said
that history "…will regard him as one of our nation’s great battle
captains. He is the preeminent soldier, scholar, statesman of his
generation …."
Immediately before his current
assignment, General Petraeus served for 19 months as the Commanding
General of Multi-National Force-Iraq. Prior to that assignment, he was
commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas. He was the first commander of the Multi-National Security
Transition Command-Iraq from June 2004-September 2005. During this time
he also commanded the NATO Training Mission-Iraq. From these positions,
it is easy to see that he was being prepared to take over the
responsibility for the coalition efforts in Iraq.
Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New
York, young Petraeus received an appointment to the nearby United States
Military Academy at West Point. He was on the intercollegiate soccer and
ski teams and graduated as a "distinguished cadet" in the top 5% of his
1974 class. He and his wife, Holly, have two grown children.
During the recent change of
command ceremony, Secretary Gates singled out Mrs. Petraeus. He said,
"For years she has worked with the Better Business Bureau to provide
consumer education and advocacy for service members and their kin. She
often travels around the United States to offer free seminars to
military families on money matters, an especially valuable service in
today’s economy. And like so many spouses, she has essentially been a
single mom to her children during days of multiple deployments."
High praise apparently runs in the Petraeus
family.
Our Singer
Marissa Koch, 17, is a junior in the Advanced Placement
program at St. Petersburg High School. She is the daughter of long time
member Steve and Charlene Koch.
If you were at the first Rays-Indians game two weeks ago,
you probably heard her sing the national anthem. She has sung the anthem
six times for the Tampa Bay Rays, three times as a mother-daughter duo
on Mother’s Day.
Singing comes naturally to Marissa as her mom sings
professionally throughout the Tampa Bay region.
Marissa recently had the lead in the St. Petersburg HS
spring musical, Once on This Island. From there she went to the
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center where she played the second lead in a
Kathy Lee Gifford production, Keepin’ It Real. In between singing
assignments, she actually does try to do some homework assignments for
school.
After graduation she hopes to continue her education in
music as a performer and ultimately a teacher.
What’s
Happening
Thank
You
To
Bret Jahn and all the other Kiwanis volunteers who donated their time to
the All Children’s Hospital Telethon aired on Channel 8, a big THANK
YOU.
Inter
Club Meeting
Guy
Van Middlesworth spearheaded a breakfast Inter Club on Wednesday, June
3, with Mid Town Kiwanis. Along with Guy, the following attended: Bob
Byelick, David Abbey, Mike Brown, Bill Krautler, Gary Keller, Harry
Eisnaugle, Markus Mittermayr, George Gower, Hal Wells, and Doug Lampe.
Way to go, Kiwanians.
Kiwanis Baseball
Sunday, June 14 at the Trop is Kiwanis Day. Buy a ticket for $15.00 and
see the Rays play the Washington Nationals. Two dollars goes to the
Kiwanis Foundation, and you get a Pepsi, hot dog, and a snack. What a
deal!
Community Service Opportunity
First Annual Sea Oats
Planting on St. Pete Beach
st. pete beach, FL:
The
Beach Stewardship Committee of St. Pete Beach is looking for volunteers
to help with the First Annual Sea Oats planting project taking place on
Saturday, June 20th from 9:00am to Noon. This is a
great project for friends, family, neighbors, church groups, community
associations, students needing volunteer hours and other community
organizations.
Efforts will begin at the southern end of St. Pete Beach and volunteers
should meet at the Paradise Grill on Pass-a-Grille Beach. Volunteers are
encouraged to bring gloves, hand shovels, sun block, hats, beach shoes,
watering cans and or milk jugs, and knee pads. Parking passes and
refreshments will be provided.
Planting of native vegetation like sea oats helps form and maintain sand
dunes, critical to controlling beach erosion. St Pete Beach is one of
several beach communities that benefit from Pinellas County Department
of Environmental Management’s donation of 10,000 plants for the first
year with hopes of growing this event annually. Come out and help us
save our beaches.
To
volunteer contact Kevin Hing at 727-254-6750 or Steve Hallock, Director
of Public Services at 727-363-9243.
Kiwanians, let’s get
together and make a great beach even greater. Have fun while you are
taking care of the environment. Watch for a sign-up sheet.
Three
Minute Speech
Jessica Kardas Hooper proudly displayed her Kiwanis apron with the
requisite fifty (plus 2) Kiwanis members’ signatures. Jessica is the
Assistant Director of Development for the USF St. Petersburg College of
Business. Recently married, she moved here a year ago with her husband,
Tim Hooper. A native of Massachusetts, she graduated from University of
Massachusetts Amherst. Jessica was a former aide in the Florida House of
Representatives for J. Dudley Goodlette of District 76 Collier County.
In their spare time, Tim and Jessica are avid downhill skiers, with
Steamboat Springs as their favorite destination. But most importantly of
all, she recently joined the awesome Program Committee…. chaired by the
audacious Bob Piplitz.
New Member
Markus Mittermayr introduced Melissa Dipple
as a new member, sponsored by Dan Nardozzi. Welcome to the club,
Melissa.
Wedded Bliss
Happy fines paid by Lloyd Banks for 47 years of marriage and Guy Van
Middlesworth for 15 years. Congratulations to both of you.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, J.C. Russell, introduced Katee Tully,
President/Executive Director of the Beth Ann Morean Arts Center located
at 719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.
Born in Tallahassee, Katee received her bachelor’s degree from LSU and
went on to East Carolina University for her master’s degree.
Katee, hired a year ago as the Arts Center Capital Campaign Director,
transitioned into her new position on March 1, 2009. She has had a busy
start, engineering a partnership with renowned artist Dale Chihuly to
sell and display his art. It is the goal of the Arts Center to house a
permanent collection of Mr. Chihuly’s works.
Concurrently, Katee has the idea of a working “hotshop” at the Center.
The hotshop allows local artists to create and display their art at the
Arts Center. A similar arrangement is successful in Seattle as over
5,000 artists work together. Katee’s short term goal is to have 500
artists in this venture and grow from that point.
With all of these projects in motion, the Arts Center is in the planning
stages for a new location. Today the Arts Center is going through the
Museums of Accreditation process to join an elite class of only 750
museums throughout the United States. The City of St. Petersburg is
helping them by cleaning up the surrounding area and adding
landscaping.
Katee also mentioned Al Karnavicus and President Biff specifically for
their businesses helping the Arts Center. Katee, we want to thank you
for bringing us up to date on the new developments at the Arts Center.
Guest
and Visitors
We
had 60 members and 2 guests attending.
Lara Shelton, Director of Development of the Arts Center
Melissa Kelley, guest of David Abbey
Today’s Quiz
1.
When was
Memorial Day first celebrated?
2.
When was
the Army-Navy football game first played? Where?
3.
Approximately how many troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan?
4.
How long
has Central Command had its headquarters at MacDill AFB?
5.
Name the
countries that border Afghanistan?
Last Week’s Quiz
1.
An electrical telegraph was independently developed and
patented in the
United States
in 1837 by
Samuel F. B. Morse.
His assistant,
Alfred Vail,
developed the
Morse code
signaling
alphabet
with Morse. Morse sent America’s first telegram on 6 January 1838,
across two miles of wire at
Speedwell Ironworks
near
Morristown, New Jersey.
The message read "A patient waiter is no loser." On 24 May 1844, he sent
the message "What
hath God wrought"
(Numbers
23:23) from the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the
Capitol
in Washington to the
old Mt. Clare Depot
in
Baltimore.
2.
Southwest Airlines,
Rollin King and Herb Kelleher
co-founders, made its maiden voyage on
June 18, 1971, and began service between Dallas, Houston,
and San Antonio.
According to a
frequently-cited story, King described the concept to Kelleher over
dinner by drawing on a paper napkin a triangle symbolizing the routes
(Dallas, Houston, San Antonio).
3.
The
Great Smokey Mountain National Park
is the most visited national park in the United States. The Grand Canyon
National Park is the second most visited.
4.
John Deere
Tractors originated in Grand Detour, Illinois, in 1837.
5.
Harry
Truman never graduated from college.
His highest level of certified education was high school, and yet he is
still considered one of our greatest Presidents by most historians.
Upcoming Programs
Lunch Meeting. Program: USF Bulls Football; Speaker: Head
Coach Jim Levitt; Kiwanian-of-the-Day: Charles Stuart. Everyone is
welcome.
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