Communications:

• A reminder of the Valerie Tunbridge memorial tea this week.
• Canadian Diabetes, St. Mary's School, and SIGN all sent us some mail, which was circulated for review
• Super Reader- Arley is always looking for help and volunteers for assemblies, so please let him know if you are interested in helping or can help
• Do not forget the Key Club Bottle Drive account at the Sardis Bottle Depot, help them attend their Portland Conference, account number #123
• ORN we are coming up on the end, thank you to everyone who helped and participated, please send your thoughts and reflections to Derek
• February 14 - Key Club will be attending to have a Inter-Club
• Students of the Month are January 31 and February 6, it will be a full house!
  
• IHop Pancake Day is March 7, watch for more information coming soon!
  
• Vic continues to recover and same for Courtney's dad, so we continue to give our wishes of strength to them both
• Next week you will see some budget/ committee worksheets, please take the time to evaluate the projects we do so we can more forward, and/or be even better

Program:
One of the Kiwanis madates is YCPO, which stands for 'Young Children Priority One', we had the privilege of welcoming Mary Ives from a branch of CYC, and Effective Parenting. She came with a celebration of 20 years of support and partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Sardis and to talk to us about their programs here in Chilliwack. One program that she showcased was the Circle of Security. Circle of Security is relationship based parenting program developed by clinical professionals over a period of 20 years. It provides parents with a roadmap to understanding their children’s needs as well as a guide on how to get there. It is practical, understandable and portioned out in bite-size chunks. The method minimizes the shame and blame cycle and teaches parents reflective functioning. Building on strengths without ignoring the struggles. Circle of Security® trained  facilitators are  leading this series.

The 8 week program will take place 9:00am – 11:00am at Sardis Family Place. Childcare is provided.
Her presentation was followed by some great questions! We are very fortunate to have such a service here in Chilliwack. 

Be sure to check out our Instagram feed, @fvekiwanis to get photos and updates of all we do!
Till next time, all the best, yours in Kiwanis,

Michelle

Snowmeggdon!
What a crazy past week we have had, the official measurement is 48cms of the fluffy white stuff!
We had a casual meeting, 1 week earlier then planned at Jimmy Js this morning!

Updates from teams included: 
* Soup kitchen, where 139 meals were served on Saturday morning!
* ORN, no incidences to report over the weekend & 80 rides completed with 200 people getting home safely & responsibly!
* Super Reader, most of the deliveries for 2016 are completed and assembly dates for 2017 will be available shortly!
* Promontory Pancake Breakfast, this Friday 6am to help cook, 6:30am for the rest of the support!

Peter Brown had Mr. Dan Heisler as our guest today and we got to hear about Sardis Secondary is starting up a lacrosse team! What a great opportunity! A new sport for kids to get involved in! We presented Dan with a cheque to help with start-up costs. We also got word that a Key Club at Sardis is one step closer to reality, so 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year so far.
Next week we have our annual AGM (December 20) and the week after is a Round Table (December 27) in anticipation of the post holiday rush!

Till next Tuesday, stay safe, have fun and enjoy an awesome week!

Michelle

A slight blanket of snow, a winter wind, I think we found December!
Another great week has passed for us! ORN, Santa Shuffle, Super Reader, Christmas Party... we never stop! And good for us!
Thank you to Brian and Crew, Dennis and Crew, Pete and Crew for a wonderful Christmas Party on Sunday night. Smiles and laughter all around is what makes this club unique!

Thank you to Ken and Derek for another successful ORN weekend! Also a huge thank you to all the committees that make ORN flawless on service nights.
Thank you to all the volunteers who braved the Saturday morning dawn (9am can be early) to make Santa Shuffle a success as well for the Salvation Army.
Thank you to Arley, who is holding down the Super Reader fort, while the holiday season for us bustles along!
We had a wonderful visit from our Key Clubbers, with an update of their work to date! Awesome job!

Do not forget Board Meeting tonight at the Chilliwack Public Library! It is set to be a party!
Till next week, Stay safe, Stay warm,
Yours in Kiwanis,

Michelle

It is without a doubt, go time.
Our calendars are packed and I hope everyone can enjoy some downtime too.
In terms of what is going on, we have a lot happening. ORN is full on now. The first 2 nights of service we did 16 rides Friday and 48 rides on Saturday. We are still looking for volunteers for NYE, so if you can, please consider it. Brian also reminded us of our own Christmas party is December 4, at 6pm for fellowship, 7pm for dinner.
Other highlights:

• Barry B has calendars for sale to help out Virginia $15.
• Arley had a wonderful thank you card from Greendale Elementary for Super Reader.
• Santa Shuffle, the fundraiser for the Salvation Army, happens on December 3rd, if you can help out contact Sheila.
• FVDES is welcomeing any Kiwanian to their Robotic morning next Tuesday at 10:30am at FVDES- email Michelle if you are interested in atending
• Ken reminded us that dues are now payable at your convenience
• Key Club is coming for a visit on December 6.
• Communications that were circulated were: Update Letter from the Chilliwack Hospital Foundation, CKI thank you cards, and a SIGN update

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Sue Attrill- 8 year City of Chilliwack counsellor and Executive Director of the Chilliwack Hospice Society. Sue talked to us about the wonderful work that is going on at Hospice. Everyone is hard at work and they are now also offering counselling classes and berevement support. She also spoke about their growth in our community and the need for Hospice to expand, which they are currently working on right now.
Sue then talked about our wonderful City.
All the work being done.
The homeless issue.
The tax increase.
The airport.
We asked lots of great questions and she provided us with lots of awesome answers and information. Thank you Sue, for all your time! Your expertise was greatly appreciated.
I trust everyone will have an awesome week, we will see you at ORN on Friday night!

Yours in Service and Webbed Feet,
Michelle

"You don't owe anyone anything. That's why giving, how and when you're able, is so remarkable."
~Colin Wright

Another rainy morning, I am seeing a trend developing here!

This morning, our scheduled guests did not show, however, we were greeted by four lovely members from the Chilliwack Club joining us for coffee and fun! Also to make sure we know to come visit and celebrate the season at their Christmas Party on December 10!  We also had two special guests Natalia Porro and her mom Margo. Natalia has been helping me, as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Silver standard, stuff Comfort dolls. It's been a real treat to involve Natalia in one of our projects. I think she presented back 20 dolls or so, and I get to sew 48 more for her. And a huge thank you to all those who have been so tirelessly involved with the Comfort doll program for years!
Peter had a very special presentation and gift for Pete! We also had updates about Super Reader, as it comes up on a slight break, and that Arley is looking for a protege! We also know that ORN kicks off this Friday! Thank you so much to everyone involved! I know this year will be even more fun!

Brian spoke about Wrapping tonight at 7 (a huge success and all wrapped up, check out our Facebook post). A pleasant reminder our own Christmas party is December 4.
Do not forget to bring your dues, they are now payable to Ken, $130.
Till next time, I leave you with a snapshot of Natalia's national competition winning painting.

Cheerio, and make it a fabulous one! 
Michelle