Submitted by Dave Azwell
The Osage City Kiwanis Club supports the children of USD 420 with a number of service leadership programs (SLP’s) at the various schools. Faculty advisors who are also club members and other staff members provide invaluable guidance for the students in the high school, middle school and elementary school. The purpose is to promote service and leadership as integral parts of their education. It also introduces them to fundraising as a way to help provide funds for their activities and to support special events or organizations.
The Key Club is made up of high school students. Their activities include recycling miscellaneous papers/magazines each month, helping with the Kiwanis biscuits and gravy breakfast and supporting school and community activities. Imaginative club fundraising activities for a variety of causes and attending the Kiwanis Key Leader Conference are also a part of the Key Club experience. It’s not all work as fun activities are included.
Builders Club involves the middle school students. Some of their activities have included helping with the Kiwanis chili feed, recycling papers/magazines each month, reading to Kindergarten students, sponsoring a Student of the Week and other school and community activities. People have made note of the great help provided by the members. Some prolific fundraising projects have been a part of their activities.
The elementary school has the K-Kids program for 5th graders and they are an active bunch. Service projects include paper/magazine recycling once a month, helping the principal with morning duty, monitoring classes, recycling the lunchroom trash during lunch and campus cleanup which involves picking up trash in and around school property. Fundraising has included innovative ways of raising funds, Trick or Treat for UNICEF and food drives including non-perishable items for ECAT which have led to some astounding numbers of items collected. A back-to-school swim party each fall and the Christmas party are a couple of the fun events each year.
The BUG program (Bringing Up Grades) is for the elementary students in the fourth and fifth grades. It helps promote the importance of obtaining and maintaining good grades as well as understanding the value of doing well in classes, completing homework, having a good attitude and exhibiting good behavior in school. Students who maintain or improve their grades and classroom presence are rewarded with a pizza party at the end of the first semester and a hot dog feed at the end of the school year.
In addition to the sponsored programs, OC Kiwanis funds other USD 420 activities such as scholarships for seniors, the elementary school’s W.A.T.C.H DOGS program, After Prom, Key Leader, the booster club and Teacher Appreciation Day. Kiwanis supports organizations such as the public library’s youth programs, ECAT, the warmth fund and the American Legion’s Boys State.