Mt.
Airy Kiwanis Ties One On for Project Linus
by Bill Butts
Mt.
Airy Kiwanis has a long supportive relationship with BSA
Troop 460 in Mt. Airy. We host an annual scout night
for members of our local scout troops (both BSA & GSA
programs), and actively support service projects and other
involvements with both groups. Recently, the club was approached
with the opportunity to contribute service hours in support
of an Eagle Scout project involved with Project Linus.
We were further motivated by the fact that the particular
Eagle
Scout is the son of club member, John Ohm, and has helped
the club with some of our fundraisers. Most of us had heard
of Project Linus, but had not experienced hands-on participation
in the program. But that changed when several members of
the club stepped forward to help with the blankets on two
successive weekends in October. We may have learned that
we're not the most nimble knot tiers, but it was still
an enjoyable and valuable service experience.
Many individuals join Kiwanis clubs specifically because we are an international
organization with a global mission-that lofty goal of changing
the world one child and one community at a time. To this
point, with a few notable exceptions, our Capital District
clubs seem to have focused on local efforts directed toward
helping our own children and communities. This is commendable,
but it does not address the incredible needs of children
worldwide...Accordingly,
our District Committee on International Understanding has
decided to pursue a new approach
to achieving our global mission. We have selected Africa because its needs are great and most of us know extremely
little about this part of the world...
