KIWANIS CLUB OF ALLEN, TEXAS

Ernie Pero

Club President 1992 - 1993

I really knew nothing about Kiwanis before I joined, but I am forever thankful for the opportunity to be a part of KIWANIS and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Allen. The following are some memories of my "active" club membership.

1. David Olson-He is the reason I am a Kiwanis member. I have known David since first coming to Allen. It seemed like two hours after arriving in Allen, I received my first invitation to visit (synonymous with join) the club. Of course this invitation came from David, something most of us can say. He was tireless and the rest is history, as they say. I am very grateful for the invitation and the friendship.

2. Peanuts-Did you ever play dodge ball as a kid? Did you ever play dodge the car as an adult. In my mind this is a good analogy to selling Kiwanis peanuts in the streets of Allen. A great fundraiser, but as the city grew, and so did the traffic, it was time to find other, safer alternatives. The circus came to Allen, sponsored by the Kiwanis club, and proved to be a resourceful and rallying activity for the club, the children and the families of the community.

3. TaMolli's-A long standing meeting place for the club. The restaurant was very supportive of the club and we are thankful for being able to meet each Thursday for lunch and the club program. Many meals were eaten, many great speakers and many memories. One memorable lunch involved Joel Blaylock and the salad he shared with an uninvited guest. I don't think Joel ever had the taco salad again.

4. Accomplishments-The club set and achieved all goals for 92-93 and went on to be a "Distinguished" Club. We returned to charter membership (25). We had fun at each meeting. We organized at least one inter-club/year with each club in the division. Each member attended at least one Division 37 council meeting. We published a monthly newsletter. We increased club visibility through the community newspapers. It seemed like P.D. Thomas or David Olson was always in the Allen American. We continued to support of the Key Club Organization.

5. White Rock Club-I remember attending an interclub at the Kiwanis Club of White Rock. It was impressive to see what this club was doing, the size of the club membership, the energy being generated and the welcome and encouragement we received. It felt great to be a part of larger family aligned to the same goals and service objectives. I t made us realize the potential of our club.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about the Kiwanis Club of Allen.