Kiwanis Club turns 40





By Sylvie Belmnond
belmond@theacorn.com

As it enters its 40th year in the community, the Thousand Oaks Kiwanis club looks forward to a year filled with new opportunities to serve area residents. But they’re also reaching out to potential new members so they can do even more.


Members of the volunteer service organization use their talents and funds toward bettering the local community with the objectives of Kiwanis International in mind, said Jack Tucker, the club’s publicity chair. Kiwanis International strives to emphasize human and spiritual values rather than material things in life.


"We emphasize a hands-on effort, foster relationships and develop friendships," said Tucker.


Irish John Gore is a former club president who also served as lieutenant governor of Division 42, the regional branch of the Kiwanis club that oversees 15 clubs from Goleta to the Conejo and Simi areas. Gore joined in 1980 and has been hooked ever since, he said.


"The T.O. club is very involved in the community. We’re always out doing something," Gore said. From Little League baseball games to cancer relays, the T.O. Kiwanis club members enjoy lending a hand, especially when it comes to cooking, said Gore.


"We’re very popular with the big barbecue wagon," he said.


Gore is also fond of the friendships he’s made in the club and said he likes every one of the 83 members who make up the Thousand Oaks Kiwanis.


Roy Talley joined the Kiwanis club because he likes to make a difference in the life of others.


As club president for 2005, Talley hopes to increase the club’s membership so the Kiwanis can get even more involved in the community, he said.


"We experienced a 30 percent increase in membership in the past five years because we have a friendly family-like atmosphere among the membership, and we reach out to all aspects of the community from children to seniors," said Talley, a former Moorpark council member.


There are three different kinds of service clubs, explained publicity chair Tucker. Although the Kiwanis club serves a function similar to that of the Rotary, Optimists, Lions and Soroptimists, the Kiwanis club has the largest sponsored youth group. That’s where they want to focus, said Talley. "We are very hands-on," he said.


A second type of service club includes the Elks, men’s and women’s clubs in churches, and the Masons. They have a focus based on religion but also perform service in the community.


The Kiwanis club has several groups in the area, and prospective members can join any one they wish. The Moorpark Kiwanis Club has about 25 members. There are two Simi Valley clubs, which are currently focusing on equipping public parks with play equipment that accommodates children with disabilities.


The Thousand Oaks club was formed in 1965. Their average yearly donations to local charities are in the $35,000-$40,000 range.


The group meets weekly at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesdays at The Plug Nickel restaurant in Westlake Village.



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