Arlington Club Supports Two New SLP Clubs

by Warren Kane

On March 15, 2010 the Kiwanis Club of Arlington hosted a chartering ceremony for the re-established Builders Club at Swanson Middle School. Capital District Builders Club Administrator Jennifer Dugent Wolff presented the new charter to Swanson principal Chrystal Forrester. Arlington Immediate Past President Khalid Siraj presented the membership certificates and faculty advisors Clare Gutwein and Monica Lozano the Builders Club pins to the members. Khalid and Warren Kane serve as Kiwanis Advisors to the club.

The Swanson Builders Club is unique in that since its' original establishment in 1982 it is mainly composed of English as a Second Language students. Often reluctant to join other school clubs, the Builders Club affords these students the opportunity to perform community service and learn leadership skills. Since being re-organized in November the club has bagged oranges at the Arlington food bank, prepared holiday greeting cards for our troops in Iraq, and participated with Swanson's two other service clubs in raising funds for the relief of the earthquake victims in Haiti.

A further honor came to the club in March when member Guery Ulunque-Davalas was the Builders Club speaker at the Capital District Key Club Convention.

In March, the Arlington Club also received the good news that the CKI Club at Marymount University has been re-established. This club has had an up-and-down existence but due to the perseverance and outstanding leadership of CKI Ridgeline Lieutenant Governor Veronica Vivas, the group has been restarted. Marymount President Ashley Phillips and Faculty Advisor Alecia Denmark visited the Arlington Club on March 24 and reported that the club had chartered with 29 members. Arlington Past President Mary Anthony will be the Kiwanis Advisor to Marymount.