Grundy Club Begins Monthly Service Meetings
by Jack White

For years, Governor-Elect Don Dudey has wanted to visit the Grundy Kiwanis Club. Dudey and past Capital District Governor Dig DeGarmo both are members of the Reistertown, MD Kiwanis Club and, it seems, DeGarmo has told Dudey many times, if you ever have the opportunity, be sure to visit that Grundy club.

So when Dudey planned a multi-day visit to Division 8, he informed his hosts Grundy must be on the agenda. The task of actually taking Dudey to Grundy fell on past-District Trustee Jack White of Abingdon, since Lt. Governor Brian Wills was tied up with exams at the college where he teaches.

White called past Lt. Governor Jon Rife, a leader of the Grundy club, to say he and the Governor-Elect will be at your meeting on December 9. Oops, said Rife, we are not having a meeting that night. White was stunned, but asked what the club planned to be doing. And here the story becomes interesting.

New Grundy President Ernie Hertzog is an official at Mountain Mission School in that Southwest Virginia town, recently celebrated for the large membership gain of its Kiwanis Club and the ensuing District CD, What Happened at Grundy?

Hertzog told the Grundy Kiwanians he wanted them to spend one meeting night each month doing service work in the community, rather than the usual meal and program. And December 9 was the first of those service meetings - at his school, which is home to 250 at-risk students from many parts of the world. Hertzog would not be there; he was taking the school choir to perform in a nearby town. But others at the school had made the arrangements.

So White drove Dudey to Mountain Mission School where they met the club members in the dining room, eating dinner with the students. When the meal was finished, Dudey, White, the Grundy Kiwanians, and a school employee retired to the Chapel, where they spent and hour and a half sorting and placing Christmas presents that churches and individuals from near and far had donated for the students.

Dudey said he was sorry to miss the regular Grundy meeting, but he was very complimentary of the Grundy Club for its new service initiative. And he rolled up his sleeves and toted bags and boxes of presents with the other Kiwanians.

Pictured: Governor-Elect Don Dudey talks to a young student in the dining room of Mountain Mission School on December 9, while host Jon Rife of the Grundy Kiwanis Club looks on. (Photo by Ryan Mullins)