Date of Meeting: April 16, 2025

Venue: Laconia Police Department – Community Room

Attendance: 14 in attendance: 10 members and 4 guests

MEMBERS AND GUESTS:

Kiwanis Members:
Betty Ballantyne
Phil Bonafide
Ray Chambers
Zach Dea
Bill Gile
Bob Intorcio
Shawn Intorcio
Steve Loughlin
Kara Stanley
Abby Teichert

Guests:
Dean Anson – Chairman Laconia Conservation Commission
William Davies – friend of Kara Stanley
Joanne Haight – guest speaker - Director of Development & Outreach for Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance
Jilli Paul – LHS Key Club Advisor

Dean Anson		William Davies		Joanne Haight		Jilli Paul

President Betty Ballantyne opened the meeting by thanking all in attendance and introducing our guests. This was followed by:
Pledge of Allegiance: by All
My Country Tis of Thee: led by Betty Ballantyne
Invocation: by Ray Chambers

The Pledge
Photo by W. Stephen Loughlin

KEY CLUB UPDATE:
LHS Key Club Advisor Jilli Paul reported on the following:
• Penny Wars: Fundraiser underway. Each grade competes by adding pennies and dollar bills to earn points and using silver coins to deduct points from other grades. The winning grade receives an Ice Cream Social.
• Spring Clean Up: Due to inclement weather, the cleanup was rescheduled from April 12th to April 13th. See pictures and details at the bottom of this page.
• Love Our Earth Day: Scheduled for Saturday, May 10th, from 10 AM to 1 PM at 18 Veterans Square.The event will feature 18+ organizations focused on environmental protection and community awareness

GUEST SPEAKER:
Betty Ballantyne introduced Joanne Haight the Director of Outreach and Development for the Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance (LWA). Joanne plays a vital role in protecting our region's most precious resource - Lake Winnipesaukee. Prior to joining the LWA, Joanne spent nearly a decade with the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce growing strong community and business relationships. Additionally, Joanne is currently serving her third term as a Sandwich Selectman. She holds a seat on the NH Municipal Association’s Board and actively participates in various community organizations. Joanne and her husband live in Sandwich on property they cleared together to build their home and are parents to two daughters. Joanne is a Blue Star mom thanks to her younger daughter’s active-duty service in the Air Force. When not working to grow support of the LWA, she enjoys time outdoors with Rocky the rescue dog, volunteering, and participating in the annual Sandwich Fair's Skillet Toss.

Joanne Haight addresses the group.
Photo by W. Stephen Loughlin

Detials about Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance can be found at their website by "clicking" here.

Betty Ballantyne congratulates Joanne Haight for her presentation.
Photo by W. Stephen Loughlin

KIWANIS EVENTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST:
Betty reported on the following:

• Laconia High School is seeking Community Volunteers for Student Interview Project
Laconia High School educators Sara Dea and Jilli Paul, in collaboration with the Key Club, are once again leading a meaningful initiative connecting community members with 9th grade students for one-on-one interviews. Now in its second year, this project provides students with the opportunity to engage in enriching conversations around career paths, hobbies, and life experiences. The benefits last year were remarkable—students gained confidence, practiced eye contact, learned the importance of a handshake, and experienced real-world social interaction in a supportive setting. Volunteers will sign up for 30-minute time slots during school hours on May 27th, 28th, or 29th. Details are listed below.
If you’re interested in participating or learning more, contact Sara Dea at sdea@laconiaschools.org.

Heart & Hands Thrift Shop: Betty encouraged donations to Heart & Hands Thrift Shop in recognition of their support for our $1,185 grant toward Bike 'n' Board Safety Day. They are located at 8 Maple Street, Suite 4, Meredith, NH (former Meredith Harley building). For more information on Heart & Hands, "click" here.

Bike 'n' Board Safety Day: Betty noted that activities will include: helmet fitting, bike registration, first aid tips, skill & practice stations, bike/board inspections, caricatures, raffles and more. Volunteers are encouraged to register via Sign Up Genius Below are details of the event:

Hydration Station: Soda Collection: Members may bring soda donations to club meetings or drop them off with Bill Gile or Betty Ballantyne

Officer Elections: Betty announced she will not run for a third term as President but will remain active as a board member. Bill Gile plans to relocate to Vermont and continue supporting the club remotely, including assisting as Treasurer.

Interclub Opportunities: Ray Chambers informed the members of interclub opportunities in May, June, July, and August

Our May Club Meeting will be on Wednesday May 14th at the Laconia High School Huot Center.
At that meeting, there will be a recognition of LHS Key Club Seniors and Induction of new LHS Key Club Officers.
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm.

HAPPY FACES:

HAPPY DOLLARS:
A total of $15 was collected.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:42 pm.

Betty Ballantyne rings the bell concluding the meeting.
Photo by W. Stephen Loughlin

BOND BEACH CLEANUP
On Sunday, April 13th, members of the Laconia High School Key Club and the Laconia Kiwanis Club participated in a cleanup of Bond Beach. Workers included Kiwanians: Betty Ballantyne, Bill Gile, Honorary Kiwanian: Kathy Calvin; Key Club Co-President, Shelby Luther; Key Club Advisor, Jilli Paul and Honorary Key Club Member, Brady Stevens.
Photo by W. Stephen Loughlin
THE MISSION: Clean up Bond Beach
Bond Beach Before Clean up
BOND BEACH CLEANUP WORKERS
L to R: Betty Ballantyne (Kiwanis Member) Jilli Paul (Key Club Advisor), Shelby Luther (LHS Key Club Co-President), Kathy Calvin (Honorary Kiwanis Member), Bill Gile (Kiwanis Member) and Brady Stevens (Honorary Key Club Member)
above photo by Brady Stevens
Clean up in progress
The woodpeckers were busy this past winter.		Woodpecker’s condominium
Bond Beach After Clean up
Mission Accomplished!
Unless otherwise noted, Bond Beach photos by Betty Ballantyne

THANK YOU:
Many thanks to Joe Adrignola, Betty Ballantyne, Phil Bonafide, Zach Dea, and Bill Gile for their assistance with this bulletin.

Wednesday - May 7th: Venue: ZOOM MEETING
6:00 pm - Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday - May 14th : Venue: Laconia High School Huot Center
5:30 pm - Guest Speakers - LHS Key Club Co Presidents: Kathryn Beane and Shelby Luther - Program: Recognition of LHS Key Club Seniors and Induction of new LHS Key Club Officers.

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