<![CDATA[KENSINGTON VALLEY CIVITAN CLUB - Minutes]]>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:14:55 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[may 14th, 2026 meeting minutes]]>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:59:31 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/may-14th-2026-meeting-minutes
​Present: Elijah Canfield, Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, Bonnie Charette, Dan Mercurio, Thad Bogert and Carol Sienko.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM.
1. Additions and corrections: None
2. April 12th, 2026 Minutes: Hal made a motion and Bonnie seconded it to accept the minutes. Motion passed.
3. Treasurer's Report: Dan went over the May financial statements for the General and MP accounts. Quarterly dues were paid to Civitan International. There was no further discussion putting the General and MP accounts into a higher yielding account. Hal made the motion and Cheryl seconded it to accept the Treasurer's Report. Motion passed. a. Finance & Budget Committee: None

4. Correspondence:
a. We received a $1,000 grant from the Michigan Civitan Foundation for our collaboration with South Lyon Schools Special Education program to benefit special needs individuals and introduce them to our Youth Entrepreneur Market.
b. c. d. e. Dan received a letter from Nancy Bracy along with her current dues. She let us know that she will no longer be a member of KVCC. We are sad to see her go and wish her well in all her future endeavors. Lyon Township Public Library sent an acknowledgment of appreciation for our donation to the new public library. We donated from the MP account: Park Bench, $3,000, $1,300 for the activity board in the children's area of the library, for a total of $4,300. Marta Ford received a letter of acknowledgment and a Civitan Pin from Civitan International for 45 Years as a member. Way to go Marta! And many thanks to you and your husband for sponsoring the Kayaking at Camp Civitan. It's one of the campers favorite activities. We can't thank you enough for keeping the campers safe and having such a good time doing it. Bonnie Charette received a letter of acknowledgment and a Civitan Pin from Civitan International for recruiting our new member at KVCC, Hetty Tarpley. Hetty has all ready participated in many of our volunteer opportunities: Charity Poker, Focus Hope with PCCC, bowling at our Active Faith fundraiser and bringing her wonderful family, shopping for Christmas presents through our participation with Active Faith Adopt-A-Kid program. And nobody will forget the delicious meat balls that she brought to the Christmas Party.

5. Open Discussion. a. Member Health Updates: Maureen has been in and out of the hospital and on her way to recovery. Theresa was in the hospital and is now improving in rehab. KVCC has sent get well wishes to both of our members. b. c. Civitan Awareness Month: No update Region 6 Focused Philanthropy: i. ARC: no update ii. SL Special Education YEM Program: Bonnie prepared a narrative of the program and worked with Susan Toft, South Lyon Special Education Director on the program. Cheryl iii. d. recommended that we request a grant from the Michigan Civitan's Foundation. Bonnie wrote the grant and it was approved for $1,000. The first part of the program (Phase I) launched with the May 14th opening market where adult members of the Special Education Department received $10 vouchers to spend at the market. Long-term, the goal is to roll out a Phase II of the program where the club sponsors a booth for Special Ed students to sell tote bags at the market, designed by the students themselves, proceeds of which go back into this program. Bonnie is looking for help in coordinating Phase II of the program so if anyone is interested in helping or participating in a planning meeting, please let her know. Breakthru Golf Benefit (civitanbreakthru.com) which supports the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) on August 19th. Our donation of $400 was approved at our April meeting. No further action needed. Region 6 Fall Meeting: Derek, Region 6 Director, has requested that KVCC and PCCC host a meeting in the fall this year. Expects 60-70 individuals in attendance. Hal suggested Comfort Inn on Michigan Ave in Dearborn as long as they have a meeting room large enough to accommodate the attendees. Hal also suggested that the meeting activities could include Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Plant tours or other venues. The meeting would be held in the latter half of October on a Friday from 5-9pm and Saturday from 8am-2pm. Ie October 16-17, October 23-24 or October 30-31.

6. Project Updates: a. Adopt A Road: 4/11. The program was another success. Thad, Elijah, Hal, Diana, Cheryl and Carol made the cleanup crew. Thankfully it was a nice day. Elijah mentioned that we will need more bags for the fall cleanup. b. c. d. e. f. South Lyon Creek Cleanup 4/19: Thad said there was good participation despite the bad weather. KVCC provided hot beverages and snacks plus a $100 donation to the South Lyon Water Guardians, who sponsor the event. Thanks, Diana and Thad for taking care of the participants. High School Scholarships: Paige will present the certificate and scholarship on June 2. Thad will do the presentation on June 3rd. The two recipients will each receive a $1,000 from the MP account and a certificate. Thanks to Maureen and all members that reviewed the essays and determined the winners. Youth Entrepreneur Market: 5/9 We had another successful market. Elijah reported that there were 16 booths. Five of the six special ed students from South Lyon Special Ed Program, attended the market. We were originally concerned about the curb and uneven terrain being a barrier. All participants navigated the market just fine and enjoyed themselves. Each participant received a $10 voucher to spend. The interaction between the SE students and the youth entrepreneurs was one of our goals, everyone was well received. Elijah received a grant for a bounce house from Oakland County which many enjoyed. About half of the youth vendors were new to the program this year. Focus Hope: May 9th Well over 1,000 boxes were packed. The PCCC members, along with Hal, Cheryl, Hetty and Carol went to Polonia's for lunch afterwards, which is a very tasty tradition. Group Home Greeting Card Program;: Carol mailed a birthday card to one resident. Birthday cards were signed by members for upcoming birthdays and the members signed a Get Well card for Theresa.

7. Upcoming Projects a. Camp Civitan: June 4th-7th Cheryl reported that we have 65 campers. Counselors and nursing staff have signed up. Hetty will be a camp counselor for the first time. Carol will also be a counselor again this year. Bonnie and Dan will be day counselors again this year helping with the kayaking. Additional day counselors are always needed, so let Cheryl know if you can attend on one of these days, especially Friday or Saturday. Carol has the camp raffle tickets for sale. Ask your family, friends and neighbors if they would like to purchase tickets. KVCC has more tickets to sell this year since one of the area clubs declined to participate. This is the only fundraiser to support camp next year. b. c. d. e. Kitefest: June 6th-7th Kitefest is in it's 17th year and held at James Atchison Memorial Park in New Hudson. Karissa and Mark are on the committee, so contact them for volunteer opportunities. Members are encouraged to volunteer or attend the festivities. A more detailed explanation of Kitefest can be found in the Lyon Today magazine. Youth Entrepreneur Market: June 13th We should have 15+/- vendors for the market in June. We will continue the Special Ed Program in collaboration with SLHS. Each SE participant will receive a $10 voucher. Set up starts at 8:45am and volunteers are need. Vendors start setting up at 9am. The market opens at 10am and runs until 3pm. Maureen prepared and mailed out Certificates of Participation to all our youth vendors from last year. Charity Poker: June 25th -28th, Thurs/Fri nights and Sat/Sun mornings Elijah will prepare and send out the Signup Genius. He'll have one day and one evening event split up into two-four hour shifts for the runner position. The records and cash positions will still be 8 hour shifts. PCCC and KVCC share the same June Charity Poker dates. Therefore, individuals who belong to both clubs will have difficulty pulling extra shifts. This is our biggest fundraiser, it's especially important to volunteer for this event. Pumpkinfest: Sat/Sun September 26/27 The fee has been paid for a 10x10 booth. Cheryl has a supply of stuffed animals for the booth and is already working on inventory for next year. A Signup Genius will be posted later this year.
​8. Next Meeting a. Thursday, May 28th at Teresita Mexican Grill in New Hudson 9. Adjourn Meeting: 7:33 PM Minutes taken by Carol Sienko on May 14th, 2026, respectfully submitted on May 30, 2026]]><![CDATA[april 9th 2026 meeting minutes]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 15:08:03 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/april-9th-2026-meeting-minutesPresent: Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, Maureen Posler, Diana Bolton (Guest Ian Bolton), Bonnie Charrette, Dan Mercurio, Elijah Canfield, Thad Bogert, Guest Alex Hansen-S. Lyon Mayor Pro Tem, and Theresa Furget.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: Theresa added Pumpkinfest under 8g and Business Meeting Locations under 9b.
  2. March 12th, 2026, Minutes: Carol made a motion and Diana seconded it to accept the minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Dan went over the April financial statements for the general and MP accounts. Discussion was concerning whether to move the general account into a higher yielding account and/or putting at least $5,000 from the general account into a CD with a 4% rate for five months, this would draw in an extra $90. Alex, who was a branch manger at Vibe Credit Union, discussed this further based upon his experience at Vibe. The MP account has strict SOM guidelines as to the use and what can be done with it. Dan will look into this further. Bonnie made a motion and Diana seconded it to accept the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.
    1. Finance & Budget Committee: None.
  4. Correspondence:
    1. Elijah passed around a letter from Active Faith thanking the club for their sponsorship and donation of $150 for the Strike-Out-Hunger event.
    2. Cheryl indicated that she’s been receiving phone calls from Abby about zoning issues in S. Lyon. This has to do with the proposed data center, which is a political matter and the club does not get involved with these types of issues. Cheryl will contact Abby and let her know the club will not get involved with this matter.
  5. MRR (Members Retention/Recruitment Committee): None.
  6. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates: Maureen thanked the members for the get-well card/wishes she received.
    2. S. Lyon Creek Cleanup Sunday April 19th at 9 AM to 1 PM-Alex: This will be held again at the MI Seamless Tube & Pipe Co’s. parking lot located at 400 McMunn St. S. Lyon 48178. The pizza after the cleanup will be at the VFW Hall located at 125 E. McHattie St. S. Lyon 48178. The S. Lyon Water Guardians (501c3 Non-Profit) is sponsoring the event. Alex thanked the club for it’s past sponsorship and providing the snacks. He indicated that the club can be a sponsor again for only $100 (in recognition of past years of involvement) and was asking the club to sponsor the snacks and hot beverages again this year. After discussion members decided to participate in the event. Maureen made a motion and Thad seconded it to spend up to $300 out of the general account to pay for the granola bar snacks and coffee/hot cocoa. Motion passed. Thad, will take care of getting the snacks etc. Thad made a motion and Diana seconded it to donate $100 out of the MP account to be a sponsor of the event. Motion passed. Dan wrote a check of $100 (MP account) made out to the S. Lyon Water Guardians and gave it to Alex. As a sponsor, the club’s name will be on the banner which will show current and past sponsors. Hal will bring the club tent; Thad will bring table and chairs. Bonnie and Dan will help with set up. Diana will also attend. Alex also mentioned that the road construction on Pontiac Trail will begin on May 11th on the north side (south bound will be open) and will go throughout the summer into the fall. This will affect the Youth Entrepreneur Market beginning in June.
    3. Civitan Awareness Month: Elijah asked the members to share the materials that CI has provided (via email) on social media. Cheryl will post it on the club’s website.
    4. Lyon Twp. Library Donation: Diana reported that no names will appear on the donated items. Rather there will be a donation recognition wall with the names of sponsors etc. Dan can make the check out to the Lyon Twp. Library and send it to the library.
    5. Region 6 Focused Philanthropy:
i.ARC: Cheryl will contact the Washtenaw and Livingston offices to see how the club can be involved. Diana has been in contact with the Oakland office and they’re based in Troy. Other groups within the area to check out are Friendship Circle, Easter Seals. The S. Lyon Special Olympic Stars have been non-responsive to the club in the past.
ii.Programs supporting IDD-Bonnie: She found a group the Hockey Mentors for Special Players which provides free adaptive ice skating and hockey for children, teens, and adults with disabilities at the Buffalo Wild Wings Ice Arena in Troy. While volunteering here would be at a great distance, they also accept $1,000 event sponsorships and sponsoring adaptive equipment. She also contacted the S. Lyon Special Education Director-Sue Toft and is looking to obtain support for the special needs individuals 18 years and older to build connections within the S. Lyon community. The club has had dealings with Sue previously when the club was trying to donate the Inspire Movement project within the school system. Many obstacles were met and it was unsuccessful. However, the club liked the idea of inviting this group of individuals in coming to the Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM) and maybe even participate in it eventually. Vouchers were discussed to entice them to come to the YEM in May if possible. There was discussion about not enough money is being taken into the general account to support money spent on these activities. That in a couple of years the money would be depleted. (Money from the MP account can only be used for charitable events etc.) Cheryl stated the club should apply for a MI Civitan Foundation grant ($1,000) which would help out. (Cheryl found out that the deadline for a grant is April 19th. She will send the application to Elijah and Bonnie for completion and submission). In the meantime, Bonnie will work on building connections to the community via the YEM with Sue and make up some flyers etc. Bonnie did a fantastic job in doing all of this research, making contact, and discussing with the members. CONGRATS Bonnie!
iii.CI Breakthru Golf Benefit (supports Research Center) August 19th-$400 to sponsor Special Olympics team (civitanbreakthru.com): Elijah indicated this will be held during the CI convention in Louisville, KY. Cheryl made a motion and Maureen seconded it to donate $400 out of the MP account for this event. Motion passed.
  1. Region 6 Fall Meeting: Elijah stated that Derek, the director of Region 6, would like to have a fall meeting in MI and he would like the KVCC and PCCC to host it at an area hotel in the metro area. Expects 60-70 individuals to attend.
  1. Project Updates:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program: Carol stated she delivered the Valentines cards in February. She’ll have cards for the group to sign at the dinner meeting (running out of meeting time at the library).
    2. Region 6 Convention March 13th-14th Clarksville TN-Update: Elijah reported 40-45 individuals were in attendance.
    3. Charity Poker June 25th-28th (Thurs/Fri 6:30 PM-2 AM, Sat/Sun 10 AM-2 PM): The March event brought in over $6,400 profit. Elijah stated Krazy Kopz would like KVCC to work at least one Mon-Wed event and they would open up a fourth event to KVCC. Elijah will prepare and send out the Signup Genius for the June Charity Poker. He’ll have one day and evening event split up into two four-hour shifts instead of an eight our shift to see how this works out for members. PLEASE NOTE: It’s been discovered that the PCCC and the KVCC share the same June Charity Poker dates. Thus, individuals who are members in both clubs will have difficulty in pulling extra shifts like they did in March.
  2. Upcoming Events:
    1. Adopt-A-Rd-Spring Cleanup: April 11th, rain date April 12th. Meet at the New Hudson Biggby parking lot at 10 AM, located at 30771 Milford Rd. New Hudson, 48165. Need at least six volunteers.
    2. High School Scholarships Due April 15th: Maureen stated they currently have five submissions with only one being from S. Lyon East. Expect more will come in by the deadline.
    3. Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM) May 9th, Junee 13th, July 11th, August 8th, and September 12th: Elijah stated 10 vendors have signed up for May. Club tent will be set up around 8:45 AM.
i.Recreation Assistance Partnership Program Grant: Bounce house at the May YEM.
  1. Focus Hope-May 9th: Meet at Focus Hope at 9 AM (located at 1400 Oakman Blvd. Detroit 48238) and afterwards lunch/fellowship at Polonia’s in Hamtramck.
  2. Camp Civitan June 4th-7th-Cheryl:   So far, she has 26 campers. Christmas is the theme this year with Christmas crafts. Has about 15 counselors but could still use more. Has two RN’s. Need more day counselors, especially for Sat, kayak day. Has six scholarships. Carol now has the MI raffle lottery tickets. Cost is $5 a piece and numbers are good for all of the September evening 3-digit MI lottery drawings.
  3. Lyon Twp. Kitefest June 6th-7th, 2026 at the Atchison Memorial Park located at 58000 Grand River, New Hudson, 48165. Karissa and Mark are on the committee. Karissa will provide a sign-up Genius with volunteering opportunities.
  4. Pumpkinfest September 26th-27th: Theresa stated she submitted the club’s application for a non-profit booth (10’x10’) cost is $60 plus some fee’s and the game will be the Wheel of Chance. Sat hours are 10 AM-7PM with set- up at 7 A-10 AM. Sunday hours are 10 AM-5 PM. Due to the Pontiac Trail Rd. construction, the Pumpkinfest will be held at Bartlett Elementary School.
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. April 23rd Dinner Meeting at Teresita’s Mexican Grill, 6:30 PM.
    2. Business Meeting Location July: Theresa stated that beginning in July the business meeting will be at the Lyon Twp Library in their new location on Milford Rd.
    3. May 14th, Business Meeting at the Salem-S. Lyon District Library at 6:30 PM. Located at 9800 Pontiac Trail, S. Lyon, 48178. Meeting will be in Olson Room.
  2. Adjournment: At 7:58 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on April 9th, 2026, and respectfully submitted on April 10th, 2026.
]]><![CDATA[march 12th, 2026 meeting minutes]]>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:00:20 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/march-12th-2026-meeting-minutes​Present: Cheryl VanVliet, Maureen Posler, Hal Hultman, Diana Bolton & Guest Ian Bolton, Dan Mercurio, Bonnie Charrette, Elijah Canfield, Hetty Tarplay, and Theresa Furget.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: None.
  2. February 12th, 2026, Minutes: Hal made a motion and Diana seconded it to accept the minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Dan went over the February and March financial statements for the general and MP accounts. Maureen made a motion and Diana seconded it to accept the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.
    1. Finance & Budget Committee: None.
  4. Correspondence: None.
  5. MRR (Members Retention/Recruitment Committee): None.
  6. New member, Hetty Tarplay, was given her club name badge and club pin by Cheryl.
  7. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates: None
    2. Region 6 Focused Philanthropy: Cheryl has reached out to Civitan International (CI) and obtained contact information for both the Oakland and Livingston ARC organizations. She’ll contact them to see how the club can support them.
    3. Lyon Twp. Library Donation: Diana passed around a list of items the Library is asking donations for. Discussion was about Activity Panels ($650 each) and Park Benches ($5,000 each). It was discussed whether the clubs name would be on the donated items. Diana stated, “No, there’s going to be Memorial/Donations Board on the premises.’ Cheryl made a motion and Bonnie seconded it to donate out of the MP account the equivalent of two Activity Boards ($650 each) and one Park Bench ($5,000) for a total of $6,300. Motion passed. Diana will find out what the procedure is for the donation and whether the club’s name can be put on the Park Bench.
i.Reopening of Lyon Twp. Library is slated for some time in June 2026. Discussion was when to go back to the library for club business meeting meetings. Theresa has the business meetings booked for the remainder of 2026 at the SSLDL. Theresa will contact Marjorie Dixon at the Lyon Twp. Library and discuss with her as to whether a deposit is needed, or room rental, size of the four study/two meeting rooms etc.
  1. Civitans at the Helm donation ($200 to get to Captain Level)-Elijah: CI has indicated the club only has to donate $200 to achieve the Captain Level. Money donated to Civitans at the Helm goes to the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC). The club will receive a Captain Level Patch for the club’s banner. Maureen made a motion and Bonnie seconded it to donate $200 out of the MP account to CIRC. Motion passed.
  1. Project Updates:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program: None.
    2. Active Faith Strike-Out-Hunger Event Report: Everyone indicated they had a great time bowling, and Carol won two baskets/prizes, which she donated some of the items to Camp Civitan.
  2. Upcoming Events:
    1. Region 6 Convention March 13th-14th in Clarksville, TN: Elijah will give an update on the KVCC to the attendee’s. He’ll also be moderating a panel of eight local businesses concerning how Civitans can get involved. Elijah has the club’s banner to take to the convention.
    2. Poker 2026 Dates:
i.March 19th-22nd: Thurs/Fri Days (9:30 AM-6 PM); Sat/Sun Nights (6:15 PM-2 AM): At least half of the slots are still open for volunteers. Discussion was concerning how members need to step up and volunteer for these events. This is a major fundraiser that raises enormous amount of money at one time for the club than to donate/spend within the S. Lyon community. Need more members to volunteer to work the events, so, Theresa doesn’t have to continue to send out emails asking for volunteers etc. Elijah went over the CP notes (on the back of the agenda) as to what’s needed to run the event. Dan will get a startup of $1,500 of singles, fives, and tens to take out of the MP account. Elijah has the poker box and two checks will be needed for Sun to pay Vision Lanes for the rental and to pay Krazy Kopz their share.
ii.June 25th-28th: Thurs/Fri Nights; Sat/Sun Days.
  1. Adopt-A-Rd-Spring Cleanup: April11th, rain date April 12th. Meet at the New Hudson Biggby parking lot at 10 AM, located at 30771 Milford Rd. New Hudson, 48165. September 19th next cleanup, rain date is September 20th. Six to eight individuals’ are needed to clean the road.
  2. High School Scholarships Due April 15th: Maureen stated, Cheryl, Paige, Hetty and herself are on the committee. So far haven’t received and applications. It’s been well publicized in the schools. Discussion was whether to raise the scholarship(s) up from $1,000. However, this is pretty much the amount of most scholarships. If kids don’t turn in any, then just won’t give out any scholarship(s). Kids generally wait until the last minute. Last year the majority weren’t received until two days prior to the deadline. Maureen will print /send out flyers to post at local businesses and on Facebook groups.
  3. Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM) (5/8, 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12): First one is May 8th. Elijah only has one student signed up for May, and three for other months. Club tent set up is scheduled for 8:45 AM. He’ll submit the application and fee with the city council. Need to make up flyers to post at local businesses, and Cheryl indicated it’ll be on Facebook.
i.Recreation Assistance Partnership Program Grant: Karissa applied for a grant and received it for a bounce house at the May 8th event.
  1. Focus Hope-May 9th: Plymouth-Canton Civitan Club invites KVCC to join them to build food boxes for low-income seniors. Meet at Focus Hope at 9 AM and afterwards lunch/fellowship at Polonia’s in Hamtramck. Dan indicated that he and a friend have actually delivered food boxes in Detroit, it was rewarding to do so.
  2. Camp Civitan-June 4th-7th-Cheryl: So far, she has four campers, applications just went out. Christmas is the theme this year with Christmas crafts. Has about 15 counselors but could still use more. Has two RN’s. Need more day counselors, especially for Sat, kayak day. Has six scholarships. Raffle tickets will arrive sometime in April, which is a fundraiser for camp.
  3. Lyon Twp. Kitefest June 6th-7th, 2026 at the Atchison Memorial Park located at 58000 Grand River, New Hudson, 48165. Karissa and Mark are on the committee. Karissa will provide a sign-up Genius with volunteering opportunities.
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. March 26th Dinner Meeting at Teresita’s Mexican Grill, 6:20 PM.
    2. April 9th, Business Meeting at the Salem-S. Lyon Library at 6:30 PM. Located at 9800 Pontiac Trail, S. Lyon, 48178. Meeting will be in Work Room 2.
  2. Adjournment: Maureen made a motion and Hal seconded it to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on March 12th, 2026, and respectfully submitted on March 13, 2026.
]]><![CDATA[february 12th, 2026 meeting minutes]]>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:52:34 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/february-12th-2026-meeting-minutes​Present: Tim Root, Hal Hultman, Cheryl VanVliet, Maureen Posler, Elijah Canfield, Hetty Tarplay, Diana Bolton, Sue Meisner, and Theresa Furget.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:31 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: None.
  2. January 8th, 2026, Minutes: Hal made a motion and Mauren seconded it to approve the minutes of January 8th, 2026. Motion Passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Dan was not in attendance. Theresa reported that he has paid Civitan International (CI) quarterly dues and will provide a February financial statement at the next business meeting in March.
  4. Correspondence: Elijah reported that he received a letter from Michael Morgan CI President (2024-2025) thanking the club for its passion, commitment to the mission of Civitan and for recruiting three new club members for the 2024-2025 year. A recruitment award was received and Cheryl will attach it to the KVCC banner. Diana reported that she received notification from Active Faith concerning the Strike- Out -Hunger event scheduled for Sunday March 8th, 2026, at Pinz Bowling Center located at 700 N. Lafayette St. St. Lyon, 48178. The event goes from 3-5 PM and includes 2 slices of pizza and unlimited pop/lemonade. It also includes the bowling shoes. There are 2 levels of sponsorship: Event sponsorship at a cost of $300 or Lane sponsor at a cost of $150. Can have up to 6 bowlers per lane at a cost of $30 per bowler. Members decided to be a lane sponsor. Diana made a motion and Hetty seconded it to spend $150 out of the MP account to be a lane sponsor and to spend $180 out of the general account for at least 6 bowlers (and more if needed) to participate in the event. Motion passed. Dan will take care of the lane sponsorship and write a check to Active Faith for $150. Theresa will take care of purchasing the online tickets for bowlers. (Note: Theresa went online concerning the bowler tickets and there’s a $3.85 service fee per ticket. She’ll go ahead and purchase tickets for at least 6 bowlers for now at a cost of $203.10. If additional tickets are needed, she’ll take care of it.)
  5. MRR (Members Retention/Recruitment Committee: Diana mentioned about the club paying dues for former members that can’t afford it but really want to participate in club events. Members thought this was a great idea and could be done for a year as needed. Maureen made a motion and Tim seconded it, to pay dues for 1 year for former members who aren’t able to afford it currently to come out of the general account. Motion passed. Maureen will contact the individual that this pertains to and let them know. (Note: Theresa will do the paperwork with CI at the next quarter, which is April 1st.)
  6. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates: Cheryl reported that Vivian is doing well. Cheryl stated she has recovered from her pneumonia. Maureen is currently doing much better too.
    2. Business Meeting Change of Location: Theresa explained that the Lyon Twp. Library has told her that they need the club to move to another location starting in March and not in May as originally planned. She has contacted Kathy Merucci at the Salem-S. Lyon District Library (located at 9800 Pontiac Trail, S. Lyon, 48178). She asked for bigger meeting rooms and this will depend upon the librarians and what events they may have planned. She also asked for the room that has the kitchen for the December Christmas/Wrapping party, this too will depend upon what programs the librarians will be scheduling. In the meantime, the club is on a waiting list for the December date and should know some time by the end of July the availability for the requested room. Since the club is scheduled for different rooms within the library for the remainder of the year, she won’t confuse you with all of the different rooms. For the March 12th business meeting the club will be in the Fireplace Area, which is an open area and will be shared with patrons of the library. Kathy indicated this is a fairly quiet area (and it’s the only meeting that is not in an enclosed area). Theresa is going to set up a meeting with Kathy for a tour of the library and all of the meeting rooms. This will be done prior to the March 12th business meeting and will let members know if they’re interested in joining her. Unfortunately, it will be during the daytime.
    3. Club Tee Shirts: Cheryl passed out the tee shirts and will take second orders now. Must let her know by February 26th, 2026 (the dinner meeting at Teresita’s) whether you want to order more tee shirts.
    4. Region 6 Focused Philanthropy: Elijah went over the handout concerning Region 6 Civitan Focused Philanthropy. A brief summary is to refocus on improving the lives of people with intellectual and developments disabilities (IDD) through direct service and strong community partnerships. Club should do one IDD project a year at a level that fits. (Levels range from lowest time commitment, moderate commitment, and higher commitment.) No matter what level, make sure to do it right and well. This led to a discussion of what the club could do. When the club was first chartered, Cheryl reached out (numerous times) to the Special Olympics group to see how the club could get involved. Unfortunately, this was not successful. Thad also reached out (for a couple of years) in trying to get the Special Ed department within the school system to participate in the Inspire Movement Project to no avail. Just need to get the club’s foot into these groups. CI is now affiliated with ARC. There was discussion of contacting ARC in Oakland, and Washtenaw counties. Cheryl will contact CI about how the club can get involved with ARC. Camp Civitan (which does focus on the IDD community) was discussed about more counselors and volunteers are needed during camp both day and night, (camp is June 4th-7th this year). Also getting an individual with IDD within the community to attend camp was discussed and sponsoring a scholarship ($230) for a camper to attend. The Plymouth-Canton Civitan Club has had Ken Britton, a coach for a wheelchair soccer group, who spoke to them last year. This might be a group that the club can help out. The Region 6 Focused Philanthropy will continue to be discussed at future meetings.
    5. Lyon Twp. Library Donation: Tabled until March 12th, 2026.
    6. Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM) (5/8, 6/13, 7/11, 8/8, 9/12)-Elijah: Pontiac Trail Rd. will be under construction this year from April to November and will go from 9 Mile Rd. to just north of the downtown area. This will impact the downtown area and YEM. Discussion was whether to move YEM to another location, not have it this year, or have it in the same location as always (Biggby 22729 Pontiac Trail, S. Lyon, 48178). It was decided to keep it at the Biggby Store and it’ll run from 10 AM to 3 PM with set up starting around 8:45 AM. Will need to do more marketing for the event (as sales will be down do to the road construction). Continuation of using Civitan Bucks was discussed, just not sure whether this will be continued as there was some issues with the use of them last year. Application (cost $100) needs to be made to the City Council for YEM. Diana made a motion and Hetty seconded it, to pay the $100 application fee out of the general account. Motion passed.
    7. High School Scholarships-Maureen: Generally, one scholarship is given to each high School (S. Lyon HS and S. Lyon East HS). Have given two out to each school in the past. The scholarship amount is $1,000. Discussion was whether to stay with one scholarship per school or make it two per school. While there’s currently sufficient funds in the MP account to cover the cost of four scholarships, the Charity Poker fundraising events (2 per year) barely takes in enough money to cover four scholarships to be given every year. Funding may be a potential issue in the future. Also, don’t want the schools to know how many scholarships are being given out each year as it can change. Essays are usually due in April, winning essays are determined in May and the scholarships are awarded in June. Essays must discuss the individual’s leadership and community service with details of what they’ve done and how it has changed their lives. The committee usually consists of Cheryl, Paulina, Paige, and Maureen. Maureen will contact Paulina and Paige to see if they still want to serve on the committee. Anyone wanting to serve can also contact Maureen. Maureen made a motion, and Diana seconded it, to award at least one scholarship each to S. Lyon HS and S. Lyon East HS, and up to two per school (if warranted by the quality of the essays), with each scholarship being $1,000 a piece (2 Scholarships-$2,000; 4 Scholarships-$4,000) to come out of the MP account. Motion passed.
    8. Lyon Twp. Kitefest-Elijah: This will be held June 6th-7th, 2026 at the Atchison Memorial Park located at 58000 Grand Rive, New Hudson, 48165. Karissa and Mark are on the Kitefest committee and they need more members to join, as current members are retiring. Volunteers are needed to work the Kitefest. Need individuals to work the information desk-Maureen stated she was interested. They also need individuals to work the kite making booth. More details to follow.
  7. Project Updates:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program: None.
  8. Upcoming Events:
    1. Region 6 Convention March 13th-14th Clarksville TN: Karissa and Elijah are driving down to it. Friday the 13th activities go from 6-9PM and Saturday the 14th goes from 8 AM to 2 PM, this includes lunch. Registration is $25 and rooms at the Double Tree by Hilton Riverview Inn in Clarksville are $139 per night.
    2. Poker 2026 Dates:
i.March 19th-22nd: Thurs/Fri Days (9:30 AM-6 PM); Sat/Sun Nights (6:15 PM-2 AM): Elijah will send Theresa the Signup Genius link and she’ll send it out to members. Location is Vision Lanes, located at 38250 Ford Rd. Westland, 48185.
ii.June 25th-28th: Thurs/Fri Nights; Sat/Sun Nights.
iii.The poker vendor Krazy Kopz has a second venue-Ivory Room (this is a pool hall) in Westland, just down the street from Vision Lanes that they’re trying to get established. This is running on Mon-Wed from 10 AM to Midnight. It’s a much slower venue, only one table and no tournaments. The Plymouth Canton Civitan Club has worked just finished their second event there and not sure of the actual profit yet. Elijah indicated that Krazy Kopz keeps contacting him when there’s an opening at this location.
  1. Adopt-A-Road-Spring Cleanup: The April dates are April 11th-19th. Member’s decided to do the clean up on Sat April 11th, with the April 12th being the make-up date if needed. The club will not do a July cleanup but will do the fall cleanup on Saturday September 19th with the makeup date of September 20th. On April 11th meet in the New Hudson Biggby parking lot at 10 AM. This Biggby is located at 30771 Milford Rd., New Hudson 48165.
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. February 26th Dinner Meeting at Teresita’s Mexican Grill, 6:30 PM.
    2. March 12th, Business Meeting at the Salem-S. Lyon District Library at 6:30 PM. Located at 9800 Pontiac Trail, S. Lyon, 48178. Meeting will be in the Fireplace area.
  2. Adjournment: Maureen made a motion and Hal seconded it to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 PM. Motion passed.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on February 12th, 2026, and respectfully submitted on February 14th, 2026. 
]]><![CDATA[january 8, 2026 meeting minutes]]>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:38:50 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/january-8-2026-meeting-minutes​Present: Thad Bogert, Mark Blondy, Diana Bolton, Carol Seinko, Dan Mercurdo, Bonnie Charette, Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, and Theresa Furget.
Thad called the meeting to order at 6:34 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: Diana added Lyon Twp. Library Donation under 6e.
  2. November 13th, 2025, Minutes: Carol made a motion and Hal seconded to accept the minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Dan went over the January 2026 financial statement for the general and MP accounts. Diana made a motion and Hal seconded to accept the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.
    1. Finance & Budget Committee: None.
  4. Correspondence: None.
  5. MRR (Members Retention/Recruitment) Committee: None.
  6. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates: Cheryl gave updates on Maureen’s recent fall in which she received stitches to the head. She’s doing fine. She also gave an update on Vivian’s hospitalization; she’s expected to be discharged soon. She’s in great spirits and doing well.
    2. Renewal of membership to the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce: Theresa indicated that the club’s renewal for membership is up for $200. Thad made a motion and Carol seconded it to renew the club’s membership for $200 out of the general account. Motion passed. Theresa will pay the membership. Also, she’ll start to send out the emails from the chamber out to members.
    3. Ordering Club Tee-Shirts: Cheryl has enough orders from Plymouth Canton and Kensington Valley clubs to submit an order. She’ll let people know how much they owe after she puts in the order.
    4. Region 6 Director Derek Eurales Visit: Hal reported that Derek was in town on the day of Shop With a Hero and participated in the wrapping of the gifts. Pictures were passed around the event. Afterwards he joined members from West Oaks, Wayne, Livington, Plymouth-Canton, Westland and of course KVCC at Teresita’s for dinner and fellowship. He’s a very dynamic individual and is very much interested in the clubs in Region 6.
    5. Lyon Twp. Library Donation-Diana: Diana indicated the library has two capital campaign fundraisers. The first is purchasing a brick, there are two different sizes, the smaller one costs $100 and the larger one $250. The other campaign is a memorial in which names can go on a wall, bike racks, benches, patio furniture etc., Members were interested in the last one, and Diana will check this out further as to the cost.
i.This also brought up the discussion as to when the library will close down and be unavailable for club meetings. Theresa indicated that Marjorie Dixon has told her that the library will be unavailable starting in May and she’s not sure when it will open and been available again. So, starting with the May business meeting and going through to December, Theresa has booked meeting room 4 at the Salem -Lyon District Library. This is where the November 2025 business meeting was held. She’ll check with her contact person-Kathy to see if a bigger room can be booked and securing a larger room for the clubs Christmas/Wrapping party in December 2026. When the Lyon Twp. Library reopens (whenever that might be) the club will resume meeting there.
  1. Project Updates:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program-Carol: She passed around Get-Well cards for signature of members at the meeting to be sent to Maureen and Vivian. She also passed Valentine cards for members to sign for individuals in the group home’s, which she’ll deliver along with some candy. She reported in December she delivered the Christmas cards and little presents to the individuals in the two group homes. Bonnie reported that the club’s newest member Hetty Tarpley had a sudden death in the family (her sister) after Christmas. Carol obtained Hetty’s address from Cheryl and will send a condolence card from the club to her.
    2. Active Faith Adopt-A-Family: Carol and Dan delivered the presents to the various families. The families were grateful for the Christmas presents for the kids.
    3. Club Christmas/Wrapping Party: The chicken from Holdens was delicious and members want their chicken for this years Christmas party. Everyone that helped with the shopping for the presents for the families really enjoyed themselves at Target.
    4. Abbey Park Festivals of Trees: This year’s theme was family pets. Bonnie, Carol, Cheryl, Diana, and Theresa decorated the tree right after Thanksgiving. Cheryl and Theresa removed the decorations and Cheryl handed out the pet ornaments of the animals tonight to members.
i.The tree was also decorated with small stuffed animals. Cheryl reported she has over 1,000 stuffed animals for this year’s Pumpkinfest. Many of the animals in the past came from Stacey-The Book Lady. She collects all varieties (including kids) of books to supply The Little Libraries around the Plymouth area. Members discussed giving her books in return for the stuffed animals. Cheryl stated she would deliver them, so bring your books to the dinner meeting on the 22nd.
  1. Shop With A Hero: Cheryl, Hal, Mark, Elijah, Region 6 Director Derek Eurles, and Theresa participated in the wrapping of the presents. Thad reported there were 75 kids that participated. This is the first year since COVID wrapping the presents was brought back. Hal indicated there were items such as clothing, large stuffed animals and other items that were difficult to wrap. While Wal-Mart supplied the wrapping paper, there were no boxes or gift bags (like for bikes) for these unusual sized items. Members thought the club could donate these items next time.
  1. Upcoming Events:
    1. Generations in Business TBD (Feb ’26?): None.
    2. Desert Angels Packing Event TBD (May ’26?): None.
    3. Poker 2026 Dates:     
i.March 19th-22nd: Thurs/Fri Days; Sat/Sun Nights
ii.June 25th-28th: Thurs/Fri Nights; Sat/Sun Days
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. January 22nd Dinner Meeting at Teresita’s Mexican Grill, 6:30 PM.
    2. February 12th, Business Meeting.
  2. Meeting adjourned at 7:53 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on January 8th, 2026, and respectfully submitted on January 9th, 2026.
]]><![CDATA[november 13th, 2025 meeting minutes]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:13:47 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/november-13th-2025-meeting-minutesPresent: Maureen Posler, Dan Mercurio, Bonnie Charrette, Carol Seinko, Thad Bogert, Diana Bolton, Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, and Theresa Furget.
Thad called the meeting to order at 6:39 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: Thad added ordering club tee shirts under 6b. Dan added CD Rates under 3b.
  2. October 9th, 2025, Minutes: Theresa indicated that the minutes were revised on October 20th, to show individuals that were on the general and MP accounts according to the chart that Diana provided after the October business meeting. Bonnie made a motion and Maureen seconded it to accept the October 9th, 2025, minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Dan went over the November 2025 financial statement for the general and MP accounts. On the top of the sheet was the income/budget statement and the bottom was the current monthly statement. This is still a work in progress as to how this report will look in the future.
    1. Finance & Budget Committee: See above.
    2. CD Rates for MP Account: Dan: He also passed out a chart concerning CD rates and according to how much is invested as to what the estimate profit/earnings would be. Members thought this was a great ideal. However, the question is whether the State of MI (SOM) would allow this under the rules & regulations. Before moving forward, Cheryl will contact her SOM contact person Bob Anderson to see if the club can put some of the MP funds into a CD account. At the clubs next business meeting in January 2026, members can decide how much to invest if the SOM will allow this type of investment with MP funds,
  4. Correspondence: None.
  5. MRR (Members Retention/Recruitment) Committee: Thad indicated no report.
  6. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates: Maureen indicated that she’s still recovering from her foot surgery and will have a pacemaker inserted in December. She also reported that Kris has had his shoulder and knee surgeries, and that he has a long recovery process. She stated that Vivian is doing well.
    2. Ordering Club Tee Shirts-Cheryl: She needs 20-24 shirts from each club before she can put the order in. If she combines the orders from both clubs, then they’ll only have the Civitan logo without the club’s name. Thad indicated that Big Frog doesn’t require a set number of shirts be ordered at a time. Cheryl stated she’ll see what she can work out with the guy she’s been working with. Contact Cheryl if you would like a club tee shirt, polo shirt, long sleeve, or hoodie. She previously sent out an email with the prices.
  7. Project Updates:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program-Carol: She delivered ‘Thinking of You ‘cards to the two group homes. She would like to give them Christmas gifts of hand lotion, but there are two guys, so maybe body wash instead. Theresa gave Carol some Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthday cards. In addition, she gave Carol KVCC return address labels that she ordered from Current to use.
    2. Focus Hope October 18th Report: There was a good turnout with 1,300 food boxes assembled. Bonnie and Dan reported they thought this was a great event (it was their first time) and enjoyed the lunch at Polonia’s. Theresa stated the tentative 2026 dates are May 9th, and October 17th.
    3. Goodies on the Grand October 18th Report: Diana stated the number of kids and vendors participating this year was way down. This could be due to the weather (rain forecasted) or the number of other events taking place the same weekend. Thad stated the City of S. Lyon does a downtown Trick or Treat and he’ll check it out as to whether the club can participate in this. There’s plenty of candy left over from this event and Thad mentioned that Active Faith has candy they want to donate to the club. It was decided that some of the candy could be given to the group home individuals and to the Christmas families.
  8. Upcoming Events:
    1. Active Faith Adopt-A-Family: Thad picked up the names of the 10 kids and their wish list. Diana will organize the lists, contact the families for delivery dates, and clarify any of the items if needed. Shopping will take place at the Target Store on Grand River and Wixom Rds., on Sunday December 7th at Noon. Meet at the front of the store to pick up your kid’s list to shop for. 
    2. Club Christmas/Wrapping Party December 11th @ 6:30 PM at the S. Lyon Twp Library: Theresa passed around the signup list for a dish to pass. (Will attach a copy to the minutes.)  Bring your own beverage and don’t forget to bring wrapping paper, scissors, clothing boxes, and tape. Theresa will provide the large gift bags and gift tags. Eat first and then wrap! Contact Theresa with you dish to pass if you haven’t signed up yet.
    3. Abbey Park Festivals of Trees: Cheryl stated the Festival of Trees run from November 29th to January 8th. The Theme this year will be superhero’s, which is consistent with the club’s scarecrow of Superman. Will meet at Abby Park on November 30th, at 11 AM to decorate the tree. Diana, Carol, Bonnie (maybe), and Theresa will join Cheryl. Bring any superhero type stuff that you have.
    4. Generations in Business-TBD (February 2026?): No report.
    5. Desert Angels Packing Event TBD (May 2026?): Will be discussed at the January business meeting.
    6. Poker 2026 Dates:
i.March 19th-22nd: Thurs/Fri Days, Sat/Sun Nights.
ii.June 25th-28th Thurs/Fri Nights, Sat/Sun Days.
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. December 11th Club Christmas/Wrapping Party
    2. January 8th, 2026, Business Meeting.
  2. Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on November 13th, 2025, and respectfully submitted on November 14th, 2025.
]]><![CDATA[october 9th, 2025 meeting minutes]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:40:05 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/october-9th-2025-meeting-minutes​Present: Diana Bolton, Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, Vivian VanVliet, Carol Seinko, Elijah Canfield, Thad Bogert, Mark Blondy, Bonnie Charette Dan Mercurio, Rich Roberts, and Theresa Furget.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: None.
  2. September 11th, 2025, Minutes: Thad made a motion and Vivian seconded it to accept the minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Diana went over the October financial report and the final budget report for 2024-2025. Rich made a motion and Hal seconded it to accept the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.
    1. Account Signers on General/MP Accounts: Diana went over which members are joint owners and signers on the MP/general accounts. A joint owner may open and close accounts and are also signers on the checks. Need to set up a date and time to meet at the Community Choice Credit Union in New Hudson to update the accounts, all joint owners and signers need to attend in order to make the changes. It was decided to meet at CCCU on Sat Oct 25th at Noon with an alternative date of Sat Nov 1st at noon. Diana will contact those who are not at tonight’s meeting to let them know.
    2. Finance & Budget Committee: No report.
  4. Correspondence: None.
  5. MRR Committee: Thad indicated that he set up an account with Springly and would give a demonstration of it after the meeting.
  6. Open Discussion:
    1. Member Health Updates-Carol: She passed around get-well cards for Kris who is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and will be having knee replacement at the end of the month. One was also passed around for Maureen who just had foot surgery.
    2. Desert Angels Packing Event: Elijah stated as of September 1st new stricter restrictions were placed in what could be mailed to the overseas military troops. Each box must have a list of all items in it with additional description of the food items, the number of a particular item and their weight, i.e., plain chocolate bar, 3.5 oz: chocolate bar with almonds, 3.5 oz, chocolate bar with blueberries, 3.5 oz etc. Elijah gave an example of a box being thrown away as it listed 1 package of Crystal Lite and it contained 2! At this time, it’s just not possible to have a packing party (especially with public involvement) with all of these restrictions in place. Another option was discussed that these restrictions do not apply to troops that are stateside at various bases. However, these troops have direct access to military base px’s and to local stores. It was decided to wait and see how this all pans out with the group in Waterford that do the Desert Angel boxes. This will be discussed again in February 2026 to see whether a Spring packing event will be possible. Both Elijah and Theresa have already been  contacted by previous participants in packing parties, so, the club needs to alert the public about the postponement in the packing party for this year. This can be done by social media, Club website, and an email sent to the participants from previous packing parties. Theresa has a contact list of these individuals. Karissa or Elijah will prepare an announcement concerning the postponement and Theresa will send it out to her Desert Angel contact list.
    3. Active Faith Adopt a Family: Since the club won’t be doing a Desert Angel packing party this year, Elijah felt that we could increase the number of kids from 6 to 12 this year. Members agreed with this. Rich made a motion and Carol seconded it to request Active Faith for 12 kids this year and spend up to $100 per kid ($1,200.) out of the MP account. Motion passed. Vivian will contact Active Faith for the kids and their wish lists.
    4. Club Christmas/Wrapping Party: Theresa indicated that the date is Dec 11th for this and will be held at the Lyon Twp. Library as she was unable to secure the larger room at Salem S. Lyon District Library. So, the space to eat and wrap will be smaller with limited electrical outlets available. Discussion was that the main entrée would be chicken and checking out Holdens for the chicken (with each member contributing towards the chicken) and bringing a dish to pass. A sign-up sheet for dishes to pass will be passed around at the Nov meeting. Members will bring wrapping paper, tape, and scissors. Theresa will provide the gift tags and the gift bags.
  7. Project Updates:
    1. Adopt-A-Highway September 20th Report: Great job done by Carol, Elijah, Rich, Diana, Thad, Tim, and his son Eli.
    2. Pumpkinfest 2025-Thad: Thad reported the club turned in 1407 tickets and will be getting a check for that amount. Cheryl reported that 960 stuffed animals were given out (has 877 currently in storage for next year), about 200 LED rings and of course candy. Discussion was that better candy is needed next year. There was also discussion of doubling booth size as it was crowed. This would cost about $120 to double the size and Thad mentioned this might prevent another non-profit group from obtaining booth space. This can be discussed further next year.
    3. Scarecrow Inspiration Park-Cheryl: Hal, Theresa and herself assembled Superman (along with help from the boys-Lewis & Clark). Cheryl and Hal put Superman up at Inspiration Park. Superman will have to come down prior to Nov 6. Cheryl will submit a bill for $66 which covers the costume and wig.
    4. Youth Entrepreneur Market-Certificates & Letters: Cheryl handed over certificates & letters that Maureen prepared that still need to be signed by Elijah as club president and Theresa as club secretary. There’s about 100. Elijah took them home to sign and will give them to Theresa at the dinner meeting on Oct 23rd for her signature. They’ll be returned to Maureen for mailing.
  8. Upcoming Events:
    1. Group Home Greeting Card Program-Carol: Between the two local group home there are 9 residents (this includes two males). Carol will drop the cards off on the residents birthday and for other occasions (Christmas, Valentines etc.) She also discussed giving the residents a birthday gift costing in the range of $10-$15. She’ll contact the group home managers to see what would be appropriate. She estimates the budget for this project is about $300 as no postage will be involved. Cheryl made a motion, and Bonnie seconded it to spend up to $300 out of the general account for this project. Motion passed.
    2. Focus Hope October 18th: Food boxes will be built for seniors and low-income individuals and afterward, the group will have lunch at Polonia’s (2934 Yemans St., 48212) in Hamtramck. To carpool meet at the Costco parking lot (southeast corner) in Livonia at the I-96 service drive and Middle Belt Rd. by 8:15 AM to leave at 8:30 AM. Focus Hope is at 1300 Oakman Blvd. in Detroit, 48238 to drive directly there by 9 AM. Parking is located in the black gated lot across the street from Focus Hope.
    3. Goodies on the Grand October 18th 4:30-6 PM: Theresa indicated that set up is at 4 PM and she’s bought the chocolate candy that includes M & M’s since, members (Diana, Carol, Maureen, and herself) will be wearing M & M tee shirts.
    4. Generations in Business: TBD in Jan ’26.
    5. Charity Poker Dates:
      1. March 19-22, 2026 (Thurs & Fri days; Sat & Sun nights)
      2. June 25-28, 2026 (Thurs & Fri nights; Sat & Sun days)
  9. Special Presentation Cheryl & Theresa:
    1. Cheryl presented Elijah with a plaque for his outstanding youth leadership by establishing the Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM) in 2021. Cheryl also had a plaque for Karissa, however, since she wasn’t present, it’ll be presented at another time.
    2. Theresa introduced the members to The Club Honor Key. The Club Honor Key is the highest award that can be given to a member of the club. Basic criteria is that the member has at least 5 years of service, hold a club officer position, and or establishes new Club projects/activities and or involvement in forming new Senior or Junior Civitan Clubs. The Club Honor Key committee usually consists of past Club Honor Key members, since this is the first Club Honor Key being awarded, the committee members were the Club Builders-Vivian, Cheryl, and Theresa.
    3. Cheryl awarded the Club Honor Key to Diana Bolton as she served as the Club’s first Club president in 2017-2018 and served again in 2020-2021. She also has been the Club treasurer in 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025. She’s also sponsored one new member. Cheryl also awarded Thad Bogert the Club Honor Key as he served Club President three times in 2018-2019, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024. He has sponsored 2 new members. Both Diana and Thad were charter members when the Club was built in 2017 and have been tremendous and active members in the Club.
  10. Installation of Club Officers 2025-2026-Vivian: Vivian installed Elijah as the Club’s President, Carol Seinko as Club President-Elect, Dan Mercurio as Club Treasurer, and Theresa Furget as Club Secretary. Vivian presented Carol with her Club President-Elect pin and Dan with his Club Treasurer pin.
  11. Next Meetings:
    1. October 23rd dinner meeting at Teresita’s Mexican Grill 6:30 PM.
    2. November 13th business meeting at the Salem S. Lyon District Meeting in Study Rm #4 at 6:30 PM. Location 9800 Pontiac Trail. S. Lyon, 48178.
  12. Meeting adjourned at 7:52 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on October 9th, 2025, and respectfully submitted on October 10th, 2025. Revised on 10/20/2025.
]]><![CDATA[september 11, 2025 meeting minutes]]>Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:40:02 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/september-11-2025-meeting-minutesPresent: Cheryl VanVliet, Elijah Canfield, Thad Bogert, Diana Bolton, Bonnie & Dan Mercurio & Maureen Posler
Meeting called to order: 6:43 PM by Elijah Canfield
  1. Additions & Corrections: No changes or corrections. 
  2. Minutes: Thad motioned to accept the minutes from the August 14, 2025 meeting & Maureen seconded the motion.  All were in favor and motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Diana reviewed the Treasurer’s report. Please see the Treasurer’s handout for account balances. There were 2 posted transactions and 2 pending transactions for the General Account. There was no activity in the MP account.  Diana reviewed the signers for debit/credit cards for both accounts. Any new signers will need to meet at the bank to sign authorization cards. The new club new treasurer should coordinate signing cards with those individuals and the bank. Elijah revisited the club using a long term CD and if we decide to go with it, perhaps transfer some of the money in the MP account into a long term CD. Diana was going to check the CD requirements.
  1. Finance & Budget Committee: Elijah mentioned that in Year 2 of the Finance & Budget Committee, we need to do a better job. Diana mentioned that currently we create a budget & then add new expenses as they come up. She cited YEM as an example. Elijah recommended we keep the committee together and do a better job. Dan was added as a member to the committee. Thad motioned to approve the Treasurer’s report & Dan seconded the motion. All present were in favor and Treasurer’s report was approved.
  1. Correspondence: None
  2. MRR Committee:  Thad had no updates. Thad talked about “Springly” which is software that can track membership, pay dues, track correspondence, donor management and quite a bit more.  The software price is $45/month and includes web posting. We pay for web postings now and that plus the service fee the bank charges when we pay dues online offsets most of the subscriptions costs. Question on whether to enroll was tabled until next meeting; however Thad encouraged members to check out Springly software online before our next meeting. 
  3. Club Officer Elections: New officers will be sworn in by Cheryl at the October meeting. 
 
  1. Open Discussion:
  1. Club Officer Training: All club officers must go through Civitan International training by November 15, 2025.  Bonnie, Dan, Elijah, Carol & Theresa will need to complete training.
  2. Civitan Region 6 Fall Convention: The Fall Convention will be held September 19-21 in Lafayette, Indiana.  Cheryl and Hal will attend and Elijah said he might go.
  3. Group Home Good Gestures:  Carol was spearheading this project for January/February 2026. The idea was to partner with a local senior residence/nursing home and send cards for special events (i.e. birthday, Christmas, etc.). Carol was leading this project with a timeframe of January/February to start. Since Carol was not present, the project was tabled until a future meeting. 
  4. Desert Angels Packing Event: Diana checked with South Lyon High School about using a room for the packing party. Last month, the club decided to look for a room that was larger and that we could get into earlier to set up. We can use a room at the high school. Diana thought that we should be able to get in to set up shortly after school ends.  Available dates are Nov. 17, 18 & 19. Preference of those in attendance was Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Various members brought Bonnie and Dan up to speed on Desert Angels. Diana will contact South Lyon high school to see if the date and room are still available.
 
  1. Project Updates:
  1. Music on the Grand: Smaller turnout for the August 20, 2025 event. Perhaps cooler temps and vacations that were right before school started contributed to a low turnout.
 
  1. Upcoming Projects:
  1. Youth Entrepreneur Market:
    1. Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM): The last YEM Market for 2025 was held on September 13, 2025.  38 youths registered for the market and paid their registration fee.  11 of the 38 eventually cancelled.  A discussion was started about whether we should continue to have Civitan bucks. There has been some abuse using the Civitan bucks, however, most of the youths are excited about earning additional money using the bucks.  Dan is willing to create Civitan Bucks for the last youth market and we will revisit whether to continue for next year. Maureen agreed to produce certificates of participation and letters for everyone that participated in at least 1 YEM market.
    2. Generations in Business: The idea was to pair seniors from Abbey Park and YEM or other youths to create a product, develop a marketing plan and get together to make the product and sell the product at next years’ YEM or at other opportunities. This is a 2026 project and we will discuss further at a future meeting.
  2. Adopt-A-Highway: The next Adopt-A-Highway will be on September 20, 2025. Meet in the Biggby parking lot at 9:00 AM. Diana will take supplies to volunteers. The club always needs additional volunteers to help.
  3. Pumpkinfest: This event will be held on September 27-28, 2025. Like last year, we will have a “Wheel of Fortune” game. Prizes will include three sizes of stuffed animals, LED rings and candy. We have collected about 1,400 stuffed animals! Thanks to Cheryl for examining them, washing/sanitizing the animals and doing “surgery” where necessary. Thad has sent out a Sign-Up Genius for volunteers to sign up. Please open the email and sign up for one or more shifts. The tent will be set up on Saturday morning. Help is needed to set up the tent and the animals, game & prizes. This is the second biggest fundraiser after charity poker, so volunteers are needed. Breaking down the tent will occur on Sunday evening, so we need help for that as well.  Several of the tent pieces are heavy for some of our club members, so please try to come and help. The breakdown should only take about 30 minutes.
  4. Focus Hope: Our next Focus Hope will be held on October 18, 2025.  The event is hosted by the Plymouth-Canton Civitan Club; however they always extend an invitation to KVCC. Invite families and friends to participate. It is a busy couple of hours but a lot of fun at the same time. Generally our clubs enjoy a good Polish lunch afterwards. If you wish to carpool, meet in the Costco Parking lot at Middlebelt and I-96 at 8:30 AM. If you drive, plan on arriving by 9:00 sharp.
  5. Goodies on the Grand: This event will take place on October 18, 2025 from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM at Inspiration Park (in front of Methodist church on Grand River). Cheryl reviewed a trunk decoration and talked about volunteers showing up in like costumes.  The idea Cheryl proposed was that volunteers are dressed in M&M candy logo decorated t-shirts. Maureen looked at iron-on logos, however they were expensive for larger sizes and there were shipping fees involved (not through Amazon Prime). Cheryl found the clear laminate and Hal will draw the M&M logo to apply to T-Shirts.
  6. Charity Poker Dates:
    1. March 19-22, 2026 (Thursday/Friday days)
    2. June 25-28, 2026 (Thursday/Friday nights)
  7. Scarecrow Contest: KVCC will participate in the scarecrow contest this year.  Last year the club did an “Uncle Sam” costumed scarecrow. Cheryl ordered a Superman costume. She ordered a ready-made costume because finding everything we need in thrift stores would probably cost as much as the one she ordered, not to mention the time involved looking for items. Theresa has registered for this event.
  8. Member Health Update: Cheryl reported that Hal is home from the hospital.  His voice is very hoarse and breathing somewhat labored.  Cheryl also reported that Kris Krzyzanski had shoulder surgery and will face knee surgery in the future.  Vivian VanVliet is doing well and resting at home. Dan took some good-natured ribbing on an injury to his thumb.  He sliced a piece of his thumb off at home.  Not to make light of his injury, but he is doing good. Theresa continues to improve. She used a cane at PT for the first time and hopes to get rid of the cane in the near future.
  9. Meeting Agenda: At the next meeting agenda, the Christmas tree the club decorates for Abbey Park will be added.  The Christmas pot luck and the families that the club adopts will also be added to the agenda.
 
  1.  The next meeting will be a dinner meeting at Teresita Mexican Grill on September 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
    1. If we plan to have a meeting prior to the packing party, we will need to find another location. Our current location will be closed for a Veteran’s Day event.

 
Minutes taken at the September 11, 2025 Business Meeting and respectfully submitted by Maureen Posler on September 16, 2025.
]]><![CDATA[august 14th, 2025 meeting minutes]]>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:58:39 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/august-14th-2025-meeting-minutesPresent: Cheryl VanVliet, Hal Hultman, Vivian VanVliet, Elijah Canfield,  Thad Bogert, Diana Bolton Julie Pelletier, Dan Mercurio & Maureen Posler
Meeting called to order: 6:30 PM by Elijah Canfield
Additions & Corrections: Elijah added a bullet under “Open Discussion.  7(f): Goodies on the Grand was added.
Minutes: Minutes of last meeting were passed out. Hal made a motion to approve and Thad seconded the motion.  All agreed and minutes were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Diana reviewed the Treasurer’s report. Please see the Treasurer’s handout for account balances.  There was no activity in the MP account so the balance remained the same. Diana noted that Krazy Kops increased their fees once the maximum chip amount increased to $20K.  The Treasurer’s report was approved.
Correspondence: Maureen read a thank you letter from the South Lyon Water Guardians Organization expressing their thanks for KVC’s Sponsorship and donation for the 21st Annual South Lyon Creek Clean-up and Earth Day Event. 
MRR Committee:  Carol Sienko was not present. Elijah reported that he sent out emails to 73 families asking them to join us and make a difference. He invited them to come to a monthly meeting.  He did not receive any responses so far.  Cheryl suggested putting the email on the website.
Club Elections: The remaining officer’s position that was open was for Treasurer.  Dan Mercurio & his wife Bonnie have agreed to serve as Co-Treasurers.  Dan will officially be listed since only one officer can be named in each position.
Open Discussion:
  1. Civitan International: Elijah & Karissa attended the convention on August 6-9, 2025. He said that convention was good.  He especially liked hearing what other clubs were doing and meeting new people.  One idea that Elijah brought to the table was that since our account balances have remained fairly consistent for several month that perhaps we should transfer some of the money to a CD or high interest account.  This would mean another account and everyone holding a credit/debit card would have to sign the new account paperwork.  There would not be a lot of additional on-going work for the treasurer.  All present seemed in favor of getting more information from the bank and considering this. Not doing something like this is leaving significant interest on the table. Another idea was establishing auto pay for dues. This would eliminate the issue of the club paying dues to International for people who have quit the club
  2. Civitan Region & Fall Convention: This will be held on Sept. 19-21 in Lafayette, Indiana. Elijah is going sine he is now on the board in charge of Philanthropy.   Cheryl and Hal are also attending. 
  3. Group Home Good Gestures: No report on this.
  4. Generations in Business: The was an idea presented by Elijah and involves bringing together two of our community’s  greatest resources, the talented youth from YEM and interested, talented seniors from Abby Park or the Senior Center for an afternoon of collaboration, creativity and connection.  Both groups would spend a Sunday afternoon working side-by-side to design and create a unique product line for the 2026 Youth Entrepreneur Market.  Seniors will share their skills, stories and wisdom, while the students bring fresh ideas, energy and marketing savvy. Examples might include handcrafted jewelry, hand painted mugs or tote bags, or knitted/crocheted items. The proposed timeline would be identifying seniors and students in January and select the product type(s). In February & host a workshop for both groups.  During Spring/Summer, continue product production and refine branding. Then during the 2026 Market, launch the “Generations Collection” with a tag honoring the seniors that helped make each item. Everyone thought this was a great idea with more discussion at future meetings.
  5. Desert Angels Packing Event: Everyone present agreed that we do this again, however Hal suggested finding a bigger location and preferably one that would allow us to get in earlier to set up.  Diana was going to check with the high school about use of their gym and if a cost was involved and Thad was going to check with Bartlett Middle School regarding gym availability.
  6. Goodies on the Grand:  Elijah brought up whether the club wanted to participant this year.  Every one present thought we should. The date is Oct. 18 at Inspiration Park.
Project Updates:
  1. Music on the Grand: Last event for this year will be on August 20.  Several members who are our biggest volunteers are not available for this event.  We need club members to volunteer!  This simply means handling a bean bag type toss for kids and putting on temporary tattoo stickers.  If you have not volunteered much this year, or, even if you have volunteered, this is a good opportunity to help the club.  The location is Inspiration Park (in front of the New Hudson Methodist church at 56730 Grand River in New Hudson).  Volunteers are needed to be there at 5:30 to set up.  Concert runs from 6:00-8:00.  Bring a chair, wear your club t-shirt and name tag.  While you are volunteering, you get to hear some great music from a live band.
  2. Youth Entrepreneur Market: In July, 20 students attended and $63 in Civitan Cash was refunded (100% of vouchers were redeemed). In August, 29 students participated.  This was the biggest market to date!  The inflatable was a big hit. Next market is Sept. 13 and everyone present thought we should continue the vouchers. There was a lot of discussion because Pontiac Trail will be under construction next year. Some members suggested moving the market, however for return visitors; we lose the convenience of being in the same location year after year.  The Farmer’s Market will remain open so perhaps best option is to stay where we are.  A Southbound lane will be open.
  3. Adopt-a-Highway: Next clean-up will be on September 20.  Meet in the Biggby New Hudson parking lot at 9:00 am.
  4. Pumpkinfest: This event will be held on Sept. 27-28.  Volunteers will be needed to staff the tent.  The game is a simple- spin the wheel, like “Wheel of Fortune”, and pick a prize. Thad will send out a “Sign-Up Genius” to sign up for a shift.  Please sign up!
  5. Focus Hope: This event is spearheaded by the Plymouth Canton Civitan Club; however they always invite our club and need the help. Everyone has a great time followed by a great lunch and bakery visit in Hamtramck.
  6. Wellness: Cheryl gave an update on Theresa’s knee surgery and also mentioned that Kris Krzyzanski will be out of commission for 3 months.  He injured his knee and is waiting to see an orthopedic doctor.  He is also having surgery on his shoulder.
Motion to Adjourn made at 7:47 pm Vivian made a motion to adjourn and Diana seconded the motion.
 
Minutes taken at the August 14, 2025 Business Meeting and respectfully submitted by Maureen Posler on August 17, 2025.
​]]><![CDATA[july 10th 2025 meeting minutes]]>Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:02:17 GMThttps://www.kvcivitan.org/minutes/july-10th-2025-meeting-minutesPresent: Carol Sienko, Diana Bolton, Elijah Canfield, Hal Hultman, Cheryl VanVliet, Maureen Posler, and Theresa Furget.
Elijah called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM.
  1. Additions & Corrections: None.
  2. Approval of June 12th, 2025, Minutes: Hal made a motion and Diana seconded it to approve the June 12th minutes. Motion passed.
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Diana went over the general and MP accounts for July. Maureen made a motion, and Carol seconded it to approve the treasurer’s report. Motion passed.
    1. Finance & Budget Committee: No report.
  4. Correspondence: Elijah received the Navigator patch from Civitan International for the club’s donation to Civitans at the Helm for 2023-2024. Cheryl will sew it on the club’s banner.
  5. Member Recruitment & Retention (MRR) Committee Update: No report.
  6. Club Officer Elections for 2025-2026: Elijah will remain as president, Carol will be president-elect, and Theresa will remain as secretary. That just leaves the treasurer’s position open. Once elections are held (hopefully at the August 14th business meeting) Theresa will submit the club officer report to Civitan International (CI). Online training will start on September 1st, 2025, and all officers must take the training by November 30th, 2025. Officers will be contacted by CI to take the online training which is a power point presentation that takes about 30 minutes which can be paused as many times as needed. Usually, a short quiz is taken and the officer then becomes certified.
  7. Open Discussion:
    1. Theresa’s Upcoming Surgery: Theresa will be having left total knee replacement on August 11th and will be out of commission for all of August and most of September. She needs someone to take the August and September minutes for her. Maureen stated she would take the minutes. Theresa will continue to send out the minutes to members, do the club newsletter, make reservations for Teresita’s Mexican Grill, and anything else she can do from home. Once she is cleared to drive and is able, she will be back participating in club events.
    2. New Project-Carol & Cheryl: Carol has been in contact with two local group homes for senior women, The New Hudson Manor, and The Grace Rae Manor. This can be the third project that was discussed earlier at prior business meetings. The thought is that the club would send birthday and holiday cards to the women, along with flowers on their birthdays and a goody bag at Christmas time. New Haven has up to six occupants (currently they have four), and Grace Rae has up to seven occupants. Carol is in contact with both group homes and is able to get the names and birthdays of the women. Carol will recontact the homes to secure the names and birthdays of the women. Club will decide later whether to expand this project or just keep it as is.
  8. Project Updates:
    1. Charity Poker: The June event was extremely profitable and was busy. Sue Misener stepped in and was the recorder on the last day. Discussion was that four members are needed for every day of the event. This makes it go much smoother. Hal brought up that there needs to be more seed money . This will alleviate the need for members to go to various banks and restaurants looking for more singles, fives, and tens prior to the next day of the four-day event. 
    2. Youth Entrepreneur Market-June:
i.26 students/vendors participated. The weather was good; however, foot traffic was down.
  1. Upcoming Projects:
    1. Youth Entrepreneur Market (YEM)
i.2025 Dates: July 12th, August 9th (Oakland County will have an inflatable, rescheduled from May), and September 13th. Set up is 8:30-8:45 (set up tent). Make sure to wear your club tee shirt and name badge. The market will run from 10 AM-3 PM. Elijah brought up the fact that in 2026, Pontiac Trail Rd will be under construction from the railroad tracks to just south of 9 Mile Rd. and will basically be shut down. This will significantly impact on YEM for 2026. Discussion was where to relocate YEM during this time. The New Hudson Inn has space behind their parking lot and while they serve breakfast, this space is hidden. The New Hudson United Methodist Church/Inspiration Park was discussed as was the Tractor Supply store which has available area. Pastor John will be contacted.
ii.22 students/vendors are planned for July.
iii.$5 Voucher Program: Elijah reported that Bonnie & Dan came up with this fantastic idea to hand out vouchers worth $5 at Biggby (S. Lyon) Store and Lucas Restaurant to be turned in for Civitan Cash, that customers would spend at the market. The voucher is good for $5 in Civitan Cash. Customers turn in the voucher at the KVCC tent and receive the Civitan cash. At the end of the market the vendors turn them in at the KVCC tent and receive the cash. Elijah has a flyer to hand out to each vendor explains how this works. The vouchers are only good for July 12 and are just for the first 100 customers turning them in. Members looked over the vouchers and the little box that Dan built to put the vouchers in. Everyone liked the vouchers and the box to hold the vouchers. Hal even gave them his stamp of approval! There was discussion that when the vouchers are turned in, the customers will receive the Civitan Cash, a YEM magnet and a flyer about KVCC. There was discussion about how to proceed in the future, if this is to be continued and the printing of the vouchers so as to show all dates of the YEM and use a punch, or print individual vouchers for each market date. It cost Dan a total of $50 for the vouchers, Civitan Cash and the box with the vouchers costing $35. Diana made a motion and Cheryl seconded it, to spend $500 from the general account to cover the cost of materials, the amount of $50 to Dan Mercurio, and the rest of the money to be used for the reimbursement of Civitan Cash to the vendors. Motion passed.
  1. Music on the Grand-July 23rd & August 20th: This is held at Inspiration Park at the New Hudson United Methodist Church, located at 56730 Grand River, New Hudson 48165. The events run from 6-8 PM. Club tent set up will be at 5:30 PM. Cheryl has the games and tattoos to be applied via water (bring a squirt bottle). Theresa will use the club’s debit card to obtain the candy (non-chocolate) for prizes. July 23rd will feature The Killer Flamingos and the food truck will be Ark Burger Co. August 20th will feature Geff Philips & Friends and the food truck will be That Guy from Italy. As always, bring a chair, wear your club tee-shirt/name badge, and enjoy a great summer night!
  2. Adopt-A-Highway- Cleanup: September 20th at the Biggby New Hudson parking lot at 9 AM. Rain date is September 21st.
  3. Pumpkinfest September 27th-28th: Cheryl reported she has 1,200 stuffed animals!
  1. Next Dinner Meeting July 24th at Teresita’s Mexican Grill at 6:30 PM.
  2. Business Meeting August 14th at Lyon Twp. Library at 6:30 PM.
  3. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM.
Minutes taken by Theresa Furget on July 10th, 2025, and respectfully submitted on July 11th, 2025.
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