Guest speaker for the February 15th Kiwanis club meeting was Dr. Bill Gaddis speaking about the Past District Officers Organization of the Kiwanis club. He used inspiration from “A Pinch of Salt” a cookbook from the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District of Kiwanis International. This cookbook was sponsored by the Past District Officers in 1997 and the proceeds were given to the World Wide Service project going on at the time-the elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. This preventable disease caused mental retardation, speech and hearing defects, stunted physical growth and delayed motor development and goiters. A lack of iodine in the diet reduces the IQ of whole populations by 15% or more. The other World Wide Service project that just completed was ELIMATE which is the elimination of maternal neonatal tetanus in third world countries. It has concluded in all but about 5 nations that are to dangerous to go into.
In January of 1920 five Kiwanis clubs in Louisiana and Mississippi met and formed the Louisiana-Mississippi District of Kiwanis International. Those clubs were New Orleans; Jackson, MS; Baton Rouge; Alexandria and Lake Charles. When Memphis was added in 1938 it became the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District. This is the Winnfield Kiwanis club’s district. Our District Secretary is Charlie Ford who began as secretary in 1976 and will retire soon. That office is responsible for everything that happens in the district. Our state region is the North Louisiana region.
The six objects of Kiwanis are to Give, to Encourage, to Promise, to Develop, to Provide, and to Cooperate.
The 3 Past District Officers in the Winnfield club are Dr. Bill Gaddis, Mickey Parker, and Rita James.
