Editor’s note: This piece was submitted by the Hooksett Cawley School Builder’s Club members.
When some think about community service, an image of an adult usually comes to mind. Many believe that today’s children are focused more on sports, video games, hanging out at the mall and similar activities. A growing segment of Hooksett’s children, however, are focused on performing community service in school and community. A shining example of this is the Kiwanis Builders Club at Cawley Middle School.
When a few members of Kiwanis approached former Principal Ron Pedro a few years ago at Hooksett Memorial School, he had his reservations about forming such an organization. After moving to the new Cawley Middle School, however, he agreed to give it a try.
Organized just three years ago, the Builders Club has grown from fewer than 50 members to 129 this year. It is now the largest Builders Club in New England. Pedro, who is now the principal at Auburn Village School, said the Builders Club had become the most active club at Cawley. Principal Stephen Harrises and Assistant Principal Matthew Benson echoed Pedro’s excitement about the club.
The organization even has its own Web site: http://carla gallivan.googlepages.com/buildersclub0809.
One of the Builder’s Club’s largest annual fundraisers is making pizzas from scratch and selling these to Hooksett families. This year, the club made and sold 176 pizzas.
Over the past three years, the club has performed a large number of community service projects, representing hundreds of hours of service. Some recent ones include:
• Caroling and hosting bingos for seniors.
• Recycling at Cawley Middle School.
• Raising over $1,000 every year for the Hooksett Emergency Relief Committee (HERC).
• Collecting money for UNICEF.
• Hosting “Hoops and Jumps for Heart,” a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.
• Producing a video to bring attention to genocide in Darfur.
• Hosting a welcoming dance and sports event for incoming sixth-graders.
• Assisting Kiwanis, the PTA, Salvation Army and the Hooksett Garden Club with their projects. The Builders Club is a student- run organization, somewhat modeled after Kiwanis, the parent organization. Hooksett Kiwanis provides both financial and human resources to support the club.
The main objective is for Builders Club members to learn leadership skills while performing community service. The club has a board of directors consisting of club officers and class directors.
Brenda Basinow serves as president, Meaghan McGilvray vice president, Delaney Roche treasurer, Jessica Wight secretary and Lauren Nickerson webmaster.
Class directors are Maggie McGovern (eighth grade) and Emily Duchesne (seventh grade). All officers and directors are elected by their fellow members. After each candidate gives a nominating speech, the members vote by secret ballot. Teachers Carla Gallivan and Kellie Martino are advisers, coaching and guiding the organization.
Gallivan and Martino said, “It has been impressive to watch the students grow from timid sixth-graders willing to help, into self-directed leaders by the time they leave eighth grade. The club has given the students the opportunity to discover that community service is and can be a rewarding part of their life.”