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Community service a focus at Cawley

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:11:00 GMT

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.”

Volunteering thrives as needs grow

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:59:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Although some volunteer organizations are down in numbers, many have experienced a significant increase in support during difficult economic times.

The growth of volunteerism can be seen, especially in Hooksett, where the Kiwanis Club is currently the fastest-growing group in New England.

“By the stroke of luck, we were born into good homes and good communities,” said Kiwanis President Fred Bishop. “That gives us an obligation to share that with the people around the world and in our country. That is what gives me the motivation.”

Currently the club has 67 members, and the club has expanded to the youth of the community, forming the Builders Club, a group that gives Cawley Middle School students the chance to get involved in volunteering.

“I think it’s very personally rewarding because you get a great feeling knowing you’ve helped establish young people serving the community,” said Bishop. “To see the interest, you assume kids are more interested in sports, texting on cell phones and playing video games – then you see these kids really involved.”

A similar group has been formed in Goffstown, where the Goffstown VolunTEENS can be found at the high school twice a month, advertising to the students about 13 organizations they can volunteer for.

Many of the students volunteer at the Goffstown Network food pantry. Although many households are struggling with the current economic climate, donations have actually increased according to David Greiner, a volunteer with the organization.

“I see stories all the time about the plight of food pantries,” said Greiner. “I find the opposite. The demand is definitely way up, but we’re doing well on the supply side because people hear the bad news and react. They see that they need to help. We’ve seen the support really pick up in the last 12 months or so.”

The Goffstown Network is open Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, and Greiner said that if not for the volunteers, they would be unable to keep up with the heavy traffic.

Pelham’s Good Neighbors Fund has raised money for families in need since 1969, and Frank Sullivan, who has been with the group for 35 years, agreed with Greiner.

“People seem to donate more during tough economic times,” said Sullivan. “As a result of that, we’re able to help a lot more people in return with household expenses and other things.”

David Gilbert, a member of the Bedford Men’s Club said the group’s membership has been growing, and is up about 25 percent.

“I think we have some new people in town, and new people want to get out in the community and make a difference,” said Gilbert. “In our town, we’re no different than any other town. There are people in Bedford who need help, kids who need help, causes that need help. It’s still there, no matter where you go.”

Gilbert said he got involved with the club because of the effect he could have on the Bedford communities, particularly youth.

“I think it’s that I get to make a difference, and not just sit around and watch TV or whatever people do,” said Gilbert.

“We focus on kids in town, and the needs of the kids. It’s nice to do that because anything the kids need or want, they should have. If they see this volunteerism as a kid, maybe they’ll grow up to give back also.”

For the Bedford Lions Club,

Ernest Henrichon said now is the time to give to the community. “Obviously there are more people in need right now,” said Henrichon. “There are very definite needs for people that are less fortunate, and those of us who are more fortunate should step up and help them out.”

One group having a particularly difficult time finding and holding onto volunteers is the Hopkinton Fire Department, which relies on its volunteers to respond to emergencies.

Fire Chief Rick Schaefer’s policy is to have every volunteer become a certified firefighter, which requires a time commitment. Schaefer has been with the department for 30 years and said that there is a rule that will not allow there to be more than 50 members of the department. “I had to be put on a waiting list and waited a year before I could take someone’s spot,” said Schaefer. “We currently have 30 people, and it’s just gone down, down, down.”

Recently Schaefer went to a conference on volunteerism, and the speaker at the event said that in general, people do not volunteer as much as they used to.

“I would love to see two or three new faces every year. It isn’t for everyone,” said Schaefer. “You rely more on mutual aid. If we had an incident years ago we wouldn’t, but now we bump it up and are more apt to call them. You do what you can with what you’re given.”

Those who do volunteer have a positive experience, and Pelham’s Sullivan said he is surprised with the thanks he gets, and not always from the community members receiving assistance from volunteers.

“A lot of the people who donate to us send us thank you cards to tell us how great of an organization we are,” said Sullivan. “They are giving us donations, but they’re thanking us. It’s a tremendous feeling.”

Eagle Scout project will mark Hooksett trail

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:21:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

Since Ken Scott was a young Cub Scout, he has always loved being outdoors.

Camping, hiking – he couldn’t get enough.

“I just love camping,” said Scott, 16, now a junior at Central High School in Manchester.

That’s why, when it came time to choose a Hooksett-based community service project to achieve his Eagle Scout distinction, Scott didn’t have much trouble deciding where to go.

He answered a call for help from the Hooksett Kiwanis Club to provide much-needed signs along the town’s one-mile nature trail, accessed by the gravel pathway across from Green’s Marina on Route 3 and extending along Brown’s Brook out to Head’s Pond.

“They mentioned how they wanted someone to help put up some signs,” Scott said. “I’ve expanded that to include the kiosk and some benches.”

His project scope includes installing four hand-made wooden benches along the trail, labeling various trees with identification markers and building a kiosk at the trailhead, which will be used to post pertinent recreational information.

The cost of the project is about $1,700 – no small feat for a full-time high school student. But Scott is hopeful that, with a matching donation the Kiwanis Club pledged, he will be able to raise enough money to build and install the kiosk, benches and signs by next spring.

Frank Kotowski, head of the Kiwanis Trails Initiative, said he is thrilled Scott is taking the project into his own hands.

“We think it’s wonderful. We try to do whatever we can to encourage young people to better themselves through civic-minded efforts,” Kotowski said. “We’re elated to work with people that think like we do, and we’re eager to help him if we can.”

Jeff Scott, Ken’s father and troop Scoutmaster, is encouraged by his son’s progress.

“Overall, the Scouting program builds character,” Jeff Scott said. “It encourages them to get outside and exercise and have fun. It builds good citizens.” It also looks great on college applications, he said with a smile.

“We’re very glad he’s decided to get this project done before he starts applying,” he said. If you want to make a donation to the project, Ken Scott can be contacted by e-mail at zoogenny@comcast.net.

Historical Society looks for new members

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:26:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

David and Tina Paquette, who have served as Hooksett Historical Society officers for the past 10 years, will not hold a position with the group for the upcoming calendar year.

Tina Paquette, current president of the society, explained to the membership – both new and old – that she and her husband, the treasurer of the club, had not convened meetings during the past year because family health issues prevented them from focusing their energy elsewhere.

David Paquette was nominated by his wife to serve as the 2009 treasurer for the society, but he declined the offer, stating it was time to have new volunteers take the reins. “When you have volunteers, use them,” Paquette said. “That’s what we need: fresh blood. I don’t want to see the Historical Society go down, and one person can only volunteer so much.”

The Paquettes’ management of the Historical Society’s membership has come under scrutiny by Hooksett Town Council members since David Paquette gave a brief presentation at a meeting more than two weeks ago. He explained to the Town Council that although the Historical Society had not held meetings in the past 12 months, he and his wife had made discretionary purchases for the society, totaling $482.

Among items bought were a $150 digital video camera and nearly $300 worth of picture frames from Kohl’s. The money came out of the Historical Society’s annual budget of $2,090. Kathie Northrup, a Historical Society member, said she believes the club is on the right track and that the long hiatus was the real cause for concern among Town Council members and the public.

“It’s hard to stimulate interest when they aren’t holding meetings, when they called a hiatus,” Northrup said. She added that she thought that the Paquettes have contributed much toward the growth of the society in past years and she does not want the recent criticism to overshadow their hard work.

“I don’t want the work they have done to go unrecognized,” she said.

George Longfellow, a Hooksett Town Council member, attended the Historical Society meeting Thursday night and said he feels the group is now moving in the right direction. “We’re trying to get it alive again,” Longfellow said.