Blackhawk Golden ‘K’ General Meeting
Minutes
June 3rd, 2026
President Elect Tom Neumann presided, and called the meeting to order with a ring of the bell at 9:30AM.
An Executive Board meeting occurred today.
Tom Neumann led with the singing of America, the National Anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Invocation: Carl Cramer, mentioning the children.
Raffle: Linda Bontly oversaw the ticket sales and drawing this week.
The weekly pot was $15 and the big (Joker) pot was $127.
Linda’s granddaughter Hanako drew a ticket from the bucket, ticket number 312. Congratulations to the winner, Ryan Lewis. The deck of cards has 44/53 cards remaining. Ryan Lewis drew the 2♣.
Tom Neumann thanks greeters April Wright and John Janes, invocator Carl Cramer, rafflemaster Linda Bontly, and server Glenn Disrude.
A collection was passed for ECHO.
Happy Box: Ryan Lewis announced he is happy because he won the raffle, and is donating the proceeds to Blackhawk Golden K!
Dale Henning announced he is happy because the Hennings are celebrating their 69th wedding anniversary.
Carl Cramer announced that Doris Henning is being inducted as a new member today!
Jokes: Joker Roger Willeford had three good jokes, including a story about a friend who would always tell Roger, “It could be worse. You could be underground in a ditch full of water!” Roger knew he meant well.
Joker Mel Lemirande had a good joke about what to call a cow without its calf? Decaffeinated.
Member Health: Linda Bontly and Ray Szczepaniak had a status update on Ron Shuler, who has a duplex, and will return.
Linda Bontly and Maury Frey had a status update on Jerry Langdok, who has a new knee. Two weeks of recovery down, two to go.
Ray Cummings had a status update on Dan Heerey, who is in Milwaukee at the Woods, undergoing therapy.
Other Announcements: Tom Neumann spoke upon the Farmer’s Market booth, the first of which is a week from Saturday.
Tom Neumann spoke upon the opportunities presented by having meetings at Oak Park, Cedar Crest and/or Huntington.
Luci Cramer spoke upon the club trip to Camp Wawbeek. Twelve or more members will go to tour at 1PM on June 25th.
Committee Reports: John Janes announced upcoming Blood Drives. Fliers are on the tables.
John Janes announced new banners! One is for the parade, others are for events including Farmer’s Market booths.
April Wright introduced the day’s speaker, Nicole Courtney. Nicole is a fitness coach at the Janesville Athletic Club. She presented upon the many offerings of the club.
The Janesville Athletic Club is open 24 hours a day. It is staffed 5-10 Monday to Thursday, 5-9 Friday and 7-7 Saturday and Sunday.
Nicole had a contest for a free membership. Kiwanis member John Janes won!
A Kiwanis member asked, what are the membership fees? Nicole replied, “A one year membership is $49.99 monthly, or a two year is $44.99 monthly.
Silver Sneakers is a senior friendly workout regiment, which is often covered by insurance or Medicare.
Nicole asked, “Can you think of five reasons why not to come?” (the audience laughed) “Which?”
Kiwanian Mel Lemirande offered, “Other commitments, outdoor things. Gardening is good, which is complicated by problems such as bending over to weed.”
Kiwanis member John Janes stated, “Fifty pushups every morning are good exercise.” Nicole agreed, “You lose a pound or more of muscle mass every year after twenty-five.”
Nicole asked, “Why go?”
Kiwanian Greg Turco said, “Feeling invigorated, healthy.”
John Janes, “Improving my golf game.” Nicole replied, “Yes! We have a six week ‘golf academy’ in the Spring. Other academies are offered.”
Nicole questioned the group, “What are your favorite activities involving moving?”
Greg Turco responded, “Swimming.” Nicole, “We offer structured and free swims.”
John Janes replied, “Wood cutting. Golfing.” Nicole praised the ideas as great outdoor activities.
Later, Mel Lemirande questioned, “Who owns the Janesville Athletic Club?” Nicole, “Mark Groshan.”
Kiwanis member Tom Neumann asked, “How many people are employed at the Janesville Athletic Club?” Nicole replied, “That is a great question. Likely around fifty.”
Kiwanian Jenny Turco asked, “[Does the JAC have] a running track?” Nicole responded, “Yes.”
John Janes provided, “They are always warm and welcoming, and available.” Nicole said, “Yes, members and staff are, ‘every age, every fitness level.’”
The presentation was well received and appreciated.
April Wright thanked Nicole Courtney for speaking and presented her with a Kiwanis Parker pen.
Tom Neumann reminded members that in two weeks, June 17th is officers elections day. Directors and a Vice President are available.
Tom Neumann adjourned the meeting with a ring of the bell at 10:50AM.
On this day:
1539 Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain
1540 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto is the first European to cross the Appalachian Mountains
1620 Construction of the oldest stone church in French North America, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, begins in Quebec City, New France
1621 Dutch West India Company receives charter for the West Indies (the Americas, Caribbean and West Africa)
1781 Jack Jouett rides to warn Thomas Jefferson of British attack
1784 US army officially established by Congress of the Confederation
1789 Explorer Alexander Mackenzie sets out on his first expedition to the Pacific from Fort Chipewyan (finds the Arctic Ocean instead)
1851 First baseball uniforms are worn as the NY Knickerbockers don straw hats, white shirts, and blue long trousers
1871 Jesse James & his gang robs Obocock Bank (Corydon Iowa), of $15,000
1874 The American Museum of Natural History holds groundbreaking ceremony for its own building in Manhattan Square, at 77th Street, across from Central Park, in New York City
1888 Baseball poem “Casey at the Bat” is first published by the San Francisco Examiner
1904 American physician and surgeon Charles Richard Drew, a pioneer in the preservation of blood plasma and a lifelong critic of official decisions to separate the blood of whites and Blacks in blood banks, was born in Washington, D.C.
1916 US National Defense Act establishes Reserve Officers Training Corps
1924 Gila Wilderness Area established by US Forest Service
1925 Goodyear’s first advertising airship, later named Pilgrim, takes flight over Akron, Ohio; it is the first to fly using helium and the first to have an enclosed cabin
1932 First baseman Lou Gehrig becomes the first player to hit four consecutive home runs in an MLB game as the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 20-13, at Shibe Park
1939 “Beer Barrel Polka” by Will Glahe hits #1 on the pop singles chart
1948 200″ (5.08 m) Hale telescope dedicated at Palomar Observatory
1949 Dragnet is 1st broadcast on radio (KFI in Los Angeles)
1949 Georgia Neese Clark Gray becomes the 1st female Treasurer of the United States
1950 French expedition reaches top of Himalayan peak of Annapurna in Nepal
1959 1st US Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado Springs, Colorado
1959 US President Eisenhower routes Canadian Prime Minister Diefenbaker a message off the Moon
1961 US President John F. Kennedy meets Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna
1965 Gemini 4 launches; second US two-man flight (McDivitt and White); mission includes first US spacewalk
1965 NASA astronaut Ed White makes the first US spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission, lasting 23 minutes
1966 Gemini 9 launched; 7th US 2-man flight (Stafford & Cernan)
1967 Aretha Franklin’s cover of the Otis Redding song “Respect” reaches #1
1969 Last episode of Star Trek airs on NBC (Turnabout Intruder)
1976 Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” goes Gold
1977 Island Records releases “Exodus”, the ninth studio album by Bob Marley & the Wailers; featuring the hits, ‘Jamming’, ‘Waiting In Vain’, ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘One Love’, it is named the best album of the century by Time Magazine in 1999
1979 33rd Tony Awards: “The Elephant Man” (play) and “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (musical) win
1980 Crew of Soyuz 36, Valery Kubasov and Bertalan Farkas return to Earth aboard Soyuz 35
1984 38th Tony Awards: “The Real Thing” (play) & “La Cage aux Folles” (musical) win
1988 “Big,” a film directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, premieres in the US
1992 World’s largest environmental summit opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 3rd is Impersonate Authority Day
June 3rd is World Cider Day. Stöffche, Most, Cider, Sidra – the tangy apple drink has many different names. No matter where it is consumed: Apple cider boosts the mood and always conveys a unique sense of home. The World Cider Day on June 3rd wants to bring apple cider lovers from all over the world together. Enjoy and celebrate the wide variety of cider! A very special drink obviously deserves a very special day.
Minutes by Ryan Lewis.
Credit: Dave Figi, and Ryan Lewis, photographs.
Note: Kiwanis and its members are not responsible for errors or omissions. We are open to discussion if you would like to request an alteration. This content may only be reproduced without alteration and with credit to the original author(s).
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