Janesville Blackhawk Golden Kiwanis

Blackhawk Golden ‘K’ General Meeting
Minutes
July 15^th, 2026

President Richard Johnson presided, and called the meeting to order with a ring of the bell at 9:30AM.

Richard Johnson led with the singing of America, the National Anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation: Bob Knudson, mentioning staying hydrated during this good weather, and the children.

Raffle: Dale and Doris Henning oversaw the ticket sales and drawing this week.
The weekly pot was $15 and the big (Joker) pot was $219.
Lariena drew a ticket from the bucket, ticket number 322.  Congratulations to the winner, Luci Cramer.
The deck of cards has 38/53 cards remaining.  Luci Cramer drew the 8♠.

Richard Johnson thanks greeters Don Anderson and Dick Fay, invocator Bob Knudson, rafflemasters Dale and Doris Henning, and server Bob Knudson.

Happy Box: Luci Cramer announced she is happy because she won the raffle (and last week then had to leave) and would like to donate both winnings to the Children’s Museum!

Jokes: Joker Steve Skelly had a good joke about a young boy who wants to make a trade, “Dad, I am going to the museum tonight, would you do my homework for me?”  The father replied, “I would, but it wouldn’t be right.”

Other Announcements: Luci Cramer spoke upon the SSM Healthcare system is seeking volunteers for many areas.
Linda Bontly spoke upon the Meals on Wheels letter sent out recently, reminding volunteers they should qualify for continuing to drive.

Committee Reports: Ray Szczepaniak announced “the Mid-year Appeal continues!”  A raffle was held for those that returned their surveys, and Linda Bontly won flowers.

Greg Turco announced a ‘Thank you’ letter arrived from the Girl Scouts.  Greg read it.
John Janes announced the air show, Pistons and Props, is seeking volunteers.  They will provide passes for extra days.  Additionally, a photo of the Truck on Ice float was displayed.

Luci Cramer introduced the day’s speaker, Kent Anderson.  Kent Anderson, originally from Wisconsin Rapids, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse before completing his MBA at the University of Phoenix.  He spent eight years as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area, where he co-led a successful $28.5 million capital campaign to develop a state-of-the-art facility shared by the Boys & Girls Club and YMCA.  Kent coaches his son and daughter in various sports, and serves as both a board member and coach for the Milton Monsters Youth Wrestling Club.  In May 2025, Kent was hired as the inaugural Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Rock County, where he has spent the past year building the foundation for the museum’s operations and future growth.

Searching for a location, it was eventually decided the current property would be a good fit.  Forward Janesville, its owner, challenged the parties involved to find a great part of the money necessary to start purchase and construction.

With the assistance of John Westphal, the group raised 14.5 million dollars, and Forward Janesville contributed another $2 million.

Ground broke in June, 2025.  Construction will be completed next month, and the facility is expected to open in November.

Most non-profit organizations of the type expect to earn 60/40 Earned vs. Contributed revenue.  With Children’s Museum of Rock County’s plan, they hope to achieve 70/30, standing with some of the best in the country.

Kent relayed an interesting fact, “Wisconsin has the most children’s museums in the country.”
Kent began to speak upon the facility’s floor plans, including an area left of the museum that will be the ‘outdoor plaza play area.’

Part of the first floor area’s design is the Rock River Water Table, and contains a wooly mammoth in an iceberg.

Kiwanis member Ray Szczepaniak asked, “What is the flooring around the water area?”  Kent replied, “It is an epoxy floor, with grit in it.”

The old vault is termed, “The Safe,” which is an area for overstimulated children to be in a sensory limited area.

Fishing poles with magnets are available to catch magnetic fish in two different areas.
A wall exists for which children will create tiles, that will be permanent.

The second floor includes two, 2-hour birthday rooms for rental, with options for extras, including decorations and gift bags.

The organization is proud to say there are very few screens in the entire facility.
One area is about grain processing.  Kids collect two agricultural products (balls), and put them into a grain processor (ala Plinko).

The ‘Meet the Farmers’ area’s turf is made of soybeans, and features Milton the dog.
Kiwanian Jim Farrell inquired, “What is the cost of admission?”  Kent responded, “$13 per day.  A $185 family rate for up to four children exists, for unlimited visits.  Military and grandparents’ member discounts are options.”

The targeted age is 0-8, maybe up to 10-11 years old.
Jim Farrell asked, “I noticed the venue has a liquor license?”  Kent answered, “Yes.  It is strictly for adults-only fundraising events, to keep some of the revenue.”

Kiwanis member John Janes inquired, “How many people are anticipated daily, and what is the capacity?”  Kent, “The capacity is estimated at 400.  Daily attendance should hover around 250 kids with adults.”
There are STEM and other topics-based summer “camps” planned.

Ray Szczepaniak asked, “What type of safety is planned around kids with behavioral problems?”  Kent replied, “The staff have received training.  On a related note, museums around the country practice ‘Sensory Limited Night’ events.”

John Janes inquired, “What is the parking situation?”  Kent answered, “There are 18 dedicated spaces, and a number more non-dedicated.  People will be working with the city to improve things.”
The Children’s Museum of Rock County plans to see 85,000-105,000 visitors yearly.
Kiwanis member Luci Cramer asked, “Can Kiwanis receive a tour?”  Kent replied, “Yes.  The Janesville Morning Rotary were there last week.  If you delay until mid to late August, no hard hats and personal protective equipment will be required.”
Kiwanian Steve Skelly offered, “Maybe we can hold a meeting there.”  Kent responded, “Yes.  Another group is already scheduled.”
Kent’s presentation was well received and appreciated.

Luci Cramer thanked Kent Anderson for speaking and presented him with a Kiwanis Parker pen.

Richard Johnson adjourned the meeting with a ring of the bell at 10:50AM.

On this day:
1606 Dutch painter and printmaker Rembrandt, born today.  One of the greatest storytellers in the history of art, known for his exceptional ability to render people in their various moods and dramatic guises
1799 The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign
1830 Indian tribes Sioux, Sauk, and Fox sign the Fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien, giving the US most of Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri
1876 Baseball’s first official no-hitter: George Bradley of the St Louis Brown Stockings no-hits the Hartford Dark Blues, 2-0
1888 Bandai volcano in Japan erupts for the first time in 1,000 years
1898 Italian biologist and pathologist Camillo Golgi discovers the Golgi apparatus, a network of membranes inside cells that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids
1904 First Buddhist temple in US forms in Los Angeles, California
1916 The Pacific Aero Products Company, later renamed the Boeing Company, is founded by William Boeing in Seattle, Washington
1922 First duck-billed platypus publicly exhibited in the US at Bronx Zoological Park in New York City
1933 Wiley Post begins the first solo flight around the world, completing the journey in 7 days and 19 hours
1940 Physicist Donald Kerst is the first person to accelerate electrons using electromagnetic induction, reaching energies of 2.3 MeV, when his betatron device for particle acceleration becomes operational in Urbana, Illinois
1941 Howard Florey and Norman Heatley present freeze-dried mold cultures of penicillin
1948 Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Britain
1952 First transatlantic helicopter flight begins
1954 First commercial jet transport plane built in US tested (Boeing 707)
1959 The US steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history
1965 Mariner 4 sends back the first pictures of Mars
1968 Commercial air travel between US and USSR begins
1975 Soyuz 19 and Apollo launch and rendezvous two days later
1978 British Open Men’s Golf at St Andrews: Jack Nicklaus completes his third career Grand Slam, winning by 2 strokes over Ben Crenshaw and Ray Floyd
1982 Columbia flies to Kennedy Space Center via Dyess AFB, Texas
1983 Film version of “The Pirates of Penzance,” starring Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, and Angela Lansbury, premieres in the US
1988 “Die Hard,” directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, is released in the US
1991 World’s first off-shore wind farm begins generating electricity off the coast of Vindeby, Denmark
National Give Something Away Day was created by Linda Eaton Hall-Fulcher “to encourage generosity in a number of forms.” It’s a day when everyone is to give something to someone else—to someone they love, to a family member or friend, and even to people they don’t know. Possessions or financial gifts can be given, but actions can be done for others as well. Time, skills, and services can all be given away today. Words of empathy and encouragement can be given to those who are in need, and those who are sick can be visited. With everything that is done today, not only will the receiver benefit, but so will the giver and the community as a whole.
National Hot Dog Day was started by the North American Meat Institute in 1991 and began being promoted and organized by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council after they were created by the institute in 1994. The day coincides with the Annual Hot Dog Lunch at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., which is also sponsored by the North American Meat Institute. The lunch, which has taken place for decades, is a large hot dog picnic attended by lawmakers, administration officials, and Capitol Hill staff. The goal of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council is for similar smaller events to be held around the country. Many national and local retailers have sponsored deals on the day. This holiday also takes place during National Hot Dog Month, which started in the 1950s.
Hot dogs gained in popularity in the United States in the early twentieth century, and are similar to frankfurters and wieners, which take their names from Frankfurt, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. In the United States, hot dogs were traditionally sold at hot dog stands and carts and were prominent in New York City, as well as Chicago. They have become a prominent part of American culture, and have been closely associated with baseball. Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile have also become cultural icons.

Minutes by Ryan Lewis.
Credit: Dave Figi, and Ryan Lewis, photographs.

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