Courier March 30, 2020

Since we are all not meeting for events and trying to move past the COVID-19, it seemed like an opportune time to remind everyone how The Conroe Noon Kiwanis Club got started in Conroe.

The Conroe Noon Kiwanis Club has been serving children and youth in the Greater Conroe area since 1952. Kiwanis International is dedicated to helping children around the world through 150,000 projects that all start in our own community. Volunteers create opportunities for children to be safe, curious, and healthy regardless of the community in which they live. Kiwanis Club members believe that if you give a child the chance to learn through experiences and dreaming-they will succeed and thrive with great things happening.

The Conroe Noon Kiwanis was created by charter members Truman S. Kimbro, Robert Dean, J Robert Liles, William T. Hooper, Ernest Massey, Charlie Quinn, and Raymond T. Weisinger on April 22, 1952. Judge Will Browder asked the members to consider establishing a child care facility to assist with temporary housing for abandoned children awarded to the court. William Moran donated a 25-acre tract to be used for the facility which eventually became the Buckner Child Care in 1980 and later turned over to Montgomery County Youth Services. June 11, 1954 the facility became a non-profit under the Directors of Gerald J Creighton, Jr, Dick Nuttor, S.C. Robertson, Al Ware, Ernest Coker, Jr., Milton B. McKee, Art Curley, Phil Barziza, and Arlie Brannon. Over 1000 children were served by this facility when it operated under the guidance of the Noon Kiwanis Club.

Current Board Members include Javier Pena, Steve Reeves, Dennis Umlang, Carolyn Price, Jim Matthews, Mike Cantu, Jerry Abbott, and Mike Riggens. Club activities include youth academic scholarships, City of Conroe park Clean Up Days, Kids Day at the Park, Holiday Gifts for Needy Youth and a commitment to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide. Conroe Noon Kiwanis sponsors the Key Club at Caney Creek High School and is looking for additional high schools to get involved in Key Club.

Reminder: High school seniors are encouraged to submit applications for the Conroe Noon Kiwanis Club Scholarship program. Application is available on our website: www. conroekiwanis.com/scholarships/ and must be printed off and mailed with recommendations from counselors by April 20 to be eligible for a $1000 scholarship.

Our organization is devoted to the children and youth of the Greater Conroe community. With all of us working together we will again be Conroe Strong! Conroe Noon Kiwanis is committed to serving children with enrichment activities designed for learning, growing, dreaming, and succeeding.

We hope to get back to our regular weekly meetings April 8, but we will keep you posted. Follow our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ConroeNoonKiwanis for updates. Guests are always welcome!  If you are interested in making a difference in your community, visit our website at www.ConroeKiwanis.com.