Built differently

Prior to its opening on January 27, 2006, the Kiwanis Club of Kingston, Pennsylvania, scrapped typical club blueprints and drew up plans that complement its community’s demographic landscape. The TimesLeader, a northern Pennsylvania newspaper, picked up a story about the Kiwanians’ first-year anniversary and noted some of the club builders’ architectural adjustments.

“We’re trying to be a little different,” president Donna Gizenski told the newspaper.

Here’s how:

1. New twists on fundraising, such as upscale art shows, rather than spaghetti dinner fundraisers.

2. Twice-a-month meetings, not weekly.

3. One meeting during the lunch hour and the next at dinnertime (to accommodate busy schedules).

4. No residency requirements; merely have “ties” to the Kingston community (workplace, birthplace, you make the connection).

5. Reliable participation, not perfect presence. “We don’t expect you to give up precious work hours or family hours,” president-elect Ken Lexie told the TimesLeader. “Just a little bit of help will go a long way.”