Builders develop gift for service

By the time the Builders Club of Heritage Middle School, Maryville, Tennessee, chartered in February, it already had completed one service project and had a second in the works.

“Our chartering ceremony was kind of a formality,” says Randy Allen of the Kiwanis Club of Maryville, which sponsors the Builders Club.

For its first service project, the club gathered toys this past holiday season to donate to the Chilhowee Baptist Association for children from local families in need.

“They created a competition between the fourth period classes to get as many toys as possible,” notes Bob Ergenbright, immediate past president of the Maryville Kiwanis club. “The Builders received more than 250 toys, took them to the collection point, and then were invited to help distribute the toys to the children.

“What a wonderful experience they had as they saw the results of their work.”

The club soon was busy raising funds to build benches for the school bus pickup area in front of the school.

The roots of the Builders Club actually were planted this past summer during a leadership camp conducted by its sponsoring Kiwanis club. In addition to presentations by government and business leaders, the camp featured team-building activities, including rock wall climbing, oversize ladder climbing, a high ropes course, and spelunking.

“The experience was as much about creating community spirit as it was school spirit,” Bob says. “Our club’s hope was that these kids would be the foundation for Builders Clubs at their schools.”