Clubhouse gets new sign: Girls allowed

Membership in Kiwanis now open to both genders

Timmins, Ontario, Daily Press
http://www.timminspress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1123066

A lot has changed since the Kiwanis Club of Timmins began in 1923. But until this year, one thing always stayed the same: There were no female members. Christal Luckett was invited to do a presentation for the club about the CNIB early intervention program for blind or low-vision children. As the CNIB’s early intervention specialist, she did her presentation and thought nothing of it. Members asked if she would be interested in joining. Timing couldn’t have been better for Luckett.

“I was looking for an organization to join but I didn’t want to volunteer for the same company I work for,” she said.

She joined shortly after, but Luckett recalls that she didn’t know she would be the first female member of the group. The day she gave her CNIB presentation fell on a day where Kiwanis members invited their wives out for Mother’s Day at Siva's Restaurant, where weekly meetings are held.

“I was a little surprised and a little bit excited to be the first female member,” she said.
Luckett dove into her new position as a member, helping out with bingo, the organization’s first Angler and Young Angler fishing tournament as well as attending weekly meetings on Tuesdays.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Luckett said. “You meet lots of new people and it’s nice to know you’re doing something for the community.”

President-elect Marc Mayer is ecstatic at the group’s newest recruit. He said that Luckett fits right in with the boys.

“She’s the first recruit of the new generation,” he said.

Other members are also happy to break the all-male mold of the club. Secretary Jim Chisholm explained that the group had been hoping to gain female and younger members for a while now.
“We’re out for younger members,” he said.

“We were all gung-ho for it to happen.”

Now that Luckett is part of the group, she's urging more females to come join her.
“It’d be nice to have women support,” she said. “We need fresh new ideas for fundraising like a fashion show.”

During Tuesday’s club meeting, Luckett’s sister Nitachia came to sit in and see what her sister had been raving about. Nitachia is interested in joining the group because her sister became involved. She’ll have to wait until she turns 18 in November to officially join but Nitachia is excited at the idea that she would be the youngest member to join.

“Being the youngest, I could be able to bring something different (to the group),” Nitachia said.
The next project Luckett and fellow members will be working on is a steak dinner at Siva’s on August 5 with proceeds going toward the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation. Tickets can be purchased from Kiwanis or Timmins Rotary members or at Siva’s Restaurant. Tickets are $20 and there will be two sittings, one at 5 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m.