Lyons resident Linda Keller, Lt. Governor for Division 8 of the Kansas Kiwanis Clubs, visited the Great Bend Noon Kiwanis chapter Wednesday at Walnut Bowl to install officers for 2020-2021. Because this is the start of the organization’s fiscal year, Keller traveled to Pratt that morning to install officers at that club as well.

Officers installed in Great Bend are: President Frankie Pelster, immediate past president Kate Wary, president-elect Will Rains, treasurer Jay Luerman, secretary Barb Esfeld and directors. The directors for 2019-2021 are Rob Bauer, Barry Bowers, Leroy Weathers and Paul Snapp. Directors for 2021-2023 are Dr. Perry Smith, Dave Holste, Dr. Jonathon Pike and Mark Bartezko.

The club meets from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays in the meeting room at Walnut Bowl, for lunch and a program (the last guest speaker was Sara Hayden, president of Great Bend Economic Development). The defining statement for the club is, “Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers, dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.”

Upcoming events include the Halloween parade, which has been changed this year to the Drive-Through Boo, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Brit Spaugh Park (starting at 19th and Morton and entering the park off Morton Street). Board member Barry Bowers said they are planning on about 500 children to come through, stopping at stations scattered along the route to distribute candy. Any group or individual interested in sponsoring a station or volunteering may contact project leader Amanda Urban at aurban@sunflowerdiv.com.