Dream + Realize

December 2018

In the blink of an eye, the last few days of 2018 are upon us and 2019 beckons on our doorsteps. What did we accomplish in 2018? What will 2019 bring us? What New Year’s resolutions will we make?

These questions fill my thoughts as I write this final article for 2018. As I ponder my prose, I was reminded of Uncle Clay and his HOPA (House of Pure Aloha). Uncle Clay is the co-founder of HOPA, a snack shop serving my favorite desserts, shave ice and ice cream like no other I have tasted and served with pure aloha.

HOPA’s vision, mission, and core values parallel Kiwanis. Our Kiwanis vision is to help children in many places and in many ways; HOPA’s is to have the entire world living pure aloha. Our mission is to develop resources that serve the children of the world; HOPA’s is to cultivate pure aloha through relationships from one person to one community at a time. Our core values of stewardship, transparency, responsiveness, legacy, integrity, and trust help us succeed in our pursuit of our mission and vision; HOPA’s core values of integrity, gratitude, wellness, caring, teamwork, and “dramalize” help them breed success and spread aloha. Two different organizations with overlapping purposes, if only every company, organization, and institution could have similar missions, all children would be helped worldwide.

As the clock tolls the end of 2018 and rings in 2019, let us celebrate our Kiwanis Family successes in helping children here in Hawaii and around the world. And let us continue to work on our mission with Uncle Clay’s philosophy of serving pure aloha worldwide one child at a time.

~ Judy Watanabe

A Time to Reflect

November 2018

In the blink of an eye November has come and gone and the official start of the holiday season is upon us. The holiday season tends to make us reflect on the year that is nearly over and the one that is just around the corner. Fond memories of time with family and friends flood our thoughts and those we lost in the year we hold close in our hearts. We recently lost one of our own Kiwanians, Richard Minatoya, a strong supporter and encourager to Key Clubbers to apply for Kiwanis scholarships because he was a recipient long ago. Trustee Kiwanian Richard will long be remembered for his leadership, service, and tireless efforts in promoting Kiwanis and all we stand for. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your time, support, and contributions to the Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha Ohana! Your physical presence will be missed but your spirit and heart will continue to be a part of our daily lives!

~ Judy Watanabe

Kids Need Kiwanis

October 2018

If you Google the Kiwanis Mission, the gold headline, “Kids Need Kiwanis: appears on the Webpage. Simply stated, that is what being a Kiwanian is all about, no matter the age of the Kiwanian. Our club spans six decades and I admire our members who could easily enjoy retirement and ride off into the sunset however they continue to be an active member of our club mainly because, “Kids Need Kiwanis.Children and Youth Day held on the lawns and buildings of the State Capital is an event that exemplifies the Kiwanis mission. The entire event is all about serving children and their families. The day is filled with hands-on activities, educational displays and activities, careers, colleges, you name it, it’s there. The event brings together public and private organizations all focused on children, their health, their education, their future, and reminds everyone to enjoy life together through the eyes and experiences of our future, children!

~ Judy Watanabe

The True Meaning of K-Family

September 2018

Being my last article as President of the Kiwanis Club of Pearl Harbor, I just wanted to share some things that I have learned as a member of Kiwanis. My involvement with Kiwanis began at Leilehua High School where I joined Key Club. While attending Washington State University I joined Circle K and became club treasurer for two years, then went on to serve as the PNW (Pacific Northwest) District Treasurer during my last year. During my years in CKI, aside from our advisors (who were, and are awesome), I can honestly say that the involvement and relations with our Kiwanis clubs are nothing compared to the connections that the Kiwanis clubs in Hawaii have with their kids, and with each other. Kiwanis International is always talking about the K-Family, but because of the culture of Hawaii, we truly are an Ohana. We never look at our Key Clubs and CKI clubs as “just another expense.” And it is this type of relationship and support that I decided to stay in the K-Family after I graduated from WSU, and also why I am still a Kiwanian.

~ Aladdin Roque-Dangaran

Fellowship, Leadership, Service

August 2018

While attending Washington State University, the value of giving back to the community stuck with me. During all four years of my undergrad I was a member of Circle K International. Service was a big part of me being so passionate about Circle K, but that was not the whole picture. The three tenants of Circle K are Fellowship, Leadership, and service. It provided me with opportunities to serve the community and hold leadership roles that would boost my resume. But most importantly, Circle K provided me with a place of belonging in a state thousands of miles away from my home and family. The relationships that I made with my friends in Circle K are stronger than even some of the relationships I have with my high school friends. Circle K was a community that allowed trust and comfort to cultivate. And this brought people together through the common goal of giving back to our community.My personal philosophy on education is that we, as educators, must create a positive student-centered classroom environment that will make learning meaningful and cultivate our students into good, THINKING human beings. Throughout my education, the teachers that I remember and the ones that had a positive impact on me all facilitated this type of classroom environment. In all of their classes I felt comfortable in; not only with the teacher, but also with my classmates. Being able to create this type of positive student-centered environment can facilitate and enhance the ability for deeper learning. Needless to say, in these classes I feel that I learned more and retained more from those classes.

~ Aladdin Roque-Dangaran