Kee-Notes

Weekly Newsletter of the Kiwanis Club of Bethesda, Maryland

Serving the Community Since 1945

Meeting Date: June 11, 2009

President Jim Leder opened the meeting.  Past Lt. Governor Bernie Gardiner  led us in the Pledge, and guest Louise Richardson started the "God Bless America."  Bill Hague led us in prayer.  Guests were introduced:  Ann Black from Potomac Club (formerly a member in our club), her friend Win Martinez,  Marv Jackson (Lt. Governor-Elect)  and his wife Liz Jackson from   Montgomery Village Club,  Bernie Gardiner from Wheaton-Silver Spring Club, Kimberly Vallejo from the YMCA, and  Louise Richardson, Beverly Morrison and Kathleen French from the Promenade.

Announcements:

Jim reminded us about the Public Hearing on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the Discovery Sports Center, South Germantown Recreational Park, 18031 Central Park Circle, Boyds, MD. It is important that Trustees of the Miracle League attend.  Please contact Jim Leder if you have any questions.

         (Directions:  From I-270, take exit 15B (MD 118 South).  Follow 118 South approximately 3 miles.  Turn right on

Germantown Park Drive.  Proceed to the circle, go halfway around it (straight) and continue until

you reach the Discovery Sports Center on the right.)

Happy Dollars:

Bill Hague HD for his upcoming trip to Jerusalem where he will be leading 36 people from Christ Church and then he will be going to Maine for his sabbatical.  He won't be back until October.  Bob Gradle HD for safe trip for Bill Hague, Pat Tiede HD for the RICA Golf Tournament last week and HD for her friends from the Promenade. Kathleen French  happy to be here as guest of Pat Tiede.  Marv Jackson HD for our guest speaker-entertainer today. Ann Black HD for our speaker, also her youngest daughter who will be in a movie.  Her daughter is assistant to Hollywood director Gary Marshall. Bernie Gardiner HD for his 60th reunion from St. John's High School.   Debbie Van Horn HD for a successful  RICA Golf Tournament, for Bob Quinn, Jeanne Smith, Gary Boswell and John Ratnavale who played in the tournament and Pat Tiede who attended the dinner and Silent Auction. another HD for Bernie Gardiner and Marv Jackson as guests, and a last HD for finding a parking meter with 30 minutes left on it -- she was short of quarters to feed the meter.  Pat Norry HD glad to be back.  She was on a cruise to Panama Canal and Mexico  and had to abandon plans to stop in Mexico because of swine flu. Bob Cressy HD for Bill Hague, HD for Jim Leder's work at Miracle League.  Bernadeen Zivkovic  HD for our guest speaker, for our Golf Tournament Committee Meeting held at Rock Bottom Brewery earlier in the week  and  HD for Shira Oler for designing the new golf tournament brochure. Jim Leder HD for Bernadeen and her work on the Golf Tournament, a HD for great turnout today, and another HD because he is glad to be a Kiwanian.

Speaker:

Our speaker/dancer today was Keylan.   She is from Washington DC area but her father was born in the Kurdish area of Iraq but left over 40 years ago. Her father played the music from the area and Keylan was attracted to this which sparked her interest in belly dancing. This dance originated in the Mid East and every wedding in that area always had a belly dancer. The wedding often had an orchestra and the dance relates to topics of human relations- sadness at lovers separated, joy of a wedding or birth, etc.  Even though the dance is popular among the people parents do not want their daughters to become a belly dancer.  There is no prestige with this (the same is true for musicians). The origins go back thousands of years.  One theory is that it was done by women to help with childbirth labor.  European colonialists as well as Hollywood have helped shape the dance's current expression. There are several types of belly dancing.

       Egyptian - expresses lots of emotion, tons of hip movement, very grounded.

       Turkish style - influenced by Roma gestures and steps; unique rhythms;

                more aggressive.

        Lebanese style - influenced by ballet and jazz dance, fast, high heels.

       American style - more technical and choreographed, uses elements

                from all other styles.

        Tribal style - often done in unison, an American invention, lots of non-

                traditional music used.

Keylan did a five minute dance for us and answered questions.

 Dancing, especially ‘Belly Dancing’, is good for your … tummies!

Photos by Bob Cressy

W ell, if some Kiwanians have forgotten that meetings can be different, colorful, lively and FUN then those who attended the regular Thursday club meeting June 11^th were refreshed.  For those who missed it or missed reading the announcement in Kee-Notes, you missed a good and entertaining meeting.  Photos say the story.  Next week perhaps Kiwanians who are now practicing their new techniques of Middle Eastern belly dancing will put on a show!

P.S. Being a news reporter and photographer, it’s my job to take pictures.   Enjoy!