Why Volunteer?

 “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. ”

-Unknown

Importance of Volunteering (according to Laureate International Universities study):

• Volunteers work willingly together for the betterment of their communities and themselves.

• Volunteers play a vital role in the improvement of our society.

• Volunteering is a positive force that can make the world a better place for everyone.

• By giving back to your community, you are not only helping your community grow stronger, but you are also helping yourself become stronger.

• Volunteering alleviates stress and can have a positive impact on your health.

• Knowing that you make a positive impact on someone is an emotionally uplifting experience not matched by money for fame.

• Many employers indicate that they are more likely to hire candidates with an active history of volunteering, rather than someone who doesn't volunteer. Employers are aware that most people who offer their time are conscientious, honest, and hardworking individuals.

• Volunteering gives hope to those that need it.

• Volunteering allows us to imbue in others, even strangers, the spirit of generosity.

What is Art - Frontenac Artisans Guild

If you ask, “what is art?” You will get as many different answers as you have responders. Here are a few famous answers:

Henry James:
“We work in the dark-we do what we can-we give what we have-our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.”

Frank Lloyd Wright:
“Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use.”

Elbert Hubbard:
“Art is not a thing-it is a way.”

Michelangelo Pistoletto:
“Above all, artists must of be only in art galleries or museums-they must be present in all possible activities. The artist must be the sponsor of thoroughly in whatever endeavor people take on, at every level.”

Whatever you do or create-it is art-if you do it in the spirit of creating something you enjoy. If you don’t necessarily believe yourself to be an artist, quit doubting and own your gifts. You may need to Join a supportive group of like-minded people.

That is why Keesha Hervey (K. Hervey Art) and I (4 Corners Graphics) are creating the Frontenac Artisans Guild. Open to any self-proclaimed artist in the Frontenac area. Click here to download a membership application.

Handwriting - A Lost Art

SEK Wands for Wildlife Fundraiser Note Cards

I remember the years of penmanship in grade school. The proper way to form letters, then the curves and connections of cursive in third grade. However, my mom taught me how to write in cursive once I started school.


I held my blue Laddie pencil incorrectly, so my mom had to purchase these hard plastic torture devices that fit my pencil, but never my fingers. I can only imagine my son's face if I handed him one of these pencils today, where texting by thumb-typing is the most common form of creating letters.
The National handwriting Association states that "modern technology has dramatically changed the way we communicate through writing. However, despite the increased use of computers for writing, the skill of handwriting remains important in education, employment, and in everyday life."
In a study by World Vision from May 2010, "more than a quarter of seven to 14-year-olds surveyed had not written a letter in the last year and one in 10 had never written one...but half had written an email or a message on a social networking site."
According to the study, manners play a large part in children's letter-writing "seven in 10 said they would pen a note to say thank you." This practice is usually enforced more at home with girls more likely than boys to put pen to paper.
In an article written in 2009 by Malcom Jones, he states that "the decline in letter writing constitutes a cultural shift so vast that in the future, historians may divide time not between B.C. and A.D. but between eras when people wrote letters and when they didn't."
So, what happened? Why did handwriting, especially cursive, disappear from our schools? the answer: Common Core. In 2010 45 states adopted the Common Core standards, which do not require cursive instruction but leave it up to the individual states and districts to decide whether they want to teach it.
According to a Washington Post article from 2013, "cursive is becoming as foreign as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In college lecture halls, more students take notes on laptops and tablet computers than with pens and notepads. Responding to handwritten letters from grandparents in cursive is no longer necessary as they, too, learn how to use email, Facebook and Skype."
Unfortunately, budget cuts and new standards forced educators, "seeking to prepare students for a successful future in which computer and typing skills have usurped penmanship, are finding cursive’s relevance waning, so they’re opting not to teach it anymore."
According to Pattie Leonard, retired 2nd-grade teacher form Girard, Kansas, "the argument was that most everything is printed books, computers, etc. so why the need for cursive? That is true, but my beliefs are that cursive should still be taught in school. It's up to the individual, after they learn, as to whether they want to use it or not, but they should at least be able to write and read it."

K Collection Quotes Note Cards

As for cursive, Jennifer Morris, a sixth-grade history teacher in Frontenac, Kansas, believes "it will eventually die out. If you look back at history, with all the various writing styles that were in place for thousands of years and fell to the wayside, this too shall follow the pattern."
As for me, my efforts to encourage handwriting in any form include the creation of fun, specific note cards, thank you cards and other personalized cards. When the cards are used as fundraisers for charities, people tend to do good and give back. then our pride makes us use these cards to show our philanthropic endeavours.
Whatever the reason you write, keep doing it and encourage others as well. If you or they need motivation, contact me and I will create whatever cards will get you writing.

A humorous meme on social media states that the only things needed to cripple an entire generation is to write in cursive and have cars with manual transmission. While this is funny, there are ways to cripple my generation as well - communicate using shorthand.

Are Business Cards Still Relevant in our Digital World?

Today, everyone is plugged-in to one device or another, it’s easy to forget how much actual, tangible objects can mean. According to Lien Design, for marketing purposes, “having great web site content and social media posts can be effective, but modern business card design…can make for the extra special something that will really send your business over the top.

While exchange cell numbers is a possibility, it can be time consuming and once a person enters you in their contacts, who knows if they will even remember who you are.

A business card represents who you are, what you do and includes all your contact information. When a contact comes across this card, they will be sure to have all the information they need regarding your business and take the time to call if they are interested in their services.

When you present someone with a business card, it should not only have the right information, it should look professional. Cheap paper that’s flimsy or dog-eared or outdated design can really make you look bad.

According to Young Upstarts the reasons you need a business card include:

• Add a personal touch.
• It Creates a Solid First Impression.
• Business cards never run out of power.
• They are one of the most effective direct marketing tools.
• Business Cards Are Still Necessary.

Click here to view Business Card examples.

MS Warrior - #RemovetheStigma

*Excerpts taken from an article by Aviva Patz that you can read in its entirety here.

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in May 2000. I have been coming to terms with this chronic illness for the past nineteen years and I still don’t quite have a complete handle on it. Due to the nature of MS, every day is different. I never know how the day will go until I wake up and try to get out of bed. After a silent inventory, I can plan out the next 14 or so hours.

A basic description of Multiple Sclerosis – my immune system is attacking my nervous system. When the protective cover of a nerve is breached, something happens to my body. According to the Mayo Clinic, “signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected.” From numbness or weakness in one or more limbs to electric-shock sensations in your neck to tremors, lack of coordination and unsteady gait to vision problems, slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness, tingling or pain in parts of your body to the embarrassing sexual problems and bowel and bladder function issues, the symptoms of MS are different for everyone with the illness. Like most people fighting MS, I have experienced many, if not all, of these symptoms. The hardest part, is “you don’t look sick.” To everyone else, you appear the same, but you “all of a sudden” get tired or trip over your own feet.


According to the National Institute for MentalHealth (NIMH) it is common to feel sad or discouraged when you are trying to manage a chronic condition. It becomes hard to adapt to the new reality and learning to cope with these changes. Depression is common among people who have chronic illnesses. Multiple Sclerosis is just one of many. Chronic illnesses include:

•  Cancer
• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Stroke
•  Alzheimer’s
• HIV/AIDS
• Parkinson’s
• Lupus Rheumatoid Arthritis

Depression affects your ability to carry on with daily life and to enjoy work, leisure, friends, and family. The health effects of depression go beyond mood – depression is a serious medical illness that carries certain stigmas with it.

*While depression strikes 20% of the general population, it affects about 50% of people living with MS, according to Rosalind Kalb, Ph.D. “And if you consider the people who feel down and depressed but don’t meet the criteria for clinical depression, that number is a lot higher,” she says.

“The adversity and disability itself can make people feel depressed,” says Anthony Feinstein, MBB, Ph.D. “There’s also the uncertainty – you can’t predict what your symptoms will be tomorrow, let alone in 20 years. The unknown can itself be a cause of depression.”

Few people want to admit to having depression, and people with MS are no exception. Three main factors get in the way of a diagnosis. The first is the persistent stigma against mental illness as if it’s a personal weakness or moral failure. The second is the mistaken belief that “I have MS-why wouldn’t I be depressed?” Third, people say “my body is betraying me, so I don’t want to think there’s also something going on with my mind. I’ve got enough problems with the physical stuff.”

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that “stigma is when someone, or even yourself, views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition. Some people describe stigma as a feeling of shame or judgment from someone else. Stigma can even come from an internal place, confusing feeling bad with being bad.”

As my battle with MS continues, I fight every day to make it better than the last. I personally believe a positive attitude, a strong support group, and proper medical care – both physical and mental – are the best weapons I can arm myself with.

If reading this opens your eyes to the battles many people face that you may not be able to physically see, then I am happy. To be cliche, don’t judge people until you try to walk a mile in their shoes.

Be A Lion

Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world. The 1.4 million members of our volunteer organizations in 206 countries and geographic areas are different in many ways, but share a core belief - community is what we make it.

Though Lions are well known for successful initiatives in vision health, Lions service is as diverse as our members. Lion volunteer for many different kinds of projects-caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, and aiding seniors and the disabled.

Whenever a Lions club gets together, problems get smaller. And communities get better. That's because we help where help is needed - in our own communities and around the world - with unmatched integrity and energy. Click here to learn more.

SEK Wands for Wildlife – Generation Z Volunteering

Four members of the Frontenac High School freshman class have spearheaded a community service project to benefit Wands for Wildlife. With the Pittsburg Lions Club as a sponsor, these students have created SEK Wands for Wildlife.  

Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of their community and has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. Community service or volunteerism enables students to acquire life skills and knowledge as well as provide a service to those who need it most. Participating in community service not only makes a difference to the organization and people being served, but also makes a difference to every student's career prospects. 

Each student is playing to his/her strengths within the roles they have taken on. Hannah Lee is the Organization Chair. Coy Medlin is the Volunteer Manager; Camden McDonald is the Social Media/Marketing Chair; Abe Fredrick is the Communications Chair.  By playing important roles in the project, the students want to enhance their resumes by obtaining work-related skills prior to graduation, build good references for employers in regard to community involvement and provide a forum to network with future potential employers.

The students selected area businesses spread throughout the community to contact about becoming a drop-off location for mascara tubes. This project had the students contact the businesses. By having the students initiate the communication, the hope was to enhance their personal knowledge, grow from new experiences, and develop better interpersonal communication skills. Seven (7) area businesses have offered to become designated sites. Frontenac High School, Raider Express, Labette Bank-Frontenac, Lindburg Pharmacy North, Celebrations by Lori, Attractions Salon, and Ascension Via Christi Hospital.  

All the businesses received a collection box decorated by Hannah and delivered Camden. Weekly pick-up of the wands will be conducted by a Lions Club member. Once there is a substantial amount of wands, the students will schedule a date and coordinate with other students wanting volunteer hours to clean and package the wands to be mailed to the Wands for Wildlife Foundation.

Wands for Wildlife benefits a wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit in Western North Carolina, that recycles old mascara wands to help remove fly eggs and larva from the fur of animals. The wands work great because the bristles are so close together and gentle to use on the injured and orphaned wild animals receiving care. 

Convoy of Hope - F.E.A.S.T.

Convoy of Hope in Springfield, Missouri, has a mission statement of definition, "we are a faith-based, nonprofit organization with a passion to feed the world through children's feeding initiatives, community events, and disaster response."

AS the need for food in Haiti continues to grow in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, Convoy of Hope has been working to ship 11.8 million meals and other relief supplies to Haiti. The meals are designed to provide calorie-dense nutrition as each rich and soy meal also includes vitamins, minerals, and dried vegetables.

The Frontenac United Methodist Church (FUMC), under the leadership of Pastor Annie Ricker, has partnered with Convoy of Hope to create a food packing community involvement event - F.E.A.S.T. On Saturday, March 23rd, teams of volunteers from various church groups, families and organizations throughout Southeast Kansas worked together for 1.5 hours to package 10,000 individual meals to be delivered to the children of Haiti.

One of these groups of volunteers consists of members of the Phi Tau Omega Philanthropic Sorority (PTO). PTO's national platform for 2018-19 is "Feed the Hungry". So this opportunity was an obvious fit.

FUMC Pastor Annie Ricker is a member of the Theta Epsilon Chapter of PTO and was instrumental in connecting the sorority with the event. Members from the Theta Epsilon Chapter (Girard, KS), Alpha Kappa Chapter (Arma, KS), and Phi Kappa Chapter (Pittsburg, KS) all took part in this worthy endeavor.

Formed in 1925 by eight women, Phi Tau Omega became a national social and philanthropic sorority. With chapters in five different states, Phi Tau Omega's generosity reaches numerous communities.

National philanthropies include Box Tops for Education, Ronald McDonald House, and Coupons for Troops. Each chapter selects local philanthropic endeavors to benefit by volunteer hours as well as monetary donations.

With an active membership of over 240 women, Phi Tau Omega is always looking for women who share our passion for friendship and philanthropy. For more information about our sorority, please visit our web site at www.phitauomega.org or contact ptosorority@gmail.com.

Frontenac Rotary Turns 40

 On February 9, 2019, the Frontenac Rotary Club, District 6110, celebrated its 40th year as an organization. The Frontenac Rotary has been a community organization since February 3, 1979. As part of Rotary International, the Frontenac Rotary represents community leaders who tackle our community's most persistent problems with fresh thinking and enduring solutions.

Our club gives you an opportunity to join leaders to take action on important issues affecting our community, our nation, and the world. We also have a lot of fun - whether we're socializing or working together on service projects.

Together we make great things happen. We have a structure that focuses on action and positive results. Our motto is "service before self" and that is also our mission.

Belonging to a Rotary Club provides members with an opportunity to give back to their communities and to connect with like-minded leaders & friends.

People join Rotary for many reasons, including community involvement, personal development, professional networking, and camaraderie. But perhaps the most important benefit is the satisfaction you gain from making a real difference in your community and the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Frontenac Rotary or attending a meeting, please contact us.

What about your Friends?

On November 1, 1980, the Pittsburg Morning Sun newspaper printed a brief announcing an organizational meeting of the Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library.  

The brainchild of head librarian, Nann Blain Hilyard, the Friends organization was to be a way to establish a closer relationship between the library and the community. 

Having got the idea from the Texas library Nann had previously worked at, she believed forming a group of library supporters would "...bring in money by making the public more aware of the library and its needs, allowing the library to expand the collection, and the services it provides to the public." 
The Friends was formed to work to promote an increased knowledge of the functions, resources, services, and needs of the library and to ensure continued high-quality library and information services. 

A planning committee was formed that was compiled of Dr. Penny Armstrong, Sharon Harrison, Dr. Stephen Teller, Norma MacAusland, Elizabeth Scheran, and Nann Hilyard. 

A kick-off meeting to attract members of a candlelight wine and dessert reception was held later that year. Dr. Stephen J. Teller was named the first president of the Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library. 

Through the years, the Friends have supported numerous programs, activities, and services at the library including Walking Books, the homebound delivery service in the 1980s, The Talking Heads discussion group, and the Summer Reading Programs. 

In recent years, the Friends have become known throughout southeast Kansas for their semi-annual used book sales that raise thousands of dollars, that all go back to the library to support their services. 

The Friends host an annual program following their annual meeting in April. Previous programs have included: 

2011 - What's New at the Review by Wayne Bockleman, Al Ortolani & Mike Hogard 
2012 - The Little Blue Books by Randy Roberts, PSU Curator of Special Collections 
2013 - The March of the Amazon Army by Linda Knoll 
2014 - Nina Mukerjee Furstenan Rsading & Book Signin
2015 - The Orphan Train by Serena Price 
2016 - Ethiopia Reads by LeAnn Clark 
2017 - Little House on the Prairie through Quilts by Judy Wampler 
2018 - The Candy Bar Pilot by Dagmar Snodgrass. 

The annual program for 2019 will be "From Duckling to Disney, the Literary Life of Hans Christian Andersen" by Dr. Michael Holworth. The annual meeting and program will be Monday, April 1, 2019, in the meeting room of the Pittsburg Public Library. The Program is open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.