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Events
Rose Parade Float Food & Decorating Support
 December 30, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley and some girl scouts of Troop 610, Rancho Sierra Vista, teamed up to help the Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley serve food to the decorating crew and then decorated themselves in support of the Kiwanis Rose Float Committee. What a fabulous and rewarding experience for adults and teens alike as they sealed their mark on the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade. Club members and girl scouts worked from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. lending a hand wherever it was needed. Most would say that it was a sticky proposition, but a memorable one, as well. Check out the beautiful floats and our members and girl scouts at work.
VC Children's Services Auxiliary Giving Tree
 December 22, 2007 - Ann Burke of Ventura County Children's Services Auxiliary recently presented her program at one of our club meetings. One of the ways she thought we could help is help man their Giving Tree at the Janss Mall. The Giving Tree is decorated with a variety of ornaments that indicate the age and sex of a child. Participants take an ornament and buy a gift for a boy or girl from infant to 18 years old. The gifts are then distributed at their Holiday Toy Store to families and caregivers of court-dependent children and other needy families identified throughout our community. Jenni and Erik Moore and Ken Walker were a few of the club members that had time to volunteer to man the table. "What a generous community we have," said Ken Walker, President of the Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley. "So many donations were received in just the two hours I manned the table. One family even arrived with three shopping carts full of toys for kids of all ages." The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley plans to help again next holiday season, as well as with VC Children's Services Auxiliary Summer Picnic, which raises school supplies for foster children.
Hospice of the Conejo Tree of Life
 December 22, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was pleased to help the Hospice of the Conejo with their annual Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is available to the community at the Oaks Mall (outside of the Macy's Womens store) and at the Gardens of the World. It gives people in the community the opportunity to remember a friend or family member by purchasing a star for the tree. Club members Tom and Linda Toutz, Jenni and Erik Moore, Paul and Marty Campbell, Duane Hollinger, Rhonda Clure, Rev. Betty Stapleford, Evan Rosche and Ken Walker were all able to help. Hospice of the Conejo is a team of caring people who are dedicated to providing a special blend of compassion and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and to their families. Their focus is on living - helping people during the final stages of life to make the most of every hour.
Club Christmas Party
 December 20, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley held its second annual Christmas Party at the home of Paul and Marty Campbell. It was a fun evening of good food, including appetizers by club members, tamales provided by Immediate Past President Duane Hollinger, and a ham cooked by our hostess, Marty Campbell. Samantha Webb won the "Best Appetizer" contest. The evening was capped off with a White Elephant gift exchange with the most popular gift being a dancing and singing doll of George Bush. Check out some of the great photos that Samantha Webb captured that evening.
Salvation Army Bell Ringer
 December 15, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was able to donate a small bit of time to the Salvation Army Bell Ringer tradition. Ken Walker, President, spent two hours on a Saturday ringing the bell outside the Vons on the corner of Moorpark Road and Janss Road in Thousand Oaks. "It was a beautiful day with the weather in the 70's after our recent cold spell," said Ken Walker, "and it even got brighter after seeing approximately a third of all the shoppers donating to the Salvation Army." In 1891, Captain Joseph McFee wanted to help the poor people in San Francisco, especially for the coming Christmas season, but he didn't know where to get funding for his project. He remembered, during his earlier days as a sailor in Liverpool, England, seeing a large kettle called "Simpson's Pot" where passengers of boats that docked at Stage Landing tossed coins to help the poor. The following day captain McFee placed a pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing. Beside the pot was a sign that read "Keep the Pot Boiling". He was able to collect enough donations to have a Christmas dinner for the poor people. Captain McFee's idea spread and in 1897, a nationwide effort was able to fund 150,000 Christmas dinners for the poor. In 1901 donations from New York city funded a sit-down dinner at Madison Square Garden. Money collected through the red kettles are used to help the needy, the sick, the aged and other less fortunate individuals, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Other Kiwanians were also on hand to ring the traditional bell.
Girl Scouts Go Caroling on the Lake
 December 14, 2007 - Paul and Marty Campbell, charter members of the Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley, offered their boat up to the Girl Scouts of Troop 610 (of the Rancho Sierra Vista service unit) for Christmas caroling on Westlake. It was a night of great fun and Christmas cheer as the Paige Kubela, Bettina Kaiping, Amber Anderson and Jessica Walker (left to right) showed off their vocal talents to residents of the lake. Paul Campbell, our skipper, was sporting the flu that night, but was quite the trooper by keeping his commitment and allowing the girls to enjoy the festivities on the water. The Girl Scouts were in rare form indeed.
CVUSD We the People Competition
 December 5, 10 & 11, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was pleased to assist the Conejo Valley Unified School District and Sycamore Canyon Middle School in judging their annual "We the People" competition. This competition, held at middle schools throughout the nation, test students' knowledge of our nation's Constitution, Bill of Rights, and government. Each panel, consisting of four to six students, are required to answer a series of questions in four minutes that they've been researching over the past week. Then they are asked to answer a number of opinion questions in seven additional minutes that they weren't aware of previously. The answers get interesting, because this format requires them to generate answers on the fly and sometimes the answers can be conflicting to other panel members. Mr. Jonathan Moch, Social Studies teacher at Sycamore Canyon Middle School, said, "We are so pleased that the Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was able to respond so quickly with judges for this event. I couldn't imagine what we would have done without your help." Members Ken Walker, Jenni Moore, Samantha Webb, Evan Rosche, Duane Hollinger, Dee Talley (and her husband, Roy Talley), and soon-to-be member Albert Cornel were the judges for this event. Students that won this round competed at the next level at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where Ken Walker and Dee Talley volunteered to be time keepers. Click here for photos taken at this historical event.
Holiday Boutique
 November 24, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was pleased to host their first Holiday Boutique last Saturday. With the help of 32 vendors, members of the club raised over $2,000 for youth programs in our community. Even Santa was able to break away from his busy schedule and stop by for a couple of hours. A special thanks goes out to Carol Cadoo of the Thousand Oaks Inn for allowing us to use their facilities and to Jenni Moore, a fabulous club member, for creating and planning this event. Click here for photos taken at the event.
October Halloween Social
 October 30, 2007 - Jennifer and Peter Campbell were kind to open their home to the club for our October social. This month's theme centered around Halloween and no Halloween party would be complete without a pumpkin carving contest. Rhonda Clure, or newest member, one the contest with what looked like a bat carving. Immediate Past President Duane Hollinger brought some fine-tasting brats with all the fix'ns for everyone to enjoy. The ghosts and goblins were out in numbers at the annual Thousand Oaks Teen Center Halloween Dance. Check out the winner, other entries and the masters at work from the pumpkin carving contest.
Teen Center Halloween Dance
 October 27, 2007 - The ghosts and goblins were out in numbers at the annual Thousand Oaks Teen Center Halloween Dance. Club community service chairperson Evan Rosche, and club members Samantha Webb and Jennifer Campbell, helped pass out food to starving eighth graders who exhausted all their energy playing numerous games and dancing in the gymnasium. Jennifer and Samantha really caught the eye of staff and students alike when they arrived in costume - two of the few attendees that dressed for the occasion.
Installation of Officers
 September 26, 2007 - Before a crowd of members, friends and family at the Thousand Oaks Inn, the Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley ended their first 18 months of existence with the installation of their 2007-2008 slate of officers. President Ken Walker, Immediate Past President Duane Hollinger, Vice President Shawn McCabe, Secretary Julie McKenna, Treasurer Marty Campbell and directors Jay Javurek, Dee Talley and Tom Toutz were all installed by Lt. Governor Fred Robinson. Past Lt. Governor Mike Wesner was onhand to de-install the 2006-2007 officers. Ken Walker gave a compassionate speech of why he accepted the presidency of the club. Thanks to Chuck Castaing for recording the evening through these photographs.
Books in the Barn Returns
 August 28, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley, Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship and Usborne Books teamed up again to present "Books in the Barn" on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at Ride On, 401 Ronel Court in Newbury Park. "This is a wonderful family event and an opportunity to entertain children with two favorite activities, the love of horses and reading," said Duane Hollinger, club president. "This unique event included storytelling, arts and crafts, and petting a real pony. More importantly, it provided needed awareness of the beneficial services Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship offers to members of our community." Click here for more photos from this popular, community event.
Books in the Barn Children's Storytelling
 July 14, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley and Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship teamed up to present "Books in the Barn" on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at Ride On, 401 Ronel Court in Newbury Park. This free children’s event targeted children ages two to eight and featured storytelling in the barn, making horse puppets that children took home, petting a pony and refreshments. Children’s books were also available for sale by Usborne Books with a portion of all proceeds being donated back to Ride On to repair facilities. Click here for more photos from this fantastic, children's event.
Our First Anniversary Celebration
 May 29, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley celebrated its one year anniversary last Tuesday. Formed on May 31, 2006, our club commemorated this milestone with a special luncheon, year in review presentation, and several acknowledgements. The luncheon, held at the Thousand Oaks Inn, was attended by George Francis, CNH (California, Nevada and Hawaii) Kiwanis District Governor. In addition, members from Kiwanis Clubs throughout Ventura and Los Angeles counties were in attendance. Click here for more photos from this major milestone.
2007 Simi Valley Classic Golf Tournament
 May 4, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley attended the 2007 Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley Classic Golf Tournament held at the Moorpark Country Club. Paul Campbell and Ken Walker teamed up with two others and a celebrity to play the Canyon and Ridgeline courses. It was a gorgeous day for golf, but that didn't seem to help the scores. The Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley obtained great giveaways and fabulous hole sponsorships and featured a great dinner, silent auction, live auction and awards ceremony. Click here for more photos from this duffer event.
2007 Conejo Valley Days
 May 2, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was instrumental in providing coordination support to this year's Conejo Valley Days held between May 2-6, 2007. Our club members held the positions of Onsite Chairperson, Offsite Chairperson and Vendor Tent Chairperson - three of the four top volunteer positions that coordinate the entire event. Conejo Valley Days was a resounding success with attendance up 20% from previous years. Thanks to eleven of our seventeen members that contributed their time, backs and sleep time to this event. Click here for more photos from this family-fun event.
2007 CVD Final Countdown
 April 27, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley hosted the 2007 Conejo Valley Days Final Countdown celebration to benefit the Hospice of the Conejo at the Goebel Senior Center in Thousand Oaks. Kiwanians served pizza, chili, nachos and cheese, dessert and refreshments to nearly 75 attendees. Both CVD Grand Marshall candidates, the dynamic duo of Michele "Montana" Larson and "Li’l Miss Hannah of the Aspen Territory" Santos, and Irene "The Singing Cowgirl" Brennick, entertained the group. Click here for more photos from this country kicking event.
Wine Tasting & Auction
 March 24, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley held a wine tasting and auction at the Westlake Yacht Club. It included a wine appreciation seminar, Hors d' ouevres, a silent auction and a live auction of cases of wine. Proceeds from the event benefited the Hospice of the Conejo and the Kiwanis Clubs of Thousand Oaks and Conejo Valley. It was a lot of fun and great deal on wines to be consumed throughout the year. Click here for more photos from this tasty event.
President's Day Celebration
 February 19, 2007 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley volunteered their services at the 2007 President's Day Celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. It was a fun event for children of all ages to create drawings and make crafts while they were entertained by music and actors dressed up in period costumes. It was a lot of fun for the children and volunteers alike. Click here for more photos from this presidential event.
 2007 Rose Parade Float Support
December 27, 2006 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley traveled to Pasadena to assist the Rose Parade Float Committee in providing refreshments to the many people that make these floats possible each year. In addition, our members were also able to work with the volunteers and decorate the floats. Click here for more photos from once-in-a-lifetime event.
Christmas Dinner Fundraiser
 December 17, 2006 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley met at Marie Callenders in Thousand Oaks to raise funds for our club and offer gifts to support the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. Do you recognize the man behind the white beard? Click here for more photos from this fabulous evening.
Wheels to the Sea
 November 6, 2006 - The Kiwanis Clubs of Thousand Oaks and Conejo Valley participated in the T.O. club's annual 'Wheels to the Sea' service project. Starting at the trailhead near Lynn Road and Las Brisas Road in Newbury Park, wheelchair-bound patrons were pushed down the trail, over mountains and through valleys, to the Pacific Ocean in Malibu. This was a fantastic and rewarding event for everyone. Click here for more photos from this service project.
Bike Repair Service Project
 October 24, 2006 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley assisted in helping a local bike repair charity in refurbishing old bikes for children all over the world. Of course, we had to test drive each bike that was repaired to ensure it was ready for shipment. Click here for more photos from this service project.
Charter Dinner Gala
 September 15, 2006 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley was officially chartered with a gala event at the Village Homes Neighborhood Center in Westlake Village. Our evening included guests from a number of local Kiwanis clubs, our Lt. Governor, Paul Campbell, and Distinguished Past Lt. Governor, Roy Talley. Click here for more photos from this fabulous evening.
Club Mixer Social
 July 21, 2006 - Paul and Marty Campbell graciously opened their doors to our club and hosted the first club mixer. Together with guests from the Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks, we enjoyed sampling appetizers, drinking fine wine and great conversation, all the while being entertained by the incredibly funny "Irish John" Gore. Click here for more photos from this evening.
Organizational Meeting
 May 25, 2006 - The Kiwanis Club of Conejo Valley elected their charter Board of Directors, consisting of (from left to right, front to back) Vice President Ken Walker, President Duane Hollinger, Treasurer Mary Hale, and board members Paul Campbell, Phil Gotto, Peter Campbell, Shawn McCabe, and Mike Hale. Secretary Sabrina Hayes was unavailable for the photo.
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