A New Junior Civitan Club Is Starting for Teens in North Pinellas.Junior Civitan is a service club helping in the community. The members chose the needs to meet. Leadership, planning and organizational skills are learned and enhanced as the teens form a Board and committees to complete service projects and fundraising of their choosing. There are 31 clubs in Florida with another 360 clubs across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa making up 12,000 members. An informational meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, at 9:30 a.m. in the Safety Harbor Library meeting room B. The library is located off Main St. at 101 2nd Street North. All teens age 12 to 18 are invited to find out more about the fun and satisfaction Junior Civitans experience. Parents are welcome. Several teens have responded to the first information flyers distributed during the July 4th parade and placed in local stores. One teen has already expressed a desire to be on the executive of the new Junior Civitan Club. Though an adult Civitan Club must sponsor and liaison with the Junior Civitan Club, the youth elect their own executive and plan their fundraising projects, determine where to donate funds and where to complete service projects in their community. While most of their volunteer work benefits only their own local community, Junior Civitans from around the world come together twice a year for the good of one common flagship cause, the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) and have serious fun while they raise serious money, over $2.5 million dollars of serious money while having serious fun. Teens love to dance but these teens take dancing serious. They have raised over $1 million dollars to date for the research of mental and physical disabilities. Imagine the joy some Junior Civitans have when they experience snow for the first time in their life. The annual SnoDo enables them to operate snowmobiles and add to the $1.5 million dollars they have raised to date over the years at this event. Research findings at CIRC are sent to the medical community worldwide. Frank Kelley, a former Junior Civitan from St. Pete High and now Governor of Florida District Civitan, will be at the Safety Harbor Library to talk about how Junior Civitan impacted his life and answer questions. Debbie White, Florida Chair for Junior Civitan will also be present. Both are members of the Clearwater Civitan Club. Junior Civitan members not only impact their own community, they impact their state, our nation and the world.
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