ONU’s new baseball coach talks to Ada Kiwanis Club

Ada Kiwanis President Harold Friesner called the 38th meeting of the 2011-2012 Kiwanis Year to order on Tuesday, July 3.
The invocation was given by Jon Umphress. The following guests were introduced: Bo and Mike Hurley and Bob Ward.
The birthday of Joe Ferguson (July 6) was celebrated in song.  The 50th membership anniversary Mark Shull was noted. He joined the club on July 1, 1962. The wedding anniversary of Tom and Karen Kier (June 30, 1984) was also noted.
It was reported that member Dustin Brooks of the financial services firm Edward Jones in Ada recently won the firm’s exclusive Spirit of Partnership Award for outstanding performance during 2011.
In business:
– Members heard an updated financial report from Bryan Marshall, treasurer.
– The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) would like to make presentations to Kiwanians on the many changes coming for all of us when we go to renew our driver’s licenses or IDs about Jan. 1
– The 2013 Ohio Kiwanis Convention will be held at the Lima Convention Center on Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The planning committee has met and reviewed the committee descriptions and undergone some revisions. They will mail out copies to all the clubs within the next couple of weeks.
– Dianne Ricks from the ONU Multicultural Office called Ada Kiwanis because they are going to hold an Ada Civic Engagement Day on Aug. 21. They are looking for community service projects that college students could complete. They need project ideas before Aug. 1.
– On Tuesday, June 19, Colleen Limmerick sent the club the following note: “Thanks! The Kenton Kiwanis Club is not disbanding! We are recharging with a smaller number of dedicated active members and we remain steadfastly devoted to the Aktion Club.” Just to give you an update. The Aktion Club is busy planning more service projects (we have completed 6 so far this year) and the members are planning their Campout/Conference on Self-Determination (using Project Stir from Ohio Association for Self Determination. We invite you to join us to either help or come get your car washed: July 28 at Advanced Auto (beside Pizza Hut) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine – hopefully lots of shine!)”
– The club approved Bob McCurdy’s request to fund the Aktion Club to help with their campout.
– Bryan Marshall reported that the Marie Suarez fundraiser will be on July 21 from 4 to 11 p.m. at the VFW. It will be $25 per person Poker Run and Benefit/-Reverse Raffle.
– The club approved Bob McCurdy’s request to fund the Aktion Club to help with their campout.
– The 2012 Ohio District Kiwanis Convention is set for Aug. 10 to 12 in Boardman. Bob and Myrna McCurdy, Jon Umphress and Jeff Schulman will be attending.
– Next week (July 10) the club our annual tree planting ceremony at the Ada Park. The tree will be a Swampy White Oak. We will be at the 4-H Shelter.
– The Farmers and Merchants Picnic Pedal Pull will be at the Ada Park on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We need at least 6 volunteers to help.
– Kiwanis Education Minute: The fifth Object of Kiwanis International is “To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.”
– Something to consider: A quote by Thomas Edison (or was it Thomas Kier?) “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
– Upcoming meetings/-events: July 17, Peter Previte; July 24, Mark Shull; July 28, Aktion Club Car Wash at Advanced Auto in Kenton; July 31, Charles Van Dyne; Aug. 7, Mark Light; Aug. 11, The Pedal Pull; Aug. 14, Bob McCurdy.
Scott Wills introduced former Major League pitcher Gene Stechschulte is in his first season as head baseball coach at Ohio Northern University.
Stechschulte is the 24th head coach in ONU baseball history, but is just the fifth head coach since 1971.
The Kalida native enjoyed a four-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2000-03 after an All-American career at Ashland University.
Stechschulte made his major league debut on April 20, 2000, against the San Diego Padres. He struck out the first batter he faced, Mike Darr, to begin his career in style.
In four seasons, he was 8-7 with six saves, a 4.58 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 116 appearances out of the bullpen. Stechschulte also has the distinction of being the 16th major league player in history to hit a home run on the first pitch seen in a MLB game. He hit a 2-run home run as a pinch-hitter off of Armando Reynoso in the bottom of the 6th inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 17, 2001.
He is a three-time Minor-League All-Star and won the Midwest League’s Best Relief Pitcher Award when he had a 2.59 ERA and 33 saves for the Single-A Peoria Chiefs that year.
Stechschulte graduated first in his class from Ashland School of Business and Economics, Summa Cum Laude, in 1996. He was a First Team All American and Academic All-American as a shortstop. He was Regional Player of the Year and set school records for Total Bases, Home Runs and RBI, leading Ashland to its first ever NCAA Division II World Series appearance in 1995. His 15 home runs and 143 total bases are still the third-best single-season marks in AU history.
Gene and his wife Krista have a son, Andrew (8), and two daughters, Katelyn (6) and Ava (1). He is a graduate of Kalida High School and resides in Findlay.
President Friesner adjourned the meeting at 1:03 p.m.
The Ada Kiwanis Club meets weekly at noon at McIntosh Center (Activities Room 7), ONU.  Guests are always welcome.
For more information, visit the club’s web site at www.adakiwanis.org.

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Posted by Kenton Times on July 10, 2012. Filed under Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry