Kiwanis International is a service organization whose motto, “Serving the children of the world,” is carried out in member clubs’ projects. Virtually every town in America — and many abroad — boasts at least one chapter, and all find ways to help kids in their communities. Many sponsor Key Clubs in their local high schools, mentoring students in their own service projects. Often their work is carried out, if not anonymously, then certainly without much fanfare or awareness on the part of their neighbors. What they do, however, in large ways and small, improves the quality of life in their hometowns. In our town of Rogue River, Ore. (population about 2,000), the core group of active Kiwanians numbers somewhere around a dozen. Comprised primarily of current and retired small-business owners, the club raises funds throughout the year to support their youth-oriented projects. Annually they award scholarships to graduating seniors from the high school; fund field trips at each of the schools; recognize and promote Student of the Month awards at the middle school; and put on seasonal events such as Safe Trick-or-Treating, Breakfast with Santa and an Easter egg hunt. This past fall in a drive reminiscent of Pencils for Kids’ mission (don’t forget to take part in Global Traveler’s online auction to support that worthy organization!), they put together 30 backpacks of school supplies for needy students in the local elementary school. For the most part, I would guess that the majority of our citizens are at best vaguely aware of these activities, but these are the kinds of things that knit a community together and strengthen the bonds between the generations. As a guest at a Kiwanis lunch-time meeting this past week, I witnessed a little of that generational bonding going on between club members and Rogue River Middle School’s Brain Bowl team. The ten or so students compete in knowledge contests with teams from other area schools. Questions fall into categories of geography, current events, history, chemistry and biology, music, the arts, literature and grammar, general math, geometry and algebra. This day, a team of five students faced a rowdy team of Kiwanians (middle school adviser Cindy Gaines noted with amusement and accuracy that the grown ups were far more rambunctious than the kids). Through three rounds of twenty questions each, buzzers sounded and answers were called out as the scorekeepers, timekeeper and moderator maintained some sense of order over the contest. Both sides (albeit the adults more boisterously so) seemed to relish the battle, with the students winning round one and their hosts coming out on top in the second match. Tension mounted through the rubber match, with the score see-sawing back and forth  as points were added for correct answers and deducted for wrong ones.  The Kiwanians won at last by an underwhelming 2 to negative one score, in spite of one gentleman’s impulsive response of “The polka!” to question 18: “What is the national dance of the Dominican Republic?” (His answer and his teammates’ immediate reaction of consternation was a source of enormous amusement for the rest of us!) As I watched the students saying goodbye to their hosts amidst handshakes and laughter and pats on the back, I realized I had observed an important bit of bridge-building that day. These kids would go back to school having interacted with adults and leaders in their community in a lighthearted way, being able to boast they’d nearly bested them in a battle of the minds. The grownups spent time with good, bright kids — the kind who don’t usually make the news stories but who represent the majority in our schools and who depend on their support, monetarily and otherwise.  It was a good day’s work. Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader