The Laconia Kiwanis Club is proud to welcome Leia Frazier as our newest member.

Photo (left to right): Sherwood Frazier, Sandy Frazier, new Kiwanis member Leia Frazier, Laconia Kiwanis Club President Tara Shore, and Leia’s sponsor, Betty Ballantyne. Photographer: W Stephen Loughlin

A lifelong Laconia resident, Leia has deep roots in the Lakes Region and a genuine passion for serving the community she proudly calls home. She has built a career centered on leadership and service, spending more than a decade as a chocolatier at Kellerhaus before transitioning into banking. Today, she serves as Branch Manager of the Bank of New Hampshire’s Moultonborough office, where she continues to make a positive impact through both her professional leadership and community involvement.

Leia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with a concentration in Leadership and brings experience in public relations, event planning, fundraising, and recruitment. Since 2020, she has served on the Celebrate Laconia Board of Directors and has been its Treasurer since 2021. Her commitment to volunteerism began as a teenager when she served as a Page at the Laconia Public Library, and that dedication to giving back has remained a constant throughout her life.

When asked why she chose to join Kiwanis, Leia’s answer reflected exactly what our organization is about: community involvement. She shared that she loves Laconia and enjoys supporting and volunteering in any way she can. Inspired by a family tradition of community service, she is excited to continue making a difference through Kiwanis.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Leia to the Laconia Kiwanis family. We look forward to serving alongside her as we continue our mission of improving the lives of children and strengthening our Lakes Region communities. We know her enthusiasm, leadership, and caring spirit will make her a wonderful addition to our club.

Congratulations, Leia! We are honored to have you as part of the Laconia Kiwanis Club and look forward to the many ways you will help us continue changing lives—one child, one family, and one act of service at a time.

Laconia Kiwanis is proud to support the youth of Troop 142!

Recently, the Laconia Kiwanis Club was honored to contribute $500 toward Troop 142’s journey to Philmont Scout Ranch, helping these outstanding Scouts pursue adventure, leadership, and personal growth.

Seeing the smiles, teamwork, and determination in these photos reminds us why investing in young people matters. Experiences like Philmont challenge Scouts to build confidence, develop leadership skills, strengthen friendships, and discover what they are capable of achieving.

We wish each member of Troop 142 continued growth, confidence, resilience, and success as they take on new adventures and opportunities. May the lessons learned on the trail stay with you for a lifetime.

Thank you for allowing Laconia Kiwanis to be a small part of your journey. We can’t wait to see where your path leads next!

Keep exploring, keep learning, and keep reaching for new horizons.

The meeting opened with the invocation led by members of Boy Scout Troop 142, followed by dinner, the Pledge of Allegiance, and club announcements.

Troop 142 presented an engaging update on their preparation for their upcoming high-adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch, a premier national Scouting destination located in northern New Mexico. Herchel Chambers shared highlights from the troop’s final months of training, including extensive hiking, leadership development, and outdoor readiness activities.

As part of their presentation, they taught attendees a few practical outdoor skills, including basic first aid techniques, navigation and map-reading, and instruction on tying a bowline knot. Guest Leia Fabian enthusiastically participated in the knot-tying exercise.

The Scouts also celebrated the achievement of two Eagle Scouts and shared details about their fundraising efforts, which helped make the Philmont trip possible. They also earned the “Loon Safe Award” by collecting 4lbs of lead, the highest amount in the state.

The Kiwanis Club contributed a $500 donation to support Troop 142’s Philmont expedition. Members expressed appreciation for the Scouts’ hard work and look forward to a follow-up presentation upon their return.

During club business, members discussed program and event updates, including a change of date and time for the upcoming Bike & Board event, and a reminder regarding the hydration station. Volunteers are still needed for both events. As well, new T-shirts are available!

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 24, coinciding with the Bike & Board event from 5:30–7:30 PM, the same time as the regular meeting. Members who plan to attend and assist are asked to contact Betty.

Laconia Kiwanis is saddened to share the passing of long-time Kiwanian, Warren Mitchell. Warren had been in intensive care at Concord Hospital – Laconia for about four weeks before passing away peacefully on March 28th. His complete obituary may be seen here.

We’re so proud to celebrate two outstanding young leaders from our Laconia High School Key Club! Congratulations to Haley McCarty, Key Club President, and Abby Hayward, Key Club Vice President, on being named among the Top 10 students in the Class of 2026!

Your leadership, dedication, and commitment to service truly reflect the heart of Key Club and the spirit of Kiwanis.

Kids – Community – Service

On March 3, Kiwanis visited Woodland Heights Elementary School as part of the Kiwanis KARES program to celebrate reading and the imaginative world of Dr. Seuss. Hosted by Mrs. Robbie Neylon for WHS 3rd-grade classes, the event brought together students and Kiwanis volunteers for a morning focused on the joy of books.

The Laconia Kiwanis Club completed its final KARES visit of this school year to Elm Street Elementary School on Tuesday, February 10th, marking the conclusion of three impactful sessions with students.