Newsroom
A destiny fulfilled
On making a difference, singer-songwriter
Stevie Wonder said, “We all have the ability.
The difference is in how we use it.” A Montana
Kiwanis club—supported by the Kiwanis
International Foundation—uses its abilities to
change the lives of Kampala, Uganda, orphans.
“These are friends from the United States,”
John Michael Mugerwa, director of Destiny
Orphanage and Boarding School, told students
during a recent visit by Missoula-Sentinel
Kiwanis club members. “They’ve come to say
they love you.”
The love comes in the form of a 900-book
library, a new kitchen, and a fully stocked poultry
farm, and in hugs that spawned smiles by
the children and the visiting Kiwanians.
For Kiwanian Leslie Womack, it is evidence
of the difference Kiwanis makes. “It made me
see how real the need is,” said Womack. “You
hear what clubs are doing. They raised this or
that, but when you see the need and how necessary
it is, somebody has to do it.”
Many of the 900 children are orphans of HIV/AIDS. Each day, they battle threats of malaria,
jungle animals, and malnutrition, so the books,
mosquito nets, and protein-rich eggs offer tangible
security, help, and hope.
Donations from the Kiwanis community have
funded these projects, including a recent Kiwanis
International Foundation grant to purchase a
bus that transports students to a nearby school.
The Montana Kiwanians had the ability. The
Destiny Orphanage had the need. The difference—and benefit to children—is obvious.
What they say | convention
Kiwanis International officers all point to the International Convention as
a pivotal touchpoint in their Kiwanis experiences. Following are some of
their key recollections, as well as advice to club leaders on why they should
attend and what they can expect to get out of the experience.
| Photos |
Tell us about your first convention. |
How did it affect your growth as a leader.? |
Why is it important for club presidents and lieutenant governors to attend convention? |
What's the most important thing a Kiwanian gains from attending a convention? |
Don Canaday
International President |
1975, Atlanta,
Georgia
I met people from all
over the world and
learned time-tested
ways to grow a club,
to provide service,
and to have fun. It
showed me how to be
a better leader. |
It helped me tremendously
when I was a
lieutenant governor,
training and mentoring
club presidents. It
reinforced the value of
service—in and out of
Kiwanis—and reminded
me how important
our work is. |
Because of the opportunity
to take part
in great workshops
with people who
have been there and
done that, people
who know what success
looks and feels
like. It would greatly
enhance your success
as a Kiwanis leader. |
The educational
opportunities and how
they help leadership
development. You also
realize the international
nature of the
work, and how while
we don’t all speak the
same language, we all
speak Kiwanis. |
Paul Palazzolo
International President-Elect
|
1987, Washington,
D.C.
It was great. I was
able to see speakers
and entertainers in an
intimate environment,
including Ronald
Reagan. We voted
to have women join
Kiwanis. I was proud
to be a part of that
vote. |
I learned how
to work with people
and encourage volunteers
to go above
and beyond. |
The convention is
the place to “get
the fever.” It gives
incoming leaders the
chance to obtain helpful
hints and actively
engage those currently
serving and learn
from their leadership. |
A Kiwanian becomes
more aware of
resources available for
club success and gains
a certain motivation
for club success that
comes from attending
a convention and
seeing how our organization
makes such
a huge impact both
locally and globally. |
Sylvester Neal
International Vice President
|
1986, Houston, Texas
I was so ashamed
at the vote and politics
on the defeated
vote to allow women,
I wanted to quit
Kiwanis. |
I worked toward making
our organization
one of diversity and
inclusion. It actually
gave me a purpose,
working on issues of
trying to treat everyone
with dignity and
respect. |
Club presidents and
lieutenant governors
are the largest group
to attend convention.
These people
are looking for practical
help. If we are
an organization with
a focus on leadership
development,
we must increase our
focus on club leaders. |
First timers: Getting a
sense and feel for the
International scope
and potential reach of
the organization.
Repeaters: Recharged
with the service spirit.
New leaders:
Information about the
job of president, officers,
leaders! |
Whatever it takes
If you visit Joan Wilson’s office
you’re likely to wait a few minutes.
That’s because she’s often on the
phone with members and club officers,
answering questions about
everything from reports to membership.
In the background, you’ll hear
her Member Services representatives
answering questions as well. And if
she or they don’t have an answer to
a question, they promise to get one—all while offering a bit of friendly
conversation and laughter.
Photos |
The Member Services team often is a Kiwanian’s first point of contact
with the Kiwanis International Office. Pictured are (L to R) Kwan Pinson, Patty Luna, and Joan Wilson. |
Wilson is the Member Services
manager at Kiwanis International.
She and her staff are the first line of
contact for many Kiwanis members.
Whether it’s searching membership
information, locating a club, or assisting with online services, the Member Services team is there to help.
The 10-member call center was created
seven years ago to help simplify
the many questions members have.
Yet a lot of members don’t know the
service exists. “That’s been a hurdle,”
says Wilson. “In the past, if a
member had a question and called
the International Office, they were
transferred to individualized departments.
We’ve streamlined that process.
There’s nothing we don’t want
you to call about.”
In addition to the call center, member
services has four additional representatives
that field calls on club
bylaws, new club development, and
more. “Members need someone to
talk to,” says Wilson. “My team will
do whatever it takes.”
To contact the Member Services
department, e-mail or call 1-800-KIWANIS,
ext. 411 (U.S. and Canada), or 1-317-875-8755, ext. 411.
New ways to give
New ways to give
The Kiwanis International
Foundation has launched two new
giving programs designed to bolster
its efforts in helping the world’s
children: Women of Kiwanis and the
Hixson Ambassador program.
Women of Kiwanis is an annual
program for Kiwanians and non-
Kiwanians that supports the Kiwanis
Children’s Fund. The program was
created so donors—women and men—can honor the role women play
in serving the children of the world.
The Hixson Ambassador program
is a way for members of the George
F. Hixson Fellowship to take their
membership to a higher level by making
a US$1,000 donation. Funds benefit
the Foundation’s general endowment.
Though a relatively new program,
more than 200 Hixson Fellows
already have become Ambassadors.
Learn more about both programs.
The key to growth
The 2008-09 1-2-3 You Hold the
Key program has begun and again
acknowledges members who,
between October 1,
2008, and September 30, 2009, successfully
introduce
new members to
Kiwanis service
and fellowship.
Recruit one
member and receive a bronze key
lapel pin. Recruit a second member
and receive a silver pin. Recruit three
or more new members and you’ll
receive a gold pin.
Election options
Kiwanis clubs can take advantage
of two new election options, a
result of amendments adopted at the
93rd Annual Kiwanis International
Convention this past June. The new
options include:
1. Any/all club officers now may
be elected to either one- or two-year
terms, as determined by each club.
2. Clubs now may use electronic
balloting methods to elect officers.
To take advantage of either option,
clubs first need to amend their bylaws
with Kiwanis International. Clubs
should begin the process now so the
proper rules are in place before club
elections are conducted in April/May 2009. A revised Standard Form
for Club Bylaws includes language
for these options.
If a club decides not to use either
option, no bylaws revisions are needed.
However, the Standard Form for
Club Bylaws has changed over the
years, and if your club has not made
revisions recently, your bylaws may
need to be updated anyway.
Follow Rashale's story
When 8-year-old Rashale
Arana’s left leg started to swell
and ache, she didn’t have many
options to help her feel better.
Journey for a cure
|
Rashale Arana
Read also:
|
Rashale is from a remote area of
Belize, where medical care is hard
to come by. In fact, where she’s
from, if you have cancer, the doctors
may give you a few pills and
send you home to die. That’s what happened to Rashale.
Rashale has osteosarcoma. Bone
cancer. But her story doesn’t end with a bottle of pills and a death sentence. Not hardly.
Thanks to Kiwanians in
the Carolinas District and
the International Hospital for
Children, Rashale is in North
Carolina receiving urgent care
that will most likely save her life.
We invite you to follow Rashale
and her journey with her Kiwanis
family. Look for her story in the
February 2009 edition of Kiwanis
magazine.
Talent show
Speaker power may be just what your club needs to energize attendance and meetings
Lively meeting programs are
important to a club’s health, and
speakers boost meeting attendance,
which helps retain current members
and attract new ones. Here’s how you
can add oomph to your programs.
Hit hot topics. What should everybody
in town be talking about? Keep
your members and the community
informed by scheduling topical topics.
The Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, invited Police Chief
Freeman Cooper to a club meeting to
talk about speeding, which causes 43
percent of local traffic fatalities.
Inspire with stories. In every
community, inspiring stories touch
hearts. Trisha Meili, a jogger who
was viciously attacked and left for
dead in 1989, held members of the
Meriden, Connecticut, Kiwanis club
spellbound as she talked about learning
to read, write, walk, talk, and love
all over again.
Serve ‘n’ meet. Some clubs combine
the joy of service with the fellowship
of meetings. Once a month, members
of the Kiwanis Club of Metropolitan Milwaukee Nights, Minnesota,
devote their meeting time to reading
to students at a nearby school.
Take a bow. Every now and
then, it’s nice to hear someone say
thank you. Three Open Arms Baby
Boutique representatives showed up
at a meeting of the Nampa, Idaho,
Kiwanis club to describe how their
$3,000 donation is providing maternity
clothes, “tons of diapers,” and
other baby stuff to expectant mothers
with limited incomes.
Call in the kids. Circle K, Key Club, Aktion Club, K-Kids, and Builders
Clubs are an endless source of speakers—
and inspiration. The Kiwanis
Club of Kingston, Jamaica, conducts
its oratory contest during its meeting,
inviting contestants from among the
19 Builders Clubs it sponsors.
Mine the media. Challenge yourself
to find at least three potential
speakers amid local news headlines
and advertisements. (See “Media
Savvy.”)
Work the network. Your fellow
Kiwanis clubs know the best-kept
speaker secrets. Log onto the Kiwanis
community and make sure your club
is represented at division, district,
and international meetings and conventions,
where tips and advice are
whispered loud and clear.
Collar the scholars. If your club
offers scholarships, invite recipients
to report on their academic achievements.
Deirdre Paisley returned to
the Central Broward/Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida, Kiwanis Club to talk about
her honors degree in nursing. |
