A president’s challenge sparks club growth 

A president’s challenge sparks club growth 

Aug 18, 2025 | Club building, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

In its centennial year, the Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls grew from 60 members to over 100. 

By Destiny Cherry

Jerrod Ogden felt the need for something to boost his Kiwanis club’s growth — and to inspire more excitement and commitment among established members. In the years since COVID-19, membership additions for the Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls, New York, U.S., had slowed to five to seven new members per year.

So Ogden, the club’s president, issued a challenge: Can we get to 100 members in our 100th year? That challenge required a game plan and some new approaches. 

The game plan
The structure was simple. For the club’s membership drive, which took place in March and April, three randomly selected teams would be assigned a former club leader as their captain.

The team that brought in the most new members would take home the first-place prize: a US$500 donation to a charity of the team’s choice. A $200 donation would be awarded for second place and $100 for third.

Members reacted to the challenge with a readiness to support the club and their charity — and a healthy eagerness to compete.

New approaches
The club used a few different methods to draw in new members: 

  • They asked better questions. For example: “Why haven’t you joined yet?” instead of “Do you want to join?”  
  • They simplified the orientation process. Prospective members were allowed to come to meetings, learn more about the club and ask questions, which resulted in a 98% conversion rate from attendance to joining.  
  • They emphasized fitting the initial level of involvement to what interested or inspired the new member. The message: “Don’t worry about doing everything. Find out where your commitment makes the most sense. Then make that commitment, honor the commitment and give it your all.” 

The result
The membership drive was a resounding success, pushing the club’s roster from 67 to 103. And the battle to win Odgen’s challenge was close: The first-place team brought in 11 members, and two other teams tied for second with 10. 

All together, the Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls donated $900 to local organizations: 

  • $500 to a local sneaker foundation that buys shoes for children starting school.  
  • $200 to a local youth center’s after-school programming.  
  • $200 to the local Cub Scouts.  

For Ogden, the drive’s success wasn’t measured solely in recruiting numbers — it was also the newfound excitement among established members. He noted an increase in engagement and pride in service projects, while club members who had not been very active showed up with fresh enthusiasm. 

“We looked within,” Oden says. “We pride ourselves on the personal connections we form with members, so getting to share the strength of those relationships with the public reinvigorated our own commitment to each other.”

Unexpected highlights
Some other remarkable things happened because of the drive: 

  • A club member’s significant other joined the club and has since become a Kiwanis advisor for a local Key Club. 
  • Two families that have multiple members in the club welcomed third-generation members. 
  • A woman who had not been affiliated with the Kiwanis family since her time in Key Club became a member. 
  • A Cornell University graduate who was a previous recipient of the club’s $10,000 scholarship joined. 

Ideas and inspiration
The key, Ogden says, is to “find out what makes your club infectious.” 

In addition to ideas that the Glens Falls club might inspire, Kiwanis International also has a webpage of recruiting resources that your club can use at any time. Check it out!  

Kiwanians provide fire relief

Kiwanians provide fire relief

Aug 15, 2025 | General interest | 0 comments

A club president in California shares the experience of serving a nearby community struck by a historic wildfire. 

Editor’s note: In January 2025, the Eaton wildfire in Southern California, U.S., killed at least 19 people and destroyed over 9,000 buildings. It was the second most destructive wildfire in California’s history and the fifth deadliest.  

By Alice Perez, president, Kiwanis Club of La Cañada 

When the Eaton fire tore through the hills above Altadena, California, it left a trail of devastation — and a call to action. To this day, driving by the area affects all who pass, including members of the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada. In fact, many of our club’s members were forced to evacuate during the fire. But once they could meet again, their first thought was: How can we best help those hit the hardest? 

Immediately, our club formed a Fire Relief Subcommittee with a heartfelt mission: to help the 27 teachers and staff members of La Cañada Unified School District 27 who had lost their homes. 

That compassionate impulse quickly grew into something bigger — so we sought help from the Kiwanis California Nevada Hawaii District. The club submitted a proposal for a Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha (CNH) Children’s Fund Disaster Assistance Matching Grant.  

Much to our members’ joy, it was approved. The CNH Children’s Fund Board voted to provide a matching grant from the Cal-Nev-Ha Children’s Fund Disaster Assistance Program to our club’s US$13,500 proposal. The combined contributions, totaling $27,000, made it possible to provide $1,000 directly to each of the 27 displaced school teachers and staff. 

“When our teachers hurt, our children feel it too,” says Bob Larsen, president of the CNH Children’s Fund. “By helping these educators and school staff recover, we’re investing in the future of our children.” 

The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada members (above) gather to thank the Cal-Nev-Ha Children’s Fund Disaster Assistance Program for their amazing matching grant which helped 27 teachers and staff of the La Cañada Unified School District who lost homes in the Eaton Fire. (Photo courtesy of Trish McRae)

Restoring dignity and comfort
The recipients’ responses were deeply moving. “Yesterday, I received the $1,000 disaster relief check from Kiwanis and it brought me to tears,” one teacher wrote. “Support like this reminds me that even in the midst of such loss, we are not alone.” 

Another instructor wrote: “I have always felt the support of Kiwanis and all that they do to honor our Terrific Kids. You are a special organization that truly lives up to its mission to improve the world one child and one community at a time. As time passes, it is nice to know that we haven’t been forgotten.” 

The La Cañada club didn’t stop there. We assembled Welcome Home Kits to benefit Union Station Homeless Services, located near the Eaton Fire burn zone. That project was inspired by a fire relief initiative led by California-Nevada-Hawaii Division 03 Lieutenant Governor Trish McRae. 

“Recovery is not only about rebuilding homes,” McRae says. “It’s about restoring dignity and comfort. These Welcome Home Kits are small gifts with a big message: You are seen. You are supported. And you are not alone.” 

Our club also is directing a portion of the proceeds from our second annual Golf Ball Drop fundraiser to assist the 250 La Cañada Unified School District students impacted by the disaster — demonstrating that the Kiwanis commitment to service reaches far beyond a single event or donation. 

5 things to discover in the new Key Club book

5 things to discover in the new Key Club book

Aug 13, 2025 | General interest, News, Service Leadership Programs | 0 comments

Find out what’s inside “A Century of Service,” the new book celebrating Key Club’s 100th anniversary.

By Erin Chandler 

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Key Club in 2025, we decided to create something big: a hardcover “coffee-table” book full of pictures and fun facts spanning Key Club’s entire first century! “A Century of Service” is available for purchase now in the Kiwanis Family Store. 

Here are five things you can look forward to seeing in the Key Club centennial book: 

  • Key Club history. Have you ever wondered exactly when and how Key Club got started? Who the Nininger Award was named for? When women first joined Key Club — and how they participated in service projects and conventions before that? All those answers and more can be found in the book’s timeline, profiles of Key Club heroes, lists of award recipients and tons of photos that give glimpses into Key Club history. 
  • Evolving fashion. You only have to look at the gallery of past Key Club presidents to see how trends have come and gone. Behold how the excessive use of hair products in the 1940s gives way to the crew cuts of the 1950s, only to return in the first decade of the 2000s. Judge which era boasted the snazziest neckties. Compare the style of a 1978 dance marathon to one in 2012. Photos of vintage Key Club pins, sweaters and hats also appear throughout the book. In Chapter 4, you can even count the cowboy hats that have appeared at Key Club conventions — the one accessory that spans the decades! 
  • Interesting service projects. In our collection of photographs, you’ll see which Key Club projects are truly timeless — clothing, food and book drives, for example — and which are rooted in a specific time and place — like participating in telethons. You’ll even find some unusual projects, such as cleaning a decommissioned battleship or dressing like superheroes for a holiday party. Maybe you’ll get inspiration for your next big Key Club or Kiwanis family project! 
  • Celebrity cameos. Key Club’s dedication to service has drawn its share of celebrity attention over the years. In addition to notable Key Club alumni, including two U.S. Senators and current “Today” cohost Craig Melvin, the eagle-eyed reader will spot photos of comedians Soupy Sales and Jerry Lewis, actresses Kim Novak and Ginny Sims, First Lady Nancy Reagan, singer Pat Boone, astronaut John Glenn, boxer Jack Dempsey and gymnast Laurie Hernandez. See if you can find them all! 
  • YOU? Paging through photos from 100 years of service, conventions, chartering ceremonies and more, it’s just possible that you might see yourself, a friend or a family member! There’s only one way to find out: Purchase your copy of “A Century of Service.”