Whether a guest presentation goes well depends a lot on club preparation.
By Julie Saetre
Most Kiwanis clubs know that inviting speakers to meetings adds interest for members — helping them learn about potential service projects or partnerships. For community leaders, it can also be an effective introduction to Kiwanis. But to ensure that the experience is productive and positive for both parties, it’s important to prepare. These tips can help.
Establish clear guidelines. Give the speaker as much information as possible so they can make the most effective presentation:
Confirm the meeting date, place and time.
Make sure you and the speaker agree on their content.
Request the spelling and pronunciation of the speaker’s name and a resume to help you (or the appropriate club member) make a proper introduction.
Let the speaker know the meeting’s agenda, the time allocated for the speech (and the Q&A session if you offer one), and the approximate time the meeting will end.
Provide the number of members expected to attend.
Detail any available equipment the speaker can use (e.g., screen, lectern, audiovisual equipment, computer, etc.).
Explain the club dress code, if any.
Make the speaker feel welcome. Ask an officer or member to greet the speaker upon arrival and introduce them personally to other members. Provide a guest or speaker’s badge and seat them at the head table (if applicable). Have water available within easy reach of the speaker during the presentation. Designate an officer or member to officially introduce the speaker and provide their credentials before the presentation.
Promote Kiwanis. If the speaker agrees, invite local media to attend the meeting and presentation. Kiwanis International has tips and tools to help. And don’t forget to add a properly branded Kiwanis logo to your podium or lectern for photo opportunities.
End on a positive note. When the presentation concludes, thank the speaker and offer an inexpensive token of appreciation. Consider a donation on the speaker’s behalf to a cause that reflects your club’s focus on service and community.
Follow up. A day or two after the presentation, send the speaker a note of appreciation on behalf of the club. And don’t forget to invite them to join Kiwanis!
For club presidents and anybody who aspires to be one, here are some ways to keep members coming back.
By Julie Saetre
From members who have been with your Kiwanis club for years to those who have just joined, everyone wants to feel appreciated — and part of something special. Here are a few important ways to make it happen.
Listen to your members Conduct a member satisfaction survey to find out what matters to your club, then schedule a retreat with club leaders to review the results. Identify current club elements to maintain and develop, other efforts that should be changed or dropped, and new ideas you should consider implementing.
Take advantage of available resources Your Kiwanis district and Kiwanis International are ready to help you. Contact your district office to get advice from the district membership team. In the meantime, the Kiwanis International website offers valuable resources, such as the club president leadership guide and Kiwanis Club President 101 and 202 training videos.
Also, attend the Kiwanis International convention and your district’s annual conventions. You’ll find a wealth of workshops and events that offer information from subject experts and fellow Kiwanians. The 2024 Kiwanis International Convention even includes a Club Leader Academy.
Value your members Make club meetings meaningful: Always have an agenda and respect your members’ time by sticking to the schedule. Also meet monthly with your club board to evaluate progress toward club goals. Include some fun events in your annual schedule to reward members for their hard work and give them the opportunity to foster friendships and connections. Use every possible opportunity to recognize club members and honor their efforts.
And don’t forget the importance of new members. Make sure they get a meaningful induction and new-member orientation. Guide your officers and members in making new Kiwanians feel welcome, needed and appreciated.
Strengthen your club The more club members you have, the more children you can help. Conduct at least one concentrated membership drive campaign during the year. The Kiwanis Two For Two membership growth tool is a great place to start. Kiwanis International also has a club toolbox detailing how to create a membership plan, find a club coach and hold a club boost.
What if you were able to recognize a problem and figure out the best way to solve it?
There are countless headlines about events that make us want to reach out and help. The pandemic. Natural disasters. Hunger. Homelessness. The list goes on and on. But there’s good news in there: We can do something about it. No matter how small a step we take, we can go in the right direction to make this world happier, safer and healthier for everyone. The first step is recognizing what needs to happen. Then we do the work. Sounds hard, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Every act of service puts us closer to a better world. The photos on the following pages show acts of service by members of Kiwanis from all over the world. You’ll see service in every form — from life-changing medical, educational and disaster-relief support to community fundraisers and cultural events that bring people from all walks of life together for fun. Helping others goes beyond building a home or funding a scholarship — though many members have done just that. Helping others can also create experiences that leave positive memories for a lifetime. We hope you find the inspiration to make a difference. Just ask yourself: What if?
Angelo Ciardella
In times of a pandemic
Many Kiwanis members played key roles in the fight against COVID-19, including personal support worker and nursing student Angelo Ciardella, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
What if you could reach children wherever they are?
Kids need help at home, at school, in sports, in hospitals … all over and everywhere. Members of Kiwanis clubs help children and families in all areas of the world, be it during a Kiwanis One Day event in Japan, teaching music at the Institute for Blind Children in Owinska, Poland (above) or providing bicycles to children in Lesotho, Africa (below). There are children who need help right now, even in your own backyard. Reaching them through a Kiwanis club offers you a friendly environment for providing all types of much-needed service.
What if you could help when it’s needed most?
Emergencies are unpredictable and almost always require immediate attention. Kiwanis clubs have been at the ready for more than 100 years, providing help when the unforeseen strikes. When children need special braces in Mongolia, Kiwanis is there. When hurricanes leave destruction and devastation in their paths, Kiwanis members are there to stock shelves with much-needed food and health supplies. When a struggling family needs somewhere safe to call home, the Kiwanis family is there with hammers and nails. And when refugees need everything to start their lives anew, Kiwanis is there to offer clothing, food, supplies, help and a warm welcome. Kids need Kiwanis. Families need Kiwanis. And Kiwanis is there when needed most.
What if you could give children a safe place to play and learn?
Every kid has a job to do, and that’s to play and learn. As adults, our job is to keep them safe and make sure they have somewhere to do their best work. Kiwanis clubs often have just the project — whether building playgrounds, play spaces and ballparks or providing funds for school supplies and class projects. In Ankara, Turkey, Kiwanians helped make a creative learning environment and studio at a progressive school, where students use drama and art to complement their education.
What if you could help today’s teens become tomorrow’s leaders?
Is anything better than helping kids grow and succeed? Kiwanis members don’t think so. That’s why they dedicate countless hours to working alongside youth. In fact, Kiwanis clubs sponsor the organization’s Service Leadership Programs (K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club and Circle K International) to give young people the opportunity to lead through service. Many people credit their time in Kiwanis youth programs with making them who they are today, providing them opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise and opening doors that might have remained closed. For example, CKI members tackle projects both large and small to make positive change happen in communities — such as the Large Scale Service Projects (above) conducted during many of their annual conventions. Harold Ekah (below) was a Key Club member. He credits a strong support system for his achievement of getting accepted to all eight Ivy League schools. “I want to be able to say I made a difference in my community and made a difference in my world, and that’s what Key Club really inspired me to do,” Ekah says. “If you see something wrong in your community, you have the power to change that.”
Harold Ekah
What if you could help people help themselves?
It’s one thing to give a house to someone who doesn’t have a home. It’s another to work alongside them to build one. But that’s what many Kiwanis members do, for instance, when their clubs work with Habitat For Humanity on projects that change countless lives. And Kiwanians in Nevada don’t just hand out bicycles — they teach people of all ages how to fix and maintain them. In Basel, Switzerland, Kiwanis members support a refugee-run kitchen that provides more than a hot meal and training. It also provides community and hope.
What if you could offer tools for healthier living?
Not everyone has access to healthy foods or the vitamins and minerals people need on a daily basis — or even to clean water. But Kiwanis clubs around the world are there to help when and where they can. In Japan, Kiwanians sponsored a Healthy Cooking Expo. In Calgary, the Apple Festival creates an opportunity for kids to develop a lifelong love for apples. Around the world, Kiwanis members raise funds to ensure salt is iodized as part of the global campaign to end iodine deficiency disorders. And in Guatemala, Key Club members teach children proper handwashing techniques while building a water station at the school there.
What if you could give children the tools to become lifelong readers?
Here are some facts that might surprise you: Children who are read to for at least 20 minutes a day are exposed to almost 2 million words per year. (India leads the world in amount of time spent reading.) The global literacy rate for all people ages 15 and older is right around 86%. But it’s important to point out that about 775 million people can’t read, and the poorest countries still have large segments of the population who are illiterate. Kiwanis knows the importance of literacy and learning. Through countless projects, clubs around the world focus on reading to children, donating books and ensuring that books are available to kids and their families.
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2022 issue of Kiwanis magazine.
