SLP Leadership Training
Kiwanis recognizes the value and importance of its leadership training programs. Such training is crucial because members may not have past Kiwanis-family leadership experience. An effective training program contributes to the effectiveness and success of a club. The success of the program depends on the guidance of the sponsoring Kiwanis club or organization.
OFFICER TRAINING FAQs
Who should be involved in officer training?
Kiwanis Service Leadership programs are member-led. Involving members in training is critical for its success. Outgoing club officers are excellent members to get involved. They will have great ideas and know the needs of the organization’s members and positional leaders. Members of the sponsoring organization would also be good resources to be involved in training. Their experience and mentorship would be beneficial.
When and where should officer training be conducted?
Officer training should take place each time a new team of positional leaders takes office. Training should be scheduled at a convenient and adequate location selected by the advisors and members, such as the club meeting location, a member’s home, a community center, a park or recreation facility.
How long should training last?
The more time put into training and leadership development, the more successful the club will be. Personal development and training should be a year-round part of a member’s experience. The topics for discussion during training should take several hours. Setting aside an afternoon or evening would allow for planning, training and team building.
Who should facilitate and lead the training activities?
Planning training events and facilitating the training are unique skill sets. The same person may not have both of these skills, so encourage more members of the sponsoring organization to get involved. Find individuals who have excellent facilitation skills. There needs to be joint effort from all advisors and sponsoring members to make sure the best training is provided. Previous club officers can be valuable assets in helping to lead activities and officer training. For Key Club and Circle K training, the district governor and lieutenant governors are valuable assets to utilize.
What are things every positional leader needs to know?
Officers need numerous skills to be successful in life and in leadership. There are two kinds of skills they will learn from this and additional training—soft skills and hard skills. Both are equally important to being their best in their position.
What are soft skills and hard skills?
Soft skills are people skills or interpersonal skills and often have to do with how members relate to each other. Examples include:
- Communicating and working effectively with people of all ages and abilities
- Helping resolve member conflict
- Cooperating as a team
- Motivating members to attend service projects
Hard skills can easily be described as the club administrative procedures. Examples include:
- Taking meeting minutes
- Following parliamentary procedure
- Planning a budget
- Setting up a club website (not valid for K-Kids or Builders Club)
- Establishing the year’s calendar of events
What supplies are needed for club-officer training?
- Snacks and drinks (optional)
- Flip chart paper
- Markers and pens
- Nametags
- Notes paper for each participant
- Folder for each participant for handouts (optional)
- One or two ice breakers
What is the recommended training agenda?
Training can be lead all together or, if needed, various sections can be lead at a time. An estimated time is provided under each section. This estimated time could vary based on discussion and the activity selected. At the end of the training, write down topics which need to be discussed further.
Click here for a sample agenda you can print.
Additional leadership education opportunities for
In addition to the above suggestions, you and your SLP club can explore other trainings such as Boys and Girls Club conferences, after-school enrichment programs for adults/parents, leadership-development training through community centers or student council trainings.
Each district tailors its training offerings. If you or your Kiwanis club wants to offer district or regional trainings, you are encouraged to coordinate the opportunity with your district administrator and/or Service Leadership Programs coordinator. There are resources available throughout the Kiwanis programs that you could implement.