A conversation with the right person could convince someone to stay.

By Tony Knoderer

 What happens when a Kiwanian decides not to renew their membership? Well, there’s the procedural answer: They tell the club secretary, who is responsible for updating the roster before the club is invoiced for member dues. 

But wait! There’s another question to ask first: How can your club keep that member? Remember, some people leave Kiwanis clubs when life circumstances get in the way or they feel a bit disconnected from the other members — not because they’ve lost touch with the club’s mission. 

Who In your club could have a conversation with the resigning member to discuss the value they bring to Kiwanis and the community? Here are a few possibilities to consider: 

• Membership chair or committee member. This is a logical answer, since recruitment and retention are the official responsibilities of the membership chair or committee. But is this the person who knows the most about the member? If your membership chair is, in fact, influential in retaining members, ask that person to talk with the member. Questions they could ask: Is there a better option for their membership — for instance, can the member become a satellite member, which allows them to remain in your club and “Kiwanis differently” from their counterparts? 

• Chair of the member’s favorite project. This is often the best answer. What is the member’s favorite project? Ask the chair of that project to connect with the resigning member. What’s the value they bring to the project — and what will the project miss because the member is no longer involved? What ideas does the member have for improving the project? 

• Board members. Many clubs take a list of members they fear may be leaving the club and divide the names between the club’s board members — who then contact the assigned member to have a conversation. Make sure the board members know as much as possible about each member they will contact, including their membership history, how and why they joined, and why they’re planning to leave.  

• Sponsor. Who brought the member to the club? Why did they feel that person was right for Kiwanis? Ask the sponsor to reach out and remind the member why they were invited to join. Dig deep — is something missing from their club experience? Are your service projects no longer relevant for them? What is the member’s passion? Can the club find a way to connect that passion to a current project — or even start a new service project or fundraiser?  
• Best Kiwanis friend. Every member has that one fellow club member they rely on or feel closest to. Who do they sit next to during meetings? Who do they “buddy up” with on projects? Why would this person miss the resigning member? 

No matter which club member is the best person to speak with a resigning member, the key is to have the conversation — rather than just accepting that a person is leaving. Sometimes just knowing that someone in the club cares enough to notice is a powerful incentive to stay. And the more a fellow member or set of members know about the resigning member personally, the more likely they are to convince them to stay — by being responsive to what they seek from Kiwanis membership. 

Remember, you can even show people who have already left the club that you still value them enough to miss them. We call it reMembering — and we welcome you to check out some tips you can use and pass along to fellow club members!

Members help “alert adults” recognize and address dangers to kids.

By Julie Saetre

For more than five decades, Sharon Doty has worked as an advocate for abused and neglected kids, both professionally through her law practice and as a volunteer for a variety of organizations. When a friend encouraged her to explore Kiwanis membership, she attended meetings of a few virtual clubs, but nothing seemed to fit. 

“We started talking about something that would call to me,” Doty says. “My life has been in service of creating a world where no child ever has to fear being sexually assaulted by someone who says they care about them. My life has been about educating adults how to recognize the potentially risky adults in our environment and how to interrupt behaviors so that kids are not at risk.” 

In September 2024, Doty was part of a group that launched the virtual Keeping Them Safe Kiwanis Club. As its membership chair, she works with the club’s 14 other members to empower Kiwanians to expand their capacity for creating safe, protective environments for kids. The club’s presentations are based on training materials from the Keeping Them Safe organization Doty founded in 1996. 

Identifying behaviors
Through in-person presentations, Zoom meetings, a PowerPoint presentation and more, club members teach other Kiwanians how to recognize behaviors in adults that indicate they could be a threat to children. Multiple studies involving conversations with convicted sexual predators have identified these behaviors, Doty says. And some of them can be easily overlooked. One example: letting a child have or do something their parents have prohibited — such as playing a certain video game or drinking a sugary soda — as long as the child keeps it a secret.  

“I would bet you a million dollars, because I am a grandparent, that there’s not a grandparent, aunt or uncle out there who hasn’t done something mom and dad won’t allow the kids to do, because it’s not harmful in their world,” Doty says. “But you’ve taught the kids two things. One is that it’s OK not to follow mom and dad’s rules. And the second is that if a responsible, trusted adult tells them not to tell mom and dad, that’s OK too.  

“So now, inadvertently, with no intention of causing harm, we have taught them things that create an environment where a predator can access them.” 

The club also teaches Kiwanians non-threatening, non-accusatory methods of addressing such behaviors once they’ve learned to identify them. Something as simple as saying, “Wow, that child’s parents wouldn’t let me give them a soda last week. Let’s double-check with them to make sure it’s OK,” both interrupts the behavior and puts the individual on alert that other people are paying attention. 

Alert adults
While those who hear the club’s presentations find the information helpful, some hesitate to pursue additional training or implementation. The reason, Doty says, is that they’re afraid that simply showing interest in the topic will appear inappropriate to others.  

“We’re not accusing anybody,” Doty says. “These are the things that actually empower and enable us to fulfill this mission of creating safe environments. That kind of interest in being willing to go forward with the conversation is the beginning of something. We want to begin with Kiwanians having ownership of this as a way we can impact the world. I call it a community of alert adults.” 

To reach even more people, the Keeping Them Safe club is creating a library of educational videos and a companion YouTube channel. The club has partnered with a nonprofit that will produce the videos so more individuals can be aware and involved. 

“Our initial goal is to create 12 four-minute videos that educate adults and empower them to create safe environments,” Doty says. 

Virtual clubs and single-focus clubs are two opportunities for Kiwanians to tailor a service experience to their personal interests and goals. Learn more about the various types of Kiwanis clubs.