Kiwanis Visionaries enrich membership 

Kiwanis Visionaries enrich membership 

In a Malaysia club, personal and professional growth add value for members. 

By Destiny Cherry

The Kiwanis Club of Visionaries (KCV) from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, is adding value to membership — and redefining the traditional member experience. In collaboration with the Kiwanis Malaysia District, the newly chartered club has launched a monthly initiative: professional development and networking sessions titled “Kiwanis Malaysia Networking.”  

These sessions are open to all — members, prospective members and guests — to create a platform for community connection and an opportunity for increased Kiwanis visibility.  

Combining service with professional and personal growth opportunities is part of the club’s vision for its mission and its membership, says Adrian Ung, the club’s 2024-25 president.  

“The networking and learning series is our way of staying relevant to today’s professionals,” Ung says, “while furthering the Kiwanis mission of service to children and communities.” 

Each networking session is thoughtfully crafted to ensure interaction, engagement, meaningful connections and diversity of professional backgrounds. Past events have featured local entrepreneurs, authors, career coaches, business leaders and more — each offering practical takeaways and an interactive Q&A. 

The results have been evident, Ung says. Members feel proud to host impactful community sessions, which strengthens their engagement and commitment to the club, while guests have welcomed the fresh approach of blending service with professional development. This angle also has helped attract individuals excited to belong to a progressive club. 

Does your club want to establish a similar initiative? 

“Start simple but focus on quality content,” Ung says. “Invite speakers who can both inspire and connect with the audience. Keep the format interactive, not just one-way talks. Use the events as a bridge for membership recruitment and engagement.” 

A president’s challenge sparks club growth 

A president’s challenge sparks club growth 

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!  

How to retain resigning members

How to retain resigning members

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!