Pennsylvania District of Kiwanis International

Executive Director

Kevin Thomas - Executive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT 2007 DISTRICT CONVENTION

DATE: August 22, 2007

  • In the 2005-06 year, the District showed a membership increase of 335 members bringing our membership to 6,116 as of September 30, 2006. This marked the second consecutive year of District membership increases after 11 years of membership losses.
  • In the 2005-06 year, we opened 7 new clubs matching the 2004-05 total of new clubs. That marks the first time since the late 1980’s that we built or opened 7 new clubs or more in consecutive administrative years. The new clubs are Kingston, Delaware Valley, Blairsville, Parkland, Hatboro, Upper Bucks and Fort LeBeouf.
  • In the 2005-06 year, we had six clubs surrender their charters or had their charters revoked. Those clubs were Windber, Historic Gettysburg, Stroudsburg Golden K, Bushkill, Norristown and Yeadon.
  • The 2005-06 year marked the fifth time in the last six years that the District operated in the black. Your District Board of Trustees has done an excellent job of restoring the District’s financial health over the last seven years. Between prudent management and outstanding results from our reserve fund investments, we have made strong fiscal progress over the last 10 years. However, prudence and caution still must be the fiscal guideposts if we are to continue to make gains and improvements.
  • For the second consecutive year, the Pennsylvania District was a Distinguished District in Kiwanis International. This marks the first time since the early 1950’s that the District achieved this recognition two consecutive years. Congratulations are in order to all 2005-06 members, Club leaders, District Chairs, Lt. Governors, District Board members and Governor Mike Frailey
  • For the 2006-07 administrative year and as of July 31, 2007, District membership stood at 5,737 members which represents a decline of 379 members. I am hopeful that with on going membership campaigns and new club opening efforts, we can make up most if not all of this deficit.
  • Two new clubs have been opened in the 2006-07 year. Those clubs are Mainline West and Wellsboro.
  • So far this year six clubs have surrendered their charters or had them revoked. They are Cranberry-Seneca, Farrell, Blair Golden K, Duncansville, West Allentown and Yardley-Wakefield-Morrisville. Additionally, the Reading and Berks County Clubs have merged into the Greater Reading-Berks County Club.
  • The District is in the process of the launching a redesigned District Web Page. Please stop by the District Web Page Table to take a look at the new design. The redesigned site will allow for greater functionality for both the District and Clubs. Additionally, it will be easier to update information and keep all information more current. We thank Cathy and David Szymanski as well as Dick Kisslak for providing the leadership and resources necessary to make this professional redesign happen. We thank Webmaster Neil Young for his cooperation and work in making the transition to this new design. And we also thank Neil for his continued service as Webmaster and more importantly for getting us a web presence and maintaining that on a shoestring for many years.
  • A comment on new club opening. Some Kiwanis clubs have expressed the opinion that they do not want to participate in new club building or opening because they need to build up their own club. Unfortunately, they rarely follow through on building up their club. But even if they do, new club opening and building membership in existing clubs are not mutually exclusive propositions. Both can take place at the same time. But by not participating in new club opening what is happening is that the children in communities and areas without Kiwanis Clubs are not being given the opportunity for Kiwanis service, for Key Clubs, Builders Clubs and K-Kids clubs, for Kiwanis Scholarships and for the all the opportunity a Kiwanis club provides a community. And that is why every Kiwanis club and Kiwanis member should participate in the process of extending Kiwanis to communities and areas where it does not exist.
  • Finally and most importantly I want to report on just a few of the many positive aspects of our Kiwanis Service in Pennsylvania. Our Sponsored Leadership Programs continue to provide great inspiration. Key Club in Pennsylvania has 205 clubs with over 12,600 members and provides great levels of service. The Circle K program in Pennsylvania, with nearly 900 members, is perhaps the finest in the Kiwanis world and member for member, Circle K provides more service than any of the Kiwanis family organizations including Kiwanis. Our Builders, K-Kids and Aktion club programs provide tremendous service and produce many award winners in the various competitions at the International level. For our PA Reads program, over 2,000 Kiwanians spent over 7,000 hours reading to over 25,000 children. In relation to our Foundations, club giving to both the District and International Foundations is up over previous years.