Convention - Saturday Speech

Good Evening Kiwanis Family Friends,

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I was installed as Governor Elect. At that time I thought taking office was far into the future. That future is just a few short weeks away. Right now I am experiencing almost every emotion known to man: from humility, elation, fear, apprehension and gratitude. But the one that I feel most strongly, and one that I hope you feel as well, is excitement. I’m excited because I know the PA District will grow in relevant service. I know it will grow in friendship opportunities. And I know it will grow in membership as well.

Over the past three years I have had some of the best hands-on training a Governor could ever have by being part of the Pennsylvania Trustee system. Because of this I believe I have a good foundation and understanding of how our district functions. Much of the credit belongs to Executive Director Kevin Thomas. He shared the inner-workings of the organization with our board and for this I will be forever grateful.

I took my place on the board under the leadership of Governor Bill Brandamore and he taught me much about teamwork and servant leadership. Next came Governor Mike Frailey who shared ideas and concepts about leadership education and development like no one I have even known. And then there is Governor Dick. The most important lesson he taught me was to never, ever, under any circumstances, no matter what, tell a joke! But in all seriousness, he taught me that you must believe in yourself and those around you. That you must keep your eyes on the prize. I hope I remember his lessons in the year to come. Thank you Governor Dick. Please thank Governor Dick yourselves by bringing in new hands of service before the end of this Kiwanis year. Governor Dick has done his part by working to open new clubs and by bringing members into his own club. If we all do one tenth as much as he has done there is no doubt we will have a membership increase this year.

When I was at Governor training this past January, President-elect Dave Curry gave us a pin that read “Share Our Story.” The problem was, he didn’t explain what the phrase meant. Some of my class of Governors-elect immediately took those words as their own. After giving it much thought, I realized those were the perfect words to describe my vision for our great district. I hope you will agree with that vision and make it your vision, too.

I thought that if I just stood before you and read a speech you might not remember what I said by tomorrow. So, I’m going to use a prop to help you visualize what I want to convey.

Everyone knows about the Kiwanis Growth stool. It’s used when we talk about the three legs of membership: retention, recruitment and New Club Opening. Now we have a “Share Our Story” stool with four legs instead of three and its legs stand for relevant service, lasting friendship, and membership growth. We’ll get to the fourth leg in a minute.

The first leg of our stool stands for relevant service, the kind of service that our Kiwanis moments are made of. It’s the feeling you get after reading to a child and she gives you her favorite stuffed animal as her only way to say thanks; It’s getting tears in your eyes as you watch a little boy grasp his Bring Up Grades certificate and say “Now my mom won’t think I’m stupid anymore”; It’s the fund raising project that helps a widowed mother buy school clothes for her two young children. That’s the kind of relevant service that makes us Kiwanians.

The second leg stands for lasting friendship. It’s making a new friend or seeing an old one every time you attend convention; It’s taking time to say a prayer when a Kiwanian’s husband or parent is having health problems; It’s not being ashamed to shed a tear in front of a fellow Kiwanian because you know they will understand that the tear is because Kiwanis made a difference in the life of a child. That’s the kind of lasting friendship that makes us Kiwanians.

The third leg of the Share Our Story stool is membership growth and it’s vital because there are children, and old people, and entire communities, and even countries just waiting for the hands of Kiwanis service and friendship to touch them.

Finally, the fourth leg of the “Share Our Story” stool is supported by the other three. It’s our Kiwanis District. If we take away any of the service, friendship or growth legs, the stool will wobble and maybe fail. Let’s pretend for a moment that a little girl who can’t read, a boy who doesn’t have a safe playground or a poor child from Jamaica is sitting on this stool.

Will we make sure that each leg of the “Share Our Story” stool is strong enough to support those children? Will you help the legs grow stronger every day to make sure that the “Share Our Story” stool grows stronger every day? As we strengthen each leg, we will strengthen our District, so that we can change the world one child and one community at a time.