December Message

Dear Kiwanis Family Members,

I hope everyone is battening down the hatches and preparing for what is reported to be the first real winter storm on the season. Here, we are supposed to get a few inches of the white stuff, beginning and ending with sleet. I’ll take feet of snow (we had 17 feet total here in Corry last year) over sleet and ice any day. When I hear about an impending storm I often think how each region of the Commonwealth has a different perception of just what constitutes a storm. Up here, in the NW corner, we don’t even contemplate closing schools until a couple of feet are predicted to fall in a twenty-four hour period, and that’s only if the wind is blowing and it’s below zero! Center state or near Philly, all that it might take is a few inches of snow and, because of the lack of snow removal equipment, everything comes to a standstill. People from each area of the district might perceive adverse weather in their area, even though it is decidedly different, as a storm. See what I mean about perception becoming reality, based on someone’s own experience and circumstance?

Just as everyone perceives a storm differently, we all have a perception about what it takes to be a good Kiwanian. Now, I didn’t say great, because that would be the person who never misses a meeting, does all the projects, volunteers to chair every committee, sponsors a new member once a month etc. etc. etc. I think you get the picture. There are even members who you might not perceive being worth much at all but if they attend the occasional meeting or project, and this is all the time they have right now, then they are worthwhile Kiwanians, too. No matter how we perceive ourselves as a member, we can all be a little better. Step up to volunteer to head a new project or attend an interclub at a Service Leadership Program meeting. Offer to help your president do the club assessment or to phone members that haven’t attended a meeting in a while. “Share Our Story” of relevant service, lasting friendship and membership growth by offering membership to someone you think would make a good Kiwanis member if only he or she were asked. Make the effort to do a little more to change the world and maybe you can become someone’s perception of that great Kiwanian!

I finished up my last regional meetings a few weeks ago and, just as I did last month, I want to relate a couple of stories that came out those visits. I think it’s important for all of us to hear what is taking place across this great district, so here goes:

In Region 5 I attended the 90th anniversary celebration for the Kiwanis Club of York. Not many clubs have the distinction of providing nine decades of service. Over the past few years their numbers have dwindled but they are a strong club with good projects, great fellowship and a solid respect for each other. It was a privilege to share the celebration with them and I understand that the club will be undertaking a membership campaign in the near future so I’ll plan a return trip, if I’m invited, when they induct a group of new Kiwanians. Later in the week I attend (or was subjected to) the Tri-Governor Roast. Governors Danielle, Kady and myself were roasted. It was a great night with all branches of the K Family represented in the audience of well over one hundred people.

Region 7’s meeting was a K Family event. Great forums were held and pop tabs to help “fill the whatever” were presented to Builders Club Administrator Jason Thomas. There were enough tabs to fill his trunk and back seat. If you aren’t part of this collection already, now is the best time to start. Contact me for pick-up arrangements or just report the number of pounds of tabs you club or Service Leadership Program donates to a kid-related charity. Keynote speaker for the event was a representative from the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a non-profit organization started by a little girl who died from cancer. There was not a dry eye in the house as we heard how this child, who knew she was dying, thought only about giving hope to others. If you would like to know more about how your club can get involved, check into this charity at www.alexslemonade.org.

On the new club opening front, the Allegheny North Club in Division 5 in Region 2 is well underway. By my next “installment” in January, the club will be near the organization stage if not organized already. Division 15 in Region 6 is in the preliminary stages of opening a club in Nanticoke. It’s very early in the process but things are taking shape. After the first of the year I except there will be a flurry of New Club Opening activity going on. Just because a club isn’t being opened in your own back yard doesn’t mean we can’t use your help. It’s the ideal way to get your feet wet and learn first hand how to open a new club or help you learn how to initiate a plan to increase membership in your own club as well. If you want to be involved, please contact your Lt. Governor, me or Governor-elect John Burke.

Speaking of inviting a new member into Kiwanis … I always thought that all a club needed was relevant, frequent service projects and great meetings to increase membership. I was wrong. You need to “Share Our Story,” every chance you get, AND ask someone you think worthy of Kiwanis membership to join. Odds are against a new member seeking out your club. You have to make the first move and tell the prospective member what they can do for the club and what Kiwanis membership can do for them. I won’t insult your intelligence by saying it’s the easiest thing you ever did but I will tell you it can be one of the most valuable things you’ve ever done for the one child and one community we are obligated to help

As many of you already know, our daughter Maeghan and her husband John are in Norman, Oklahoma and both are working at the University of Oklahoma. They’ve been there only a few months but are settled in, have made friends, sing in a church choir and Maeghan has transferred her Kiwanis membership to the Norman club. I hope it won’t be too long before John joins as well. We spent about ten days with them over Thanksgiving and it was nice to see first hand how well they are doing. While there, David and I went with Texas-Oklahoma Governor Jerry Ward to attend some club meetings. Although customs are a little different there, we have one thing in common with the T-O members: a love for Kiwanis and the opportunities for service that it presents. At every meeting we attended we were warmly greeted, folks were interested in what projects were taking place in PA and they wanted to tell us all about what they were doing also. It was a great chance to “Share Our Story” with other’s who are changing the world, too.

Until next month,