>Nebraska Iowa Kiwanian
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Nebraska Iowa Kiwanian |
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| Vol 53, No. 1 | Serving the Children of the World | November December 2007 |
It’s About Time Rick Warren, in his book The Purpose Driven Life, says that the best way to spell "love" is TIME. I think that we all know what he means. If you love someone, you will spend the time with them and be there when the timeless moments happen.
I have chosen as my 2007-08 Nebraska-Iowa District theme "It's About Time." In many ways, the word time has three principal meanings:
Let me share something about each as it pertains to Kiwanis.
First, it is the right moment for us to reverse the trend in declining membership. Kiwanis has gradually shrunk for a decade. Internationally, we have lost 50,000 members. In our district, we are down over 2,000 members. It's about time to change that, and provide more hands and hearts for Kiwanis service.
Second, as I make my rounds among the 24 divisions, I am impressed with the great service that is occurring in the name of Kiwanis.
Third, the word time suggests dates on the calendar. Be sure to put these dates on your club and personal calendars:
Remember, "It's About Time." Thanks for all that you invest to make the Nebraska-Iowa District a fantastic district. I am proud to be your Governor.
Governor Mark
[NOTE: The images in this story are links to the larger original image]
This year’s Key Leader Weekend at the Nebraska 4-H camp will be remembered for a long, long time. It will make an impact on the 103 students who were there from Nebraska and Iowa; it will take the students several days to come down from their ‘high’ of the weekend activities; and there will be a realization that they have a mission to help their community and themselves.
What is the Key Leader Program? It is one of the very best dynamic programs that Kiwanis has developed; and it focuses on our most important resource, the young students that are in high school. It will impact their role to the community long in the future.
Loveland Golden K Kiwanis was one of the many Kiwanis clubs that made contacts, presented programs, talked to school counselors and transported students to and from camp. They also help set up the facilities at camp to get ready for the weekend’s programs. There were other Kiwanians who gave the whole weekend to Key Leader as chaperons. A total of fifteen Kiwanis members were there to ensure that the students would enjoy the weekend and renew their commitments to themselves and others.
Our students returned with glowing comments; they asked to return next year to participate as student facilitators.
One of these students captured the essence of the weekend and wrote a special thank-you note to the person who felt so strongly about the program that he nominated her to attend. The following is her letter of thanks (Amanda is Jack DeMay’s granddaughter):
Dear Grandpa, Thank you so very much for sending me to this leadership camp. It is such an amazing place and I am planning on coming back next year, hopefully as a leader. I think what you and your Kiwanis club does is wonderful. I really appreciate you giving me this opportunity to learn and grow with these wonderful people.
It has been such an overwhelming experience I have been given. I think it should be required that everyone go to this camp. It is amazing! So thank you for opening my eyes and giving me this chance to shine.
Amanda, November 3, 2007
There is no doubt, that through our Kiwanis clubs and their members, these students will make a difference. Several of these youths have already indicated interest about Key Clubs in their schools so that they could continue the activities learned at the Key Leader Weekend.
That truly says it all about Key Leadership!
2008 should be an exciting year for Nebraska-Iowa Key Leader. The Iowa Key Leader Camp has been scheduled for April 18-20, 2008 at the Wildwood Hills Ranch camp south of Des Moines near Winterset, Iowa. If your students were not able to register for the Nebraska Camp this year, please consider registering them for the Iowa camp in 2008. A Nebraska Camp is being planned for later in 2008.
The Key Leader Web site does not show this date yet, nor are any of the registration banks open for 2008 events. A new on-line registration system will be introduced in early February. Instructions and information about it will be sent to all clubs when it is available.
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| Getting ready for the students | A very happy student facilitator | |
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| Getting to know each other | Students getting ready for a challenge | |
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| Nothing like a warm bonfire to keep the chill off! |
Here's the secret to increasing Kiwanis membership: As soon as you finish reading this article, you must invite someone to Kiwanis. Pass it on to one person and you'll reap a small reward. Pass it on to ten people or more and you'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.
What would you do if you received a message like that in your e-mail inbox? Does it sound too much like one of those crazy e-mails people insist on forwarding? Like finding new Kiwanis members is some kind of magic. You're probably thinking, "That's never going to work."
Well, the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Des Moines got a message like that recently. They're actually passing it on. They want to add 40 new members in 90 days. They've made it a project. They're inviting guests to two meetings where members tell their personal Kiwanis stories.
Who ever heard of a membership project, you ask? Reading to kids, starting a Key Club, holding a pancake day – those are projects. Membership is just something you do when the attendance gets so low at meetings you have to do something about it.
A membership project would take a committee. You'd have to put it on the calendar and make plans for it just as you do when you collect Christmas presents for kids or pass out bicycle helmets. It would end up being an annual event. Clubs never go after new members every year, do they? Usually it's only when everyone in the club has held every office twice.
You could never get 40 new members in 90 days. You might get five or even ten. There was a club in Kearney, Nebraska that doubled its membership with one membership drive. Do you think Kearney, Nebraska is a real place?
Yes, it's just plain foolish to think that if everyone who reads The Kiwanian decided to invite someone to Kiwanis, they could become wealthy. Clubs putting membership on project status couldn't possibly open the doors to Ft. Knox.
They say only three percent of the people in this country belong to any service organization. What do people want, a special invitation to join? The best that could possibly be hoped for is that some of the 75 percent of people who have never received an invitation to visit any service club would actually hear about Kiwanis. If any of those people joined, clubs might get a few new ideas, have a little more fun and serve some more kids. Some people might even make new friends with someone they would never meet anywhere but at a Kiwanis meeting.
The only people who would call that being rich beyond their wildest dreams are cockeyed optimists who believe they can change the world starting with their own communities, and consider themselves rich when they're surrounded by friends or when they help put a smile on a child's face.
Now, it's up to you. Will you forward the Kiwanis message to at least one person, or will you just delete it?
More than 135 Kiwanis members, spouses, special guests and family of Jane Erickson were present at Johnny’s Café one Saturday evening in October to pay tribute to a very special Kiwanian. It was a special Kiwanis gathering because it recognized and celebrated Jane’s election as President of the Kiwanis International Foundation! This gender-significant accomplishment dates back to 1987 when the Washington, D.C. delegates from all member countries voted to allow women to become part of our great organization.
Jane Erickson is one of those Kiwanians who has served in many positions in the Nebraska-Iowa District, serving as Distinguished President of the Fort Dodge Noon club, Distinguished Lieutenant Governor, and Distinguished District Governor. She is the first woman to serve on the Kiwanis International Foundation Board, and the first woman to be elected President of the Foundation.
Jane, an 18-year Kiwanian, is active in her Bellevue-Offutt club as well as serving as the Kiwanis Advisor and co-founder of the Wake Robin K-Kids Club in Bellevue. Jane also was keynote speaker at the Franklin Elementary School K-Kids Charter Night and inducted all the charter members.
Through her leadership on the Kiwanis International Foundation, she has enabled funding for projects serving children all over the world, from providing fresh drinking water in South America to helping build a school house to provide assistance during Hurricane Katrina to helping provide tsunami relief in Asia.
Jane is the owner of the Wellness and Training Works where she teaches strategic planning, teamwork and other organizational topics to for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Jane and husband Gus share a passion for helping children. They have five grown children and seven grandchildren.
The Nebraska-Iowa Key Club District is rolling into the new year in style with the Kids Against Hunger initiative. This involves raising money to buy plastic bags and raw ingredients, including rice, grain, soy and corn, and putting them together at district events through the year. These bags are sealed air-tight and sent to Africa to provide food for hungry families.
Through two district events so far, our Key Club district has put together 24,000 bags of raw materials to be sent to Africa through Feeding Children International to feed starving families. Each bag provides five nutritious meals.
As this initiative does take money for supplies in order to be able to achieve our goals, any donations to the Key Club district would be most appreciated. Kiwanians who are interested in looking into this for a service project can find complete information by visiting the Web site www.feedingchildren.org. Please send your donations to NE-IA Key Club District, Kids Against Hunger, 602 Cyclone Ave, Harlan, IA 51537.
Cooper Domgard
Nebraska-Iowa Key Club District Governor
Date – March 27-29, 2008.
Location – West Des Moines Marriott, 1250 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Times – Check-in should be on Friday beginning around 5:00 p.m. followed by activities all weekend that will wrap up before noon on Sunday.
Cost –$150.00, which includes meals and lodging for two nights.
Registration – Materials should be out in late January.
Date – Departure on either July 8 or 9 and return home on July 15 or 16, 2008.
Location – Denver, Colorado.
Cost – Yet to be determined.
Transportation – Not yet arranged, but expect access to a bus with several pick-up locations.
A post-convention tour is being planned to include the Rockies and more.
Club secretaries can now access their member lists through the KiwanisOne reporting system. The list is pulled from the KI database and shows member names, member ID numbers, join dates, and e-mail addresses. The starting membership number for the year is also supplied.
Secretaries cannot make changes to the member lists at this point – they are for information purposes only.
We are working on other functionality for the club secretaries, and will roll it out as we complete it.
K University at Midyear Conference
The Focus is Team Building, Motivation, Managing Change
Kiwanis International will present K University at the Nebraska-Iowa District Midyear Conference on March 8, 2008, at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This one-day presentation of workshops and forums focuses on team building, motivation, communication and managing change. K University runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and costs only $50/person, including lunch and more.
Kiwanis leaders and professional staff guide sessions and discussions on a variety of issues, including Kiwanis' future, adjusting to change, membership recruitment, service and more.
§ Learn about the Kiwanis vision for the future from Kiwanis International CEO Rob Parker.
§ Participate in dynamic workshops designed to help you and your club excel.
§ Interact with other motivated Kiwanis members and take home new ideas!
Registration is only $50/person and includes lunch, workshop materials, a diploma and a Kiwanis University souvenir. Club group rate: Register five members from your club for the cost of four! Pay only $200 for five members of the same club registered at the same time. Complete registration information and forms will be sent to each club in January.
“Great way to spend a Saturday – learning, networking, and laughing with people who care about the same things!!”
–Kathleen Myers
“Every session was worthwhile, helpful and enlightening.”
–Wilma Meiers
“As a new member, this experience was so valuable to me.”
–Melissa Schwartz
“The best educational program I have ever attended!”
–Don Hallauer
“Best $50 I’ve ever spent.”
–Carolyn Patton
Dear Kiwanian:
I would like to extend an invitation to you and the members of your club to join us at K University. Kiwanis International is excited to come to you!
This event has been designed to offer members the opportunity to meet Kiwanis leaders, learn about Kiwanis and key leadership topics, and interact with motivated Kiwanians without giving up an entire weekend.
An aggressive agenda has been planned for the day with time available for informal interaction over lunch. The Kiwanis-focused topics will include the organization's vision for the future, specifically in North America, new marketing and service initiatives, and ideas for improving your club. Leadership topics will include change, motivation and team building.
Our organization has huge goals, and you are invited to be a part of the future. Take this opportunity to hear the message and get excited about Kiwanis!
Yours in Kiwanis Service,
Dave Curry, International president
8:00 a.m. – Registration
9:00 a.m. – Opening General Session
10:15 a.m. – Workshop choices include:
§ Marketing/Public Relations
§ Team Building
§ Retention
11:30 a.m. – Envisioning Kiwanis' Future
12:30 p.m. – Lunch and Awards Presentations
1:30 p.m. – Workshop choices include:
§ Service in a Box
§ Communication Skills
§ Best Practices
2:45 p.m. – Closing General Session
4:00 p.m. – Adjourn
Plans are being made by the District Education Committee for an evening dinner for district Trainers. This is separate from K University and is by invitation.
Hotel information, for those wanting to spend the night, will be sent out in January.
Regardless how long you have been a Kiwanian, or in what leadership roles you may have served, it is amazing to find out how much we don’t know about our organization. However, March 8, 2008 offers a great opportunity for us to sharpen our knowledge. The District Education Committee urges as many Kiwanis club members as possible (both new and long-timers) to participate in Kiwanis University.
Those of us who have attended Kiwanis University realize we still have a lot to learn, so don’t miss attending this year’s Midyear Conference in Council Bluffs even if you already are a Kiwanis University graduate.
If you would like to be a Trainer in 2008, please indicate your interest to your Lt. Governor or me. Our Education Committee desires all Kiwanis Trainers involved in conducting the 2008 Club Officer Training sessions to have participated in Kiwanis University and to also have computer accessibility. Our goal is to have as many of the Trainers as possible for the 2008 Club Officer Training sessions identified and in attendance at the Midyear Conference on March 8.
We have all heard about “Kiwanis Next,” but none of us fully knows exactly what that means, except we know it will be different from “Kiwanis Now!” Kiwanis Trainers serve a key role in molding the leaders of Kiwanis’ future, so we wish to assemble the strongest cadre possible of well qualified Kiwanians across the Nebraska-Iowa District to lead this effort.
Kiwanis International is rapidly moving into the computer age, and their goal is to use online training to a greater extent in officer training in the future. This is why computer use is listed as a desired qualification as we assemble our cadre of Trainers.
The District Education Committee is requesting each Lt. Governor to let us know if they have someone in their division who is interested in serving as a Kiwanis Trainer, and if this Kiwanian can attend the Midyear Conference in March. The committee is planning a short dinner meeting for the Trainers at the conclusion of the Kiwanis University sessions to review our training plans, and to receive input from the Trainers to formulate the 2008 Club Officer Training sessions.
If you are interested in continuing to serve as a Trainer or becoming a Trainer, but have not been contacted by your Lt. Governor, please let your Lt. Governor know of your interest, or contact me by e-mail at iomtvedt@unl.edu or by phone at 402-489-6146. We encourage our Trainers to collaborate with other Trainers and to work jointly across division lines in conducting the Officer Training sessions, so it is not necessary for each of the 24 divisions in the district to designate their own Trainer.
Our goal is to give all Kiwanians interested in becoming a qualified Trainer the opportunity to do so. Kiwanis’ future is dependent on all clubs having well-trained officers to help mold Kiwanis’ future; therefore, it is critical for us to have a cadre of highly qualified Trainers to provide a solid educational training base.
The Education Committee also urges all Kiwanians to place high priority on enhancing their own knowledge of Kiwanis by using the district and International Web sites, and by participating in as many Kiwanis meetings and activities as possible. We hope to see you at the Midyear in March.
Projects in the Young Children: Priority One (sometimes called YCPO) program serve the children of the world! It is an ongoing service focus of Kiwanis International, addressing the world-wide needs of children “prenatal through age 5.”
Has your club adopted one or more Young Children: Priority One projects for 2008? Now is the time to plan your club’s projects. Various categories of projects are:
Check out the information at the KI Web site at www.kiwanis.org:
Read Around the World brochures, booklists, poster, bookmarks, advertising slicks, and banner-patch order forms are available via download on the KI Web site, or ask about service programs at KI by calling 1-800-KIWANIS (549-2647), dial 1 then 411.
Attention Please!
Send me information about your club’s MOST OUTSTANDING YCPO PROJECT!! I will provide this information to other Nebraska-Iowa clubs. Send me the details of your project at daelweaver@sisna.com.
Most of us think we belong to a good Kiwanis club. After all, we certainly enjoy it. We have a speaker at almost every meeting; most of our members attend most meetings. The secretary does a good job of submitting reports.
But can your club move from being a good club to being a great club? Are you actively helping? Do you attend as many meetings as you possibly can? How about that co-worker who joined several years ago but seldom attends? Have you asked him to come with you? Or the woman who owns the shop next door who also quit coming to your meetings? Have you stopped in to say, “Let’s go to Kiwanis, its meeting day”? When members attend, they learn about activities of the club that they can participate in. They learn about the exciting projects you have just completed. They become INVOLVED.
Are you asking others to enjoy the Kiwanis experience with you? Only by inviting them to join you can we provide more service to our community. Is your club planning on delivering holiday food baskets? Ask a neighbor to help. That is truly what Kiwanis is all about.
Are you recommending new speakers to your programs chair? Perhaps you were at an interclub visit and heard a great speaker. Did you pass on the name? If you enjoyed her, the others in your Kiwanis club probably would also. Perhaps you talked to someone with an interesting story at a party. Someone who taught for a year in Tibet, someone who worked on restoring homes after Hurricane Katrina, someone who displayed a real passion for something they were doing. Invite them to speak to your Kiwanis club. And don’t forget to ask them to join while they are there.
Have you found a real need in your community? Did you read an article about a park that had fallen into disrepair? Or a school library without books? Did you say, “That is a real shame”? Or did you say, “My Kiwanis club can solve that problem” and let your club know of the need?
Only you can turn your club from a good club – a club everyone in town wants to belong to – to a club everyone in trouble turns to – a club that is a great club.
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