Governor

Spring has finally arrived, and it's time to plant the seed for growth!

We've have had a dreadful winter and now it's the time to come together and work toward our goals. Let's go out to our communities and spread the Kiwanis name. We had a Mid-Winter Conference which was electric -- tons of energy between members. There was a buzz of Kiwanis excitement, and so many motivational speeches. Our keynote speaker, Richard Caster, was outstanding. I'm thrilled to report the workshops were filled to capacity and the weekend socials were fun-filled and truly entertaining.

The district opened its arms and embraced all new members and first-timers. Our goal was achieved by watching our extended family working side by side and enjoying every moment. We had more than 400 guests during the weekend and I want to thank everyone for attending and making it so successful.

I have been very busy with all my Governor Visits, and each one has been more special than the last. I have met with so many of our presidents (from upstate to downstate New York) and I was inspired by their new ideas, amazing projects and past and future events.

I urge all clubs to invite your sponsored youth to your meetings, events, and projects -- have them join in on a project with you. They are our future.

The Circle K convention was full of energy and motivation -- that's how all our conventions should turn out. I wish them every success. We all must strive to reach our highest limits. The only possible way we can do this is by being positive, believing in your own abilities, and in the Kiwanis name.

A few quick reminders. For those who have not completed their background checks please do so as soon as possible. And for all the clubs who haven't collected (or paid) dues, please tend to that straightaway. Please remember that all your monthly reports should also be up to date. Thank you kindly for taking care of these business type matters in a timely fashion-sincerely and much appreciated.

On a more serious note, it saddened me to hear the news of our Mary Jean Sprague's passing. It's a terrible tragedy to lose a family member. She will always be part of our lives each and every day. "MJ" always believed in Kiwanis and our youth. We will continue to serve Key Leader and continue her legacy. We will miss you "MJ" and we send our Kiwanis heart-felt sympathies to her family.

On a much happier note, I am truly in awe of all the work we have accomplished and continue to do but my ONLY regret is that we are still the best kept secret. We should not be a secret any longer! I urge all clubs to post articles in your local papers, like/add us on Facebook, Tweet about Kiwanis on Twitter, social media, Kiwanis web and ESK. We need to be heard. We should not be doing such hard work to bring in new members through the back door. Be proud of the Kiwanis -- lead them through your front doors! I urge all of you to grow like we've never grown before. We have incentives programs -- make use of them. I am here to help you. The growth team is here for you. Spring has sprung, and the warmer weather is upon us, so go out and about and shout out the Kiwanis name. It's time to be the BEST in North America. REMEMBER ... it's all about the CHILDREN!

And speaking of warmer weather, it's that time again to prepare our children to attend our Kamp. Please make every effort to support our (flagship) Kamp Kiwanis. I would like to see our Kamp filled to capacity this upcoming Summer 2014 session. If you are unable to send a child to Kamp, make a donation to Kamp Kiwanis. Please do what you can -- we all have expenses to draw upon so I urge you to do whatever you can. I also ask you to take the time to visit the Kamp. Once you've seen the children having the time of their lives, I know you will jump on the summer Kamp band wagon and give these children a once in a lifetime opportunity. It can only happen through your continued support of this spectacular project. Make it your summer goal!

Okay ... so here's the statistic. We are now Number 3 in growth in all of North America, but it's time to be Number 1. How can we accomplish that? What are we going to do? As your governor, I can tell you how! We are going to work really hard (while still having fun) to reach our goal of 1,000 new members and FINALLY close the back door. We are the best show in town. I want all of us to never lose focus of our mission statement: building bridges for the children of our future.

In closing, we are about to prepare for the District convention. We have so many surprises in store for you. A great keynote speaker, fantastic hospitality suites and so much more. I urge everyone to attend the convention Aug 14-17th at the Desmond in Albany. I am truly looking forward to seeing all of you there.

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for all your support this year thus far. I applaud you for your continued support and I encourage you to give yourselves a round of applause for a job well done.

Column Posted on Web Site April 20, 2014