Our Candidate – Tom DeJulio
At the Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas, from June 24-27, 2010, Past International Trustee Tom DeJulio will be running for the office of International Vice President. By winning that election, he will be assured of serving as our International President two years later.
KI is greatly in need of solid, principled leadership in these very difficult times of declining membership and financial uncertainty. There is no one better suited to provide it than Tom. His professional background, Kiwanis experience and temperament are perfectly suited to the task, and his record of Kiwanis achievements at every level of our organization is exemplary. If you would like to learn more about him and what he brings to Kiwanis, please go to our campaign website, www.tomdejulioforvp.com.
Our goal is to have 600 members of our district at the Las Vegas convention, 400 of whom will need to be voting club delegates. These delegates will join with many others expected to support Tom from districts throughout the Kiwanis world.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a fantastic place for a vacation, and a very family friendly one at that. In addition to the gambling and entertainment for which it is famous, there are many museums, botanical gardens, nature tours and attractions outside of the immediate area for the entire family. To learn more, check out the Las Vegas Convention promotional video on the Kiwanis International website. Just click the convention tab and follow the instructions. And if you're looking for even more information about tourist attractions in Las Vegas, an excellent source of information is the visitor's guide from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that can be downloaded from its website. Just click on to the request for the guide at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions.
The International Convention Experience
If you have never been to an International Convention, it's a wonderful experience at which camaraderie is shared by thousands of Kiwanians and their families from all over the world. Our delegates there will reach decisions affecting Kiwanis for decades to come. The workshops and programs will offer the best ideas on membership growth and retention, fund raising and community service projects. You will also be there as history is made with the expected launching our next Worldwide Service Project. And there is nothing like an International Convention to boost your enthusiasm for Kiwanis service and fellowship when you get home.
Early Registration a Must
The Kiwanis registration form for the convention is now online.
It is terribly important that we have a strong early registration from our district, and thus far, we're off to a good start. As of mid-November, 76 members and guests from our district had already registered for the convention. These early attendance figures will be watched carefully throughout the Kiwanis world as a sign of the depth of the support that Tom enjoys in his home district. In any event, you'll certainly want to register before January 31, 2010, when the Kiwanis registration fee jumps from $195, which it was in Nashville, to $250.
Air Travel - Staying in Vegas for the Vote
Air fares from most New York area airports to Las Vegas are now running between $190 and $230 round trip. When the time comes to book your travel, please plan to stay for the entire convention. The election is scheduled for Friday, June 25, but please don't schedule yourself to fly home any time that day. Believe it or not, we have lost races in the past because members scheduled their flight home before the vote in a runoff election actually took place. In this case, we not only want to make sure that "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas", but we want to make sure that all of us stay in Vegas too until it happens.
Outreach
If you have friends who are Kiwanians in other districts, perhaps ones who have moved elsewhere because of work or retirement, we ask you to reach out to them to share our enthusiasm for Tom's campaign and ask for their support. This would be very helpful to our efforts and much appreciated. And again, it would send a powerful message as to the support that Tom has in our own district.
Thank you again for all that you will be doing over the coming months to support Tom's campaign and see to it that the New York District's convention attendance in Las Vegas is our best ever.
Column Posted on Web Site December 28, 2009
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated