Governor

As I write this the Kiwanis year is nearly half over; the expression that "time goes by quickly when you are having fun" is certainly true for me this year!
Congratulations are due to the Van Rensselaer Division on the new club, the Kiwanis Club of East Greenbush that Lt. Gov. Noreen Barrett and members from the Castleton-on-Hudson and Sand Lake have built. I am sure that each of you join me in extending a welcome to the 30 new New York Kiwanians in that club.
I was very pleased that almost 400 took advantage of the opportunity to meet International President Paul Palazzolo at the Mid Year Conference. Every one that I have spoken with where very glad that they had attended the conference and were very impressed with our International President and his presentation - now all that is left is to implement his suggestions back in our clubs.
I am not quite half way through the visits to our Divisions and I truly am having a great time spending time with Kiwanians that I have not previously met and learning firsthand about our clubs and their projects. I am sure that some believe that I am the harbinger of bad weather (the visit last month to Hudson River and Hudson River West had to be rescheduled due to heavy snows and while visiting the Queens East, Long Island North and Metropolitan Divisions they were also visited by "the unnamed hurricane"). My thanks to the Lt. Governors and members of the divisions that I have visited for their efforts in making each one a memorable experience for me.
A highlight of this year has to be the recently concluded NYCKI District Convention. It was my pleasure to spend time with members and alumni at their observance of the 50th Anniversary of CKI in New York. I am eagerly anticipating the Key Club Leadership Training. My thanks to the Administrators, advisors and indeed all who make our SLPs work so well.
Another positive achievement for the first half of our year most definitely the response to the call for early registrations for the International Convention. We are indeed showing the support that our candidate for International Vice President has from the members of the District. Please if your club has not yet elected your delegates to the June convention in Las Vegas please do so soon and ensure that your club will have two delegates voting to elect Tom DeJulio to that office. (If your club does not have two delegates don't forget that a club may use a past lieutenant governor  from their division to represent that club.)
I am very pleased by the responses from the district for the Governor's Project. "Diabetes Walks" with the American Diabetes Association or JDRF are being planned where there were none before, donations to the ADA and JDRF are being received and many members have expressed strong positive opinions about the "Diabetes Awareness" project.
We are making progress in membership growth. Clubs and Divisions have invited Membership Growth Chair Joe Weiss to explain the "GEM" program to the clubs and when implemented the clubs are seeing increased membership. We all owe Joe our thanks for taking this issue on with the enthusiasm that he has. If you are asked by New Club Building Chair Joe Eppolito or any of the New Club Building Committee to assist in building a new club PLEASE take the time to make a difference and join the effort.
I need to thank each of you for all that has been done in the New York District this year and I am eagerly waiting to see what the second half of our year will bring for our New York District Kiwanis family.
 

Column Posted on Web Site April 17, 2010