Governor

And so we begin. Your 2015-16 administrative board on behalf of First Lady Helene, president of this year's board, Julie Waterson, and all of your lieutenant governors thank you for this opportunity to serve.
We pledge to serve diligently and ever mindful of the trust bestowed upon us.
As we start our 101st year of Kiwanis and enter the 100th anniversary of our first clubs I could not be prouder to be the 99th governor of this great district and would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Kiwanis 101, "Back to Basics." Back to the principles that we were founded on, back to OUR foundations: KPTC, Pediatric Lyme, Disaster Relief, Kamp Kiwanis. I have asked each lieutenant governor to hold a fund raiser for one of these most worthy endeavors. In turn I have asked them to work with all their clubs to do the same. Imagine the results with 260+ clubs and 27 Divisions all working for our foundations.
I am asking all our clubs to have three conversations within their clubs and in their communities:

1. Lets make parents aware of getting their children's hearts checked before they let them join organized sports.
2. Before social media kids who were bullied where basically free once school let out. Today between Facebook, texting and everything else these kids are being bullied 24 hours a day. Keith Cummings from the Richmond County Kiwanis Club has put together an informative program and is looking forward to coming to any club or division at anytime.
3. I am so very proud to be from Staten Island, yet ashamed at the same time because of this disturbing fact: Staten Island leads the NATION in drug overdoses; young men and women are dying at an alarming rate. If you don't think these drugs are in your community quite frankly you're wrong. The Kiwanis Club of Massapequa has put together a fabulous program that is available to all of us and they should be commended for their foresight and commitment.

The First Lady's project is called "Warm Beginning's". It's a wonderful project that will provide much needed clothing for newborn babies. Every club can take part by having a Baby Shower for your local hospital or outreach center that provides for mothers and newborns.
Each of these projects and conversations are designed with your club and community in mind. Incorporate your SLP's, get your club excited, be the voice and conscience of your community. It's a new year and a new beginning, it's back to basics. It's about Taking Care of Our Own; it's about your club and your KIWANIS experience. It's about The Formula: Live It - Share It - Love It. Kiwanis is simply about you because without you there is no US and then what becomes of that child or that senior, who remembers that veteran or provides that service it's all about KIWANERGY and KIWANERGY is you.

Column Posted on Web Site October 25, 2015