Governor

Who would have thought since our last newsletter, that the world would have changed so much. What started out as a terrible and dreadful sickness, would have such a damaging affect on our every day life.  We have seen such a change in the world and we have also suffered through such political turmoil.  
This is the time each member in our home clubs need to step up, not only in a giving way and the way we normally do business, but we need to be more understanding and patient with each other. Due to the fact of our government imposing a total shut down on all social gatherings, it stopped us dead in our tracks. We were going along in a normal, smooth way. We were doing events, Governor's Visits were happening, and building our membership. And then all of these normal activities came to a screeching halt.
Being Governor and seeing first hand what goes on within the clubs, and because we have that physical separation, it sometimes makes it a little harder to get our point across. What the members are, is a group of strangers that put ourselves together in each club throughout the district and tries to accomplish the great work that Kiwanis is known for. It sometimes is a challenge to agree in person and is even more difficult while social distancing and trying to accomplish things through virtual means. Therefore, we need to show EXTRA patience, because without this effort we will fall behind and lose our momentum moving forward.  
Through it all, I have seen the best in our membership come shining through. And thankfully, with the technology available today, it allowed us to find a new avenue to meet, stay connected and do our good deeds. At the end of this message you will see a Zoom link that will provide you with easy detailed instructions. If you are familiar with these virtual meetings, please reach out to other club members to assist. If you have any problems, please contact Maureen Neuringer at (516) 868-3036.
Being governor of this great district, I have seen the best in people shine through. Instead of people feeling that we can't do anything, we found a way to be step up, be creative, and assist our communities. To see first hand so many clubs still finding a way to generate donations is very inspiring. I have found that people have become so resourceful in finding ways to contribute to the areas in their community needing it the most. Just to name a few ... food pantries, food banks, schools, first responders, meals to essential workers, doctors, nurses, ambulance workers and the list goes on and on.
As of June 1, we increased our membership by 178.  Again, we need to stay in touch with each other, support each other and especially hold on to the new members that have agreed to join our great organization. The consequence of losing any member affects us in so many ways. So in trying to finish our Kiwanis 2019-20 year strong, we need to continue to grow and not be confronted with the drop of membership that we normally face in our service year.
Lastly, I know first hand how difficult separation can be. In closing, please be supportive of each other and please seek out help when needed. This relates directly to my Governor's Project. The Mental Health Awareness gives us an opportunity to bring it out in the open and to feel free to seek out help. 
https://livetraining.zoom.us/rec/play/78Ytfruppj03EoeRswSDU_dxW43ofaisgXIWqfVYnxu2BXlSMFf0YuQUarf_OXJhEbPFJVjDP8_UBJy4?continueMode=true

Column Posted on Web Site July 20, 2020