My Heroes, Volunteer Firefighters
When I heard of a new club being formed around a group of volunteer firefighters, it received my utmost attention. There is only one group of volunteers I hold in higher esteem than Kiwanians, and that is volunteer firefighters. Serving as a firefighter, Fire Chief and other public safety positions for 26 years, they gained my respect.
As the Fire Marshal for the state of Alaska, my office was responsible for training these dedicated professionals. As I got to know many of them personally, I came to appreciate the commitment they make to help their neighbors and their willingness to risk their lives doing it.
They inspired me to organize a fundraising drive to establish a fallen firefighter’s memorial for all those who made the supreme sacrifice. One of the greatest days of my life was attending the ribbon cutting ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska three years after my retirement.
So, when I heard about a group of volunteers in Canada wanting to become Kiwanians by organizing their volunteer fire department as a Kiwanis Club, I was overjoyed with praise and admiration.
I also recently heard about another club that kept changing their meetings from mornings to evenings and back again, trying to respond to the needs of their members. When they decided to have one meeting per month in the morning and the other meeting in the evening, the club began to grow and strive.
I believe some of the flexible initiatives our board introduced and others that are being pioneered by clubs are showing growth in areas we have not otherwise realized. If we are to attract the next generation of volunteers to our organization, we need more creative, risk taking leaders to show us the way. Our organization is crying out for servant leaders at every level. I consider every member of this organization a leader. So now, more than ever, it’s time to lead.
Sylvester Neal
Kiwanis International Vice President