G R O W T H - THE TIME IS NOW!
President-Designate Don Canaday has appointed me to co-chair the Americas Growth Team. I will be coordinating his growth team for districts west of the Mississippi river. Bill Rushing, from Florida, will be coordinating growth east of the Mississippi. We have some friendly competition going, but we are committed to helping clubs and districts grow.
I wanted to briefly share a preview of new tools the Kiwanis International Board has worked on to help stimulate growth and service. As with Young Professional Clubs, none of these is considered “Kiwanis Next”. These are enhanced “Classic Models” and offer other growth opportunities.
- Company-Based Membership: Clubs may designate an individual membership spot in a Kiwanis club for an employee of a specific company or organization. As an employee changes jobs or is transferred to a new location, a new employee can be designated to take the place of the previous employee without being charged a new membership fee by the organization.
- Club Satellites: Where a small group of potential Kiwanis members exists but is unable to meet as part of an existing club or too few in number to be a separate Kiwanis club, a satellite of the Kiwanis club may be formed.
- Company-Based Clubs: A Kiwanis club existing within an office or other company workplace would primarily involve employees of the same company as its members.
- Kiwanis Bridge Program: A Kiwanis family club may choose to support a Kiwanis project in another part of the world via the Kiwanis Bridge Program utilizing web technology.
- Key Clubs & CKI Club: Request for new Key Clubs and CKI Clubs where Kiwanis sponsorship is not available can now be granted.
- Affiliate Clubs: The organization plans to create a provisional or associate club intended for a location where traditional Kiwanis support and services delivered through a district structure is not practical. The first pilot site has been selected and this system is being developed.
Details on these and other initiatives are being developed by the staff and board and will be published during the 2008-2009 year.
Growth in this organization will only happen through clubs. Our organization has developed Growth Summits training programs, “Club Excellent” workbooks, “Planning Your Club’s Success” workbooks, and “Maximizing Tools for Success” for club improvement. All of these materials are designed to assist Club Officers in growing their clubs and expanding their service to communities and children. If you want more information on how to help grow your club, call 1-800-kiwanis, ext 411, or give me a call.
We have the tools, resources, and helpers, but most of all we have the NEED to reach more children and communities who deserve our services. If Club officers commit to making their club the best show in town, we will grow and retain members. A good place to start today is with a club analysis to identify the needs of your members and your club. Dare to take a critical look at yourself.
Sylvester Neal