As I promised last month, I’m giving you my closing sales pitch for special guest days. I have not written this out before and writing it is not like getting up and speaking from the heart, but I will try to give you a flavor of what I do.
After my preliminary thanks for the guest’s presence, I do a special thanks to the members who invited them. This is called a special guest day because they are all special. Then, I start with a simple dialogue:
I see a question mark on many of your faces. Some of you are wondering, “What am I doing here”? Some of you got pressured into coming, some may have gotten your arms twisted, and a few of you were just waiting for someone to invite you.
I am not going to answer all your questions in these few minutes, but I can tell you with certainty who Kiwanians are and why we need you to become a part of our organization.
Where there are citizens concerned about:
- the quality of life in their community,
- the positive development of youth and children,
- those who are less fortunate than ourselves,
- wanting to make a difference in the lives of children, and willing to pool their talents and resources to meet the needs of the community ...that is where you will find Kiwanians.
We are service minded men and women who are united in our commitment and compassion for others.
As a Kiwanian you will develop new friendships, develop your leadership skills, find networking and business opportunities, learn new skills, and derive personal satisfaction from making a difference in the lives of others. But most importantly, you will have fun doing it.
I still see some strange looks on your faces. You are still wondering if you have the time, money, or the commitment needed to join this group. Well nothing I have said may be of interest to you. Even the reason I joined Kiwanis some 27 years ago may not interest you either, but I want to share what this organization has meant to me.
When I joined Kiwanis, I really had no idea of what it was. I did not know how to spell Kiwanis. I thought it was an airline from Australia or a bear from China. But I met some caring people. Through Kiwanis, I learned the true meaning of giving. Over the years, I have received more from Kiwanis than I have ever given.
Kiwanis literally changed my life. It has enriched my life in so many ways. I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world. I have developed life-long friendships I would have never experienced. I have felt the impact of what it means to touch the life of a child.
But this did not happen to me overnight. I was in Kiwanis almost two years before participating in a “Thanks Giving” project where a mother who lived in a rundown trailer with six small children prayed for me and another Kiwanian. She was so grateful for the food we left her that she thanked God for sending these Kiwanis Angels to her rescue.
As she prayed and prayed, thanking God for so much, I looked around that household seeing what little she had, and found it difficult to understand why she was so thankful. This experience made me take a closer look at my blessed life, and I have never been the same. I have come to realize that I was blessed to be a blessing to others and that I had more to give.
You have something to give today. If you are willing to join us in making a difference in Auburn, Washington, I want you to complete that application and write a check. Your sponsor or the Kiwanian next to you will answer your questions and our secretary will be waiting at the front table to accept your paperwork. If you can’t make that commitment today, a member of our committee will be happy to meet with you to answer your concerns. To those of you filling out the applications, let me be the first to welcome you to the organization that is changing the world, one child and one community at a time.
Thank you.
Sylvester