Why Did You Join Kiwanis?
I have always been fascinated by this dedicated group of caring people and what they do for others. They call themselves Kiwanians. They are the reason I joined this group. As a Lt. Governor, I began to get club newsletters. As Governor and Trustee, I visited more clubs and began getting district and other newsletters. Then a miracle happened. I got a computer. I found out I could get all kinds of news from web pages, at any time of the day, and did not have to wait on the mail person.
My inspiration for the work these special volunteers were doing sparked my curiosity to began asking, "Why - Why Kiwanis?" There were so many other things these Kiwanians could be doing and many involve no personal costs. Some organizations offered to pay all costs or offered a stipend to their volunteers just for their time and expertise.
This opportunity and privilege I now enjoy has taken me to more places, allowed me to meet more people, and see the difference Kiwanis is making in lives of children. I found myself asking time and time again, "Why Kiwanis?' So I began my personal research about 15 years ago by conducting one-on-one interviews. I began by asking a simple question, "Why or how did you join Kiwanis? My experiences of being a membership/retention chair and new club builder soon led me to ask a second question, "Why are you still in Kiwanis" or "What has kept you in Kiwanis?" Much of my focus was on females, minorities, and younger members. I felt if I could understand these Kiwanians, it would help me in my personal recruiting.
The answers to these questions have been an emotional roller-coaster for me. Some put lumps in my throat, like the lady in Alaska who told me that as an orphan, Kiwanis was the only Santa she ever knew. Or, the pride I felt when a young man from Washington said that without his three years of Kiwanis scholarships, he never would have been able to complete college. He said that when he graduated and got a job, he sought out his sponsoring club and joined. He concluded with, "I wanted to find a way to give back". In my last example, I almost fell to my knees with laughter when an elderly lady in California told me she joined to find another husband after hers had passed five-years ago. She said a girl friend told her about a bunch of wealthy and generous men who attended the downtown Kiwanis club who were looking for new members. I never got to my second scripted question, but I had to ask, "Did you find a husband"? She looked at me like a bejeweled movie star and said, "You betcha, honey?"
If I were to summarize what I have learned from Kiwanians all over the globe, it is that our mission, our compassion for others, and our dedication to changing the lives of children are our common bond. That is why, as complex as this world is becoming, we must never veer too far away from the founding principles and values that make us Kiwanians.
Sylvester Neal
Kiwanis International President Elect