New Ideas for Kiwanis Growth

    I would like to see a supporter, friend, or affliate  type of category.  We have a project we just took on  with our local Literacy Coalition ---- under this area we are to provide 10 turtors (along with requested funding) for their Teaching Children to Read program.

    The tutors do not need to be Kiwanis members but are attributed to our total if they indicate they are there in our Club's behave.  These people are currently only interested in this one service area, not really interested in "joining another Club" attend meeting etc.

    This area would also include spouses,  who could be a reading tutors, or assist in other Kiwanis sponsored project, but do not wish to join the same club as their husband. The Circle K or Key Club teacher advisor who more than likely is not interested in attending meeting.  It would be nice to have them as a support, friend or affliate type of member, being an affiliate  for a minimal fee. Some one working with a local club, but not necessarily a full "dues" paying member

    As I see it, this is one way to get membership, especially younger members, For example, in our club our aging membership is more interested in the weekly fellowship and contributing funds for writing a check than being able to physically "do" a project --- and younger members want to "do" and don't  necessarily have the money it takes to belong to many of our clubs in North America ( it is usually the local dues that can derail membership, especially if meal fees are included)

It is admirable that Kiwanis International is open to new ideas concerning membership.  

Our club, though small, is a club that likes hands-on projects.  We could have a class of membership which has the requirement to participate in monthly projects in lieu of weekly meetings, requiring instead a monthly or even quarterly meeting of all members.  The downside would be a lower dues requirement, hence a lower or stagnant administrative account.  The upside would be greater participation in larger service and fundraising projects, hence an increase in the service account.  

Report Golden Key

In Belgium Luxemburg we would like to introduce "Golden K" for members who can't go anymore to the evening meetings but want to meet on daytime.

Therefore we suggest:

a. structure with simplified bylaws

b. necessity of social action, helping in action is enough

c. min. 1 meeting in a month, not in summer

d. candidates: senior members, former members & their familes and friends

             above the age of 70 (?)  

e. board of min. 2 members: presiodent (or coach) & secretary/treasurer

f.  one of them may be extern (coach)

g. organisation as separate club off 10 members

h. reduced fees (at 50% ?)

What does Kiwxanis Leaders think about this ?

Governor Vincent

Suggestions for NEXT: A new format for Kiwanis Service.

I belong to a classic model and that is where I want to be, however there is an opportunity in our city of Halifax Canada (350,000) for a new type of Kiwanis Club involving young, very busy business and professional people, many with young families and working partners,  who want to serve but do not want to attend regular meetings or meals as it interfers with business obligations or family time and family obligations before and after working hours. They would take time for service on weekends perhaps along with their other family members. These potential members differ from us who were self employed business and professional people as they work for national and international companies and have time and performance criteria.

I suggest we form a Kiwanis Club with a members obligation of so many hours of hands on service each month (4 hours?) but no general meeting structure. Perhaps a quarterly family fun activity function would be a possibility. A mandatory director's meeting each month with info and decisions communicated by e-mail to all members. I see projects at food banks, boys and girls clubs, scouts, assisting our sponsored family activities, assisting other community organizations like fairs, Salvation Army, blood donor clinics.

The toughest challenge would be a secure a club secretary as reporting, dues collection and members info being circulated, is essential. Maybe a member of the four local classic Kiwanis Clubs would act as a seed member, for most of them are retired.

Food for thought..  

We can grow if we change our mind frame from the old way of  how it use to be,  times has changed and we as a club have to make changes.  

We must start with our youth club to encourage them to join kiwanis.  If we work with our youth, not all but most of them will appreciate the cause and help the Kiwanis movement to grow 1 million 2015

I'd like to see a new membership category for those who wish to support us but are unable to attend meetings.  For example: some of our local non-profit agencies are physically staffed with minimal personel.  While they approve of us and support our purpose in the community they are not able to provide any members that could attend meetings and do actual physical help on projects.  With a different class of membership such as "Friend of Kiwanis Club" we could attract them not only for their financial support at a lower level of membership cost but it would also expand on the visability and probably viability of Kiwanis in our community. I realize that if they actually began to help with a "hands-on" project there would need to be some form of coverage in the blanket liability policy.  This could be part of the "Kiwanis Next!"

I also support the idea of Youth Clubs.  My club is investigating one and the possible age group seems to be 16 yrs to 21 yrs.  An overlap of current arrangements but worthy of consideration.  In any club the support and encouragement from other clubs in the area is very important.

To increase membership, lets utilize a new technology to bridge the gap between our sponsored youth and Kiwanis.  A Myspace page is the current technology that the high school and college aged kids are using.  Our Kiwanis club has a myspace page and is reaching out to our existing youth to create another useful connection.  After they graduate, that connection is still there.

Embracing new technology is a successful plan.  See how internet and email and cell phones are helping us achieve goals today?  Myspace is so easy and free.  Just go to www.myspace.com and create a new account.  Name it your club's name and then start talking with your youth and begin connecting with them using this new methodology.

The question sholuld be How do we make our clubs the "Club of Choice?" Then members will come.  I would suggest that every meeting someone be assigned a assignment to set in back and watch the meeting asking "Would I join this Club if I was not a member"  If the answear is no then the next question should be "How can we improve it so I would join?"  After making the changes then it would be time for a "Guest Day"

I love Kiwanis and want to see it succeed.  However, in order to accomplish that task we have to be open to change.  Not the kind of change where someone mentions an idea, the group nods and then nothing happens.  I mean the kind of change that happens - the kind of change that energizes - the kind of change that makes everyone feel they have a role in Kiwanis greatness and growth.  

My dear friend and I suggested a new idea for the Lt. Governor position and we were told NO!  It's never been done that way and it won't ever be done that way.  Well, if we were not totally committed Kiwanians that attitude would certainly provide the impetus to look elsewhere to provide our service.  But, we are both determined that our idea will be considered and we will be the first.  Want to know what we would like to do?  Send me an e-mail at kathyekilgore@yahoo.com and we'll talk.  

Yours in Kiwanis Service,

Kathye Kilgore

Club Secretary/Newsletter Editor - Kiwanis Club of the Horse Heaven Hills, Kennewick, WA

Lead Division Secretary - Division 54

Is there a new program to recognize and award current members who bring in new members?  (i.e. like the "Key" program)

Thanks,

gagrits1@yahoo.com

Wanda,

The question is a good one, and the answer is yes.  I am on the road this week and don't have access to all the information that I usually have, but I will offer the following ways we can help:

1. You can call 1-800-Kiwanis and one of our Member Services Reps can help you.  I will send a note to the Director of this team so she is ready for your call.

2.  You can go download the current information by oggning on to www.kiwanisone.org.   Once you are there click on:

a. Kiwanis Community b. Downloads c. Club Resources d. Club Building. There is a brochure and info sheet, both PDFs there.

Sorry I could not make this easier, but hopefully you will find the information you need. Thanks for caring about growing Kiwanis.

Rob

Wanda, as I understand it the 1-2-3 Key program is still operating.  Check new posting to Downloads page.

Good hunting

Members ability to participate in meetings and projects will naturally vary from time to time.  I know mine has due to other commitments.  

We must allow members to remain as members rather than drive them away by making them feel inadequate if they are unable to contribute a lot of time.  My experience is that these things go through cycles and some time in the future that member may again become a key participant in club matters.  

Again my own experience backs this up.  

In my District we try to encourage members to contribute as they are able at the time and are flexible about so called "requirements".  Isn't a small contribution better than no contribution?  After all we are talking about impact on the lives of children not money in the club's coffers!!

I am excited about the changes that are happening in Kiwanis today. It is the only alternative to growth...POSITIVE, REALISTIC CHANGE. I hope to see more being done for our sponsored leadership program enabling them to compete with other up and coming youth programs within their schools.

While most youths wants to do service, the rewards must be attractive as well. I think we need to look at the financial obligation these clubs are faced with and see how we can make Key Club and Circle K more rewarding.

If we say that we serve the Children of the world let us as kiwanians give more to the clubs that we sponsor rather than building more sponsored clubs just to get points. Instead of giving more points for building new clubs, why not start by giving more points for taking care of existing clubs.

If we take care of what we have then and only then will they grow up to be great kiwanians that we so badly are in need of. We are losing our Key Clubers to Toastmasters, Junior Acheivers etc.

I love Kiwanis and will to my part, "Touching lives and improving life" for those in need.

Talking to other other Kiwanians about opportunities, not problems, in gaining new members the recurring theme seems to be lack of time and spending available time with their families. We should consider bringing more families into our clubs: spouses and significant others. Having my wife become a Kiwanian has allowed us to share service and clubing building together as well as a night out at our meetings. It has also allowed us to bring another couple into our club.

Serving together has strenghtened our family.

Families together in Kiwanis leads to more service and stronger relationships.

Have you asked your partner to join with you? When speaking to a possible member ask his/her partner as well.

"Next Generation Kiwanis Club"...this is an exciting time to be a Kiwanian... a time of change, creative solutions, open communication and experimentation with solid footing in core Kiwanis values.  As I read the various Blog sites I was struck with the idea of a Leadership Club as an example of a "Next Generation Club"  This would be a club who would most likely meet on-line and focus on leadership development.  The format would be determined by each club but I see it as a kind of "book club" or Graduate class discussion focused on becoming better leaders.  Select a Leadership book, a quote, or leadership issue each month for discussion....   When we develop as stronger leaders we become better Kiwanis members and are able to inspire others to serve. It would be a very different Kiwanis club, monthly reports??? committees structure???  service????

As a young Kiwanian, I'm a little abnormal.  I love sitting at our morning meeting drinking coffee and fellowship.   But whats even better is when we do hands on service.    My job is pretty flexible, but when i first got out of college it was not flexible at all.  If you community wants to start a Kiwanis "Next" Club to get younger members invovled the "Classic" Kiwanis Club needs to be truly help them "grow up"   "Growing up" means helping plan service projects, sharing community needs that are most prevalent.   Working together with these clubs will help big time.    

"Next Generation Kiwanis Club"...a blog by Darlene mentioned Kiwanis clubs with

themes. She mentioned a "book club". I have had thoughts along those lines also.

How about exercise clubs, music clubs, movie clubs?  

Here's a suggestion on how to proceed with Kiwanis Next membership/club. I just recently chartered a new Kiwanis Club (Aug. 5th!) and our model is a tad bit different, so different that it blows everyone's mind...we meet twice a month on Sunday afternoons in a local library and do dessert that the members take turns bringing in. Our target area is families and we have 4 husband/wife teams who are current members with the hopes of a few more spouses joining soon. One of our members even got her mother to join.

I think this club model will work in areas like we are in with no real town center and traditional recruiting methods are not effective. We gained our membership through by word of mouth and some 21st century advertising. We are being sponsored by one of our more traditional clubs in the division and have mentors from the club who have the experience in Kiwanis (two past governors) and are teaching us things as we go along.  It works for us!

I sent in two 1-2-3 Key Program forms about 3 weeks ago and haven't heard anything from International.  If the program is still being used, how long does it take to receive the "Keys"?  I am anxious to receive them to keep the new prospects coming and joining the club.

Thanks,

Wanda

Wanda,

I have forwarded your request to our member services department and have asked them to expidite your request.  Thank you for bringing this to my attention so I can see what can be done to improve our response time.  Thanks for your work to help grow Kiwanis.

Rob

I was wondering if the Kiwanis Worldlink program was still available where Kiwanis Clubs can sponsor a club in another area of the world...Does anyone know?

Kim

I am the president-elect for my club and will be celebrating my 1st year in Kiwanis as I am installed.  When approached by my club to accept the presidency, I was aghast; I was still wrestling with what's a district in relation to a zone in relation to a club in relation to a division!!  And what are all these titles?  Is it Lt. General or Governor?  My first response was "I am not ready!!".  They said they disagreed and would I at least consider it.  Looking at the list of past presidents, it could well be a chant.  It goes something like this:  Vicki, Cam, Cam, Jim, Jim,, Lee, Vicki, Vicki,Jim, Cam.  My first thought was 'Sharron' just doesn't fit , it ruins the cadence!  Ultimately I decided it was my duty to serve and I accepted the challenge.

Membership growth is top priority, not only because it is a Kiwanis National focus but also because our club will not survive without new members.  

My question is, "why can we not unite as a division (even a district) with a unified program (banners, buttons, themes)." The individual Kiwanian that first makes contact with the potential new member is the sponsoring member and the sponsoring member's club gets the credit for the new member for the 1st year. The sponsor's responsibility would be to take the new member first to the club that meets in the most advantageous area and introduce them to the club.  The sponsor would than take the new member from club to club.  The new member would decide which club offered them the community they were looking for.  The next year and all future year's dues would go to the adopted club.

Some of the benefits:

Greater 'Kiwanis' presence in the community!!!!!  

It would foster TEAMWORK within the Divisions

Membership induction could be a much bigger deal!! It would be done at a Division Council meeting.

It would be less costly for the individual clubs to have a membership drive. (I have some great ideas, but the cost would be prohibitive for our small club.)

Respectfully,

Sharron Bryan

South Riverside Kiwanis

Division 62

"1 NET" makes "unreachable" goal reachable.

Like many other Kiwanians, I was somewhat startled and taken aback by the our new BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal) of reaching 1 million members by 2015.

As the new Lt. Governor for Division 19 in Nebraska, I knew I had to come to terms with this challenge -- either accept it and promote it, or get out of the way.  

Upon further reflection, I conceived  the "1 Net" concept. It goes something like this.

When every club member commits to being responsible for just one net new member in the next four years, we will have doubled our membership by 2011. Then, do it over again.  Each member commits to 1 net new member in the following four years (2012-2015) and you've doubled membership once again, effectively reaching the million member mark by our 100th anniversary.

This "1 Net" concept helps reduce the anxiety or the pushback related to the ambitiousness of our goal. Stated in these terms, the goal seems quite reachable.

I have been promoting the "1 Net" concept during our recent round of officer / board installations. I think some of the skepticism is beginning to fade.

Andy Bradley

Division 19

Omaha, Nebraska  

Later today I will go into a club board meeting and I am going to be reommending a structure in which we provide an alternate meeting time & place for some of our members to attend club meetings who cannot make our Monday noon standard time & place.  I suppose I am really suggesting an affiliate club, which I understand is legitimate as of Oct. 1, 2008.  I see this group meeting 2 times a month in an "after hours" format.  I don't want to set this up as a seperate club, but an alternative club experience for us to attrack new members we would not otherwise reach.  We already have a couple of current members waiting in the wings.  Can you (Rob or anyone) think of pitfalls I may encounter??  

John,

I like that you are trying to find a way to reach people who can't make your regular meeting.  I think the person who would be good for you to communicate with on this is Stan Soderstrom.  You can reach Stan at ssoderstrom@kiwanis.org.  He and his growth teams are working with other clubs who are trying some new ideas.

Rob

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Key Club is the answer, inorder for Kiwanis to grow we need Key Clubs to act as a feeder to Kiwanis.  Even if former Key Clubers do not go on to join Kiwanis atleast they will know what kiwanis is and those who do will help to grow Kiwanis. This doesn't mean to say that Key Club is the only answer. As a past Key Club President I have a wealth of knowledge and if any one has any questions about Key Club or would like to set one up I have the resources and knowledge which can help you to do this. My e-mail is patrick doyle@windowslive.com  .especially those in New Zealand, but i am more than willing to help those from other countries.

We have two members who we might retain if they could be put on affilliate status with a lower annual fee.  Any chance this might become a reality before the new year?  I must be honest I had not read this page until a member brought it to our attention on Monday's meeting.  We pay our dues in February and will need to either delete these two members, or give them an alternative.  Would appreciate your input.

Johanna Russell, Steamboat springs, CO johanna@qwest.net