International Conventions Every Other Year?

This could result in tremendous financial savings.  Funding delegates every year is quite an expense to a club.  Sending delegates every other year might well results in more clubs being represented.

If the conventions were held every two years, I think that the resulting price increase of an International Convention would be a financial burden for clubs. The prices are fairly reasonable now, but if one is held every other year, I can forsee the cost doubling for the clubs/attendees.

We had a large group of first time attendees this year in San Antonio. I don't want to see them discouraged from attending the conventions.  We need their continued presence.  I have looked out over the convention floor and seen the group age.  We have progressed to a "sea of white caps" (if you sit in the upper areas of the opening and closing sessions).  When I first began attending International Conventions, the attendance numbers were around 12,000 and it was very exciting to be a part of the group.  (Now its down to 5,000 to 6, 000).  

Consider, if after 40 years of weekly club meetings, you were to announce that you were going to hold a local club meeting every two weeks, what would that do to your attendance?  Do you think it would increase?  Do you think you could find a location that would be willing to "host" your meeting and meals and programs for the same/or less money?  Do you think your members would welcome the down time?  Or, would they be looking for something else worthwhile to do on the other two weeks per month?

I think we need to maintain the yearly convention, maintain the fairly affordable costs, and maintain the member's interest and participation.  At the same time, the conventions need to be attractive to the group of first timers.

I would like to see the enthusiasm, excitement, and laughter come back to the floors of the opening and closing sessions.  I've missed it being there for the last two years.  I enjoyed Dave Curry's campaign for trustee because it was witty and catchy. I hope that he will carry his wit over into the 2007-2008 convention.

I'm a new Kiwanian.  I look at the expectations for President-Elect (go to the International Convention), the President (go to the International Convention), and the Secretary elect and secretary (go to the International Convention).  Hmmm.  If we need to REQUIRE folks to go - do we NEED the convention?

Seems to me an International Convention is essential to the fellowship that is Kiwanis.  But I think we must ask ourselves:  if the "International" Convention were held in, say, Paris - how many US delegates would attend?  Not many.

Rather, let the International Convention be every two years - and put that money into serving kids!  AND make arrangements for clubs to "vote" on-line - no matter where the Convention is held.

I attended my first K I Convention in Detroit in 1970 and have not missed any since.

I believe that, if properly planned and promoted, the annual meeting is a plus. It needs to be a family destination site. I always took my family with me to the convention and planned vacation time before or after. We elect Club Presidents every year to get new ideas, new energys and a change in leadership. With the number of folks that attend an International Convention, we can do more educating, have fun, etc. than we could do in our Districts. Our Sponsored Youth folks could provide entertainment for K I and Districts (no cost to K I).  Perhaps we should canvas our Kiwanians as to the right location. The demise on attendance started following the New Orleans debacle in 2002. In younger folks minds, the cost/benefit ratio is not a good value. Need high profile speakers and promote them ahead of time. Promote clubs exhibits at the conventions so that Kiwanians have something relevant to take back to their Clubs. In recent times the delegate sessions have been long and not handled very well by the chair. Need more oversight by the Board Committee. Timing is very important as July 4 is usually a family gathering time and Kiwanis comes in second. Remember we are an International organization!

I believe in having the International convention every year.

It serves to rejuvenate the members, and teach them.  The friendships made are an integral part of the experience. The business portions are important too.

I am disturbed by the method of being introduced to candidates for office, and the short time to become acquanted with the.  More time needs to be allowed for candidates to meat with the caucus groups.  A three minute speech, and the same question to each candidtate offer very little to the members.  We vote on photo ops and sound bites!

You would have been surprised at the number of attendees at the convention in both Cannes/Nice, France and Taipei, Taiwan.  We had a very large delegation to attend.  I don't think the distance is a problem - if it is announced well in advance and Kiwanis will adhere to the schedule.  When we went to Cannes/Nice, France, my club had 6 Kiwanian/Spouses to attend plus I had four extra from my family who went as non-Kiwanian guests. (total of 10).  In Taipei, my club had 3 Kiwanians and 1 guest to attend.

Remember, these are conventions which draw attendees worldwide - not just from the USA.  If you lived in Germany, France, or Hong Kong, the distance to the United States would be burden for your club.  So, I think that it is only fair to have the conventions in a wide variety of venues which would "even the field" so to speak.  Usually, except for after 2010, the conventions are announced in advance giving the clubs an opportunity to save for the trips.  

I just love the conventions.  We go every year and have been to around 15 in total. I love the enthusiasm.  The campaigning used to be very energetic and entertaining.  I felt that I knew a little about each candidate through his/her skit on stage at the convention.  They walked around, rode the tranfer buses, shook hands, and made idle conversation with the attendees.  The personal touch was there, and you know what, IT FELT GOOD.  The international trustees and officers were seen out and about.  They mingled with everyone - not like the military's R.H.I.P. - where officers only associate with officers. We need to get that "feel good" feeling back and make everyone feel welcome so that they will WANT to attend the conventions, not as a duty which is burden, but as an exciting event which is anticipated each year.

I feel that having the International Convention every other year is the right move for today. Costs have skyrocketed for travel and food expenses. International Conventions have become more expensive resulting is less attendance.

I agree that training for our incoming officers should be on of our top concerns.  This occurs in the districts that have a very strong District Convention. I was very pleased of the quality of trainers at the International Convention in San Antonio. That should incourage all of our distrcts to provide as prepared informative sessions with qualified leaders at our district events. The District Conventions cost less to put on and cost less for members to attend. I heard from several members of sister districts in San Antonio that they go to International and do not attend their own district conventions because it lacks the excitement, the education, and professionalism of the International Conventions. That should not be so. We should work with all the districts helping them to put on the same outstanding conventions that International does. Smaller districts may want to do a regional convention every other year on the year that there is no International Convention.

There are a lot of solutions but International cannot continue to lose the money they do every year on the International Convention with less and less attending. The only down side I see to an every other year convention is the election of officers. It is exciting to meet all the candidates, hearing what they stand for and believe, and having the priviledge to electing them. I do not know what can be done to keep that. That would have to be considered.

    If you believe one million members is attainable, then you must realize the number of new kiwanians who will be new to our organization in the next several years.  If the conventions are attended properly, many new projects, networking and training will be essential to club growth and success.  I am a first year kiwanian who attended the conventions in Jackson, MS, San Antonio,TX, and New Orleans, LA, this year.  I brought back new ideas and projects our club is now incorporating in the new kiwanian year.  If you go to a convention to be amused, you can go every other year.  If you go to learn, grow and experience all that kiwanis has to offer you may find that you the one to make the difference.  Please

don't even think of going to conventions every other year.  If we grow as we are committed to grow, the finances will take care of themselves.

Sincerely,

John Mayher

I vote for every other year.  Then on the off year have a regional meeting.  It works for my business.  Kiwanis may be pricing itself out of the service club affordability.  Don't be afraid to try a new idea.  It might lead to improvement!!

I believe that it would be a back ward step to move to every two years!  

Perhaps you need to look at our major emphasis.  'young children priority one'  We attended our first International convention in 1991 as a family.  Our children were only very young but what a memorable time was had.  You no longer cater for children, WHY!!  Paul and Suanne are taking there children many places and what an insperation they are.  

Get back to being a more family organisation instead of keeping adding luxuries that many folk can not afford.

Has consideration been given to have a 'family convention' i.e. Key clubs, Kay clubs etc all together.

I have attended 6 Internationals

Every year. This is conducting the business of our organization and the excitment, fellowship, education, and on and on is necessary to a healthly Kiwanis. I look forward to attending, forward to the traveling to new areas I may have never been before and would not go, if not for Kiwanis. I always come away with my batteries recharged to max and ready to go back to my club with motivation like one would not believe. I attended these conventions before I took any leadership roles and found these conventions were what made me want to look for opportunities to serve at all the levels possible. Getting our membership outside their own local clubs is so important to growing Kiwanis and International Conventions provide this and more.

I am a new member to Kiwanis.  I joined a little over a year ago.  My wife and I bought a house in May, so we were not able to go to San Antonio.  We are planning to attend in Orlando.

My club is small, 28 members, ~19 active.  We meet 1st and 3rd Thursdays.  I was not around when they met weekly and can't comment on the personal difference.  I do notice, though, that the larger clubs in my area all meet weekly.  The largest club, and I think the only club over 30 members in my division, meets every Thursday.  The rest of the clubs in my division meet twice a month.  Meeting every week would be a challenge as most of the members in my club are ~40 years old with young children and both parents working to support the family.  But I can't help to wonder what the routine of meeting every week plays on the club's growth.  If we turn that direction with the International Convention, I gotta believe the same will happen.  I think KI should be able to pull a quick study of the size of a club versus how often they meet to see if there is a coorelation.

Finances in general are tight and the $120 annual dues it is difficult to draw new members, when they can donate their time for free to other interests like Habitat for Humanity or other community projects.  Then we ask the members to pay for a trip to the convention, costing them precious vacation time.  Most professionals that I know have 2-3 weeks vacation.  To spend one week at a Kiwanis Convention, it has to be family oriented!  As the other 1-2 weeks is typically dedicated for Thanksgiving/Christmas Travel and the rest for Family weddings or other get-togethers.  To lose that precious vacation time and not spend it with the Family is very difficult to justify.  After all Kiwanis is about the children, and our own children should come first.

We need to keep the cost down to attend the convention that is what we should be discussing.  With 5000+ people attending the convention, we should be able to have some pull with price breaks.  

But most importantly, we need to focus on Family first.  Make it attractive to Family's and we could draw more members to the convention.  Have a side activity planned for the spouses and children while the members are voting.  

Has a list of "future" conventions been released?  The latest I have seen is the one in Las Vegas in 2010.  I would love to know where it will be held for the next 3 to 4 years (in advance).  This helps me to get excited about the convention city, and start saving money to spend while there.

We have been to 16 different conventions and have loved each and every one!  Each venue and its citizens touched our lives in a lasting manner.  The one that really stands out, for me, was Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.  Those college students who were our tour guides took us under their wings and we loved every minute of it!  Our group that helped our district hotel actually cried on the last day.  Still pulls at my heart that we all became so attached to one another.

I would love to see one in San Francisco, Sacramento,  or Los Angeles, CA.  Or, maybe Portland, OR or Seattle, WA.  Of course, according to the "list" of past conventions, Atlanta, GA had 19,959 attendees in 1975.  Wouldn't that number be great to have at the next, and the next convention?

So, I guess, I am asking International to let us know where the conventions are in advance so that everyone can catch the excitement. (the Kiwanis Flew - get it?!?!)

Wanda,  Here's a list of the convention sites approved to date:

2009 - Nashville, TN

2010 - Las Vegas, NV

2011 - Geneva, Switzerland

I have been a Kiwanis member for about 19 years, and of course an International Convention every other year would save time and money.  However, I see nothing on the Kiwanis website about the next International Convention, Month or Year, when IS IT?  

I will be President again for the years 2009, 2010 for Region 18S.  

I am eager to be kept informed of the Kiwanis events.

I agree, holding International Conventions every other year saves money and as well as time.  With today's economy many are trying to re-evaluate the necessities of life.  I love International Convention because I get to meet new people and learn new ways to perform the same task.   However, with the income changes our convention days could be shortened.

As far as saving time is concerned - I believe we could maiximize our time spent by using cheaper means of communication - like webb sites.

George,

The convention next year will be held in Nashville June 25-28.   In 2010 the convention will be in Las Vegas.

Rob