Global Financial Challenges

Over the past 8 months we have all been inundated with bad news regarding the current global economic situation.  Economists and world leaders have suggested that we are in unprecedented territory that makes the prediction of future behavior very difficult.  It is clear that this is no small economic speed bump and that Kiwanis must be prepared to respond to current and future financial conditions in a thoughtful and strategic way.  

In 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression, Kiwanis had 102,150 members.  By 1934 that number dropped to 74,577, a 26% drop in four years.  It took six years for Kiwanis to get its membership back to 100,000.  Convention attendance during this same period dropped from 4228 in 1930 to 2582 in 1934, rising back to 4,188 in 1940.  

International President Carl Endicott (1932-33) was a banker whose Citizens State Bank of Huntington, Indiana failed during the depression costing him everything.  President Endicott offered the following comments regarding that year:  “The principles and ideals of Kiwanis, the sincerity and loyalty of individual Kiwanians, the ability of the organization to face its responsibility, and the determination of Kiwanis to go forward have been severely tested during the past year….Kiwanis is passing though the most critical period of its history.”   President Joshua Johns (1933-34) noted “These are times of exceptional conditions, which demand courage and unity.  We must all pull together, and, by our cooperation, strive to put a new spirit and new hope in all people.”

In April your Kiwanis International Board will be considering pro-active steps that can be taken to ensure that Kiwanis both survives and thrives during these difficult financial times.  Any ideas that you would like to share with the Board can be posted here or by email directly to me at robparker@kiwanis.org.  Your input is very important to us and I thank you in advance for your participation.