Serving the children of the world

MiniBuilder the newsletter of the Capital District

Oct-Nov 2009 Dave Maloney, Editor

Governor’s Message by Governor Don Dudey

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Governor Tom Ganse and his "Top Guns" team in having an outstanding year. They got off to a slow start but really finished strong by building 5 new clubs. Even though we are below the number of members we started with on October 1, 2008, we have eliminated the downward trend and our membership is going up for the first time is six years. In addition, Governor Tom's team met their goal of increasing the number of Service Leaders Clubs this year by 12% for a total of 369 SLP clubs within the Capital District
As my year begins on October 1, 2009, I want to keep that momentum going and perhaps increase it. As you know Governor Ganse introduced the District Wide Strategic Plan, which the membership approved at the 2008 District Convention. The implementation of this Strategic Plan is taking time for every club to embrace its concepts and use. I hope to improve the results this year in getting a large majority of clubs to complete and implement this Strategic Plan.
The goals that I want to strive to complete this year follow the Strategic Plan's concepts ideas:
My first goal is to increase our service project hours this year by 12%. Isn't this what Kiwanis is all about, service to our communities? There are so many opportunities in every one of our communities that are not being fulfilled, especially in today's economic times. Conduct a Community Analysis and see what is needed in your community. You might be surprised what you find. Can your club add one or two new service projects or increase the number of hours from your existing service projects to meet this goal?
Second, increase the amount of monies we raise each year by 15% and at the same time, increase the amount of monies we spend on these service projects or to our Service Leadership Programs by 15%. The more monies we spend the more service we can provide our communities. Can we argue against this goal?
Third, increase the number of Service Leadership Program sponsorships - CKI, Key Clubs, Builders, Kiwanis Kids and Aktion Clubs-- by 12%. This is where Kiwanis shines over any other service organization. Kiwanis has been a proponent in helping children ever since we began. This is our "bread and butter" in our communities everywhere. There are many schools in almost every community that could benefit from our sponsorship of one or more of these clubs. Remember 1 high school = 4 middle schools which =12 elementary schools so take the number of high schools in your community and do the math.
As of 9/23/09, we have the following number of clubs:
13 Aktion Clubs: Inactive-1 Members-335 38 K-Kids: Inactive-14 Members-250 58 Builders Clubs: Inactive-30 Members-294 233 Key Clubs: Inactive-38 Members-14,197 27 KI Clubs: Inactive-7 Members-853
We need to build more SLP clubs. Can your club sponsor a new Service Leadership club this year? Contact your LTG on how this can be accomplished.
Fourth. I hear the complaints. How can we do more, we are a small club or our age is getting too old to do additional projects. How can we accomplish increases of service hours or projects, raise more money to spend and then begin or add more Service Leadership programs? I will tell you how. Recruit new members from your communities to conducts these activities. If we need more hands to do the work, then we must find those hands and put them to work. We can all help by getting our own clubs involved in this endeavor.
Currently, we only have 4 Divisions out of 21 who have a positive growth as of Sept 23, 2009. Our District membership is 81 below what we were on Oct 1, 2008. Ladies and Gentleman, we have to close our 'back door" and build up our existing club membership. 54% of our clubs are below what they were on Oct 1. We need to learn from the 46% of the clubs who are growing their clubs today. We have 5 or 6 District Support Committees waiting to help each and every club grow - Take advantage of this offer now. Remember, Service projects get the public interested in who you are and they just might be interested in getting involved with you. I would love to see a 12% growth overall in all of our clubs this next year. We can do it, if we put are mind to it.
The District Growth Committee with the help of 5-6 Kiwanis Clubs this year have added 5 new clubs and have 3-4 more in the beginning stages. That 30 members time 4 equals 120 new members. This sure increases the District membership in a hurry. There are many, many fine communities in and around our communities, perhaps yours is one that either has had a Kiwanis Club or are now ready to have a new Kiwanis Club built in the community. A new club near your club should not take away from your club if worked properly. Many times the new club helps build the older club in membership and for sure service in the community.
I have committed to our incoming International President, Paul Palazzolo, that I will build one new club in each of our 8 regions this next year. Our District Growth Committee has identified a dozen or more locations throughout our District where a new Kiwanis Club could or should be built. To make this work, existing Kiwanis Clubs need to step forward and help our Growth Committee accomplish this process. I may be coming to your club this year and asking whether or not your club will step up and help expand the Kiwanis story in a community near you. I hope you and your club will be willing to do so, because without this process being successful, Kiwanis may just shrivel up and die. No one wants this to happen.
Now my Fifth goal - I am going to make the District Club Support Committee program be an effective and helpful resource that every club in this district can take advantage of. There are 16 District Club Support Committees:
Administration & Club Operations
Aktion Clubs
Builders Clubs
Club Growth
Communications & Public Relations
CKI
Community Service
Inclusion Enhancement
Kiwanis Kids
International Understanding
Key Club
Key Leaders
Leadership Development
Meetings
New Club Building
YCPO
In order for these committees to work properly, we have to have willing and able Kiwanians to become an active and knowledgeable member. Each region has one member on each of these committees meaning each committee has 8 members including a committee chair. I have 16 very qualified, energetic and knowledgeable committee chairs but we do not have every committee fully staffed. Would you be interested in working on one of these committees?
The purpose of each committee is to provide assistance to any club that is in need of assistance in any one of these 16 areas. Key Leaders for instance - we have one Key Leaders Weekend scheduled in Anne Arundel County, MD in April 2010 and a second one in the Hampden Roads area in Oct/Nov 2010. This committee will be promoting both of these weekends by having Kiwanis Clubs sponsor one or more high school deserving students - not necessarily a Key Clubber. Do you want to help us? If so, contact myself or any Committee Chair regarding working on these committees.
My last goal in doing all of these activities is we must have fun while doing them. I love doing a service project with other Kiwanians and/or Key Club/CKI's. It really allows me time to get to know each of them, talk, tell jokes or stories and really have a lot of fun doing a service project or fund raiser. Every club must make sure that HAVING FUN while doing a service project or fund raiser is just as important as the event itself.
So, my six goals again are:
Increase service projects or hours by 12%
Increase the monies raised and spent by 15%
Increase our sponsorship of Service Leadership programs clubs by 12%
Increase our membership within each club by 12% and build 8 new clubs
Make the District Club Support Committees functional and useful
And having fun while doing all of this.
Again I thank you for having the confidence in me to be your Governor for the 2009/2010 Administrative Year.
With your help, we can make 2009/2010 the most outstanding year to date in the Capital District.
Don L. Dudey Governor

(cont’d on page 2)

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Gov. Tom Ganse and his “top guns” team in having an outstanding year.

Vacancies by Gov Elect Tom Varner

Now, we are all ready to start the new Kiwanis year. One of my goals is to equip all our 2010 - 2011 leaders with all the tools we have at our disposal. Imagine my surprise when I found that there are only ten of 21 Lieutenant Governors-Elect in place for this year. Why is this a problem? According to Kiwanis International, the Lieutenant Governor-Designate and Lieutenant Governor-Elect should have been elected before May 1, 2009. That means we are almost six months late in one-half the Divisions or the results of the election have not been reported to the district or to Kiwanis International.
Then I received a report on the President-elects for 2009 - 2010 and, you probably are ahead of me, only slightly more than one-half have been elected. The deadline for club officers was May 12, 2009.
I want to serve the District and to provide positive leadership to those who lead our clubs and the District officers who are the direct supervisors. We cannot give them the tools without knowing who they are.
Why do I write this in the Capital Builder? It is a growing problem in the District and the number of vacant positions increases every year. The problem belongs to every Kiwanis because you are not getting the best leadership, which is what you deserve and what you should expect. Kiwanis along with the world is changing and we all need to know what is new and what is available to help our clubs. The easiest way to get the correct and timely information is through our District Leadership Development Program.
The program is scheduled to begin for some Regions in three to four weeks and in all regions within two months. Do you want your leaders to have all the knowledge to help your clubs, to know the options for Kiwanis meetings are, to learn about service opportunities, to collaborate with other Kiwanis organizations, such as our Service Leadership Programs, and to be the best they can be to serve you? If so, ask what the status of your club and division officer is at this point of the year.

(cont’d on page 4)

Governor’s Message (cont’d from page 1)

How can we accomplish inceases of service hours or projects, raise more money to spend and then begin to add more Service Leadership Programs?

(cont’d on page 3)

The MiniBuilder is published six times a year in February, April, June, August, October, December by the Capital District of Kiwanis International
Dave Maloney, Editor dave@maloney.com P.O. Box 2049 Frederick, MD 21702 301-228-2279
Deadline email submissions to dave@maloney.com last day of the month preceding publication
Capital District Kiwanis International
Organized August 23, 1918
Governor Don Dudey
1110 Kingsbury Rd.
Owings Mills, MD 21117
h-410-356-5707 c-443-794-1112
ddudey@verizon.net
Secretary-Treasurer Ellis H. Stroup 7307 Coventry Drive P.O. Box 855 Middletown, MD 21769-0855 301-371-4650 ehstroup@comcast.net
Governor-Elect 13065 Riverside Court
Ashland, VA 23005-3132
h-804-798-8497
c-804-514-7826
thomas.varner@comcast.net
Immediate Past Governor
Tom Ganse 45109 Woodhaven Drive California, MD 20619 410-326-5117 tganse@earthlink.net
Capital District Foundation
Executive Secretary Charles P. Adams 1601 Charrington Drive Midlothian, VA 23113 804-794-1019 govadams@aol.com

Governor’s Message (cont’d from page 2)

(cont’d on page 4)

I have committed to our incoming International President, Paulk palazzolo, that I will build one new club in each of our 8 regions next year.

Governor’s Message (cont’d from page 3)

Vacancies (cont’d from page 1)

Why do I write this in the Capital Builder? It is a growing problem in the District and the number of vacant positions increases every year.

2010 District Midwinter and CKI 50th Anniv. Conv. by Jeffrey Wolff, CKI District Administrator

With the generous support of the Capital District of Kiwanis, this year Capital District will experience a unique event the weekend of February 26-28, 2010.
The 50th Anniversary of CKI in the Capital District is being celebrated with a joint District Convention and Kiwanis District Midwinter and it will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.
Many surprises are being planned for the weekend as the planning committee has been hard at work for several months already. But we can tell you, that you won't want to miss our Friday Casino Night, a charity fundraiser for the Kiwanis District Foundation. This event will feature a variety of standard Vegas-style card games (Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, 3 Card Poker, Texas Hold 'em and more) along with favorites like Craps and Roulette. In addition, a comedy hypnotist will perform for you night owls after Casino Night wraps up. Saturday's conference lineup will feature many great speakers and workshops including a Keynote address from Kiwanis International President Paul Palazzolo.
This year, the cost of weekend conventions has been addressed and as a result Kiwanians can attend ALL functions and meals of the weekend event for a single cost of $125/person if you register by February 5, 2010. A la carte registration for individual meal functions is still available. The conference hotel has also agreed to a rate of $99/night providing one of the best values this district has seen for a weekend of fellowship and fun.
Recently, a special web site promoting this unique conference launched to the public and registration officially opened! You can reach the conference site by clicking "2010 District Midwinter" from the main menu of the Capital District Kiwanis web site or by going straight to http://www.novakiwanis.org/midwinter. The event is being hosted by the Capital District of CKI in conjunction with Kiwanis Division 20.
We encourage you to follow the web site for more details as they are released and get your registrations in now. See you in Crystal City in February!

(cont’d on page 8)

New Way to Recruit New Members: Revealed! by Jennifer Dugent

One of the biggest challenges that is facing clubs today is figuring out new, effective ways of recruiting. Once prospectives learn about Kiwanis and the good work we do around the community, it's a no brainer to join. The challenge falls in actually getting them to that first meeting.
How have we been doing that? Clubs often go the traditional routes: fliers at libraries and community centers, brochures distributes at fairs and other events. Most clubs find these techniques to be stale. One of the newest tools that Kiwanians aren't aware of is free and just a click away: Craigslist.
Craiglist is an online classifieds page that is regionalized by cities and towns. Thousands of citizens go to www.craigslist.com everyday to buy/sell items, look for jobs, and looks for community activities, as well as numerous other features. The Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner started using Craiglist back in 2006 to recruit new members. "We post on Craiglist the Monday before each of our Tuesday meetings in the 'Volunteers' section" says 08-09 Club President Jennifer Dugent. " We've gotten anywhere from 1 to 7 new prospectives at each of our meetings thanks to Craigslist."
So, how would a club get started?
First, go to www.craigslist.com. Click on your state, and then click on the town/city that is appropriate for your club. This will take you to your local Craigslist page. In the upper left section entitled "Community" click on "Volunteers". There will be listed the most current ads requesting volunteers. If you would like to post an ad for your club, go to the upper right portion of the page and click "post". It will take you step by step through how to post a free ad for the club. Make sure that you put something eye catching for your title (example: "Enjoy volunteering in the community? Do some service projects with a fun group!") In the body of your ad, list info about your meetings, what service projects you do, and a website address if you have one. You can even add a photo or logo. Your ad will last for 2 weeks.
You may be wondering, why not post in the "groups" or " events" section instead of volunteers? "I tried different ways of posting to see what the best results would be" says Jennifer. "The members we want are people that are looking to do volunteer work. We've gotten the best results by posting in the 'Volunteers' section because those are the people that want to get out and get their hands dirty."
Everyday more and more organizations are using Craiglist to reach people that are looking to get involved. Now is the time for YOUR club to get those increased membership numbers! Try Craigslist: it's easy and best of all, free!

The Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner started using Craiglist back in 2006 to recruit new members.

2008-Who Was Your Kiwanis Sponsor? by KI Pres. Paul Palazzolo

During 2009-10, I'm asking you to help your club achieve its potential for service by achieving its potential for membership strength.

Can you name the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize last year? Who was the most valuable player in Super Bowl XLII? Who asked you to join your Kiwanis Club?
The reason the last question is easier to answer is simply because that person made a difference in your life. If I could meet your Kiwanis sponsor, I'd proudly shake their hand in gratitude. As a Kiwanian, when you help a child, it's almost as if your sponsor were involved. It's a legacy of service.
Strengthening your club's membership builds that legacy of Kiwanis service. During 2009-10, I'm asking you to help your club achieve its potential for service by achieving its potential for membership strength. Your club can achieve its potential by coordinating four membership efforts during the year:
October: Walk the Talk - All Kiwanis Leaders sponsor at least one new member. It's not too late to generate the momentum for this effort right now!
January: Stay Flexible by taking advantage of the new flexible membership initiatives like satellite clubs and corporate membership.
May: Kiwanis Membership Month - Work with your club to plan now for a full-scale effort.
September: Keep it in the Kiwanis Family by asking family and faculty of your sponsored clubs to join your club.
As a leader in Kiwanis, October is the time to set the pace for an entire year of membership growth. Please check out the details for each of these club membership initiatives on the Kiwanis website at: www.kiwanisone.org/reveal and plan now to grow for service.
The greatest gift of gratitude to your Kiwanis sponsor is to return the favor and sponsor another new Kiwanian into your club. Let's use the concepts in the "Reveal" initiative to build that legacy of Kiwanis service. Thanks for making time to make a difference.

In Memoriam

September 2009
Roy Miller Bethesda, Md.
August 2009
William Alexander, Bethesda, Md.
John B. Gray, Pikesville., Md.
Lillie White, Capitol Hill, D.C.
LeRoy Haile, Jr., Towson-Timonium, Md.
Holly Obrecht, Towson-Timonium, Md.
John Earnest, Fredericksburg, Va.
Robert Blake, Colonial Capital, Va.

Plan Now to Support the Spring 2010 Key Leader Weekend by Nicole McDermott

Our spring 2010 weekend will be April 23-25, 2010, at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, in Millersville, Maryland. This date is approximately one month after Key Club District Convention and does not conflict with Passover, Easter, SATs, or local spring break weeks. Arlington Echo is the same location as the 2008 and 2009 spring Key Leader events and consists of 24 wooded acres on the Severn River and boasts heated cabins, a dining hall, an outdoor ropes course, and more. Arlington Echo is about 45 minutes from Washington, D.C., and about 20 minutes from Annapolis. Corey Goggin from the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean is serving as our 2010 Arlington Echo site coordinator.
Kiwanis International has determined that the 2010 registration cost will be is $215.00 per student. Kiwanis Clubs are strongly encouraged to plan to sponsor students now and include Key Leader in club budgets for the 2009-10 Kiwanis year. Meals, lodging, t-shirt, participant manual and more are included in registration fee. Unfortunately, while the Kiwanis International Foundation is still financially supporting the Key Leader program, they are no longer offering scholarships or discounts for Key Club or Builders Club members.
The spring Key Leader events are open to any current 8th-12th grade students (in or out of Key Club or Builders Club). Once again, our goal for this event will be 60 students plus an additional 8-10 student facilitators. We were so very happy that our 2009 event "sold out" with 80+ students attending Key Leader and reaping the benefits of this tremendous program!
Key Leader is a leadership education weekend for high school students focusing on the concept of service leadership and five principles: integrity, growth, respect, community and excellence. The weekend is casual and includes hands-on exercises; writing and reflection activities; cooperative, team activities; physical challenges and more. Students arrive between 4-6 p.m. on Friday and depart between 11 a.m.-12 noon on Sunday. All adult chaperones have undergone background checks, and the weekend is run by a professional facilitator who has successfully completed a training course on the curriculum and who brings experience working with young people.
Thank you again to all of the Kiwanis Clubs that supported Key Leader in 2009! A number of banner patches have been distributed to clubs by mail as a thank you for supporting this program. All clubs that sponsored at least one student were emailed twice in the last month or so about providing a mailing address so that a banner patch could be sent to the club. However, many clubs did not respond to this request. If your club sponsored a student and you did not yet receive a banner patch, please email a club mailing address to CapitalKeyLeader@gmail.com as soon as possible and a patch will be sent to you.
Kiwanis Clubs should make sure there is funding in their 2009-10 budgets now to support this very valuable Service Leadership Program!
For more information about the Spring 2010 Key Leader weekend, please contact Capital District Key Leader Chair Nicole McDermott at CapitalKeyLeader@gmail.com or 703.917.8877. Search Capital District Key Leader on Facebook and become a fan!

The spring key leader events are open to any current 8th-12th grade students. Membership in Key club or builders club not required.

MiniBuilder the newsletter of the Capital District

David Maloney, Editor P.O. Box 2049 Frederick, MD 21702
Phone: 301-228-2279
dave@maloney.com

We’re on the Web!
capitaldistrictkiwanis.org

2010 Dist. Midwinter/CKI 50th Anniv. (cont’d from page 4)

(cont’d on page 5)

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Page #

MiniBuilder October-November 2009

MiniBuilder October-November 2009

Page #