Gov. Jeffrey's Message

by Gov. Jeffrey Wolff

This month I wanted to speak to you about the Service Leadership Programs here in Capital. We are fortunate as an organization to have branded initiatives for students at all age levels so that they can not only develop as servant leaders, but also as individuals with a Kiwanis heart. Both Jen and I are products of our SLPs as are many of the members of our home club.

This is an important distinction as we continue to interact with these students we are having an impact on how they will lead the rest of their lives. I'm a Kiwanian today, because members of the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow, NY made a positive impact on me when I was a freshman in high school and encouraged my participation in Key Club.

Not only is the number of Service Leadership Programs clubs in Capital growing by leaps and bounds, but we have dedicated and incredibly hard working Kiwanians overseeing them. For elementary school students we have Kiwanis Kids which is headed up by Dorothy Murray of the Old Point Comfort Club. When those students move up to middle school, Builders Club is waiting for them and Matthew Mund of the Kiwanis Club of Washington DC is our district chair. The largest of our Kiwanis-Family branches is Key Club for high school students looked after by District Administrator Joe Stankus of the North Central Richmond Club. Our only SLP that is not a club is Key Leader, a weekend leadership retreat for high school students. Our Key Leader District Chair is Nicole McDermott from the Kiwanis Club of Tysons Corner/McLean. For those that enter the colleges and universities of the Capital District, Circle K International or CKI is waiting for them and my wife, Jen Wolff also from the Tysons Corner/McLean club serves as the District Administrator. Finally, for adults living with disabilities we have Aktion clubs and Past Governor Art Riley from the Kiwanis Club of Westminster is our chairperson for them. These individuals gave vast amounts of their time and treasure to ensure that the students have the right experiences.

Our Key Leader events have been so successful that we were one of the only districts granted permission to add a third site to our 2012 calendar. In terms of size, our CKI and Key Club programs are 2nd and 4th respectively in the entire Kiwanis world and that is something to truly be proud of. They are both led by dynamic servant leaders.

It is important to understand that Key Club, CKI and all of other Service Leadership Programs only succeed when we have dedicated and supportive Kiwanis clubs behind them. The unfortunate reality is that we have many orphaned Key Clubs who no longer have a Kiwanis club providing support to them. We also have new Key Clubs that are ready to charter but lack a Kiwanis club in the area to provide guidance. Gone are the days when a Kiwanis club was required for a Key Club to charter, simply because Kiwanis International didn't want to stifle the growth of the Key Club program, but Key Clubs that don't have sponsors lack much of the direction and positive impact that we need to be providing.

Many Kiwanians believe that sponsorship of a Service Leadership Program is a simple as writing a check, but its far more than that. There are actually a number of things that a Kiwanis club should be doing each year to ensure that all of their SLP clubs are successful. You can get much more detailed information on each of these items at www.kiwanis.org/advisor, but I wanted to take a moment to run through here for you.

First, when you sponsor a SLP club, you should have a Kiwanis member serving as an advisor to each of your clubs. This person needs to have the time to truly interact and be present for many of that club's meetings and projects. Since that is such a large time commitment, it's best to have multiple people that take turns visiting with the SLP club.

Obviously, one of the main forms of support a Kiwanis club can provide is financial, but this should be more than just a line item in your club's budget, it should be the interaction with the individual SLP clubs to help them create their own annual budget and work through the ins and outs of managing it throughout the year. These are life lessons you are providing to those student leaders. In addition, it's your club's responsibility to ensure that the SLP club pays its dues on time each year. That doesn't necessarily mean paying the dues for them, but simply making sure that they are on top of the process.

Next, make sure that you meet with the principal of the school or dean of students each year so that you are in touch with the needs of the campus and can help guide your SLP club's officers. This is similar to your club conducting a community analysis to know what areas your Kiwanis club needs to focus on for the year.

The officers of our Service Leadership Programs have to be trained each year. Whether your Kiwanis club conducts the training yourself or you make sure they attend a district provided training, it is your club's responsibility to ensure those officers have the skills they need to keep the club on its chosen path.

Finally, your club's leadership should sit down at least once a year with the student leadership and discuss joint plans for how your clubs can work together on projects lead by both clubs. You should also make sure that members of that club attend your meetings on a regular basis to report on the work they are doing. Members of your club can be re-energized when they hear about the positive impact the students they support are making.

As we move into the holiday season later this month, we all stop to reflect on how fortunate we are, so my request to you is that you to take a moment and think about how you can give back through Kiwanis. May you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! Thank you for your commitment to Kiwanis and the children of the world!

In Kiwanis service,
Jeffrey Wolff