Governor’s New Year Message
Kiwanis family, if you blinked, you would have missed it…the start of our new administrative year. Happy New Kiwanis Year everyone! The baton has been passed to me by Immediate Past Governor (IPG) Cynthia and I wish to thank her for the solid leadership she provided to our District.
It is my hope that you are as excited about this year as I am. Here are a few reasons for my positive state of mind:
- Kiwanis International will be led by one of our own – President Hope Markes. A proud and distinguished member of our EC&C District.
- Our District has a First-Class leadership team. Our Board of Trustees are talented, committed, solutions-oriented and willing to do all that’s required, to ensure we enjoy a successful year.
- This year’s Class of Lieutenant Governors are an exceptional group of leaders, who have been equipped to lead their teams with excellence.
- We have several committees, led by creative, hardworking and dedicated Kiwanians, whose primary responsibility will be to ensure that clubs receive the required support, in all areas of their operations.
- This year will provide many opportunities for you to tap into your purpose and pursue your passion, as we serve our children and communities. Ensure you grasp those opportunities, which will empower you to become a better version of yourself.
- Our Service Leadership Program (SLP) members are on a roll and will challenge us to keep up with them. I have accepted the challenge, and I hope you will too! Let us commit to really show-up for our SLP members – attend their meetings; support their projects; facilitate training workshops and just make ourselves available.
- We will have the opportunity to expand our reach and increase our impact as Kiwanians, by inviting at least one other person to join our movement and identifying opportunities to start new clubs. We can’t possibly have enough hands to serve our children and communities. On average, each Kiwanian reaches 99 kids; we want to significantly increase that number and we need more members to do so. The quote which states “Belonging to Kiwanis means being part of a massive force for positive change in the world” always keeps me focused on the need to share my K.
- I get an adrenaline rush each time I think of our upcoming District Convention in The Bahamas, May 13 – 15, 2027. That date can’t come fast enoughJ. Our Bahamian team is putting in the work to ensure we have an amazing experience on the Paradise Island in Nassau.
Let me now share with you our theme for this year – “Leveraging our Diversity, to Serve Humanity”. This theme will drive many of the activities that we will execute throughout the year. It was specifically chosen by me, as it’s my desire that, while we serve within our clubs and divisions, we will show a greater appreciation for the differences between us, which when harnessed, make us a powerful force for good, within this world. It is also my wish that we will become more curious about the cultures, norms and practices of our Kiwanis clubs across the District, to the point that we will get out of our comfort zones and reach across borders, to collaborate on projects and activities. So, at the end of the year, we should have broken down the silos which now exist and really feel more connected to each other.
To ensure we remain focused on the objectives of our theme, we have created a new committee – Culture and Collaboration. This committee will organize events and activities which will provide many opportunities for us to engage with each other via various channels, learn more about what makes us different, yet demonstrate how those differences can work together to strengthen our impact.
As we start this new Kiwanis year, I encourage all to stay committed to our mission. There will be many distractions throughout the year, in various shapes and forms, but stay connected to your Why…what inspired you to join this incredible organization.
I look forward to engaging with as many of you as possible, through my visits across the District and participation in various meetings and activities.
I hope the year 2026/2027 is ready for us, because we’ll be powering through as One Strong and United EC&C District.
Respect!
