The Kiwanis Club of McLean, Virginia, had the privilege of hosting "The 30th Annual 20th Division Sponsored Youth Night" on November 1st at the Marriott Hotel in Tysons Corner. This traditional event brings together club members of the Service Leadership Program clubs, that is the Builder's Clubs, Key Clubs and CKI clubs of sponsoring Kiwanis Clubs of the 20th Division to celebrate another year of community service.

A large turnout of Kiwanians from throughout the District were on hand to see and hear student club officers host and lead the program from opening comments by Yasmin Elgibali, Key Club Lt. Governor of Division 20B and Jeanne Jeong, Key Club Lt. Governor, Division 20C, to the Invocation by Rachel Newcomb, LG Capital District Circle K at University of Mary Washington. Head table and guests introductions were made by Division 20A LG Fernando Castro, followed by an addresses by Builder's Club president Leila Safavi of Westminster School, Annandale, and Capital District Circle K (CKI) Governor Sneha Bhat of Mary Baldwin College and Kiwanis District Governor Art Riley. The benediction was by Deirdre Clark, LG CKI at George Washington University.

While the young leaders were clearly and expertly in charge of the night's program which displayed their true poise, talents and charms as our SLP leaders, Dale Larson of the McLean Kiwanis Club was busy - very busy, as usual - making sure all the details were in place, just as he has been doing with what was once called the "Sponsored Youth Programs" and now is the Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs. What he did not know was that there was a surprise in store for him: the K-Family Clubs of Division 20 were honoring him this night for his long and dedicated personal service and leadership of the Capital District's sponsored programs.

Dale was presented with a Capital District Charter Membership into the Founder's Society and was he surprised! He was presented the Founder's Medallion and engraved plaque which represents a donation of $1,000 by Division 20 clubs in his honor to the Capital District Kiwanis Foundation endowment to support the Service Leadership Programs.

Dale Larson: A Dedicated Kiwanis Leader For 30 Years of Sponsored Programs

Dale Larson has been well known throughout the Capital District over the years. Those of us who have been around for a few years ourselves remember Dale back thirty years ago leading the Sponsored Youth Programs, as they were known then just as enthusiastically as he again did that Thursday night, November 1st, at the celebration.

Dale joined the Kiwanis Club of McLean, Virginia, on March 28th, 1968, and lives in Falls Church. It wasn't long before he became interested in the sponsored programs. He became the Key Club faculty advisor of the McLean High Schools Key Club and kept the job for twenty-three years! Always seeking ways to help young leaders develop their skills on a broader scale, he become the District's "Sponsored Youth Service" chair in 1977 and held the position until 1992. As the clubs continued to grow in both numbers of clubs and club size, the chairman's job and scope of responsibilities become bigger and more involved as well. Dale had mapped out the chair's duties by the example of his own leadership. We've seen the Key Clubs grow to 14,000 members plus and the CKI grow as well, with the addition of Builder's and K-Kids Clubs.

I asked Dale what he felt were the most important ways Kiwanis clubs can help support our SLP organizations. He answers were not a surprise. It is the same critical basics that make the difference in successful leadership by example. Kiwanis Clubs must be actively involved with their sponsored SLP clubs. He said, Kiwanis clubs must:

1. Recruit, train, support and nurture a faculty advisor for each club.
2. Must secure the schools top active support of the club in the school system.
3. Must have two Kiwanians at each SLP meeting - well, least one, and spread the responsibility within the Kiwanis club to train all Kiwanians as well.
4. Provide one minute of Kiwanis - SLP education at each meeting!
5. Take the club sponsorship responsibility seriously - develop leaders.

Dale also said a very insightful thought we sometimes miss: "Young people respond to being treated as adults with responsibility for their behavior, doing community service and, yes, to dressing up for certain events and leading their programs". That says it.

Dale Larson has helped and served as a model for today's SLP Capital District leaders including Key Club Administrator Joe Stankus and Assistant Administrator Bill Hand, and CKI Administrator Jeff Wolff, all of whom were on hand to honor Dale. Congratulations, Dale, and thank you from all of us.