Kiwanis International President Dave Curry (right) and First Lady Eva Curry will
be visiting the Capital District in late January 2008. During
this special time our district will be hosting a number of
events for the First Family of Kiwanis. On Saturday evening,
January 26, 2008 Governor Art and First Lady Vickie will
host a reception from 6-7 pm (with cash bar) followed by
dinner at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 4500 Crain Hwy,
Bowie, Maryland 20716. 
by John Montgomery
Four
of the Capital District's eight regions (Potomac, Mason-Dixon,
DelMarVa & Hampton Roads) held Growth Team conferences during the month of October and
the other four regions (Heart of Virginia, NOVA,
Presidential and Southwest Virginia) are scheduled
to meet in November.
A primary purpose of these gatherings, according to Growth Team Chairman Jack White, has been to identify places where the potential for building new clubs exists, as well as to identify existing clubs where the Growth Team can lend its assistance. Another major focus has been to plan the roll out of the GT's new video, Closing the Backdoor, which concentrates on membership retention. All clubs will be viewing this video in the coming months.
Thus far, the GT meetings have been largely successful. "The groups' enthusiasm and dedication to purpose has been outstanding," White says. "These conferences have done their job."
At the Mason-Dixon Region's meeting held in western Maryland on Oct. 15, for example, the attendance of current LGs, past LGs and New Club Building Committee member Gus Lamond, and Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Committee member Bill Butts helped make the meeting productive.
White feels that the attention to membership starts at the top, and he salutes the Capital District for making it a priority. Immediate past district Gov. Bob Cressy, current Gov. Art Riley and Gov.-elect Tom Ganse are working together especially well on the membership issue, he says.
Capital District Kiwanis membership showed an increase in the 2006-07 year, a first in more than a decade.
White, trustee for the Southwest Virginia Region, has also begun sending weekly audio e-mails to Growth Team members and the district's 21 lieutenant governors. These e-mails are called "Monday Morning Messages" and generally offer advice related to membership growth. They are short and to-the-point, generally running about two minutes in length. White narrates the e-mails himself.
"The lieutenant governors are a new addition to our 'Monday Morning Message' audience," White says. "The Growth Team's work depends greatly on their involvement and participation." related article
