Sec/Treas Tom's Message

by Sec./Treas. Tom Varner

At the Kiwanis International Council meeting in New Orleans earlier this month, Kiwanis International rolled out the new Kiwanis App. To download it to your data phone use "Kiwanis App." There are also apps available for CKI and Key Club.  The apps will give you information about what is going on in the organization and also a super club locator. The latter will give you maps with pins for clubs. When you click on a pin it will give you the name of the club and an arrow will direct you to information about that club. "Try it, you will like it!"

We are in the process of changing the place our district directory is stored. There may be some glitches, but please bear with us. One of the critical items we are still having problems with is the accuracy of information at Kiwanis International. Members can enter their own account at KI using their emails and setting up a password. They can correct most information, but not their e-mail address. That can only be changed by the club secretary. If your e-mail address changes, check with your club secretary to make sure he/she enters the change at KI.

Regional midwinter conferences are kicking off this weekend. See the Capital District Events calendar for place and time (http://capital.kiwanisone.org/public_district/pub_Content.aspx?PageID=324). I would encourage everyone to attend and to take advantage of the excellent educational opportunities that will be presented. It is a great time to interact and to gather information from you peers in other clubs. The conferences are not just for the club officers, but for every Kiwanian.

Our youth are setting up their District Conventions. CKI will kick it off at the third week end of February and Key Club the second week of March. Most Kiwanians are not aware that these groups finish up their respective years on March 30 and begin again on April 1. Key Club Divisional officers are being elected now and District officers are elected at the convention. CKI elects both LTGs and District officers at their convention.

The Kiwanis Lieutenant Governors will have their training conference shortly. One problem here is that we only have nine of 21 Lieutenant Governor Elects. These officers should have been elected last spring and the division should be getting ready to elect designates (2012-2013) and new elects (2013-2014) in the next two months. You're your division have a LTG for 2012-2013? If not they need to be elected before their training conference.

Finally, two of the regions will be electing new Trustees for three-year terms beginning October 1, 2012 and ending on September 30, 2015. Nominations should already have been filed and each club in the region should know who their candidates are. The elections will be held at the midwinter conferences.

And, let's not forget it is time to register for the 2012 International Convention to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana June 28-July 1. I checked our hotel out two weeks ago and it is very nice. Only about five blocks from the convention center. We have a tentative reservation for a district dinner on the night of the 28th at $25.00 per person. Take advantage of low rates and register today. Go to the Kiwanis convention registration webpage (http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/NewOrleansConvention/Registration.aspx) to get your forms. [Check the due dates for registration price increases.]

The best reasons to go to ICON are to meet and greet new friends, to take advantage of an excellent education program, here from you international officers, and the number one reason to go to New Orleans is to elect Capital District Past Governor Jerry Peuler to the office of Vice-President of Kiwanis International. If Jerry is successful, he will be our International President in 2014-2015. Everyone lets go to the fun capital of the world and catch us a President.

Tom Varner
Secretary/Treasurer