Midwinter Conference Scheduled Feb. 26-28

by Gov. Don Dudey

Midwinter Conferences have always been a major conference in the Capital District whether it is a on a District level or Regional level. The Midwinter conferences have always been a training conference for incoming officers and others along with being a social gathering where old and new friends get together in fellowship and play.

This year the Capital District Board elected to have a District Wide Midwinter Conference for two major reasons: 1) to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CKI program within the Capital District and 2) to have a consistent message from our various District Club Growth Committees to everyone within the Capital District. This year the Midwinter conference is at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA February 26-28, 2010.

Once we agreed upon having the District-wide Midwinter conference, the planning committee immediately invited the Kiwanis International President – Paul Palazzolo to attend and he accepted our invitation. Paul will be at the entire convention, plus he will be conducting two training sessions on Kiwanis membership – something you shouldn’t miss. Paul is very easy to talk to and what a better opportunity than now to come and personally talk with Paul about Kiwanis and where you think it should be going. This in itself is the reason you should consider attending this conference.

The 2010 Midwinter Conference Committee has been working extremely hard in trying to make this an outstanding conference in blending the Kiwanis Midwinter Conference with the CKI District Convention. We as Kiwanians should be extremely proud of your CKI program and what they are accomplishing in their various colleges. Perhaps you do not sponsor a CKI club and thereby not know what an outstanding program CKI is or you only see what your individual CKI club is doing. Either way, seeing the CKI program on a District-wide level gives you a whole different perspective of what these young adults are accomplishing in their individual clubs... From the types of service projects to the numbers of hours of service performed all while going full time as a college student is amazing to see.

There are 25 training sessions about Kiwanis programs and activities I think you will be excited to attend. The committee has worked hard to make these sessions a learning/training session for incoming club officers as well as all other Kiwanians. On Friday evening there is a casino night for Kiwanians while the CKI District Convention Opens, and then there is a CKI dance to close out the evening.  Saturday has a breakfast and lunch have speaker for each whereas the Governor’s Banquet will be in part a birthday party for CKI. This will be an outstanding event that you don’t want to miss.  Sunday had the normal breakfast then CKI convention will conclude their elections and installation ceremony. Then as usual, the conference will end about noon, and we can all say goodbye until out next event - International Convention in Las Vegas.

So, I look forward in seeing many of you in Arlington, VA, February 26-28, 2010.

Don L. Dudey
Governor