Governor's Message
by Gov. Don Dudey
The Capital District recently lost a wonderful Kiwanian, Warren Kane. Warren died from pancreatic cancer after only a short illness. Trustee Brian Bell wrote some lovely sentiments regarding Warren:
"Warren was truly a wonderful Kiwanian who gave his all to Arlington Kiwanis Club and our Capital District. He served in many leadership positions following his term as District Governor, including Finance Committee Chair, Foundation Trustee, YCPO Committee, and so much more. Warren and Dale were a team, beloved by all for their dedication, commitment, charm and grace. They represent the best in our Capital District."
I could not have said it better. Thanks, Brian, for the remembrance. Many Kiwanians within the Capital District attended Warren's funeral last week to lend support for Dale and her family. I encourage all of those within the Capital District to keep Dale and her family in your prayers.
Again, I would like to talk about our Dues Increase Bylaw Amendment that the District Board is proposing. I hope you have had a chance to attend one of the many Dues Increase Seminars being conducted by your District Trustee. If you have not, I have been presenting portions of those presentations in my monthly column here in the eBuilder.
Last month I talked about what you were getting from your $16 District dues. This month I would like to explain the various considerations the Board is confronted with in developing and using the District budget.
As you might know, expenses everywhere have being increasing either by inflation or otherwise even though our revenue has been decreasing. Our revenue comes from member dues and the district membership has decrease each year since 1997 for a total loss of 2,462 members or $39,392. This amount of loss could have kept us from being where we are today if our membership could only have remained stable during these 13 years.
Our district budget has been fund driven rather than requirement driven meaning we can only give each category of the budget a specific dollar amount rather than what they would need to do their responsibilities. One major area that is restricted is the number of visits a LTG conducts with their respective clubs. We can only reimburse their travel expense at $.40/mile whereas the IRS allows $.58/mile allowance, and we can only cover 2 visits per year rather that the 4 or more visits they need to do their job.
Another major area is that we cannot fund the District Committees to the level that they require to conduct their committee responsibilities. They are only given a portion of the dollars that they actually need to make their committee function like they are intended to do.
Another major area that the Board needed to consider was the compensation that the District Secretary/Treasurer and the eBuilder editor receive. We are truly blessed to have Ellis Stroup as our District Secretary/ Treasurer. He has been in this position for 35 great years and has not demanded compensation equal to the responsibility and duties he performs. Currently the District is paying Ellis $20,000 per year, but when Ellis decides to "step down" from this position, to replace both his expertise and secretary and treasurer responsibilities will require a major change in the compensation paid to the replacement of this position. The District is currently developing a succession plan for this position but the level of compensation will be a major factor in finding a competent person for this position. The editor for the District eBuilder compensation is only $6,000 and we are really blessed in have David Maloney performed these duties also. He is an unsung hero as he takes what everyone writes and then edits it to be acceptable for print. Again, to replace David will place the District in the same position as the District Secretary, Treasurer - hard to find an individual for the level of compensation that position is currently being paid.
The above are just some of the considerations the District Board has to consider in developing a budget each year and then conducting the business of the District during each administrative year.
There is a way in which the District could operate without a dues increase being suggested above.
That is - if each club increased their membership this coming year by 14 members, the District budget would have the revenue to operate without requiring a dues increase. Now, I know this is not feasible by any means, but it stresses the point that increasing club membership is vital for the continued success of the Capital District. If our district membership continues to decrease, then this budgetary problem will only get worse in the future. We need to increase our clubs' memberships now. This is really every club's responsibility-not to be left to just a few clubs. All 179 clubs need to show positive growth this year and for the next several years. I have instituted a Membership Growth Contest which has been communicate to your earlier. I hope your club has endorsed the idea of growing your membership. Your LTG can be a very helpful player in your club growth process. LTGs have various tools, ideas and resources to help your club grow. If you have not asked your LTG for assistance, please do so as soon as possible.
We have four months until the end of this administrative year. That is ample time to recruit several new members for your club. As you know, in order to be a distinguished club, your club must have a positive growth for the year. If you want your club president and/or secretary to be distinguished, they must bring in two new members to the club along with a few other requirements. So, have your club secretary check the KiwanisOne Management System and see how your club is performing in this area.
But membership growth just for the sake of increased numbers is not what this all is about. Yes, we use numbers to measure a club's size, but the real benefit for club growth is that with more members your club benefits in two great ways.
- You have more "hands" to do the various service projects your club conducts in your community. More members will allow you to do a better job with the service projects you are doing now, but it also allows you to try to add new additional service projects for your community.
- New members bring in new ideas and suggestion for your club. It also provides a reservoir of new potential leaders for your club. If, like many of our clubs, your club is small, repeating leadership roles is necessary but can sometimes be detrimental to the health of a club. I have seen two clubs fold recently because no one was willing to step up into the leadership roles of the club. Having new members can help keep this from happening. Once the new member has been in the club a year or two, they should be able to step up into any one of the various leadership roles of a club
So, new members to a club are very important. Let's all get busy asking others to join our great organization and getting involved with the service programs we provide our communities. Again, if your club needs help in this endeavor, your LTG, District Trustee or even myself can be of assistance, if asked. Let's all help grow the membership of the Capital District now.
Don L. Dudey
Capital District Governor
