Many individuals join Kiwanis clubs specifically because we are an international
organization with a global mission-that lofty goal of changing
the world one child and one community at a time. To this
point, with a few notable exceptions, our Capital District
clubs seem to have focused on local efforts directed toward
helping our own children and communities. This is commendable,
but it does not address the incredible needs of children
worldwide...Accordingly,
our District Committee on International Understanding has
decided to pursue a new approach
to achieving our global mission. We have selected Africa because its needs are great and most of us know extremely
little about this part of the world...Strategic
Planning
by Tom Varner, Chair, Strategic Planning Committee
As you know from reading the last Capital Builder, the Strategic Plan was approved by the Board of Directors and the House of Delegates at the 2008 District Convention. Another change that was approved to the District Policies was the composition and the responsibilities of the District Policy Committees. Each committee will be composed of three members of the Board of Directors and three other Capital district Kiwanians. The three Trustees for 2008 - 2009 are Doris Montgomery, Dale Collins, and Jim Jacobs. In addition, Jim Gilchrist was appointed and I was appointed as Committee Chair.
In the past two months we have been hard at work developing the materials for the Clubs, Divisions, and Regions to begin the process of planning. Many for the materials are now ready and will be posted on the District Web site so that every Kiwanian will know where we are going.
This is a vision. It is based on what we see as the future of the Capital district in the next seven years. It can be done. We can all know where we are going and where we have been. Capital District will be the leaders in fully functioning club planning for the future.
Many are familiar with five year plans and may wonder why a seven year plan. It is seven years until the 100th Birthday of Kiwanis. That is the year that Kiwanis International has set a goal of 1,000,000 Kiwanians. After one year it will be a six year plan and then a five year plan the following year. From then on, we will add a year to keep it as a five year plan.
But, I am getting ahead of myself. One of the hardest things to overcome so far is the speculation of what will happen at the end of year one, that is, how are we going to measure what we have accomplished. The Committee's answer is let us get the planning process started in each and every Capital District Kiwanis Club. Once that is done we will have quarterly reports as to the number of clubs participating and annually a report of what we have accomplished.
While the planning is the task of a small number if Kiwanians, they carrying out of these plans will be the responsibility of each and every Capital District Kiwanian.
"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aims too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." (Michelangelo)
