Debbie said "this is a wonderful example of those worthwhile causes that we support on behalf of children, donating back to us on behalf of the children!"
Kiwanis Education was the topic for the evening, presented by Debbie. We saw a PowerPoint presentation on “Meet the People.” She said,
"too often, Kiwanians see what is going on in their own clubs, and don’t follow the larger international organization that we are a part of." The emphasis of the program was on meeting the people who make Kiwanis what it is today.
First, we saw a photo of Kiwanis International President Paul Palazzolo, from the Springfield Downtown Kiwanis Club. Considering that an international president could be from any of over 70 countries having Kiwanis Clubs, we are especially proud to claim this dedicated Kiwanian from our state! The International President presides at the International Convention, over all meetings of the International Board, Executive Committee, and International Counsel. He may visit districts and regions worldwide. Paul’s President’s Message when he took office in October 2009: “Let’s Get Growing! We know how important growth is to our mission of serving the children of the world. We know that more Kiwanians on the team translates into more lives being touched. This is our mission.”
Next, we saw a photo of Kiwanis International President Elect, Sylvester Neal, from Auburn, WA. He will be sworn in as our International President in October 2010.
We saw a photo of the Immediate Past President of Kiwanis International, Don Canaday, from Fishers, IN. We learned that his wife, his tireless supporter during his campaign, passed away after he took office as International President. He pushed forward in true Kiwanis form to complete a successful term in office.
We also saw a photo of Vice-President of Kiwanis International, Alan Penn, of Medina, OH. Alan spoke at the Nashville International Convention last year of being born of a poor family in another country. He remembers getting food and assistance from a shelter that had a large K on it. He didn’t know what that K stood for then. When he came to the states, he saw that K again, and learned it stood for Kiwanis. He quickly became a loyal and dedicated Kiwanian!
There are 15 people who serve as International Trustees. They are elected by the voting delegates each Kiwanis Club sends to the International Convention. The board establishes and implements long-range plans, directs development of Kiwanis programs, and counsels Kiwanis Districts. The candidates who run for International President must serve first on the board as an International Trustee.
Today, Kiwanis International spans more than 70 countries, with over 8,000 Kiwanis Cubs, having more than 600,000 adult and youth Kiwanis members. There are only three International Districts: The Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. We are in International District 7 of the Americas, and are called the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District (I-I District for short).
We saw a photo introducing us to the Governor of the I-I District, Kevin McConnell, from Bloomington, IL. Kevin stated in his Governor’s message, “As one of our own is serving as Kiwanis International President, we must lead by example.”
Other I-I District Officers are: Assistant Governor Brian Davis of Chatham, Governor-Elect Larry Forsberg of Sycamore, Treasurer Bob Brunton of Lombard, and Immediate Past Governor Gary Health of Belleville. The next photo was of the I-I District Executive Director Jea Nae Remala, of DeKalb. Jea Nae provides support to officers at the district level, in addition to providing welcome support to each club in the I-I District.
The I-I District is comprised of all of Illinois, with the addition of counties in Iowa that border Illinois. There are approximately 36 Divisions in the District. Macomb is in Division 19. There are three other clubs in our division, Abingdon, Galesburg, and Monmouth. Finally, we were introduced to a photo of our Division 19 Lt. Governor Nancy Clayton, from Monmouth, IL.
Finally, we have the Macomb Kiwanis Club. "We all know what great things we do here in Macomb for the children, but it’s important to also remember that we are a grass roots level of a GREAT international organization" said Debbie.
