Greetings, fellow Pennsylvania Kiwanians!
Since my last blog, we have enjoyed Valentine’s Day festivities. And I have had several Zoom calls about Midyear Conference Planning and opening a new Kiwanis Club in Latrobe, Pa. That opening is scheduled for the week of March 10. We will be begin to make phone calls for appointments with new member prospects within the next couple of weeks.
On February 18 I had the opportunity to attend the Kiwanis Club of Pottstown’s annual Owen J. Roberts K-Family Dinner at the East Coventry Elementary School. Over 120 children and their parents were in attendance. They were treated to a dinner of pizza, salad, chips, cookies, cake and beverages. Pottstown President Heather McCreary welcomed everyone. I was introduced and said a few words, praising the Kiwanis SLP programs, and thanking the children present for being a part of them. The event was actually hosted by the East Coventry K-Kids Club, which boasts over 60 members! Members of the local Key Club helped serve the food. There was an interesting PowerPoint show featuring all of the Owen J. Roberts SLP’s and their many community service projects. The Kiwanis Club of Pottstown, which celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2023, sponsors many SLP’s in their area, and are very proud of them.
The next evening, on February 19 I travelled to Berwick to attend their Kiwanis Club’s 100th Anniversary Dinner. It was held at the Berwick Golf Club. Over 20 people were in attendance, including Tim Burke, Mayor of Berwick; Immediate Past Governor Conrad Schlesinger and his wife, Rose; Region 4 Trustee Allan Schappert; 3 members of the Kiwanis Club of Danville, including President Craig Heintzelman; Kiwanis Club of Bloomsburg President Erin Snyder; and most of the Berwick club’s members. Russ Grebe, the Berwick Kiwanis Club Secretary was the Master of Ceremonies. There were Proclamations from Mayor Burke and the local State Representative Dan Meuser. We enjoyed a fine meal, and each other’s company. I was also presented with two generous contributions to my Governor’s Project, “Bucks for Babies.” Congratulations, Kiwanis Club of Berwick!
And, as the title of this blog attests to, we had a great day in Grantville this past Saturday, February 22, at the first in-person District Midyear Conference since 2019. We exceeded our goal of attendees, with 88 people registered for the conference. We were thankful that Old Man Winter smiled down on us with sunny weather. The Holiday Inn in Grantville was an ideal location. Easily accessible via interstate highways. On Friday evening, a number of us gathered in the Winner’s Circle Saloon and enjoyed appetizers courtesy of Barb Carter, and line dancing for those who dared! The next morning, we set up the room and Secretary Melissa stationed herself at the registration table in the chilly hallway. As guests arrived, they enjoyed coffee and pastries courtesy of Barb Carter, Conrad Schlesinger and myself. I opened the conference by striking the District gong, which was followed by a chorus of our National Anthem.
We then enjoyed a video greeting from Kiwanis International President Lee Kuan Yong. I must credit Shawn Smith with the thoughtful gesture of capturing on video everyone in the room singing a chorus of “Happy Birthday” to Kuan Yong, whose birthday was the day before. I then introduced our speaker, Heather Kay of “Ready, Aim, Impact.” Heather is a former Key Club President at her high school in Long Island, NY. Her presentation was titled “Creating Purpose for Yourself and Others.” She was a very dynamic speaker, moving around on the floor and interacting with the audience. She introduce the Clifton Strengths model of personality Domains. Those included:
· Executing – A person who likes to get things done. Task oriented. Likes structure, timelines and rules.
· Influencing – Gets work done by others. Likes to motivate others. A person who is passionate and inspiring. A Dr. Suess “Lorax” personality.
· Relationship Building – Authenticity is important. Awareness of human needs. Need to talk to others. This person is the “glue” that holds things together. The “Scooby Doo” personality.
· Strategic Thinking – These are the dreamers. They have imagination, and the need to know “why.” They like to brain storm. The “Yoda” of personalities.
We then spent time assessing our own Clifton Strength Domains and sharing them with others at our tables. We then explored our own purpose in life based on those domains. This addressed our personal commitment to Kiwanis and its mission. Heather finished up with ideas on how we can leverage this knowledge to mentor future leaders in the Kiwanis organization. Overall, this was an intriguing and illuminating session.
The next session was “Build, Nuture, and Retain – the Long and Short of It” with Mike Coolbaugh and Cathy Szymanski. They provided useful information on how clubs can grow membership. Following their session, I presented the Hanover Kiwanis Club President Brandon Wingert with a “Certificate of Achievement” certificate for winning my “A Rise In Membership” contest for the 1st quarter of the year by adding 6 new members from October-December, 2024.
We then enjoyed a very generous, hot lunch buffet in the Winners Circle Saloon. After lunch, Jen Vare led a session on how to better market Kiwanis in our Communities. This was followed by awards ceremonies. Immediate Past Governor Conrad Schlesinger presented 2023-2024 Distinguished Club Awards to the Kiwanis Clubs of:
· Allentown
· Allentown Northeast
· Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys
· Centennial Internet
· Dillsburg
· Easton
· Edinboro
· Elizabethtown
· Emmaus
· Erie
· Fort LeBoeuf
· Greensburg
· Lock Haven
· Milton/Warrior Run
· Sheraden
· State College
· Wyoming Area
Congratulations to our 2023-2024 District Distinguished Clubs!
I followed Conrad by presenting the 2025 Signature Project Contest Awards. We received 12 entries in this year’s contest, from the following Kiwanis Clubs:
· Allentown
· Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys
· Bradford
· Centennial Internet
· Erie
· Dillsburg
· Edinboro
· Levittown-Bristol
· Lock Haven
· Scottsdale
· Shenango Valley
· Sheraden
In Group 1 (27 members or less), 1st Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Allentown for their Annual Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers Picnic. 2nd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Levittown Bristol for their Kindness Gardens-Raising Thoughtful Children Project. And, 3rd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Shenango Valley for their Kiwanis Bicycle Safety Event.
In Group 2 (28 or more members), 3rd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Erie for their Kiwanis Caring Kitchen. 2nd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys for their Santa’s Workshop: Christmas Around the World project. 1st Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Bradford for their annual Kiwanis Kapers event.
The first-place winner in each group will be entered in the Kiwanis International Distinguished Service Project Contest, to contend for a gold, silver or bronze award at the convention in Pittsburgh. Congratulations to our District contest winners!
After the awards ceremonies, we had a Service Leadership Programs session that included video reports from Key Club Governor Lily Kasa and Circle K Governor Aisling McShane, and in-person reports from Builders Club Administrator Janet Crawford, K-Kids Administrator Cathy Kane, Aktion Club Administrator Barb Carter and Key Leader Administrator Matt Wise.
Next on the agenda were presentations on the Kiwanis Children’s Fund by District Chair Janine Surmick and Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation President Jason McConney. This was followed by a very energetic presentation by Shawn Smith on the KI Convention in Pittsburgh, and a “Cathy for Kiwanis VP” rally. Many of us picked up t-shirts and other promotional items in support of Cathy Szymanski’s candidacy for Kiwanis International Vice-President.
I closed the conference on a high note, thanking everyone for coming, and thanking members of our Midyear Conference Planning Committee. Ben Osterhout encouraged everyone to purchase raffle tickets for our “Cooler of Fun” fundraiser which launched at the conference, with the winning ticket to be drawn at our next Board of Trustees meeting in Allentown on April 26.
All in all, I thought this was a highly successful and memorable Midyear Conference!
In other news, our annual “Read Across Pennsylvania” project is right around the corner. Clubs in the District are encouraged to schedule a reading event with children the week of March 9. Information, including a recommended book list, can be found on the District website, https://k23.site.kiwanis.org/read-across-pennsylvania.
Also, this is the time of year when our District Regions and Divisions should be scheduling elections for Trustees (open seats) and Lt. Governors. Applications for candidates of these positions, as well as District Governor-Elect, can be found on our website.
That’s all for now. Keep warm, and continue to “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
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Last Updated: February 24, 2025 by pennsylvaniakiwanis
A Great Day in Grantville!
Greetings, fellow Pennsylvania Kiwanians!
Since my last blog, we have enjoyed Valentine’s Day festivities. And I have had several Zoom calls about Midyear Conference Planning and opening a new Kiwanis Club in Latrobe, Pa. That opening is scheduled for the week of March 10. We will be begin to make phone calls for appointments with new member prospects within the next couple of weeks.
On February 18 I had the opportunity to attend the Kiwanis Club of Pottstown’s annual Owen J. Roberts K-Family Dinner at the East Coventry Elementary School. Over 120 children and their parents were in attendance. They were treated to a dinner of pizza, salad, chips, cookies, cake and beverages. Pottstown President Heather McCreary welcomed everyone. I was introduced and said a few words, praising the Kiwanis SLP programs, and thanking the children present for being a part of them. The event was actually hosted by the East Coventry K-Kids Club, which boasts over 60 members! Members of the local Key Club helped serve the food. There was an interesting PowerPoint show featuring all of the Owen J. Roberts SLP’s and their many community service projects. The Kiwanis Club of Pottstown, which celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2023, sponsors many SLP’s in their area, and are very proud of them.
The next evening, on February 19 I travelled to Berwick to attend their Kiwanis Club’s 100th Anniversary Dinner. It was held at the Berwick Golf Club. Over 20 people were in attendance, including Tim Burke, Mayor of Berwick; Immediate Past Governor Conrad Schlesinger and his wife, Rose; Region 4 Trustee Allan Schappert; 3 members of the Kiwanis Club of Danville, including President Craig Heintzelman; Kiwanis Club of Bloomsburg President Erin Snyder; and most of the Berwick club’s members. Russ Grebe, the Berwick Kiwanis Club Secretary was the Master of Ceremonies. There were Proclamations from Mayor Burke and the local State Representative Dan Meuser. We enjoyed a fine meal, and each other’s company. I was also presented with two generous contributions to my Governor’s Project, “Bucks for Babies.” Congratulations, Kiwanis Club of Berwick!
And, as the title of this blog attests to, we had a great day in Grantville this past Saturday, February 22, at the first in-person District Midyear Conference since 2019. We exceeded our goal of attendees, with 88 people registered for the conference. We were thankful that Old Man Winter smiled down on us with sunny weather. The Holiday Inn in Grantville was an ideal location. Easily accessible via interstate highways. On Friday evening, a number of us gathered in the Winner’s Circle Saloon and enjoyed appetizers courtesy of Barb Carter, and line dancing for those who dared! The next morning, we set up the room and Secretary Melissa stationed herself at the registration table in the chilly hallway. As guests arrived, they enjoyed coffee and pastries courtesy of Barb Carter, Conrad Schlesinger and myself. I opened the conference by striking the District gong, which was followed by a chorus of our National Anthem.
We then enjoyed a video greeting from Kiwanis International President Lee Kuan Yong. I must credit Shawn Smith with the thoughtful gesture of capturing on video everyone in the room singing a chorus of “Happy Birthday” to Kuan Yong, whose birthday was the day before. I then introduced our speaker, Heather Kay of “Ready, Aim, Impact.” Heather is a former Key Club President at her high school in Long Island, NY. Her presentation was titled “Creating Purpose for Yourself and Others.” She was a very dynamic speaker, moving around on the floor and interacting with the audience. She introduce the Clifton Strengths model of personality Domains. Those included:
· Executing – A person who likes to get things done. Task oriented. Likes structure, timelines and rules.
· Influencing – Gets work done by others. Likes to motivate others. A person who is passionate and inspiring. A Dr. Suess “Lorax” personality.
· Relationship Building – Authenticity is important. Awareness of human needs. Need to talk to others. This person is the “glue” that holds things together. The “Scooby Doo” personality.
· Strategic Thinking – These are the dreamers. They have imagination, and the need to know “why.” They like to brain storm. The “Yoda” of personalities.
We then spent time assessing our own Clifton Strength Domains and sharing them with others at our tables. We then explored our own purpose in life based on those domains. This addressed our personal commitment to Kiwanis and its mission. Heather finished up with ideas on how we can leverage this knowledge to mentor future leaders in the Kiwanis organization. Overall, this was an intriguing and illuminating session.
The next session was “Build, Nuture, and Retain – the Long and Short of It” with Mike Coolbaugh and Cathy Szymanski. They provided useful information on how clubs can grow membership. Following their session, I presented the Hanover Kiwanis Club President Brandon Wingert with a “Certificate of Achievement” certificate for winning my “A Rise In Membership” contest for the 1st quarter of the year by adding 6 new members from October-December, 2024.
We then enjoyed a very generous, hot lunch buffet in the Winners Circle Saloon. After lunch, Jen Vare led a session on how to better market Kiwanis in our Communities. This was followed by awards ceremonies. Immediate Past Governor Conrad Schlesinger presented 2023-2024 Distinguished Club Awards to the Kiwanis Clubs of:
· Allentown
· Allentown Northeast
· Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys
· Centennial Internet
· Dillsburg
· Easton
· Edinboro
· Elizabethtown
· Emmaus
· Erie
· Fort LeBoeuf
· Greensburg
· Lock Haven
· Milton/Warrior Run
· Sheraden
· State College
· Wyoming Area
Congratulations to our 2023-2024 District Distinguished Clubs!
I followed Conrad by presenting the 2025 Signature Project Contest Awards. We received 12 entries in this year’s contest, from the following Kiwanis Clubs:
· Allentown
· Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys
· Bradford
· Centennial Internet
· Erie
· Dillsburg
· Edinboro
· Levittown-Bristol
· Lock Haven
· Scottsdale
· Shenango Valley
· Sheraden
In Group 1 (27 members or less), 1st Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Allentown for their Annual Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers Picnic. 2nd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Levittown Bristol for their Kindness Gardens-Raising Thoughtful Children Project. And, 3rd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Shenango Valley for their Kiwanis Bicycle Safety Event.
In Group 2 (28 or more members), 3rd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Erie for their Kiwanis Caring Kitchen. 2nd Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys for their Santa’s Workshop: Christmas Around the World project. 1st Place was awarded to the Kiwanis Club of Bradford for their annual Kiwanis Kapers event.
The first-place winner in each group will be entered in the Kiwanis International Distinguished Service Project Contest, to contend for a gold, silver or bronze award at the convention in Pittsburgh. Congratulations to our District contest winners!
After the awards ceremonies, we had a Service Leadership Programs session that included video reports from Key Club Governor Lily Kasa and Circle K Governor Aisling McShane, and in-person reports from Builders Club Administrator Janet Crawford, K-Kids Administrator Cathy Kane, Aktion Club Administrator Barb Carter and Key Leader Administrator Matt Wise.
Next on the agenda were presentations on the Kiwanis Children’s Fund by District Chair Janine Surmick and Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation President Jason McConney. This was followed by a very energetic presentation by Shawn Smith on the KI Convention in Pittsburgh, and a “Cathy for Kiwanis VP” rally. Many of us picked up t-shirts and other promotional items in support of Cathy Szymanski’s candidacy for Kiwanis International Vice-President.
I closed the conference on a high note, thanking everyone for coming, and thanking members of our Midyear Conference Planning Committee. Ben Osterhout encouraged everyone to purchase raffle tickets for our “Cooler of Fun” fundraiser which launched at the conference, with the winning ticket to be drawn at our next Board of Trustees meeting in Allentown on April 26.
All in all, I thought this was a highly successful and memorable Midyear Conference!
In other news, our annual “Read Across Pennsylvania” project is right around the corner. Clubs in the District are encouraged to schedule a reading event with children the week of March 9. Information, including a recommended book list, can be found on the District website, https://k23.site.kiwanis.org/read-across-pennsylvania.
Also, this is the time of year when our District Regions and Divisions should be scheduling elections for Trustees (open seats) and Lt. Governors. Applications for candidates of these positions, as well as District Governor-Elect, can be found on our website.
That’s all for now. Keep warm, and continue to “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
Category: Governor Blog
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