Greetings, fellow Pennsylvania Kiwanians,
The summer months have not been a vacation for me. Most recently, my wife Peg fell in the parking lot of a local hospital and ended up with 6 staples in the back of her head! Fortunately there was no permanent damage. Stitches come out in a week. I know she really appreciated the outpouring of love and support from many of you on Facebook. I would like thank everyone who wished her well.
On Saturday morning, July 19, we held the final regularly-scheduled District Board of Trustees meeting for 2024-25 on Zoom. As usual, the agenda was packed, but we held an efficient meeting lasting just an hour and a half. Mario Bruni, our KI Trustee Counselor joined us and provided a comprehensive report on membership trends in North America and Internationally. Conrad Schlesinger, Finance Committee Chair reported that our budget is on track, and that his committee will be meeting shortly to begin the process of developing a district budget for 2025-26. Barb Carter, Governor-Elect reported that the District still needs a Governor-Elect candidate for next year, as well as Lt. Governor candidates for Divisions 13N and 13S, and a volunteer to serve as Aktion Club Administrator. The Board approved the suspension of the J.E.D.I. and Partnership Committees for next year. The Board approved the schedule for next year’s District Board of Trustees meetings in person and on Zoom. The “Dollars for Dues” program has been extended. The board approved funding of the program with 50 cents of each member’s District dues contributing to the program. Applications for the “Dollars for Dues” program is now posted on the district website. District Club Leadership Education (CLE) training sessions are being announced. The Board approved the hotel contract for the 2026 Midyear Conference, to be held March 6-7 at the Wyndham Garden State College in Boalsburg, Pa. A planning committee has been formed for the Midyear Conference, and a committee for next year’s DCON is in the process of being organized.
On July 20, I traveled north to the Comfort Inn in West Hazleton, which was our launch point to organize a new Kiwanis Club in Hazleton. Last Monday-Thursday, our Hazleton New Club Opening (NCO) Team met with dozens of businesses and other new member prospects in Hazleton, West Hazleton, Hazleton Township and Freeland. All of those communities are in the Hazleton Area School District. Hazleton High School has an active Key Club, which has been sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of The Valley, Conyngham since the former Hazleton Kiwanis Club turned in their charter ten years ago. That club also agreed to be the sponsor of a new Hazleton club. Their President, Danielle Matarella and Secretary John Cara were part of our NCO Team. Both have extensive knowledge of the communities and their leaders. We had numerous volunteers who made appointment phone calls the week before. Our appointment team included Mike Coolbaugh, Cathy Szymanski, Miranda Burton, Conrad Schlesinger, Allan Schappert, John Cara and myself. Peg Harp administered the Facebook page and followed up on Facebook leads. Jo Ann Coolbaugh helped organize the prospect list for us. After four days of recruiting, we had three paid charter members with several more who we are confident will join. At our informational meeting last Thursday evening, two church officials attended as well as Rossanna Gabriel, Executive Director of the Hazleton Integration Project. That non-profit organization was the brainchild of Joe Madden, a three time Major League Manager of the Year and Hazleton native. It is a community-based effort that seeks to unite the people of many different cultures who call Hazleton home. Hazleton has a burgeoning Hispanic population. Based on the 2020 Census, 63% of its population, and 70% of the school district student population, is Hispanic or Latino. Many small business owners in the community are of that ethnicity. Our NCO Team felt it was important to reach out to that community in an effort to insure that the new Kiwanis Club there was inclusive of all cultures. We are in the process of building trust in the Latino community. KI Area Director Jhojan Restrepo communicated with Rossanna in Spanish ahead of time to help “break the ice” and to promote the benefits of Kiwanis to children in their community. We are making arrangements to have our next informational meeting on August 5 at the Hazleton Integration Project Community Center. We hope to recruit a number of charter members as a result of this outreach effort.
Overall, our week in Hazleton was productive. This will be a “slow build” but we feel we have momentum. I must say that our team was impressed by the hospitality of John Cara! He owns Valley Scoops and More in the Conyngham Valley. On a couple of occasions he treated us to a meal and an amazing selection of Leiby’s Ice Cream. The complex includes a mini-golf course, game room, and children’s play area. It rocked! John also led us on a tour of his home, not far from the restaurant. The highlight was his Lego collection and incredible model train platform! He ran the trains while narrating the identity of each one, as well as the many fine details of the display. John is the ultimate tinkerer. He could challenge the late Rube Goldberg in inventiveness. He is also the “life of the party.” At lunch one day he and I enjoyed lots of laughs reminiscing lines from “Caddyshack.” John’s boundless energy and knowledge of the community are huge assets as we move forward in opening this new club.
An amusing incident occurred when Allan Shappert and I visited the Christ Lutheran Chuch in Hazleton. We had an appointment with the pastor there. When we arrived at the church, we could not find the entrance to the office. Allan was so confident that the first door we encountered would be open that he bet me a beer on it. It was locked. We proceeded to walk around the church only to come across at least 6 more locked doors. When we finally wrapped around the entire building we discovered that the office door was located 20 feet from where we parked but in the other direction! We later had a good laugh about it over a couple of beers, on Allan. Yes, building a new club is exhausting. But there are many light moments as well. And it is rewarding just to be able to spread the word about Kiwanis, and the great work we do in serving our communities. And a pleasant post note – that pastor joined the club the next day.
We plan to continue to build the Hazleton club and others over the final two months of this Kiwanis year. Next week, we will have a “kickoff meeting” of our Kutztown-Brandywine Heights New Club Opening Team. A Facebook campaign targeting those communities will follow, as well as appointment phone calls, leading up to “boots on the ground” August 25-28. We would like to thank the Kiwanis Club of Emmaus for sponsoring this new club, and providing volunteers to help with appointments. And we are very pleased to announce that the Kiwanis Club of Sheraden has agreed to sponsor a new club in Beaver, Pa. Barb Carter completed the Beaver Site Survey, and has recruited several members of her club to join Beaver NCO Team.
We had a good turnout for the Boost Training Session on July 22 on Zoom. KI Area Director Emily Saalfrank provided details on how to launch a Kiwanis Membership Boost. If your club would like to schedule a Boost, contact Mike Coolbaugh, our District Membership Coordinator.
With only 6 weeks remaining to donate, at each of my biweekly blogs I will be promoting my “Bucks for Babies” Governor’s Project. We have raised over $5,000 so far, which I pledge to match. If your club has not already made a donation, please request that they do. Donation checks can be made out to “Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation” and mailed to P.O. Box 48, Dillsburg, PA 17019. I would like thank all of the individuals, clubs, divisions, and regions that have already donated to my project.
Let’s BUILD membership and new clubs as we “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
Last Updated: July 27, 2025 by pennsylvaniakiwanis
At Kiwanis, “We Build”!
Greetings, fellow Pennsylvania Kiwanians,
The summer months have not been a vacation for me. Most recently, my wife Peg fell in the parking lot of a local hospital and ended up with 6 staples in the back of her head! Fortunately there was no permanent damage. Stitches come out in a week. I know she really appreciated the outpouring of love and support from many of you on Facebook. I would like thank everyone who wished her well.
On Saturday morning, July 19, we held the final regularly-scheduled District Board of Trustees meeting for 2024-25 on Zoom. As usual, the agenda was packed, but we held an efficient meeting lasting just an hour and a half. Mario Bruni, our KI Trustee Counselor joined us and provided a comprehensive report on membership trends in North America and Internationally. Conrad Schlesinger, Finance Committee Chair reported that our budget is on track, and that his committee will be meeting shortly to begin the process of developing a district budget for 2025-26. Barb Carter, Governor-Elect reported that the District still needs a Governor-Elect candidate for next year, as well as Lt. Governor candidates for Divisions 13N and 13S, and a volunteer to serve as Aktion Club Administrator. The Board approved the suspension of the J.E.D.I. and Partnership Committees for next year. The Board approved the schedule for next year’s District Board of Trustees meetings in person and on Zoom. The “Dollars for Dues” program has been extended. The board approved funding of the program with 50 cents of each member’s District dues contributing to the program. Applications for the “Dollars for Dues” program is now posted on the district website. District Club Leadership Education (CLE) training sessions are being announced. The Board approved the hotel contract for the 2026 Midyear Conference, to be held March 6-7 at the Wyndham Garden State College in Boalsburg, Pa. A planning committee has been formed for the Midyear Conference, and a committee for next year’s DCON is in the process of being organized.
On July 20, I traveled north to the Comfort Inn in West Hazleton, which was our launch point to organize a new Kiwanis Club in Hazleton. Last Monday-Thursday, our Hazleton New Club Opening (NCO) Team met with dozens of businesses and other new member prospects in Hazleton, West Hazleton, Hazleton Township and Freeland. All of those communities are in the Hazleton Area School District. Hazleton High School has an active Key Club, which has been sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of The Valley, Conyngham since the former Hazleton Kiwanis Club turned in their charter ten years ago. That club also agreed to be the sponsor of a new Hazleton club. Their President, Danielle Matarella and Secretary John Cara were part of our NCO Team. Both have extensive knowledge of the communities and their leaders. We had numerous volunteers who made appointment phone calls the week before. Our appointment team included Mike Coolbaugh, Cathy Szymanski, Miranda Burton, Conrad Schlesinger, Allan Schappert, John Cara and myself. Peg Harp administered the Facebook page and followed up on Facebook leads. Jo Ann Coolbaugh helped organize the prospect list for us. After four days of recruiting, we had three paid charter members with several more who we are confident will join. At our informational meeting last Thursday evening, two church officials attended as well as Rossanna Gabriel, Executive Director of the Hazleton Integration Project. That non-profit organization was the brainchild of Joe Madden, a three time Major League Manager of the Year and Hazleton native. It is a community-based effort that seeks to unite the people of many different cultures who call Hazleton home. Hazleton has a burgeoning Hispanic population. Based on the 2020 Census, 63% of its population, and 70% of the school district student population, is Hispanic or Latino. Many small business owners in the community are of that ethnicity. Our NCO Team felt it was important to reach out to that community in an effort to insure that the new Kiwanis Club there was inclusive of all cultures. We are in the process of building trust in the Latino community. KI Area Director Jhojan Restrepo communicated with Rossanna in Spanish ahead of time to help “break the ice” and to promote the benefits of Kiwanis to children in their community. We are making arrangements to have our next informational meeting on August 5 at the Hazleton Integration Project Community Center. We hope to recruit a number of charter members as a result of this outreach effort.
Overall, our week in Hazleton was productive. This will be a “slow build” but we feel we have momentum. I must say that our team was impressed by the hospitality of John Cara! He owns Valley Scoops and More in the Conyngham Valley. On a couple of occasions he treated us to a meal and an amazing selection of Leiby’s Ice Cream. The complex includes a mini-golf course, game room, and children’s play area. It rocked! John also led us on a tour of his home, not far from the restaurant. The highlight was his Lego collection and incredible model train platform! He ran the trains while narrating the identity of each one, as well as the many fine details of the display. John is the ultimate tinkerer. He could challenge the late Rube Goldberg in inventiveness. He is also the “life of the party.” At lunch one day he and I enjoyed lots of laughs reminiscing lines from “Caddyshack.” John’s boundless energy and knowledge of the community are huge assets as we move forward in opening this new club.
An amusing incident occurred when Allan Shappert and I visited the Christ Lutheran Chuch in Hazleton. We had an appointment with the pastor there. When we arrived at the church, we could not find the entrance to the office. Allan was so confident that the first door we encountered would be open that he bet me a beer on it. It was locked. We proceeded to walk around the church only to come across at least 6 more locked doors. When we finally wrapped around the entire building we discovered that the office door was located 20 feet from where we parked but in the other direction! We later had a good laugh about it over a couple of beers, on Allan. Yes, building a new club is exhausting. But there are many light moments as well. And it is rewarding just to be able to spread the word about Kiwanis, and the great work we do in serving our communities. And a pleasant post note – that pastor joined the club the next day.
We plan to continue to build the Hazleton club and others over the final two months of this Kiwanis year. Next week, we will have a “kickoff meeting” of our Kutztown-Brandywine Heights New Club Opening Team. A Facebook campaign targeting those communities will follow, as well as appointment phone calls, leading up to “boots on the ground” August 25-28. We would like to thank the Kiwanis Club of Emmaus for sponsoring this new club, and providing volunteers to help with appointments. And we are very pleased to announce that the Kiwanis Club of Sheraden has agreed to sponsor a new club in Beaver, Pa. Barb Carter completed the Beaver Site Survey, and has recruited several members of her club to join Beaver NCO Team.
We had a good turnout for the Boost Training Session on July 22 on Zoom. KI Area Director Emily Saalfrank provided details on how to launch a Kiwanis Membership Boost. If your club would like to schedule a Boost, contact Mike Coolbaugh, our District Membership Coordinator.
With only 6 weeks remaining to donate, at each of my biweekly blogs I will be promoting my “Bucks for Babies” Governor’s Project. We have raised over $5,000 so far, which I pledge to match. If your club has not already made a donation, please request that they do. Donation checks can be made out to “Pennsylvania Kiwanis Foundation” and mailed to P.O. Box 48, Dillsburg, PA 17019. I would like thank all of the individuals, clubs, divisions, and regions that have already donated to my project.
Let’s BUILD membership and new clubs as we “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
Category: Governor Blog
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