Governor’s Blog: Midyear Recap

March 4, 2024 – The ides of March are upon us!  The PA District hosted a highly successful Virtual Midyear Conference on Saturday, February 24th. We welcomed Kiwanians across the District and beyond. With nearly 90 members and guests logged in, it was truly an unforgettable event! I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the numerous Pennsylvania Kiwanians who played a role in its success. Whether you were involved in the planning, presenting, or worked behind the scenes to ensure flawless technology execution, your contributions were invaluable. Thank you for your dedication and hard work!  

For those of you unable to attend, you missed out on a morning filled with inspiring stories and relevant educational presentations, featuring esteemed speakers like Katrina Baranko, KI International President, and Steve Siemens, Past KI International President, Author and Public Speaker. We were also honored to have the expertise and wisdom of Cathy Tutty, KI International Trustee, and Emily Saalfrank, North America 1 Director, among others presenting. Additionally, we were honored to welcome Circle K Governor Emma Shreiner and Key Club Governor Joshua Kim, who shared their accomplishments from the past year and about their upcoming District Conventions.  We wish both service leadership programs the very best as they plan their memorable District Conventions. 

Pictured Ben Hartranft presenting at PA Midyear Conference

I think the showstopper for the Midyear conference came from our keynote speaker Ben Hartranft, who was so energetic and spoke of his remarkable journey since he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. His presentation about autism awareness was exceptional. His words resonated with me since I have an 8-year autistic grandson. Read more about Ben at his website, benergy1.com. I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

We also named the winners of the PA District Signature project contest in each group category that will be representing PA at the International Signature project contest. Congrats to the Kiwanis Club of Edinboro with their Gifts for Kids project in the Tier 1 category (27 or less club members) and the Kiwanis Club of Lititz Area for the Lititz Chocolate Walk event in the Tier 2 category (28 or more club members).  Winners will be announced at the International Convention in Denver, CO to be held July 3 – 6, 2024.

Consider attending the International Convention to meet or reconnect with fellow Kiwanian, learn and share ideas through the education forums, hear from dynamic speakers like Diana Nyad, an extraordinary athlete slated to be the keynote speaker, where she will speak about her journey and on the power of perseverance.  Don’t miss out and register now! If you are attending, look out for an email regarding the PA District social being planned in Denver in the next few weeks.

Elevate your Skills through Kiwanis Amplify

At Midyear, many heard from Lynsy Karrick, Director of Leadership Development at Kiwanis International, who spoke about the upcoming Kiwanis Amplify program cohort. Registration is currently open until April 1st at www.kiwanis.org/amplify. The PA District strongly encourages all Kiwanians to join this invaluable program, which will greatly enhance your leadership skills within Kiwanis, at work, and in pursuit of your personal goals. We are confident that you will find the experience rewarding and transformative. As a testament to our belief in the program’s value, the PA District is offering a 50% reimbursement of the program cost upon successful completion, verified by KI. I completed the Amplify program in the first year it was offered, and personally found the program rewarding and flexible with my schedule.  I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity!  

Administrative Reminders

  • Aktion Club Week starts this week March 4th! Let’s shine the light on our Aktion Clubs this week and consider attending a project, event or a meeting to support.
  • Read Across PA will be the week of March 10th, we encourage club members to read aloud to children during this week. Read more about this project and the recommended books for this year.
  • We encourage all clubs to look to sponsor service leadership program members and youth to attend either the upcoming Circle K District Convention, Key Club District Convention and Key Leader weekend.   Registration for all is open!

Thank you for all you do as Kiwanians in your communities for the kids.

If you missed my other Blog post read them HERE!

Warm Regards,

Governor Conrad
Pennsylvania District Governo
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