Governor’s Blog: PA Welcomes Katrina Baranko

June 17, 2024 – Happy Father’s day to all! Whether you’re honoring a father, a father figure, or reflecting on cherished memories, I hope your Sunday was filled with love, peace, and beautiful moments. While the summer solstice is upon us, we celebrate the many achievements we have achieved and look forward to many activities ahead for our District this summer.

Membership Challenge Update:

Remember the exciting challenge we had during May (Membership Month)? I encouraged all clubs to grow their membership by adding 5 new members. The incentive? A chance to win $100.00, donated by me, for your administrative account! While none of our clubs hit that mark this time, let’s celebrate the effort and keep striving for growth together!

Club Elections:

Great news! 41 clubs have already reported their election results for the 2024-2025 administrative year. However, 91 clubs are yet to do so. Club secretaries, let’s ensure all officers are added promptly so they can benefit from upcoming leadership education opportunities being offered in-person by Pennsylvania District by Region and online by Kiwanis International.

District Convention Updates:

I am pleased to announce that registration is open for the combined PA / NJ District Convention in Reading August 15 – 18. All registrations are online this year, no paper forms will be available. It’s a simple process, just ask me – I registered in under 5 minutes with our new registration platform. There are many educational forums planned, social outings like a baseball game, a wine tour, history center haunts and hex dinner, and powerhouse speakers are all lined up, including Kiwanis International Immediate Past President Bert West, Kiwanis International Executive Director Paul Pallazola, and Kiwanis International Vice President Michael Mulhaul, just to name a few! Early bird registration ends July 31st!  Register now at www.2024kiwanisdcon.com to get in on the fun!

We want to make sure that you also support and recognize Kiwanians with a program ad in our special program book, all ads are due JULY 12, 2024. AD FORM AVAILABLE HERE.

Monthly Education:

In May, Jim Mancuso spoke about “The Power of at Least One”, as he talked about the impact of individual power in strengthening your club.

In June, Cynthia Blackman from the Eastern Canada and the Caribbean (EC&C) District presented “Unlocking the full Potential of your Kiwanis Membership”.  If you missed that session, the recording is available at our PA Kiwanis YouTube Channel. Please take time to review the video to hear her inspiring and thoughtful words to our members.

Additional leadership education sessions will be held on the following dates, more info to follow:

  • Monday, July 8th led by Emily Saalfrank, North America 1 Director
  • Monday, August 8th – TBD
  • Monday, September 9th led by Sarah Zulueta, Past Governor of the PA District

Please make sure to keep these Mondays open on your calendar so you can attend these informative educational sessions that will be all via Zoom! Join in from the comfort of your home.

International Convention: Explore the Possibilities

Close to 40 Pennsylvania Kiwanians will be heading to Denver, CO for the Kiwanis International Convention starting July 3rd – July 7th.  Attendees should be receiving their convention package from Kiwanis International in the next coming days, this will include your name badge and copy of the program book.  Don’t forget to pack that!  It is not too late to register to join the fun in Denver, You have until June 20th to register online.

We are excited to have Pennsylvania representing as an exhibitor at the convention to promote next year’s international convention that is going to be held in Pittsburgh June 25-28, 2025. SAVE THAT DATE! This is quite an honor, and it will be a fun and exciting time ahead for our District as we welcome Kiwanian from all over the world.

Club Openings:

A while back, I mentioned plans to open a new club in Titusville, which is still in progress. However, rest assured, the district remains committed to this endeavor, and I’ll keep you updated on its status.

Exciting news! The district club opening team, along with Kiwanis International President Katrina Baranko, visited Ebensburg from June 3rd to June 6th. We successfully recruited over 15 community members who completed applications and paid dues to establish the new club in Ebensburg. During our meeting on Thursday evening, a former member of the previous Ebensburg Kiwanis Club expressed surprise at the presence of both the District Governor and International President.

This reflects the strong momentum we’ve built. As I’ve often mentioned, one of my goals is to open seven new clubs in communities without a Kiwanis presence. With the momentum from our recent efforts, I’m hopeful we can achieve even more.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all Kiwanians who contributed to this endeavor: Immediate Past Governor Michael Coolbaugh, Jo Ann Coolbaugh, Governor-Elect Tom Harp, Cathy and David Szymanski, and Club Opening Specialist Miranda Burton, who also serves as Trustee in Region 3. Each of these individuals deserves a round of applause for their dedication and hard work.

Thank you for all you do as Kiwanians for the kids. We can do much more by “Growing Membership for the Kids!”   

If you missed my other Blog post read them HERE!

Warm Regards,

Governor Conrad
Pennsylvania District Governo
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