By now, many of you are aware that as Governor I have a goal of opening 6 new clubs in the Pennsylvania District in 2024-25. Our first effort to open a new club occurred last week in Penns Valley, northeast of State College. That area had a Kiwanis Club until earlier this year when it disbanded. We felt there was a good opportunity for us to try to re-open the club ASAP. Penns Valley is a bucolic farming region in Centre County, with communities that include Centre Hall, Spring Mills, and Milheim. The Penns Valley Area School District campus on Route 45 is modern and very impressive. The high school boasts a Key Club with 46 members and a devoted faculty advisor. And a Builders Club was chartered at the middle school. Those Service Leadership Programs will benefit from a partnership with the new Kiwanis Club. Our Penns Valley club opening team includes Miranda Burton, Cathy Szymanski, Mike Coolbaugh, Conrad Schlesinger, Ann Graves, Barbara Chadick and Cathy Pavlic. We were pleased and honored when NY District Governor Gordon Soderholm and his wife Marie traveled to the region to help us meet with new member prospects. We spent four days visiting Penns Valley elected officials, businesses, non-profits, school administrators and more. Although we fell short of organizing the club last week, we recruited several new members and have many more to follow up with. Our team will be meeting every two weeks until we reach the magic number of at least 15 charter members. We are grateful to the Kiwanis Club of State College for agreeing to sponsor the new Penns Valley club. We will “keep on truckin’” until that club is chartered!
My visits to Fall Regional Meetings are nearing an end. The Region 7 meeting had to be postponed from November 9 until this past Saturday, November 16. It was held at the Upper Dublin Library in Fort Washington. Trustee Anne Lotz did a terrific job in organizing the meeting. That afternoon, I attended the Region 5 Fall Meeting on Zoom, hosted by Trustee Jim Janocik. Just one more to go. The Region 4 Fall Meeting in Lewisburg on November 23. The meetings have been informative and FUN!
This Tuesday, November 20 “First Lady” Peg and I will be attending a dinner in Stroudsburg honoring special guest KI President-Elect Michael Mulhaul, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs. Then on Tuesday, November 26 I am looking forward to attending the Kiwanis Abington Aktion Club’s annual “Ed Sickles Banquet of Thanks” in Glenside, Pa..
A reminder – the deadline of November 30 for Distinguished Club Applications is fast approaching. Current club presidents or secretaries can fill out the form available at the district website. 5 out of 7 criteria must be met. There is no doubt that a majority of clubs in the district would qualify. Get recognized for all the good work your club is doing!
October membership numbers are in! We have some early leaders vying for my “A Rise in Membership” contest! The Kiwanis Clubs of Warren, Mifflinburg, and South Philadelphia added 3 new members last month. Hot on their trail are 10 other clubs with 2 new members. Overall, the district had a net gain of 8 members in October. Let’s keep growing!
CLUB PRESIDENTS – I plan to personally call every club president by the end of the year. I want to see how you are doing, what special events you are planning, and any help that I can give as Governor to make your year as president the best one ever!
I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. This is a season of hope, joy, and giving unto others. We should all be thankful for the gifts bestowed upon us, including the gift of service to children and those in need. Thanks for all that you do as members of Kiwanis.
During this blessed Holiday Season, let us all “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
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Last Updated: November 18, 2024 by pennsylvaniakiwanis
Traveling through November with Governor Tom
By now, many of you are aware that as Governor I have a goal of opening 6 new clubs in the Pennsylvania District in 2024-25. Our first effort to open a new club occurred last week in Penns Valley, northeast of State College. That area had a Kiwanis Club until earlier this year when it disbanded. We felt there was a good opportunity for us to try to re-open the club ASAP. Penns Valley is a bucolic farming region in Centre County, with communities that include Centre Hall, Spring Mills, and Milheim. The Penns Valley Area School District campus on Route 45 is modern and very impressive. The high school boasts a Key Club with 46 members and a devoted faculty advisor. And a Builders Club was chartered at the middle school. Those Service Leadership Programs will benefit from a partnership with the new Kiwanis Club. Our Penns Valley club opening team includes Miranda Burton, Cathy Szymanski, Mike Coolbaugh, Conrad Schlesinger, Ann Graves, Barbara Chadick and Cathy Pavlic. We were pleased and honored when NY District Governor Gordon Soderholm and his wife Marie traveled to the region to help us meet with new member prospects. We spent four days visiting Penns Valley elected officials, businesses, non-profits, school administrators and more. Although we fell short of organizing the club last week, we recruited several new members and have many more to follow up with. Our team will be meeting every two weeks until we reach the magic number of at least 15 charter members. We are grateful to the Kiwanis Club of State College for agreeing to sponsor the new Penns Valley club. We will “keep on truckin’” until that club is chartered!
My visits to Fall Regional Meetings are nearing an end. The Region 7 meeting had to be postponed from November 9 until this past Saturday, November 16. It was held at the Upper Dublin Library in Fort Washington. Trustee Anne Lotz did a terrific job in organizing the meeting. That afternoon, I attended the Region 5 Fall Meeting on Zoom, hosted by Trustee Jim Janocik. Just one more to go. The Region 4 Fall Meeting in Lewisburg on November 23. The meetings have been informative and FUN!
This Tuesday, November 20 “First Lady” Peg and I will be attending a dinner in Stroudsburg honoring special guest KI President-Elect Michael Mulhaul, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs. Then on Tuesday, November 26 I am looking forward to attending the Kiwanis Abington Aktion Club’s annual “Ed Sickles Banquet of Thanks” in Glenside, Pa..
A reminder – the deadline of November 30 for Distinguished Club Applications is fast approaching. Current club presidents or secretaries can fill out the form available at the district website. 5 out of 7 criteria must be met. There is no doubt that a majority of clubs in the district would qualify. Get recognized for all the good work your club is doing!
October membership numbers are in! We have some early leaders vying for my “A Rise in Membership” contest! The Kiwanis Clubs of Warren, Mifflinburg, and South Philadelphia added 3 new members last month. Hot on their trail are 10 other clubs with 2 new members. Overall, the district had a net gain of 8 members in October. Let’s keep growing!
CLUB PRESIDENTS – I plan to personally call every club president by the end of the year. I want to see how you are doing, what special events you are planning, and any help that I can give as Governor to make your year as president the best one ever!
I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. This is a season of hope, joy, and giving unto others. We should all be thankful for the gifts bestowed upon us, including the gift of service to children and those in need. Thanks for all that you do as members of Kiwanis.
During this blessed Holiday Season, let us all “Rise and Shine for the Kids!”
Best wishes,
Governor Tom
Pennsylvania District Governor
Category: Governor Blog
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