Sheila Donald and I joined over 5000 other Kiwanians at the Kiwanis International Convention in Nashville on June 25th to 27th. We brought home a number of useful ideas and had a chance to meet with Kiwanians from around the world. Convention attendance is rising. CEO Rob Parker reported that Kiwanis membership is stabilizing in the US and Canada and growing elsewhere. Service leadership programs are also growing and Kiwanis hopes to tap into this resource for future growth. Also the average age of Kiwanis is decreasing. KI is looking at pathways to attract people in their 20s and 30s to Kiwanis. The organization has had a strong financial performance with budget surpluses for the last three years so there will be no dues increases.
Dr John Button was formally introduced as the International Trustee for Canada and the Caribbean. All proposed amendments were passed except the elimination of the magazine exemption for spouses. The magazine exemption will be continued for spouses as speakers felt this made the organization more family and environmentally friendly by eliminating duplicate copies being delivered to one address. This exemption only saves $8 per year. People who want to support KI can pay the $8 and receive 2 copies of the magazine or have one copy directed to a library or other institution.
The voting on amendments and candidates for office went very quickly this year. For the first time electronic voting took place using hand held devices. This meant the business session could be conducted in one afternoon and the results were known with minutes by the convention.
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