At International Convention last year, it was announced that MNT would be the next WSP (world-wide service project).  With the success of Kiwanis (working with UNICEF) in virtually eliminating Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), Kiwanis clubs around the world will be embarking on a new challenge: immunizing millions of women and newborns to prevent painful deaths from maternal/neonatal tetanus.  We will once again show the world that Kiwanis truly is Serving the Children of the World.

I will be attending training on May 5-7 to become a District Chair for the Eliminate program.  If you are interested in more information about the program or how you can get involved, please contact me at patrick.ewing@shaw.ca

For more Eliminate information, click here. 

Yours in service,

Patrick Ewing
2010-2011 Immediate Past Governor

On April 2nd, 2009/10 Governor Patrick “Chicken Legs” Ewing attended the Zone M Conference in Williams Lake BC.  He had asked Governor Frank for the opportunity to attend this conference on his behalf so that he could personally thank attendees for their positive membership growth in 2009/10.  As he promised to do for any Zone that had positive growth, he wore a chicken costume and posed for pictures.  He also talked about the May Recruitment Campaign, Service Leadershp Programs, Kiwanis Foundations, District Convention, Eliminate MNT, and the Zone Conference proposal.  Big thanks to Lt. Governor Roger Parkes for organizing the session and to all who attended the conference.

Note: This year, “chicken is going to ham”:  there was positive membership growth in Zones H, A, and M last year, so look for “chicken legs” (and head and feet) at upcoming Zone Conferences in Vancouver WA (Zone H) and Anchorage AK (Zone A).

Yours in service,

Patrick Ewing
2010-2011 Immediate Past Governor

At midnight on the evening of September 30^th, I made the traditional phone call to Governor Frank Morehouse to wish him a great year.  This has been a whirl-wind adventure for me – challenging and rewarding, but also fleeting.  With my year as Governor over, I would like to share just a few of our district’s achievements this year:

In Las Vegas, we elected Sylvester Neal as our International President for 2010-2011 – the first International President in many years to be an active member of our District.  While he has been busy with duties outside the district, he continues to attend many club and district events in the Pacific Northwest.  

Our District has been lucky enough to get great support from our other international leaders, too.  Our 2009-2010 International President, Paul Palazzolo, visited Vernonia OR, Portland OR, Couer d’Alene ID, and Victoria BC in November and McMinnville OR in September.  Our 2009-2010 International Counselor, Randy Delay, made a number of visits, including the 2010 Lt. Governor Training Session.  Our 2010-2011 International Counselor, Johnny Johnson, visited our District Convention.  And 2008-2009 International President Don Canaday visited our Midwinter Conference and our District Convention, including building a club in Airway Heights.  Don not only got his start in Fairbanks AK but is also now a member of PNW’s internet club, Cascadia Kiwanis.

We built four new Kiwanis Clubs: Vernonia OR, Black Diamond-Maple Valley WA, Troutdale OR, and Airway Heights WA.  We launched the Re-Charter Program (for clubs under 25 members) as well as a host of growth awards and fun challenges, such as getting a chance to “Dunk the Governor”.  While we didn’t manage to achieve net growth, we had very strong growth for much of the year, achieving net growth of 45 members per month for about half the year.  We have started to turn our membership numbers around, but the job isn’t done.  I will be continuing to serve as leader of the Membership Team so we can achieve positive growth in 2010-2011.

This year we launched an exciting new fundraising program called the Kiwanis Decal Program, which has the potential to help clubs raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for children and youth while also raising tens of thousands of dollars for the District (see www.pnwkiwanis.org for details). 

My Governor’s Project, Project K-9, was well-received, and I would like to thank all the clubs that participated.  While the projects may have involved therapy dogs, assistance dogs, rescue dogs, police dogs, dog shelters, or off-leash parks, they ultimately benefited children, families, seniors and the disabled, too.  This project also provided a way for people who love dogs to discover Kiwanis.

We approved a dues increase which will put the District on a solid financial footing for the next five years.  We also reviewed how our organization is funded and sent two proposals to the Kiwanis International Board that – if approved – could actually reduce the cost of membership.  The first proposal, made by the Board of Trustees, would acknowledge that a portion of our dues are used for service aims, and allow clubs to pay that portion from that service account.  The second, made by the House of Delegates, would allow clubs to use up to 10% of their fundraising efforts for administrative purposes.

Our District Convention in Spokane was a huge success.  We collected books and raised funds for a school on a tribal reserve in Spokane.  We also held the first annual Outreach Reception and – thanks in part to a very generous donation from the Vernon Four Seasons Club – raised more than $10,000 to support our Service Leadership Programs.  We had an amazing fireworks display, a dunk tank and midway, a salmon barbecue, a service fair, and much, much more.

But probably the most important thing that this District did was return its focus to having fun and providing service.  Our District Team – Lt. Governors and District Chairs – brought enthusiasm and a positive attitude, making it a joy to serve.  We came together as a team, in the true spirit of Kiwanis, and worked together for the good of our clubs.  I am profoundly grateful to these men and women for their selfless dedication to this District.

I would like to thank all the members and club leaders who continue to represent all that is embodied in the Kiwanis Objects.  For the children, seniors, and all the other lives you have touched this past year, thank you for making time to make a difference.

I was just 38 when elected to serve as Governor-Elect.  These past two years have helped me grow as a leader and provided countless opportunities to spend time with Kiwanians from Fairbanks AK to Weed CA and many places in between.  Thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity to serve as your Governor, and I look forward to continuing to serve this district in other capacities.

Yours in service,

Patrick Ewing
2009-2010 Governor

June 12, 2010 – Charter Party, Kiwanis Club of Black Diamond/Maple Valley WA (Division 32)
June 19, 2010 – Wedding of Patrick Ewing and Kristina Thalacker (Victoria BC)
June 23-26, 2010 – International Convention (Las Vegas NV)

June 2-6, 2010
The Class of 2010/11 Goes to School
Governor-Elect Frank Morehouse hosted training for his team: the 2010/11 District Chairs and the 2010/11 Class of Lt. Governors.  He worked closely with his excellent training team (Pamela Smith, Claudell King, and Dan Ver Heul) and our outstanding District Office staff (Cleve, Gary, and Rebecca), all of whom invested many, many hours to ensure a positive educational experience for every attendee.

We were very lucky to have International Counsellor Randy Delay attend the training session and provide insights and encouragement; has been a truly excellent trustee.  While Key Club Governor Caitlin Snaring unfortunately had to send her regrets, Governor Alan Lo dropped in to represent CKI, along with past CKI Governor (and current Kiwanian) Helen Mak.  I attended as Frank’s Team Leader for the Membership Team as well as to show my support for Frank and his coming year as Governor.

The training session was held at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, which keeps costs low, encourages more social interaction, and serves as a great example of what can be achieved when Kiwanis clubs work together.  It started out a soggy week, but the enthusiasm of the attendees was ignited, not dampened, by the experience.  The sun and blue sky that emerged on Saturday gave us new energy, and the graduation ceremony and dinner at Timberline Lodge made the weekend complete. 

We have great Lieuteannt Governors and District Chairs this year, and from this past week it looks like next year’s team will be just as positive, dedicated, and enthusiastic.  Many times we fail to truly appreciate just how lucky we are to have such great leaders as these in our organization, willing to invest their time and energy to help club leaders be successful.  The pay is non-existant; all we can say to them, and to all the club leaders and members serving in their local communities:  

“Thank you for everything you do; thank you for making time to make a difference.”

First Lady Kristina and I very much enjoyed touring our most northern region, Zone A, which consists of Alaska and the Yukon Territory.  The tour was 1,300 miles, though, so we were thankful to have Pamela and Greg Smith to help share the driving and keep the conversation going on those long drives!

Anchorage is a beautiful city, and Kristina and I had a couple of days to explore, including a drive from Anchorage to Portage that every PNW member should do at least once in their lifetime.  On Tuesday, May 18^th, we attended a special guest meeting in Anchorage which featured a motivational speaker. 

The next day we drove to Fairbanks where we helped the Borealis Club with a service project at a local rescue mission.  Borealis is a very hands-on club, and often holds a work party rather than a club meeting during the warmer months of the year.  Knowing how limited my skills are in construction, Kristina was amused to watch me on top of one of two large steel containers, helping to install roof trusses that would provide storage and working space for the mission’s recycling program (a fundraising activity of the mission).  I believe it is important in a service organization like ours to show that leaders are volunteers to, and equally willing to roll up our sleeves and pitch in, no matter how unskilled we are.  We did get the trusses up — despite my assistance!

On Thursday we drove to Beaver Creek, just 25 or so kilometres past the Alaska/Yukon border.  Beaver Creek is a small town of about 85, but it hosts many tourists in the summer.  Part of the reason for holding the Alaska/Yukon conference there was to establish a club satellite of the Whitehorse Club (the manager of the main hotel in Beaver Creek is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Whitehorse).  The location also provided an opportunity to do a service project at the border crossing, where we did some maintenance work on (and around) a Canada/US goodwill border monument that had been erected by Kiwanis.

The Zone Conference itself was a lot of fun, including a show (Beaver Creek Rendezvous), a contest to come up with the best “beaver” song, a variety of fundraising activities, as well as a variety of educational sessions. 

A highlight of the event was installing three members of the club satellite, which I was honoured to do.  We had a second service project, cleaning up garbage on the main road.  Our activities attracted the attention of the local police, who pulled over to find out just what we were doing.  He was puzzled why people from as far away as Victoria BC and Seattle WA were picking up garbage in Beaver Creek; we made an impression, so maybe he’ll become a member too!

Our circle tour of Alaska and a piece of the Yukon was a great experience.  We saw bears, moose, elk, trumpeter swans, and other local wildlife.  With just a month to go before summer solstice we didn’t see much darkness while we were there, but we got to spend quality time with wonderful Kiwanians from the land of the midnight sun.

Spokane hosted the 2010 Pacific Northwest District Conference for Aktion Club, the organization for adults whose developmental disabilities are not barriers to providing service to their communities. Members attended from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including from clubs that had never attended a district conference before. This was my second Aktion conference and only the 4th to be held in the Pacific Northwest.

Some of the workshop topics were fire prevention, Sleeping Children Around the World, Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN), and the humane society.  Social activities included karaoke, riding Spokane’s carousel, and a live band. Attendees received great conference T-shirts as well as photographs of themselves in front of the conference banner.

District Administrator Lee Chic reported that the attendees’ evaluations were very positive. I would like to commend her and her conference planning team for putting on a great event, and the sponsors and advisors/support workers who helped make it possible for so many Aktion members to attend.

As mentioned in a previous post, over several days around the Easter long weekend, First Lady Kristina and I travelled over 800 miles touring central Washington State, including visits to Maple Valley WA, Richland WA, Ephrata WA, and Wenatchee WA.

More recently, over a period of 10 days (April 16-25), Kristina and I (with First Dog Sasha) drove over 1,800 miles making 15 official visits to Kiwanis Clubs in western Oregon and other locations in the southwest section of the Pacific Northwest. Official visits included Zone Conferences in Vancouver WA and Yreka CA; “meet and greets” in Ilwaco/Long Beach WA, Tillamook OR, and Lincoln City OR; club visits in Salem OR, Corvallis OR, Florence OR, and Springfield OR; a 20th anniversary party in Fern Ridge-Veneta OR; a dinner in Weed CA; and other stops to tour Kiwanis projects (Astoria OR, Warrenton OR, Seaside OR).

Later in May Kristina and I will be flying to Anchorage and then driving to Fairbanks AK and Beaver Creek YT, for two official visits and a  Zone Conference.  This Alaska/Yukon trip works out to over 1,400 miles of driving once the drive to SeaTac is factored in, and that doesn’t include all the miles in the air.

Just for these three trips alone (three trips out of many), Kristina and I will travel over 4,000 miles driving. Sometimes I refer to being Governor as the Iron Butt Marathon – reflecting many hours and many long miles on the road. I enjoy travelling to places, but I will admit there are times – such when I’m in a long line at the border or when I miss a ferry – when I just wish I had a teleporter that would transport me home at the end of each visit.

Despite the many miles, the fact is that I enjoy getting out and meeting with Kiwanis members throughout the Pacific Northwest. It is the people who make this organization what it is, and they are wonderful. Whether it’s the song-writing, guitar playing, president of the Western Hills-Corvallis club, the club delegate who takes me aside at Zone Conference to tell me about their Governor’s Project activity, or the new members I get to install, it is a joy to meet with the good men and women of Kiwanis. As I travel I provide information about district initiatives and answers to their questions, but more importantly I offer my thanks and appreciation for all their service to their club, their members, and their communities.

My goals for the visits this year (and in my years as Governor-Elect and as Governor-Elect candidate) have been to educate, encourage and inspire, and to bring the District a little closer to clubs and divisions throughout the district. Governor-Elect Frank Morehouse shares my goals, and has been travelling the district extensively as well.

I am very proud of this district and its members. The attitude of members and clubs is almost universally positive. While there are challenges (such as growing our membership), there is also great pride in our organization and a wealth of terrific new and continuing service projects that truly are making a difference for children, for seniors, for the disabled, for the disadvantaged, for families, and – yes – even for dogs, right here in our beautiful Pacific Northwest.  It is an honor to serve you as Governor, and a privilege to visit with you in all parts of this great district.

On Wednesday March 31st, Kristina and I set out on a 800+ mile circle tour of Washington State.  We spent Thursday recruiting for a club that is being built in Maple Valley/Black Diamond by the very dedicated New Club Builder Rita Schroeder.   We spent Friday in the Tri-Cities – a lunch at the Tri-Cities Industry club that was very well-attended by clubs in the area.  Late that day, Lt. Governor Jerry Greenfield and his wife Corky hosted a small gathering at their home.  On Saturday, Kristina and I headed up to Ephrata to meet with clubs in the area, in conjunction with an Easter Egg Hunt.  Our last stop was in Wenatchee, where Lt. Governor Janice Irle, Convention 2012 Chair Margie Wilson and Division 52 hosted a meet-and-greet.  After the meet-and-greet, Kristina and I sold programs at the Wenatchee Wild hockey game (a fundraiser for the Governor’s Project) before sitting down to watch the game (the Wild won).  We made it home on Sunday evening.  I had been suffering a miserable cold since leaving Victoria, but luckily Easter Monday was a holiday for me so I had a day to recover.  Despite the many hours of driving and all the typical cold symptoms, it was a tremendously positive experience.  Kristina and I would like to thank everyone who was so kind to us, who opened their homes and made us feel so welcome.

We have a big district, and it is a near impossible task to see it all, especially when working full time.  I was reminded on this trip how important it is for leaders to take time to get out and meet with the people they have been elected to represent.  No amount of email exchanges can take the place of meeting with people in their own communities.  While I cannot visit every club in the district, or every town, by the end of this Kiwanis year I will have visited a large cross-section of this district – from as far north as Fairbanks Alaska to as far south as Yreka CA and as far east as Coeur D’Alene ID.

When it comes to visits from leaders, the Pacific Northwest has been particularly fortunate this year.  We have seen multiple visits from International President Paul Palazzolo, International President-Elect Sylvester Neal, Immedia Past International President Don Canaday, and International Trustee Randy Delay.  I know I and many others in our District appreciate their leadership and their willingness to travel long distances to support the efforts of Kiwanians throughout the Pacific Northwest.

While Governor-Elect Frank Morehouse attended the Zone E Conference  in Mt. Vernon, I attended the Zone G Conference in Kent.   The Kent Seniors’ Center was packed with attendees, and a highlight was a presentation by five members (two of the canine variety) of Guide Dogs of the Desert, an organization that trains assistance dogs for people who are legally blind. 

PNW CKI “BTR” in Seattle WA

I was able to sit in on a portion of the new/old Board Training Retreat for PNW CKI known as “BTR” (pronounced “beater”).  PNW CKI has lost several clubs over the years, and I spoke with Governor-designate Alan Lo about the possibility of establishing a “10 Most Wanted” list of locations to target for building (or re-building) CKI clubs. 

After the meeting ended, First Lady Kristina and I went roller-skating with the CKI members (which was fun but demonstrated that I am uncoordinated enough on shoes, let alone skates!) before joining some other Kiwanians at a party Jim Nannery was hosting.

The Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis International does not have one mid-year conference but 13 regional conferences.  The full schedule of Zone Conferences is posted online.

While Governor-Elect Frank Morehouse represented the District at McMinnville OR, I represented the District at Tacoma WA.  Our presentations at the Zone Conferences focus on:

• Governor’s Theme (We Love to Serve) and Governor’s Project (Project K-9);
• Growth Incentives (traditional ones such as banner patches and new fun ones too);
• May Membership Campaign information and membership growth resources;
• Information about issues that will be addressed at District Convention, including bylaw amendments and a dues-related resolution; and
• A new Kiwanis Decal Fundraiser that will help clubs raise funds for youth-related service projects.

The Zone Conference in Tacoma featured International President-Elect Sylvester Neal, past Kiwanis International CEO Rob Parker, Area Director Jim Courtright, and several break-out sessions on a variety of Kiwanis-related topics.

Next week (March 20, 2010), I will be in Kent WA to attend the Zone G Conference (followed by attending the PNW CKI Board Training Retreat in Seattle), while Frank will be representing the district at the Zone E Conference in Mt. Vernon WA.