Governor

The holidays are behind us now. The New Year looms on the horizon as a time of hope and promise within our own lives, our families, our communities, our workplace and the broader world around us. As part of this potential, 2018 also represents a time of renewed commitment to our goals for improved health and wellness.
Tri-K weekend was one of the best! We held a joint board meeting with Key Club, Circle K and our District Board. It was the second time in 20 years! The bonding was great between us all. Boy, we all had a blast!
As I visit each of the divisions, it amazes me how much you all accomplish.
I have brought or sent an Anniversary Proclamation to clubs that are 45 years and older. Please let your Lt. Governor know your clubs' anniversary and we will present one to your club. What a joy it is to be part of an organization with so many clubs and members that have been so giving for so long. Congratulations to all.
Since October 1st our district has added 141 new members. We are doing fantastic and hoping that our first three new clubs will be ready to charter by the end of January. Remember please DO NOT wait until next September to drop members that are no longer with us. Drop them now so we can bring in new members and continue to strengthen our clubs. We have 68 clubs under charter strength. Our district has had a negative count for the past four years.        
All award forms for 2017-18 are on the district website; Distinguished Status (International and District), Inter-clubs, Everyday Hero, and Governor's Projects. At our 2019 Mid-winter conference certificates, patches, and recognition will be awarded.
Your district board approved a new logo better to suit our branding with Kiwanis International. We have ordered state logo pins and are available to purchase for just $5 each, which will be available at Mid-Winter.
Do we really need both a printed and an emailed ESK? It's a debate that deserves to be solved. The debate has been going on for years throughout the district.
Before we can come to a reasonable conclusion, we must first understand the pros and cons of each, so we can make a reasonable comparison. Each type of ESK needs a writer, a designer, and a mailing list. They differ in that print newsletters must be physically printed and mailed; while an email newsletter must be distributed through a mail server. Postage is sky high and heading higher. Printing and postage costs are expensive.
Email and direct mail both have their advantages. Lately, direct mail has been in a decline partly because of the economy and partly because email marketing has made inroads. The cost to develop and distribute a print newsletter exceeds that of an e-mail newsletter.
Our district board has approved to send out this edition of the ESK via email due to the rising costs of printing, postage and wanting to move to an all-electronic format. Current and past copies of the ESK are available on the district website. The mail vs email issue is not yet settled. Our district board is continuing to consider the options for getting the ESK to you.
Mid-Winter is fast approaching. We have planned a 1960's Rock-N-Roll Beer-Blast for Friday evening! It's only a $5 entry fee if you dress like the 60's or $10 if you don't! Let's have some FUN!
We are also having a special workshop on the Opioid Epidemic Crises. A representative from state Assembly working with New York Governor Cuomo's Drug Task Force will give a presentation. Our Young Children Priority One and No Veteran left behind will be conducting hands-on workshops please see their article on items needed along with our disaster relief re-build.
Have you read your Kiwanis magazine? What wonderful articles on members and new clubs these magazines are a wonderful tool for our use. Every day we wake up is an opportunity to make the New York District a better place in which to live and love. It's time to make Kiwanis something we are, the way we look at life, the way we do business and the way we live our lives and serve our children and our communities. Our New York District right now needs respect, love, and caring. As Kiwanians One of our objects teaches just that. To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.

Column Posted on Web Site January 23, 2018