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Pledge To Do Your Business with A Kiwanian
By Chuck Baker, 2011 – 2012 Utah- Idaho District Governor, Kiwanis International
Download December 2011/January 2012 Message (pdf)
Once you have boarded an aircraft, the instructions given are, in case of loss of cabin air pressure, put your oxygen mask on first, and then help others. When Kiwanis was formed in 1915, it was a business club devoted to the purpose of sharing business ideas and services with one another, doing business with like-minded individuals in the community.
One of the most vibrant Kiwanis clubs in our district , which is off the charts with its successes in service projects and membership growth, has a business leads club just prior to the Kiwanis meeting. My point about the aircraft boarding is, this is a challenging economy. We the members need to be financially secure ourselves (i.e. put your oxygen mask on first), to better serve others next. What can we do? Always try to give a fellow Kiwanian your business first. The real estate agent, insurance agent, the broker, the grocer, the barber, the advertiser in the Kiwanian.
Let us really support our members. Look in your checkbook..did you buy that product or sevice from a Kiwanian? If we really work at this, we can grow members. Greed can outmotivate guilt. The number 4 reason a new member joins Kiwanis is for networking, even though we have no formal networking structure. If word gets out that Kiwanis is a great place for networking, we could expand membership and thus service.
This weak economy has produced vibrant networking groups, such as BNI and the Corporate Alliance.They have rapid and exiting growth numbers. BNI is nearly as large as Kiwanis, though only age 22.
Therefore, I propose we consider:
1. Pledge to business with a Kiwanian,
2. Ask someone you do business with to visit your club (new
business for him/her!) ,
3. Consider the model of the Meridian club, form a
new "Kiwanis Leads Group", that could meet thirty
minutes before your regular meeting.
Let us do everything to help our members first, giving us the strength to serve the children and the communities throughout the world.
Yours in Kiwanis Service,
Chuck Baker |
Download October/November Message 2011 (pdf)
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