Kiwanis Is a Global Organization of Volunteers Dedicated to Changing the World One Child

MANKATO DOWNTOWN KIWANIS CLUB

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION GUIDE

January 2015

WELCOME TO THE MANKATO

DOWNTOWN KIWANIS CLUB!

We are pleased to have you as a new member of our service club. We hope that your membership with us will be a very pleasurable and fulfilling experience.

This guide is prepared as an overview of our club, and is a quick reference for important information and club contacts.

If you have any questions, or feedback regarding this orientation guide, please contact Beth Colway at

For more information about our club, please visit the Kiwanis web site at w

MEETING TIME & LOCATION

The club meets each Monday, 12:05 – 1:00 p.m. at the Mankato City Center Hotel.

Good News Can – Members are encouraged to share news with the club. A donation to the good news can can be designated toward a foundation or it will go to support our Activity Fund.This account is funded by:Fundraisers (Pancake Day, Kiwanis Holiday Lights, Gas Card Income, Thunder of Drums, Golf Tournament, Good News)Main Expenses are:

Camp Patterson Operating Fund, Sponsored Clubs (Fitzgerald, Dakota Meadows, East Jr. High, Loyola, MSU Circle K), Young Children Priority One, City of Mankato Partnership (Kiwanis Recreation Area), Music Awards, ECSE

KIWANIS MISSION

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.

THE SIX OBJECTS OF KIWANIS

1. To give primacy to the human and spiritual, rather than to the material values of life
2. To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships
3. To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards
4. To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship
5. To provide, through Kiwanis Clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities
6. To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism, which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill

THE PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF KIWANIS MEMBERS

1. Wearing of the Kiwanis pin
2. Attendance at all local meetings and other Kiwanis Club meetings
3. Attendance at District and International conventions and conferences
4. Participation in inter-club visits
5. Personal involvement in all club activities
6. Possible leadership positions at the club, district, region, or international level
7. Voting rights

HISTORY OF KIWANIS

“Kiwanis” is an American Indian term “Nun Keewanis” which roughly means “Self Expression”.

Founded in Detroit, MI January 21, 1915 by Allen Browne, the first Kiwanis Club began as an all male club, as did most organizations of its day. The original name was “The Benevolent Order of Brothers” and its purpose was the mutual exchange of preferred treatment in professional and business dealings. The purpose was changed to “provide community service” and remains the Kiwanis purpose today.

It was not until October 1987 that women could join and this major progression did not come easily. The Mankato Kiwanis Club is proud to claim that 3 of our current/former club presidents, Dr. Dwain F. Petersen, Jim Manahan, and Scott M.Taylor were instrumental in accomplishing this goal at the international level. The club also demonstrated progressive diversity by electing a Jewish president in the 1930's when other clubs were barring Jews from their memberships.

The Mankato Kiwanis Club was chartered on Saturday, February 19, 1921. The Griebal Tea Rooms on Hickory Street hosted this historic event. Even though the Mankato Kiwanis Club was the first service club established in the city of Mankato, it was the 418th club formed in the United States. There were 90 charter members. Our club has averaged between 100 – 125 members for many years and is one of the largest in our district.

CLUB OFFICERS
Each Kiwanis club is governed by elected officers and a Board of Directors. The Mankato Kiwanis Club Officers are as follows:

Officer Name / Position / Term Expiration
Matt Norland / President / 9/30/2015
Matt Kearney / President Elect / 9/30/2015
Shannon Sinning / Vice President / 9/30/2015
Jaci Lageson / Immediate Past President / 9/30/2015
Justin Mathes / Treasurer
Sharon Taylor / Secretary
Beth Colway / Billing Secretary
Term Expiration
Karen Rekstein / 9/30/2015
Phil Slingsby / 9/30/2015
Vicki Apel / 9/30/2015
James Armbruster / 9/30/2015
Samantha Ward / 9/30/2016
Laura Stevens / 9/30/2016
Wendy Kind / 9/30/2016

COMMITTEES

In order to carry out all the projects that Kiwanis is involved with throughout the year, each member is asked to join one or more committees.

Committee Name / Chair / Contact
Administration / Shannon
Sinning /
382-4555
Aktion Club / Wilbur Neushwander-. Frink / 507-345-4223,
Board of Directors / Matt Norland / 612.600.0595

Camp Patterson / David Cowan / 507-389-6931
Fundraising / Mike Brennan
Avra Johnson /

Human and Spiritual Values / Greg Bednar / 507-344-3300
Public Relations
Membership / Beth Colway / 507-385-4364
Scholarship / Barb Embacher/ Jeff Lang / Barb Embacher 507-385-6644
Jeff Lang 507-386-8800
Service / Chris Sandquist / 387-1115,
Sponsored Youth /Student of the Month / Rene Maes /
387-3123
Young Children-Priority One/Kiwanis Reading Oasis Proj. / MattNorland / 612.600.0595

Camp Patterson Incorporated / Shannon Gullickson / 508-385-6640

President’s Role:

Chief Executive of the Club

Conducts Club Meetings

Presides at Board Meetings

Coordinates Committee Functioning

Represents Club at International, Division & District Activities

Serves on the Board

Member of Membership Committee

Immediate Past President’s Role

Serves on the Board

President-Elect

Serves on the Board

Replaces President at Club Meetings and Board Meetings as necessary

Vice-President

Chair of the Club Administration Committee

Selects Weekly Program Speakers

Arranges Table Hosts

Arranges Song Leaders

Secretary

Maintains Club Records

Prepares Official Club Reports

Keeps Records of Various Awards

Billing Secretary

Keeps Track of Dues Payments

Sends Quarterly Dues Invoices

Treasurer

Manages Club Funds

Issues Financial Reports

Pays Bills

Board Members

Attends Monthly Board Meetings

Serves Two Years on Board

Votes on Various Club Activities

CLUB COMMITTEES

Club Administration Committee

Oversees club arrangements with City Center Hotel

Coordinates programs for meetings

Arranges for song leaders & table hosts

Sets up before and cleans up after meetings

Aktion CommitteeAktion Club

Aktion Club is a service leadership program of Kiwanis International. Aktion Club provides service opportunities to a wide variety of people. The Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Club sponsors two Aktion Clubs- Aktion Club Theatre and Aktion Club of Pathstone Living

Aktion Club Theatre provides theatrical experiences for people who may not have access to theatre activities in our community. Aktion Club Theatre provides people an opportunity to develop and share their unique gifts and talents. This club provides various experiences for service such as theatrical performances and plays around disability awareness and community inclusion, donations, and hands-on experiences such as ringing bells for the Salvation Army.

Aktion Club of Pathstone Living provides access to a Kiwanis Club at Pathstone Living. All service projects are brought to Pathstone so people have the opportunity to volunteer. Aktion Club members at Pathstone volunteer for such groups as the Backpack Food Program and Kids Against Hunger. The group also raises money to provide donations to these groups.

Camp Patterson Committee

Sets budget for camp (weekly rate $43.50)

Oversees caretakers

Sets summer schedule of camps

Suggests purchases for Camp Patterson, Inc.

Selects improvement projects

Sends reports of activities to secretary for monthly reports

Fundraising Committee

Organizes and develops fundraisers such as:

Pancake Day

Thunder of Drums

Golf Outing

Kwik Trip Gift Cards (we get 10% back with every card we purchase)

Human and Spiritual Values Committee

Requests members to present invocation at weekly meetings

Provides newsletter with appropriate “one liners” or complete story to get a pertinent message to members

Pursues and initiates a program at least one time per year that would communicate what the committee is about

Public Relations

Increases the awareness of our club in the community

Promotes good will of our organization as a whole

Submits press releases for upcoming events and speakers

Assists in promoting Thunder of Drums, Golf Outing, etc.

Membership Committee

Recruits new members

Holds new member orientation meetings

Helps with retention of members

Communicates with non-attending members

Interviews members resigning from our club

Scholarship Committee

Reviews scholarship program annually

Organizes student of the month projects with schools

Introduces student of the month at club meetings and make arrangements with students

Fills out forms for district scholarships

Work with local schools and colleges to find recipients for awards

Makes sure payments are sent to local schools and colleges for awards

Service Committee

Decides service projects for club

Finds members to help with projects

Organizes and implements service projects

Advises board for funding service projects

Sponsored Leadership Programs (SLP’s) Committee

Supports Builders, Key Club, Circle K

Aktion Clubs (Aktion Theatre, Pathstone Living)

Attends sponsored club meetings

Ensures that there are club advisors for each club

Develops budget for clubs

Works with school advisors of these clubs

Develops new clubs when feasible

“Young Children: Priority One” Committee

Oasis Reading Program at Hoover Elementary

SPONSORED LEADERSHIPPROGRAMS (SLP)

Our club is proud to sponsor a number of related Leadership Clubs in the Mankato area.

These include the following:

Circle K Club at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Key Clubs at Loyola High School, East High School and West High School

Builders Club at Fitzgerald, Dakota Meadows Middle School, and East Junior High School

Aktion Clubs – Aktion Theatre in Mankato, St. Peter and Ecumen Pathstone Living

MUSIC AWARDS

The Mankato Downtown Club has a long history of honoring local high school musician. For many years the club gave the Arion Award to high school performers but recently the club changed the name of the award to the Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Music Award due to confusion of the title Arion Award (Arion is the Greek god of music).

Each year, the club asks area high school band, orchestra, and choir directors to nominate one student in each group for the award. Many of these award winners perform at a club meeting in April. It is always one of the most enjoyable meetings of the year where students, parents and some school music directors attend the meeting.

FOUNDATIONS

Our club is one of only a few in the nation that has its own foundation. Interest from this foundation helpsto pay for our student scholarships. Donations by members are always welcome. Talk to the treasurer for information on tax-deductible gifts.

There are several international and district foundation awards available to members who personally donate money. One is called a “Hixson” For $1,000. The Zeller award for $1,250. for internal service projects toward the Maternal Neonatal Tetanus efforts. Another is the “Tablet of Honor” for $2,000. The district also offers a “Life Fellow” award for a $100 donation to the District Education Fund and a “Messer Lady or Fellow” Award for a donation of $500 to the education fund.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Club and Education

Foundation Scholarship Program

1. Determine an annual commitment for local scholarships from the Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Club Education Foundation. ($2,400 approx. annually)

• $700 Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Outstanding Service Scholarship for one outstanding high school senior from Loyola High School or Immanuel Lutheran High School.
• $700 Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Outstanding Service Scholarship for one outstanding high school senior from Riverbend Academy or Central High School.
• Develop a $1,000 Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Outstanding Service Circle K Scholarship for one outstanding college student.

1. Minnesota-Dakotas District of Kiwanis International Educational Foundation each January who award two $700 scholarships for outstanding high school seniors. (1 for an East HS student and 1 for a West HS student)

• $700 Claire Faust Scholarship would always be awarded to a Mankato East High School student.
• $700 Hal Burke Scholarship would always be awarded to a Mankato West High School student.

• We will advertise this opportunity to each of these high schools in the fall of each year, asking guidance counselors to promote it to all students. They will also directly encourage students that do excellent community service to apply. Their high school scholarship committee will then select the best 3 applicants to forward onto the District Kiwanis Foundation Scholarship Committee.

Continue the Student of the Month Program to work the way it has in the past, where 3 students from each of the four high schools are chosen to be recognized by their counselors at a Club meeting. However, we will no longer pick one of them to receive a “Student of the Month” scholarship each year, but will encourage all of them to apply for the Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Club Outstanding Service Scholarships. At this time, no financial scholarship is awarded, only a certificate is presented. If the Education Foundation chooses to, it would be nice to add a small monetary award to each of these students as well.

SERVICE PROJECTS

Get involved with any of our service projects

• Holiday Lights in Sibley Park
• Kiwanis Reading Oasis at Hoover Elementary (November 3, 2014)
• Salvation Army Bell Ringing
• Adopt –A- Highway Project (Hwy 66)
• Camp Patterson Clean-Up
• Holiday Food Baskets
• Kiwanis Recreation Area
• Pancake Breakfast – Loose Moose
• Bingo atHillcrest Nursing Home
• Miracle Field/Fallenstein Field
• Aktion Clubs – Backpack Food Program

KIWANIS RECREATION AREA

Kiwanis has partnered with the City of Mankato in the development of the Kiwanis Recreation Area just North of Hwy 14 and 169 intersections.A park for dogs! Our club is the sponsor for the Kiwanis Recreation area and has committed to volunteer service and monetary commitments to help support the park.

THUNDER OF DRUMS

For over two decades Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Club has presented the “Thunder of Drums”, the Midwest’s premier drum and bugle corps competition. As a club service project the Thunder of Drums has attracted thousands and provided the Mankato community with outstanding summertime entertainment, while raising funds to support Kiwanis projects and the Mankato Area ’77 Lancers Marching Band. The world’s finest drum corps compete each year at Blakeslee Stadium on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato. The corps present a show of soaring musical and visual artistry. Volunteers for the Thunder of Drums planning committee and to staff the event are always welcomed!

CAMP PATTERSON

Camp Patterson was developed by the club to provide a public summer camp to support youth. It is located on the eastern shores of Lake Washington and includes a dining hall, 13 cabins and a staff cabin. Many activities are available to campers including rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, kayaks, sand volleyball, basketball and swimming. Camp Patterson is a major service project of the Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Club. Club fundraisers subsidize the camp so campers are charge a very nominal fee ($45.00 per week) for camp rental. Camp Patterson, Inc. is a Board of Trustees made up of past presidents from the Mankato Kiwanis Club. This incorporated group has the legal responsibility for Camp Patterson and its budget. Camp Patterson has a foundation for tax-deductible gifts.

CLUB MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

Club meetings are the “life-blood” of our club. Meetings are held every Monday of the year from 12:05 – 1:00 p.m. at the Mankato City Center Hotel. The only exceptions are for major holidays that fall on Mondays. In these cases the meeting is usually moved to Tuesdayof that week.

Perfect attendance tabs are awarded to members once a year. They are awarded for twelve consecutive months of 100% attendance. Attendance does not have to be consecutive meetings, but can be made up by attending board meetings, other Kiwanis Club meetings, or sponsored youth club meetings.

MEMBERSHIP – PASS IT ON!

Membership growth is an important element in our club. Without new members the club does not grow and gain in diversity. Members are continually encouraged to bring prospective members to meetings. The first two times a prospective member attends a meeting the club pays for their meal. When you bring a prospective member, pick up a membership application form at the registration/sign in table. When the form is completed, give this form to the secretary or president immediately. The board reviews the applications and approves all new members.

A recognition pin from Kiwanis International is available to members each year. To receive the special pin simply sponsor two new members, help with six service projects and attend either the international, district or region conferences, and support the Kiwanis International Foundation.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE/RESIGNATION

At times members may need to ask for a “leave of absence”. A written request for a leave of absence must be submitted to the board of directors for approval. Leaves can be for one to three months. Members need only to pay dues while on leave. Leaves do not affect attendance records of the club. Please make sure to officially request a leave of absence in writing. Requests should be forwarded to the club President.

Resignation from the club must also be in written form. Members in good standing will be allowed to resign. Please make sure that all financial commitments are completed before resigning. Membership in Kiwanis can be transferred to any other Kiwanis Club in the world.

SERVICE

Members are encouraged to be active in service projects. You will find that donating some of your time to help others is rewarding and is also a great way to meet other members. We are always looking for service projects. If you have ideas for service projects, please share them with the Chair of the Service Committee.