From the District Governor – January 2024

The WI-UM Kiwanis District’s mission is serving children, and Kids need Kiwanis. To grow our Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Kiwanis District we need to increase membership by opening new Kiwanis clubs. Kiwanis clubs are organized based on community needs, so if there’s a need in a community, there’s a need for Kiwanis. By sponsoring a new Kiwanis club, your club helps ensure that more kids get the service and mentorship that Kiwanians provide.

There are certain steps that we follow in opening a new club. First, select a site, then do a site feasibility survey, and most importantly, assign a local Kiwanis club as the new club sponsor.

Benefits for the New Club and the Sponsoring Club

When you sponsor a new club, that club learns from experienced Kiwanians how to:

1. Create a satisfying membership experience that emphasizes both service and fellowship.
2. Host service projects and fundraisers that are rooted in the community.
3. Invite new members to join.
4. Use media resources to highlight the club’s impact.

Attracting potential members to a new club strengthens the sponsoring club. Sponsoring club members gain confidence from teaching new recruiting techniques and sharing successful tactics. They also learn ways to assess their own community’s needs — and ensure the relevance of Kiwanis in their community in the future.

Responsibilities of the Sponsoring Club

The sponsoring club members, along with the lieutenant governor, support and nurture the new Kiwanis club for at least the first year. Sponsoring clubs agree to:

1. Assist the district club opener and other core team members during the week that visits are paid to prospective members.
2. Conduct interclubs for the new club’s organizational meeting.
3. Assist the club coach and lieutenant governor as they support the new club.
4. Help plan the new club’s first service project.
5. Monitor the new club for one year and help it maintain a roster of at least 15 members (the membership level required of a club “in good standing” with Kiwanis International).