Elio Garozzo

BRINGING OUR “EUROPEAN” VALUE
to the International Board

I joined Kiwanis Junior in 1982 and ever since I’ve had the great opportunity to meet many friends and to share with them many activities to serve the children and my community. These many years of experience have shown me that the European movement has its own identity, this is our “European value”: with our heritage of culture and ideas we can contribute so much to our global organization.

My ideas regarding our major problems and how to solve them

I have carried out a SWOT analysis, which I think is very important.

However, what is this? A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is a study undertaken by an organization in order to identify its internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as its external opportunities and threats. As people plan for their future, it’s useful to conduct a SWOT analysis.

I have carried out a SWOT analysis of the Kiwanis situation: we have 3 problems: Growth, Maintenance, and Rejuvenation

• Growth, negative trends: Kiwanis is not growing. Even worse, there has actually been a decrease and in the last few years we have lost many members.(TREND FILE)

• Maintenance: only a few members have a good knowledge of the internet resources on the KI official website and, in equal measure, many members do not use the KI and KIEF programs and tools.

Coherence and continuity year by year are very problematic and all too often they do not happen. 

• Rejuvenation: we are getting old, and we are not managing to attract young professionals. We must change our strategy to achieve this.

What we have to do:

We must plan a new strategy to establish growth, maintenance and rejuvenation.

• To make our I-PLAN more effective and to get evaluable results year by year
• To have a stronger IMPACT in order to maintain the number of members as well as to attract new members, especially young

In what way?

• Web learning – for all members, especially for Club Officers (ACE – Achieving Club Excellence). Find the tools you need based on a list of common information, which would help the Officers to have both a shared base of information as well as the same goals. A Reputation Manager is necessary in order to evaluate the work in progress and to improve knowledge, awareness and meritocracy.

• Learning by doing – through team building sessions (3 days) and a CONTINUOUS EDUCATION through 2 levels of training: 1. Inside the clubs for all members, 2. For the district officers and Chairmen so that they may exchange experiences together regarding problem-solving.

• More activities and ways to provide all members with information: a monthly newsletter sent via email is no longer enough. We have to create an interactive way in which they have to send feedback. In this way K.I. would have a database containing suggestions from kiwanians and their opinions. 

• A TASK FORCE is necessary to solve problems regarding the maintenance of member numbers. 

• Promote the adoption of best practices: coherence and continuity in our actions must be the priority. 

• FUND RAISING for CHILDREN FUND is our PRIORITY, but it is ALSO very important to promote LOCAL SERVICE activities to create an impact in OUR COMMUNITIES and to be more recognized as a real point of reference. 

• Connecting young people – our S.L.P. Clubs must be checked and put in a common database, creating a common platform on the KI website to allow the sharing and exchange of their experiences, as well as providing opportunities to promote twinnings and meetings between clubs.

• International Youth Exchange Camps (at Christmas, in Summer) but they should be very economically attractive, supported by the contribution of KI and partially by the District and the club that wish to host and organize the camp.

THIS IS MY IDEA of the “EUROPEAN VALUE PROGRAM”: it will be developed by your suggestions, contributions, ideas and skills.