Governor’s Message
ELANA GARDNER, 2021-22 GOVERNOR
Seasons Greetings, Capital! It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Serving as Governor is a lot like being Santa Claus…I love cookies, am fairly jolly, keep lists and check them 2x [maybe 200x] but I know this office carries with it the expectation that I will inspire you to bring joy to the lives of children, within a finite window of time. Fortunately, like Santa I don’t have to do it alone. There are no reindeers but there is a team of individuals helping to pull the weight of leading this district. But who would Santa be without the efforts of his elves? Who would I be without the members who use their hands, skills, time, and finances to serve others? In fact, I find myself watching my favorite animated tales and I see correlations with being a Kiwanian. When the hat was placed on Frosty’s head, magic brought him to life. I wear my Kiwanis pin and that magic produces a feeling of joy that makes me want to dance around (not the one you watched me do at ELC). Who amongst you is a Rudolph? Given the opportunity, are you ready to lead so that other’s realize what they thought was a liability is truly an asset? Maybe, you see yourself as one of the misfit toys, with a strange quirkiness that is best appreciated within our Kiwanis family. Enough analogy, I want to share a realization I have from my first two months as Governor. Every member makes an impact that contributes to the success of this district. We currently have 170 clubs, 365+ Service Leadership Program clubs and we have welcomed almost 100 new members in the past 60 days. I see that clubs are sending their gifts to our Capital District Kiwanis Foundation (16% of our goal YTD) which will allow them to provide grants so that goodwill can continue to be provided in our communities. That makes me want to go caroling, fa la la la la la la la. Jingle bells and mistletoe,
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The Capital Kiwanian
