JIM THORNTON Division

At the April District Board Meeting, the Carolinas District board declared that emergency conditions still exist from COVID-19. Due to any unknown variables from the pandemic and in consideration of the health and well-being of our membership, the board voted unanimously to hold a one-day special educational event Saturday, August 28 that will follow all KI guidelines including social distancing.

Because of this declaration of emergency, 2021 district officer elections will be done virtually and follow the guidelines set by Kiwanis International (and our district bylaws) for special meetings, and delegates-at-large will be the only people voting for our candidates this year. Delegates-at-Large will also vote upon one resolution to endorse Gary Cooper for Kiwanis International Vice President as submitted by the Resolutions Committee and unanimously supported by the Carolinas District Board of Trustees. See below.

According to our district’s bylaws, all District officers, Past Governors, Past Lieutenant Governors, and Lt. Governors-Designate of the district who are active members of a club in the district shall be delegates-at-large.

The special election will be held Monday, August 23 through Wednesday, August 25. Delegates-at-large will be able to vote any time within this 48 hour time-frame, but may only vote once. Then, Saturday afternoon, August 28, at our educational conference, we will announce the winners on Facebook Live.

Whereas, Gary “Coop” Cooper, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, NC, has served Kiwanis at the club, division and district levels, and as Carolinas District Governor during the 2014-15 administrative year, and

Whereas, Coop has served faithfully on many district committees, including currently serving as Chairman of the Boys and Girls Homes of NC, President of the Past Governors Council and as President of the Carolinas District Kiwanis Foundation, and

Whereas, Coop diligently has represented and continues to represent the Carolinas District in his role as a 2019-2022 Kiwanis International Trustee,

Therefore, be it resolved that the Delegates-at-Large of the Carolinas District of Kiwanis International, at its 2021 Delegates-at-Large meeting August 23 - 25, 2021, through its online election, endorse Gary “Coop” Cooper for election to the office of Kiwanis International Vice President at the 2022 Kiwanis International Convention for a one-year term beginning October 1, 2022.