Need help? You’re not alone

Ask Nancy Summers what advice she passes along to incoming Kiwanis club presidents and she paraphrases John Donne’s famous Meditation XVII: “Without a doubt, do not be an island unto yourself.”

“Build a problem-solving team,” suggests Nancy, 2003-04 president of the Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis. “Issues can be faced with support and advice from this team. I called my team my ‘cabinet.’ It was separate from our board, which was strong. But this smaller group proved essential in helping me form solutions to concerns of our club.”

During her tenure, for example, Nancy’s club wrestled with declining membership.

“We are a large club, and the community depends on our support for many children’s programs,” she notes. “With declining membership, it looked like we couldn’t continue to offer some of that support. I called upon some ‘heavily invested’ past presidents, members, and club officers who helped craft a plan for recruitment and retention. It was challenging, but we worked together as a team and realized the positive results we sought.”

It’s also important, Nancy adds, to tap resources outside the club.

“I learned that much good insight and advice is gained by speaking with past and current presidents of other clubs of all sizes,” she explains. “Within the depths of their experiences often lies a solution to an issue you and your team are facing. There also is some great information available at the district and International levels. Our goals are all the same, so there’s no need to go through things alone.”