It was a spirited International Convention last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as more than 2,500 Kiwanis and Circle K members convened from places as far away as Nepal, the Philippines, Australia, Taiwan, and Panama. Our club was represented by John Crawford and Alan Young (along with Alan's wife Grace), just two of the 123 Kiwanis members from the California-Nevada-Hawaii District in attendance.
Guest presenters during the weekend included Neil Giuliano, a past International President of Circle K (the Kiwanis-sponsored collegiate service organization), who later became the first openly gay man to be directly elected mayor of a major American city. After serving as mayor of Tempe, Arizona, Giuliano opened his own leadership institute and consulting firm. He has maintained his membership in the Tempe Kiwanis Club for over forty years.
Kiwanians were also introduced to Mark Lindquist, an actor and singer who has appeared on “Lost” and “America’s Got Talent.” A former Key Club Lt. Governor from the Minnesota-Dakotas District, Lindquist enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of 26 and has been personally involved in the Ukrainian resistance to the 2022 Russian invasion of their country. Lindquist shared his harrowing and emotional firsthand view of the devastation in Ukraine – not just in destroyed buildings and battlefields, but in the faces of young war refugees who face uncertainty about their home, their next meal, or even whether the relatives they leave behind may have been killed. Lindquist’s moving presentation spurred many Kiwanians in the audience to literally “pass the hat” and collect over $4,800 on the spot for donation to Ukrainian refugees.
The crowd was inspired by drummer and comedian Clint Pulver, who explained how his life was changed for the better simply because of an attentive, caring teacher. In between humorous anecdotes, he demonstrated his fast and furious skills on the drum kit. His live rendition of Def Leppard's “Pour Some Sugar On Me” rocked the house, getting the entire audience on its feet!
Later, they were brought to the brink of tears by chef Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods.” The Minneapolis television personality detailed his years of drug and alcohol addiction, and how he was finally inspired to sober up and turn his life around some 30 years ago.
Kiwanis International President Bert West of Divide, Colorado presided over the House of Delegates, where the organization elected its new leaders for the upcoming terms. Voters there approved a sweeping revision of International Bylaws, but rejected a proposed dues increase that many viewed as critically important to the future of Kiwanis.
After all was said and done in the House of Delegates, and new International President Katrina Baranko of Georgia delivered her inaugural speech, many members stayed for a live country music show featuring the Oak Ridge Boys – and then closed the night in President Bert’s hospitality suite on the 24th floor!