Is Your Club Welcoming?

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George Mamo

Co-chair District DEI Committee

District 26 Lt. Governor Elect

Kiwanis Club of North Myrtle Beach – Little River

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Where Were These Folks “Off To”?

Like Each of US, �They Came on a Different Road, �Like Us They Expected . . .

But Here’s What They Got

Tonight’s Question:� “Which Mat Is YOUR Club Putting Out”?

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Tonight’s

Objectives:

What’s A TLA?

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A TLA is a 3-Letter Acronym

It’s a shorthand we use every day

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Kiwanis LOVES TLAs!

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CKI

is a

TLA

for

Circle K International

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CKI

is also an

SLP

(Service Leadership Program)

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Not All TLAs are helpful . . .

“The world wide web is the only thing I know of whose shortened form [W W W] takes three times longer to say than what it’s short for.”

Douglas Adams

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So . . . To Avoid This

Let’s Unpack Tonight’s TLA - DEI

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Why Does DEI Matter?

Unwelcoming Can Be Blatant

Kiwanis was an exclusively male organization until 1987.

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It took 72 years for Kiwanis to INCLUDE its first woman member!

35 Years Later Our Commitment To DEI Isn’t A Binary Change

Unwelcoming can be Subtle

“Just Ask Yerself’

Does your Club’s secretary “have to be” a Woman?

Does your club have the “can’t you take a joke” guy? 

How about “That’s been my seat for 27 years!”?

Does your club sing songs “with a history”?

Do your club’s prayers recognize other religious traditions?

If You Said “Yes” Your Club Is Saying�� “Go Away! You’re not welcome here!”��To Some Folk

�Hajar was a member of a club in my District for 1 year

Kiwanis Has Changed

Change Hasn’t Always Been Fast

2 Weeks Ago (Oct 4, 22)

KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL'S COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At Kiwanis, our mission — to serve the children of the world, one child and one community at a time — is reflected in our continuing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We understand that the children of the world represent a variety of races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, socioeconomic statuses, gender identities and sexual orientations. Our vision is to be a positive influence in societies worldwide, so that one day, regardless of background, all children wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to survive.

Our Mission Hasn’t Changed

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THE KIWANIS MISSION - Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.

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Our Vision Hasn’t Changed

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THE KIWANIS VISION - Kiwanis will be a positive influence in communities worldwide — so that one day, all children will wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to thrive.

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Community Remains the Heart �of Who We Are & What We Do

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Community

[kəˈmyo͞onədē]

NOUN

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2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

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Diverse? Inclusive? Equitable?�What do they really mean?

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Diversity

Diversity is the presence of difference within our Clubs. The differences typically refer to identity like race and gender, & sometimes ethnicity, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation.

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• Diversity is about a community or a group
• Diversity is about YOUR club’s membership.

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A Person Isn’t Diverse�We’re all Unique

Equity

Equity is an approach that ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities.

• Equity is a process that acknowledges uneven starting places & seeks to correct imbalance.
• Equity is the process the Club engages in to ensure that people with marginalized identities have the opportunity to join, grow, contribute, & develop

Equity Acknowledges Uneven Starting Places

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and seeks to

correct imbalance

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Oct 4 email: We commit to a policy of opportunity that promotes fairness, impartiality and nondiscriminatory actions for all persons — no matter the criteria. 

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What Did Oz Give to the Tin Man?

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“Nothing he didn’t

already have . . .”

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Still, Oz gave him

what he needed!

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That’s equity

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Inclusion

Inclusion has to do with people with different identities feeling and being valued, leveraged, and welcomed in our Clubs.

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• Inclusion is not a natural consequence of diversity.

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• You can have a diverse club, but that does not mean everyone feels welcomed or valued or that they are given opportunities to grow.

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What We DO Matters More �Than What We Say

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Diversity is being asked to the party.

Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Here’s KI’s DEI Commitment

Diversity: We commit to increasing diversity and celebrating the range of human differences. Kiwanis clubs shall not discriminate based upon race, color, creed, national origin, age or sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, when considering membership or during any of their activities or operations.

Equity: We commit to a policy of opportunity that promotes fairness, impartiality and nondiscriminatory actions for all persons — no matter the criteria. 

Inclusion: We commit to pursuing efforts to ensure the dignity of all people is recognized, respected, valued and empowered.

October 4, 2022

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Joining Kiwanis is NOT

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Joining & Staying in Kiwanis �is E-Motion-ally Actived

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Everyone Wants to Hear �(& FEEL)

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A Fayetteville Kiwanian Shared �His “Ah Ha” Moment at DConn

Ideas Worth Stealing?

A Club in North Carolina named a non-Christian member to lead prayer

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Another Tar Heel Club has members who’ve joined community

groups that are focused on Diversity & Inclusion

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A Club in South Carolina has reached out to the local

Chamber of Commerce to attract racially diverse members

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A 100-year-old club invites a minister, rabbi & imam to

concurrently explain our convergent religious holidays

& now they’re making it a community event.

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My Club is reaching out to leaders in Atlantic Beach

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What’s YOUR Club doing?

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Easy Next Steps

• Dedicate a meeting to discussing DEI and why it’s beneficial to your club. The District Committee can supply a discussion leader.
• Adopt a DEI statement like:

At the Kiwanis Club of _________all are welcome. No matter your background, skin color, or culture. We know it’s important to learn from each other and from different perspectives, we strive to create an environment where you can be your true self.

• Create a virtual or physical “comments box”

Where members can anonymously alert leadership about something that makes them uncomfortable. Or give praise to a positive action taken by the club or another member.

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So?� “Which Mat Is YOUR Club Putting Out”?

KI Resources

• Glossary of terms:�These 50 terms that can help increase your effectiveness as a proponent of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Measuring inclusion:�Get tips and tools for collecting member feedback that helps improve club inclusiveness.
• Three ways to make your club more inclusive:�Find how to include more members in club operations and show that their opinions and contributions are valued.
• Social identity wheel:�Use this tool from the Kiwanis Amplify program to reflect on your various social identities.
• DEI Workshop slide deck:�Use this PowerPoint slide deck to guide your presentations on DEI. 

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D ifferent

I ndividuals

V aluing

E ach Other

R egardless of

S kin

I deology

T alents or

Y ears