District Convention

109th District Convention August 7-9 West Fargo Convention Center, West Fargo, ND

The West Fargo Convention Center is located at 825 East Beaton Drive in West Fargo. You will have access to two attached hotels to make your reservations. Booking information is below.

REGISTER HERE FOR CONVENTION

If it is not possible for you to register online by credit card at the link above, download a paper copy HERE and mail it along with a check to Cindy Braseth,16087 Sandy Beach Rd SE. Mentor, MN 56736.

RESERVE YOUR ROOM BELOW. There are two hotels attached to the West Fargo Convention Center. Room rates vary depending on the room style that you choose. Click the links below for each hotel. You will land on the page with the negotiated Kiwanis rates.

Homewood Suites West Fargo Direct Booking Link – Kiwanis – 701.551.5800 then dial 0 to reach the onsite front desk. Includes Breakfast. Make sure to mention Kiwanis. Address 805 E. Beaton Drive, West Fargo, ND

DoubleTree West Fargo Direct Booking Link – Kiwanis – 701.551.0120 then dial 0 to reach the onsite front desk. Does NOT include Breakfast. Make sure to mention Kiwanis. Address 825 E. Beaton Drive, West Fargo, ND

Voting Delegates: Each club is allowed to elect 3 voting delegates who must be certified by your Club Secretary or President. Download the Certificate of Election of Delegates and Alternates Here

What you will see at Convention this year

  • Some Old Favorites:
    • Silent Auction to benefit the Minnesota-Dakotas Educational Foundation (Bring items to donate)
    • Raffle to benefit the Kiwanis Children’s Fund (Bring items to donate)
    • Club Leadership Education on Friday morning (Let us know you plan to attend when you register)
    • Kiwanis Khorale led by Patricia Arntz – indicate your desire to join when you register
  • Some Changes:
    • The Used Book Sale is NOT on the program this year. If you want it back next year, let us know!
    • Friday night will feature a Kiwanis Community Showcase and Mixer to highlight our District clubs and the various service they bring to their communities. Let’s show the Fargo-Moorhead Communities what Kiwanis is about! Watch for more information about featuring your club.
    • Friday night will also provide opportunities for hands on service projects.
  • Our Keynote Speaker
    • Tim Eggebraaten from Detroit Lakes, MN. More information about him on this page.
  • Forums
    • Chris Martz, Kiwanis International Director of Global Membership and Engagement will be presenting at least 2 forums. His presentations are always relevant and engaging.
    • Cindy Braseth will present on Engage and answer questions about reporting and some new features being rolled out this year.
    • Peter Lason and Craig Evenson will present on Youth Protection and Risk Management.
    • Others are under development.

Tim Eggebraaten “The Chief”

Tim Eggebraaten spent 25 years serving the Detroit Lakes, MN, Police Department in various roles, including DARE Instructor, Patrol Sergeant, Investigative Sergeant, K-9 Handler, and ultimately Chief of Police from 2011 to 2016. Before his time in Detroit Lakes, he worked as a correctional officer in Clay County, MN.

Throughout his career, Tim experienced the immense highs and profound challenges that come with a life of service. As Chief of Police, he saw firsthand the toll high-stress careers can take on individuals, teams, and families. Like many in demanding professions, he searched for ways to maintain balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The 108th District Convention is a Wrap! See highlights below.

Our 108th Annual Convention was held in Willmar, MN from August 8th to the 10th. We had 130 members, guests, Key Club members and Circle K members gather to conduct business, catch up with old friends, make new friends and have some fun.

The convention opened on Friday afternoon with a welcome to the city of Willmar and our keynote speakers for the convention, the Neon Unicorns. Their energetic and humorous presentation had a message, find what makes you happy and what is your “Why.” According to all reports, they were a hit!

FRIDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP EVENT

Several of us gathered with friends and Kiwanians from around the District Friday night at an EXCLUSIVE event at the Willmar Barn Theatre. There were heavy hors d’oeuvres (that were delicious, by the way) and fellowship galore. About 50 people took advantage of the theater production that added humor and laughter to the evening.

We were joined this year by our Kiwanis International Board Counselor Dawn Puderbaugh Hodges of Greenwood, South Carolina, U.S. She was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S. She serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis. She gave several well received forums that were both informative and fun. She interacted with and counseled our board and executive leaders to plan for next year. We look forward to working with Dawn during the 2025-26 Kiwanis year.

We were also fortunate to have Brad Boyd, Kiwanis International Area Director on hand to share his wisdom with our board and with the members attending the convention. His knowledge on how to recruit and retain members to your club is invaluable and many walked away with new ideas to share when they got home.

AWARDS

The Awards Luncheon is always a highlight of our District Convention. The program below lists all of the Division Star Award Winners for this year. Download it Here

awards luncheon-2025 2Download

Distinguished Club Awards for 2023-2024

Immediate Past Governor Bradley Knudson awarded the 2023-2024 Distinguished Club Awards based on the following criteria:

  • Completed 10 or more monthly reports
  • Increased membership by 2 or more members
  • Used Awards and Rewards to improve membership retention
  • Supported existing or built new Service Leadership Programs
  • Improved recognition of Kiwanis in their community

The clubs in no particular order are:

  • Kiwanis Club of Jamestown ND
  • Kiwanis Club of Mandan ND
  • Kiwanis Club of Valley City ND
  • Kiwanis Club of Chisholm MN
  • Kiwanis Club of Lead SD
  • Kiwanis Club of Huron SD
  • Kiwanis Club of Madison SD
  • Kiwanis Club of Mitchell SD
  • Kiwanis Club of Pierre-Fort Pierre
  • Kiwanis Club of Albert Lea Golden K MN
  • Kiwanis Club of Mankato MN
  • Kiwanis Club of Columbia Heights Fridley MN
  • Kiwanis Club of Minot Golden K ND
  • Kiwanis Club of Watertown SD
  • Kiwanis Club of Aberdeen SD

And finally, on Sunday morning we honored all of the dedicated Kiwanians who passed away this past year since last convention. We owe appreciation and gratitude to Dave and Paulette Odette for all of their work to put this booklet and the Service together each year.

Download a copy of the booklet

2025 DCON Memorial ServiceDownload

2024 DCON Memories

Below are some pictures of the FUN and business proceedings. Enjoy! NOTE: If you have some pictures you want to share, email them to [email protected] we’d love to see them.

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