Join us in Willmar for our 108th Annual Convention. It’s a great time to re-connect with friends from around the district and meet new ones. It’s the one time of year we come together to:
connect with each other, make new friends
celebrate sucesses,
elect leadership,
do the business of the district,
learn new ways to strengthen our clubs and
have a lot of fun.
If you have never been to a district convention before, plan to attend the First Timers Luncheon where you will get a brief orientation to convention and meet some people so that you won’t feel alone. If you are a veteran convention goer, reach out to a First Timer and make them feel at home.
Reservations must be made by July 7th to get this rate.
DELEGATE CERTIFICATION
In accordance with Article VIII Section 6 of the Minnesota-Dakotas Kiwanis District Bylaws: Each chartered club in * good standing in the district shall be entitled in any convention to three (3) delegates; recommendation is that two of whom shall be the President or President Designate. Each club can also designate two or more alternates, designated as alternate number one (1) and alternate number two (2). Such alternates will serve, in the numerical order certified, in the absence of the delegates. (*This refers to all indebtedness having been paid to the District and International).
Delegate Certification Forms MUST be received in the District Office by July 25th.
Get together with friends and Kiwanians from around the District Friday night at this EXCLUSIVE event at the Willmar Community Theater. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and fellowship galore will be served. If you would like, tickets for that evenings theater performance can be purchased at https://square.link/u/RHuWbdZz
BEFORE YOU COME TO CONVENTION: What to bring
Silent Auction Items:
For the Kiwanis Children’s Fund which will be credited to your club’s contribution toward the Possibilities Project
For the District Silent Auction which will benefit the Minnesota-Dakotas Educational Foundation and help provide more scholarships
Used books for the book sale -donation to be determined
School supplies to “Stuff the Bus” for the United Way of West Central Minnesota, they will also accept checks
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
NOTE: Times are subject to change as the program is finalized
FRIDAY AUGUST 8TH
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Club Leadership Education (CLE) Training
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. First Timers Luncheon
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Attendee Lunch
12:45 – 2:45 p.m. Opening Session with Keynote address by Neon Unicorns (more information below)
Break: Take time to visit the Used Book Sale, Children’s Fund and District Silent Auctions
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Breakout sessions
4:00 – 4:45 p.m. Have some fun with Kiwanis Trivia (there will be prizes)
4:00p.m. MNDAK Educational Foundation Board Meeting
6:00 p.m. Reception at the Willmar Community Theater (More Info above on this page)
SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Past District Officers Association Meeting
8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Division meetings and Caucuses
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. General Assembly – All Attendees
11:00 -11:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Awards Luncheon Message from Kiwanis International and presentation of awards
1:45 – 2:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions
3:00 – 4:30 p.m. House of Delegates
5:30 p.m. Governor’s Banquet followed by Post Convention Party
SUNDAY AUGUST 10TH
8:00 a.m. Memorial Service in memory of friends and colleagues who have passed this year
Neon Unicorns
Spoiler alert. We’re not actually neon unicorns. That’s just a metaphor. Truth is, we’re just two middle-aged dads who got fed up suffering through boring events and poorly delivered company trainings. One day we decided to see what would happen if we put our work experience (in HR and Marketing) and over-the-top extroverted personalities to good use. What if we could flip the script with something fresh? What if we provided a “different kind of bright?” The laughter of the crowd. The “light bulb” moment in a training. The inspired connection between your mission and your community. That’s our jam. It’s what success looks like for us but more importantly, for you.
WHAT ELSE YOU WILL LEARN AT THIS CONVENTION
Brad Boyd Regional Director from Kiwanis International will do two forums
Are you a club or a clique
Recruiting new members
Dawn Puterbaugh Hodges, Kiwanis International Trustee will
Meet with First Time attendees at the First Timers Luncheon
Present her message from Kiwanis International
do two forums: How to make meetings fun and how your club can support your service leadership programs
Cindy Braseth, District Secretary Treasurer, will
Do a session on the new Kiwanis online reporting and administration site, Engage
Present her Annual Report
Key Club and Circle K members will talk with you about how to recruit and engage younger members
Craig Evenson, District Risk Manager, will discuss how to minimize risk and liability for your events and when working with youth
Governor Carol Nitschke will
Present her State of the District address
Interview the Key Club and Circle Governors about their Kiwanis journeys
AND SO MUCH MORE!!
PAST CONVENTIONS
Convention was a success and below are the highlights:
Our 107th Annual Convention was held in Watertown, SD from August 9th to the 11th. We had 161 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.
We were joined this year by Scott Sims, International Trustee, as our Counselor for the next year. Scott is from Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S. He serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis. He presented two forums during the convention, one about working with Service Leadership Programs and one on building new clubs. When he was Governor of Alabama District, he worked with his team to build one new club in each division. He challenged us to do the same and Governor Carol Nitschke and her team of Lt Governors accepted that challenge. You will hear more in the near future.
Our Keynote Speaker on Friday, Ty Eschembaum hit a real cord with many of us when he talked about his life experiences with life threatening illnesses and losing people close to him. Many in the audience were moved to tears.
The Ty Eschembaum Foundation helps child survivors of cancer with college scholarships so his mission is a real fit for Kiwanis. The Mitchell club’s shirt sale proceeds are being donated to his foundation along with additional funds from the district. You can learn more about the great work they do at tyefoundation.org.
AWARDS
Division Star Awards were distributed at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday.
Steve Handegaard, 2022-23 Governor awarded 20 clubs the Distinguished Club Award for his year as Governor. These clubs met the following criteria:
o Timely submission of Club Monthly and other reports o Membership stability efforts o Improving the club experience o Support of Service Leadership Programs o Financial support of the KI Children’s Fund and Minnesota-Dakotas Outreach Fund
Kiwanis Club of Albert Lea Golden K
Kiwanis Club of Austin Early Risers
Kiwanis Club of Carrinton
Kiwanis Club of Clear Lake
Kiwanis Club of Early Risers of Worthington
Kiwanis Club of Grafton
Kiwanis Club of Harvey
Kiwanis Club of Hendricks
Kiwanis Club of Hibbing
Kiwanis Club of Huron
Kiwanis Club of Jackson
Kiwanis Club of Madison
Kiwanis Club of Mankato
Kiwanis Club of Mitchell
Kiwanis Club of North Suburban St Paul
Kiwanis Club of Redwing Dawn Breakers
Kiwanis Club of Rochester Golden K
Kiwanis Club of Stillwater Area
Kiwanis Club of Sturgis Golden K
Kiwanis Club of Valley City
There was also district business conducted which is mandated by Kiwanis International. The Boards for both the current year (2023-24) and next year (2024-25) met. The minutes for both are available for your review HERE scroll down to District Governance.
And finally on Sunday the Annual Memorial Service honored all those Kiwanians we lost over this last year.
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.
District Convention
Join Us For:
Minnesota Dakotas 108th District Convention Willmar MN August 8-10 2025
Registration is open and you can register here: https://k13.site.kiwanis.org/district-convention-registration/
Registration closes at 11:59 pm on July 25th.
Join us in Willmar for our 108th Annual Convention. It’s a great time to re-connect with friends from around the district and meet new ones. It’s the one time of year we come together to:
If you have never been to a district convention before, plan to attend the First Timers Luncheon where you will get a brief orientation to convention and meet some people so that you won’t feel alone. If you are a veteran convention goer, reach out to a First Timer and make them feel at home.
HOTEL INFO: Best Western Plus Willmar
Call 320-235-6060 or register online at: https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.24139.html?groupId=S64ED1I0 under “Kiwanis”
Cost: $139 plus tax and fees per night
Reservations must be made by July 7th to get this rate.
DELEGATE CERTIFICATION
In accordance with Article VIII Section 6 of the Minnesota-Dakotas Kiwanis District Bylaws: Each chartered club in * good standing in the district shall be entitled in any convention to three (3) delegates; recommendation is that two of whom shall be the President or President Designate. Each club can also designate two or more alternates, designated as alternate number one (1) and alternate number two (2). Such alternates will serve, in the numerical order certified, in the absence of the delegates. (*This refers to all indebtedness having been paid to the District and International).
Delegate Certification Forms MUST be received in the District Office by July 25th.
Certification of Election of Delegates Form
FRIDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP EVENT
Get together with friends and Kiwanians from around the District Friday night at this EXCLUSIVE event at the Willmar Community Theater. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and fellowship galore will be served. If you would like, tickets for that evenings theater performance can be purchased at https://square.link/u/RHuWbdZz
BEFORE YOU COME TO CONVENTION: What to bring
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
NOTE: Times are subject to change as the program is finalized
FRIDAY AUGUST 8TH
SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH
SUNDAY AUGUST 10TH
Neon Unicorns
Spoiler alert. We’re not actually neon unicorns. That’s just a
metaphor. Truth is, we’re just two middle-aged dads who got fed up
suffering through boring events and poorly delivered company
trainings.
One day we decided to see what would happen if we put our work
experience (in HR and Marketing) and over-the-top extroverted
personalities to good use. What if we could flip the script with
something fresh? What if we provided a “different kind of bright?”
The laughter of the crowd. The “light bulb” moment in a training.
The inspired connection between your mission and your community.
That’s our jam. It’s what success looks like for us but more
importantly, for you.
WHAT ELSE YOU WILL LEARN AT THIS CONVENTION
PAST CONVENTIONS
Convention was a success and below are the highlights:
Our 107th Annual Convention was held in Watertown, SD from August 9th to the 11th. We had 161 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.
We were joined this year by Scott Sims, International Trustee, as our Counselor for the next year. Scott is from Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., was elected to a three-year term as a trustee of Kiwanis International during the 2024 Kiwanis International Convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S. He serves as a trustee for the United States and Pacific Canada regions of Kiwanis. He presented two forums during the convention, one about working with Service Leadership Programs and one on building new clubs. When he was Governor of Alabama District, he worked with his team to build one new club in each division. He challenged us to do the same and Governor Carol Nitschke and her team of Lt Governors accepted that challenge. You will hear more in the near future.
Our Keynote Speaker on Friday, Ty Eschembaum hit a real cord with many of us when he talked about his life experiences with life threatening illnesses and losing people close to him. Many in the audience were moved to tears.
The Ty Eschembaum Foundation helps child survivors of cancer with college scholarships so his mission is a real fit for Kiwanis. The Mitchell club’s shirt sale proceeds are being donated to his foundation along with additional funds from the district. You can learn more about the great work they do at tyefoundation.org.
AWARDS
Division Star Awards were distributed at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday.
Steve Handegaard, 2022-23 Governor awarded 20 clubs the Distinguished Club Award for his year as Governor. These clubs met the following criteria:
o Timely submission of Club Monthly and other
reports
o Membership stability efforts
o Improving the club experience
o Support of Service Leadership Programs
o Financial support of the KI Children’s Fund and
Minnesota-Dakotas Outreach Fund
There was also district business conducted which is mandated by Kiwanis International. The Boards for both the current year (2023-24) and next year (2024-25) met. The minutes for both are available for your review HERE scroll down to District Governance.
And finally on Sunday the Annual Memorial Service honored all those Kiwanians we lost over this last year.
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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MDAK Calendar
Fireside Chats w Lt Gov teams
Division 1 Zoom Mtg
Exec Team Meetings
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Cindy Braseth is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 435 371 9346
Passcode: 590625
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Club Opening Training
Club Coaching Training
Fireside Chats w Lt Gov teams
Division 1 Zoom Mtg
Exec Team Meetings
──────────
Cindy Braseth is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4353719346?pwd=ZT9snbfqdx509ViSURkBnuVVFgrNai.1&omn=84481287267
Meeting ID: 435 371 9346
Passcode: 590625
---
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,4353719346#,,,,*590625# US (Washington DC)
+13052241968,,4353719346#,,,,*590625# US
---
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver)
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 435 371 9346
Passcode: 590625
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kB3JM3Qr
──────────
Fireside Chats w Lt Gov teams
Exec Team Meetings
──────────
Cindy Braseth is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4353719346?pwd=ZT9snbfqdx509ViSURkBnuVVFgrNai.1&omn=84481287267
Meeting ID: 435 371 9346
Passcode: 590625
---
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,4353719346#,,,,*590625# US (Washington DC)
+13052241968,,4353719346#,,,,*590625# US
---
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver)
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 435 371 9346
Passcode: 590625
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kB3JM3Qr
──────────
Division 1 Zoom Mtg