Hey WI-UM Key Clubbers! DCON is coming up quickly and

that means elections for District positions is coming up as well.

Though we'll miss all of our graduating District members, we're

excited to see who will be stepping up to the plate next year!

Even though there are a lot of responsibilities for being on the

District Board, we still encourage you to run for a District

position because everything you get out of it is totally worth it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process might be

wondering to yourself, "How do I become a part of this?" or

"What do members of the District Board do?" Well, don't worry,

we're here to help! We will teach you step by step on how to run

for District positions along with all the benefits that you will get

out of this.

KCCC

DCON is a wonderful opportunity to get involved with the Wisconsin-

Upper Michigan Key Club District, and you have the chance to be a part of

the magic! For those of you who are interested in running for a District

position, there is a bit of preparation that you as a candidate must do before

running. Applying for a position is super easy, and if you asked each

member on the District Board they would tell you that a few sheets of

paperwork are worth it!

Step One: Fill out your paperwork!

To be recognized by the current Board and other Key Clubbers at

DCON in the official program, candidates must complete two important

pieces of paperwork. One of them is a Candidate Notice of Intent to Run.

This form is an official note of who the candidate is and what position they

are running for, along with their basic contact information. It is important

for the District Board to be able to know who is running for a position and

what position they are running for, in order to make the election process

much easier!

The second form is the Candidate Biographical Questionnaire.

This form has basic contact information, as well as information about the

candidate themselves, such as previous leadership positions, although not a

requirement, and their interest in running for District Board. This is super

important for candidates running for higher positions, such as the Executive

Board. The biographical information is printed in the DCON booklet that

every Key Clubber receives upon arriving at DCON, so that they can get an

idea of who their candidates are before they actually see them at caucusing.

The third form is the Service Agreement. This is basically a form

giving the responsibilities for the candidate’s chosen position, and by

signing it, the candidate, school officials, and family accepts the new

responsibilities they will have upon being elected. Being on the District

Board is an amazing opportunity but also a huge responsibility and it is

extremely important that each candidate knows exactly what their job

entails!

It is important that each candidate has all of these materials

handed in for DCON. It makes the election process much easier for the

Board and other Key Clubbers at DCON, and gives each candidate a much

better shot at being elected. However, filling out paperwork isn’t all that a

candidate must do before DCON. They also need to prepare for caucusing!

Step Two: Caucusing

For candidates hoping to be elected, caucusing is like a huge job

interview in front of a larger audience. The procedures for Executive

Officers and LTGs are fairly similar, but different in a few aspects. First,

DCON caucusing is split into separate rooms by Division.

The Executive Officers are given five minutes in each caucus

room to speak in front of the audience about why they should be elected. If

their speech is under five minutes, then the audience is allowed to ask

appropriate questions relating to the candidate or the position.

LTG candidates only need to present their speech in the room

according to their Division. They are also given five minutes to speak and

answer appropriate questions.

It is extremely important that every candidate prepares for

caucusing. As said, it is just like a large job interview in front of an

audience, so it would be most beneficial to have a speech and answers to

questions planned before DCON. Key Clubbers are allowed to “run off the

floor,” and, in the case of a Lt Governor position, decide during caucusing

to run for a position. This occurs most often when a position does not have

a candidate, but members can also run off the floor if there is already a

candidate. However, this is slightly problematic for the District Board and

the candidate themselves, as they have no informational paperwork or

preparation for caucusing or the election. It also requires the Administrator

to contact our parents prior to your being able to caucus. Therefore, we

highly recommend that candidates decide and prepare before DCON if they

will run for a position or not!

After the Lt Governor candidates have spoken, the delegates of

each representing club are given one vote for each position. Those running

for an Executive position will be officially elected during the House of

Delegates on Saturday evening. All winners are announced and installed

into office at the closing session on Sunday.

We hope that all of you consider the excellent opportunity that

is the District Board! It is an amazing leadership and organizational

experience. However, it is a huge responsibility and decision to run for a

position, so we hope that you take that into consideration when preparing

for DCON.

We hope to see you on the caucusing floor!

Steps on How to Fill Out Running Forms

1. The first step that you have to do is go to the WIUM Key Club

website at www.wiumkeyclub.com.

2. At the top of the webpage you will see many tabs. Find the tab that

says DCON and click on it.

3. From there you will see many links. You will want to click on the

link that says Candidate Forms & Info.

4. Once you are on the correct page there will be a total of three

forms that you need to print out. The first one is the Candidate Biographical

Questionnaire. This sheet will enable you to put in a submission for the

Convention Program so that Key Clubbers and Delegates can learn about you.

You will attach your platform to this form, which is a short summary about

you and your goals.

5. Once you have your platform written and the form filled out, you

will need to print the next form labeled Candidate Notice of Intent to Run. On

this sheet you are giving the administrator your information, so it is

important that you fill it out honestly. Once you get your Faculty Advisor’s

signature, you can print the last and final sheet!

6. The last form that you print will depend on the position that you

are running for. There is a Service Agreement for each position that you can

run for at DCON. Click on the one that pertains to you and print it out. You

will need to get your parent(s) signature, faculty advisor’s signature as well as

your principal’s signature, so it is important to get this done right away.

7. Once the forms are completed, you can scan the forms either at

your house, school, or local library, and send them to Kathy Gillis, the District

Administrator at wium.admin@gmail.com.

8. Now that your forms are turned in, you can prepare for questions

that might be asked during caucusing and eagerly wait for DCON on March

13-15. And now you’re done! It’s that easy. All candidates running for a

position must attend DCON in order to run. And, you will be expected to

attend all candidate meetings at DCON.

Everyone that is currently on the District Board has run for their position

at DCON. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact any of

us! If you would like to contact us, we would be more than happy to give you

any advice that you need.

Ashlee Trotter- ashleetrotterkc@gmail.com

Celia Nalbach- cmbach63@gmail.com

Chelsey Barnes- chelseybarnes.pr@gmail.com

Erin Idler- erinidler@gmail.com

Kathy Gillis- wium.admin@gmail.com

Shiyue Xie- 16xiesh@burlingtonsd.org

Stephanie Rink- wium.bylaws@gmail.com

District Positions

Governor-

Like all of the positions on the District Board, this one is very important.

The Governor is responsible for the overall operations of the District Board.

He or she trains other District Officers, appoints committees, maintains

relationships with other Kiwanis-Family leaders and communicates District

needs to the International Board liaisons.

Secretary/Treasurer-

On the WIUM Key Club District Board, the Secretary and Treasurer duties

are accomplished by the same person. (Secretary) They are responsible for

communication within the Club, District, and International Boards. He or she

also keeps meeting minutes and maintains all records for the Board.

(Treasurer) They are responsible for monitoring finances and filling all

financial reports.

Bulletin Editor-

The District Bulletin Editor is responsible for coordinating, editing and

distributing District publications. This includes following the Key Club graphic

standards and notifying contributors of deadlines and requirements.

Director of Technology-

The Director of Technology manages and updates the WIUM District

Website with new information so that the District and Division clubs can be up

to date. They are in charge of working with the club webmasters. This position

also will include other duties as assigned by the Governor and/or District

Board as it relates to training offerings.

Director of Committees-

The Director of Committees manages all of the Committee Chairs and

sends out monthly articles updating the District of upcoming events. He or

she must have a strong relationship with the Committee Chairs and direct

them on tasks to be done. The Governor chooses the committee he or she

wishes to invest in that year and the Director has a say in that also.

Lieutenant Governors-

Each Lieutenant Governor is responsible for supporting and growing

clubs within his or her Division. They serve a liaison between the District and

the Club. Duties include publication of a newsletter, Club Officer training and

support. They must also hold at least four Divisional Council Meetings.

Benefits for Running

There are several benefits to running for a District Board position. As a

two year member of the District Board, I have seen the ups and downs, and I

can definitely say that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Being a member is

an excellent way to continue serving your home, school, and community on a

greater scale. Whether a Committee member or a Lieutenant Governor,

District Board members have several opportunities to make a positive impact

in the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District. As a member of the District Board,

I have been able to improve upon my public speaking skills, see the direct

impact my service makes, and most importantly, form life-long, irreplaceable

friendships with not only Key Clubbers from our District, but with Key

Clubbers world-wide. In addition to that, I have learned very important skill

sets, such as communicating with adults, collaborating with my peers, and

growth in leadership. Not only does holding a District Board position make

for a great activity to list on college and scholarship applications, but it is a

life-changing experience full of wonderful memories! If you are considering

running for a board position at all, I strongly encourage you to do so! You

will not regret it!

—Celia Nahbach