From the President's Desk

By Wolfgang Juchem
National President
  

It’s September and most of you are starting your club meetings and hopefully gearing up for our National Convention in Edmonton.  It’s an important time to plan this year’s club activities and start working on your strategy for membership—a strategy for membership growth and retention is something that every club needs to have in place to be successful.

We mentioned in the last issue of The Progression that the National Board has been working on a Club Viability Criteria and we will be sharing this with all of the clubs within the week.  It is important that each of you review the standards with your club prior to attending the Convention.  It is our goal and intention to assist clubs with their review and establishing further goals and strategies to make all of our active clubs healthier and stronger.

I had the opportunity to attend some of the business meeting and educational seminars and this year’s annual Kin Canada convention here in Calgary.  (At right:  National Kin Canada Presidents Walter Corbett and Claudeen Burtt with CPC National President Wolfgang Juchem.)  We are two organizations that were founded around the same time and in the same province.  There are a lot of things that are similar in our organizations and there are many things that we can learn from each other.  It is my sincere hope that we continue to work with Kin and other service organizations in Canada.  Together we can all become stronger organizations and further our collective goals of providing more funding and service to our communities.

I attended a fundraiser organized by the Alberta Automotive Dealers Association in support of Alberta Special Olympics.  It was a very well run event.  Between the golf tournament and dinner and auction, it was their goal to raise $300,000.  I am pleased to announce that they were successful.  It was a pleasure to meet some of the Alberta athletes who will be competing for Canada in the coming years.  Consider taking the time to get more involved with our National Charity on a local level. (At right:  Special Olympians Bill Hurley and Alyssa Hatton.)

I understand from Keith Hooke and the Edmonton Convention Committee that they are ready and prepared to host our annual National Convention at the end of this month.  Among superior venues and fabulous seminars and workshops, this year’s convention promises to be one of the best.  I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks.

See you in Edmonton.
Wolfgang Juchem