Sertoma Convention

It was only logical to honor our past 100 years of service by returning to where Sertoma was founded. Having this important Convention in Kansas City also allows us to take advantage of a number of cost-saving efficiencies by reducing travel for HQ staff. And if you haven’t been to Kansas City in awhile, you will be very pleasantly surprised by all there is to do and see.

Will there be time to see the sites in Kansas City?

We have definitely highlighted the fact there will be new, exciting content on Leadership at this year’s Convention. We want participants to understand that the benefit of attending the 2012 Convention will be the value of the learning experience but yes, there will be plenty to do and see in Kansas City. In fact, you will be in walking distance of some tremendous Kansas City experiences during your stay.

Who should attend from our Club?

If you have attended Conventions in the past, you understand the value of sharing a laugh with old friends. You’ve also experienced the pageantry that is a Sertoma Convention. But this year will be a little different.

With such an emphasis on future leadership development, it is imperative that all Clubs be represented. The skills and knowledge taken away from our Convention will help your Club grow and succeed. That’s why we encourage Clubs to budget and invest in sending key members and future leaders to Kansas City in April.

Is it appropriate for our Club to pay for a member to attend?

Yes, it is advised and encouraged - especially this year when so much new information will be shared. To learn more about budgeting and planning, give us a call at Sertoma HQ.

Why has the cost gone up this year?

After much consideration we made the important decision to change how Sertoma Conventions are structured and funded. In the past, Convention costs were highly subsidized by the National Headquarters budget. This was not a sustainable model nor was it fair to all those we serve. After much hard work and debate, we changed the funding and cost structure to minimize the impact to our members. For some, we know the cost increase is a barrier to attending the convention. We apologize for this but the change was necessary for the betterment of all Sertomans.

Here are a few more explanations of the change in the cost:

Costs to attend the Convention should be shared by those who attend and Clubs that choose to send participants. It was important to minimize HQ subsidizing the cost to be fair and equitable to all.

Having the Convention in Kansas City helps relieve the additional burden as it is one of the most affordable destinations in the country. We also eliminated many HQ travel costs and will have events that also help minimize individual member expenses.

Registration includes all training and sessions, opening night mixer, breakfast on Friday, lunches and the celebration banquet. This is still a great value when compared to other national conventions.

Most importantly, our programming has changed. The Convention is a learning experience with more valuable content. We have done our best to provide as much value as possible while maintaining cost controls.

How do we justify the cost increase in our budget?

Rest-assured that those who attend this year’s Convention will take away knowledge and skills that will pay dividends for your Club.

Our future as Sertomans and the future of each Club is dependent on our ability to think differently for the next 100 years. That’s why we are totally changing our way of thinking about content and education. You can justify the small cost increase by realizing the value of having well-trained, motivated leaders to help your Club succeed and grow.

What is the new format all about?

In short, our new format is about education and leadership. Leaders are born but effective leaders are trained and nurtured.

In today’s world anyone can fulfill their need to serve mankind with a keystroke on a computer. That doesn’t bode well for our current model of Clubs serving communities. What we need is a new way of thinking about our future.

Although technology has changed how we communicate, what has not changed is that leaders still mold our way of thinking. That is why we need to develop our current and future leaders to become a stronger, more vibrant organization.

People come to Sertoma because they want to serve and because of our 100-year history of achievement. Our new format dedicates three days to Leadership Development. Workshops, educational seminars and leadership discussions will prepare us for the next century.

We must challenge ourselves to grow, learn and lead so others will join us in our mission.

What is there to do in Kansas City?

One of America’s best-kept secrets…. Welcome to Kansas City. Within walking distance to our Convention hotel you will experience:

National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial www.TheWorldWar.org

Crossroads Arts District. www.KCCrossroads.org

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts www.KauffmanCenter.org

Crown Center www.CrownCenter.com

Union Station www.UnionStation.org

And yes, there will be Bar-B-Q.