Aaron Ensminger

Hello Sertomans!

Today marks something no one saw coming when we began the year: the last day that we here in Kansas City are supposed to be out and about. As of 12:01 Tuesday AM, we’re heading into a 30 day “stay at home” order, as a lot of you are. I wanted to update you on what we’re doing in your headquarters office and how this pandemic will affect our operations.

• First, I want you to know that our policy is and will continue to be to follow our local guidance on how to handle the business of Sertoma. As a result, we have closed our office and each of your eight staff members is working from home, with extremely limited trips when absolutely necessary to the office, bank, etc. Mail has been forwarded and will still be received and answered. Our phones, while they will be going to voicemail, will have messages received and checked no less than twice daily, and responded to ASAP. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you get responses faster than normal!
• Second, I want to give some guidance to our club leadership, because they are our backbone: please follow all local guidance and refrain from in-person meetings until it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, I can’t encourage you enough to email Janice at jmartin@sertomahq.org about how to use our organization-wide Zoom membership to schedule a virtual club meeting, even if it’s just to socialize and see some friendly faces! We’ll be doing the same at the office this week!
• Next, I want to clarify some particulars about Convention 2020: if you haven’t seen the messages to now, we have postponed our convention scheduled previously in April. We should have new dates to announce this week, and it’s my hope that you’ll all join us!
• I also want to say that at this point, the voting schedule for this year has not changed. Please refer to this post for dates, etc. If your club has concerns about being able to meet to determine your club’s vote, please email me at aensminger@sertomahq.org, and I can help you out. There are four great candidates who deserve your consideration, and we should have a series of candidate forum interviews available by Friday–the pandemic has made schedules tight for some of our candidates, so we’re later than we’d like to be with this one. You’ve also got a dues increase to vote on with this one, and while it’s not the best time to present this to the membership, it’s my hope that everyone will take some extra time to consider the amount the board is proposing (a $25 increase) and take the time to read what your leadership has written on these pages here, here, and here. It’s also my hope that you’ve been able to see where we’re headed at headquarters and our attempts to serve you better and turn our focus to you–our clubs and members.
• And finally, I want to recognize your staff, who’s been available at all hours as we schedule and reschedule meetings, ask them to use their own home technology to work, and change their lives around to ensure that we can get our work done. I also want to recognize your National Board, who have been just as available, and have had the burden of making some tough decisions in one of the biggest crises of our lifetimes.

And with all that said, I want to thank you for being a Sertoma member. The work you do supports so many of the organizations that are pulling together to help our nation through this crisis, and in case anyone hasn’t told you today, you matter and your work matters, and speaking for the Board and your staff, we appreciate each and every one of you. It’s your work that gives us pride in being able to support you every day, and I can’t thank you enough for that.

As always, please feel free to email or call if there’s anything you’re concerned about or have questions about.

Thank you again… and go wash your hands again!