Mission accomplished! The 48th Kiwanis Asia Pacific Convention was successfully done on March 16-18, 2023 at Lexis Hibiscus in Port Dickson, Malaysia with seven hundred ninety-one (791) registered delegates.
The opening ceremony was graced by Her Royal Highness DYMM TUNKU AMPUAN BESAR NEGERI SEMBILAN TUANKU AISHAH ROHANI BINTI ALMARHUM TENGKU BESAR MAHMU. Her Royal presence has made the occasion extra special. We came together on the stage to officially open the ceremony with a gavel.
Our Keynote Speaker, Zy Ker Lee, Malaysian Paralympian Swimmer, shared his life journey and it made our hearts melt and eyes in tears. The book “Walking without Legs” which was written by his father Walter Lee was truly motivating and inspiring.
As part of this administration’s initiatives in “Leadership in Technology”, the ASPAC Virtual Office was launched. Workshops on Tik Tok for NGOs, Leveraging Social Media/Kiwanis 4.0, K-Kids and SLP, Volunteering, and Growth summit were offered. All rooms were packed with Delegates who showed their willingness to learn new things and get acquainted with the new trends.
A Forum to strengthen ties between KI and ASPAC Leadership was successfully conducted. A meeting of leaders to gather ideas for a new framework for ASPAC was initiated and will continue via zoom.
The House of Delegates elected the following officers for the Admin Year 2023-2024:
ASPAC Chair Designate: Sujan Shrestha | Nepal
Chair-Elect: Huang Wu Tien | Taiwan
Vice Chair: Michelle Cordioli | NZSP
KI Trustee: Chang Ching Hsu | Taiwan
The modernization of the ASPAC Bylaws, as presented by Governance Chair Tadao Oda through zoom, has been approved by the House of Delegates.
Those Districts that won the competitions were:
Best Service Project
Champion - Japan
Runner Up - Taiwan
Best Photo Exhibit
Champion - Philippine Luzon
Runner Up - Malaysia
Best Cultural Presentation
Champion - Philippine Luzon
Runner Up - India
Kiwanians and guests made an effort to come to the Cowboy Night (opening dinner) and Beach Global Party (closing dinner) with their complete costumes and attire. The fun and prolific events started with a Dragon dance and ended with a fireworks display.
To top it all, the Kiwanis' stories and fellowship shared with old and new friends and Kiwanis leaders made the convention one of the best. It was another wonderful experience being a Kiwanian.
Truly, Kiwanis is a family of volunteers where we form enduring friendships, and deliver altruistic service to build better communities. WE ARE ONE Kiwanis whose mission is to bring a smile to children's faces.
Lastly, please accept my sincerest thanks to all of you - the Organizing Committee, District Governors, KI officers and staff, the members of the Executive Board, and most especially the convention delegates who made the convention a success.
Hope everyone came back home safely. See you in Australia for the 49th Kiwanis Asia- Pacific Convention in March 2024.
Thank you, Merci Beaucoup, Mauruuru, Arigato Gozaimas, Dhan'yavāda, Shukria, Xiexie, Terima kasih, Maraming salamat po!
