MESSAGE FROM MARK RUSSELL

Mark Russell Distinguished President “Nurturing today’s children to become tomorrow’s leaders, one child at a time”

“Brady was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of college with an unimpressive performance in front of the NFL scouts.”

Based on that publicly stated comment, the story could have ended right there. Fortunately, Tom Brady believed in himself, and he had other people who believed in him as well. So, despite being the 199th pick in the 2000 draft, he went on to become widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.

Similarly, Kiwanians have come to realize that the work we do brings us in contact with many future Tom Brady’s. Wess Stafford, child advocate and former CEO of Compassion International, said, “Nurturing a child’s sense of personal worth and therefore hope and dreams for a wonderful future is perhaps the most important responsibility of every grownup in a child’s life.” It is an absolute joy to hear members recall their role in transforming the shy, the insecure, the devoid of selfesteem and the angry child into forceful movers and shakers in their respective fields. “When we nurture a child’s whole being, we open doors to endless possibilities.” That Susan Wright quote offers much insight into the way we have served as advisors, mentors, counsellors, advocates and cheerleaders. In a paradoxical way, although our interaction is on a substance over style basis, popular feedback suggests an appreciation for the ‘stylish’ way it is done.

We celebrate forty-nine years of serving the children of the world. Marcus Garvey declared, “Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.” The struggle is real. There are many negative influences fighting to warp the minds of today’s youth. We will continue our work in the schools and in the places of safety. We will continue to patiently nurture the nation’s youth, assisting them to become good leaders.