The Kiwanis Youth Programs Board of Trustees has accepted the recommendation of the Key Club International Board of Trustees and has canceled the 2021 convention.
On March 15, the Key Club International Board unanimously recommended canceling the convention because health and travel restrictions made gathering at Walt Disney World Resort® inadvisable and impractical. The KYP Board made its decision on March 18, 2021.
“These decisions are never easy,” said Paul Palazzolo, 2020-21 Kiwanis Youth Programs Board chair. “We understand our student leaders were planning to enjoy fellowship and education in person. Key Club International is currently planning another online Key Club Summer Leadership Conference where more students from around the world can enjoy meeting each other and learning together.”
The Key Club International bylaws provide for the Key Club International Council to convene and elect the 2021-22 Key Club International Board. Details are being finalized. The international council consists of the board of trustee members and district governors.
“This was a difficult decision, and we believe it was the right thing to do. The Key Club International Board is excited to explore opportunities to ensure that our members can convene online, just as we did last year with the Key Club Summer Leadership Conference. We are creating ways to interact with fellow members virtually and provide inspiring programs later this summer,” said Alex Drahos, Key Club International president.
Key Club International will develop online programming to give members an opportunity to interact and participate in education and officer training. Registration is scheduled to open in a few weeks. Details will be released soon.
“After analyzing the data and working with our hospitality partners, it became clear that hosting an in-person convention that allowed for international participation would be impossible due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We acknowledge the tough and thoughtful votes made by the Key Club International Board and Kiwanis Youth Programs Board,” said Michelle Study-Campbell, executive director of Kiwanis Youth Programs. “We are hard at work to provide an interactive, energetic and fun program for the Key Club Summer Leadership Conference that will allow our student leaders to grow in their roles. We will be in touch with those details.”
The 2022 Key Club Convention is scheduled for July 6-10 in Washington, D.C. Check the convention website for updates in October. Registration is scheduled to open in March 2022.