Longboat Key Kiwanis Club offering free trial for interested members

You’ve likely heard of free trials for services such as Amazon or Netflix. Now Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key is following suit.

For the first time, the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key is allowing interested people to attend meetings without becoming members first. Those interested in trying Kiwanis are only required to pay for their breakfast, for now. Membership dues are collected at the beginning of October.

The idea came from member Bob Gault, the former president of Universal Studios Florida. It’s safe to say Gault has a lot of marketing experience.

“We're … not really interested in collecting additional dues,” club president Lynn Larson said. “We’re more interested in people actually trying out the club and finding out what we're all about. [They] get a chance to meet some neighbors and meet some people that they may not have met yet or spend some time with those that they might have met.”

As a service organization, Kiwanis’ main goal is raising money for children in need in the Sarasota and Manatee county areas. But Kiwanis is also committed to informing its members through local leaders and experts.

For example, Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi spoke to the group in January, and Deputy Chief Frank Rubino of the Longboat Key Police will speak during Thursday morning’s meeting at Lazy Lobster.

The club sometimes asks its members for input on who they would like to hear from next.

Service organizations across the country have been struggling to recruit new members, and Larson acknowledged that the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key’s size dwindles when many members head back north after season ends.

“We would like to see more members,” Larson said. “Some years ago, it used to be a very large group. The numbers [still] swell in season typically.”

Much of Larson’s pitch revolved around the sense of camaraderie she feels is fostered at Kiwanis. She compared Longboat Key to a collection of small villages where it can be difficult to get to know to people on a wider scale.

“It's nice for people to be able to mingle beyond their neighborhood, or beyond their doorstep,” Larson said. “You don't have a lot of risk. Come out and meet your neighbors and see what's happening.”

If you are interested in attending a meeting or contacting the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key, you can call club president Lynn Larson at 850-321-5013. The club meets twice a month: first at 8:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month at Lazy Lobster and a second meeting that is usually a social event.