Five members of the Quitman-Lake Fork Kiwanis Club traveled more than 8,000 miles to Manila, Philippines, last month, where they joined Kiwanians from around the world to exchange ideas, build friendships and return home with a renewed commitment to serving children in their own community.
The group attended the Kiwanis International Convention June 24-27, 2026, joining hundreds of members representing clubs from approximately 80 countries. The five members representing Quitman were John and Joanne Wisdom, Sherry Dupre, Pam Bowdoin and Randy Bennett. While educational workshops focused on leadership, membership engagement and fundraising, attendees said some of the most meaningful lessons came outside the meeting rooms.
“I love going to convention to connect with other members from around the world and hear the great stories about what their club does and how they do it,” said Joanne Wisdom, secretary of the local Kiwanis club and a member for 20 years.
“I believe that when we attend the International conventions yearly, we are showing that our community and club are engaged in striving for the best and taking every opportunity to learn from others to improve upon our projects,” said Dupre, a Texas-Oklahoma District trustee and Kiwanian for 16 years. “I am always proud to say that we are from Quitman/Lake Fork.”
“Sometimes people say they only want to support local projects,” Dupre added. “But after going to conventions around the world, you see those faces and how can you not help them? Today they live in Manila. Maybe next year they will live in Quitman.”
According to Bowdoin, five of the nine convention attendees from the Texas-Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International came from Quitman.
“We would wear matching shirts each day so we stood out a little more,” Bowdoin said. “People would come up to us to get a picture since there were a good amount of us, and of course, because we were from Texas.”
This year’s convention centered on the theme “Get Together, Stay Together,” encouraging clubs to strengthen membership while expanding their impact on children around the world. Wisdom said one presentation on grant writing gave her ideas the Quitman club could begin exploring at home.
“I would like to see us start pursuing more grant opportunities,” Wisdom said. “Every time I go to convention I come back with new ideas for service, fundraising and leadership. This time was no exception, and hopefully the knowledge I gained will help the club increase its effectiveness and positive impact on the community.”
Outside the convention, members experienced a country of striking contrasts. They toured Taal Volcano, sampled Filipino cuisine and learned about the country’s iconic jeepneys by taking a tour of a factory. A jeepney is a form of public transportation that started after World War II when locals took abandoned U.S. Jeeps and stretched them into buses, Wisdom said.
Several members pointed to one story that left a lasting impression.
A Kiwanis club in Cebu, Philippines, shared how it funds approximately 100 cleft palate surgeries each year for children through capital campaigns and grants. Bowdoin was also deeply moved by another club that created a community food program that serves children three hot meals a day, seven days a week, after the death of an 8-year-old child from malnutrition.
“That is what Kiwanis is here for,” Bowdoin said. “To truly make a difference in the lives of kids.”
Bowdoin was also deeply moved as she walked through neighborhoods affected by poverty.
“The first few days we stayed in the convention center and I felt like I was in America. However, our first tour was completely opposite of that,” Bowdoin said.
Bowdoin said walking through neighborhoods where many families live in poverty gave the group a new perspective on everyday life in the Philippines.
“We walked through a part of Manila where most people live in poverty. Fifty percent of the city is at poverty level, and it’s mind blowing to see how people just use whatever they can find to build their homes. Everywhere you would just see people doing what they had access to just to survive. Coming over to a place like America is a dream and we completely take it for granted.”
“Walking through what we would call a slum area and seeing how many live so very sparsely on such a small income, but yet they are generally a very happy people,” Dupre added.
She also recalled children approaching visitors asking for money before returning moments later to play with other children.
“It broke your heart to see them,” Dupre said, “and yet two minutes later they were playing with other children without a care in the world.”
Despite the poverty, all three members described the Filipino people as exceptionally welcoming.
“You think Texas is great at hospitality?” Bowdoin said. “The Philippines has us beat.”
For Wisdom, the convention reinforced that even a club from a small East Texas community can have a role in a much larger mission.
“Our local club connects us to our community,” Wisdom said. “Convention brings a broader understanding and pride in the impact that our service has on the entire world.”
As the members returned to Quitman, they brought more than ideas for future projects. They returned with a reminder that service extends beyond borders and that the work done in a small town can be part of something much larger.
“We have to keep growing and evolving,” Bowdoin said. “The best way to do that is to form connections and friendships outside of your comfort zone. You have to get out and explore the world if you want to make your world great.”
The 2027 Kiwanis International Convention will be held next summer in Dallas.