The Kronicle: Spring 2015

Spring SST Recap The Board says Farewell!

What’s going down in the Georgia District?

Find out here!

Circle K International (CKI) develops college and university students into a global network of responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to service

Table of Contents Cover Photo: ABAC Members strike a pose at Heart of Dixie Equine Rescue

Governor's Address

Goals Dashboard

Eliminate Update

Club/Member Spotlight

SST!

Farewell From the Board

Division Updates

CKIx Promotion

Why go to COLT/ DOTC

Reminders

Editor’s Note

Governor’s Address Greetings Georgia Circle K Members!

Congratulations on another fabulous year of service. It has been one of much accomplishment for our District, and you are the ones to thank for that. Without you, our organization could not exist for it is our members that have the greatest strength and are the heart of Circle K. I recently saw the new Cinderella movie and a quote from it has stuck out to me, “Have courage and be kind”. This applies to Circle K, I think. It takes courage to do what is right, what is good. It takes courage to stand up for social issues and to defy the stereotype of being a “college” student. All the while it takes kindness to give so freely of yourselves to your campuses and communities. It takes kindness to make a child laugh, play bingo with an elderly group of people, or to even pick up trash so that our world is a nicer place to live. Continue to be courageous and kind, Circle K’ers.

I have enjoyed serving as your 2014-2015 Governor. I could not have imagined a year ago the immense happiness that this year has brought to me. I wish you all the best as you continue on with your life’s journey. It is my hope that you will join continue with Circle K and then join Kiwanis.

If you need help finding a Kiwanis Club or help building one, please know that you can contact me through my personal email address Virginia.leigh.byrd@gmail.com and I will help you get connected with the right people.

Yours in Service and in Friendship,

Goals Update Current Goals: 1. The Georgia District will have 425 members by March 31, 2015.

2. The Georgia District will have 8 Circle K clubs represented at the Fall Membership Retreat and 10 Circle K clubs represented at the District Convention 3. The Georgia District will have 4 reactivated and/or chartered clubs by March 31, 2015.

4. The Georgia District will have 4500 service hours by March 31, 2015.

5. The Georgia District will raise $1800 for the Eliminate Project by March 31,2015.

Although we didn ’ t get a 4th club activated or rechartered, we ’ d like to welcome/welcome back ABAC, Dalton State, and University of Georgia into the Georgia District this year!

After CMRs for March get submitted, we hope to reach our goals for service hours and members! A final update will be published by April 15th.

Well unfortunately it is the end of a GREAT service year! I am glad I was blessed with the opportunity to serve y’all as the Service (MNT) Chair. It is with joy that we can report that not only did we reach our Eliminate Project Goal of $1,800 but we were able exceed it with a total of $2,000 by District Convention!!

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us reach this goal! We would not be here without you. All the long hours of service and fundraising made this a great year! More importantly thank you for making my first year in Georgia Circle K a great experience! Thank you to everyone that encouraged my and helped my love for Circle K reach a new level! I look forward to another great year and being able to serve y’all as Service/ SST Chair for the 2015-2016 year! Thank you for everything!!

Reynaldo Del Toro Guevara III

Club Spotlight: GCSU By: James Braswell When thinking of the word “coastal�, Milledgeville, Ga. does not immediately spring to mind; yet, here they are as a member of the Coastal Division. (I guess you could count their vast lake-system as a

coast, but I digress.)

Georgia College & State University is a giant among clubs within the Coastal Division. While there club size is normal, their hearts and attitudes towards serving is what separates them. GCSU was one of the few clubs that attended all of the Big Three events of the 2014-15 term: Fall Membership Retreat, District Convention, and Spring Social Service Tour.

During the year, the Bobcats hosted several service projects, including River Day which was a joint-project with the Milledgeville Kiwanis Club, and their next big-scale service project will be held in April.

Not only do they have outstanding service projects, but they have great members as well. One that comes to mind is Keri Spetzer, who will be joining the Georgia Circle K District Board next term as the Coastal Lieutenant Governor.

Overall, GCSU is one of the best clubs in the Coastal Division, if not the District. You can expect many great things to come out of Milledgeville in the upcoming years.

Member Spotlight: Emma Hunnewell xcellent human being.

By: Christine Farsi

ember at Young Harris College since 2013. akes holding 3 board positions look easy. nimal lover. ard to find a more nique individual capable of such impressive service. ever gives up. ever turns her back on someone who needs help. verybody’s favorite Emma. hat else is there to say? She mbodies ive to Serve ove to Serve.

This past weekend, the members of Georgia Circle K gathered together in Statesboro, GA at the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairgrounds for the Spring Service Social Tour. The weekend started on Friday evening with registration and Circle K’ers mixing and mingling while decorating shirts and performing a small service project. Friday was filled with fun as each member met a new face.

We welcomed our Subregion G Trustee, Racheile Ricklefs, and her UCF Club President, Shannon Feeney, from the Florida District.

With everyone acquainted by Friday n ready to lay our heads down to get so rest in order to wake up bright and ea to start our day. We began the day the hearty breakfast, and then caravanned Dixie Equine Rescue for our large scal Here we all completed a number of jo farm such as building gates, repairing horses, and filling garden beds with th abundance of natural fertilizer. Owners showed their appreciation for the work had done and welcomed us back anyt

night, we were all ome much needed arly in the morning e right way, with a d to the Heart of le service project. obs for the rescue fences, grooming he farm’s s Julie and Gary k Georgia Circle K time.

After our service-filled day we all needed to shower and eat to prepare for our social event at Statesboro’s Clubhouse. Circle K’ers teamed up against each other for some hard-fought matches of bowling and mini-golf. The night was filled with laughter as we all became closer as an organization and district. During putt putt ABAC members Rey and Ashton saved “mini” a golf ball from the depths of the water traps. It turns out Circle K’ers are not professionals on the green. We wound down the evening by heading back to the fairgrounds and coming together to play a fun game of Cards Against Humanity. Circle K’ers were ready for bed after the long and memorable day of service Saturday night. Resting up for the drives back to their home clubs come Sunday morning was just what everyone needed. Sunday morning started with breakfast as well, but was also sadly the time to say our goodbyes until our next District event.

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the weekend with us at our Spring SST! You guys rock! Happy CKI New Year!

Love, 2014-15 SST Chair, Drew Kelley

Farewell From Thank you for the opportunity to serve with you all this year! It was great to get to know all of you and make so many new memories. I hope to see you all again next year!

Greg Johnston

I've had such a great time serving on the 2014-2015 board. The connections I've made this year are sure to last! I hope everyone had a great year!

Thanks to everyone who came and had a great time at SST! I wish next year's board the best of luck! I can wait to serve with them this upcoming year! Thank you Geor gia CKI for the opport serve you one more ye

It is crazy that the end of this Circle K year is here. This year has been a big one for me. After restarting a Key Club at my high school, I came to college with the mind set of joining Circle K without a doubt. The first Circle K district event I went to was the District Convention. Before the weekend was over, I decided to run off the floor for District Treasurer. It has been a long and great year being able to serve on the board, and I will cherish the memories I have made with all of the people that served alongside me. I love each and every one of the friends I have made this past year. We truly are a family. Thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to be in the position I have had the pleasure to enjoy on the district board.

Now that the year is coming to an end, it is time to get ready for the next term! I will see everyone again, but as a Georgia District Lt. Governor. Live to Serve, Love to Serve! See you guys soon! -

Kylie

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To my wonderful district, As my time on the district board winds to an end, I am reminded of all of the experiences we ’ ve shared together this past year. Whether you joined us for FMR, DCON, or SST, I hope you ’ ve gotten that taste of the Circle K community. I hope you ’ v e caught that Circle K fever. It is together that we ’ v e accomplished over 3,000 hours of service, that we ’ ve traveled across Georgia, far and wide, in order to gather together in service. To all of the fresh faces I saw at FMR and to the more familiar ones that I ’ v e seen time and time again each year, I hope you ’ ve enjoyed your year with us and that your time within this community we ’ ve created encourages you to make the changes you want to see in the world around you.

To the opportunities ahead of us, Your 2014-2015 Secretary, Awards Chair, and Historian

Emma Lee Hunnewell

Serving on the board this year was great, I can’t believe it’s over. I hope everyone had a good time at DCON! - Megan

Georgia District

Schedule a Visit!

You can have any member of the district board visit your club!

To request a visit: Click the “Visit Request Form� button on the home page of the district website!

Division Updates: Coastal Division It’s been an amazing experience serving as your Lieutenant Governor for the 2014-15 term.

Throughout this term I have seen positive growth in all of the clubs within the division.

From holding COLT at Brewton-Parker, to the District Convention in Macon, it has been a fun year. I would like to extend my congratulations to the clubs and members who received awards at DCON:

Georgia College and State University sponsored by Milledgeville Kiwanis: Interclub Award John C. Thompson Distinguished Member Award: Erin Martin, Blia Lor, and Shelby Munyan Most Improved Club Troy H. Holcomb Single Service Award Keith Bailey Outstanding Club President Award: Emilee Hart Ali D Tabatabai Outstanding Vice-President Award: Keri Spetzer 2nd Place Website Competition Distinguished Club Treasurer: Jennie Pless Duncan McClusky Club Scrapbook Award

Georgia Southern University sponsored by Statesboro Kiwanis: John C. Thompson Distinguished Member Award: Malik McKenzie, Doria Lambert, and Billy Carrie Outstanding Club Treasurer Award: Eudiah OChieng Katie Hunley Service Recognition Award: Virginia Byrd Distinguished Club Vice President: Lauren West H.O.M.E. Participation Award Distinguished Club President: Alyssa Farland I would also like to say congratulations to Keri Spetzer from GCSU for being elected as the next LTG for the Coastal Division and being selected as the FMR chair. She is a very hard worker and will bring more positive growth within the division.

I cannot wait to serve as your District Governor for the upcoming term. It will be a great experience not only for myself, but for all.

Good luck on finals in May, and have a great finish to your Spring and Summer semesters!

Your friend in service,

James Braswell

Division Updates: Metro Division Hey Georgia District! This is Lorenzo, your Metro Division LTG writing to you one last time. Before I peace out, I’d like to congratulate the clubs division for winning a ton of awards at this year’s District Convention: Georgia Tech sponsored by Northside Atlanta Kiwanis Distinguished Club Treasurer: Haley Hoang Distinguished Club Secretary: Jessica Huynh John C. Thompson Distinguished Member Award: Jimmy Zhou, Bill O’Donoghue, Nyles McLean, Quynh Tran, and Sreerama Tripuramallu H.E.A.L.T.H.Y. participation Award Dia Stokes Kelly Outstanding Committee Chair Award: Greg Johnston Outstanding Club Website Award Jack E McGraw Club Achievement Award H.O.M.E. Participation Award Distinguished Club Vice President: Tyler Wan

Way to go Metro Division on all your hard earned service hours!

Now, awards are nice and all, but…

I’ve been in Circle K for 5 years and I must say that the experience has been truly life-changing. I have had the privilege of serving an incredibly diverse population, through an incredibly diverse number of projects, with an incredibly diverse group of people. I’ve helped kids from low-income families, hospitals in developing countries, babies and mothers in Africa, and homeless people. I’ve sorted tons of food, planted tons of trees, played with tons of kids, and packaged tons of medical supplies. And I’ve met so many people from Georgia District, from states across the country, and even some folks from the Caribbean island of Aruba.

Yet throughout my incredibly diverse experience, one truth has remained consistent and can only be summed by a wise quote from one of the greatest servants of mankind. Gandhi once said, “Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.”

Truly, service rendered in a spirit of joy is its own ultimate reward -- not a plaques, certificates, or medals.

Find joy in serving others!

Best,

Lorenzo Tolentino

Division Updates: Plains Division I hope everyone had an amazing time at District Convention. If you were not in attendance I want to update you guys on some great things Plains did this year and how well it turned out for us at DCON! This year, Plains gave a warm welcome to the Circle K Club of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, sponsored by Tifton Kiwanis. The Plains Division was represented at District Convention by ABAC President and District Service and Eliminate Chair – Reynaldo Del Toro Guevara, ABAC Vice President – Dale Spicer, and ABAC Secretary – Kaylee Snyder.

Even though they are a new club, that did not keep ABAC from appearing for many awards! Rey represented ABAC well by being awarded the Dia Stokes Kelly Outstanding Committee Chair Award for his work on the 2014-15 District Board.

ABAC also received the Outstanding New Reactivated Club award, and won 3rd Place in the district-wide club T-Shirt Contest!

I am excited to announce that upon being reelected as a Lieutenant Governor for the upcoming CKI year, I was given a new opportunity to serve as the Club Development Lieutenant Governor to work with building new clubs over the district.

As I finish my term with Plains I am laying down some ground work to start the process of rebuilding Valdosta State in the Plains Division, and I look forward to working with Plains Lieutenant Governor-Elect, Kylie Wilson, to make this happen!

Thanks for a great year!

Drew Kelley

Division Updates: Mountains Division In 2012, when I took office as Lt. Governor, there weren’t many clubs active and involved in my division. I soon realized that there wasn’t any way to contact these clubs and that some had just given up being part of the Circle K family. However, there was one club still hanging in there.

Young Harris College’s Circle K kept their faith in each other and kept working hard to be part of the family. It took a lot of work, but YHC stuck to the Mountain Division like a baby monkey does to its mother. The second year, once more, I was Lieutenant Governor. I soon became aware of another club joining the Circle K family and the Mountain Division. I was glad to bring Berry College into the fold. They had students with strong hearts filled with service and they managed to create their own Circle K. They were astonishing.

Much to my surprise, I was elected as Lieutenant Governor for this year. While, I was glad to have two active clubs in my division, I was much happier to have two more join. Dalton State had chartered themselves with the help of their Kiwanis club, who truly did an amazing job. I was proud that the club had put in so much work to become part of the family. There was one club that I was ever more proud of. One that truly pushed themselves through the fire. Though they had no problem getting the support of their Kiwanis and fellow students, the wall that stopped them was trying to find someone who could be their advisor. No matter what, their officers kept their hopes high and their devotion on their minds. This Circle K club was a true Bulldog. The University of Georgia had joined the Circle K family and the Mountain Division. They have done an amazing job in getting their feet off the ground. So as I look back to when there was only one club in my division to now having four, it makes me proud to have been their Lt. Governor. Each club is remarkable for all the things they have done to get to this point.

It was an honor to work with some of the most miraculous people and some of the most incredible clubs. Thank you for all you have done and thank you for teaching so much more about myself.

60TH ANNUAL CIRCLE K INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION The 60th Annual Circle K Convention and Large Scale Service Project will be combined together to create the ultimate Circle K experience this summer. Join us June 24th-27th in Indianapolis, IN as we celebrate Kiwanis’ 100th Birthday. Some reasons why you should attend convention are to elect the new International Board, meet and greet with not only Circle K members, but Kiwanians, Key Clubbers, and Aktion Club members from all across the globe, and of course participate in service, leadership, and fellowship.

For more information visit: http://www.circlek.org/Leadership/Conventions/ InternationalConvention/CKIx15.aspx Some Key Dates to note: April 17, 2015: Last day to register for the CKIx at the Early Bird Registration rate of US$225 April 18, 2015: CKIx Registration rate increases to US$325 May 15, 2015: Last day to register for CKIx at the US$325 rate Final day to report voting delegates and alternates May 16, 2015: CKIx registration rate increases to US$425 June 1, 2015: Postmark required for club awards (if no club members are attending CKIx)

& Each spring the District holds Club Officer Leadership Training (COLT) for all newly elected club officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer). COLT training covers all areas of being a club officer by providing specific training for each board position. This training will allow each club board the chance to begin working together as a team by examining the current position of each club, setting club goals for the coming year, and defining Committee Chair positions. COLT also offers officers a first-hand look at the expectations and strengths of their fellow board members, and each club board has the opportunity to meet and share ideas with officers of other clubs, as well as members of the District Board and club meetings, prepare an agenda, and work with Lieutenant Governors.

This year it is

April 18th at the Spring Hill Suites in Macon, GA.

There is no charge to attend, but we do ask that you feel out a registration form so that we can prepare enough materials. http://www.georgiacirclek.org/colt.html COLT is also held in conjunction with the District Officer Training Conference (DOTC). This whole weekend is one of learning and fellowshipping to prepare for the new Circle K year.

Reminders 

COLT is on APRIL 18th at the Spring Hill Suites in Macon, GA. It’s really great for newly elected club officers to attend and get to know the club officers of other clubs. Build your CKI support system!

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Early Bird registration for International Convention (CKIx) ends APRIL 17th! It really is a great opportunity. Go if you can and plan for next year if you can’t!

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Make sure your new secretaries know: CMR’s are still due over the summer!

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If you want pictures of your club to be included in the Kronicle, submit them on the Media section of the website. We want everyone to be represented!

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Keep track of your service over the summer!

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August can creep up on you, remember to plan recruiting techniques over the summer to bring in some new members. And keep in touch with your club officers.

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HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE SEMESTER!

Editor’s Note The short version: : I love Circle K. The long version: Over the last 4 years I have made a family within this organization. Some of my favorite people are in Circle K. I am so glad that I joined the club at Georgia Tech, where the then president did everything in her power to make members feel special and included.

I have tried to continue that legacy in my club and on the board ever since. I completely fell in love with CKI at my first FMR. I arrived early and was the only one there that wasn't on the board so I had no idea who anyone was .

But I asked to help set up and was given the task of on the floor so someone could make a murderesque tape outline of me for the room's theme and was immediately christened "Purple" because of my purple hoodie, shoes, and hair. The nick name stuck and from that moment on I never attended an event where I didn't know at least a dozen people from all over the state.

It has been a complete joy to serve on the district board, working behind the scenes to help the district. I am confident that the new board will be just as great.

Thank you so much for all of your love for service and your communities, because love is all you need.

I will miss you all a ton and a half. Keep up the good work.

With Love,

Christine Farsi

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Live to Serve. Love to Serve.

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