Summer Kronicle 2022

WELCOME

Georgia Circle K,

me is Areej Memon and I am a more at the Oxford College of Emory sity, continuing on to Emory sity in the Spring. These past several , I have had the honor to serve K International and the Georgia t for the 2022 2023 term as District or. I have made so many great es and hope to continue to foster irit of service, fellowship, and hip throughout the district for the ng duration of my term.

ars have been tough on everyone, and es. We, as an organization, have gone e dwindling membership, and the lack of club meetings due to virtual school, however, despite all the misfortune, we have still managed to succeed at the highest level. For that, I am endlessly proud.

This year, at Circle K International Convention, in Austin Texas, the Georgia District had the honor of winning several awards and recognitions. My predecessor, Izah Tahir, was honored with the title of Distinguished District Governor, while my immediate past and current District Bulletin Editor, Erica Zheng, was awarded the Distinguished District Editor Award.

GOVERNOR'S WELCOME (CONT.)

But that’s not all; our very former Circle K International Vice President and current Kiwanian, Leah Rieser, was awarded the revered Opal Award. In addition to these awards, our very own Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in the Plains Division won 3rd place in the Ruby Division of the GEM Awards as well. These are all amazing accomplishments for the Georgia District; however, I am most proud of the Georgia District of Circle K for winning 2nd place as the Top Fundraising District for our WASH Campaign. This means, that for the five years we fundraised for WASH, the Georgia District of Circle K was the second largest contributor in the world (with over $240,000).

This organization truly makes strides to enrich the world through service with one member, one child, and one community at a time, and I have never been prouder of it. However, in the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Although we have accomplished a lot, it’s no time to settle we must keep striving for more. Therefore, during the 22-23 administrative year, we hope to accomplish the following goals: attaining 200 members as a whole, chartering or re activating two new clubs, obtaining 2,000 service hours, having 45 attendees at our Fall Membership Retreat and 60 attendees at our District Convention in the spring, and finally, fundraising $3000 for our new project Brick X Brick.

GOVERNOR'S WELCOME

In partnership with UNICEF USA, Brick X Brick is a project that will be building a sustainable future through education and empowerment for families in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire. Through this project, we will contribute to a cleaner planet, alleviate poverty for women, and provide safe spaces for children to learn and play. This project is extremely important, and we hope to fundraise a lot for the cause. Please visit https://www.circlek.org/service/brick x brick/ for more information about this amazing project.

As you all can see, we have a lot to accomplish in the upcoming months, but I know the Georgia District is mighty and will be able to crush any obstacles that stand in our way. I look forward to crushing these obstacles with all of you and seeing the Georgia District of Circle K thrive yet again.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Greetings , GACKI!

If you don't see something you want to see, feel free to contact me at editor@georgiacirclek.org. If there is something you would like to be featured, you know where to find me.

I hope y 'all enjoy flipping through these pages and find something that floats your boat. See you all at the District Day of Service, Fall Membership Retreat, and more! Keep up the great work!

I hope everyone has had a great start to your semesters! Georgia District Board has been busy preparing for the year with plenty of exciting activities and plans waiting to be implemented. In the meantime, enjoy this little publication full of some wisdom the District Board has to offer. Yours in Service, Erica Zheng

TRUSTEE INTRODUCTION

Georgia District,

It is my pleasure to serve you and your district for this upcoming academic year!

For those who don't know me, my name is Martin Nguyen ("win"), and I am from the Alabama District. I am currently a graduate student working on my MBA at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

I've come a long way and never imagined getting this far in my K Family journey if I had not joined CKI in my freshman year. I started my leadership as a Chapter Editor, Chapter VP, Chapter President, District LTG, and now IT.

Words cannot describe how excited to be y 'all's international trustee along with the other three districts (Kentucky-Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and New England). I look forward to eventually meeting the rest of you and can't wait for what this year has in store for us all. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will try my best to get you the information to your questions.

Yours in Service,

DISTRICT NEWS

District Map

There are 5 Divisions within the District of Georgia: Metro, Perimeter, Coastal, Plains, and Mountains. There is an LTG overseeing each Division. The Mountains Division has not been active recently, so the District Board has been working together to revive it.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS' INTRODUCTIONS

MarioNunez

PlainsDivisionLTG

Hi everyone, I’m Mario Nunez, your Plains LTG I'm from Douglas, Ga I am currently a senior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College or known as ABAC. I study AG Education and have been active with the Kiwanis Family since K Kids ABAC Circle K has been in full effect before school started. They had their first meeting Thursday, August 25. I plan to help revive VSU Circle K and bring it back to its glory days. I wish to do a lot more inter clubbing with my fellow LTGs to show that we are unified as an organization I do wish that the number of attendees from the Plains division grows for district events. I would love to hear from all of you and what kind of ideas you have to help grow Circle K If you would like to get in contact with me email me @ plainsltg@georgiacirclek.org

NicholasSpader

CoastalDivisionLTG

Hello everyone My name is Nicholas Spader and it is a great joy of mine to be able to serve as the Lieutenant Governor for the Coastal Division. I am a senior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with a dual major focusing on Biochemistry and Writing and Communication. This is my third year as a member of Circle K and my second year serving as a Lieutenant Governor. If you ever need to reach out to me, please do not hesitate to contact me at coastalltg@georgiacirclek.org. I am looking forward to a great year and cannot wait to see what it is we achieve. Division Goals:

Improve membership numbers at Georgia Southern

Help Georgia College and State reactivate their Circle K chapter

TimothyVanjohnsonJr MetroDivisionLTG

Hey everyone! My name is Timothy Vanjohnson Jr, and I am the Lieutenant Governor for the Metro Division for this 22 23 service year. I’m from Austell, Georgia (right near Six Flags) and my home club is the University of West Georgia

Some of my goals for our division are:

Increase communication and bonding between clubs within our division by the end of the service year through interclub events twice a semester for each club

Actively contribute to the district wide service initiative through fundraising and updates on donations received

Some of my personal goals:

I will aim to establish my presence throughout the division by attending at least two general meetings for each club by the end of the semester

I want to ensure that I establish and maintain my availability as a friend and resource for each club within the division through consistent office hours

I want to elicit feedback from clubs within the division regarding the various district activities and events throughout the service year

Here is my contact information: metroltg@georgiacirclek.org, phone 404 453 1333

Beginning next week, I will have office hours open every Tuesday from 6:00 8:00 pm on zoom.

Stop by with any questions regarding the district, your clubs, or anything else CKI related, or if you just wanna share some good news that happened in your life! I’m here to help!

I’m looking forward to working alongside you all.

AniTatikonda

Hi! My name is Ani Tatikonda, and I’m thrilled to serve as your Perimeter Lieutenant Governor (LTG) for Georgia Circle K International! As the coolest LTG, my plunge into volunteering started with a quick dive into BETA club in middle school, then the current pulled me for a swim through Key Club, BETA, and honor societies in high school, with my eventual surfacing at Circle K! I attend Georgia Institute of Technology (potentially problematic for UGA), and I am a sophomore in pursuit of my Industrial Engineering (BS) degree I greatly look forward to working towards my CKI goals while helping all of you meet your own, all while making sure we have a good time and make fun memories together! Email me at: perimeterltg@georgiacirclek.org

Don't be shy. Say, L"Hi!" ieutenant Governors yare our friends! They are there o help you and your club!

D

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C T E V E N T S

DistrictDayofService

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

BY: TIMOTHY VANJOHNSON JR.

The University of West Georgia is re establishing their monthly road cleanups for the 2022 2023 service year! With a new board of officers, the club is reconnecting with Keep Carroll Beautiful who helped them adopt and clean South Street in Carroll County No one knows the UWG area more than the Wolves that roam it With South Street being so close to the campus, Circle K took the initiative last year to reach out to Keep Carroll Beautiful and adopt the street for monthly care With these road cleanups, the UWG officers are aiming to make environmental justice and health a top priority throughout the service year.

Keepupthe greatwork!

Quoted from new Club President, Georgia Waddell, "Participating in roadside cleanups is a perfect way to not only engage our members in service, but also the community! Our members will instantly see the impact they make during every roadside cleanup I believe this will encourage more members to join and make their mark "

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

BY: NICHOLAS SPADER

Skyla Turner is the two time treasurer of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Circle K club. She is a junior with a major focusing on Writing and Communication at ABAC, is expecting to graduate in the winter of 2022, and has been involved with Circle K for two years Skyla is a very active member of her community who has developed programs through Circle-K focusing on homelessness to spread awareness of the issue. Her favorite community service project is the Adopt a Mile and her favorite district event is the District Day of Service We cannot wait to see what else she will be able to achieve in her time with Circle K.

Grayson Evan is the returning President of the University of Georgia Circle-K Club He is a senior with a dual major focusing on Biological and Mechanical Engineering, is expecting to graduate in the spring of 2023, and has been involved with Circle K since September 2019 Grayson has been an active leader for his home club and has led them to receive several statewide recognitions for the club with them even winning Distinguished Club of the Year for 2022. His favorite service project is the cleanup efforts at the Hardigree Wildlife Sanctuary and his favorite district event is FMR. His efforts are greatly appreciated and we will continue to expect great things from him and his club

CLUB GALLERY

Keep up the great work, everyone!

TIPS AND STRATEGIES

SERVICE IDEAS

BY: JESSICA MAEBIUS

For the animal lovers:

Humane societies and animal shelters are always looking for volunteers to help take care of animals, run pet adoption days, and more! Visit the humane society volunteer page here to find opportunities near you:

Or for another great service project that you can do during club meetings, try making dog and cat toys out of recycled T-shirts!

For the intellects:

Volunteer at your local senior living centerthey are constantly looking for groups to come and play scrabble or trivia, or just read and converse with the patrons. You can also put your brains to use and volunteer as a tutor for underprivileged children!

For the chefs:

Volunteer to make home cooked meals for homeless shelters or go in-person to a food bank to help cook, pack, and serve meals to those in need. The Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels America are two great options, but if you need help finding more local opportunities scan the QR code:

For the crafters:

You can always knit blankets, socks, hats, etc. for those in need, or try out an easier fleece no sew blanket to donate. Other options include creating educational tools for kids like popsicle stick puzzles, alphabet flashcards ( Love Letters for Literacy), or even DIY coloring books! Plus, all of these crafts make for great meeting activities.

Fleece No Sew Blanket: https://diytodonate.com/diy-no-sew-blankets-for-donation/ Love Letters for Literacy: https://lovelettersliteracy.org/

RECRUITMENT TIPS & STRATEGIES FOR YOUR CIRCLE K CLUB

BY: ALEXANDRA ALADHAM

Get involved on social media! Instagram, GroupMe, Slack, and even TikTok are great ways to advertise your club to the student body Promote your handles at school events and post about fun ways students can get involved and become members

Attend all campus club events! Promote Circle K right on campus by attending all club fairs/days. Bring informational posters and flyers about Circle K plus a sweet treat for interested students.

Plan a fall social!

With the school year starting, we can all get overwhelmed with classes and work, so planning a fun club event where students can meet their peers is great for your club and the community.

Get Kiwanis involved!

Need any assistance in club recruitment? Kiwanis is there to support and advise you. Speak with your local Kiwanis club about helping with dues payments, events, service, and more

Get to know your members!

Students are more likely to stay involved with a club when they feel seen and valued Make sure to learn more about your current and interested members Speak with them face to face and on social media. Even releasing a form to see what type of events they want to attend can help strengthen bonds

Share the best parts of Circle K!

There are so many great things about Circle K: Unique service opportunities, conventions and retreats, scholarships, leadership, friendships, and more. Let students know about these perks at club fairs and meetings. Create a raffle!

Who could resist a fun raffle? Pass out tickets during your school’s club fair and remind students to bring their raffle tickets to your first meeting Then, pass out some CKI merch or snacks to the lucky winners at the end of your meeting.

Consider having an appointed board!

Many students are looking for leadership positions. Although most elected positions are filled, having an appointed board can bring in new members and get them involved in CKI fast.

RHappy

CLUB MONTHLY REPORTFOR SECRETARIES

BY: SAM BURGER

Along with recording meeting minutes and member information, club secretaries are responsible for submitting Club Monthly Reports (CMRs) online via the Membership Update Center (MUC). These reports are due by the 5th of each month and update the District Board and Circle K International about each club’s situation CMRs are a way for us to look at how clubs are doing each month and determine in which areas clubs may need additional support

Another incentive to complete CMRs is that clubs must have all their CMRs submitted for the year, from March of the current year to February of next year, to be eligible for awards at the District Convention (DCON), our annual convention where we celebrate our district’s achievements

The CMRs are submitted via the MUC, which can be accessed by going to our district website georgiacirclek.org. Hover over the “Membership Update” tab in the upper right corner and then click on “MUC”, which directs you to the sign-in page.

After logging in to the MUC, there is an icon to the left for Monthly Reports Questions in the CMR are generally centered around what your club has accomplished in the past month, such as how many service hours and interclubs your club has completed It’s perfectly okay to put zero, especially during the summer when there’s less club activity! As mentioned before, the CMR for the previous month is due by the 5th of each current month

A new system will be launched sometime next year that will replace the MUC for the entire Kiwanis family, including CKI. Once this new system, called Engage, is available training will be conducted for all club secretaries.

Keep min ind that CMRs can be sedited o it’s better to have anincomplete submission nthan o submission at all!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out at

DUES - FOR TREASURERS

BY: SAM BURGER

In addition to keeping track of club finances, club treasurers are also responsible for paying dues Important dates to remember are that dues open for payment on October 1st, and the deadline for payment is November 1st. There are two types of dues: district and international District dues are $12 per member in the club roster of the Membership Update Center (MUC) and benefit members through funding district events and creating district scholarships

Starting this year, the system for deciding international dues has changed International dues are now $24 per member in the club roster rather than being dependent on size/structure like before. Please make sure your club roster is accurate and up-to-date

Please make sure to pay dues on time so that your club remains active and in good standing!

You can then pay the district and international dues via the MUC by generating an invoice and paying by either check or credit card A credit card is strongly recommended to avoid loss or delay of payment via mail.

If your club is having trouble paying dues, fundraising events like bake sales, virtual raffles, etc. can help offset the cost Reaching out to your sponsoring Kiwanis club and/or your school’s SGA can also help your club obtain funds for paying dues and lighten individual burdens. Oftentimes, your sponsoring Kiwanis club can help with covering international dues!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out at sectreas@georgiacirclek.org.

INTERNATIONAL AND BEYOND

K-FAM KONNECTION: KIWANIS

DarrylGumz

GovernorofGAKiwanis

To my GACKI Family!

I am honored and privileged to serve as the 2022 2023 Governor for the Georgia District of Kiwanis International I thoroughly enjoy getting to know our service partners in our colleges and universities around the state. You are an amazing group of young adults leading the way with great leaders. Y’all demonstrate servant hearts in very tangible ways that are recognized throughout Circle K International and we are so proud of you!

I am retired from the United States Air Force Since then, I have worked in administration for a church, been a counselor for adjudicated youth, a juvenile corrections officer, a Chief Parole Officer, and an internationally certified alcohol and drug counselor. I received my BA in Community Services from Saint Martin’s College in Lacey WA and my MA in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati. I am a strong believer and supporter of you as you pursue your educational goals while seeking ways to serve your communities

I began my Kiwanis journey in 1999 when I joined the Kiwanis Club of Winder Since then, I have worked with several Kiwanis clubs and Key Clubs and was the District Chair for Key Leader (a weekend service leadership camp for high schoolers) for several years. My wife, Wanda, and I live in Jefferson Some of my best friends made on this journey have been from the GACKI family and I am so thrilled to have known and followed them through the years. Watching you receive recognition and awards while gaining leadership skills at the Division, District,andInternationallevelsbringsgiantsmilestomyheart.

Brick X Brick

From Circle K International:

Circle K International is thrilled to announce a new project, in partnership with UNICEF USA, called Brick X Brick. We’ll be building a sustainable future through education and empowerment for families in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire. Through this project, we will:

Contribute to a cleaner planet. Alleviate poverty for women. Provides safe spaces for children to learn and play.

UNICEF has partnered with a Colombian, family run social enterprise, Conceptos Plasticos, to create a women-led recycling market that will convert Côte d’Ivoire’s plastic waste into safe and durable low cost building materials.

The money you raise will help women create recycling networks to collect plastic waste that will be manufactured into bricks. These bricks will be used to build classrooms for some of the 1.6 million children mostly girls who are currently out of school in Côte d’Ivoire. Through your support, teachers will be trained, be provided with school supplies, and have access to improved hygiene and infection prevention and control.

We hope your club will join in this exciting project. Visit https://www.circlek.org/service/brick-x-brick/ to learn more