The Carolinian
Issue 4, Jan - March 2018
Upcoming Dates Club Officer Training Conference April 14th Register Now
Circle K International Convention July 4th-8th Register Now
Fall Call Conference October 19th-21st Register Now
Final Governors Letter Hello Carolinas District of CKI! What an amazing year we have had! As I go back and look through all of our bulletins, I see the love for service, leadership, and fellowship that this district has. It makes me so proud to be the leader of such an amazing group of people. As my year is almost up on April 1st and you will be in the more-than-capable hands of Kelvin, make sure to remember the progress that we have all made together this year. That way, when we set our goals at COTC/DOTC and talk about the upcoming year, it won’t look scary. It will just look like another successful year of the Carolinas. I know you all can do it if you do it together! Speaking of teamwork, I want to take some of my space in this bulletin to thank our wonderful, talented Bulletin Editor, Chelsie Higdon. She has worked tirelessly on these from the beginning. She changed the entire layout, got people outside of the District Board to actually participate, and sent out final products worthy of awards. Thank you for your hard work, Chelsie, and thank you to anyone who has helped her with articles, any pictures, etcetera. But you’re not here to read my letter, you’re here to look at this amazing bulletin. So enjoy the last one of the 2017-2018 year. I can’t wait to see what the next one holds as we move on to the 2018-2019 year. I love you all! Yours in service, leadership, and fellowship, Julia Terry 2017-2018 District Governor
EDITORS GOODBYE Hello Carolinas District! It's been such a pleasure making these past four bulletins and being your District Editor this past year. To highlight our clubs for their amazing service, leadership and fellowship is what I wanted to do in this position and I was happy to be so successful. Thank you all for your support and help. I can't wait to see what the Carolinas District of CKI and your new editor Eizabeth Thornton does next. Also a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to this final bulletin, and I look forward to reading more of your adventures in years to come. Wishing you all the best, Chelsie Higdon 2017-2018 Carolinas District Bulletin Editor
Thank you
Article Writers Jon Hethcox Katie Tsang Omar Benjamin Julia Terry Kelvin Pineda Jennifer Hethcox Chelsie Higdon
Photographers Jon Hethcox Omar Benjamin Kylie Wilson Chelsie Higdon Kathleen Marsocci
2018-2019 GOVERNOR'S LETTER Hello Carolinas District! Do you guys remember anything that happened in the third grade? Can you recall your chunky crayons, your fat Ticonderoga pencil, or maybe that strange tan paper? Nostalgia much? One moment that I still remember is when I received my first dictionary from these two unknown men. That dictionary taught me words that I’ve never heard of and was my saving grace when my mother insisted that I learned the entire multiplication table. In short, that dictionary was literally the best thing in my life. I joined Key Club in high school and instantly fell in love with the thought of serving our communities alongside a quarter million students all across the globe and growing as a leader at the same time. I spent three years of high school devoted to Key Club, growing and serving as a leader. Key Club was now the best thing in my life! My senior year I was president of my club and doing 99 other things, I quickly burned out and was looking forward to college where I would do NOTHING! During my summer college orientation, I spotted the CKI table, I hesitated to even go near it. I promised myself that I wouldn’t do anything for the first year and take the time to “find myself”, but I ended up going to the table anyways… I got an excited CKI pitch, raffle ticket, and some candy. I thought long and hard if I should even attend the interest meeting, I really wanted to be done with the Kiwanis Family and start a new chapter, but life has a funny way of reminding us who we truly are and where we’re meant to be. While cleaning out some books that summer, I found my old dictionary, lo and behold it was given to me by the Charlotte Kiwanis club, my current CKI sponsor. This moment in my life reminds me of the impact that one small action can have on anyone or anything. This dictionary was the reason I went to that first CKI meeting, continue to serve, and made a commitment to our organization. If I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting you, my name is Kelvin Pineda and because of that dictionary, I have the honor of serving as your 2018-2019 Carolinas District Governor. While the dictionary didn’t literally tell me to do anything, it served as a constant reminder that I can make difference in the lives of others, no matter how big or small. That one small dictionary changed the direction of my life and the person I’ve become. This year I want us to think about the small actions we can take to serve our communities, inspire our members, and grow our organization because those small actions can have some of the biggest impacts. I see passionate and servant leaders all across the district, ready to make a change in the world. I wanted to find myself during my first year in college and I did, I found my passion in living and loving to serve and CKI has now become the best thing in my life and I hope that it can be same for you. I’m looking forward to a great year of service, leadership, and fellowship! Yours in Service, Kelvin Pineda 18-19’ Carolinas District Governor
Service "To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity." -Douglas Adams
What Does Community Service Mean to You? By: Katie Tsang; Duke University I’ve thought a lot about what community service means to me over the course of the past two summers. I was volunteering at Dandelion Middle School, an institution that provides education to children who are blocked from accessing the Beijing public school system due to their migrant status. There are a thousand things I could tell you about my time there. I could tell you silly stories of after-study time, when all the students ran around in blissful freedom, and sometimes they would chase me and try to tickle me, and sometimes they would draw circles around my feet in chalk and tell me they’d cast a spell so that I couldn’t leave that spot, and I could see my students, the “tough guys,” trying to beat each other in a competition to see who could do the most pull-ups, or who could reach the highest on the basketball net. I could tell you more serious, formal stories of my work tutoring and teaching students, trying to figure out how to interest my students with a foreign language that they disliked. Or, I could tell you about the ninth graders, so close to their high school entrance exams and graduation, who would come ask me about when the volunteers they had in the past would return, or of my own students, who would sometimes ask me when the next time I could come back would be, or about other students who were cold to my attempts to connect with them, maybe skeptical of my intentions, or wise, knowing that I was just a volunteer, and volunteers come and go. A lot of times, I questioned my value as a volunteer and of the impact of my service. I had good intentions, but good intentions don’t always equal positive impact. I had to come to terms with the fact that negative effects could be driven by positive intentions. I had to keep myself in check and keep myself accountable for the effects that I was causing. And most importantly, I had to realize that the impact of my actions would not change the systemic problems that barred my students from achieving their full potential, from being able to go to high school in Beijing, which would consequently give them greater access to some of the best universities in China. However that didn’t mean that I was completely useless as a volunteer. It wasn’t like I could send the entire student to college. Instead, I dedicated myself every day to connecting with my students. At the beginning of my volunteer experience at Dandelion, I found that I liked to indulge myself in moments that made me feel special. These were moments where my students would make me gifts, or give me letters, or hug me and ask me to promise I would come back the next year. But my role as a volunteer wasn’t to validate myself. My students were the main characters of this story, and I decided I should act as a supporting character, serving them and making them feel valued. Community service is not about being a hero. It is not about you, the volunteer, saving people, and bringing them out of despair. It’s about giving others the agency to become their own heroes, so that they may be the ones to write their own stories.
Service Project Ideas By: Cindy Owenby // Jennifer Hetchox
Take a meal to a widow, homebound member, single mom, or recent divorcee in your church. Bake goodies, such as cupcakes, and deliver them to your local police or fire station. Pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Write letters or send cards to missionaries. Gather together to assemble no-sew fleece blankets for a local children’s home or women’s shelter. Knit or crochet prayer shawls and lap blankets for church members and friends that are facing health challenges. Sew some pillowcase dresses for children in another country. Cut out shoes for Sole Hope. Put together and distribute homeless bags. Host a sandwich making party and pass them out to the homeless. Assemble and distribute blessing bags for women who need some encouragement. Send college care packages. Put together Sonshine Boxes or bags and bless women in your church or community. Fill a freezer with meals for a new mom. Create birthday bags for your local food pantry (birthday cake, hats, candles, balloons) Paint and decorate the teacher’s lounge at a struggling school. Create a community garden. Provide a meal for families at your local Ronald McDonald House.
Donate food to a local food shelter. Gather and donate toiletries, make-up, and new underwear for a local women’s shelter or human trafficking ministry. Host an Ornaments for Orphans party. Bless a children’s hospital with fun BandAids. Host a ViBella jewelry show. Purchase presents for a local Angel Tree. Sponsor a family at a local school for Christmas. Pack and distribute Thanksgiving Baskets (stuffing, mashed potatoes, canned veggies, cranberry sauce) for families in need. Collect gently used clothes and donate them to a ministry in need. Hold a diaper drive for your local pregnancy ministry. Donate children’s books and movies to a local children’s hospital. Fill backpacks with school supplies for a struggling school. Hold a book drive for a local elementary school in need. Host a baby shower for a local pregnancy center to help them restock supplies for pregnant and new mothers. Hold a clothing drive for a local clothes closet ministry – or start your own! Gather hats, scarves, and gloves for elementary school students in an impoverished community. Plan an Operation Christmas Child Packing Party for your neighborhood, church, or Bible study group.
WASH
CKI is excited to announce a new five-year signature project, in partnership with UNICEF, called WASH. WASH is the collective term for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Still, nearly 1,000 children die everyday due to a lack of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. Our signature project efforts will target Haiti’s emergency needs with a complete WASH response package; supporting emergency water access interventions for people in drought-affected areas; and providing internally displaced people with alternative sustainable sanitation strategies. Some fundraisers to help are below!
Let us know if you raise any funds for WASH, or of any service projects that you do to help.Â
Tomorrow Fund Service
We want to give a huge thanks to the Tomorrow Fund for providing our district with funds to make 40 blankets to be given out in our community hospitals for the NICU babies and mothers.
Annual Pie Auction
We also want to give a huge thanks to everyone who participated in our Annual Pie Auction where we were able to raise over $3500 dollars for the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina.
Leadership A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. -John C. Maxwell
District Convention By: Omar Benjamin; Wake Forest Circle K
As a first-time attendee of DCON, I had my reservations. Being a part of Wake Forest CKI is like a community of individuals who love to volunteer and spread the message of selflessness by serving for the betterment of others. For myself, I have always loved volunteering to touch the lives of those who may need a helping hand from time to time. When I joined Circle K at Wake Forest, it was a medium to get me in contact with the lives I want to help impact for the better. However, I knew nothing about DCON or the larger part of Circle K. For example, I was aware that it was an international community, but I didn’t really know the magnitude of how international Circle K was. Well DCON helped me change that view. I knew what we were doing was helping communities in Winston Salem and that some people were aware of it outside of the Wake Forest bubble, but I didn’t expect to come to DCON and make some awesome connections and form some friendships that I never thought of. I’ll be honest when I say I wasn’t expecting a lot out of DCON. Not really knowing much information about the event, I went on a request to represent Wake Forest. And I am glad I did. I have a unique perspective from others because my eyes are usually capturing the moments of individuals mid action or mid expression. I am a photographer after all. For me attending, I saw the passion and pride a lot of individuals had that I didn’t. I believe DCON reinvigorated my personal drive to be a part of this organization and use my talents in ways that can promote and show the wonderful things we as a Circle K family do in small and large masses. I recommend anyone, first timers and recurrent participants, to attend DCON. Yes, we learn about the wonderful things we have done in our individual communities, but we also learn about what it means to be a part of this organization outside of our schools and groups. We learn about how we have impacted communities far and wide. We put faces and names to the events we volunteer at. And through all that, we celebrate the accomplishments we have all achieved.
District Convention Awards H.C. Evans Outstanding Kiwanis Family Relations - NC State CKI Vic Vickery Outstanding Sponsoring Kiwanis Club - Kiwanis Club of Raleigh for NC State CKI James G. Griffin Outstanding Kiwanis Advisor: Jeffrey Marsocci, NC State Wayne T. Adams District Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Braun, CVCC Albert Cox Most Improved: Duke University New and Reactivated Club: College of Charleston Governor Recognition Award: CVCC for their donation of $210 to Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina Traditional Club Scrapbook: NCSU Non-Traditional Club Scrapbook: NCSU Outstanding Club Tshirt: 1st place - NCSU, 2nd place - CVCC, 3rd place - UNC Pembroke Outstanding Website: CVCC Outstanding Committee Chair: Chloe Tenn, NCSU Outstanding Treasurer: Kimsey Collins, UNC Pembroke Outstanding Secretary: Alexis Hurd, UNC Pembroke Outstanding Vice President: Abir Chowdhury, NC State Outstanding President: Chad Ledford, CVCC Outstanding Single Service Project: NCSU for their Haunted House: Creative Zoo Non-Circle K Member: Cindy Coulter, CVCC Dean Outstanding District CKI Member: Adriana Ortiz, NCSU Honorary Circle K Member: Dr. Mary Jo Brubaker, Kiwanis District Governor Interclub Award: CVCC Club Achievement (Bronze Division): NCSU Club Achievement (Silver Division): UNC Pembroke Member Mile Award: NCSU with over 90,000 miles traveled collectively for all the members in attendance District Convention Spirit Award: NCSU Outstanding District Officer Award: Chelsie Higdon, Bulletin Editor and Kelvin Pineda, Blue Ridge and Metro Division Lt. Governor District Governor Cup Award: Matt Walsh, Immediate Past District Governor
2018-2019 DISTRICT BOARD
Kelvin Pineda Governor
Elizabeth Thornton District Bulletin Editor
Cameron Kate McVay Secretary-Treasurer
Nelson Schacht Blue Ridge/Metro LTG
Steven Shaw Capital LTG
Marissa Gross Palmetto LTG
Alexander Lin Coastal LTG
Erik Reyes Triad LTG
Committee Apps Are open! F
Don't Forget to Apply! Choose from 4 different committees in different areas to apply for! Interested? Visit: https://tinyurl.com/carolinascommittees to learn more and apply!
Fellowship The fellowship of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help carry your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless. -Ezra Taft Benson
Tri Vizard Tournament! Members from all over the Carolinas came to our annual District Convention this past February. What they didn't know was that first night they'd be competing for their lives and their houses in our very own Tri-wizard Tournament. Houses competed by playing quidditch, hunting for horcruxes, and solving mystical puzzles to see who would be the champion of the night and the winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. After all the points were tallied up, and those who were injured were off to be healed. it was decided and announced that the House of Slytherin had indeed won the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Congratulations to all the members involved and all of those that made this a magical night of Fellowship.
Club Building
In the 2017-2018 Year, The Carolinas District reactivated a Circle K club and chartered two brand new Circle K clubs. Congratulations to all of our new clubs!
Reactivated: College of Charleston
Chartered: Brunswick Community College
Chartered: Queens University of Charlotte
Kiwanis Korner Well, we made it. Allow me to thank you all for the many efforts made on behalf of CKI in the Carolinas District this year. It’s easy to compare numbers and review yearly goals, but I’d like to share some thoughts and feedback on items that many of you don’t hear about – these are little things we’ve done this year that aren’t as measureable as membership or club growth, but are nonetheless important to note. First topic: Funding and fundraising – did you know that our only source of revenue is your dues dollars? In other words, we receive no additional ongoing funds from Kiwanis or other sources. So, this means that to operate the Carolinas CKI District, we must rely on each club paying $9 per member. A little simple math will exhibit that we have a lot of work required of our board, but with limited resources. In light of this, I’m very proud of the leadership efforts displayed by Governor Julia, Treasurer Nelson and Editor Chelsie in their work to raise funds to support our district’s leadership development and board support expenses through the sale of our Project Heart pins while raising money to support the March of Dimes. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t call out the smashing success of our Pie Auction benefitting the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina – together, our clubs raised over $3,000 in the span of one hour! Second: Kiwanis Family interaction – this year, our District Board made a commitment for greater connection and interaction with our Kiwanis Family colleagues. I’m pleased to report that we had half of our board attend the Kiwanis Midyear Conference in Charlotte. This kind of personal interaction with Kiwanians goes a long way to promote our message that college students, and CKI’ers in particular, are making a positive impact on their college campuses in North and South Carolina. We were also able to send four representatives to the Key Club District Convention and contribute to numerous workshops in an effort to positively build our CKI brand to high school students and their advisors. Third: Recognition – we kicked the new CKI year off in June, 2017, with our District winning the prestigious Distinguished District Award at CKIx along with several other notable achievements. Winning this award (which we understand is the first Carolinas win in the category in many years), set the tone for what has been a very positive year of growth and development. Overall, I am very pleased with our progress this year and know that we’ll be able to build on this year of success and achieve even more next year. -District Administrator; Jon Hethcox
Dates and Costs to Remember! Club Officer Training Conference: April 14th Location: 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223 Registration Rate: Free Ends: April 6th Register Here: Tinyurl.com/cotc2018 Kiwanis International Convention: June 28th-July 1st Location: Las Vegas, NV Earliest Bird Registration: Rate- US $150 Ends: April 15, 2018 at 12 pm EDT Early Bird Registration: Rate- US $250 Ends: May 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT Regular Registration: Rate- US $300 Ends: June 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT Register Here: kiwanis.org/convention/2018/register CKIx: July 4th-8th Location: Chicago, IL Early Bird Registration: Rate- US $250 Ends: May 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT Regular Registration: Rate- US $300 Ends: June 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT Register Here: schedule.kiwanisone.org/CKIx18 Key Club Fall Rally: October 7th Location: Carowinds, Charlotte NC. Regular Registration: Rate- $40.00 Ends: Septmber 26, 2018 Register Soon Fall Call Conference: October 19th- 21st Location: Ridge Haven Retreat Center, Brevard NC Early Bird Registration: Rates: $90 for CKI members, $250 Single Advisor, $150 Double Advisor; Ends: Sept 14, 2018 Regular Registration: Rates: $100 for CKI members, $250 Single Advisor, $160 Double Advisor; Ends: Sept 21, 2018 Register Soon K-Family Conference: November 8th-10th Location: Black Mountatin, NC Regular CKI Member Registration: $185.00; Ends October 12th, 2018 Register Soon District Convention: February 22nd-Feb 24th Location: Hilton in Durham, Durham NC Early Bird Registration: Rates: $190 Quad Rate, $260 Double Rate, $400 Single Rate; Ends: Jan 25, 2019 Regular Registration: Rates: $225 Quad Rate, $295 Double Rate, $435 Single Rate; Ends: Feb 1, 2019 Register Soon
We hope to see you all there!
Going International "Travel is the only thing that you buy that makes you richer."
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION International convention is the biggest event of the CKI year! Traditionally held in mid-June or early July, international convention is a time for members from all over the world to gather and discuss the business of the organization. Members elect the President, Vice President, Trustee-at-Large and all subregion trustees. Members also vote on amendments to the Bylaws of the organization. Of course, it's not all business. International convention is a time to meet members from around the world and exchange ideas, form lasting friendships and make wonderful memories! REGISTRATION Registration rates are as follows: Early Bird Registration: Rate- US$250 (January 2018- May 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT) Regular Registration: Rate- US$300 (May 2, 2018-June 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT) Please note there will be no on-site registration due to the need for all attendees (including guests) to have a clear background check completed through Kiwanis International prior to CKIx. The cost of the background check is covered in your registration fee. CKIX HOTEL RESERVATION LINK Your choices include: Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile- The official CKIx hotel, where all the events will be held. Room rate US$159 per night plus taxes and fees. Courtyard Chicago Downtown/River North- Limited rooms available. This hotel is located directly across from the official convention hotel. You will need to walk across the street to the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile for all CKIx events. Room rate US$159 per night plus taxes and fees.
Register At Circlek.org/ckix
International Service Partners Better World Books is an online reseller of used books. Every time you purchase a book from BetterWorldBooks.com, a book is donated to someone in need. Operating as a social enterprise, Better World Books rewards nonprofit partners for books collected through books drives.
Every day 1 in 8 babies born in the U.S. arrive too soon. Circle K members help by raising funds annually for March of Dimes programs to help prevent prematurity. The March of Dimes currently focuses on raising awareness of prematurity and reducing the rate of premature births.
Students Team Up To Fight Hunger (STUFH) is a non-profit organization devoted to assisting and inspiring food drives at colleges and universities across the country. The mission of STUFH is to help feed the hungry while at the same time raising awareness among college students about hunger in their local communities.
The St. Baldrick's Foundation does one thing and they do it well: fund childhood cancer research. Whether it’s through their signature head-shaving events, partnerships or advocacy initiatives, their primary focus is to have the greatest impact for kids with cancer around the world.tle bit of body text UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to improve the lives of children—helping children meet their basic needs and expanding their opportunities to reach their full potential. Across the globe, wherever vulnerable children are struggling to survive, UNICEF is there with medicine, vaccines, clean water, nutrition and educational opportunities.
Interested in International Awards? CLUB AWARDS All awards will be submitted online no later than June 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT. Club award applications are now available for download. Apply at circlek.org/ckix! Club Achievement Outstanding Kiwanis Family Relations Outstanding Single Service Preferred Charities & Service Partners Club Promotional Video DISTINGUISHED AWARDS All distinguished awards must be submitted online no later than May 4, 2018 at 12 pm EDT. The distinguished awards applications are now available for download. Distinguished District Distinguished District Governor Distinguished District Administrator Distinguished District Secretary-Treasurer Distinguished District Secretary Distinguished District Treasurer Distinguished District Editor Distinguished District Chairperson Distinguished Lieutenant Governor Distinguished Kiwanis Committee Member Distinguished International Chairperson Individual Awards This year's awards taskforce has included three individual awards that may require nomination, performance, or a recommendation. The applications are now available for download: CKI Hall of Fame: Recognizes 3+ year veteran members who have made substantial contributions to CKI. New Member of the Year: Recognizes new members who exemplify the tenets, principles, and values of CKI. Outstanding International Committee Member: Recognizes outstanding members of International Committees/Task Forces. ORATORICAL CONTEST The Circle K International Oratorical Contest is designed to encourage members to share their attitudes, beliefs, and experiences regarding the organization through a prepared speech. The theme and for the 2018 Oratorical Contest is: What skills have you gained, or hope to gain from CKI, will you be able to bring with you into the professional world after you graduate from college? Download the oratorical contest guidelines and submit an audio or video presentation of their speech no later than June 1, 2018 at 12 pm EDT. The audio or video presention will be submitted via the CKIx18 Club/Individual Awards Submission portal
I pledge to uphold the Objects of Circle K International, to foster compassion and goodwill toward others through service and leadership, to develop my abilities and the abilities of all people, and to dedicate myself to the realization of mankind’s potential!
Carolinas District of CKI
Mission Statement Developing college and university students into a global network of responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to service.
@carolinas_cki
#carolinas_cki
District Board & Advisor Contact Info EXECUTIVE BOARD
District Governor Julia Terry carolinasgovernor.cki@gmail.com District Secretary Sydney Salloum carolinassecretaty.cki@gmail.com District Treasurer Nelson Schacht carolinastreasurer.cki@gmail.com District Editor Chelsie Higdon carolinasbulletineditor.cki@gmail.com LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS
Blue Ridge Kelvin Pineda carolinasblueridgeltg.cki@gmail.com Capital Cameron-Kate McVay carolinascapitalltg.cki@gmail.com Coastal Rachel Hamilton carolinascoastalltg.cki@gmail.com Metro Kelvin Pineda carolinasmetroltg.cki@gmail.com Palmetto Marissa Gross carolinaspalmettoltg.cki@gmail.com Triad Genesis Reyes carolinastraidltg.cki@gmail.com COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Con-Con Chair Sara Mylin carolinasconconchair.cki@gmail.com K-Fam & MDE Chair Cristian Rios carolinasmdechair.cki@gmail.com Service Chair George Lin carolinasservicechair.cki@gmail.com ADMINISTRATORS
District Adminstrator Jon Hethcox jon.hethcox@gmail.com Assistant District Admin Jennifer Hethcox jennifer.hethcox@gmail.com Assistant District Admin Alec Maculay alec.maculay@gmail.com
Live to serve, Love to serve
carolinascki.org