The Carolinian
Issue 3, Oct - Dec 2017
Upcoming Dates Kiwanis Mid Year Conference Feb 9th-11th
Carolinas District Convention Feb 23rd-25th
COTC/DOTC April 13th-15th
Letter from the Governor
Hello Readers of the Carolinian!
These past couple of months have certainly flown by! It feels like it was just yesterday that I was with fellow Circle K-ers and Kiwanians at Ridge Haven for our Fall Call Conference. I also had the incredible opportunity to attend other events, such as our annual Kiwanis Family Conference in Black Mountain. Let’s just say that I’m going to always remember these months as being filled with laughter, road trips, and a lot of food.
But just because a large part of the year is over doesn’t mean that we should slow down. In fact, we are coming up on some of our busiest months with District Convention, Club Officer Training, and much more! It’s our chance to make those lasting memories, even if it is just food related. It’s our chance to up our service hours with projects that we are passionate about. It’s our chance to be active within our Kiwanis family. Overall, it’s our chance to take the opportunities we get by being in CKI and running with it.
Please join me and your fellow District Board at our 2018 District Convention to celebrate said “running with it!” See page 16 to find out more about registering, selling ads, running for an elected position, and much more. Also, take a look through the rest of this issue of the Carolinian that your District Bulletin Editor, Chelsie Higdon, put a lot of effort into. It’s fun, interactive, and just awesome. Enjoy!
Yours in service, leadership, and fellowship, Julia Terry
EDITORS BLURB Hello Carolinas District! I hope your fall semester concluded happily and you made many great memories. I am pleased to introduce you to the third issue of The Carolinian and I hope you enjoy reading. If you went to a great event and would like to share your story with others, please feel free to submit articles to The Carolinian. Also a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to this bulletin, and I look forward to working with you all more this semester. Wishing you the best, Chelsie Higdon 2017-2018 Carolinas District Bulletin Editor
Article Writers Julia Terry Teal Woodard Sahaana Veeravalli Lauren Yoder Jessica Gerlach Chelsie Higdon Jennifer Hethcox Adriana Ortiz Nelson Schacht Jon Hethcox Eric Yan Justin Croofoot
Thank you
Photographers Jon Hethcox Hannah George Lauren Yoder Larry Hewett Nelson Schacht Marisa Hoeing Chad Ledford Emmie Landford
Carolinas CKI District Board
Service "Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others." Jackson Brown Jr.
Want to be Spotlighted? The Carolinas District will be looking for articles from December-March.
If you want to be spotlighted please submit articles to carolinasbulletineditor.cki@gmail.com by March 5th.
NC State CKI Prep: This was my first semester with Circle K International, and my first time planning such a big service project with the club. Needless to say I was extremely excited to learn I got the position of committee chair, and fairly nervous as well. However I knew I had a great group of passionate members alongside me, some of who also had more experience with this project, and all of who brought great ideas and dedication to the table. The preparation extended from the beginning of September, when we learned about the committee chairs, to the weekend before Halloween. We had 12 members who actually participated in the Haunted House and helped plan the specifics of what we would be doing, but everyone voted on major decisions and helped set up when the time came. We planned everything from what the theme and costumes would be to what music we would play to what the lighting setups would be in each room. This was not an easy, nor a short process, but we all took on a part of the project and worked together. We met several times between the start date and day of execution, and stayed in touch at our weekly CKI meetings, over the phone, and on google docs. We came up with a few themes for the house, which the entire club voted on, deciding on Creature Zoo. After deciding what theme we would have, we came up with 6 “creatures” to occupy each room, There were six creatures; Vampire, Siren, Mad Scientist, Alien, Swamp-man, and a Werewolf, as well as another Swamp-man that would come out and “attack” one of the tour guides. We came up with their costumes and listed what materials we would need for them and their rooms. We then separated the list into items we had- which the entire club helped out with- and items we would need to buy- which we tried to keep to a minimum. At one of our weekly meetings the Tuesday before the haunted house, the club came together to join all of our materials that would be necessary for that weekend, and to make posters for each room in the house. Finally, planning was over, and we got ready for setting up the house. Setup: Setup took us two days, the Thursday before and the Friday of. The whole club came to help set up at the Girl’s Club, where the annual house is held. Setup took about 3 hours the first day, and 3 the next. At first it wasn’t too exciting, just hanging up big tarps to make “rooms” for the haunted house and setting up tables, seats, and lights; all the boring but extremely necessary parts. Friday was when it got interesting. We started decorating the rooms with more detail, and they really started coming together. It was exciting and rewarding to see the last two months of work come to life. The first room was the Vampire lair, then the Siren’s room, the Mad Scientist, the crashed Alien, the Swamp-man, and the Werewolf. The Swamp-man that was to attack one of the tour guides was placed between the alien room and the Swamp-man room, toward the end of the tour, so that the kids could run out pretty soon afterwards. Finally, we did makeup for all of the characters, and got into costume. Then, it was ready for the kids to come tour our haunted house!
Haunted House Execution: I had never worked in a haunted house before, on any haunted trail, or even had very scary halloween decorations in my house, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. When the first group of kids came in though, it was better than I could have imagined. I was in the first room as the Vampire, so I got to see the kids’ immediate reactions. I was hovering down behind a table in my lair, baring my teeth and snarling at them. Some of them were so scared they actually ran back out of the room! The ones that stayed trembled behind each other and the tour guides, reluctant to venture any farther into the horrors. One girl even made Jeff, one of our tour guides, carry her through the house, and another actually cried he was so scared. You could hear the kids outside the door asking if it was “too scary,” but our tour guides reassured them as long as they followed the rules everything would be okay. Our hard work paid off in the form of children’s screams, something I didn’t even think I would be able to say, but was incredibly proud of. It felt good knowing we were able to provide these kids with something they would likely have not been able to otherwise have. It might not have been a money donation, or a material gift, but it was something that still meant so much to these kids; the chance to just simply have a fun, scary night that every child deserves. By:Teal Woodard and Sahaana Veeravalli
Pictures by: Hannah George
Campbell's Haunted Trail By: Lauren Yoder; Campbells CKI, Co-President During Halloween weekend of October 27 and 28, Campbell University’s CKI club hosted a Haunted Trail event at the school’s cross country trail. Between 8 to 10 pm, the trail was promoted as a Kid’s Spooky Trail for younger audiences, while 10 pm to 1 am was only for the brave. Admission to the event costed $10 and all proceeds went to Project Eliminate to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. Tetanus infects newborns early on due to limited pre- and post-natal care services, limited immunizations, and improper delivery services. The disease kills newborns within days, yet it is highly preventable with vaccination. A vaccine cost $1.80 per dose to women of childbearing age. This two day event raised $559.50, which is enough to provide for 311 vaccines! However, this event could not have been as successful without the help of volunteers. UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke CKI Clubs, Harnett Central High School’s Key Club, Campbell’s Korean-American Student Association and Asian Student Association, and other Campbell students volunteered as scarers or to sell concessions during the event. The club had several boxes that included makeup, costumes, masks, and props, such as chainsaws to fulfill the vision of the scarers. Amy Johnson, Campbell’s CKI Advisor, exclaimed, “Working with CKIers is always a joy! They are full of energy and great ideas. Their passion for helping others is contiguous. As their Advisor, I get so much more than I give.” We look forward to hosting this event next year and expanding it to involve more of the Kiwanis family!
Leadership "A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit." -Arnold Glasow
Fall Call Conference By: Jessica Gerlach; UNC-Chapel Hill
I was so excited to have the opportunity to attend Fall Call Conference this year for the first time! Last year I had gone to Fall Membership Rally in the Capital District and was excited to experience the Carolinas take on the conference. I arrived on Friday night to be greeted by friendly faces and an overwhelmingly welcoming atmosphere. This environment continued throughout the week as I met new friends and connected with old ones. In addition to networking with other students and Kiwanians from the area, I was able to expand my knowledge on marketing for my club and gained ideas for different service projects that had been successful in other clubs. The marketing break out group brought up great points that I found helpful for clubs looking to increase their recruitment. In the discussion, we talked about using language that was appealing to the general population and not so specific to Circle K. This was relatable to me, as coming from a background where I was not in Key Club, joining Circle K was a little overwhelming at first as everyone else seemed to know what an LTG was and what DCON was. I on the other hand was lost. We talked about using more relatable words when marketing in order to target a population that may not have as much experience with Kiwanis. In addition to that, we talked about the what demeanor should be used when doing recruiting events such as tabling. Tips that were mentioned included being in front of the table instead of sitting down to offer a more welcoming disposition, showcasing any awards your club has earned, and talking about leadership opportunities in Circle K at all different levels. I thought these ideas, in addition to using platforms such as social media to market, were really beneficial and could easily be implemented. Overall, I loved my experience at Fall Call. If you ever want to learn how much Circle K and Kiwanis means to the District Board I highly suggest attending a district event! Everyone is so passionate about service and creating an inclusive atmosphere for everyone which made the experience so incredible. I think a large theme of the conference was that service is universal and does not discriminate. Anyone should be able to receive the benefits of service and anyone should be able to take part in making that service possible. Seeing this in action was an amazing experience and made the whole conference fun and meaningful!
DEVELOP YOUR VOICE: BECOME A CERTIFIED WORKSHOP LEADER This past fall five Circle Kers became the first in the Carolinas District to become certified workshop leaders during Fall Call Conference. It was a chilly October morning when these five ventured out of their cozy cabin at Ridge Haven and entered the world of Public Speaking! Did you know that public speaking is one of the top ten fears of most Americans? Did you know that being able to present a topic in an interesting and meaningful way is a marketable skill to most future employers? Did you know that right here in the Carolinas District of CKI we have a program that will prepare you for presenting to any size groups? The Certified Workshop Leader program was developed by a Carolinas CKI Alumni and UNC graduate, Dia Kelly. She married former CKI International President Dave Kelly and moved to Atlanta, Georgia where they became administrators of the Georgia District of CKI. Dia saw a need for the Circle Kers to develop their abilities to present meaningful, well organized and very prepared workshops so that is when the Certified Workshop Leader (CWL) program was born. Fast forward to today, former CKI member and student leader under Dia Kelly, Assistant Administrator Jennifer Hethcox, has brought the certified workshop leader program to the Carolinas District. So, why would someone go through the trouble of spending 2-3 hours learning about how to present a workshop during Fall Call Conference? As you move from being a full time student to a full time professional, possessing the ability to present is critical to most jobs. Those that can deliver an informative and interesting presentation have marketable skills. In addition, your job may require you to present to clients or colleagues, so presentation and public speaking skills come in quite handy. Think about your current classes as a CKI student, your classmates and especially your professors do not want to hear another boring presentation. The workshop teaches attendee how to develop and present in a meaningful and interesting manner. The Certified Workshop Leader program is only offered during Fall Call Conference because of it's time intensity. However, you can see the presentations developed by the graduates at District Convention. While public speaking is always a work in progress, we hope you will spot the CWL graduates and congratulate them on a job well done. Also, consider attending the CWL training next fall at FCC (October 19-21, 2018 at Ridge Haven).
By: Jennifer Hethcox; Assistant District Admin
ALABAMA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY By: Nelson Schacht; District Treasurer
This past November I, along with Cameron-Kate from UNC Chapel Hill, had the great opportunity to attend the Alabama Leadership Academy in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It was a wonderful weekend filled with laughter, reflection, and many friends. This weekend began on Friday night by breaking off into our groups and going through ice breakers with our group, as well as, coming up with a dance to teach everyone else. Saturday, we started out on the beach competing against the other teams in a series of challenges, ending with a Sand Castle contest. We then went into “Why Do I Lead” Sessions. We started by building a contraption for an egg drop. We worked together as a team to build it to keep our egg safe. Next, our team went to Board of Directors. In this session, we went over who is on our own personal board of directors. We followed this up with Identity. In this session, we did the powerful crossing the line. Lastly, we went over our Myers-Briggs personality type. All teaching us teamwork, and how to be more a productive leader. Remember that dance I mentioned Friday Night? On Sunday, we put together all the parts and we had a complete dance to Can’t Stop This Feeling by Justin Timberlake as a team. Afterwards, we said our farewells and we then packed up and began the 600-mile trip back to North Carolina. All in all, ALA was a great experience that taught us more about leadership, along with a weekend filled with laughter and both new and old friends.
Committee Chairs Speak Over the past few months, the Conferences and Conventions Committee has been working diligently to have an amazing end of the year. As you’ve seen by now we’re gearing up for our District Convention. We have awesome workshops lined up for the weekend, as well as some incredibly fun activities, all of which you will hear more about shortly. Other tasks being completed include the creation of various promotional materials for the event, getting decorations that’ll knock you off your feet, coordinating with our Service Chair, George, to ensure everything is all set for our service project that weekend, and finalizing the plans for the weekend to make sure you all have an amazing time. Just a friendly reminder, the last date to register for DCon is Jan 31st, so be sure to sign up by clicking below!- Sara Mylin; ConCon Chair Click to Register for Dcon
In terms of my position.. I have been working on a digital K-Family map, more details soon and developing a survey for an alumni database. Lastly, I am developing a Key to College presentation to help support all our clubs in this area. As well as looking into having a Key to College Day soon. - Cristian Rios; K-Family and MD&E Chair
As committee chair I have been actively working to prepare for the service fair and service project at district convention. Additionally, I have been searching for ways to connect divisions through large service projects at individual schools. - George Lin; Service Chair
District Conwention Greenwille, SC Feb 23rd-25th Register by Jan 31st
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Fellowship “One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.”
― Lucius Seneca
Georgia's Fall Membership Retreat By: Chelsie Higdon; East Carolina University
On November 10-12th, Three of our District Board Members ventured to Covington, GA for the Georgia District’s annual Fall Membership Retreat. This weekend included a theme of Service is Wild and had our international president, and vice president as guests, as well as others from outside of Georgia. On Friday Night, our weekend began with icebreaker games, and smores, with a bonfire to allow us all to bundle up and connect with one another. After the night ended, a few of us drove down to Cookout to have a light snack which allowed for more bonding and fellowship. Saturday began bright and early with an amazing breakfast, and workshops to look forward too. As I learned more about myself in our Trustee’s workshop, and heard from our service committee on what they got coming up, I knew I was excited to do service that day as well. Our Service consisted of cleaning up the campgrounds, and making care kits for SimpleNeedsGA who helps vulnerable populations in Marietta. This allowed me to feel as if we were all making a difference, even if it was in a small way. The night ended with more workshops, in which I was able to connect with Georgia’s District Editor and talk ideas, and fellowship games in which the teams competed. This allowed our teams to feel closer, as we all were motivated to win. Overall, Georgia’s FMR was a fun experience in which I learned more about myself as a leader, did some service, and created some last long memories with some brand new friends.
By: Adriana Ortiz; NC State University When I first arrived at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in the Black mountains the trees were transitioning from green to hues of orange, yellow and red. With the mountains in the background the scenery was as if it was out of a story book. Being the only one from my Circle K at NC State made me nervous but filled me with anticipation for what was to come. After checking in I found that my roommate was a freshman from Virginia State’s CKI. It was her first time at KFC which allowed us to instantly click. She was placed in the racoon family while I was placed into the deer family which was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. These families you were placed in allowed you to get to know people from different ages and areas. Spending time with them lead to many laughs and enjoyable experiences. From creating a masterpiece of a poster, creating our own chant to choreographing our own dance routine the memories were never ending. The family I had at KFC was one that I will always hold “deer” to my heart. Not only did I gain another family I was able to make four new friends from the random high five, hip bump, patty cake and handshake buddies we were told to find. One of them was all the way from Ohio and we grew close and even exchanged contact information. The final session for the first day ended with a storybook reading of “The Giving Tree” causing me to cry. That night I joined the rest of the CKI members in a midnight run to Cookout which after an hour ended with everyone running to their cars because of the sudden rain that came out of nowhere. Although I got somewhat soaked it was a memory I will never forget. The closing session was very heartwarming as candles were set everywhere and everyone gathered as we were nearing the end of our retreat. It was sad because I realized the friends and family that I had grown so close to over a weekend I would soon have to say goodbye to. I am thankful to have experienced KFC as it was able allow for new friendships and everlasting memories.
Kiwanis Korner Happy New Year Carolinas CKI! The turn of the New Year always gives us the chance to hit the “reset button” and begin again with a fresh start. So, my question to you is what will you do with your fresh start? I’ve got a couple of recommendations, if you’ll consider them: 1. Redouble your service efforts: as we move towards the final quarter of the Circle K calendar, I encourage you to make service to your school and community a priority; after all, it’s what we’re about! 2. Invite a friend to join CKI: no, it’s not too late to join Circle K. Our signature event, District Convention is right around the corner and what better way to showcase our terrific district than to bring a friend to see how awesome your fellow CKI’ers are. 3. Get more sleep: so, this one isn’t as related to CKI as my other recommendations, but in order to be the best student and leader you can be, you need rest! So, go ahead, take that nap, but make sure your getting you eight hours a night in! As always, thank you for all you do for CKI and the communities we serve. Jon Hethcox, District Administrator
Going International "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -Saint Augustine
Learn More International President Full Name: Justin Keith Crofoot Age: 22 Major: Political Science and Philosophy Hometown: Sycamore, Illinois Favorite Food: Any seafood! Favorite Song/Music: My favorite artist is Chance the Rapper. Hobbies outside of CKI: Hammocking and Ultimate Frisbee Favorite Service Project: Reading is Fundamental Readings. We go to local elementary schools, read a book to the kids, and they get to bring the book home. Oftentimes it is the first book they have in their homes. Favorite Leadership Opportunity you’ve had: Last year I served as Subregion G International Trustee, and it provided me with so many wonderful experiences. I was able to work closely with five different district boards, as well as the international board, and an international committee. It was an incredible opportunity! Favorite Fellowship memory: Fall of 2017 I attended Kiwanis Family Conference, Georgia’s Fall Membership Retreat, and Alabama Leadership Academy, back to back to back weekends. I was able to spend time with so many old friends, as well as make new ones! Why you joined CKI and why you stayed? I joined Circle K because I was very active in Key Club all four years of high school. I stayed in Circle K because The University of Alabama is 13 hours away from my hometown, and Circle K provided a home away from home for me at a big university.
About Your International Vice-President Full Name: Eric Yan Age: 22 Major: Finance and Economics Hometown: Allen, Texas (We are the ones who build a $60 million football stadium, for a high school team) Favorite Food: wings and breakfast tacos (I love all food, to be honest) Favorite Song/Music: Favorite song currently: Mi Gente. I’m constantly listening to new music and I’m always listening to the “Discover Weekly” playlist on my Spotify Hobbies outside of CKI: Playing basketball, photography, research random things, and hiking! Favorite Service Project: Anything that deals with working with children or packaging food Favorite Leadership Opportunity you’ve had: My favorite leadership opportunity has to be serving as a team leader at ICON. I was nervous because I wanted everyone on my team to have the best of times and to become friends with one another. It was so awesome to see how the people on my team became more interactive as the time went on. Through different service projects and going out to eat at an Indian restaurant in Toronto, we shared so many great memories. We had a ridiculous chant that we did everywhere and were so proud of. The best part was that we all became really good friends and quite a few of us met up again at the following convention. Favorite Fellowship memory: I always love the warm and fuzzies that we do at the end of events. Not only do you get to share something memorable, but you can look back on them. Why you joined CKI and why you stayed? I first heard about CKI my senior year when they had an informational session at my Key Club convention. I joined because I wanted to continue to give back to the Kiwanis Family and serve along with other passionate individuals. In addition, I met some incredible people at the information session who I became best friends with. Later on, I continued to meet awesome people who inspired me to continue serving in CKI. There are so many possibilities and things to do in CKI. It is completely up to you to determine how much you want to put into this organization. The people I have met are smart, funny, and outgoing. The people I have met and their stories have made me realize the impact we can make if we work together. I would love to meet you all! Feel free to find me on Facebook or add me to other social media including Snapchat or Instagram (drericyan)!
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.
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. Â
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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 Walter Melgar 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
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