The n e d l o G e ! e Gaz
Volume 2 | Issue 2
Table of contents 03 04 05 06 08 09 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Lt. GOVernor’s Message // Editor’s blurb robert Rodriguez // Alan Kwok Important updates Spirit packs, training new Officers, golden gate banquet, stc north Kiwanis one day Learn about how you can get involved with your Kiwanis family this Kiwanis one day! District convention 2016: dress code // Packing list all the information you need in order to prepare for district convention 2016! The Golden Gazette: Issue 3, end-of-the-year edition (2015-2016) Learn about how you can contribute to the final issue of the term! Spotlight on member of the Month: December GET TO KNOW ABOUT oUR DECEMBER member of the month, Theresa NG! CLUB UPDATES CSU East Bay, DVC, LMC, NVC, SFSU, UC Berkeley ARTICLES cover page Get ready for some world-class service, leadership, and fellowship! DVC & LMC New member installation banquet by Theresa NG, DVC // Marilyn Nguyen, NVC SFSU: The north face challenge // LMC: appointed board takeover meeting by linh Nguyen, SFSU // Roberto Ruiz, LMC SFSU: Renew the zoo // NVC: Napa south target shop with a COP by linh Nguyen, SFSU // Marilyn Nguyen, NVC December DSP: GLIde memorial church // DECEMBER DCM: Holiday party bY Jasmine liu, DVC // Alan Kwok, DVC Go west 2015 // DVC Wintersong by emmanuel escobal, CSUEB // Monica willemsz, DVC Vallejo Color Vibe 5k // NVC Division 8 Kiwanis DCM takeover both articles by Marilyn Nguyen, NVC January DSP: Oakland Zoo Beautification // SFSU: Children’s health fair BY KelliE STONE, DVC // Emilie wong, SFSU January DCM + Professional Development Day by Alan Kwok, DVC Photo gallery Divisional Board Contact
LT. Governor’s message Hello Golden Gate Guardians, Welcome to another issue of the Golden Gazette! It’s been an amazing year and we are nearing the end of our term! Fall and winter have been extremely busy seasons for us and we were jam packed with events. We’ve had huge district events like Fall Training Conference and DLSSP North. We’ve also had tons of divisional service projects in between with socials like Murder Mystery, Holiday Party, Broomball Social, and Member Retreat. On top of events at the district and divisional level, all the clubs have been busy with banquets, single service projects, fundraisers, socials and so much more. Golden Gate has had an amazing winter and I hope you use this newsletter as a way to re-live all the excitement this organization brings. Thank you and shout out to all the writers and photographers and of course, to Alan Kwok, for making this newsletter.
Peace, Love, GG, Robert Rodriguez Robert Rodriguez Golden Gate Lt. Governor 2015-2016
Editor’s Blurb Hello Guardians! I hope that you will enjoy the second issue of our Divisional Newsletter! This issue covers the months of December and January. I had a blast reading all the amazing things that each club was doing during Winter Break and the start of the Spring semester. Be on the lookout for the final issue of our divisional newsletter, which will be printed and sold at our Divisional End-of-the-Year Banquet in April! Please enjoy reading this issue and I hope to see you at DCON 2016!
Live to serve, Love to serve,
Alan Kwok Alan Kwok Golden Gate Newsletter & Graphics Chair 2015-2016
Important Updates Divisional T-Shirts & Spirit Packs T-Shirt: $10 Spirit Pack: $15 (includes Fanny Pack + Fedora) Fanny Pack: $6 Rep Golden Gate at DCON 2016! Contact Club President or Divisional Board for more info!
Training New Officers CongratulationS to all the club who held elections recently! Current officers, please make sure to train your elects/ successors so that they are able to lead the club and perform
Golden Gate APRIL End-of-the-Year H T 0 1 Banquet SAVE THE DATE! April 10th, 5-9PM ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703 MORE info to be Announced!
CNH Spring Training Conference (STC) 2016: North Join Circle K members from all over Northern California & North Nevada as we attend workshops, learn about office positions, and be prepared for the start of the 2016-2017 term!
APRIL 30TH
Check cnhcirclek.org for more logistics and details.
Kiwanis One Day 2016 Saturday, April 2nd Kiwanis One Day is an annual service initiative where Kiwanis Family members worldwide come together and perform service in their local communities. On Kiwanis One Day, Kiwanis Family members (K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club/KIWIN’S, Circle K, Aktion Club, and Kiwanis) are encouraged to unite for a day of service. This year, Kiwanis One Day will take place on April 2nd, 2016. Kiwanis One Day was initiated by Past Kiwanis International President, Nelson Tucker. His goal was to dedicate a day that unites the entire Kiwanis family in service worldwide. Kiwanis One Day provides an opportunity to showcase the Kiwanis Family and our commitment to service in each community worldwide. Think of the impact that more than 600,000 Kiwanis family members can make in one day of united service. Whether it is constructing a playground in a community, working at a food bank, or reading to children, Kiwanis Family members are improving communities and lives across the globe. Contact your local sponsoring Kiwanis Club or Kiwanis Family to organize an inter-club service project this Kiwanis One Day. Join your local Kiwanis Family on April 2nd and do what we do best: service!
Inter-club Service Project Ideas:
• Park Clean Up • Food Bank • Soup Kitchen • PTP Doll Making • Book Drive • Reading to Children • Teaching children how to ride bicycles • Fundraising for our Preferred Charities • and many more ideas…
Kiwanis One Day 2013: Berkeley Kiwanis, UC Berkeley Circle K, and Oakland Technical HS Key Club participated in a Park clean-up in Oakland.
CNH Circle K: District Convention 2016
Service Baked Fresh
District Convention at a Glance: Who: CNH Circle K Members from all over California, Nevada, and Hawai’i What: an annual convention where members of CNH Circle K join together to attend workshops and seminars, get recognized with awards, elect their new District Board, attend expo’s for professional development, Kiwanis family, MD&E, as well as celebrate an amazing year of service! When: March 18th-20th, 2016 Where: LAX Marriott Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Dress Code:
FRIDAY NIGHT: SPIRIT/Circle K CASUAL
Club/Division or any Circle K related t-shirts are acceptable. Shorts two inches above the knee are not acceptable. Wear closed-toed shoes, flip flops are inappropriate.
Saturday morning & Afternoon: Business formal
We will be conducting business throughout Saturday morning & afternoon, so dress to impress! This means nondenim skirts for women, with a collared or business blouse. Skirts should not be shorter than two inches above the knees, without having to pull them down. For men, business attire means non-denim pants or slacks with a collared shirt and a tie. In both cases, shoes should be close-toed with socks or appropriate leg and foot coverings. Flip flops are inappropriate.
Saturday Awards Night: Business/Dressy
Business attire is acceptable for Saturday night’s dinner and awards ceremony. Many may elect to wear something dressy for awards night. For women, that means a cocktail dress no more than two inches above the knee, a mid-length or dress, or a long dress that does not drag on the ground. For men, this could include a coat and a tie with slacks, although some may elect to wear a tuxedo.
Saturday Night Alternative Activities: Casual For the talent show, dance, and alternative activities, Circle K members may dress down to casual, still bearing in mind that they represent Circle K to the guests in the hotel and with a clear understanding that they should not wear- or fail to wear- anything for a similar campus-sponsored event. Flip flops are not allowed and shorts should be no less than two inches above the knee.
Sunday: Convention CASUAL On Sunday, all attendees may dress in Convention Casual, which means that jeans, closed-toed shoes, and club/division, or convention t-shirts are acceptable. Flip-flops are not allowed and shorts should be no less than two inches above the knee. Retiring and incoming District Board members will be expected to be in business attire.
*ALL DCON-RElated publications were not created by the DCON Committee, however all content from page 6-7 are taken from cnhcirclek.org. both pages were created for the convenience of the members of the golden gate division to prepare for Dcon 2016.
Packing List: Whether this is your first or last convention, it’s always good to prepare ahead of time and make sure you pack all your things! Follow this specially made packing list to ensure you have everything you need and have the best time at convention this year. •
Attires adhering to the Dress Code listed on page 6 o Ladies: if wearing skirts, please make sure they are not shorter than 2 inches above the knee.
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Awards (if applicable and/or not mailed in prior to DCON)
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Convention Waiver and Code of Conduct (if not mailed in prior to convention)
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Delegate Form
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Undergarments
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Socks
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Pencil/Pen, Paper
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Homework or study materials in case you have school on Monday!
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Toiletries: Shampoo/Conditioner, Body Wash, Deodorant, Hair Products, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, etc.
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Pajamas
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Cell phone/camera with chargers
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Water/snacks o
NOTE: Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast are NOT provided.
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Money (for Friday dinner, on site fundraisers, gifts, club t-shirts, etc.)
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Your baking skills & Chef Hat
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Your smile + energy + spirit + open heart for all the memories you’re going to make!
Tips on how to have a great District Convention Experience:
• Make sure to adhere to the Code of Conduct starting with your travel to Convention until reaching your final • • • •
destination after Convention is over (March 18th-20th, 2016). Please make sure to check your outfits for each day to make sure they follow the Dress Code as well as checking the packing list while packing for Convention! Pack early! Make sure to bring enough money for meals that won’t be covered by the Convention and for emergencies. Make sure to bring your smile, energy, and amazing attitude to ensure a positive DCON experience. Make new friends, reunite with old ones, and record all the amazing memories that you will create at DCON 2016! If you have any questions or concerns regarding DCON 2016, please contact District Convention Chair Phillip Nguyen at dcon@cnhcirclek.org or the District Convention Committee for more information.
Hope to see you there! Safe Travels!
The Golden Gazette: ISSUE 3 End-of-the-Year Edition Sneak Peak of the Front Cover:
Hello Golden Gate Guardians! This next and final issue of our divisional newsletter will be printed and sold at the Golden Gate Divisional Banquet for the 2015-2016 term. This issue will be extremely special because it will be both a newsletter and a yearbook! From articles about service/fundraising/socials events from each individual school, to articles about Division Council Meetings and Division Service Projects, to galleries of photos from this term, to Senior quotes + advice, and pages where you could sign each other’s year book, this issue is definitely worth purchasing! However, I need your help to make this issue happen! I am collecting articles about club/ divisional events from February + March, as well as Senior quotes + advice from graduating members of Golden Gate. It would be greatly appreciated if members could submit articles + quotes/advices by
Tuesday, March 29th so that the Divisional Board would Will be printed and sold at the Golden Gate Divisional End-of-the-Year Banquet!
PRICE: TBA
MARCH
29
be able to print and sell this wonderful issue at our Divisional Banquet! This is the final push, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could help me out by sending articles, pictures, and other useful content so that I am able to compile a memorable newsletter/yearbook for you!
-Alan Kwok Golden Gate Newsletter & Graphics Chair 2015-2016
Deadline for all articles, pictures, and SENIOR quotes for the 3rd and final issue of the golden gazettE!
December Member of the Month:
Theresa Ng
Congratulations to Theresa Ng from Diablo Valley College for being chosen as our December Member of the Month! This recognition is awarded to a member who has gone above and beyond the expectations of a member of Golden Gate and has exemplified the three tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship. Thank you, Theresa, for being such an active and positive member of the Golden Gate Division!
8 FUN FACTS ABOUT THERESA: 1. Her favorite food is sushi. 2. Her major is Early Childhood Education. 3. She loves to dance/ do choreography. 4. She loves playing the piano. 5. Her favorite movie is A Walk to Remember. 6. Favorite CKI Event: Division Service Projects 7. Favorite TV Show: NCIS LA 8. Enjoy meeting new people, helping others, and spending time with friends! D OF YOU! U O R P E R A E W Y A S , U WE ARE PROUD OF YO , SAY WE ARE PROUD OF YOU! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU ! YOU, WAY TO GO, YOU ADER! E L , R E D A E L , R E D A E L YOU ARE A LEADER, A T YOU ARE! A H W IS R A T S R E P U S , R S-U-P-E-
S E T A D P U B CLU California State University, East Bay During December & January, the club’s involvement has been limited due to some of the issues our club have faced but has since been resolved. In December, our club helped out with the Concord Tree of Light where we set up for the event and helped serve refreshments to anyone that attended. Even though our club haven’t done any other club events since then, we did have members participate in other CKI events like Go West, Divisional Service Projects, DCM, and other events that happened recently. Right now we’ve been preparing elections to elect our E-Board for the next CKI Term while setting up some events our club can do for the remainder of the term like our school’s Homecoming Campus Service Day and others that are available. We are also preparing for the new term at hand while continuing to encourage our members to come to as many events as possible for the next two months. Our club has a brighter future at hand even though we suffer some setbacks along the way but we plan to finish the term strong while building a better foundation for the future.
diablo valley college During December & January, Diablo valley college circle k has been busy with service, fundraising, and our banquet. We started off December by co-hosting a member installation banquet with los medanos college circle k. A night full of fun, board-dares, amazing food, good company, we celebrated and welcomed the new members within our circle k family. Next, we volunteered for the north face challenge in San Francisco, where we coincidentally ran into sfsu circle k and got to volunteer with them. throughout winter break, members from dvc circle k attended division service projects like glide and the Oakland zoo beautification. In January, our club hosted a concert fundraiser called wintersong, where family and friends united together to fundraise for the eliminate project. from warm beverages, good company, and great musical talents, we were able to save a lot of lives from MNT! Our club has been busy with on campus relations such as getting ready for club rush days, tabling weekly to attract new potential members, and working a lot with our school’s ASDVC/ Inter-club CounCIL. Overall, December and January have been great months for DVC circle K and we’re ready to end the term strong!
Keeping up with the clubs of Golden Gate! Los Medanos College Throughout the winter season, Los Medanos College Circle K prepares to end the 2015-2016 term on a good basis. We have worked closely with Brentwood Kiwanis, one of our three sponsoring Kiwanis clubs, to put together a fundraiser which will go towards scholarships for children from low-income families. Not only have we been working very closely with the Kiwanians, but we will be collaborating with other clubs on campus in putting together service projects and socials for our members to participate in. Furthermore, we have been talking to members of potentially being on the Executive Board for the 2016-2017 term since elections will Take place the week before District Convention.
napa valley college During the months of December & January, Napa Valley College has been busy with service! From attending projects like Napa South Target Shop with a Cop, where we assisted children with buying toys and clothes at Target, to helping out at the Vallejo Color Vibe 5K, we have been actively helping our community. During our Winter Break, one of our biggest collaboration was with our sponsoring Kiwanis division, Division 8, where we took over their DCM. From playing games to educate Kiwanians about Circle K, to hearing other SLPs present at the DCM, it was such a blast seeing Kiwanians and other SLPs learning about Circle K! We are planning for more service projects for the Spring Semester as well as our elections!
CLUB UPDATES (cont’d) San francisco State university Besides dealing with finals and getting ready for the holidays, CKI SFSU was also busy volunteering for the North Face Endurance Challenge and Dinner with Grace. There was also Eliminate for Eliminate: a fundraiser where elimination games were played to raise funds for Project Eliminate through a small admission price to play. There were several rounds including sharks vs minnows, nerf gun war, and ambulance tag all planned out by the fundraising committee. In early preparation for elections and as ongoing education, board’s “boba hours” continued which were essentially office hours for all members to talk to each E-boarder or A-boarder about their position and what they do for the club. Then, over winter break, the MD&E committee held a general member retreat in South Lake Tahoe filled with lots of snowball throwing and of course, bonding. It was the first out-of-town general member retreat for CKI SFSU and may become annual! In January, Spring Welcome Week began to recruit some new members and welcome back returning members. Also, after months of prepping by the Special Service Committee, the Children’s Health Fair was finally executed at the end of January. It was a health fair planned by Special Service chair, Cesia Gomez, who wanted to educate kids in our community about healthy living and teamed up with a few local organizations and schools to make the program as enriching as possible. Our club volunteered as monitors and teachers. The kids were adorable and seemed to have learned a lot about both fitness and healthy eating. It was definitely a huge success.
University of California, Berkeley The winter months were filled with exciting events for UC Berkeley Circle K. At the beginning of December, we held our annual Fall Banquet, where we recognized our new members as well as all of our accomplishments as a club. We hope that everyone who attended had fun laughing, reminiscing, and dancing with us! In addition, we wrapped hundreds of gifts during our Barnes and Nobles Gift-wrapping shifts for the Eliminate Project. Winter Break was filled with lots of service and socials in our hometowns, as we caroled, road rollercoasters, and more! As we returned to school in January, we reunited in service, leadership, and fellowship through many welcome week events such as Brunch with Circle K, ice-skating, and concessions. Teaming up with Kollaboration SF for Concert for a Cause was an amazing experience as many Asian American students came out to share their talents for charity. Furthermore, we teamed up with UC Davis to clean up Lake MerriTt and eat delicious mac n cheese from Homeroom. To wrap up these months, we held Elections on March 1st and now have new Executive Board for the 2016-17 term! Needless to say, these past months were extremely exciting in service, leadership, and fellowship.
Articles Service Leadership Fellowship from the members
 of the Golden Gate Division 1. DVC & LMC New member installation banquet 2. SFSU: North face challenge // LMC:appointed board takeover meeting 3. SFSU: Renew the zoo // NVC:Napa south target shop with a cop 4. December DSP:GLide memorial church // December dcm: Holiday party 5. GO west 2015 // DVC: Wintersong 2016 6. vallejo color vibe 5k // NVC:Division 8 Kiwanis DCM takeover 7. January DSP:oakland zoo beautification // SFSU: Children’s health fair 8. January DCM + Professional development day
DVC & LMC New Member Installation Banquet by Theresa Ng, Diablo Valley College On December 4th, DVC and LMC had a joint installation banquet for the new members. It was a way of welcoming all the new Circle K members to the family. As a new member of Circle K International, I enjoyed being a part of this family, and being welcomed in made me feel appreciated and loved by every one of these members from the Golden Gate Division. This banquet was definitely a fun experience for me especially being a new board member as well a new member. Being able to meet all the new members from both schools helped me find new friends as well as new family members to enjoy serving with. Aside from installing new Circle K members, we also had the fun of taking part in a board dare auction, where members of Circle K got to auction and buy A-Board and E-Board members to do a dare. It was an interesting experience having members give random dares to their board members, it was also an enjoyable and a fun time for everyone to smile and laugh along with others while they are enjoying these dares. Special thanks to Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College A Board and E Board for participating in the board dare auction as well as the members who bought the board and participated in the dares as well. We definitely saved the best moment for last, which was the candlelight ending. Where we all have a light and we place the candlelight on the floor and made a Circle K logo from every single person in the area. It was a moment of recognition and a welcoming moment for everyone to be a part of Circle K. This event was definitely a memorable moment for me because not only was I being introduced as a new member but I was also becoming a part of a wonderful new family.
“At the Kiwanis Club of Martinez, Los Medanos College and Diablo Valley College hosted their joint memberinstallation banquet. With wonderful performances, to the hilarious board auction dares, and great food, the event was spectacular. It was especially hilarious when I walked out of the bathroom to see Kim and Brandon singing with one another. Props to the great food, but the highlight of the night when we installed the members and went outside with candles and had a lighting ceremony as Brandon Capulong, Crystal Reyes, Roberto Ruiz and Monica Willemsz gave an inspirational speech during the lighting ceremony. The speech explained the candles lighting one another as an ongoing spark symbolizing the passion of the members progressing the clubs further and further and members lit a candle to make a huge lit Circle K symbol. Truly a wonderful way to install their members and a night to celebrate.”
-Marilyn Nguyen, NVC Circle K President
THE NORTH FACE CHALLENGE by Linh Nguyen, San Francisco State University The North Face Endurance Challenge was a two-day running marathon in Marin Headlands where SFSU was able to help out at the volunteer booths, direct the traffic, and give the runners motivation. We also saw DVC Circle K at this event! It was fun to see all of the runners completing the run and crossing that finish line with a look of satisfaction on their face. Seeing everyone have that motivation and strength to just sprint through the finish line was very rewarding for not only them, but us as well, because we were able to be there at the very end to put a metal around their necks, symbolizing that they succeeded.
Appointed Board Takeover by roberto RUIZ, Los medanos College With the fall semester nearly approaching its end, Los Medanos College Circle K hosted their last general meeting of the semester on December 9th, 2015. This meeting was very unique because it was not ran by the Executive Board. Instead, this meeting was taken over by the Appointed Board in which they hosted a holiday-themed meeting that consisted of holiday games and snacks. The Appointed Board consisted of the following members; Ryan Pham as Historian, Maranyeli Sagrero as Service chair, Vincent Parungao as Spirit & Social chair, Brianne Visaya as Fundraising chair, Solomon Uhuru as Membership Development & Education chair, and Martha Magsombol as Public Relations chair. Not only have they been planning a lot for the takeover, but they contributed to the success our club has achieved throughout the year. It was a great ending to the 2015 year, and our club had fun celebrating early for the holidays and the new year!
Renew the Zoo by Linh Nguyen, SFSU Renew the Zoo was a service event where we went to the San Francisco Zoo to help beautify the habitats of the animals. The SFSU group was mainly in charge of taking out the large roots and weeds that covered the homes of the animals. This job might have seemed very little to help out a large area like a zoo, but we were able to see the difference being made from beginning to end. It shows that CKI is not only about helping people, but about helping everyone who lives in the community, and that includes giving these animals a comfortable home.
Napa South Target Shop with a Cop by Marilyn Nguyen, Napa Valley College It's December. It's THE month of giving, and one of the most charitable months of the year! That being said, very rarely do I see people get up before 8AM do service much less start an event at 6AM. So when I got to the South Target at Napa, I was surprised to see a huge line of people leading outside of the store and showing me where to go as a volunteer and to see a huge amount of volunteers (called Santa's helpers) from around the community as well as the police of Napa hosting the event. Cops partnered up with one underprivileged child to walk them through the process of shopping, paying and wrapping their presents and getting the kids home. When there weren't enough to be partnered with the kids, volunteers were partnered with a kid and were able to meet them, get to know their family and also get an informational sheet about them with their name, emergency contact and a list of family members to shop for. There were also volunteers places at a long table station of gift wrappers ready to wrap their presents. Afterwards, the kids went to the check out area where they received a gift for themselves after shopping for their family as well as ice-skating tickets. I was sincerely touched with the amount of compassion and gusto that all of the volunteers worked with and how well received it was by the kids who hugged, cheered and cried. Though it was one of the earliest events I've gone to, I think that I would mark this as one of my favorite events because of the amount of fellowship portrayed by the members in the Napa community all coming together to help someone else give back for the holiday season.
December DSP: Glide Memorial Church by Jasmine Liu, DVC I’ve got to admit, I have volunteered at Glide Memorial Church before, but I did not acquire the same experience. Last time, we were slapping on peanut butter on bread, nonstop for 1.5 hours, which was surprisingly really fun. This time around was different in the aspect that the volunteers were able to see the effects first hand as a result from contributing their time and effort. We got to help prepare and serve warm food to those who came to line up outside the church doors bright and early. It got busy fast, but I couldn’t restrain myself from noticing the people eating together interacting with one another. It warmed my heart. Despite the hardships these individuals encounter, in the cafeteria, they were all one big family. Some of them might not know when they will have their next meal, but when they hear another individual asking for extra food, there was always someone who volunteered to share without hesitation.
It amazes me how regardless of what position an individual is in, there will always be an opportunity to help others if you allow yourself. It does not take a billionaire or a “rich” person to help others, but a person with a kind heart and willingness to do so. I have a passion for service as it allows me to see the world in different ways and to see beyond the artificial image of problems. The Glide Divisional Service Project was just one of many experiences which I
learned from and I don’t intend to stop there! #service4lyfe
December DCM: Christmas Holiday potluck by Alan Kwok, DVC On December 11th, LMC Circle K hosted the December DCM at Los Medanos College. The theme for this DCM was Holiday Party, where the venue was nicely decorated with ornaments, Christmas trees, and other festive decorations. Once I walked into the venue, I felt so welcomed and warmed by the good vibes, amazing friends, and the amazing decoration put together by members of LMC Circle K. After everyone got the amazing selection of food from pizza, rice, orange chicken, lumpia, and many other chips and cookies, the DCM started. After the DCM, many events like a pie-eating contest was held, karaoke session, as well as a White Elephant gift exchange. It was such a pleasant Christmas party seeing every smile, laugh, bond over food, good company, and the Christmas spirit.
At the end of the event, two lucky winners from the Pie-Eating contest got to pie our Lt. Governor Robert as well as LMC’s President, Roberto Ruiz, with plates of whipped cream. Seeing members laugh at the finale was a great end of the night. I had such a great time at this event and hope that this will be an on-going tradition for LMC and Golden Gate.
Go West 2015
by emmanuel escoBal, CSUEB
Circle K members from around the district came together to build the rose floats that will be featured at the Tournament of Roses. This is a great experience for me to be here as I’m helping the flower group with preparing the roses that are placed on the floats later in the day. From the Broomball social that happened the night before to spending hours completing everything that needs to be done with the floats, all the hard work we did pays off in the end as they are all shown on display during the parade on New Years Day. I also got to meet and work with members from around the district along with members from other Kiwanis Family branches in order to make the floats look great and ready for the Rose Float Parade. I helped arrange the roses on the floats to make it look nice for everyone to see when it will be shown on television and helped everyone around me to decorate the floats that needs to be finished. Even though it took a very long time to finish all the tasks at hand, we were able to stay till the very end and all of our efforts to finish all the floats was worth it. I had a lot of fun working with member from the Kiwanis Family at Go West this year and I hope to be back in the future.
DVC Wintersong
by Monica willemsz, DVC
One cold night in the winter of January 2015, Diablo Valley College Circle K International began a tradition. Host a benefit concert, coffeehouse style for people to come together, enjoy hot chocolate, and fundraise to support the Eliminate Project, a campaign with UNICEF to protect mothers and their children from MNT (maternal neonatal tetanus). A year later, January 9th of 2016, DVC hosted their second annual WinteRSONG, an event that brought members together for an afternoon of music and entertainment. The day consisted of musical duets and solos by members of the community and Golden Gate alike, magic tricks, and dancing, all to be closed by the fabulous Black Pack led by Sunny Promyotin. In the end, while having a magical afternoon, we raised over $150 dollars to help save mothers and their babies! The summer edition, Citrus house will be coming soon in July, and as DVC CKI continues to grow, so will the tradition of Wintersong.
Vallejo Color Vibe 5K by Marilyn Nguyen, NVC On January 16, members from the Napa Valley College Circle K volunteered and participated in the 2016 Vallejo Color Vibe at the Solano County fairgrounds located down the street from Six Flags. Members were able to volunteer at registration and check in, at the water booth as well as on the track spraying powdered dyes. At precisely 8AM, a huge alarm rang and a flurry of multi-colored dyes ranging from reds to purple, yellows, green hues to blues painted the skies signaling the beginning of the marathon. NVC CKI's team, The Calm Before The Storm, with Nika Boncato and Matthew Mallari took off with them. Before and during the event, a DJ and MC host from a local radio station was throwing treats to the mosh pit from dyes to free shirts, pool noodles, balloons and even a beach ball that was bounced around as participants and volunteers enjoyed the marathon. The event was in high-gear and everyone was in high spirits as they asked for color to be put on their backs, hair and even some participants used the dye to put handprints on their butts! Many of the participants aIso had children with them and I was able to meet a little boy who wanted to help and we had a little mini- color fight of our own. I had an amazing time volunteering for the Color Vibe, since was a small and cozy event and you could really see everyone working together and enjoying one another's company. After the run, participants and volunteers alike were able to refuel with water, sports drinks and Noosa yogurt. After finishing counting the leftover boxes of dyes, we wrapped up the event - leaving slightly more colorful than when we came.
Napa Valley College: Division 8 Kiwanis Takeover by Marilyn Nguyen, Napa Valley College On January 21, NVC hosted it's long awaited Kiwanis DCM takeover. The DCM was hosted at the Firehouse bistro at 6PM by the Dixon Kiwanis. We'd been planning this event since November since being approached by the Division 8 Kiwanis LTG, Dorette Preston, at the last DCM in November. We also had several special guests from Key Club who were present as well including the Division 8 Key Club LTG, Jasmine Wong, and Dixion high school key club president, Alyssa Ponce. Upon arriving, we received a rose from the Dixon Club. Once we finished announcements and club updates, food was served pretty quickly along with some awesome cheesecake! Afterwards, Lindsey Yenor hosted a Circle K workshop to educated Kiwanis about Circle K and the NVC CKI overall and each table received a cheat sheet to study for bonus points to see who would be the club with the most points by the end of the night. Dori was presented a Diamond-1 Walter Zeller Award and overall despite being the first time for both Kiwanis and Circle K, the takeover was a success. NVC CKI was able to fundraise $24 towards DCON funds through oreo truffle shuffle sales (where clubs had to find the elusive 3 oreo truffles with marshmallows for 100 points to their club) as well as fundraising $50 towards redecorating the Division 8 Kiwanis room at the Kiwanis Family House with some urging of friendly competition through penny wars. I loved the enthusiasm at the end of the night when Kiwanis and Key clubbers competed to answer questions about the workshop and everyone was shouting answers at once. In the end, the Kiwanis of Fairfield won the most points throughout the night by answering trivia, penny wars and scoring one out of the two marshmallow oreo truffles found that night. The third marshmallow oreo truffle is still missing, most likely to be found at another Kiwanis event.
January DSP: Oakland Zoo Beautification by Kellie Stone, DVC Members of the Golden Gate Division volunteered at the Oakland Zoo on January 23, 2016. Circle K’ers and many other volunteers were split up into different groups that focused on different parts of the zoo. My group was assigned to the home of the camels. We helped by raking all of the sticks up and cutting grass for the camels to eat. It was a great experience. Some of the people were cleaning out sand, while some fed food to the camels. Some groups were assigned to the giraffes where they would cut up vegetables and fruits for them to eat, distribute food for the giraffes, and were able to feed the giraffes as well. Afterwards, we hung out around the zoo and looked at different animals. Even though it was raining that day, we still had a great time. I would definitely attend this event again. If you didn’t get the chance to attend this time, I encourage you to attend next year!
SFSU: Children’s Health Fair by emilie Wong, SFSU
This year, San Francisco State University Circle K held a special service project event called the "Children's Health Fair." It was an event that the Special Service Chair, Cesia Gomez, and her committee built from the ground up. Volunteers for the health fair worked with kids to teach them about making their bodies healthy. There were many stations that the kids all participated in. They were able to enjoy some yoga stretches, workout routines, art & crafts and so much more! Educating children about healthy living and eating is important, so we hope to make this an annual event and a tradition within SFSU Circle K!
January DCM/ Professional Development Day by Alan Kwok, DVC
On Saturday, January 30th, members of Golden Gate gathered at SFSU for the January DCM + Professional Development Day. The day started off with workshops from fellow Circle K members and multiple Kiwanians about Online Professionalism, Preparing for an Interview, How to Manage Your Finance, as well as How to Create a LinkedIn/Resume. Personally, I thought all the workshops were very informative and were very helpful towards my professional development. After attending these workshops, I felt more prepared about what to do after college and got a glimpse of what the real world outside of school is like. After a great lunch of Costco Pizza, we resumed our Professional Development Day with a Career/Q&A Panel from CKI alumni and Kiwanians. The panel consisted of past Circle K’ers like Kevin Sar, Berkeley Kiwanians/Past Circle K’ers like Jerry Bao and Chris Tung, Berkeley Kiwanis Club President Debra Wong, and our Regional Advisor Joe Lee. Through this panel, we were able to get professional and personal anecdotes from each person what it is like after college, what could we do in college to help us in the future, and what is it like to have a job after college. From having a wide range of recent Circle K graduates to those who have a couple more years of experience within the workforce, we were able to get anecdotes and stories from people who were new to working after college and people who already had years of experience working. Overall, I thought this event was very beneficial to Circle K members, since information like this isn’t being taught inside a classroom, and if it is, it isn’t provided for everyone. Having members of the Kiwanis Family come back to share about their professional lifestyles and careers was something that I really enjoyed and appreciated about this event. I had such an eyeopening experience from that day and hope that members who weren’t able to attend will be given a similar opportunity to attend in the future!
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Special Thanks: Robert Rodriguez + Divisional Board All the clubs in Golden Gate All the authors of the articles Marilyn Nguyen Kim Cruz Andrea Seet
Thanks for Reading!
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