The Cal-Nev-Ha District has countless members who selflessly dedicate their time to Circle K. Although many members do what they do out of passion for the organization, recognition helps to shape the member experience. Recognition has the potential to make members feel valued and appreciated. Often times, recognition in Circle K is associated with awards or the Membership Recognition Program at the district level. However, recognition truly starts with the little things at the home club and division levels. In this manual, we will spotlight the importance of recognition, showcase different recognition programs across the district, and give tips and tricks to how you can promote recognition in your home club or division. Recognizing members helps to encourage members to go the distance for Circle K. Recognition can boost their personal confidence and encourage them to attend more events, chair service projects, and even go for a board position! In addition, recognition helps to promote the growth and development of both individual members and our entire Cal-Nev-Ha Circle K District. Ultimately, recognition truly makes members feel as if they are a part of something special - our one big Circle K family.
“Member recognition means that every person's contributions are noticed and that every little thing matters!”
Bill Truong
“Recognition creates a sense of community. When the district recognizes someone, that member becomes someone we can rally around and see as an inspiration to be a better CKI member.”
Richard Tzul
UC Santa Barbara
Los Angeles City College
“I believe that recognition has a very positive impact on our district. Even though we do not do things for the recognition, it is still nice and motivating to receive it!”
Ethan Wynne CSU Long Beach “Member recognition to me means member retention! I believe the best way to encourage members to continue to work hard is to recognize their efforts. If members aren't recognized for their achievements, they will have less of a drive to continue to work hard to make their clubs, divisions, and district the best it can be.”
Ryan Wiseman De Anza College
“Recognition has a big impact in our district because we recognize the hard work that all members did to spread the influence of how CKI helped make a big difference in everyone's lives.”
Emmanuel Escobal CSU East bay
“I think recognition has a big impact because having recognition gives the members more courage to do better throughout their term.”
T heresa Ng Diablo Valley College
“Member recognition means letting people know their hard work is appreciated. We aren't doing this amazing work for the recognition, but it means a lot when you do get recognized. It helps develop teamwork, as entire committees, clubs, and divisions contribute towards goals. It helps develop self-image as people become empowered by the work they're doing that got them recognized. It helps remind people that we're serving for and with a purpose.”
Vanessa Martinez UC Santa Barbara
Recognition starts with the ! Every year, officers and members strive to win awards and achieve certain Membership Recognition Program (MRP) standings. In the end, creating a culture of recognition in your home club or division can have just as significant of an impact. Encouraging and retaining members begins with even the simplest acknowledgement. Affirmation is important because even a thank you can make someone’s day! The little things that clubs and officers do for recognition can help someone realize that you see all of their hard work and that you appreciate them for it. This recognition has the potential to create a caring, positive club environment that values passion and dedication in Circle K. Here are some of the little forms of recognition that can make the biggest difference.
Special Shoutouts
Shout out members on social media or at meetings!
Meeting Activities
Greetings Have officers stand at the door to
Gather together after an event and greet members and hand them reflect on the impact you made. Take the agendas. You can also have other time to thank individuals for coming and officers and members spread out in the contributing. Shout out drivers and do meeting room to talk to different cheers for the members who stood out for members. This helps to promote a chairing the event or stepping up at the welcoming, friendly club environment. event! Share reflection posts on social media Prizes Provide members with tickets for that tag the members who attended. Give special shoutouts to event opportunity drawings along with their chairs and drivers and showcase the agendas at the beginning of a impact of the event. These posts help to meeting. Draw these tickets randomly show that the members’ time at the event throughout the meeting, so members really made a difference! have the chance to win prizes like Personally message members to check candy. Bring them up to introduce in on them or to thank them for coming themselves and any fun facts. These little out to events. It means a lot for officers prizes are tokens of appreciation for and fellow members to reach out. This members’ attendance at meetings. It personalized connection promotes also allows members to be randomly fellowship and greater member spotlighted throughout the meeting! involvement because it makes members Happy/Sad Change feel that others care about them! Have a jar in which members can Shoutout Box donate spare change for District Have a shoutout box that allows Fundraising Initiatives (DFI’s) and share people to write shoutouts or tidbits about their lives. It allows members compliments for different members. Take to put themselves out there and learn the time to read them throughout the more about other members. meeting or at the end of the meeting to make members feel special!
Customize your own recognition Program Implementing recognition programs in your home club and division helps to leave a legacy of member appreciation for years to come. It inspires and motivates members to be more involved and to fall more in love with Circle K. Here are some tips and tricks to creating and promoting your own forms of recognition:
BRAINSTORM 
Evaluate the circumstances of your club or division to determine how to distribute recognition. Each club and division has unique qualities and circumstances. Part of this evaluation process includes thinking about how often to recognize members and what types of recognition to award members. For instance, some may choose to recognize members weekly rather than monthly and some may choose to have multiple recognition programs. Some ideas for recognition include spotlighting members through superlative awards, awards for outstanding achievements, or awards for the different tenets of Circle K. Here are some examples:
HAVE Weekly Member Spotlights 
Every week, members can be spotlighted for their achievements. Officers and other members can speak about why a member deserves to be spotlighted. In addition, officers can bring up the members, award them with small gifts or certificates, and ask them random questions to help the club to better get to know them.
PROMOTE RECOGNITION
Have members nominate other members for awards! For example, UCSD has a Staff of Fellowship in which an outstanding member is presented with a staff, signs it, and keeps it for a week. This aims to recognize members who are involved in the tenet of fellowship. Integrate recognition into different platforms such as in person at meetings and events, on social media, or on the club, division, or district websites. Have an M.V.P. of the Event! Have the chair of the event choose a general member who stood out at the service project. This doesn’t have to be at every service project, but it promotes peer recognition within the club. Add sections for recognition to club newsletters, meeting agendas, and meeting presentations. Prime examples of this include the spotlights in the District Biweekly Digest or the spotlights in different club and division newsletters. Great examples of social media recognition include UC Los Angeles Circle K’s Humans of Circle K, in which they showcase the lives and experiences of their members on their Facebook Page, and Desert Oasis Division’s Faces of Desert Oasis (FODO), in which they spotlight different members across the division on their different social media . Utilize district, division, or club/school themes to customize your recognition. Use mascots or club/division themes to create fun names for your recognition programs. Examples include the district “Member Recognition Mondays,” CSU Long Beach’s Golden Nugget of the Week, and the Metro Monsters of the Month!
Talk about recognition with other clubs to get inspiration for your own recognition programs. Check out what other clubs and divisions do for recognition in the next section of this manual!
UC Los Angeles Circle K has Humans of Circle K International (HoCKI) on their UCLA Circle K Photos Facebook Page. This is inspired by Humans of New York. The club spotlights its members by sharing photos of them along with captions of their stories and experiences. This special form of recognition provides us with insight into these members’ lives.
CSU Long Beach has a Member of the Month and Golden Nugget of the Week. The Golden Nugget plays off their 49er mascot. The president gives a brief speech about the member’s accomplishments and the member is brought up for a minute of Q&A. Other members get to ask random questions about the recipient. This is a fun way for the club to get to know the recipient and to recognize them for their achievements. Overall, these are fun ways to show appreciation for members and to inspire members to get more involved in Circle K!
Divisions like Capital and Foothill have recognition for Members of the Month. Capital has Co-Eagles of the Month who are nominated by the Divisional Leadership Team and club presidents. These members are chosen for their involvement at the division and club levels for that month. Metro recognizes three clubs with the three monster plushies named Sophie, Logan, and Flynn. The monsters represent the tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship. Every month, three clubs are recognized for their excellent achievement in one of these tenets. In addition, Metro Monsters of the Month are nominated by fellow officers and members for their dedication at the club and division levels.
Spotligh Recog
Check out som that clubs & divi district do for
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me of the things isions across the r recognition!
Sunset recognizes members with certificates at a division event. Take the time to recognize new and returning members with member installation events. You can make this event super special by presenting these members with their member certificates, handbooks, and pins!
Golden Gate awards certificates for Guardian of the Month, Officer of the Month, and Club of the Season to spotlight the achievements of clubs and members.
Magic Kingdom recognizes clubs and members with certificates at each Division Council Meeting (DCM). They award a Mickey of the Month, Club Champ of the Month, and Project of the Month. In addition, they have their own Divisional Recognition Program (DRP). This program plays off their Kingdom Hearts theme and is inspired by the District Membership Recognition Program (MRP). The program helps to promote involvement at the division level of Circle K and recognizes Magic Kingdom members for their achievements.