Key Club vs. Circle K International Introduction Are you in Key Club or KIWIN’S, and are interested in Circle K once you start college? Or perhaps you were involved in K-Kids or Builders, and want to continue serving your community as you move onto higher education? Definitely consider becoming a member of Circle K International!
Key Club International vs. Circle K International There are so many similarities between Kiwanis Family branches, but there are a few differences! Think of Circle K like “the next step,” just as college is the next step in education. In transitioning from Key Club to Circle K, it’s important to keep an open mind about the differences and responsibilities that the collegiate world brings to the Kiwanis Family. CKI clubs provide the same opportunities, but we strive to develop new and creative ways to involve the membership at large: from expanded boards, to committee opportunities, to workshop hosting, skits and more! It’s also common to find that a CKI club offers service opportunities at varying times, especially since class scheduling in college is more flexible. Despite the slight differences the focus remains the same: Key Club, KIWIN’S and CKI have tremendous pride in their commitment to service.
2|Transition Guide
Behind Circle K International Behind Circle K International Welcome to the wonderful world of Circle K International! As an organization, CKI (Circle K International) is the largest community service organization at the collegiate and university levels. Each CKI club is sponsored by a Kiwanis Club; clubs which also sponsor Key Club in high schools. CKI promotes are community service, leadership development, and friendship. Blending service and leadership training, CKI offers students the opportunity to meet other college and university students around the world. As a selfgoverning organization, CKI clubs elect their own officers, conduct their own meetings, and plan their own service projects. This high degree of autonomy allows for a unique service experience driven entirely by the members for the members. Let’s start with a few basics of CKI, the largest collegiate service organization in the world. • Circle K International’s Vision: Working together to become a future focused, member-oriented organization that reaches out to the entire Kiwanis Family, all by being transparent, accountable, timely, and efficient. • Circle K International’s motto is “Live to Serve, Love to Serve”, a phrase deeply rooted by our three tenets: fellowship, leadership, and service. • Circle K International ‘s pledge: “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.” • Circle K International is led by students, for students, from the club level, to an international board. Annually, CKI holds a large scale service project and convention for members around the globe to gather and connect, while developing leadership skills and serving together. Similar to the Key Leader program, Circle K International also hosts a Leadership Academy where members can apply to attend a week-long retreat to learn the framework of servant leadership. • Like Key Club, Circle K is split into different districts, each with their own boards and conventions. Our home district is California-Nevada-Hawaii, also known as the CNH District; the largest Circle K district in the world.
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KCI to CKI: It’s Still CNH Our district, CNH (California-Nevada-Hawaii), is the largest district in CKI. From the black sand beaches of Hawaii, the glamour of Hollywood, to the world’s playground of Las Vegas, the CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii District spans over 2700 miles to include some of the most dynamic and diverse parts of the world. With over 2,000 members spanning these three states, Cal-Nev-Ha serves as a shining beacon to its fellow districts. On the district level, clubs within the boundaries of California, Nevada, and Hawaii also work to achieve common goals and district-wide service initiatives. District events throughout the year give clubs and members many opportunities to come together at conferences, conventions, and large scale projects to work closely with one another. Members develop new friendships that strengthen daily through service and interactions with Kiwanians, advisors, and peers during one’s collegiate career. In terms of district leadership, our District Board consists of the District Governor, District Secretary, District Treasurer, Lt. Governors and appointed District Chairs who oversee the Circle K operations of the Circle K clubs across the three states. Within our district, we have a divisional structure to allow for individual clubs to bond and thrive with other clubs located nearby. Divisions typically meet monthly and are led by the Lieutenant Governors on the district board. In CNH, we have nine divisions: Capital, Central Coast, Desert Oasis, Foothill, Golden Gate, Magic Kingdom, Metro, Paradise, and Sunset. In transitioning from Key Club to Circle K, something we have in common is our love of District Events! For the most part, District Events have a similar feel across each branch; you show off your spirit and cheer constantly, and you have the opportunity to gain leadership experience in workshops presented by members, and you meet members from all over CNH. There are many Circle K events offered throughout the year: each is unique and offers new opportunities! District events give members a chance to meet and talk with members from all over, and Circle K members have many chances to do so. Be it networking together, learning together, or serving together, there are six major opportunities for members attend district events. Let’s get started and see what types of events CNH Circle K has in store for you.
4| Tranistion Guide
I Want to Find a Circle K Club! So let’s say that you graduated high school, and are ready to join Circle K, but unsure if your college even has a Circle K club. If you are staying within the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, here is a list of all the colleges and universities with active clubs in our district. Cal Poly Pomona Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Cal State Fullerton Cal State San Marcos Chapman University Claramont Colleges College of Southern Nevada CSU Dominguez Hills CSU East Bay CSU Fresno CSU Long Beach CSU Los Angeles CSU Northridge CSU Sacramento CSU San Bernardino De Anza College Diablo Valley college East La College El Camino College Folsom Lake College Foothill College Fresno City College Glendale Community College Grossmont College Hawaii Pacific University Irvine Valley College Los Medanos College Loyoyo Marymount University Mission College
Mt. San Antonio College Nevada State College Norco College Orange Coast College Pierce college Saddleback College San Diego State San Francisco State University San Jose State University Santa Ana College Sierra College Stanford University Truck Meadows Community College UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Merced UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz UH Hilo UH Manoa UN Las Vegas UN Reno University of Southern California University of the Pacific Whittier College
For more information on each Division and the respected schools, please check out these resources: http://cnhcirclek.org/index.php/district-board/divisional-profiles For a contact list all of the Lieutenant Governors go here: http://cnhcirclek.org/index.php/district-board/contacts/lieutenant-governors If you are trying to find a Circle K club outside the Cal-Nev-Ha District, this website gives you a list of all the Circle K clubs in the United States and the international clubs: http://www.circlek.org/Join/ClubLists.aspx
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Starting Your Own Club Maybe you’ve going to attend a college or university campus without a CKI club!? Don’t rule out the idea of starting your own club on campus with other service-minded individuals. It may seem a daunting task, but it will be very rewarding and there are a multitude of resources available for starting up a new club. If interested in starting a CKI club, the first thing to do is to contact the District Governor (governor@cnhcirclek.org) and the District Administrator (administrator@cnhcirclek.org) about your interest in starting one. From there, they can guide you through the entire process and provide you with all the resources and contact information to further your pursuit in starting a Circle K club! Make sure that you contact them as early as possible. Extra information on starting a CKI club can be found here! http://www.kiwanisone.org/Pages/ Resources/default.aspx?PageID=376 District Governor governor@cnhcirclek.org District Administrator Camille Goulet administrator@cnhcirclek.org
6| Tranistion Guide
Think You Will Miss Key Club or KIWIN’S or the Kiwanis Family? Keep CKI in the Back of Your Mind!
If your passion is Key Club or KIWIN’S, then definitely consider joining Circle K in college. Circle K is still heavily involved with Key Club and the other branches of the Kiwanis Family! As young adults, we serve as role models to our fellow service youth. As dedicated members, we also help foster strong relationships within the Kiwanis Family. Whether you have no relationship or history of cooperation with your Kiwanis Family, it is never too late to extend a caring hand. Ask to attend various meetings hosted by Key Club/ KIWIN’S and Kiwanis, and you can make an incredible impact in the lives of others. You’d be surprised how beneficial it can be to trade contact information with a young professional, or a high school student who becomes active in Circle K! Because each branch of Kiwanis brings something unique and special to the family, use your time as a member of CKI to bring out the strengths in everyone. Kiwanis Family programs in our district (Like Key to College and the Kiwanis One Day) were created to better help members do just this. Take the time to learn more about how you can help improve Kiwanis Family relations, and make a difference in someone else’s life!
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California Nevada Hawaii District Circle K International It’s always sunny in Cal-Nev-Ha
The CKI Experience – Advice from Current Members With our continued commitment to giving back to our communities, empowering tomorrow’s leaders, and love of friendship, Circle K International remains one of the greatest ways to make the most of your time in college. Just as college education offers something for everyone, Circle K also appeals to a variety of student interests. To maximize your experience, we suggest you take the initiative to start projects that interest you, or really get to know your fellow members! With your time in college limited, don’t forget about Circle K as an option to make the most of your time.
Questions? Have More Questions?
Kiwanis is passionate about helping provide others with the means to serve their communities. If you have any questions regarding Kiwanis or the topics mentioned in this guide, the following district officers are at your service! Gary Jander 2012-2013 CNH Kiwanis Governor garyjander@gmail.com Rae Whitby-Brummer 2013-2014 CNH Kiwanis Governor raewhitby@aol.com Camille Goulet CNH Circle K District Administrator ckicamille@gmail.com Jonathan Cao-Nguyen 2012-2013 CNH Circle K District Governor governor@cnhcirclek.org This guide was compiled just for you by the 2012-2013 CNH Circle K District Kiwanis Family Committee. We wish you luck in your service-minded endeavors, and hope that you continue to serve the children of the world.