Th e
T- O TODAY
Volume 1 | Issue 4
Soaking Up In Service!
South Texas Division Update
Relive Your Childhood! Fall Retreat
Service Partner Spotlight
UNICEF
Circle K International develops college and university students into a global network of responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to service.
Photo By: Joe Castillo
The T-O TODAY
TABLE of CONTENTS
. . . . 4 ocks of CKI . . . . Bl g in d il Bu t: ea tr Fall Re . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y il m Fa Build ing a . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gs in nn gi New Be 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t gh li ot Sp r ne Service Part . . . . 12 t (Cont.) . . . . . . . gh li ot Sp r ne rt Pa e Servic . 14 . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . e ic rv Se In Soaking Up . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on ti uc od tr In b lu Key C . 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ad re Sp CKI Photo . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ge Pa n Fu al Season . . 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ks an Th l T-O Specia . . . . . . . . . . . .24 . . . . . . . or it Ed Letter from the . . 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? W ho’s W ho
Dis trict Goals
33 .39
%
2
Se 5,34 r vice 2 h o ur s
Ser vice Ho ur Goal: 1 6,000 ho ur Interclub G s o a l: 75 interclu Kiwanis Fa b s mily Relati ons: 175 K FRs 25. 33 %
Int erc lub s 19
Kiw
ani
s F am ily
60
34 .29
Rel atio n
%
s
Texas-Oklahoma CKI Sunday
Monday
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OCTOBER Tuesday
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4
Wednesday
Thursday
5
6
Secretary Rep orts are due!
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10
President’s Cha SWCC @ 8pm t:
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President’s Cha WTAMU @ 7pm t:
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President’s Cha t: OSU @ 7pm
President’s Cha t: OU @ 8pm
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Weekend Meeting ) Hotel
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Presiden are due! t Reports
Sun-
12
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President’s Chat: Lamar @ 1pm
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President’s Cha Texas A&M @ t: 8pm
President’s Chat: Southwestern @ 6pm
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President’s OCU @ 1pm Chat:
President’s Angelo Sta Chat: te @ 6pm
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President’s UT Austin Chat: @ 8pm
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E V E N T S
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Retreat
7
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President’s Chat: UT Austin @ 5pm
President’s Chat: Texas A&M @ 6pm
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27
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President’s Chat: Texas Tech @ 7pm
Kiwanis (Dis trict DFW
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Family Board
Marriott
NOVEMBER Wednesday
Tuesday
2
3
8
9
10
15
President’s Chat: S. Wes tern @ 6pm President’s Chat: SWOSU @ 5pm
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President’s Chat: UTB @ 6pm
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4
CKI
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President’s Chat: OSU @ 7pm
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Saturday 5
Fall
Camp & 12
Veteran’s Day
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President’s Chat: Lamar @ 4pm
President’s Chat: Baylor @ 12pm
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President’s Chat: UTPA @ 12pm
President’s Chat: UT Dallas @ 3pm
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Fri day
(Bridgeport
President’s Chat: OU @ 8pm
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Thursday
1
President’s Chat: WTAMU @ 8pm
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22
Hill Co untry Fall Rally in San Angelo, Texas
President’s Chat: Angelo State @ 6pm
Conference) 13
Southeast TexasGulf Coast Fall Rally in Ho uston, Tex as
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Monday
Sunday
15
Keys to Co Webinar @ llege 8pm
Halloween! !!
o f
8 Re d RiverMetro Fall Ter rell, TexRally in as
President’s UT Pan Am Chat: @ 7pm
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C A L E N D A R
Saturday
7
13
President’s UT Dallas @Chat: 2pm President’s Libby @ 8p Chat: m
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Friday
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Thanksg iving Day!
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26
30
Lasy Day for Dues!
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Texas-‐Oklahoma District presents…
November 4-6, 2011
Bridgeport Camp & Conference Bridgeport, Texas Contact Fall Retreat Coordinator Denise Gonzalez at frcoordinator@txokcki.org for more information.
Come relive your childhood memories at Fall Retreat 2011!!
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More than a Regular Weekend... Simply saying that Fall Retreat was fun would be an understatement. Taking place at Camp Honeycreek last year, my first Fall Retreat was such a blast and a great way to take some time away from the stress of school. Even though, you do get some free time to study, you can also take part in different activities during this time. Last year I was able to canoe and shoot a bow and arrow for the first time ever! Although my favorite experience was trying so many new things, staying up all night playing games with new friends was a close second. I will never forget the people I met at Fall Retreat and still keep in contact with them. As opposed to District Convention, where we have to dress business casual, it is completely acceptable to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt at Fall Retreat. It was actually encouraged last year since we played a kickball game and had several other outdoor activities like a scavenger hunt, which you can most likely expect at this years Fall Retreat! This year, Fall Retreat will take place in Bridgeport, Texas at Bridgeport Camp and Conference. With the theme being “Building Blocks of CKI”, our aim is to focus on not only CKI, but the entire K-Family. We must realize that as an organization, we consist of many people of all ages and that they all depend on our success. If you’re worried that you may not know much about Builders, K-Kids, Kiwanis, and the rest ifof the K-Family, then you will definitely benefit from coming to Fall Retreat this year, since there will be a workshop with information all about those clubs and the role they play in Kiwanis International. Early registration for Fall Retreat is only $70 and covers lodging, three meals on Saturday, breakfast on Sunday, and a t-shirt. Rest assured, however, that you will gain so much more by coming to Fall Retreat on November 4th-6th! Please mark your calendars and try your very best to make it to Fall Retreat! If you have any question or just want to know more information, feel free to contact me at frcoordinator@txokcki.org. See you there,
Denise Gonzalez Like us on Facebook! Texas-Oklahoma Circle K International
Join our Event! T-O CKI Fall Retreat Building Blocks of CKI
Register Online! Fall Retreat Registration Form
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Building a Family: The Importance of Community By: Donnesh Amrollah District Governor
W
“ e cannot accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.”
Sandra Day O’Connor could not have put it better when she said these words. Everything we do as human beings stems from our interaction with other human beings. Like I mentioned in last month’s issue, our lives change because someone made an impact in our life, and, in turn, we are motivated to do the same for another individual, continuing a cycle. Through this process, we have inevitably established a network of individuals who’ve come together to create a community of life changers. But that’s not the only community we belong to. We often tend to associate the word “community” as a group of people living in a similar geographical location, but there is so much more to the word. Because every human being is diverse yet share similar qualities with other diverse person, there can be many other communities separated by other categories other than location. Our culture, our language, our beliefs, interests, and everything else that defines us can be related to people all over the world, and together you can share a community with them. Community could also other things like “internet community,” or it could even mean that one hilarious sitcom on television. Whatever you associate the word as, know that each member in that community is related to another in some way, and thus are trusted to work together to establish peace and harmony among their society.
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What I love about CKI is that I feel like I am a part of a community of like-minded college students dedicated to serving the world. More over, I love that I feel we are a part of a grander community of individuals of all ages with the same passion for service, when I think of the Kiwanis Family. Though we work to achieve the same goal in our own way, we ultimately have the same vision to serve the world, one child, one member, and one service project at a time.
However, we cannot accomplish anything in this world alone, as Mrs. O’Connor said. If we hope to achieve our vision, we must work together more, and build that cohesion in our grand community. We must improve our relationships with each member of the Kiwanis Family, if we want to further our cause. By reinforcing that sense of togetherness, a need we’ve had since childhood, we reinforce our ability to share our ideas and experiences with other individuals, and thus creates a closed-knit community with an empowered passion to serve. The Texas-Oklahoma CKI District Board understands the value that lies in every branch of the Kiwanis Family, and hopes to be able to bring us together more with our District “One Family, One Legacy” initiative. By enabling each member of the KiwanisFamily to interact with CKI and each other, we know that not only can we grow more as individuals, but also we can accomplish service that impacts a larger community. So we challenge you to help us build a stronger, more unified organization, by reaching out to other branches of the K-Family. Whether by attending their meetings, service projects, or social events, you are helping build that community that will make a difference in the world.
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s g n i n n i g e B w e N
Hello Texas-Oklahoma! My name is Amara Lee Garza and I am the new St. Edwards CKI President. Since high school, I have been a part of the Kiwanis Family. Being a part of Key Club, going out and helping my community, and making new friends was such a great experience for me. When I came to St. Edward’s, I was excited to learn that they had a CKI, and that I could still be part of the Kiwanis Family. Sadly however, the club had to disband. When I heard this, I was determined to bring it back. Whatever it took, St. Edward’s would once again have a Circle K International and be apart of the wonderful Kiwanis family. This way everyone could experience the sense of community , friendship, and leadership oppurtunities that comes from being a part of a club that does so much good through their many service projects. My goals for St. Edward’s CKI is to become an established and well founded club on campus. I’m hoping that as many members as possible will be able to attend any and all district events that arise. Recruitment and retention will be our biggest challenge this year. However, I know the officers, the members, and myself will do our very best to make St. Edward’s CKI as big and awesome as possible. This year, we’ve got the St. Edward’s CKI up and running, even if it is starting at a slow place. Our first official meeting was a success! We had about half of the people who signed up at the Involvement Fair show up eager to “Live to Serve and Love to Serve” and we’re looking forward to an amazing year! Sincerely,
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Amara Lee Garza
Live to serve, Love to serve.
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Service Partner Spotlight:
The United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young.
We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We believe that we can, together, advance the cause of humanity. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.We involve everyone in creating protective environments for children. We are present to relieve suffering during emergencies, and wherever children are threatened, because no child should be exposed to violence, abuse or exploitation. We are active in more than 190 countries and territories through country programmes and National Committees. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.”
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For More Info Visit: www.u n i cef.o rg
By: Conor McNicholas OU LSSP Co-Chair
On November 10th, the University of Oklahoma Circle K International Club will be hosting “A Night to Unite” fashion show! This fashion show will incorporate models from a variety of campus organizations and will focus on a very important cause: that of UNICEF and the Horn of Africa. Over the past several years, a severe drought has crippled the Horn of Africa resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The pastoral way of life, which many of the region are accustomed to, has been devastated by the drought which has resulted in a shortage of water and food.
UNICEF currently esti-
mates that around 1.6 million children under the age of 5 are in need of assistance, the vast majority of which live in the borderlands between Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Even more saddening is the fact that nearly 40,000 children are so malnourished they face the prospect of death in mere months.
To date these programs have been successful! At the fashion show, we hope to aid UNICEF by raising money for their cause and for the children of the Horn of Africa. At our show, a raffle will be held with a variety of donated prizes from local businesses and a small entry charge of $3 will help To put an end to this to raise additional funds! crisis, UNICEF is currently We believe “A Night working to create mobile to Unite” will be a great services called mobile thera- success and will make an peutic feeding centers that important impact by aidwould provide children ing UNICEF and the chilwith food and would move dren of the Horn of Africa! throughout the region to accommodate the pastoral lifestyle of the people of the region. In addition to mobile centers, UNICEF is also working to train and employ teachers that would be sent to travel with parents and their children as they journey throughout the region.
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Service Partner Spotlight (Cont.) :
Trick or Treat for From the UNICEF Website:
“For more than 60 years, Trick or-Treat for UNICEF has served as the Original Kids Helping Kids campaign. In 1950, children across America were inspired to collect coins for UNICEF to aid children abroad enduring the after-effects of World War II. It was not just a charity effort—it was a call to end the needless suffering of their more able peers around
the globe. Since then, for generations of Americans, Trick-orTreat for UNICEF has been a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of the world’s children. Today, that mission is as urSgent as ever, and the campaign is just as vibrant.”
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For more information, visit: http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/
UNICEF
If you are looking for a way to get involved with your KFamily this month, try contacting a local Key Club and ask if they plan on participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and organize an evening to help their club carry out this awesome event. You are never too old to go Trick-or-Treating, especially if it is for such a good cause as this! Speaking from experience, participating in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is a fun and creative way to engage in the Halloween season. Everything the K-Family raises through Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF will be donated to the Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project, The Eliminate Project. It is such an amazing feeling knowing that you are helping the world one doorstep at a time and raising both funds and awareness for children all over the world who are in desperate need of change. By: Fabian Fernandez
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Hola Mighty T-O District! The South Texas division has been hard at work with fundraisers, chapter and divisional fellowship, as well as k-family outings this past month. Since Fall Rally, the division grew together and became close friends as well as learned more about CKI at a district and international level. For all the chapters of South Texas, fundraising this month and gathering dues has been a top priority. From selling BBQ plates to washing over 30 cars for profit, what ever it takes these CKI’ers are out there and doing it! South Texas division CANNOT wait for fall-retreat. It sure hopes to be a great T-O event! Sanjuana C. 14
Zavala,
Lieutenant Governor
Soaking Up in Service!
South Texas Division Fall Rally
Photos courtesy of Joe Castillo
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Howdy T-O! On behalf of all of the Key Clubbers in the Mighty Texas-Oklahoma District, I would like to thank you for all of your continuous support throughout the years. Key Club wouldn’t be what it is today without the rest of the K-Family. Let’s keep working together to build a better tomorrow. The Eliminate Project is a phenomenal way to bring the K-Family branches together and truly make a difference in the world. Consider inviting a local Key Club to interclub with you within the next month. May God bless you, and have a great year full of fellowship and service!
Yours in Service,
2011-2012 Governor Texas-Oklahoma District Key Club International
Some Key Club goals for the 2011-2012 year include: obtain over 18,000 paid members
create a Key Club legacy
improve current K-Family relations
work hard
have fun
be happy
encourage members to stay in the K-Family after high school
focus on service
smile often
serve
Important Key Club Dates: Oct. 28-30: K-Family Meeting Nov. 7-11: Key Club Week Jan. 13-15 & 27-29: Weekend of a Lifetime Apr. 12-15 District Convention in Dallas, TX
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Have you gotten in contact with your local Key Club representative yet? If not, email District Governor Megan Iselin at MISELIN@ROCKETMAIL.COM for more information!
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.� Edward Everett Hale
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T-Ogether, T-Ogeth er, we’ll elimin nate maternal and neonatal tetanus. We will keep one baby from dying every 9 minutes from neonatal teta nus. T-Ogether, we’ll eli minate mater nal and neonatal tetanus. We will ke ep 160 babies from dying each day from neonatal tetanus. T-Ogether, we’ll eliminate maternal and neonatal teta nus. We will raise the US $110 million dollars needed to elim inate MNT by 2015. T-O geth er, we’ll eliminate maternal and neonatal teta nus. For US $1.80, we will be able to provide one mother wi th three doses of the te ta nus vaccine. T-Ogether, we’ll eiminate mater nal and neonatal te tanus. We will protect 61 million mothers and future babies from tetanus. T-Ogether, we’ll eliminate maternal and neonatal te tanus. We wi ll keep one baby from dying every 9 minutes from neonat al tetanus. T-Ogether, we’ll eliminate mat ernal and neonatal tetanus. We will k eep 160 ba bies from dying each day from neonatal tet a nus. TOgether, we’ll elimi nate maternal and neo nat al tetanus. We will raise the US $110 mil li on dollars needed to elim inate MNT by 2015. T-Ogether, we’ll elim in ate maternal and neonatal tetanus. For US $1.80, we will be able to pro vi de one moth er with three dos es of the tetan us vaccine. T-O gether, we’ll eiminate maternal and neo natal tetanus. We will pro tect 61 mill ion moth ers and fut ure babies from tet an us. T-Ogeth er, we’ll elimin ate maternal and neonat al te tanus. T-Oge ther, we will make a di ff er en ce.
we’ll ELIMINATE. To get more information you can go to
http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/theELIMINATEproject/home.aspx
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Want to see your club photos in the photo spread? Email them to me at:
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editor@txokcki.org
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What do ghosts serve for dessert? I Scream!
What do you call a fat pumpkin? A Plumpkin!
What do witches put in their hair? Scare Spray!
Who won the skeleton beauty contest?
Happy Halloween! 22
No Body!
T-O’s Special Thanks Thank you to Lieutenant Governor, Sanjuana Zavala, for your work with the South Texas Division. Also, thank you to K-Family co-chair, Jace Venters, for your initiative to lead a few of T-O CKI’s presentations this month.
Great job, Lamar University on your successful Kickball Tournament for the Eliminate Project! You guys are game changers!
Dear Jackie Vela, You are amazing! You attended the South Texas Divisional Fall Rally and were voted most spirited, and your chapter appreciates all the of the service projects you do with them. Thank you for being outstanding!
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! r o t i d E e h T Letter From Hello Texas-Oklahoma! I want to first introduce myself as the new District Editor of the TexasOklahoma district! My name is Fabian Fernandez and I am a 2nd year at the University of Texas @ Austin, Hook ‘Em! Upon entering college, Circle K International quickly grasped hold of my life. I was in Key Club in High School serving as my club’s Treasurer. It was only fit that I would eventually become a member at the UT chapter when I started college in Austin. Now here I am today writing to you on the District Board as Editor! Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and honored to be serving for the Kiwanis Family. I joined CKI for everything it stands for: Service, Fellowship, and Leadership. Meeting the most amazingly wonderful and awesome people I have along the way was just an added bonus. As I continue to live to serve and love to serve, I hope to serve my role as District Editor and provide Texas-Oklahoma with monthly newsletters manifesting all of the amazing things that our district does for the world. I look forward to everything our district and its awesome members have to accomplish! Sincerely in Service,
Fabian Fernandez T-O District Editor
If you have anything you would like to see in “The T-O Today,” please feel free to email me updates or photos of your chapter to: 24
editor@txokcki.org
Who’s Who?
District Governor
District Secretary-Treasurer
Donnesh Amrollah
Sarah Haagen
I serve as your representative to CKI. I communicate with our Sub-Region Rep and inform them of what’s happening with your clubs. I work with your club President, and help them whenever they need me.
I serve as the district’s record and financial keeper. I work with your club Secretary with reporting club operations, and your club Treasurer with financial matters, specifically when it comes time to submit dues!
Lieutenant Governors We serve as your liaisons to the District Board of Officers. We work with you and your club officers to answer any questions you have. We also plan your divisional rallies that give you more insight on our District and International. South Texas
Sanjuana Zavala
South East Texas/ Gulf Coast
Oklahoma/ Panhandle
Hill Country
Red River/Metro
Paul Rizk
Patra Kositchaiwat
Valerie DelaRosa
Donald Aaron
Committee Chairs We are the backbone of the District. We work behind the scenes in the district and create resources to help you out. We help build relations with the whole Kiwanis Family, plan events, and even create this newsletter! You name it, we most likely play some role in it! Kiwanis Family Relations Kiwanis Family Relations K-Kids/Builders/Aktion Key Club/Kiwanis
Neal Wright
Jace Venters
District Events
Membership/ Laws and Regs
Public Relations & Marketing
Denise Gonzalez
Chris Hester
Fabian Fernandez
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