T-O TODAY T exas-Oklahoma Circle K International Hello T-O! As everyone is beginning to wind up for the new school year, our Circle K district is already on the ground running. These past five months since the district convention in Dallas have been busy ones, as governor I have been preparing myself, your board, and your officers to be able to serve the district to the best of their abilities. In March we had staff training, quickly followed by the Governors Administrators Training Conference in Indianapolis for me where I was trained in the ways of governorship. Next came Board Training in Wichita Falls, and the Weekend Officer Workshop (WOW) in Waco hosted by the Baylor chapter. Our last events were the Summer Reunion in Cleburne and the International Convention in Portland, OR. I feel very confident in our leadership this year, as well as our District, and I believe we are well on our way to a great year of continued greatness. Our board has come up with a District Theme of R.S.V.P. This stands for Radiating Service through Volunteering and Parties. What this means is that all our events for the year will be themed, much like you would see for parties. Going with that theme, our District goals are called Party of Five. They are as follows
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
5,000 reported hours of Service
Volume 29, Issue 1
Special points of interest: • Welcome from International President • Welcome from International Representative • Fall Training Conference • Fall Retreat
500 members
• ICON Wrap-up
50 Inter-Clubs
• CKI and UNICEF Together
5 new charters 75% chapter attendance at events
So how does this compare? Last year we had just under 4,000 reported service hours, around 400 members, 9 inter-clubs, and no new charters. However, after meeting with the club officers, I am confident that this year we will be able to achieve these goals. We have potential charters at OU, TWU, West Texas A&M, Lamar University, Texas State University, UT-Arlington, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Houston, so we are well on our way with that goal. Your officers also received many ideas on membership recruitment and how to report service hours. The new district souvenir incentive should also help to push interclubs. I feel confident that with everyone’s help we can reach these goals! I really enjoyed meeting all the chapter officers at W.O.W. and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you as the year continues. If you ever need anything from me or any of the district officers, do not hesitate to contact us! Melissa Askew District Governor University of Texas
Inside this issue: Fundraising Ideas
2
Service Hour?
4
Fall Training Confer- 5 ences ICON Wrap Up
6
Fall Retreat
7
Wiz Quiz
9
Contacts
10
Page 2
T-O TODAY
The Board Heads South! Marelli Montanez- President University of Texas Pan American Many people don’t know what it’s like to travel twelve hours to a CKI event. The CKI chapter of UT-Pan American sure does. Fortunately, the board was able to experience this for the June board meeting, since it was held in South Texas. UTPA CKI hosted two different events during everyone’s down time. On Saturday afternoon we took everyone across the border to Mexico for lunch and to do a little shopping. If you have not been to Mexico ask any of the board members how much fun this experience can be. Then it was back to work for the board. Later that evening UTPA CKI hosted a barbeque/pool party for everyone attending the board meeting. The party was a success! Proof is definitely in the pictures on facebook. There was not a dry board member by the end of the night. All in all it was a great experience not only for the board members amongst themselves but also for UTPA, everyone came together as a Circle K International family.
Fundraising Megan Cole– District IT Chair University of North Texas Need money for your budget? After talking with some of the members at UNT we realized that if we needed more funding, we would have to put in more effort by researching on locations that would generously pay us for our help. We had several ideas including: Sonic car hopping, concession stands at Texas Motor Speedway, American Airlines Center concessions, and even campus concessions. We would offer to clean up after games and provide our services to help out our school. The University of North Texas CKI has had several garage sales and successful fundraisers including working with the Kiwanis Organization, receiving a portion of Taco Cabana’s sales on selected nights, and even being awarded a scholarship/grant from the university to help with the University of North Texas CKI chapter expenses. While these fundraising opportunities contribute greatly to the chapter’s budget, members are enthusiastic about doing more and funding projects to help their community. We like to improve on our fundraising hours of availability. It’s been said that time is money, and in order to have a successful year we must plan ahead of time and make sure that clubs have money to work with. For example, if we want to sell more we should start at 6am instead of 7am. It’s amazing what an hour difference really makes. We like to avoid using our Kiwanis Club’s funds all the time, so we make an attempt to put on a service auction where we auction ourselves to the Kiwanis members and University Faculty in order to gain funds for trips like ICON and DCON and to help our community. These auctions have turned out to be successful and a fun time for our students to help out with babysitting, running errands and other household chores. We really hope to improve on fundraising this coming year, and we feel that as long as we stick to our goals, we will. We encourage everyone to start fundraisers early in the year in order to have money in the budget from which service projects can be funded.
Volume 29, Issue 1
Page 3
Letter from International Representative, Sub-Region D Greetings Texas-Oklahoma District of CKI, It is an honor for me to have been elected by the delegates of Sub-Region D in Portland to serve as one of the first ever International Representatives, that’s right no Trustees anymore, which means I am directly responsible and accountable to the sub-region itself! I am so excited about the upcoming year and the things we will get to do together as a Sub-Region. We have 5 fantastic districts that compose the DYNAMITE “D” Sub-Region of Circle K International: Kansas, Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee, Missouri-Arkansas, Nebraska-Iowa, & Texas-Oklahoma. Our sub-region is so dynamic we had to give it the nickname DYNAMITE because it is truly out-of-sight!! Corny, I know. Anyway a little about me, I hail from the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District being born and raised in Memphis, TN then moved to Kenner, LA and currently live in Baton Rouge, LA. I attend Louisiana State University where I am a dual major in Political Science and International Studies.
In the next couple of weeks, I will be attending Board Training, bonding with the new Board and getting down to the nitty-gritty planning the CKI year. What are my duties? I will be serving on International Board Committees as assigned by President Amanda…I already know that I will be serving as Co-Chair of the International Board Committee on Funky Fun, which I had the privilege of serving as co-chair last year with T-O’s own, Past Governor and Immediate Past Trustee Jose Arteaga. This year, I will be serving as co-chair alongside Kristen Reed, the International Representative for Sub-Region F. In addition to serving on International Board Committees, I am here to serve YOU as your representative to the International Board, as a resource for your district, and the rest of the subregion. I am here for you to bounce ideas off of or just to vent frustrations you may be having in Circle K life or just life in general. I have been in the Kiwanis Family for about 5 years, serving as a club president, district committee chair, lieutenant governor, district secretary-treasurer, and International Trustee so I know the things we go through in Circle K everyday and in college life. I am here to help you accomplish your goals and make it easier for you to succeed because in CKI-- that is what we do!
Words cannot express the excitement I have to be able to work with such diverse groups of people from around the world. I look forward to working with all of you this year and presenting your interest and views on the international level. Again, if there is anything I can do for you please don’t hesitate to contact me.
In Circle K Spirit, Ralph Johnson International Representative, Sub-Region D Circle K International CKIRepDRJ@gmail.com
Page 4
T-O TODAY
Fellowship in Focus Amanda Hodgson– District Treasurer University of Texas One of the things to set Circle K International apart from other service organizations is that fellowship, our third tenant, is not an arbitrary product of what we do. It’s a primary focus of our organization. That focus has manifested itself in many ways across the world and over time, but one way that your chapter can keep fellowship in focus is a Penny for Your Thoughts. I became familiar with Penny for Your Thoughts when I joined the Univ. of North Texas chapter. Your chapter can vote to select a charity that benefits from the pennies (or dollars, or nickels) and a time during the meeting that they would most like to share what’s been going on with them. A small donation gives a member the floor to talk about something that isn’t necessarily related to Circle K. This is a great way to make meetings more interesting and to help members get to know one another better because these announcements can be about school, other organizations your members are involved in, concerts they have just attended – anything! Also, when your members feel like their meetings are not merely a time to arrange service projects or fundraisers, they’ll feel more connected to the organization. And you’re also raising money for a great cause of your chapter’s choosing.
W.O.W. Jonathan Herrera– District Editor Austin College This year’s Weekend Officer Workshop, also known as “WOW” was hosted by Baylor University in Waco, TX. Officers from chapters across Texas-Oklahoma District came together to receive training from the newly elected District Officers. President’s learned how to strengthen their clubs, secretaries learned how to fill out a monthly report, and everyone else learned something important to bring back to their club. After many hours of training and workshops, CKI members were treated to an evening of fun at a near by skating rink. Needless to say, officers and members had a great time while still getting first had training for the upcoming year.
What counts as a service hour? Denise Braun– District Secretary Sam Houston State University What counts as a service hour you may ask? Here are some terms to define first before we start… Voluntary act is any act in which you receive no payment for the service you do. Service project is a voluntary act by one or more PAID members of a CKI club for the sole benefit of an individual or group of individual who possess need for service. A service hour is 60 minutes of work performed by a PAID member of CKI club on a service project APPROVED by the club or club board of officers. So what counts as a service hour?
Anything that has been opened up to the club that everyone can do. If you do a service project with another organization and you have to be part of that organization then it does not count as service for CKI. Fundraising counts only if ALL the money you fundraise is going to charity. Ex. UT CHILI COOKOFF counts as service because all the money they raised goes to Children’s Miracle Network. If you have any question about this please feel free to look at the Circle K website www.circlek.org/circlek/lit/servicehours. pdf or you can always me at
secretary@txokckil.org.
Volume 29, Issue 1
Page 5
Submitting Articles Jonathan Herrera-District Editor Austin College Hello guys! The Texas-Oklahoma District newsletter is distributed amongst the many chapters residing in the district. This is your newsletter. If you would like to submit an article about what your school is doing, please feel free to send them to articles@txokcki.org. Such articles may include fundraising ideas, successful service projects, social events, interclub news, and anything that you think might help others in this district. Our goal is to unify the T-O District and make it the strongest it can be. All article submissions will be revised by the District Editor and placed in the
following issue of the T-O Today if space allows. I encourage all of you to submit articles and let everyone else what it is that you are doing. There is no limit to how many articles your club can submit. Be creative, submit fun jokes, puzzles, riddles, and anything interesting that would make reading the T-O Today much more enjoyable.
day for info on upcoming events, fundraising ideas, socials, District Convention, updates on the District’s website, and other important information. So get your pencils and papers….and start writing!
If there is something you would like to see improved in the T-O Today, please feel free to contact me via e-mail and submit your suggestions. Our district wants to provide nothing but the best and we strive on strengthening our district . Stay up to date with what’s going on by reading the latest issue of the T-O To-
Bringing KCI to CKI John Cano– K-Family Chair University of Texas Membership looking bare? Upperclassmen graduating out? Then you need to kick recruitment into high gear! Luckily our organization is linked to a huge supply of service oriented students. What great new members could I be talking about? Key Clubbers of course! Did you know that the T-O District of Key Club had over 3000 graduating seniors this year? Bringing in just 10% could bring 300 members into CKI!
Luckily the district is here to help you get some of these bright new students into your chapter. The Freshman Leadership Incentive Program (FLIP) reduces district dues for Key Clubbers coming into CKI. Key Clubbers have the opportunity to fill out FLIP cards with their information so we can forward them to their respective colleges. This information has been sent to each chapter so you can contact them and
Fall Training Conference Heather Brittle– Red River LTG University of North Texas When you hear about your upcoming Divisional Fall Training Conference, what pops into your head? Probably thoughts of boring lectures filled with long to- do lists for your role in CKI. But…YOU ARE WRONG! Our Fall Training Conferences will be fun, action packed Saturdays of Service, Leadership, and Fellowship, with no boring lectures allowed. Each Divisional FTC will have fun activities for the members
to participate in leadership, team building, and time management. Also, food along with a service project will be apart of each conference. And the best part of all Fall Training Conferences is that they are open to all members, not only the chapter officers. So fill up your cars with all members of Circle K and come spend a day bonding with your division. It will be worth the drive!
get them in your chapter quickly. Call or email them, its that easy!
Page 6
T-O TODAY
District Convention 2007 Melissa Askew-District Governor University of Texas March 3-5, 2007, Circle-K’ers from across Texas and Oklahoma came together in Dallas, TX for the 53rd Annual District Convention. Members were able to attend workshops on a variety of topics from Self-Defense to planning for a secure Financial Future, participate in a service project, vote on amendments and the new board during the House of Delegates. DCON was also a time to reminisce about the past year, celebrate and acknowledge achievements. Many chapters received awards commemorating all the work that was put in over the past year. Congratulations to those chapters for all your hard work!
Awards Session wrapped up with an exhilarating performance by the Aggie Wrangler Dancers, who showcased their amazing two-stepping abilities. There was also time for members to hang out and socialize with an evening dance. Closing session was bitter sweet as last year’s board was retired and the newly elected officers inducted. Congratulations to the following : Melissa Askew, Governor; Denise Braun, Secretary; Amanda Hodgson, Treasurer; Kris Robles, Hill Country LTG; Nidia Cedillo, South Texas LTG; Heather Brittle, Red River/Metro LTG; and Tim
Edmond, Southeast/Gulf Coast LTG. Appointed later were: Jonathan Herrera, Editor; Meghan Cole, IT Chair; and John Cano, K-Family/ Membership Chair. DCON was a time for members to come together and reunite with old friends, make new friends, and take care of business. This year in San Antonio will prove to be even better time, we hope to see you there!
Circle K and UNICEF Team Up Again to Save Lives Amanda Hodgson– District Treasurer University of Texas This year at Circle K International Convention, the International Board introduced the year’s service initiative, in which CKI paired up with UNICEF to save lives with six cents. The 40% of the world that is without basic sanitation and the 1.1 billion who lack access to safe drinking water only need six cents from you. Why? Because the sachets that would sanitize their water only cost six cents each. For the cost of a snack in a vending machine, you can give ten children access to the sanitation and the safety they so need. Circle K members can raise money at every level for this great cause. There are a number of ways to find these funds. At larger events, penny wars are popular and effective. In the T-O Today article Focus on Fellowship, I talked about Penny for Your Thoughts for every meeting at the chapter level, to encourage fellowship and have an ongoing fundraiser that requires little to no thought. On the International level, the districts’ incentive is to be able to select a delegate in Denver in August 2008 to cut the International President’s hair. This service initiative is something that creates tangible goals for all CKI members, and the fundraising ideas can give chapters great practice for their future fundraising endeavors. This is also an easy way to bring in other K-Family members to Circle K’s efforts. Every six pennies saves a life. How can you lose?
ICON Wrap Up Heather Brittle– Red River LTG University of North Texas This year the 52nd Annual Circle K International Convention was attended by 13 members of The Texas- Oklahoma District. We saw the sights and sounds of Portland, Oregon by riding the transit system, walking around downtown, and shopping at cute corner stores. An amazing part of the trip was an outing planned by the Pacific Northwest Circle K District to visit Multanoma Falls and the Columbia River Gorge. It was full of beautiful waterfalls and amazing scenery, as well as some very narrow roads. In a
contest between a Honda Civic and a tour bus our driver always seemed to have the rightof-way. ICON was a wonderful time to bond with other members of CKI from all over North America as well as a few truly international members. What’s convention without awards? Texas A&M Galveston received 3rd Place in the Bronze Division for Single Service. Their project was adopting a family. Not everything could be fun and games, this year some very serious and important changes to the CKI bylaws were proposed
during the three sessions of the House of Delegates totaling nearly eleven hours of time. This year T-O formed a strong voice in the House and spoke up for the future of our own district, as well as the future of others that are just starting to grow and reach their potential. We proved that you can make a difference by showing up and making your voice heard. At least for another year the district structure is secure and TexasOklahoma will be allowed to continue as a strong part of Circle K International. The Circle K International Convention this year was an amazing experience that all attendees will cherish for years to come.
Volume 29, Issue 1
Page 7
Fall Retreat Nidia Cedillo– South Texas LTG University of Texas– Pan American Have you missed hanging out with your CKI friends from across Texas and Oklahoma? This fall there will be a get together for all the CKI clubs, and what better place than the Hill Country at Camp Honey Creek. The theme is Mardi Gras and will be fun for everyone. Camp Honey Creek is located in Hunt, Texas and it’s filled with the natural beauty of wild life, creeks, and hills. There will be workshops and group activities that will help our leadership role in our communities.
of $85 dollars for those who register by this date. Late Registration will be October 8th and the price for the trip will increase to $95 dollars. So remember to register early if you want to go and have a blast at Camp Honey Creek.
Registration deadline is October 1st, fee
Call for Dues Amanda Hodgson– District Treasurer University of Texas The first call for dues will be issued to the Circle K chapters of the TexasOklahoma District on September 1. The treasurers will have to update a roster and complete an invoice online and postmarked their checks to International by October 1. This year, there will be a change in how chapters report Freshmen Leadership Incentive Program (F.L.I.P). In the past, treasurers manually adjusted their invoices to accommodate F.L.I.P students and would then send in F.L.I.P vouchers to International with their check. The money would trickle
back down to the F.L.I.P students. Now, F.L.I.P students will automatically receive their discount and chapter treasurers will pay the full amount to International, submitting their vouch-
ers to the district. The district, upon receiving its money from International, will send a check for the appropriate number of vouchers to the chapters. Should a club not pay for their members, their members will be unable to apply for scholarships, the club cannot receive any awards, and their members cannot run for District or International offices.
Four Fun Facts about T-O CKI • • • •
The oldest charter still in existence is Baylor University. Texas-Oklahoma was the first district recognized by International. Sam Houston is the second oldest chapter in T-O District. University of Texas– El Paso is in the Southwest District.
Page 8
T-O TODAY
Greetings from International President Amanda Greetings CKI Members! At International Convention in Portland, I was elected as your new International President. My past Kiwanis Family experience includes the transition from Builders Club to Key Club, and then Key Club to CKI. Coming from Pennsylvania and moving into the Southwest District, I have a diverse background with both thriving and passionately developing districts. I am currently twenty years old and residing in Tempe, Arizona. I attend Arizona State University, where I am double majoring in Political Science and Secondary Education Social Studies. This year is going to be an exciting one for CKI! Together, as members, we are in the unique position to shape and mold our organization into one that provides more opportunities for service, leadership, and fellowship. While change is a scary and often daunting task, it is something that must be pursued for the greater good of the organization. We must strive forward, without forgetting where we came from. As we look to the future, this year's International Board plans to lift our organization to new heights, while enhancing our potential to grow and be sustainable. Through higher membership involvement, this will surely be a year for and of the members. We will be implementing a thorough research strategy to cover all aspects and questions that may arise. All members of the International Board will be putting forth effort to unite our organization amidst the controversy of change as we are embodied under our tenets of service, leadership and fellowship. We need to rediscover our focus and our passion for helping others. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions for the upcoming year, please do not hesitate to contact me. My email is badali.CKI@gmail.com and my screen name is "AmandaCKI”. “Don't stop thinking about tomorrow. Don't stop, it'll soon be here. It'll be better than before.” - Fleetwood Mac
Yours in Service and Friendship, Amanda J. Badali International President
Circle K International
Volume 29, Issue 1
Page 9
University of Oklahoma Klint Neal– President University of Oklahoma Almost seven years! That’s the time period The University of Oklahoma has been without an active Circle K International Chapter. During that time attempts have been made to rekindle the link between a Kiwanis sponsored youth program and the campus, and success has finally taken form. On September 15th, 2007 the University of Oklahoma Circle Chapter will submit their charting papers to Circle K International and once again become an official club, spreading the tenets of service, friendship, and leadership
Answers for Wiz Quiz below.
will continue to grow” and “our hope is that the excellent work being done with this chapter will spread through out both Oklahoma and Texas. The University of Oklahoma and their sponsoring Kiwanis clubs have not set a date for a chartering banquet, but do say that all Kiwanians from the entire district will be invited to attend. If you have an opportunity, please visit the club’s website at cki.ou.edu.
T-O Wiz Quiz!!!
1. What is Circle K International magazine called? a. Circle ’R’ US b. Circle K Magazine c.
through out their university. The new chapter is exceedingly blessed to have something most CKI Chapters can only dream for...two sponsoring Kiwanis clubs. The Kiwanians of Mayfair and Downtown Oklahoma City have both graciously taken the University of Oklahoma Chapter under their wing. “We’re all so pleased to have the opportunity to work with the students and are excited about the upcoming year,” says Kelly Wood, Mayfair Kiwanian, University of Oklahoma Kiwanis Advisor and Oklahoma Regional Advisor for Circle K. “The chapter has started off strong and
Circle K Elements d. The Wonderful World of CKI
2. The Texas-Oklahoma District is spread across a vast amount of land; therefore we have _________ divisions . a. 10 b. 8 c. 5
3. When is the 54th Annual TXOK District Convention? a. March 28, 2008-March 30, 2008 b. March 21, 2008– March 23, 2008 c. March 7, 2008– March 9, 2008
Summer Reunion Heather Brittle-LTG Red River University of North Texas This year Summer Reunion was a big hit with a good group of people. We had nine CKI members and three Kiwanians attend Summer Reunion. Friday evening everyone showed up and we had a Luau. Melissa won the hula hoop contest and Heather won the limbo contest. A new CKI game was invented, hula hoop twister. It was loved by everyone and will be played again at an event near you. Saturday was service day, and a lot of service was done. We spent eight hours working in a swimming hole clearing out the debris and weeds that had gathered there during the recent storms. It was hard labor, but we made it fun. Saturday night was spent lying around the camp site because everyone was exhausted. Finally midnight rolled around and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Heather and ate cake. Sunday morning, bright and early, we all packed up and left for home. It was a wonderful weekend of service, leadership, and lots of fellowship.
Answers for TO Wiz Quiz!!! 1. b 2. c 3. c
Texas-Oklahoma Circle K International
Oklahoma Lt. Governor
We’re on the web! www.txokcki.org and www. circlek.org
District Events Chair The Oklahoma Lt. Governor is the liaison between all the chapters in the Oklahoma Division and the district board. You would be required to attend all district events and all board meetings. The District Events Chair is in charge of planning the remaining district events. This includes Fall Retreat and District Convention. If you are interested please email Governor Melissa at governor@txokcki.org.
2007-2008 District Board Melissa Askew
District Governor
University of Texas at Austin
governor@txokcki.org
Denise Braun
District Secretary
Sam Houston State University
secretary@txokcki.org
Amanda Hodgson
District Treasurer
University of Texas at Austin
treasurer@txokcki.org
Jonathan Herrera
District Editor
Austin College
editor@txokcki.org
Kris Robles
Hill Country LTG
University of Texas at Austin
hillcountryltg@txokcki.org
Vacant
Oklahoma LTG
Heather Brittle
Red River LTG
University of North Texas
redriverltg@txokcki.org
Nidia Cedillo
South Texas LTG
University of Texas-Pan American
southltg@txokcki.org
Timothy Edmond
Southeast LTG
Sam Houston State University
southeastltg@txokcki.org
Meghan Cole
IT Chair
University of North Texas
itchair@txokcki.org
John Cano
K-Family Chair
University of Texas at Austin
kfamilychair@txokcki.org
Vacant
District Events Chair
oklahomaltg@txokcki.org
eventschair@txokcki.org