Mazel Tov!

Happy Rosh Hashanah CKI! =)

Ani veAtah Neshane et HaOlam,

--Kristen

Feeling Better!

Greetings from my comfy couch at my parent's house CKI! =)

I wanted to write to let you know I'm recovering well from my wisdom tooth extraction. Although it has been very painful I have enjoyed my new diet of Jello, mashed potatoes, soup, and the oh-so delicious soft dessert that is the Oreo Cakesters. I am the first to admit that even though I am supposed to be giving my mouth a break I have been cheating by sneaking in a few phone calls here and there to Vice President Torres and your LSSP Chair Rix.

Thank you to a few special people: Michelle Clemens & Emily Swartzentruber for the beautiful care packages. Also, shout out to Janice Lin for the wonderful e-mail saying "Welcome to the ranks of having survived wisdom teeth extraction :)"

I have survived and after a weekend of relaxing I was able to work with VP Torres on completing Ad-Hoc Committee Applications, finished a report to the Kiwanis International Leadership Committee, and caught up on some reading for my Women's Health class.

If you find yourself with a little spare time like I did please e-mail CKIMagazine@Kiwanis.org and let them know about any neat projects your club has been up to this Fall 2008 Semester. Also, I want to take the time to congratulate the winners of the 2008 Tomorrow Fund Grants. For a list of grant winners please visit www.circlek.org.

Again thanks for all the love CKI! Keep up the excellence in service, leadership, and fellowship!

Live to Serve -- Love to Serve,

--Kristen

Away from the internet for a few days!

Hey CKI!

So, just a small update that I'm going to be away from the internet this weekend and recuperating at home in Ogdensburg, NY. Tomorrow at 1:00pm EST I am having my wisdom teeth removed (yucky! I know!) and probably will be in no condition to type or talk on the phone. I am however looking forward to a weekend of getting better, family time, and catching up on some reading for a few classes!

If you need anything while I'm away from the world wide web please feel free to shoot Vice-President Ricardo an e-mail at VP@circlek.org. Hes my right hand man and can totally lend you a hand if you need anything!

That's all folks!

Live to Serve -- Love to Serve,

--Kristen

Introducing the 2008-2009 CKI Organizational Goals

Free Better World Books T-Shirt

Hey everyone! Hope your having a swell Wednesday!

One of our new CKI Service Partners is Better World Books and I'm writing you about an exciting free giveaway! For a limited time, if you upload a photograph of yourself with your book shelf to Better World Books' Facebook fan page they will send you a free "well read" T-Shirt. Pretty cool, huh?!

Let's see how many CKI members we can get posted online wearing Circle K shirts on Better World's page!

Click here for more information on the T-Shirt promotion and feel free to share this with your fellow CKI members and friends. If you want to learn more about Better World Books check out www.circlek.org and click on "Service" or speak with CKI Service Ambassador to Better World Books, Amanda Marfisi at amanda.marfisi@gmail.com.

Live to Serve -- Love to Serve,

--Kristen

Gulf Coast Update by Governor John Cano

See below for a message from Texas-Oklahoma Governor John Cano.

Live to Serve -- Love to Serve,
--Kristen

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Hello Friends,

I just wanted to drop in and let you know about Texas in case you were wondering how things are. Right now two clubs are affected by indefinite school closures: Texas A&M Galveston on Galveston Island, and Lamar University in Beaumont. Travel in many areas is impossible and it could be weeks before power is restored to much of Southeast Texas and the Houston area.

So far I've spoken with the Lamar president Kayla Scates (some of you may remember her from Leadership Academy) and she had evacuated to Northeast Texas and is expecting to go home in the next day or so.

I've not been able to speak with anyone from Galveston, but I know that the evacuation orders were very stern so hopefully our members cleared out of there in advance of the storm.

Your concern for our district is very appreciated! Please share this message with anyone who may be interested in knowing how things are down here.


--
John Cano, District Governor
Texas-Oklahoma District | www.txokcki.org
Circle K International I www.circlek.org

L-O-V-E to T-O

Hi all--

Before I leave for my club's pet fair this morning I wanted to give everyone a quick update on our clubs in southern Texas. I spoke to Texas-Oklahoma Governor John Cano last night and he expressed to me that to his knowledge all CKI members in the Galveston Bay and Beaumont areas had evacuated and were out of harms way (Hurricane Ike.) If you are a person of faith please take the time to send many prayers to their district and I will be keeping everyone updated as I get information from Governor John on the status of our clubs and if theres anything we, as fellow CKI members, can do to help.

Stay Safe T-O,

--Kristen

Back from Indy!

Hey there CKI, long time no see!

Well I am very excited to report to everyone that the Circle K International Board Trainer weekend was phenomenal! From September 5th-9th myself, VP Ricardo, and all of the Representatives arrived in Indianapolis for a weekend of a life time. We set the 2008-2009 CKI Organizational Goals (see your International Representative's newsletters for more details), the CKI Board Code of Ethics, and much more. The long weekend continued with meeting with Kiwanis International staff members on how they can best assist our organization, assigning committee chairs, secretaries, and liaisons, approving Ad-Hoc Committees, creating directives, and filming videos for CKI members to check out on CKITV (in english AND spanish!)

My next post I will upload a day by day "diary" and recap of everything we accomplished! However, I just had a wisdom tooth out yesterday so I'm going to rest up for tonight and wake up bright and early to work with my CKI club at our St. Lawrence County Pet Fair! woohoo! Check below for a few pictures from the International Board Trainer and stay tuned for more information!

Live to Serve -- Love to Serve,
--Kristen

Pictures from the CKI Board Trainer (click to enlarge)

My first home club meeting of the semester!

Greetings Everyone!

I hope the beginning of your Fall 2008 semester is rockin'! I know many of us have been very busy working club activity fairs and recruitment tables these first few weeks of school. I've uploaded a video below to take all of you along with me to my first club meeting of the semester. We had a phenomenal turnout! 70 new members came out to check out CKI! The best part about the first club meeting is that all of them signed up for service projects!

Tomorrow at 2am EST Representative Eric & I will be leaving Potsdam to travel to the airport to make our flight for the CKI International Board Trainer from September 5th-9th! I am so excited to see our awesome Board of Representatives and create our blueprint of success for this 2008-2009 year.

Thank you to everyone who sent us feedback on the September Board Book and general ideas/comments on what direction the board should take CKI this year. I can't wait to write all of you again after trainer - there will be some exciting updates for sure!








Keeping you posted,

--Kristen

Turn off TV, Turn onto Life!