Inside the Circle

Summer Rally 2009July 10 - 12

An Official Publication of LaMissTenn Circle K

Hello, everyone, I hope your summer is go-

ing well. We are kicking off this weekend of July 10

- 12 with our first district event, our annual Summer

Rally. This year's rally is hosted by the Circle K Club

of Millsaps College, and we are excited to be having

members from other clubs within our district as well

as from clubs in other districts, such as Texas-Oklaho-

ma, Kentucky-Tennessee, and Georgia,

participate in the weekend activities.

The opening session will include fun

icebreakers to allow the members to

get to know each other better, and the

following day will include two great ser-

vice projects, a morning project for the

Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children

and an afternoon project with Habitat

for Humanity.

Our morning project will provide

a time for us Circle Kers to meet and

greet other members of the K Family

from Key Club and Kiwanis, a time during which we

may also share ideas for service projects as well as our

goals for the year, and the afternoon project will give

us an opportunity to get our hands and clothes dirty as

we help construct a house for a family in need. The

Saturday will also incorporate lunch at the Ross Bar-

nett Reservoir and other great meals from local restau-

rants and will conclude with an Eighties themed

dance part complete with eighties music and

eighties dress. Then, Sunday morning will find us

in a closing session to say farewell and to reflect

on the weekend experiences. All are welcome to

tour Jackson for the rest of the day, but the district

board will be busy that afternoon discussing im-

portant topics in its fifth board meeting of

the year, topics such as T.I.O.G.A., District

Convention, communication policies, and

finalizations of the Tomorrow Fund, which

could promise continued Kiwanis support

for the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Ten-

nessee District of Circle K International.

I hope everyone is ecstatic about

the beginning of the school year and the

many fantastic projects and events that

await. Please remember that if any of you

ever have any questions, comments, or

concerns, the members of the district board

and I are always willing to help in any way we can.

May the rest of the summer find all of you well,

and may God bless each of you.

In K Family service and love,

Edgar R. Meyer

On June 3-5, the members of Division 14 in the LAMISSTENN District sponsored K.A.M.P. Kiwanis (Kids Are My Priority). The camp has been held for 7 years for children with arthritis and their families. This year, 75 campers were welcomed to Perkinston Community College in Perkinston, MS. The families travel from Mississippi, Ala-bama, and Louisiana. Highlights of this year’s camp included bowl-ing, skating, swimming, and lots of games and crafts. The parents were treated to a special banquet while the children enjoyed a pizza party. Dr. Linda Ray, a Pediatric Rhuematologist from Jackson, Mississippi was on hand to counsel the parents. This year’s camp was dedicated to Ella Lock, a long time volunteer, who died from can-cer and Roderick Morgan, a camper, who died in a 4 wheeler accident.

A few years ago K.A.M.P. Kiwanis was recognized at that year's International Conven-tion as one of the outstanding service projects in the country. Division 14 members work all year to raise $10,000-$12,000 to fund the camp. Juvenile arthritis affects over 300,000 children in the United States. Early on, the dis-ease which affects children's joints and mobility

by causing pain, stiffness, inflam-mation and possible deformity was misdiagnosed as simply growing pains. More children suffer from Juvenile Arthritis than Cystic Fibro-sis, Muscular Dystrophy and Mul-tiple Sclerosis combined. Parent's comments: "This camp time is the only time

in the year my child doesn't feel different." "Y’all Kiwanians must be angels to love our children like you do."

-Ame and Dennis Oliver

Hello from the Circle K at Nicholls State University.

Our club is nearly at the finish line for the race for our charter and we are really excited about

FINALLY becoming an official club. We have our paper work done and now just have to put

it all together. As of now we have over forty members and we hope to pick up more when the

fall semester starts back up. We are currently working on fundraisers, and big service projects

which we hope to accomplish a lot of good during this year. We are hoping to continue this

excitement of building a new club throughout the year. Also we would like to give a special

thanks to Edgar and Meredith for helping us extensively.

John Lombardo

Nicholls State University

Circle K President

Hey Everyone!!!

I hope you are all enjoying our very warm summer! I want to extend my congratula-tions to you on another excellent year of service! We as members of this astounding organization take great pride in the service we provide to our community, and I am proud to be part of such a long tradition of excellent service, leadership, and fellow-ship. This upcoming year I hope to provide all members in our district with the tools necessary to have another even more amaz-ing year. I would like to let all of you know that as we begin our year, I am more than willing to help you with anything you might need. Even though I serve a division in Mis-sissippi, I will do my best to help all clubs and members throughout the district to

excel at the goals they have set for them-selves and their clubs. I will also work to help you build new and lasting relationships with the other branches of our K family. The district board has set a goal of reaching 4800 service hours for the year, and I know this is something we can reach and surpass easily because of our great desire to change our historic district! I just wanted y’all to know that I am here to help you achieve the goals that you have set and look forward to working diligently with you to grow our district! Please again let me know if you need anything, and I look forward to serv-ing with you again.

Yours in service,Hanna

Hello All!!!

I hope everyone is having a

great summer and an even more

wonderful time at Summer Rally!

I apologize for my absence and

wish you guys the best of luck

with the rest of your summer!

Here are a few things that

are going on in the Piney Hills

Division. I am super excited to

say that several schools have

contacted the district about

possible charters! (Centenary

College, Grambling State Uni-

versity, and University of Loui-

siana @ Monroe). Also LSU-A

will be chartering soon, as they

are short only ONE member!

As well as building clubs, I

am working to strengthen the

clubs within the division as well!

I want everyone to know I am

always available to help with

anything needed!

I would also like to acknowl-

edge members of the Piney Hills

Division for their service hours

during the summer!

LaShea Charleville (NSU): 6 hrs.

Roxie James (NSU) : 1 hr.

Jacob Punch (NSU): 76 hrs.

Brandon Wheatly (NSU): 19 hrs

Katie Wolf (NSU): 9 hrs.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

And look forward to the fall!

Ma’Ketia Morrison

Northwestern State University

Piney Hills LTG

LaMissTenn District

I) Service A) District Service Initiative – Project P.L.A.Y. B) AED Service Initiative – Challenging the dis-trict to raise $1700 to purchase an AED to put in a school in our district C) 4800 Service Hours – 32 hours per memberII) Membership A) 250 members B) Charter 10 Clubs 1) Gulf Coast Division a) Our Lady of Holy Cross College 2) Bayou South Division a) Nicholls State University 3) Piney Hills Division a) Louisiana State University at Alexandria b) University of Louisiana at Monroe c) Louisiana College

4) Delta Central Division a) Mississippi College b) Holmes Community College c) Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson5) Natchez Trace Division a) Mississippi State University b) University of Mississippi at Oxford (Ole Miss)III) Leadership A) Have sessions to teach the membership about professional presentations

Goals for the 2009-2010 LaMissTenn District Board

Have any of you ever heard the expression "high

on life"? Well, I am sure most of you have. I guess

what I should ask is the following: Have any of you

ever experienced what it feels like to be "high on

life"?. If the answer is no, then I would say that Lead-

ership Academy is the experience for you.

May 15 - 20 of this summer, Lieutenant Governor

Hanna Olivier and I had the wonderful opportunity

of attending the Circle K International Leadership

Acadamy at the Waycross Camp in Morgantown,

Indiana, about an hour outside of Indianapolis. For

a week, Hanna and I, basically cut off from civiliza-

tion, spent our time, energy, and enthusiasm meet-

ing Circle K'ers from across the counrty, Canada, and

Jamaica. At the same time, we all grew together in

our understanding and motivation of leadership as

we were challenged by the satff members who con-

sisted of Kiwanians--all under the leadership of Erin

Fischer, the Director of Circle K International.

It is hard to say which part of Leadership Acade-

my was the best. Everything from the workshops to

the Ropes course to the guest speakers to the neigh-

borhood sessions to the skits to the presentations to

the films to the dancing to the food was amazing.

Hanna and I also had the chance to participate in

one of a number of service projects; the project in

which we committed our efforts was the uprooting

and replanting of trees, trees which will hopefully

take root in their new homes and grow even larger

for future Circle K Leadership Academy attendees to

behold. Nevertheless, Hanna and I felt what truly

made the week spectacular was the people.

Having been in Circle K for the past three years, I

have met some truly amazing people. And having

associated myself with them, I have learned that all

my efforts toward growth and in leadership are not

what are most important and most meaningful. But

what is most important is realizing that everyone

around you is so much more wonderful, coura-

geous, service-oriented, organized, respectable, and

downright genuine than you that you are honored

to have been given the privilege of having known

and met such wonderful people.

At Leadership Academy, you truly see how peo-

ple do become better servant-leaders as they work

together to accomplish certain tasks, whether they

be group presentations, skits, or games in the Ropes

course. Either way, the activities are designed to

challenge us as leaders, and in the end, they achieve

their purpose when we are able to find our way

back to the group, to the team effort and realize that

what is most important is our compassion and love

for each other and all other people. In fact, it is that

love which drives us to serve, and in doing so, to

lead by example. I hope that many more members

of the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District of

Circle K International will find their way to this won-

derful event to share in this experience.

Edgar R. Meyer

Leadership Academy

Greetings Circle K-ers,

First of all let me say how sad I am that I have to miss Summer Rally this year. I wish I could be there because I know I'm missing out. Even though I can't be there this weekend, I am extremely excited about this upcoming school year. As Presi-dents' Council Chair, I'm looking for-ward to working with the club presidents and maintaining club relations. During the summer its usually harder to keep things in order but once September rolls around, I know everyone will be ready to jump right in! So far this summer UL's club has been recruiting freshman at orientations every week. We've actually been gain-

ing the attention of the orientation staff as well. So anything that gets the Circle K name out in a positive way is a good thing! Message To Club Presidents:It is not the responsibility of just one person to make sure our clubs are suc-cessful; it takes an effort from the entire group. So as club leaders it is our re-sponsibility to make sure our members feel as though they are an important part of CKI. *make sure your club turns in a MRF by the 5th of every month *turn in the presidents' report form by the 10th

Tenaj

Ooh-La-La!

Ms. Jackson if . . . well, you know.

The Pope has it but he does not use it.Your father has it but your mother uses it.Nuns do not need it. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a big one,Michael J. Fox's is quite small.What is it?

Summer FunFind out what the animals are! (for example, "To run away or escape" could be a "flea")

1. hair-control foam2. very exposed3. tellin' falsities4. a lamenting cry5. a dull person6. a precious or loved one7. first you get a parking ticket, then you get this8. these make up a chain

Answers on last page

Hi Everyone:

I am so excited about the goals we have set before us as the LMT CKI district. One of the goals I set for myself as the new administrator is to be an active participant. Your board wants to grow our district not only in membership size but to reactivate and charter new clubs. We have a great group of officers that are part of this building team, but we have some positions still open. Are YOU that person willing to step up to the plate? Edgar is spending many hours coordinating with Kiwanis clubs to have more involvement with CKI. Bridging that gap between Key Club and Kiwanis is one of those critical tools that will make us a stronger district. I have no doubt that we WILL achieve the goals set. As a CKI alumni, I take great pride in being part of the LMT team. Thank you to all who have set aside your time to be part of Summer Rally. I close this note with words from Chuck Swindoll:

“Attitude is the overwhelming impact on life. It is more important than facts. It is more than past, than education, than appearance, talent or skill. Regardless of all other fac-tors, attitude will make or break a company… a church… a school…a home or every person’s life. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the atti-tude we will embrace for that day.”

Enjoy the rest of your summer. See you soon.Mrs. Kari

Where I come from there is no such thing as CKI, or Key Club. When I joined LSU CKI, I had no clue what to expect. I have grown very fond of the club, and their mis-

sion, to help children, since I have the passion to help children too. When you’re a new member in any club it can be very difficult, but CKI welcomes you with open arms

and they make you feel like part of their family. Out of the many different events that CKI offers I think Tioga is the best, but they are all fun, even if it is just a local project. Tioga made it very easy to meet all the different members in the LAMissTenn district,

and it was a fun get away for the weekend. As a new member I would recommend to get active in the club so you can get to know the different types of positions you can

hold in your future years in the club. The easiest way for me to get involved has been to hold a chair position, but there are many other options. CKI has been one of the

best things to come out of my first year at college, and I look forward to many more years at LSU CKI.

Christine McCurleyLSU Club Secretary

Being a New Member in Circle K International

LSU’s Golden Anniversary Although many of you may be unaware, this year marks an incredible mile-stone for our club that stirs up a sense of pride and nostalgia for my fellow board members and me. It is the 50th anniversary of LSU Circle K! As honored as we are to be the ones in office during this special birthday, we also find ourselves feeling nervous about the future. We are taking on a huge responsibility in the middle of a national economic crisis. And you know what this means – members struggling to pay their dues and to make better grades in hopes of finding ANY job available. One more problem that we must confront head-on is that our membership count is hanging by a thread. Only eight years ago LSU Circle K was alive and kicking with 107 members strong and over 2,500 logged service hours. 107 MEMBERS! Sadly, we are but a fraction of that now, and I honestly cannot blame anyone for this decline. All I know is that somewhere along the way, our members lost optimism, and their passion for service became instead a chore. In consideration of these circumstances, we are launching a brave initiative to transform our club into a bigger, better organization, and what more appropriate theme to use than our 50th anniversary? From this we have created 3 goals: 1) 50% more growth a.This means more members. And how are we going to do this? Two ways: more advertisement and recruitment. We are going to turn heads with our creative slogans and mini outside activities to get people involved and interested in our club. Also, we are going to contact all the Key Clubs in Louisiana to recruit high school graduates heading to LSU next semester. 2) 50% more involvement a. Once we get the members, we have to keep them interested and involved We need a better information network, and we need to form unity and friendship among the members and encourage each other to attend service events. To do this we will collect more detailed information on each member, and add fun and free socials to break the tension and shape new relationships. 3) 100% more satisfaction a. Simply that: we need members that are excited about service. So we will pump up the enthu-siasm, add more interesting projects, and make sure word gets out about the fulfilling opportunities a member-ship with Circle K holds.Facing these challenges, I am excited for this upcoming year. I hope to make our founding members proud in growing and continuing our legacy on the LSU campus and in our community.

LaChelle LanclosVP, LSU CKI

Answers: A last name 1. Moose (Mousse), 2. Bear (Bare), 3. Lion (Lyin’), 4. Whale (Wail), 5. Boar (Bore), 6. Deer (Dear), 7. Toad (Towed),

8. Lynx (Links)

From the Editor’s Desk Here it is, the first issue of Inside the Circle. Well, the first issue of the best year of our CKI lives, right?! I would like to thank everyone who submitted an article, and all those wanted to submit an article but didn’t because they forgot or procrastinated or waited until the last minute and were like “Eff, I should have written an article.” Remember that Inside the Circle is YOUR bulletin. It is written for the members, by the members, in order to benefit the members. Please do not hesitate to ask me questions, or just to go out on a whim and submit an article that you might think everyone else will think is stupid. There are no stupid articles. Just stupid people. :) One Love,Meredith Pursell

Random Ramblings By Alisha Morris University of New Orleans

Does it seem during the summer no matter how important something is it just doesn’t get done? You know you have homework yet no matter how many times you try and begin and get something accomplished it doesn’t? Or do you look forward to summer only to realize you have even less time than you did in the nor-mal school year? Does it seem that the fall and spring semester go so slowly while the summer semester goes faster than you can even think? Does it feel like you’re trying to get homework done and not melt in the heat at the same time? If so, you’re not alone in this feeling. While I can’t help with the feeling of time flying without anything getting accomplished, I can tell you how not to try and get things accomplished in the heat. 1.) Getting homework done while sitting on a raft does not work. Textbooks are too expensive to get wet. 2.) No matter how hot it is, doing homework in you bathing suit in the library is not appreciated. 3.) A tree will only provide shade for so long before the sun changes and you’re unable to concentrate. 4.) Red snowballs will stain homework. All colors but clear will. 5.) Clear snowballs other than wedding cake, are nasty. 6.) Your car is a sauna, save time and money and just sit in the car rather than the gym. 7.) The mountains feel great however, cell reception is nonexistent so don’t try to get any homework done. 8.) However if you do attempt to use the internet in the mountains, make sure it’s unlimited. 9.) If it’s not unlimited, be far away when the cell phone bill is opened. 10.) Remember while you have water there are many out there who don’t, so remember six cents can make a difference.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change. - Michael Jackson