Volume 50 Issue 2

Cirkling “ 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 ABILI-

TIES OF ALL PEOPLE,AND TO DEDICATE MYSELF TO THE REALIZATION OF

MANKIND’S POTENTIAL! “

Volume 50 Issue 2 July 2014

ICON Recap 1-2

Welcome Victoria Dayton 3

Football to Eliminate 3

Governor’s Page 4

K-Family Picnic 5

From the Editor’s Desk 6

Back In The Day 7

Mark Your Calendars 8

The Ronald McDonald House 9

Club Officer Spotlight 10-11

Kiwanis Spotlight 12

Fun Facts 13

Contacts 14

The Official Publication of the New Jersey District

A Recap from Subregion E Trustee Shivam Patel

On the week of June 17th, 2014, members of the New Jersey Dis-

trict had the opportunity to travel to Nashville, TN, where we celebrated

this year’s 50th annual Circle K International convention and large scale ser-

vice project!

Rebranded under the name “CKIx,” this year’s convention truly took

our expectations for the organization to the next level- providing informative

workshops, spirited sessions, and amazing service projects for our members

to enjoy. The first two days of CKIx kicked off with our organization’s annual

Large Scale Service Project, where members of our district split up in to

teams comprised of different students across the globe. From there, teams

had the opportunity to tackle unique service projects with an assigned team

leader- one of whom happened to be our district’s very own governor, Dawn

Kreder! (Cont. on page 2)

Icon Recap Cont.

NJCKI Awards included: Distinguished District, Distinguished Governor

Shivam K. Patel, Distinguished Secretary Dawn Kreder, Distinguished LTGs

Victoria Dayton, Brooke Lichter, and Annabelle Fallarme, and Distinguished

District Committee Chair Stephanie Morales.

After two fun-filled days of fellowship and service, the event quickly jumped into the business items of the con-

vention- in which former Subregion-A trustee Kathy Le had been elected our International President for the 2014-2015

service year! In addition, former New York Circle K Governor and friend to the New Jersey District Kelly Chan had also

been elected in to the office of our Subregion-F trustee, and will be serving with us this year along with the districts of

New York, Capital, New England & Bermuda, and Eastern Canada! Last but not least, your’s truly was elected to serve in

the office of Subregion-E trustee for the upcoming year as well, providing council to our neighboring districts of Pennsyl-

vania, Kentucky-Tennessee, Ohio, and West Virginia!

Toward the latter days of convention, members were treated with very special presentations on empowerment

from Phired Up, as well as food etiquette with Momma Nonnie. In addition, the organization also held a nighttime awards

ceremony, in which the New Jersey District did fantastic work in sweeping up the convention! The Circle K club of Rutgers

University won first place for both Single Service and the Eliminate Project. The New Jersey District as a whole won two

honors for having fundraised the second highest district total, and the highest per member total for the Eliminate Pro-

ject respectively. In addition, our 2013-2014 district board went home with a record breaking total of 7 trophies, with

Eliminate Chair Stephanie winning Distinguished District Chair, Lieutenant Governors Brooke, Annabelle, and Victoria all

winning Distinguished LTG, Secretary Dawn in winning Distinguished Secretary, and myself in winning both Distinguished

Governor, and District for the state of New Jersey as a whole.

As the convention concluded on Saturday night, we had the opportunity to reflect on our fantastic 6 day experience in

Nashville by dancing the night away with members from across the nation. CKIx this past week was truly a celebration to

remember, and we hope you’ll join us next year for our organizations 60th anniversary, in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Our New District Board Member/ Football to Eliminate Recap

First of all I would like to thank every-

one who was able to make it to FTE; it

was an awesome event and one that we

will now be making a tradition at

Brookdale. Also I would like to take

this opportunity to thank Christian

Blanco and Christopher Heil, who did all

the work in setting everything up and

organizing the event. We were able to

raise 245 dollars for the Eliminate Pro-

ject and it also gave Brookdale an awe-

some start to the new service year.

By: Kyler Hourahan

Brookdale President

Metro LTG Year: Post-Graduate

Major: Biology & Classical Studies

Fun Fact: I’ve been a member of the

Kiwanis family for 9+ years!

The Governor’s Page!

Greetings, y’all! Okay, you may be wondering why my introductory message contains some “southern lingo.” Well, the answer to

that question is because I just spent a week down in Nashville, Tennessee for CKIx! I had a great time meet-

ing CKI members from all over the world, serving at the Nashville YMCA and Nashville Zoo during LSSP, and

reminding myself about why I joined and proceeded to stay in our mighty organization. Having members from

every district (and even clubs around the world who have yet to be included in the districts) surround you at

every session and workshop allows you to hear about the individual CKI experiences that people have. Of

course, there are those who were in Key Club and wanted to continue their K-Family journey. But then, there

are others who just saw the opportunity that they had to evoke positive change on their homes, campuses, and

communities that stumbled across Circle K by chance. No matter how these members got involved with Circle

K, I have to say that every one of these 13,000+ members that I have had the honor of meeting has a heart of

gold that has inspired me to do more as I returned home back to New Jersey.

So, NJCKI, what does this mean for you? It means that you should make the most out of each day you

have to perform even a small act of kindness for the world around you. Volunteer at one of the three Ronald

McDonald Houses, help fundraise for the Eliminate Project, tutor some of the schoolchildren in your communi-

ty, or just smile and say hello to a stranger you pass on the street. The size of the service is not the most im-

portant thing, but the fact that you are actively trying to help is what is. We are all members of Circle K In-

ternational, and together, we really do make a difference!

K-Family Picnic!

Join the NJ Kiwanis Family at the K-Family Picnic on July 20th, hosted by The

Richard Stockton College of NJ! The cost is $10, which includes a delicious barbeque

as well as meat-free options for our vegetarian friends! Make sure to bring some extra

cash and participate in our pie a board member fundraiser. All members of the Kiwanis

Family are welcome, so spread the word! If you have any questions about K-Family Pic-

nic, please contact Kiwanis Family Chair, Rocky Trifari at [email protected] and

make sure to RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/304891493020898/ .

From the Editor’s Desk

Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your summer breaks thus far. We have LOTS of exciting things coming our way, and I en-courage you all to join the New Jersey District at the K-Family Pic-nic this month. I know I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but who else is SUPER PUMPED for Insight? Start stocking the piggy banks now, because you definitely don’t want to miss this weekend. Don’t forget to continue sending your hours to your club secretaries, and take this time off of school to make a difference in the lives of oth-ers. Find a local soup kitchen or do some yard work for an elderly neighbor. Visit a local animal shelter and give some much needed love and affection to cuties like this guy in the corner. Even better, find your local Ronald McDonald House and reach out! Enjoy the rest of your summer and stay cool!

Rachael & Cain the Pitbull

POP QUIZ Be the first to email me at

[email protected] with the correct answer

to this question, and you will receive a prize!

Anyone is welcome to play, but you must be

present at K-Family picnic to claim your prize!

What was the first district of CKI and

when was it established?

Circle K International Convention: My

Snapshot This past weekend, students from around the world were

afforded the opportunity to come together with the similar

purpose that unites them at the club and district level, our

three pillars: service, leadership, and fellowship. While at

ICON, it is easy to point out similarities and differences to

years past, but one of the most engaging aspects of ICON

has been, and will always be, the bonding that occurs

between members. But, what is ICON really as it stands, a

larger DCON, or something more? The two are similar in

the presentation of candidates, the aim of offering

workshops, service opportunities, and cohabitated living. It

is, however, the grandeur scale of which the events

surrounding the international one that makes the difference.

Nearly four thousand hours of service got accomplished at

the host city, Nashville this year . Candidates from around

the world offered learning experiences for both the voting

members and the candidates themselves. And the

workshops were offered by individuals with varying real

life experiences and fundamentally sound influences. So,

the international flavor of it all has perhaps intrigued you,

but what does that really mean? I had the opportunity to

present to more than 60 students (more on that in a moment)

from across not just this country, nor continent, but the

world. Students from Canada to the Philippines, from North

to South were present to expand their palettes when it

comes to education of topics. As far as workshops, students

were given nearly a full day's worth of offerings to choose

from, covering things from dining etiquette to personal

finances. NJ District was represented by three workshops

offered, one from your District Administrator, Mickey

Cohen, and two from myself. These opportunities to pass on

our experiences and expertise broadens the scope of what

the students have to offer, while allowing Mickey and

myself to hone our skills. Mickey and Rutgers chapter

faculty advisor Michael Murray also assisted in judging of

awards, and everyone's favorite Zone Advisor, Joey G, was

once again a familiar face when certain individuals were

looking for some clarity on bylaws and the history of our

organization, from the longest House of Delegates (13

hours!) to the explanation of the combination of bylaws and

constitution, to the progressed adaptations of past

conventions to now. Your immediate past governor, Shivam

Patel, offered a glimpse of what one of my presented topics,

moving forward when you've been knocked down, means

by parlaying his defeat as international president into a Sub

Region E representative position at the behest and vote

of the individuals he will diligently represent. Another unique

opportunity I spent time absorbing was the service fair, an

offering that gave clubs the opportunity to showcase some

projects that are near and dear to them. Surprisingly, many of

these programs were pretty large in nature and size, but all of

them had impacts felt in and across their home communities. I

took this opportunity to discuss the focus, intent, and overall

impact from my point of view with several of the students, and

made some contacts for future collaboration or discussion.

All in all, International Convention doesn't shake out to be

better or worse than our very own District Convention, but

rather a furthering of the good you all accomplish. A

lasting impression, you should all be extremely satisfied

with your work this year, as you will once again have a

home grown member sitting on the International Board,

won distinguished awards for service projects, district, a

multitude of positional awards, and even a talent show! I

say satisfied, that while NJ experienced great recognition,

there is still plenty of room to grow. And under the

leadership of your current board, spearheaded by Governor

Dawn, you have all the tools in place for another ever

expanding successful year. Don't forget; service,

leadership, and fellowship don't disappear during the

summer, so get moving! See you all at the K Family

Picnic, and remember to Live to Live, Love to Serve

By: Brian Pluchino

Mark Your Calendars!

July 2014 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 2 3 Randolph

Freedom Fes-

tival

4 Randolph

Freedom Fes-

tival

5 Randolph

Freedom Fes-

tival

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 K-

Family Pic-nic!

21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

Contact District Secretary Rena Patel at [email protected] if you are

interested in helping out at the Randolph Freedom Festival with all branches

of the Kiwanis Family!

District Service Project: The Ronald McDonald House

Our district has decided that the Ronald McDonald

House will be our District Service Project for the 2014-2015

service year. Our district will approach this service project in

three ways: collection, creation, and serving on site. Collec-

tion will include collecting pop tabs and possibly collecting

food and toys for the various sites in New Jersey. Creation

will include making something for the children staying at the

Ronald McDonald House such as hats, bears, or blankets.

This will allow for each of the clubs to contribute to our ser-

vice project from their home clubs! For serving on site the

goal is for our district to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald

House three times this summer and two to three times each

semester. We will visit different sites in New Jersey, making

it easier for all of the NJ Circle K members to attend at least

one visit. Not only we will be providing much needed ser-

vices for an amazing organization, these visits are a great op-

portunity for inter-clubbing with Circle K, Kiwanis, and Key

Club!

Our district has an extraordinary goal for this service

year: to complete 20,000 service hours! I have full faith that

our phenomenal district will achieve this goal, making the

world a better place in the process. Our district may be small,

but we are mighty. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never

doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever

has.” New Jersey District, will you rise to the challenge?

Let’s change the world, one service project at a time.

Have any questions, concerns, or suggestions? Feel

free to contact me at [email protected]

By: McKenzie Lillia, District Service Chair

The story begins in 1974, with the first Ronald

McDonald House being established in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. Kim Hill, the daughter of Fred Hill of

the Eagles, was diagnosed with leukemia. Thus, Hill

experienced firsthand the need for a place for the par-

ents and families of hospitalized children. Together

with the rest of the team, their general manager, and

Dr. Audrey Evans, Hill was able to make this dream

become a reality in Philadelphia. The organization has

grown to include almost 300 Ronald McDonald Hous-

es in 30 countries! In New Jersey, Houses are located

in Camden, New Brunswick, and Long Branch. The

Ronald McDonald Houses of New Jersey alone have

served over 21,000 families!

There are various ways to help this incredible

organization. While volunteering individually at the

New Brunswick or Long Branch sites, one can be-

come a house parent, an office volunteer, a fundraising

volunteer, a volunteer ambassador, a daytime volun-

teer, or a special project volunteer. When volunteering

as a group, there is the option to cook meals or bake,

volunteer as planters, gardeners, and clean up crews,

assist with holidays and celebrations ,or collect pop

tabs. While volunteering individually at the Camden

site, one can become a house volunteer in the morn-

ing/afternoon or evening. If you are volunteering as a

group, you can host Family Fun Nights or Dinner

Groups.

Club Officer Spotlight: Our Treasurers!

Alyssa Mol

Caldwell College

Olivia Rutler

Drew University Jess Veneziano Rider University

Laurel Bloch Farleigh Dickinson University

Alexandra Rivera St. Peter’s University

Elizabeth Bullock

The Richard Stockton Col-

lege of NJ

San Smallwood

Monmouth University Patrick Shulack Brookdale Community

College

Club Officer Spotlight: Treasurers!

Lidish Pandya Rutgers University

Jennifer Hickok

ACCC

Diana Tenebaum TCNJ

Christopher Waldron

Rowan University

Kiwanis Spotlight: College & University Relations

Bruce Marich has worked in the community college sector for over 37 years, beginning at Mid-

dlesex County College in 1976 and for the last 28 years at Brookdale Community College. He

has been Brookdale’s Director of Recruitment Services since 1988. In 2011, the Brookdale

Alumni Association presented him the Robert Barringer Award, the highest award an employee

can receive, in recognition of his work with students and his ties to the community.

Bruce has been advisor for the past 25 years to the Brookdale Circle K Club. Prior to

Brookdale, he was advisor to the Middlesex County College Circle K Club. During his tenure as

an advisor, his clubs provided the New Jersey District of Circle K five governors, the Pennsyl-

vania District one governor, five secretaries, one treasurer, and thirteen lt. governors. The

Brookdale club has also been recognized at the district and international levels for their ser-

vice activities. Bruce has been recognized for his involvement at the national and state levels.

He is the recipient of the Circle of Service Award, the highest recognition given to a non-

Circle K member, by Circle K International. He is the recipient of the NJ Circle of Service

award. Also, the New Jersey District-Circle K Outstanding Faculty Award bears his name.

Bruce has been active in the parent organization for Circle K and Key Club, Kiwanis Interna-

tional. In 2005-2006, he served as Governor of the New Jersey District. He is a past presi-

dent of the Kiwanis Club of North Brunswick and the Kiwanis Club of East Brunswick. He was a

charter member of the Kiwanis Club of NJ Young Professionals. He is now a member of the Ki-

wanis Club of New Brunswick where he serves as Kiwanis advisor to the Rutgers University Cir-

cle K Club.

Bruce and his wife Jackie (DC’66) have been married for 46 years and currently reside in

North Brunswick. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

In his spare time, Bruce enjoys the three “S’s” on the Jersey shore, doing section hikes on the

Appalachian Trail, tailgating at Rutgers and Giants games, attending Jimmy Buffet concerts,

and traveling.

Fun Facts about CKI

Our Vision Partners

Our Preferred Charities

Our Service Partners: Better World Books and STUFH (Students Team Up To Fight Hunger)

VISION To be the leading global community-service organization on college and uni-

versity campuses that enriches the world one member, one child and one community at

a time.

[email protected]

732-597-1570

Dawn Kreder

District Governor

[email protected]

609-781-2657

Max Hirsch

District Treasurer

[email protected]

732-439-0832

Rena Patel

District Secretary

[email protected]

609-634-4609

Rachael Stieg

District Editor

Contact the District Board!