Circle K attends district convention in Lansing, MI
Freshman Sandra Bryan competes in the Hand on a Van competition, sponsored by the Adrian College Circle K group last month. (Photo by Anthony Spangler)
This photo is from the Adrian Kiwanis’s summer party. The group is part of a global service organization. (www.adriankiwanis.org)
Over spring break, from March 12 to March 14, Adrian College’s chapter of Circle K went to Lansing for their annual district convention.
“We are a service organization affiliated with Kiwanis,” junior Jennifer Dawson said about Circle K.
Kiwanis is a group of volunteers that work together for community service activities. Circle K is particularly involved with the Kiwanis Club of Adrian, but that is only a small part of Kiwanis International, which is a global organization dedicated to changing the world, one child and community at a time.
According to their website, www.adriankiwanis.org, the group meets at the Lenawee Christian Center, located on US 223, every Wednesday at noon. The Adrian branch of the Kiwanis Club was founded in 1940, approximately 35 years after the foundation of the Kiwanis Club in Detroit. Since their foundation, the group has done hundreds of projects for the Adrian community. Some of those projects include installing the “Welcome to Adrian” signs at the North and West city limits, developing the Kiwanis trail and installing the flag pole that sits atop the Lenawee County Courthouse. Circle K is just one of the eleven Kiwanis committees that is listed on the website.
In the past, Circle K has held the Dining for Dimes benefit dinner, Hand on a Van, worked with Catherine Cobb Domestic Violence Center and is currently raising money for Habitat for Humanity.
The district convention was for all the Circle K groups in MI to come together and elect a new governor and executive board. Each chapter of Circle K was allowed two votes in elections. At the conference, they also had an icebreaker, where groups had to come up with a song and dance, gave out awards to various Circle K chapters, had workshops, service projects and a formal ball.
Dawson said there were 14 Circle K groups at the convention. This year, the students from AC that attended the convention were Dawson, junior Anthony Spangler, junior Alicia Bushor and sophomore Samantha Sloan.
This year was Dawson’s third time attending the district convention. She participated in the dancing through leadership, Kiwanis family relations and officer training workshops.
“I like going and seeing people,” Dawson said.
She said some of the most beneficial parts about the conference are talking to people, discussing new ideas and helping out new groups.
“I highly encourage people to go,” Dawson said. “It costs money, [though]. That’s why most people don’t go.”
According to Dawson, this year the convention cost $140 per person, which included all the activities, three meals on Saturday and a brunch on Sunday.
Dawson said her favorite part about the conference was the awards ceremony. In order to be eligible to win awards, a chapter of Circle K must be considered active by having 20 members. This year was AC’s first time considered active and they won eight awards.
Anthony Spangler was presented the Distinguished President award, Jennifer Dawson won the Outstanding Vice President award, Krystin Steifel won Distinguished Bulletin Editor and Alyssa Allen won the John Nash Outstanding Circle K Member award, along with a $250 scholarship. The AC chapter of Circle K as a whole won the second place Scrapbook award, Outstanding District Participation Award for their work with Habitat for Humanity, Participation in District Projects and the Distinguished Club Growth award.
“I think it’s awesome,” Samantha Sloan said about winning the awards.
Sloan attended the international Circle K, officer training and marketing workshops.
She said she found the marketing workshop to be very beneficial.
“It gave me some really good ideas,” Sloan said. “It was very informative.”
For her service project, Sloan volunteered at a food bank sorting through boxes of potatoes.
“It was a lot of fun,” She said. “I really enjoyed it.”
Alicia Bushor joined Circle K in the fall.
“I thought it could give me a good taste to what Circle K is all about,” Bushor said about the reason she attended the convention.
She participated in the Circle K international, public relations and life reflection workshops. For her service project, Bushor went to a retirement home and played bingo.
“It ended up being a lot of fun,” Bushor said. “I had a good time.”
Bushor said one of the only parts that she didn’t like was the food. However, despite that she said she would encourage others to attend the convention.
“Any member can go and get a lot out of it,” Bushor said. “If you are a Circle K member, you should definitely go to the Circle K district convention.”
Sloan said she would also encourage other members to attend the conference.
“Sharing ideas is very helpful,” Sloan said. “It’s so cool to get to meet other people from clubs who enjoy community service. It’s a very good learning experience.”