Circle K International

WHAT IS CIRCLE K?
Circle K is the largest collegiate community service, leadership development, and friendship organization in the world. Circle K clubs are organized and sponsored by a Kiwanis club on a college or university campus. It is a self-governing organization and elects its own officers, conducts its own meetings, and determines its own service activities.

Circle K is an international community service organization with over 12,000 members worldwide in over 7 countries. Circle K blends community service and leadership training with the opportunity to meet many other college students at service projects, conferences, and conventions.

Each club works closely with their school and local community in planning and implementing projects that best serve the needs of that particular area. Clubs within the same basic geographic area (divisions), also work together on larger projects. On the district level, clubs within the boundaries of California, Nevada, and Hawaii also work to achieve common goals and service initiatives, and come together at conferences, conventions, and large scale projects (see "events" page). This gives members the opportunity to work closely with and get to know many different people, not just those at their own school.

VISION STATEMENT
The vision of this organization shall be: Circle K is the organization that holds the promise of today's college student becoming tomorrow's leader. It exists to meet the personal needs of the individual collegian through the qualities of leadership, the rewards of service, and the unique spirit of friendship. Circle K's potential lies in its ability to positively influence those in our society who are facing ultimate personal decisions, and those who will one day create the vision of mankind for generations to come. Circle K is the embodiment of those qualities necessary to shape the future, realized in the colleges and universities of today.

The Vision of Circle K International is dedicated to the realization of mankind's potential.

PURPOSE
Our mission is a statement of what CKI wants to become and for whom: Circle K International is college and university students who are responsible citizens and leaders with a lifelong commitment to community service worldwide. Circle K inspires people to better our world. Its motto, the same as Kiwanis International's, is "We Build." Circle K provides constructive opportunities for students to become involved on their campuses and communities through service work to others in need. Circle K members have the chance to work with fellow students, children in the community, and other adults in need of special programs.

PLEDGE
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 abilities of all people
And to dedicate myself to the realization of humankind's potential.

OBJECTS
The objects of Circle K International shall be:

To emphasize the advantages of the democratic way of life;
To provide the opportunity for leadership training in service;
To serve on the campus and in the community;
To cooperate with the administrative officers of the educational institutions of which the clubs are a part;
To encourage participation in group activities;
To promote good fellowship and high scholarship;
To develop aggressive citizenship and the spirit of service for improvement of all human relationships;
To afford useful training in the social graces and personality development; and
To encourage and promote the following ideals:
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life;
- To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships;
- To promote the adoption and the application of high social, business and professional standards;
- To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship;
- To provide through Circle K clubs a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities; and
- To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which makes possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism and goodwill.

HISTORY
In 1936, the Kiwanis Club of Pullman, Washington, established “Circle K House” at Washington State College, which was rented to young men who needed assistance to attend college. For ten years the "Circle K House" became affiliated with a Greek letter organization, although it continued to be sponsored by the Pullman Kiwanis Club.

Eleven years later in 1947, Circle K transitioned from a fraternity to a service-oriented organization. That year, during September, the first Circle K club similar to our present day organization, was chartered at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois.

In 1949, two more clubs were organized, including one in Canada, making Circle K international. There were 147 Circle K clubs in 1955, when Circle K was officially recognized as a sponsored organization of Kiwanis International.

MISSION
Above all else, Circle K International is a service organization whose members are dedicated to improving their schools and communities. Virtually any unanswered need is a potential opportunity for Circle K commitment and dedication.

The Circle K International Service Initiative, Focusing on the Future: Children, was designed to involve all Circle K members in projects that address the problems and issues that face children worldwide, ages 6-13. Through personal interaction and public awareness, Circle K members are enabling children to develop the skills and ideals necessary to be successful.

In addition, the program enables Circle K International to collaborate with its Kiwanis-family counterparts in the largest fund-raising campaign in the history of Kiwanis International—the Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project. The Kiwanis Worldwide Service Project joins the Kiwanis family of service organizations with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in a program to virtually eliminate iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) throughout the world. Circle K clubs have raised more than $523,000, which will protect about 2.5 million children from IDD, the leading preventable cause of mental retardation.

While the Kiwanis-family has reach its goal of US $75 million in cash and pledges, more than 41 million infants worldwide are born each year unprotected from the effects of IDD. Kiwanis is committed to the cause and will raise an additional US $3 million to virtually rid the world of IDD by the year 2005.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Campus and Community Service: Because of CKI's rich history of helping others, members of CKI clubs share in the tradition of serving their campuses and communities. CKI members, by planning and participating in projects and activities, volunteer their time, talents, ideas and skills for the purpose of making a longlasting and far-reaching impact on their environment.

Leadership Development: Through the CKI structure, every Circle K'er has the unique opportunity to develop leadership skills by serving as an officer or committee chair. Whether it be serving as a club project chair, district officer or international officer, each member has the opportunity to discover and develop talents and skills.

Professional Development: Involvement in Circle K will allow college students to apply what they learn in the classroom to everyday situations. The skills that are developed and the opportunities experienced through involvement in Circle K will increase a student's employability after college. Furthermore, Circle K's connection to Kiwanis promotes career networking between collegians and professionals.

Friendship: Because CKI is organized on more than 500 college and university campuses in nine countries, members have the unique opportunity to become friends with collegians throughout North America. Attendance at divisional, district, and international conferences and conventions provides members the special chance to learn of diverse perspectives, make new friends all over North America, share ideas and concerns, and travel.

Scholarship Opportunities: Through the generous efforts of the Kiwanis International Foundation and Kiwanians in the thirty districts of CKI, up to thirty $1,000 scholarships (one per district), are made available to CKI members. At the International Convention, additional scholarships are presented to Circle K'ers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, service, and scholarship.